Bellatrix blinked, trying to take it all in. Merlin and Nimue weren't dead, and the Minister and her friends were trying to communicate with them? When Rabastan heard about this, he'd so wish he'd come along with them to the Ministry!
"Whatever they're using for longevity, I want the recipe," Rodolphus said, and Bellatrix gave a fervent nod. "Put all three of us down for a bottle," she chimed in.
Kereston gave a tired smile as she shook her blonde ringlets. "It isn't like that. They died plenty of times, but they still are Merlin and Nimue; or rather, the people who were once Merlin and Nimue. The souls of Merlin and Nimue as it were."
"Ah...reincarnation," Rodolphus said and Kereston nodded. "Exactly."
"So what is it, precisely, that you want from them," Bellatrix asked, still working on taking it all in.
"Help on the current situation would be absolutely brilliant," Kereston said drily. "They are bloody Merlin and Nimue, after all. They beat down the Saxons and did a lot for Muggle wizarding relations back in their day, so our issues with Delphini now seem right up their Knockturn Alley, as it were."
"But if they're Merlin and Nimue reincarnated, how much do they actually remember? And why aren't you just speaking to them in person?" Bellatrix wanted to know.
Kereston sighed. "Well...when we originally cast the spell to seek them out, we had no idea that they were reincarnated or that they may not have all of their memories. We have no idea how much they remember, but they do remember who they are so that's more than some may recall after several lives. As for why we aren't speaking with them in person...it's simply because they are no longer living in this world."
"But I thought you said they were alive," Rodolphus said, giving the blonde a perplexed look.
"They are, but I said they're hiding, remember? The way the two of them in particular chose to hide was by laying low in another world, quite literally."
"But how," Bellatrix asked, shaking her head in confusion. Not only were they never taught anything even resembling world travel in school, she'd never even seen a book that mentioned the art!
"Apparently there are countless worlds, and we know little about most of them," Kereston said. "Albus theorizes that traveling between them is possible, but he hasn't managed it yet. Merlin and Nimue managed it by simply being born into that world. Between lives, in spirit, we all go to the same spirit realm, or astral realm. Then when we go into different lives, we enter whatever world through the astral. So doing it from world to world is either quite uncommon or impossible."
"Sounds promising," Bellatrix said drily. At this point she was still struggling to take all of it in. Not because she didn't understand it, but because it was so odd and unexpected. "We certainly can't say you lot aren't thinking outside of the box," she said and Rodolphus gave a fervent nod of agreement. "For sure!"
"For all the good it's doing us," Kereston said tightly. "But thanks."
"So we can't travel to other worlds, but those crystals allow us to communicate between worlds," Bellatrix asked, gesturing at the quartz ball and odd quartz earmuff looking things on the desk in front of the Minister.
"Yes. Through an enhanced combination of location and tracking spells combined with Occlumency and Legilimency."
"And all that is enhanced by the crystal quartz," Rodolphus said.
Kereston nodded. "It certainly isn't foolproof or simple, though. It's all too easy for a person to misunderstand something or not to hear clearly."
"So does it work like a Muggle...phone thingy thing," Rodolphus asked, gesturing vaguely at the crystal contraptions.
Kereston shook her head. "Not so much," she said regretfully. "It's more like thought and concept exchanges with some mental imagery. That's why it's really easy to mishear or misunderstand, or somehow not hear at all at times. If we're at all distracted, or if they are, and they don't know we're trying to get through to them, things can come through partially or not at all."
"Like how," Rodolphus asked.
"Well, it can happen in many ways. For example if I tell you I WOULD go out to dinner at the Three Broomsticks, if it's just a thought concept, perhaps you'll not understand that I WOULD and think that I DID. Silly example but I didn't want to get too complicated just to demonstrate," she said with a casual gesture of her hand.
Bellatrix nodded. "Got it...I think."
"So how is it that you suppose we may be able to help," Rod asked.
"Perhaps you'd be better at hearing or getting through to them for all I know," Kereston said with a shrug.
Bellatrix had to admit she was intrigued. It was Merlin and Nimue, after all. Even if they were Merlin and Nimue a long time ago, it was still bloody impressive and interesting. Who else could say they had mind chatted with Merlin and Nimue, after all? "So how does it work," she asked.
"You put the crystals on your ears and look into the ball to start," Kereston said. "Then you send out the thought that you are, insert name, and tell them whatever you want them to know about yourself. Then you ask them whatever, and listen for their response. The response will sound like a thought, but it won't feel like your own."
"Why are they hiding, anyway," Rodolphus asked with a frown. "That's quite inconvenient, you know," he added peevishly.
"For real," Kereston agreed. "And as for the why… As it happens, they don't exactly remember."
"Why not," Rodolphus asked carefully.
Kereston sighed, giving a nod of understanding. "I know. It's frustrating, to say the least… and you haven't even tried talking to them yet! They forgot because of the reincarnation bit, though. You know we lose a lot of memories when reentering the body. At least they're aware of who they are and that they have forgotten much."
"So whatever or whoever they're hiding from is so dangerous that they felt it safer not to even remember themselves," Bellatrix asked. "That must really be bad!"
Kereston nodded. "That or they believed they could remember and were wrong."
"Are you speaking of the distractible magpies?" The low resonant voice came from the doorway of the Minister's office, and belonged to Blaise Zabini.
Kereston nodded. "They aren't that bad," she defended lightly.
"Yes, they are," Zabini disagreed firmly. "Are you letting them have a go at trying to get through?"
Kereston nodded.
Zabini turned to Bella and Rod. "In that case, you'll want to be aware of the fact that they're a couple of distractible magpies in human bodies!"
"Not literally, of course," Kereston said and Blaise scowled.
"I strongly disagree! Trying to talk to them is exactly like trying to communicate with a bloody magpie who keeps getting distracted by pretty shinies!"
"I can't bloody wait," Rod said drily.
"What do you want anyway," Kereston asked Blaise.
"I just came to see if the Basilisk fangs you ordered from that new supplier have come in yet. Gel and I have used up all the fangs that you ordered a few days ago, and we still don't have weapons for half of those who need them."
"Including us," Rodolphus said, scowling.
Blaise shook his head. "Not true. I sent yours to Azkaban. It's there waiting for you."
"Sorry, then," Rod said gruffly. "Rab is there now, so he likely has it."
"No, the ones from the new supplier aren't in yet," Kereston told Blaise regretfully.
Zabini sighed, and left without another word.
"Such a friendly chap," Bellatrix said with a smirk. Stepping closer to the Minister's desk, she pointed at the crystal orb. "So how do I use that? I may as well give it a go now. No time like the present."