"Your ankh is incomplete" Zewail El Serafy spoke gravely and bluntly.
The Egyptian wizard paced calmly back and forth, each step making his cape shine and display new hues of golden sparkles. He examined Malak's facial expression exhaustively, but it wasn't the witch's factions that revealed the truth — the nervous glances of Charlie Weasley between her and Albus Dumbledore were the cue that enabled the African sorcerer to reach his conclusion.
"But you already knew that" the Egyptian sage added, glazing quickly at Hogwarts' Headmaster. "And you too, Albus."
The eyes of Malak Aboul Gheit could not muster the courage to look up at the powerful wizard in front of her.
After the events of the first task, she now found herself sat on one of the intricate armchairs of Albus Dumbledore's office, holding the Golden Egg she had retrieved from the dragon firmly on her lap. How she got there however still remained a mystery to her. All she could remember was her fainting into unconsciousness and next, she was sat at the very place, in front of Zewail El Serafy, carefully watched by Albus Dumbledore from a corner of his office, and with Charlie Weasley right by her side.
At least he is here.
The redhead wizard squeezed Malak's hand reassuringly, making her finally look up to him, to be met with the most loving smile the dragon tamer could manage. He then looked away from her to address the Egyptian man. "And what of it?"
"The incomplete ankh is a restrain to her powers" the old man spoke. "Today, ya Malak, a power was unlocked in you — the magic of an ancient line of wizards... but I am afraid that without a complete ankh you will not be able to master it. It will be far too dangerous."
"Fawzia always said that knowledge is better than power" Malak mumbled.
"Wise words," Albus Dumbledore spoke for the first time in a voice so calmed that could rival that of his Egyptian counterpart. "That's why she always insisted on you studying as much as the Library could offer you. Knowledge will never abandon you. You may lack power, but that can be compensated with knowledge."
"Albus, this is beyond knowledge" the Egyptian man interrupted. "We don't know anything certain about this magic. And neither did Fawzia."
"That's impossible! I'm sure she did!" Malak exclaimed, confused. "You said it's a family heirloom... My grandmother... She- she knew everything — to the last branch of our family tree, everything about our dynasty dating back to the times of Hatshepsut, the Library—"
"What we have witnessed today is not Egyptian magic, ya Malak, habibti" Zewail spoke without looking at the witch. Instead, he shared a look with Albus Dumbledore that told Malak and Charlie that they knew more — much more — than they were letting on.
Malak frowned. No matter how she looked at it, just one thing came to mind. And if she were to expose it, perhaps the two wisemen would reveal more about the matter.
Her eyebrows still furrowed before speaking "well, the incomplete ankh is a problem... because of Rashid."
The surprise in both men's factions shocked Malak. They looked at her with avid eyes, and Zewail nodded his head, urging her to continue speaking.
"I believe he could use that to turn the other families against me" the girl spoke. "The Council of the Seven Families can name the Head of a Family if the holder proves unworthy... and not having a complete ankh could be that proof against me."
"That would mean Rashid taking over Beit-l-Gheit" Dumbledore said, still immersed in his own thoughts.
"Forget about the House" Malak stated, "I... I believe it's about the Library. I don't know what exactly, but if he wants full access to the Library, the only way is through the family. Being allowed in the House means to be back in the family and hence in the Library as well."
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking," Charlie said after a short silence, "you said that this magic that we saw today — the dragon and all — that's not Egyptian magic... why does she need to be purely Egyptian to control it then?"
"It's not about being purely Egyptian, Charles" Dumbledore explained calmly, "it's about having access to the full potential of her powers. This ability would require all of her magic — a power that she cannot currently access—"
"And I won't be able to access" Malak sentenced. "My father is not Egyptian."
"Well, he could become Egyptian" Zewail El Serafy announced, effectively turning all eyes towards him, as the other three waited for an explanation on how to do so. "Just like your grandfather did."
"My grandfather!?" an astonished Malak questioned. The truth is, she didn't know much about the man — Fawzia never spoke much about him, for the memories of her late husband pained the sorceress greatly.
"Your father must be accepted as a son of Egypt" the Egyptian man continued with a voice full of power and gravitas. "He must bathe in the waters of the Nile in front of the Temple of Kom Ombo — If the Nile accepts him, he will be presented with a Blue Lotus, the Gift of Horus the Elder, iniciator of the Egyptian civilization. It's a symbol through which Egypt accepts foreigners as its own sons and daughters."
Malak looked at him with intensity, while her factions contorted into a very worried expression and her eyes became watery.
Neither Albus Dumbledore nor Charlie Weasley fully understood the full implications of the words of the Egyptian patriarch — it seemed like a rather simple process, but judging by Malak's expression, Charlie knew that that was not the case.
"Kom Ombo is also the temple of Sobek" Malak whispered in a voice so weak that it was almost inaudible.
The green eyes of Malak Aboul Gheit and the black orbs of Zewail El Serafy seemed to engage in a battle of intense staring, one that rendered the room in complete silence for a long while. She bit her quivering lips, as one single tear rolled down her cheek.
"If he is not accepted, the crocodiles of Sober will devour him, yes" the man finally stated. "It's a choice he has to make for you, Malak."
"Like your grandfather did for the future of his children..." Dumbledore voiced his thoughts.
"He became Egyptian before marrying your grandmother" the Egyptian man continued, "through this vey process."
"My parents aren't married" announced Malak, "and my mother is dead."
"Then you must never face a dragon again, ya Malak" Zewail warned, with a concerned look.
"What!? Why!?" asked she, worry evident in her voice.
"You are what is know as a sárkánybűvölő, Malak" the thick and grave voice of Marcu Balan spoke from behind them, as the Moldavian man made his way into the room with three long strides, after abruptly opening the door.
"What is that?" asked the other dragon tamer.
"A Dragon charmer" Malak spoke effortlessly, surprising everybody —including herself— by knowing the meaning of the foreign word.
"Precisely" Marcu Balan nodded before sitting down in a free chair next to Charlie. "Dragon charmers are very very rare. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the only one alive — or at least awoken."
"There is another one" Dumbledore whispered, but only the keen ears of Malak and Zewail El Serafy heard him.
Meanwhile Charlie Weasley was simply too astonished by Marcu Balan's revelation. "But dragon charmers are supposed to be a legend... I — I don't understand..."
"They were hunted down by the medieval kings of Central Europe, and they are believed to be extinct. Annihilated. They posed a big threat to the Muggle and Magical World" explained the Chief of the Dragon Sanctuary. "Except in Hungary, where the danger of the Horntail posed a much bigger threat than the fact than some humans where able to control them. Dragon charmers survived much longer there, but as the dragon population declined and they tried to leverage their power, the dragons themselves rebelled against them... and they were forgotten, believed to have disappeared..."
But Malak wasn't listening to Balan's story. Her mind was occupied with other thoughts. Yet she wasn't the only one that was thinking the same thing. She knew however that she should be the one voicing it out-loud.
"If this is a family inherited power as you say, then we must assume that Rashid possesss it as well. And he has a full ankh to control it."
The four men looked at her.
"Is this Rashid a relative of yours?" Balan questioned.
"My uncle" Malak nodded.
"Well, then it is possible that he has this power as well, yes" the Chief Dragon tamer confirmed. "It is not ensured; but what is sure is that he will have to face a Hungarian Horntail for his power to be awoken — that's how the Hungarian Charmers were awakened."
"I am not Hungarian" Malak spoke.
"You may not be" Dumbledore started, his voice betraying just how tired he was — sad even, perhaps. "But your grandfather was."
For a long moment, no one said anything. It sounded absolutely absurd, but deep down Malak simply knew that it was the truth.
"You sang in Hungarian and you understood the dragon speaking to you in Hungarian, didn't you?" The Moldovan man questioned, but he knew the answer.
"Yes..." Malak whispered, but she was long gone. Her mind was elsewhere completely.
Rashid could potentially have the same ability. The Library could have clues on how to use the said ability. He might need to access the Library to fully understand it, but he had a full ankh, and he was much more powerful than Malak herself.
And all of these facts lead to a simple realization. One that just thinking about it horrified Malak Aboul Gheit.
"Rashid could use a dragon to go back to Beit-l-Gheit."
The statement cut the chat between Marcu Balan and Charlie Weasley immediately, but looking up from her lap Malak realized that both Albus Dumbledore and Zewail El Serafy shared exactly the same fear.
"I think he could do just as you fear, Malak" Abu maki. "He will turn the other families against you — using the powers of the Dragon Charmer as his leverage."
"Still, didn't your grandmother disown him?" Charlie asked, trying to understand. "Shouldn't the families trust her judgement?"
"I am afraid fear is often a more powerful drive than trust, Charlie" Dumbledore commented. "And their trust in Fawzia was not complete."
"What!?" Malak spoke. "No, they trusted her. They may not trust me, but they trusted her. Mesh kda, ya fandem? (Isn't that right, sir?)" looking desperately at El Serafy.
His eyes were unable to look at her directly, choosing to remain fixed on the floor, and thus only making the witch more desperate and panicked, "why?"
"Precisely because she married your grandfather, ya Malak."
"But - but... you said he... he became Egyptian - the Nile..."
"Your grandfather Alexander was an extremely powerful wizard. A great match to Fawzia's power and ambition but..." Dumbledore "his reputation was questioned, and by extension so was Fawzia's. Some of the old families could doubt her actions as consequence of that — she wasn't as neutral as the Seven Families should be."
Malak's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why was his reputation questioned? If they didn't question his Egyptian identity, then what?"
"They questioned his past — his involvement in the Global Wizarding War, and by association, that of Fawzia." The eyes of Albus Dumbledore finally met those of the Egyptian witch, and Malak understood suddenly that the situation was much more serious than she could suspect.
Words seemed to fade, her voice seemed to falter. "But... In that case... the International Confederation of Wizards..."
"Fawzia's position within the organization was in jeopardy too." Zewail confirmed what Malak suspected.
That sentence shook the very foundations of Malak's world completely, more than any revelation about her hidden Hungarian heritage. Fawzia had been the only certainty in the Egyptian witch's life but now... the memory of her grandmother seemed to fade, engulfed in a shadow play whose result was more uncertain by the minute.
Malak wanted to cry. But above all, she wanted to understand, and neither Zewail El Serafy nor Albus Dumbledore seemed willing to explain.
"But why was his involvement questioned in the first place? What made people suspect my grandparents?"
"Malak, your grandfather was a direct descendant of a very powerful Hungarian Wizarding family— a family that was also suspected to be a family of Dragon Charmers — a suspicion that was confirmed by your grandfather's brother..." Dumbledore made quite a dramatic pause, weighting exactly what to reveal. "A brother that gave Alexander and Fawzia a very hard time, and whose actions in fact killed your grandfather."
The silence was heavy, but one look at the witch made Albus Dumbledore speak again. She deserved that much.
"They were so different. But the fact that Alexander shared his last name was a burden that your grandfather was never able to shake off."
"What's his last name, then?" Malak questioned.
"Grindelwald."
The golden egg that had been resting on Malak's lap suddenly slipped, falling to the ground with a loud crash. The most horrible of noises emanated from the artifact — a loud and screechy wailing, that even made the numerous paintings of old Hogwarts headmasters in Dumbledore's office cringe.
Malak however didn't even process it. She was incapable of coherent thinking. Every second was agonizingly long, the world around her basically disappeared for a moment that seemed like an eternity and life itself seems to leave her being.
Distracted by the discordant shrieks of the egg, Charlie Weasley took a moment to realize Malak's state, but once his hand wrapped around hers firmly, the Egyptian girl seemed to come back from whatever trance she was in.
She looked at him intensely, breathing loudly — but the dragon tamer managed to ground her.
She blinked repetitively, turning to Albus Dumbledore before trying to speak.
Her mouth was suddenly so dry that she could barely manage to whisper. "Grindelwald, as in Gellert Grindelwald?"
"Precisely."
Thank you so much for reading!
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I know this is long overdue, but life sometimes gets in the way 🙈
Hope you liked it 💕