Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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Passing through the stone walls rippling with waves, the first thing that caught the eye was a magnificent mural smeared with scarlet and multicolored stains.

Ancient wizards had far superior aesthetic tastes compared to the current chaotic, modern society, where what could be considered art was often strange and disorderly. They were also much freer, at least not prone to proclaiming ugliness as beauty—such as the cases of Snow White or the Clown Fish.

Having not encountered Maya Pan, Harry had gained some understanding of the magical trends dominating that magical realm, or rather, their specific magical faction: "Natural Magic."

A towering tree, rising 200 meters high, supported this small world. If it weren't for the unknown cause of its withering and leafless state, it would have been difficult to see the full extent of this massive tree. Though the most awe-inspiring view was lost, the lush green grasses and the flowers blooming along the roadsides still imbued this secluded little world with vibrant life.

However, the road ahead, leading to the great tree's trunk that housed the hidden hall of artifacts, was stained with many blotches of blood. The corpses that must have piled up into a small mountain had vanished without a trace. It was as if the treasure hunters who had perished here never existed. The gentle stream that flowed beside the flowers and grass washed away the lingering scent of blood, and soon, this place would likely return to its peaceful, untouched state—bloodstains included.

These stains, left on the stone pathway, were gradually being cleaned up by diligent workers—delicate vines from the edges of the grassy area reached out like living creatures. They rubbed their tender leaves across the bloodstains, making a faint rustling sound as the serrated edges of the leaves swept over the stone, creating a soft noise as they buried themselves.

"The giant tree ahead is the vault for the artifacts. However, after the first group of treasure hunters seized the Spear of Longinus, the defensive magic here was fully activated. Do not be fooled by the flowers and grass; initially, this place was barren—these are magical plants, catalyzed as part of the defense system."

"Beneath the grass ahead are at least 1,300 buried corpses. Your task is to dispel the defensive magic and open the way to the vault."

Alongside the daring team was a group of expert professors sent by the Ministry of Magic. There were many renowned herbalists in South America, and the textbook Harry used for his herbology class was written by a professor from Castrobusche. However, due to the strained relations between North and South America, the magical community could not seek their help.

Professor Sprout would be overjoyed to study these magically induced plants if she were here. After all, Hufflepuff's specialty was cultivating plant allies during battle, setting up the battlefield for strategic assistance. For example, tossing a mandrake that lasts only five seconds to create an area of effect or scattering the seeds of the Chinese "biting cabbage" that transform into a giant, rolling cabbage, chasing and biting enemies. Helga Hufflepuff was indeed a fascinating witch.

The official team was methodical, while the hired mercenaries seemed more confused. Still, anyone who volunteered to come here for money likely had some skills. Three hundred galleons, though not much, equaled about half a year's average salary for a wizard.

As long as they stayed off the grass and the stone pathway in the center, there was little danger. The ground beneath their feet was clearly magically shattered, but such forceful magic clearly had severe side effects. Otherwise, the Aurors would have acted as bombers, clearing the path.

It was a wise decision not to use violence to advance. In Harry's view, the giant tree ahead had already stopped its life cycle and now radiated massive amounts of green magical energy. This was Harry's first encounter with the pure, neutral energy of an awakened entity. The detached, otherworldly presence of the tree made Harry feel a twinge of longing.

"Too bad I'm not someone who can endure loneliness," he sighed. That kind of leisurely existence might be tolerable for a few days, but Harry was certain that if he lived like that for too long, he'd go mad.

When no one was paying attention, he discreetly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial. He bit down on a pill that was so bitter it made his tongue tingle. This was a preemptive antidote, and as he unscrewed the vial, the clear, colorless liquid poured out. The quickly evaporating potion left behind a faint sweet scent in the air.

As a genius potion master who had already developed potions capable of killing every student at Hogwarts and turning an area into a barren wasteland, Snape had a natural talent for saving lives—but he was even more adept at eliminating threats. The rapidly effective sleeping potion would disperse in a short time, sending anyone who inhaled its fumes into a deep slumber.

This potion was no less potent than the Draught of Living Death, except it wore off more quickly. If not ingested, the effect wouldn't last more than thirty minutes.

But thirty minutes was more than enough to take down someone several times. One by one, the sounds of people collapsing echoed. The Aurors who had intended to sound the alarm barely opened their mouths before they fell into a deep sleep. After waiting about thirty seconds, Harry slowly rose, pretending to have fainted. He adjusted his robe and revealed the invisibility cloak beneath it.

"Too tall, clothes too small," he muttered, tugging at the hem of the cloak. He then sat down cross-legged, wrapping the invisibility cloak around himself completely. A wooden chair supported his rear, and although the black mist couldn't touch the cloak, it could lift the chair, allowing Harry to move quietly, concealed from sight.

Harry avoided all the lush, green areas, as those were places where the magic of the awakened entities gathered. These areas were often laced with trap magic. The vault's defensive magic had already been fully activated, and in order to infiltrate it quietly, he had to steer clear of the sensitive magical triggers.

The more than a hundred-meter-long stone pathway was quickly traversed, and Harry arrived at the vault's entrance without triggering any defense spells. The massive wooden doors, once tightly shut, had been half shattered by violent magic. Behind the broken doors lay a grim scene, with the bodies of hundreds of treasure hunters, all having met tragic ends.

There were no magical plants here to clean up the battlefield. After two months of decay, the room was filled with the overwhelming stench of rot. The process of bones turning to white skeletons was unnervingly fast, but because there were no flies or mosquitoes in sight, the usual annoying buzzing sounds were absent.

A gentle gust of wind blew through, slightly dispersing the foul smell. The "Whirlwind Sweep" was an effective cleaning charm, far more efficient at removing odors than "Scourgify," but the sheer number of bodies here made it less effective. These hunters had been among the first to enter, and judging by the direction in which they died, they had perished while attempting to leave.

Something had shredded them, leaving clean, smooth bone fractures without a hint of splinters.

Just as Grindelwald had told Harry, this place had once been a vast treasure trove. However, due to the passage of time, most of its contents had been completely ruined. Apart from the awakened magic that still lingered, the creations of ordinary wizards could not withstand such prolonged neglect.

No matter how exquisitely crafted, alchemical artifacts could not resist the ravages of time.

What Harry saw were mostly broken fragments—remnants of alchemical objects. The few items that had been better preserved were odd, shriveled, blackened plant seeds, barely recognizable.

Harry tried to collect a few to show Professor Sprout, but they were so fragile that the slightest touch turned them into crumbling dust, sending up a cloud of ash.

The entire vault was laid out in concentric circles. The closer to the center, the more valuable the contents to the original owner, which was evident from the containers that once held these treasures. Unfortunately, the first treasure hunters who entered had not been gentle. They had carelessly smashed every crystal container that might have held something valuable, leaving Harry with nothing but a disordered mess.

When Harry reached the very center of the vault, he found three of the most luxurious display stands. Crafted from pure gold, they still gleamed brightly, untouched by dust, even after a thousand years. Two of the stands were empty, but the one on the far left still held a large, soft leather sheet, glowing with a faint silvery light, as soft as water.

At least four meters long and wide, the leather was enough to make two invisibility cloaks, with plenty left over. The moment Harry saw it, he knew without a doubt that this material was the source of the cloak he wore. The two were undoubtedly of the same origin.

However, as he approached, two whirlpools appeared before him: one emerald green, and the other black and silver—a swirl Harry was very familiar with.

"Has Senior Serti been here?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer to the black and silver whirlpool. He activated it with his own magic.

The black-and-white world unfolded once again, and a familiar figure appeared before Harry. But this time, compared to the image he had seen at Hogwarts, the senior's figure appeared to be around thirty years old.

(End of Chapter)