Harri Potter in: the Mummy Returns

Chapter 2

We all run outside and see Rick and Jonathan. Alex screams, "Dad! Dad! They took mum!"

Rick leaps to his feet as Alex runs into his arms and hugs him tight, then he sees Ardeth coming and says in surprise, "Ardeth Bey?" He then looks at me and says, "Harri?" I just give him a wave. He looks at our faces and grits his teeth in anger, "Don't tell me..."

Ardeth looks grim and says, "Yes. Once again, someone has removed Imhotep from his grave."

Jonathan sighs and says, "I don't mean to point fingers, but isn't it your job to make sure that this doesn't happen?"

I snorted and said, "You know, I said the same thing!"

Ardeth just glares at me and says, "He was well hidden under the ruins of Hamunaptra. But the woman who is with them, she knew exactly where to look."

Rick then looks contemplative and says, "Just like Evy knew exactly where to find that bracelet."

I nodded and said, "That bracelet is what they were after."

Alex looks proud and says, "Well, they didn't get it." He then rolls up his sleeve and shows off the bracelet on his wrist. Ardeth looks shocked, and Alex looks at me in excitement, "When I put it on, I saw a mirage, the pyramids at Giza, then whoosh! Across the desert to Karnac."

Rick just looks completely done and says tiredly, "We'll talk about this later." He then looks at us and says, "Any idea where these guys went?"

Ardeth and I grimaced, and he said, "That's why we came to seek you out. I traced them to London, then we lost them."

I then said, "Luna told us to head here, and so we came. And not a moment too soon."

Rick looks grateful and said, "Thank you for protecting Alex." I gave him a nod in return.

Ardeth then pulls out a photo and says, "But wherever this man is, Imhotep and your wife will surely be."

Alex snatches the photo out of Ardeth's hands and says, "Hey! I know him! He's the assistant curator at the British Museum."

I look at him and say, "Are you certain?"

Rick just nods and takes Alex's hand and heads off towards a car saying, "Trust him, he spends more time in that museum than he does at home."

We then all get into the car. I quickly heal Ardeth. As he was going to thank me and I see him notice something on Rick. He says, "O'Connell, if I said to you: I am a stranger traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost..."

Rick looked stunned, then confused, and said in a faraway voice, "I would reply...I am a stranger traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek."

Ardeth continues, looking at Rick with new eyes, "Then we shall meet in the circle."

Rick just stares out at the road with a blank face, "For the sake of the Widow's son." He then looked like he came back to himself and said, "My father taught me that. It's one of my first memories, my only recollection of him. I never knew what it meant."

Ardeth looks extremely pleased and says, "It means, my friend, that you are a Masonic Templar." He then rolls up his sleeve and we can all see a similar tattoo, "A Medjai, like myself."

Alex looked excited, "Wow, look at that! What's a Masonic Templar, Dad?"

Rick still looked shocked and said, "It's an ancient secret society, Alex."

Ardeth nodded and said, "Dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man, under the all-seeing eye of God."

Alex turned to Jonathan, who looked bored, and said, "My dad's and ancient warrior!"

Jonathan looks at Rick and said, "What's a job like that pay?"

Rick just snorted and said, "I am not a Templar. Some joker slapped this tattoo on me when I was put in the orphanage in Hong Kong."

Ardeth looked upset, "It is not a tattoo, but a precise brand. There is only one print of it in all the world. It would only have been given to a Medjai father to place on his son."

Rick shook his head and said, "All I remember, is that it hurt like hell."

Alex looks confused and said, "When you're a Templar, what do you do?"

Ardeth looked back at him and said, "Your fate is to be a Protector of man. Your destiny, to fight evil. Always."

Rick looked dubious, "Sounds great."

Ardeth looked pissed, "It is in the blood, passed down from generation to generation. From father to son."

Alex looked excited, "Sounds really great! That means I'm gonna get a tattoo!"

Rick looked angry, "You are not getting a tattoo!"

I just snickered. We finally stopped in front of the British Museum. There's not another soul in sight, but there is the car from earlier.

I looked at an overeager Alex and said, "To earn your brand, you must perform a feat which is both brave and wise."

Alex's eyes go wide, and I can see Rick knows where this is going, he continues, "That's right, Alex, so I want you to stay here and protect the car."

Jonathan looks at the Museum and says, "I could do that."

Alex just looked disgusted and said, "Protect that car? C'mon dad, just because I'm eight doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Rick just grins and ruffles his son's hair. Jonathan gives Alex a forlorn look, "If you see someone come running out screaming, it's just me."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Jonathan, maybe you should just stay here with Alex." Jonathan looked happy and I said to Alex, "Alex, now you can guard the car and your uncle!"

Alex looked much happier with that task and Jonathan looked offended, "Hey!"