"Please come in–"
Bryan spoke softly as he glanced at the door and stood up, walking to the wardrobe. He felt the cold metal of the pendant in his hand and quickly slipped it into his pocket, hiding it from view.
With a sharp creaking sound from the rusty door hinge, the door opened and Sirius walked in slowly. His black hair was messy and his eyes were bloodshot. When he saw Bryan, who was already awake and dressed, his scruffy face showed a hint of surprise.
"Oh, you're already up? I thought-, I was here to call you for breakfast." He said, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm more energetic than you imagine," Bryan smiled slightly, his brown eyes sparkling.
"And crazier than I imagined." Sirius also smiled, a flash of admiration in his voice. He was referring to Bryan's actions last night when he destroyed the cave and freed the Muggle bodies that were bound by dark magic.
"I can't quite figure you out–" Sirius closed the door, turned and walked to the desk, his curious gaze wandering over the books scattered on the desk. He picked up one of them and flipped through the pages, as he casually said,
"Sometimes… well, some of the traits you have, undoubtedly belong to Slytherin, which, to be honest, isn't very likable. But sometimes…" He paused halfway through his words, tilting his head and furrowing his eyebrows, seemingly contemplating how to describe it. After a moment, he slowly said,
"How should I put it, Well, it's quite interesting. I mean, you're not like Snivellus, that snot-nosed guy."
Glancing at Bryan, who was calmly smiling, Sirius pursed his lips and casually looked at the covers of some other books, speaking in a nonchalant tone,
"Before you left, Remus talked to me about you. He said you're actually a very kind wizard, but you like to hide your kindness inside and don't like to show it. At that time, I didn't quite agree.
But last night… I have to admit, without you, it would have been impossible for me, Remus, and Kreacher to find Regulus. We would have likely died there, and you also went through so much trouble to help those Muggle souls to be freed. Anyway, I have to thank you." He said sincerely, his voice softening.
"Heh, I'm not like you guys–" Bryan chuckled and walked to the table, tidying up the books one by one. He stacked them neatly and put them into his leather bag, along with some unidentified wizard's research manuscripts.
"I'm not as pure as you."
"Remus said you're a bit like Dumbledore, having great power is just one aspect, and you always keep people guessing–"
Bryan's hand froze in mid-air for a moment, then returned to normal.
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
The golden dust floating in the sunlight was disturbed by Sirius's hearty laughter, causing a panic. The dust settled on the furniture and the floor, adding to the layer of dust that had accumulated over the years.
Sirius explained his plan for how to arrange Regulus, his younger brother who had died trying to destroy one of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes. He invited Bryan to attend Regulus's funeral, which would be held later. After all, without him, Regulus would have remained in that dark cave for who knows how many years.
"Although you're not a member of the Order of The Phoenix, Bryan," Sirius said sincerely, "you are more qualified than anyone else to be present at Regulus's funeral."
Bryan had no reason to refuse and readily agreed.
Bryan put the magic books and some unidentified wizard's research manuscripts back into his bag, restoring the neatness of the desk. Only a non-magical picture album lay on the table. Bryan stared at the bound album, slightly silent, but in the end, he didn't pick it up. Instead, he threw it into the wastebasket next to the armchair, waiting for Kreacher to clean the room, who would naturally take care of it.
This picture album was a Muggle tourist souvenir album. During the summer vacation, he and Cliodna, that woman, had gone to the entrance of Avalon Island, located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. When visiting the Stonehenge site, in order to understand some of the historical background of Stonehenge, Bryan had spent seven pounds to buy it.
While searching for research materials earlier, Bryan had found this discarded album in his bag. But now, the album was useless, and Bryan didn't intend to keep it.
He picked up the album and threw it into the wastebasket next to the armchair, where it landed with a thud.
This action naturally caught Sirius's attention. He squatted down, picked up the album from the wastebasket, and looked at the pattern on the cover with a puzzled expression. It was a picture of a circle of large stones, standing in the middle of a grassy field. He opened the album and saw more pictures of the same place, taken from different angles and distances.
"Hmm, is this the style of Muggle photographs? The pattern on the album cover looks familiar?"
Bryan was stunned for a few seconds, then followed Sirius's gaze and realized what he was talking about. However, he wasn't surprised by it.
"A Famous Muggle tourist attraction, the ancient Stonehenge with a long history. Maybe you've been there before."
Bryan said, turning to the wardrobe and putting the storage bag into the hidden pocket of his robe.
"Sorry, Sirius, I'm going to change clothes. Can I trouble you… hmm?"
Bryan's explanation didn't ease Sirius's mind. He crouched down and picked up the album from the wastebasket, his puzzled gaze narrowing as he looked at the simple yet ancient-looking stone pillars on the cover. They were arranged in a circle, with some of them forming arches.
And this scene made Bryan's heart skip a beat. He suddenly remembered Cliodna's words: this Stonehenge is broken, and the missing pillars are the key to opening the ruins. After a long time, we found one pillar, but we still couldn't complete it.
'Could it be?'
Bryan walked quietly to Sirius's side, maintaining his calm and restraint.
"I've seen this pillar."
After a long wait, Sirius, who didn't look too good, finally gave his answer.
"Oh, really?"
Bryan had been puzzled and worried by the trip to Avalon Island. He had always hoped to find Cliodna to confirm some of his speculations and answer the unanswered questions. For this, he even paid a high price to commission Kakus, to find traces of Cliodna or the Druids. But so far, Kakus hadn't provided any information.
And unexpectedly, today, he received some clues from Sirius.
Bryan's eyelids twitched fiercely, and he maintained a calm expression as he asked softly,
"Where is it?"
"At Azkaban."
Sirius's tone was filled with gloom as he spoke plainly.
This answer was both surprising and seemed to make sense.
Sirius had spent twelve years in Azkaban, and before that, he couldn't have had much impression of an ordinary-looking stone pillar.
Without waiting for Bryan to ask, Sirius explained himself,
"I think you've heard of it. Azkaban is a lonely island in the sea. You won't find anywhere more desolate than that island, except for the prisoners and the Dementors guarding the prison, there is nothing alive on the island."
Sirius's tone was filled with disgust. He shuddered as he recalled the horrors of Azkaban, the place that had almost broken him.
"In the center of the island is a spiral tower that goes deep underground. The rooms in the tower are the prison cells for the prisoners. Because of those ghosts, the island has never had a sunny day. The only way we can see the outside world is through a palm-sized hole in the wall."
He gestured with his hand, showing the size of the hole.
"Most of the wizards imprisoned there have had their minds broken by Dementors. I'm one of the few who occasionally remain conscious. But you know, Bryan, there are no books, newspapers, wizard chess, or any other activities to pass the time. So, being conscious is actually a greater torment for the prisoners there."
Bryan imagined the environment there for a moment and couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Sirius.
"Where is this pillar you're talking about?"
"It's at the edge of the island, where it meets the sea."
Sirius said gloomily.
"There used to be other buildings at the edge of the island, but they were probably washed away by the waves, leaving only a large area of ruins. That area is submerged in seawater all year round, but every once in a while, it is exposed to the air. At that time, you can see a pillar in the ruins that looks similar to the one in this album. Of course, that pillar was probably just used to support the original building, but it was fixed so securely that it wasn't washed away by the sea–"
The stone pillar and ruins. Bryan squinted his eyes, his gaze becoming deep and penetrating.
This was a truly fascinating discovery.
In the heart of Avalon Island, that Greek-style, ancient and magnificent temple, with its majestic columns and intricate carvings, stood out like a sore thumb among the natural scenery. When Bryan saw it, he quickly judged that it was not the original building on the island, but was likely moved by Merlin from somewhere else.
'But why would Merlin do such a thing?'
Bryan lowered his gaze, his focused eyes falling on the cover of the picture book. Based on the information he now had, it was highly likely related to the Twin Serpent Staff.
According to the past events depicted in nine murals inside the temple, Morgan Le Fay and the dark shadow within her had intended to throw the Twin Serpent Staff in an unknown direction when they were defeated by Merlin and King Arthur. So, that Shadow used some mysterious magic, crossing a vast distance, and causing the staff to end up on a remote island far away from the mainland. After a long and arduous search, Merlin finally found the Twin Serpent Staff hidden inside the temple.
"Why didn't Merlin take the Twin Serpent Staff and instead uprooted the whole temple?"
Grimmauld Square, located in a quiet and secluded area of London, after the morning rush hour of Muggles going to work, fell into a deserted and peaceful state again. The huge crack that Bryan had created in the center of the square with a powerful spell had been repaired by the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and now it was a lush green lawn. Several sparrows fluttered their wings and landed on the lawn, aimlessly pecking at the grass roots.
"Unless–"
Bryan murmured in a voice only he could hear, as a sudden thought flashed in his mind.
"Unless Merlin also couldn't pick up the staff."
Godric Gryffindor, one of the four legendary founders of Hogwarts, couldn't pick up the Twin Serpent Staff, and Merlin, who had almost become a mythical figure in the history of magic, was the same. And yet, he could pick it up. Bryan couldn't feel any pride or joy in this matter.
He had never forgotten what happened in early November during the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
Because of the attraction of the joyous emotions of the young wizards, the Dementors guarding the school gates lost control. They rushed into the campus, like a swarm of dark and hungry insects, intending to suck the happiness out of the young wizards. To drive them away, Bryan used the Patronus Charm for the first time against the Dementors, and what happened next, there was no need to say.
According to Dumbledore, the transformation of the Patronus Charm came from the influence of the soul. When he used the charm, something in his soul that did not belong to him resonated with the Dementors, causing those changes to occur.
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Author's Note: I have been writing longer chapters of 2000+ words for more than a week now. I hope you are enjoying the pace and the flow of the story.
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