Chapter 203: Change of Plans, a Disagreement, and a Glimpse of the Wider Magical World
After a rushed lunch, Cyril, buoyed by the unexpected gift from Innes, set about revising the itinerary he'd already established. He'd actually toyed with the idea of changing the plan after confirming the potion's effectiveness the day before, but had ultimately dismissed it, worried about the complications such changes might bring. Now, however, with the new hieroglyphic rubbings in hand, the situation had shifted. He had no choice but to alter the schedule.
Previously, knowing his time was limited, Cyril had prioritized passing along the family's core secrets over actively seeking the pyramid and the Book of the Dead that had eluded his ancestors for generations. But with the search area now significantly narrowed, he felt genuinely hopeful about this expedition.
He had told Ethan the previous year that the Shafiq family had long pursued the secrets of death, an obsession that had led to injuries and even death for his own grandparents and parents. Yet the efforts of generations had yielded only scattered clues. Though each step brought them closer to the truth, they had also encountered countless dead ends. During the ten years Ethan had been missing, Cyril had made multiple trips to Egypt, attempting to follow newly discovered leads to the fabled artifact said to grant rebirth. The results, however, were predictable. Cyril had succeeded in ruling out a few more false trails, but the truth had remained elusive. Over time, persuaded by Nicolas Flamel and others, Cyril had come to his senses and abandoned his desperate quest to resurrect Ralph and Jenny through any means necessary, focusing instead on the more tangible goal of locating Ethan. That search had finally borne fruit the previous year, reuniting him with the last remaining heir of the Shafiq line.
"I wonder if the Book of the Dead truly contains a method for bringing back the dead," Cyril mused wistfully as he worked on the revised plan.
While Cyril was busy reworking their travel arrangements, Ethan sat off to the side, studying the reference materials on Egyptian hieroglyphs that Cyril had provided and attempting to translate the rubbings Innes had given them. He knew that the Egyptian language and script had undergone several major transformations over the millennia, and this ancient hieroglyphic system had been obsolete for a very long time. As a result, even with the research notes in hand, accurate translation was a significant challenge. The few lines he managed to decipher from the notes had vague and uncertain meanings. He soon lost interest in the translation itself and contented himself with skimming the annotated sections of the reference materials.
Half an hour later, Cyril had finished his revisions. After copying the new plan onto a fresh sheet of parchment, he sat down with Ethan to go over the updated itinerary for their departure in a few days.
"So, what do you think?"
The first change was their point of arrival. Instead of flying into Aswan International Airport, they would now land at Luxor International Airport. Additionally, the number of local Egyptian wizards they planned to hire had been reduced from three to one. They had originally needed three for two reasons: to provide additional security and to serve as translators. As Innes had mentioned, many Egyptian wizards were trained through the master-apprentice system and spoke only Arabic, not English. Some, belonging to smaller ethnic groups, were not even fluent in Arabic and instead spoke more obscure languages like Beja or Nubian. This linguistic diversity was the primary reason for hiring three local wizards.
Now, with the final search area narrowed down to just two possible locations, a single wizard fluent in both English and Arabic would suffice for their needs. As for the reduced security detail, Cyril intended to recruit from the dragon reserve. With sufficient payment, that would not be a problem.
"Right now, I've confirmed Robert, Isaac, and Noé," Cyril said. "Robert knows his way around magical creatures beyond just dragons, and Isaac and Noé are both quite capable in a fight. I'm still undecided between Leon and Mael for the last spot. Someone needs to stay behind at the reserve, so I can only take one of the two. Leon is the stronger fighter, but Mael is more meticulous. Which one would you prefer?"
Ethan thought back to his impressions of the two men. "Let's go with Mael. Leave Leon, the stronger one, to watch over the reserve in case anything unexpected comes up. We'll already have a strong enough group, and I doubt we'll run into any real trouble."
"Fine by me. Mael it is." Cyril wrote Mael's name on the paper.
There was, however, one thing Cyril did not mention. In the deserts of Egypt, approaching an unfamiliar wizard with friendly intentions was an extremely dangerous proposition. He had learned that lesson the hard way on his very first trip to Egypt. Fortunately, he was a skilled duelist and had managed to turn the tables on his attacker, or his bones would have long since been bleached by the desert sun. As a result, he had decided to use immediate and lethal force against any unknown wizard who displayed hostility. More than a few Egyptian wizards had fallen to his wand. But he planned to share this wisdom with Ethan once they were actually in the desert.
After Cyril finished explaining the new schedule, he told Ethan he'd decided to leave the hospital early.
"Leave early? Absolutely not." Ethan's refusal was immediate and firm. "We're not going to miss a three-day trip. Well, two and a half days now. Just stay in the hospital a little longer." The trip to Egypt was important, but to Ethan, Cyril's treatment came first.
Cyril had anticipated this reaction. "There's no real point in staying here. You saw how I reacted to the potion yesterday. No complications at all. Drummond said everything is normal. So what's the harm in leaving a bit early? I've got a new plan now, and I need to reorganize our people."
Despite the logic in Cyril's argument, Ethan refused to budge. "No. If you leave the hospital early, then this trip to Egypt is on hold, too. The treatment is clearly working. Your lifespan has been extended. There's no urgent need to go to Egypt this very summer."
Cyril was exasperated. He had not expected Ethan to use the trip itself as leverage to keep him in the hospital. He tried a different approach. "Don't be difficult, Ethan. I want to leave early because ever since I heard Innes talking yesterday, I've had this gnawing sense of urgency. Yes, Innes didn't find the lost pyramid. But how many other wizards like Innes are out there right now, searching for treasures in Egypt? We have no idea. And Innes had those rubbings. Others might have similar clues. I'm afraid that after all these generations of work by our family, someone else is going to beat us to it. If that happens, everything Ralph and the others sacrificed will have been for nothing."
Ethan's expression faltered. The awful possibility Cyril described had crossed his mind as well, and his resolve weakened. He did not want to see his family's centuries of painstaking effort go to waste, nor did he want the information his parents and grandparents had paid for with their lives to become worthless. "All these years, and no one's found it. What are the odds someone will discover it in just the next two or three days? It can't be that close."
Seeing that his argument was having an effect, Cyril continued to appeal to Ethan's emotions and reason. After a lengthy back-and-forth, they finally reached a compromise. Cyril would be discharged two days early, but not until the following day.
"Fine, fine. I'll take my dose tomorrow, and then I'll leave. That gives me the rest of today to write the letters I need to send." Since some of their original plans were now scrapped, Cyril needed to contact the friends who had made arrangements for him, offering apologies and compensation where necessary. The extra time would not be wasted.
Ethan was still not entirely satisfied, but this was the final concession Cyril was willing to make. His grandfather's heart was already in Egypt. Still, a worry lingered in Ethan's mind. *Given his reaction yesterday, it's hard to say if three doses will be enough to fully heal him. I have Snape's formula and most of the ingredients. I'll go to Diagon Alley, buy a couple of fire salamanders and the rest of the supplies, and brew a backup batch tonight.*
Having made his decision, Ethan saw no reason to remain at the hospital any longer. He told Cyril he would return the next morning to watch him drink his potion and then take him home. He left St. Mungo's and headed to Diagon Alley. After shopping around, he returned home just before dinner with two fire salamanders and a large bundle of potion ingredients.
Since the salamanders needed time to undergo their transformation, Ethan briefly explained the situation to his parents when they called him for dinner, then went upstairs to set up the wire mesh stand and place the two salamanders, which he'd fed Fiendfyre, inside to acclimate. Only then did he go down to eat. Because he still had work to do, he ate quickly, hurrying through his meal before heading back upstairs to brew the potion he needed to draw blood from the salamanders.
By around eight-thirty, the preparatory potion was complete, and Ethan had measured out all the ingredients for the actual batch of healing potion. Now he just had to wait for the salamanders to finish their transformation.
*Knock, knock.* Someone was at the door.
"Are you busy?" It was Sofia's voice.
"Just finished." Ethan opened the door and took the plate of fruit his mother was holding.
As soon as she entered, Sofia looked around the room.
"Looking for this?" Ethan pointed to the corner, where the fire pot flickered and the two salamanders lay listlessly on the wire mesh.
"Yes." Sofia nodded and walked straight toward the corner. "I've only ever read about these magical creatures in books. But why are they black and white? I thought they were supposed to be white." She stared at the salamanders with curiosity.
"They're going through a change. They'll be completely black soon," Ethan explained, munching on a piece of fruit.
"What are they changing for?"
"I need to brew a potion. They're one of the ingredients."
"Brewing a potion? Like in the storybooks? The wizard stirs his cauldron and pulls out a potion that cures any ailment?" Sofia's eyes lit up.
Ethan knew the story she was referring to, one from *The Tales of Beedle the Bard*. He shook his head. "It's not quite that simple. But the potion I'm making tonight is actually a healing potion." He glanced at the time. "In about half an hour, the salamanders should be fully transformed. Would you like to watch me brew the potion? It'll take about an hour."
"I'd love that! I'll go get your father. He'll be interested too." Sofia went back downstairs to the living room to fetch Albert, who was watching television.
Soon, both of them were back in Ethan's room. Ethan moved the salamanders' setup from the corner to the center of the room, and the three of them gathered around it.
"Would you like to touch one? They live in flames, but they're not hot." He reached into the fire and scooped up one of the salamanders, holding it in his palm so his parents could see it up close.
But they weren't looking at the salamander in his hand. They were staring at his hand, astonished by what they had just witnessed.
Albert's voice was incredulous. "Your hand just went right through the flames!"
Sofia's mouth fell open. She grabbed the hand he had used to reach into the fire, turning it over to inspect it from every angle.
Ethan sighed. "Mom, stop looking. I'm not hurt."
"You told us you were immune to certain types of fire, and I thought, 'Well, that's nice,' but seeing you actually put your hand right into the flames... I had no idea it was such an incredible ability." Albert had known about this particular talent of Ethan's, as he had mentioned it briefly in a letter. But reading words on a page and seeing it with his own eyes were two entirely different things.
Ethan rarely demonstrated his magical abilities in front of them, so their perception of their son was still largely shaped by their earlier impressions. Recalling the various wizardly feats from storybooks, Albert placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder and said with genuine feeling, "Wizards really are something remarkable."
Ethan knew his father envied magical folk. But the formulas for the bloodline potions were now complete. Once he finished brewing the last two variations, they would be ready for the testing phase. He hoped that then his parents' wish to become part of the wizarding world could finally be fulfilled. But he couldn't tell them that now. He wanted to surprise them, not put them through a long, agonizing wait. Just as he had kept Cyril's healing potion a secret, he had kept the bloodline potions to himself as well.
Ethan held the salamander a little closer to Albert. "Want to touch it? It feels different from a normal lizard."
"I'll give it a try." Albert's attention shifted to the creature in Ethan's hand. He carefully touched the tip of its tail first, and once he was sure it wasn't going to squirm, he slowly stroked its back and head.
"Here, Mom, you can hold this one." Ethan retrieved the other salamander from the flames and placed it in Sofia's hand. While she generally wasn't fond of scaly creatures, that only applied to ordinary animals. A lizard that could live in fire was a different matter entirely, and she was quite curious about it.
The two of them petted and stroked the salamanders while Ethan answered their questions about the creatures' nature and habits. Time passed quickly. The last of the white scales on the salamanders vanished, leaving them a uniform, glossy black. With the painful part of the transformation over, they began to regain some of their energy, no longer lying passively in Ethan's parents' palms with only the occasional twitch.
"They're moving," Sofia said, a hint of alarm in her voice as the salamander in her hand stirred.
"Give them to me." Ethan took the salamanders back and placed them in the flames. Bathed in the fire's energy, the creatures quickly returned to the active state they had been in before their transformation, hungrily devouring the flames to replenish their strength. They had no way of knowing, of course, that this was to be their last meal.
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