บท 117: Oleandra the Explorer
Before leaving the car, Oleandra punched in the Invisibility Booster. With a bit of luck, it would still have enough energy to keep the car out of sight until they came back. Oleandra memorized the spot where the car had been parked; she certainly hoped they'd be able to find the invisible car upon their return!
"How are we going to get up there?" asked Stacey warily. What Ginny had done to Draco hadn't seemed particularly comfortable.
"Easy," said Oleandra. "I've got a spare broom, a Nimbus 2001. The three of us Witches will take turns riding it up the wall, and then Daphne will let down her hair."
"Like Rapunzel?" Stacey verified.
"Exactly!" beamed Oleandra, ignoring Daphne's and Tracey's quizzical expressions. "My sister's hairs are sort of like vines; they're really sturdy, and she can make them grow at will."
Upon saying these words, she mounted the sleek black broomstick and flew up to the battlements, then tossed the broom down for the next person. One after the other, Daphne and Tracey flew up on to the wall.
Daphne concentrated; she willed her hair to grow longer and longer until it had reached the ground below. Stacey gingerly grabbed onto the green tendrils, which ensnared her upon being touched.
"Sorry!" Daphne called out. "That was a reflex!"
Still, better safe than sorry. Using her prehensile hair, she bound the struggling girl tightly, and the three began the arduous task of pulling the Muggle girl up. Tracey performed the Levitation Charm on Stacey's clothes while the twins pulled with all their strength. Finally, with the aid of both might and sorcery, they were all standing on the battlements.
Oleandra examined the city below her from the wall. Everywhere she looked, people milled about, busy as bees. The insect metaphor seemed apt; the people down below were all incredibly short, something one might have expected from the realm of Dwarfs. How exactly were they meant to blend in?
Luckily for them, not everyone in the city was short. A few human-sized individuals stood out from the crowd, as well as some gigantic red and blue ones!
"Fire Giants," breathed Daphne. "Just look at the base of the mountain, forges! Can you hear the clanging of metal on metal, and the hissing of steam from the quenching?"
"They must be helping out with the Dwarfs' work," Oleandra rationalized. "And look over there! That looks like a market district, doesn't it? There's some Frost Giants there, they must be keeping things cool, just like a gigantic frozen produce aisle!"
"Must be convenient in the summer, I guess," said Stacey. "There're some taller people wearing black robes. Nobody seems to be bothering them. Maybe we could disguise ourselves as them?"
That seemed like a good idea, so Oleandra and Daphne got to work Transfiguring their three school robes into four hooded capes. With those on, nobody would be able to tell which species they were at first glance. And hopefully, nobody would come asking them questions in a language they didn't understand!
Suddenly, not far away from where Oleandra and company were standing, a blinding flash of light occurred, followed by a very familiar sound of wood creaking; those were the special effects that played whenever the Gate between worlds was opened!
Oleandra realized why a city would have gates that led to nonexistent paths; this city had multiple Archways like the one in the Department of Mysteries, which meant this city was a hub for the nine realms!
However, unlike the Ministry's decrepit Archway, this city's gates were very well maintained. They had obviously been polished until they shone, and the Graphemes Wunjo, Raidhu, Eihwaz, Dagaz in their Nidavellir forms were clearly identifiable on each gate, having been painted in gold. Immediately, Oleandra felt those runes buzz back to life inside her mindscape— only twenty more to go!
A few moments later, Oleandra almost thought her eardrums would burst as a loud cheer rose from the streets. Dwarven warriors, clad in heavy armour, emerged in two files from the gate. Between them, hundreds of dirty House-Elves appeared, holding thick ropes. They tugged with all their strength, and eventually, they managed to pull a gargantuan wooden cart through the opening.
Oleandra's eyes widened in shock; the cart was holding a tightly bound Frost Giant. From the looks of it, these warriors had just returned from a successful slave raid; the tiny ants had overcome the giant enemy spider! They might be small, but these Dwarfs were nothing like Lockhart's singing cupids!
"We should go," Daphne said. "We'll never have a better chance at sneaking into the crowd than while they're all preoccupied with their parade."
The others nodded; there was no point in overstaying their welcome. Making sure to keep close to each other, the girls headed down the stairs to the streets below. There was a festive feel in the air; obviously, the successful hunt had brought good humour to the townspeople. Perhaps a tax rebate was in order to celebrate the newly acquired wealth?
As the girls made their way through the streets, trying to look for signs of Ginny and Draco, they heard some familiar words. Too familiar, in fact.
"Step right up!" shouted a jolly voice from further ahead. "Come and see our wares! We at the Guogrim Company guarantee nothing but the finest quality wares! We have caskets of Asgardian mead! Refurbished magical weapons from the ruins of Vanaheim! Light Elf slaves from Alfheim. We even have smxplazzdas for those of refined tastes! You want it, we've got it!"
Oleandra and Daphne looked at each other in confusion. The man's voice had clearly been speaking in English, but it hadn't been in Draco's annoying voice; not by a long shot.
Cautiously, Oleandra led her group into a plaza, where the voice had been coming from. At the centre of the public square, there stood a stage, filled to the brim with all sorts of goods and a small army of House-Elves. The voice seemed to be coming from a richly dressed Dwarf standing on the stage, who was using his oratory skills to drum up business and draw in customers.
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