The conversation shifted towards Goblin Zuosey because the initial impression of him wasn't favorable due to Bill, Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle's introduction.
"I don't like that Goblin," Gabrielle wrinkled her nose, "He looks very deceitful."
"Most Goblins are like that, not trustworthy..." Fleur added.
In magical history, Goblins had a long-standing history of trying to rebel against the rule of human wizards for various reasons. This rebellion or uprising had caused significant trouble in the wizarding world, as Goblins were intelligent and skilled at dealing with wizards. Unlike House Elves, who were completely submissive, Goblins were far more assertive in their demands. Though they were nominally under the management of the Ministry of Magic, the control was largely symbolic.
Hermione had once hoped that House Elves and Goblins could join forces to safeguard their own rights.
"Zuosey's temperament may not be good, but he's well-versed in Egyptian history and ancient magical artifacts," Laurie commented. "He's quite proficient in explaining various curses and has a lot to teach."
"Have you heard the rumors?" Hermione hesitated and continued, "There have been stories about people on his excavation teams dying or going missing..."
"You've heard about that too?" Laurie was surprised, and the smile on her face gradually faded. "I've heard these rumors too. The Ministry of Magic investigated him for these incidents, but they couldn't find any evidence."
"He's very careful, and others often remain unaware," Bill added. "Being a Curse-Breaker is a dangerous job, and casualties are common. Zuosey is also skilled at covering up incidents, but these things have indeed happened."
"I know everything you've mentioned. Mr. Weasley, many people have warned me," Laurie said, her voice getting lower. "I have a very close friend who joined Zuosey's excavation team in the past and never returned."
Silence followed; it seemed that Laurie joining Zuosey's team was not a simple decision. She might be gathering evidence to seek revenge for her friend but hadn't found anything yet.
"I hope you won't bring up this matter. I won't give up until the truth is revealed," Laurie said, clenching her fist. "This Sun vestige exploration is an opportunity. I saw the Anubis portrait on the wall..."
Anubis was the guide and protector of souls, and its appearance often indicated the need for a living person's soul as a sacrifice. If Zuosey wanted to obtain the final treasure, he would likely target other individuals, leaving evidence behind.
Hermione looked at Laurie in surprise. She hadn't expected the cheerful girl to have such a determined purpose, risking her life to collect evidence against Zuosey.
"If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll help you," Bill said, sighing. "In any case, remember that Zuosey is a dangerous person. During this excavation of the Sun vestige, all of you must be careful and stick together."
After discussing various rumors about Zuosey, they finally turned to the Sun vestige and its excavation.
"The Sun vestige is located in the center of Bayle Ramesses, a massive structure buried under thick sand for many years. Every time people try to unearth it, the sand rapidly fills the pit they've dug, making it impossible to uncover," Laurie explained. "Wizards in Egypt call these yellow sands an impenetrable barrier that prevents intruders."
"Why don't they use magic to remove the sand?" Gabrielle asked.
"Because these yellow sands are inherently magical and serve as a natural deterrent against intruders," Bill explained. "Until recently, explorers discovered an entrance, and this ancient relic has started to reveal itself to the world."
"Take a look at this chart. The first area of the Sun vestige is vast, with intriguing structures, precious ancient relics, and various formidable curses and defense systems scattered throughout," Laurie said, pointing to the blueprint. "After some exploration, we discovered a hidden pathway filled with scarabs. Mr. Zuosey speculates that it might lead to the central area."
"The central area?"
"Yes, this secret passage is located beneath a statue of Anubis, the goddess of protection for the dead," Laurie continued in a hushed tone. "Once we pass through it, we'll enter the underground area of the Sun vestige, where valuable antiques are said to be found. We've also discovered a stone door and three giant obelisks, representing the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars."
Obelisks, aside from pyramids, were one of the most iconic ancient Egyptian structures. They were characterized by a square base that gradually tapered to a pointed peak, often adorned with gold, copper, or other metals. Some obelisks also had magical properties, with their peaks featuring various unusual crystals, gems, or secret silver ores. Typically, obelisks were erected in prominent places, inscribed on all four sides with complex hieroglyphs and magic runes praising gods and pharaohs. When lit by sunlight, they gleamed like a dazzling Sun.
Hermione, Fleur, and Gabrielle were hearing about underground obelisks for the first time, and even Bill became intrigued. From every angle, the Sun vestige seemed extraordinary, and there might indeed be an important treasure hidden inside.
"We've conducted a thorough investigation and found that the method to open the stone door lies with the three obelisks," Laurie continued. "The magic inscriptions on them are not the usual kind we're familiar with but rather alchemical in nature. To deactivate this mechanism, we'll need alchemical expertise."
"So, that's why Zuosey reached out to Evan?" Hermione asked, carefully examining the blueprint.
"It appears so. After returning to Cairo for maintenance, we're looking for alchemical masters or skilled wizards. We had invited several others before," Laurie said, hesitating. "I never thought Mr. Zuosey would invite Mr. Mason..."
"He mentioned it was due to Nicolas Flamel's recommendation, but Evan is truly skilled in this area," Hermione said, recalling their discussion from the previous night.
"You managed to deduce all of this from the limited information you had?" Laurie looked at Hermione in admiration. "We've also speculated about some of the things you mentioned while exploring, as we haven't found the Sun God idol inside. Instead, there are statues of various gods protecting the dead, and the curses inside are quite deadly, resulting in many casualties."
Hermione had shared her theory about the excavation team's findings. Laurie confirmed that they had been suspecting similar things during their exploration. They had encountered dangers, with several team members facing deadly curses.
As they proceeded through the scarab-filled secret passage, two people at the forefront had scarabs burrowing into their bodies. They quickly reacted by using fire to burn the insects away. Laurie wasn't particularly concerned about the danger, seemingly believing that the risk would force Zuosey to reveal himself.
However, if Evan knew everything, there would be no need for such a complicated plan. Under the influence of Veritaserum, Zuosey had already confessed to all his crimes. Now, all that remained was to share this information with the world.
In the underground depths, after modifying the Goblin's memory, Evan remembered Bill telling him about the rumors surrounding Zuosey. If these crimes could be confirmed, Zuosey's later years would be spent in prison, and Evan didn't want to create unnecessary trouble for himself. He needed to handle this carefully. Although Evan couldn't directly kill him, he could make sure that Zuosey would be treated poorly in the wizarding prison.
To make Zuosey confess his crimes, Laurie didn't think it was complicated. She suggested using Veritaserum and the Imperius Curse. Sometimes, the simplest methods were the most effective, even though they involved dark magic. This process might be illegal, but as long as Evan carefully erased all magical traces afterward, no one would discover it. Moreover, this was a case of self-defense, as Zuosey had attacked Evan first.
"Tell me about the illegal activities you've committed in the past," Evan ordered.
"Yes, recently... about a month ago," Zuosey began, confessing his crimes.
Listening to the Goblin recount his crimes, Evan was on the verge of using the Killing Curse on him. Zuosey's actions far exceeded Evan's imagination and the rumors he had heard from Bill. In addition to his position as the head of Egyptian Gringotts and the chief Curse-Breaker, Zuosey held many other roles.
He was the biggest black-market antiquities dealer in Egypt, encompassing North Africa and Southern Europe. Over the past few decades, he had looted and robbed pyramids, tombs, and ancient relics, selling them to various dark wizards. What surprised Evan was that Lucius Malfoy was his partner. They were deeply involved in the trade of ancient Egyptian artifacts, and Lucius helped Zuosey gain more influence and status within British Gringotts. This had allowed Zuosey to become one of the heads of Egyptian Gringotts. For Goblin's, these priceless magical artifacts were worthless; all they desired was gold and wealth. If they had any other interests, it was in the weapons forged by Goblin's. Of course, if someone was willing to pay enough Galleons, Goblin's didn't mind selling these weapons to them. The Malfoy family clearly had the financial strength to do so. They were one of the richest pure-blood wizarding families in the wizarding world, owning a manor in Romania specifically for raising dragons as pets. This was an extravagance only a few wizarding families could afford.
Another matter that concerned Evan was that, at Lucius Malfoy's request, Zuosey had sold him the ancient magical objects he had excavated recently. Evan recalled that Karkaroff had mentioned that Voldemort had sent Vampires to search for ancient magical relics all over the world. It seemed these items were what Voldemort needed to find information related to the Dark Lord or even the Deathly Hallows. Evan pondered for a moment, considering what Voldemort might need.
But now, the focus had shifted back to Voldemort, who was his current biggest enemy. The final battle was approaching, as well as the impending disaster that Titan had mentioned regarding the evil gods and demons, though that seemed far removed from Evan's current situation.
"Alright, take me to your vault," Evan interrupted Zuosey's confession, as he no longer had interest in hearing more. All these matters would be handled by the Aurors. It was clear that Zuosey would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Under Evan's control, the two of them left the chamber where the Philosopher's Stone and the Emerald Tablet were kept. They proceeded deeper underground, where they encountered a narrow path leading to the vault. At the end of the path, Evan spotted a creature unlike any he had seen before—a Sphinx.
Evan had only seen images of Sphinxes in the "Monster Book of Monsters." This creature had the body of a lion, with giant claws and a long, yellow tail that ended in a tuft of sharp fur. However, it had the head of a woman. As Evan and Zuosey approached, the Sphinx locked eyes with Evan.
Evan raised his wand, uncertain whether to proceed. It was clear that the Sphinx had seen him use the Soul-Seizing Curse to control Zuosey.
Sphinxes were dangerous creatures with strength comparable to Dragons and Manticores, but they were even more formidable due to their high intelligence. They wouldn't attack recklessly; they often posed riddles to travelers.
Evan was confident he could defeat the Sphinx, but doing so would certainly draw the attention of the Gringotts Goblins. He needed to be cautious. If he fought the Goblin guards, it might lead to a confrontation, and the Goblins would likely issue a warrant for his arrest within the entire wizarding world.
Enough evidence had been gathered; Evan didn't need to engage in unnecessary battles. Instead, he approached the Sphinx with caution, his wand at the ready.
The Sphinx spoke, her voice low, deep, and hoarse, "Hello, stranger. This is the best Imperius Curse I've seen."
"Thank you," Evan replied. He kept his wand ready but sensed that this Sphinx was different from the Goblins; she wasn't their ally.
"Don't worry; I won't tell anyone about this," the Sphinx assured him. "I've been imprisoned here by the Goblins, guarding their wealth for a long time."
Evan noticed heavy shackles on her hind legs, with thick chains deeply embedded in the stone floor.
Goblins had a tradition of using monsters to guard their valuable vaults. In British Gringotts, Dragons were used as guards, while here, it appeared that a Sphinx was the guardian. This Sphinx had a strong Egyptian connection, and Evan was relieved that he could communicate with her.
"Would you like me to help you remove these shackles?" Evan asked, gesturing with his wand.
"That would be nice; I've been wanting to return home," the Sphinx replied, continuing to pace back and forth. "But according to my agreement with the Goblins, I won't let anyone pass unless they can answer my riddle. Guess correctly, and I'll allow you to pass. Fail, and I'll throw you aside and inform all the Goblins. If you refuse to answer, I'll move out of your way without harming you."