Professor Potter

Chapter 67

Chapter 67 

"Well, this is it," Harry said to his three former research assistants as they stood before the structure within the cavern. "So far we've been able to uncover very little about who made all of this or how they did it. Inside the center room on the lower level is the pillar I've told you about." 

He stood with the two student wizards and one witch examining what was visible in the glow of his wand and the lesser outputs of theirs. He had walked them around the larger gallery behind the structure, showing them the shallow scratch marks that Charlie had found. 

"And we have no idea why they built this, sir?" the young wizard Smithson asked. 

"We have ideas but nothing that we can really confirm," Harry replied. "We've talked about the possibilities that it was perhaps for someone to live in, or perform ceremonies, or both. For all we know it could have been used for a set of small shops," he finished with a shrug. "Let's take a look at the pillar." 

Harry led the three students into the center room and they formed a ring around the pillar. Remembering what happened to Harry when he first encountered the pillar, no one made an attempt to touch the smooth surface. Harry smiled a bit and said, 

"It should be okay. I didn't run into trouble until I tried to link up the ley lines." 

Amanda was the first to reach out, although tentatively, to make contact with the stone. 

"It feels warm. And almost like it's shivering. Unless that's me," she said with a laugh. 

The two wizards took their cue and did the same. 

"You feel the same thing?" Harry asked. 

"Yes, sir," they both said. 

"Since you're still students I'm not going to take the chance of pulling the ley lines together. However, once you graduate if you're still interested in trying to help us explore the possibilities of this place, we'll take it further. Alright?" 

"Yes, sir," the three chorused. 

"What I can tell you is that there seems to be some form of information storage going on with these energy lines. I don't know if those that came before us deliberately put them there or the nature of the lines drew the information from them. Under the proper conditions, myself and Abagail Westwood can call them up. We've been trying to sort through it all but there's a lot there." 

Three sets of eyes widened somewhat at this information. 

"Now above us is the room that has a stylized image of a dragon's head carved into it. Again we don't know what it means or how they did it, considering how hard this stone is. Right now the only way up is through levitation." 

"I'd like to take a look if I could, Professor," Amanda volunteered. 

"Alright, you first." 

The young witch turned and faced the structure. Harry let his wand go dark and then incanted 'windgardium leviosa' and Amanda began floating upwards. When she reached the doorway, she grabbed the edge of the opening and pulled herself in. Once she was fully inside the room, Harry cut the spell. From below they could see the light of her wand move deeper into the room. After a few minutes she reappeared and called down, 

"Alright, sir, I'm ready to come back down." 

Harry repeated the spell and the girl slowly floated to the floor. Harry turned to the two wizards and said, 

"Next?" 

"I'll have a go, sir," Huddleford replied. 

Harry repeated the process, having to add a bit more effort as the young man was substantially heavier than Amanda was. When offered the chance Smithson declined.