Ex-Auror Manannán and the Tear of Ra

-Chapter Thirteen- Return to the Dragon Cave

The letter from Dumbledore to Oliver arrived via the enchanted bottle that the headmaster had sent him over ten months ago. The ex-Auror had expected to use it more than he had. It was rarely used beyond him sending an update on when he had found the location of the Tear of Ra and that he had a plan to secure it. Oliver also expected to receive more messages from Dumbledore via it over the year. But it was clear the Hogwarts headmaster had been extremely busy and preoccupied over the year, the past couple of months in particular. Oliver read the letter, it was brief, a simple message.

I shall see you the last Saturday of the Month. In the evening. I'll send another letter before. Well done young Manannán.

That would be two weeks tomorrow, Oliver thought to himself. It was the middle of June and after six months of trawling for answers, searching for locations, he had finally found the famed Tear of Ra. It was still not in his possession, but he was confident that that fact was simply due to time. By then end of the weekend, he would have it. Then he could begin his quest on protecting it or destroying it.

His plan was set and everyone was prepared for it, Finikis, Jynx, Oliver and the house elf, Voran. On Sunday they would all return to the Draconis cave. The three people would talk and negotiate with the vampire Faren, whilst the house elf would venture behind the barrier, guided by the snitch, and retrieve the Tear.

Oliver was sat in the study room reading a book on full vampires that he found in the Bergmane Library. He was making sure he understood every aspect of their power. Unlike half vampires, full vampires were immortal, in the sense they would never grow old and could only be killed by specific means. The most efficient way was sunlight. That element of the legend appeared to be true, which gave rise to the Ra'oumous charm. Which in the ancient world was commonly used, when vampires were in larger numbers. But as their populations dwindled, the spell came out favour. Oliver read on about the demon curse that grew entirely in full vampires and diluted but present in half vampires. How that curse resided in the creature's heart. Which gave rise to the other way to end the vampire, to dispel that powerful demonic magic. Which could only be achieved with an incredibly powerful vanquish spell – Vitaternum. Which required to be cast and the spell to make direct contact with the dark charm itself. In the book, it contained accounts of how some wizards used spells to cut the vampire's chest open to expose their organs so they can shoot the spell directly. The most widespread account, of how to kill a vampire, was to use one's wand like a blade, and stab it into the vampire's heart as they cast the spell. Using a wand like a knife to stab, was clearly what gave rise to the folklore of the wooden stake, Oliver thought to himself.

'That would be risky. You would need to be accurate with the lunge and position, to hit the heart.' Said Oliver. 'A centimetre or two either way, could result in the wand hitting bone, which could easily snap it!'

There wasn't any clear description on whether the killing curse would have an effect on a vampire. But Radoslav was certain on it. He was convinced from what Lenark had told him. That the spell, as Radoslav put; could not make dead, the undead.

The book did detail how effective or more importantly how ineffective lots of different, hexes and curses were upon a full vampire and a half vampire. In general lots of jinxes and hexes had little to no effect. Some curses were useful. But for most spells, they had greater potency against a half vampire and little impact on full one. It was essential for any wizard who confronted a vampire, to master the Ra'oumous spell and the Vitaternum spell. Oliver noted that the Ra'oumous spell took a long time to kill a vampire, but it was a useful weapon to fight one at distance. The Vitaternum spell assured death, but you had to be directly in front of them, and you had to cast the spell completely at the heart. That closeness to such a dangerous creature would certainly come with the risk of death.