After All This Time - Book 3

Two

Hot wind whipped across my face, sand dancing through the white cloak billowing behind me. I stood there staring at the pyramid infront of me, completely awestruck at its sheer size. Snape nudged me forward and I trudged on, following our guide towards the base of the pyramid.

"So how have the Muggles not found this" I yelled ahead at the guide.

He laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "Well Miss Potter, incase you hadn't noticed, we are in the middle of the desert."

"But a large pyramid in the middle of the desert is kind of noticeable" I replied as we reached the base.

"You do realize that we have magic, right?" Snape retorted, his voice low in my ear.

The guide chuckled as he worked, tracing lines on the large stone infront of him. Seconds later a low rumble emerged from the stone and I watched curiously as it and the ones around it started to move out of the way, revealing a long hallway leading to the depths of the pyramid.

"In we go" the guide chirped, leading the way into the massive structure. I followed closely, trying not to loose sight of him while also gawking at the hieroglyphics surrounding me. We soon entered the main chamber of the pyramid, a large room with twenty foot walls covered in large depictions of ancient pharos. In the middle of the room sat hundreds of bookshelves, all full of ancient books and scrolls.

"A wizard worked at the library of Alexandria," our guide started, leading us through the room, "he saved it all and brought it here to be stored."

"The library of Alexandria, as in the one that was burned? The one where the Muggles supposedly lost hundreds of years worth of knowledge?" I asked. The guide nodded in response. "Why not share it with the rest of the world?" I asked as we neared another hallway leading off the main room. "Isn't it useless, hiding it all away here and letting it go to waste?"

"The Muggles almost destroyed it all once" the guide said flatly, "why would we let them do it again. The literature is always available to any wizard who seeks the truths of the world." He led us down another hallway, this one narrower than the last, but still large enough for us all to comfortably walk through. A few twists and turns later and we were in another large room, this one full of shelves containing various vials and potion brewing tools. "He'll be here in a minute" the guide said, turning back to us. "Wait for him at his table." He pointed us towards a large, marble table in the center of the room then retreated back down the hallways from which we came.

"Interesting man" I said lowly to Snape as we made our way towards the table. "So will all of our stops be this cool?"

"Unfortunately, no" he said, his hand resting on my middle back as he came up next to me. "I thought we should start here though, at the beginning of alchemy."

"The beginning of alchemy?"

I was cut off by a loud voice echoing through the large room, calling out Snape's name. Seconds later a tall man emerged from between the shelves dressed in all white with arms outstretched as he made his way towards Snape. I watched the two men embrace, finding it almost comical how Snape was actually showing emotion for once in his life. "Severus, my good friend, it's been so long!" the man exclaimed, patting Snape on the back. "And I see you brought a friend this time" he said, a smile crossing his face as his eyes darted over to me. He slowly walked around the table, his hand outstretched it me. "Zosimos" he said, taking my hand in his, "and you must be Annalise Potter. I've been expecting you."

"Nice to meet you" I smiled. "How did you know I would come?"

"I know a lot of things" he smiled, winking at me, "just like I know about that horrible mark on your arm."

My smile dropped, all the blood draining from my face in an instant. Zosimos started laughing, pulling me to him and wrapping an arm around me.

"Don't you worry, I'm not in the business of telling anybody. I'm supposed to be dead anyways" he laughed. "I felt it when I touched your hand, the mark produces an energy which is carried throughout your body."

"I'm sorry, dead?" I said, my eyes darting between the two.

"Technically, but you can live forever when you're a magical alchemist" he replied, a smile spreading across his face. "Now, what you're really here for."

I watched as he ran around the room, pulling a large bowl and various viles from the shelves and placing them on the large marble table.

"I study alchemy at it's most basic and purest form" he said, settling at the table. "Alchemy is the study of the composition of waters, movement, growth, embodiment, disembodiment, drawing spirits from bodies, and bonding spirits with bodies."

I listened keenly as he told his story, his origins and teachings as the first alchemist, and watched as he mixed various ingredients into his bowl. "Now remember this, that metals have two parts: the soma representing the body and the pneuma representing the spirit. The soma forms the basic essence of being a metal and is separated from the pneuma by fire."

I nodded, writing everything down in the small notebook I had brought with me. I glanced over at Snape who was equally engrossed in Zosimos' lesson, his eyes plastered to the table. I don't know how long we were actually in there, hours felt like seconds watching Zosimos work, but a considerable amount of time had passed by the time we bid him farewell. Before we left though he slipped a vile into the pocket of my linen cloak and one into Snape's as well. He never told us what they were, just that they would "come in handy someday". As we made our way out of the pyramid I asked the guide if we could stop for a second, just so I could take in the library set up in the main room. It was incredible, the amount of knowledge being hidden from the world as to prevent the Muggles from setting themselves back in time again. We exited into the hot sun, the wind once again finding us as we stepped out from the pyramid.

"I trust you can find your way to your next stop" our guide said to Snape.

"Yes, thank you" he replied. He dug down into his pocket, producing a bit of ancient Egyptian gold which he gave to the guide. The guide thanked him and disappeared with the pyramid, leaving the two of alone in the middle of the desert.

"Well, where to now?" I asked, looking around at the barren land.

"Our next alchemist will meet us tomorrow night at the Hagia Sophia," he started, offering his arm to me. "In the meantime, we'll spend tonight and tomorrow in Istanbul. I'm sure you'll love it there."