Bab 393: 0392 Mystery
Sirius's account of his escape from Azkaban had, perhaps unintentionally, misled Bryan into underestimating the formidable defenses surrounding the island. Otherwise, knowing Azkaban's connection to Avalon's central temple and the legendary wizard Merlin, he wouldn't have rashly attempted to invade this place.
The protective enchantments enveloping Azkaban were just not spells cast by modern-day wizards. No, these ancient wards had become intertwined with the island's natural environment over the course of millennia. Like a vast, magical sponge, the defensive magic constantly drew upon and stored power from the raw elemental forces of nature - the crashing waves, howling winds, and crackling storm clouds that perpetually besieged the desolate island. This symbiosis meant that Azkaban's magical reserves were almost limitless and self-replenishing.
Bryan, his confidence shaken and his magical prowess tested to its limits, had reluctantly conceded defeat. With a heavy heart, he was in the midst of preparing for an embarrassing retreat with Sirius when an extraordinary and wholly unexpected phenomenon suddenly manifested.
Two legendary artifacts of immense historical and magical significance unexpectedly sprang to life: Rowena Ravenclaw's legendary diadem and Godric Gryffindor's main sword!
Bryan possessed three relics from Hogwarts founding four. Salazar Slytherin's locket had been unearthed from the Black family's Ancestral Manor. Gryffindor's early 'real' sword, was a trophy of Bryan's expedition to the isle of Avalon the previous summer. And Ravenclaw's diadem had been in his possession for a long time. He had kept it hidden until giving the broken diadem to Dumbledore at the end of last year.
Just few months ago, Bryan had reclaimed the now-restored diadem from Dumbledore. He had sensed that the founders' relics might prove to be useful someday, but never in his wildest dreams had Bryan anticipated their sudden and dramatic activation in this moment of dire need.
Under the oppressive, storm-laden sky, the exquisitely crafted diadem began to emit an otherworldly radiance. This holy light, pure and radiant, swiftly dispelled the suffocating magical pressure that had permeated the very air around them.
Not to be outdone, Gryffindor's sword leapt into action with equal passion. Its keen tip, honed to impossible sharpness, angled upwards in furious defiance of the roiling heavens. A halo of crimson energy, even more searing and intense than Bryan's conjured Fiendfyre, enveloped the blade. Where this scarlet aura touched the storm clouds above, vast strips of the tempest simply ceased to exist, vanishing as if erased by the hand of a cosmic artist.
In this moment of crisis, the diadem and sword seemed to transcend their nature as just magical objects. United in purpose, these ancient relics stood as the only sword and shield against Azkaban's magical defenses!
The confrontation between these titanic forces seemed to be elevated to a higher plane of magical existence. All the destructive elemental phenomena that had raged around them few moments before now hung suspended in eerie motionlessness. Only the leaden weight of the air, thick with potential energy, hinted at the true intensity of this invisible clash of ancient magics.
Even Bryan, a wizard of considerable power and knowledge, found himself struggling to fully grasp the scope and nature of this metaphysical battle. He could only sense, on some instinctive level, that the energies now in conflict were of similar magnitude.
Sirius, still within the relative safety of the boat's cabin, remained oblivious to the true source of this inexplicable change in their circumstances. From his limited vantage point, he could only marvel at the gradual dissipation of nature's fury, mistakenly crediting this miraculous turn of events to Bryan's magical prowess.
"Incredible!" Sirius's voice rang out, a mixture of awe and unbridled excitement. "How on earth did you manage it, Bryan? This is beyond anything I've ever witnessed!"
Sirius's exclamation jolted Bryan from his awestruck contemplation of the unfolding magical spectacle. With a start, he remembered that Sirius was still trapped in the cabin. Bryan was going to release Sirius when suddenly, a clear eagle's cry and a lion's deep roar echoed from the sky.
Bryan's head snapped upward, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight that greeted him. A perfect, flawless white light, more pure and intense than anything he had ever seen, suddenly descended from the heavens. Within the span of a few heartbeats, this radiance had engulfed everything within sight, obliterating all other sensory input.
The protective fire serpent that Bryan had conjured as a last line of defense against Azkaban's wards dissipated in an instant. Standing precariously on the pitching deck of their small vessel, Bryan was struck by a sudden, overwhelming sensation of the world itself turning inside out. His vision failed him completely, leaving him drifting in a sea of blank whiteness. More alarmingly, his other senses seemed to abandon him as well, one by one.
In the chaotic turmoil of this upheaval, even the most fundamental concepts of time and space seemed to lose all meaning. Bryan felt his magical connection to Sirius abruptly severed. He found himself utterly disoriented, unable to determine his physical location or how much time had elapsed since this bizarre phenomenon had engulfed them. The only thing that remained intact amidst this sensory deprivation was Bryan's core sense of self - his 'conscious' awareness.
It took every ounce of Bryan's considerable mental fortitude to suppress the rising tide of panic threatening to overwhelm him at the utter loss of control over his own body and senses. Fighting against the disorientation, he struggled to analyze the sequence of events that had led to this extraordinary situation.
One thing became crystal clear to Bryan as he pieced together the fragments of things available to him: this journey, with all its unexpected twists and turns, had once again been foreseen.
Setting aside for a moment the consideration of Gryffindor's sword - an artifact that had served as the legendary wizard Godric Gryffindor's primary magical focus for a considerable portion of his life, and thus undoubtedly possessed extraordinary capabilities - Bryan's thoughts turned to the equally powerful diadem of Ravenclaw.
Over the past millennium, Ravenclaw's diadem had passed through the hands of at least three immensely powerful hands: Voldemort, Dumbledore, and finally, Bryan himself. Throughout this long history, the diadem had never before displayed any overt magical properties or abilities. Even during moments of great magical stress - such as when Bryan had attempted to destroy it within that mysterious Room at Hogwarts years ago, or when Voldemort used it as a vessel for a fragment of his own soul - the diadem had remained stubbornly inactive, never exhibiting any power to defend itself or influence its surroundings.
Yet today, at this critical juncture as Bryan attempted to breach the impregnable defenses of Azkaban, both the diadem and the sword had dramatically shed their unassuming disguises and revealed their true, magical natures.
What had once been just speculation was now an unwavering certainty for Bryan: the four founders of Hogwarts—Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin—were guiding his actions. These legendary figures were orchestrating events, subtly manipulating circumstances to draw Bryan deeper into his investigation of the Twin Serpent Staff and the world-altering events that had unfolded in the aftermath of that cataclysmic battle years ago.
Yet even as some questions found their answers, the same fundamental puzzles remained.
The prophetic divination of the Druid Order's previous high priest had first drawn Bryan into this web of mysteries. As he reflected on the interconnected nature of these events, Bryan realized this was no coincidence. The tapestry of fate encompassing his destiny had begun to be woven a thousand years ago, or perhaps even further back in the mists of magical history.
As he had anticipated after his journey to Avalon, as long as he was determined to pursue these matters, he was very likely to encounter more of the four founders' back-up plans left behind to destroy the Twin Serpent Staff!
Salazar Slytherin's chamber, also mentioned by Gryffindor, still waited in the depths of Hogwarts Castle for someone to unveil its mysterious veil.
Gryffindor himself had personally guided Bryan to approach the Twin Serpent Staff - known by its true name, Caduceus - on the crisis-plagued island of Avalon. As Bryan pondered this, a startling new realization dawned upon him, something he had overlooked in the heat of the moment.
If Gryffindor possessed the foresight and power to lead him to the Twin Serpent Staff in such a precise manner, surely the founder must have been aware that the staff was not an inanimate object, but a sentient magical artifact with its own will. Gryffindor must have known that once it was freed from the ancient altar's seals, the staff would immediately slip beyond Bryan's control and fall into the hands of the Druid Priestess Cliodna.
This level of foresight must have been well within the vision of the four founders. But, the fact that Gryffindor didn't prevent it... what did that mean?
'Was everything part of their plan?'
And then there was Merlin - that legendary arch-mage whose very name was synonymous with the pinnacle of magical power and wisdom. A figure so steeped in myth and surrounded by conflicting accounts that separating fact from fiction seemed an almost impossible task.
Throughout this series of events, the four Hogwarts founders had maintained a strong presence, but Bryan wouldn't overlook the fact that Merlin was the source of it all.
His actions a thousand years later were all within the sight of the four founders of Hogwarts, but were the Big Four's arrangements a thousand years ago also under Merlin's control?
"Bryan... Bryan..."
As Bryan was analyzing these questions, suddenly, an eerie calling voice invaded his sub-consciousness, startling him out of his deep thoughts.
Coming back to his senses with the mental equivalent of a gasp, Bryan realized that the blinding, pure white light that had engulfed him had now receded. The radiance now filtering through his closed eyelids and registering on his retinas seemed to have returned to a more normal, natural quality.
Simultaneously, his other senses began to reawaken. He could faintly discern the rhythmic ebb and flow of ocean waves lapping against some unseen shore, and feel the caress of a warm, salt-tinged sea breeze against his cheeks.
"Mmm—"
After what felt like an endless struggle to reassert control over his own body, Bryan's eyelashes fluttered weakly several times before he finally managed to slowly, painfully pry his eyes open.
The mellow sunlight that greeted him was not harsh or blinding, but rather possessed a gentle, almost soothing quality. Despite this, Bryan experienced an intense discomfort in his eyes, as if he had been plunged into utter darkness for an extended period of time and was only now re-experiencing light.
"How do you feel, Bryan?" A familiar voice, laden with deep concern, penetrated the fog of confusion surrounding Bryan's newly awakened mind.
It took Bryan's confused brain a moment to process and recognize that the voice addressing him, filled with deep concern, belonged to Sirius.
Bryan blinked rapidly; his vision still slightly blurred as he attempted to scan their new surroundings.
They were, it seemed, still at sea. The water stretching out before them was a breathtaking azure. Above, the sky was a clear, crisp blue, without even the faintest wisp of cloud. In the far distance, barely visible on the horizon, a solitary island stood beneath the vast expanse of sky.
This seemingly reasonable picturesque scene actually contained many problems upon closer inspection. Bryan tried to identify the issues, but as soon as he tried to focus his thoughts, his head felt as if it had been stabbed by a dozen steel needles, and the pain was unbearable!
Finally, his gaze fell on Sirius's face, who was supporting him. As their eyes met, Bryan noticed an odd, almost shocked expression flashing across Sirius's face.
"What's wrong?" Bryan managed to croak out, his voice rough and unfamiliar to his own ears.
"Your eyes—" Sirius stammered, clearly struggling to speak his astonishment. "Why in Merlin's name have they changed color?!"
"Oh—" Bryan's fingertips instinctively brushed the corner of his eye as he tried to show a weak, reassuring smile. "They've always been this color."
Bryan had never in his life experienced such a degree of physical and magical weakness. He found himself entirely reliant on Sirius's support just to remain standing, and even the simple act of speaking left him breathless and drained.
At this moment, as Bryan struggled to regain his composure and gather his wits, he suddenly noticed another strange thing.
He and Sirius were actually standing directly on the surface of the sea, defying all-natural laws of physics and magic. Even more baffling, Bryan was absolutely certain that Sirius wasn't using any form of magical levitation or water-walking spell to achieve this impossible feat.
"I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on either—" Sirius's eyes showed his own deep confusion and nervousness. "I regained consciousness just a few minutes before you did, and the moment I opened my eyes, I found us inexplicably floating on the sea surface. I've checked multiple times – the seawater is most definitely real, not some elaborate illusion. But how in the name of Merlin's saggy left... well, you know... are we standing on the water's surface? I mean, why aren't we sinking?"
"Yes, why indeed?" Bryan murmured, his brow furrowing in concentration as he stared intently at the gently undulating sea surface beneath their feet. The situation defied all logical explanation. He could clearly smell the distinct, scent of seawater filling his nostrils and feel the slight chill in the oncoming sea breeze against his skin. It all seemed real.
"Aha, finally made it in!"
Just as Bryan and Sirius were trying to unravel the mystery behind this strange situation, a familiar voice – identical in tone and phrasing, only sounding younger – made Bryan's hair stand on end, leaving him dumbfounded!
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