Unspeakables; Rule One

Chapter Seven: Vault 12

Notes:

*SPOILERS for Hogwart's Legacy are included in this chapter, please read at your own discretion.*

The sensation of being slammed into hard rock replayed in Celeste's bones repeatedly.

She sat up, disoriented, after the key of ancient magic turned out to be a Portkey. It took them to a cave that sat on the seaside. She could hear the waves crashing and smell the earth of the cave mixed with sea salt. Professor Fig was talking, but the sound was not coming out of his mouth. She focused on his lips, trying to determine his words.

"You're hurt."

"Just a bit." She responded. She was shocked at the sound of her own voice being so muffled, the pressure in her ears bothering her. She could hear the waves fine, the drops of water off the cave walls, but the human voice didn't penetrate. Maybe it was the stone in her chest. Was it there?

She panicked, tapping her chest down. She felt the stone, the Time Turner next. She tapped down to her coat for her wand. It was there. Then she checked the latch on the pouch at her side. Everything was there. After the panic settled, the pain in her body kicked in.

"Fuck," she whispered without concern of what Fig would say in response. All he did was raise his eyebrows and dig in the layers he wore. She didn't care if it was improper to use such language. She was in pain, and after being attacked by a dragon, she decided they had been through enough. Swearing shouldn't matter after all of that.

Professor Fig handed her a vial of a thick green substance that he pulled from a hidden pocket in his clothes. Wiggenweld, the healing potion. She slapped it back and took it like a shot, attempting to ignore the flavor of the bitter Dittany. Her hearing immediately started to balance itself out.

"What happened?"

"Poor George. I can't believe he..." anger replaced the grief in his face as he paced back and forth. "What the hell got into that damned thing? Attacking a carriage mid-air? A typical dragon would never."

Celeste observed the mouth of the cave. "Professor," she continued to peek out at the sun that bounced around the rock. "Sir, where are we?"

"I'm not sure, but the key you discovered was clearly a Portkey."

She kept up with the pretense of not knowing what that meant, so he explained that a Portkey was an item enchanted to bring the holder to a specific place.

After she got on her feet, they observed their surroundings and set out to explore. Her eyes adjusted to the sun, and the view took her breath away. They were on a cliffside, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands - according to Fig- and there were outstandingly extensive ruins directly in front of them. It would take quite a bit of travel to get around and to those dilapidated structures, but Celeste didn't mind, and neither did Professor Fig. He wanted to look into why the Portkey brought them to this place; he wanted to know what his wife, Miriam, and George died protecting. Celeste needed answers too. They traveled up and around the cliffside rocks, and Professor Fig explained his wife's story. In doing so, more pieces of the puzzle started to fit together for Celeste. Everything was connected.

Miriam Fig spent many years chasing proof of a long-lost form of ancient magic that no longer had any wielders. If this Portkey was any indicator of what she had been studying, Celeste understood why it was long lost. She had spent a month getting acquainted with the ancient magic of her stone, learning how to mimic the feel of it. That key had felt like something else entirely. So strong that it had made her mouth flood with the metallic flavor.

Professor Fig expressed how great the power was and that Miriam's search for it most definitely led to her finding the Portkey.

They continued traveling through the rocky path, repaired a bridge, and made their way forward into the ruins. After thoroughly examining the stones, Celeste decided to branch off, leading her to a wall on the far side of the area. The wall had the same symbol again, and the stone melted into glass, revealing a room with a chandelier that appeared on the other end.