The next morning, the sky over Hogwarts was clear, but there was a heaviness in the air, like the calm that came before a storm. Inside the castle, students bustled to classes as if the world hadn't shifted beneath their feet the day before. But Percy, Harry, and Hermione knew better.
They had seen something ancient, awakened it.
And now, none of them were the same.
In the Gryffindor common room, Hermione sat cross-legged in an armchair, eyes locked on the open notebook in her lap. The pages were filled with writing, rows of symbols, some spiraling, others jagged, almost alive on the page. They shimmered faintly, as if inked in moonlight.
"This language isn't just a code," she whispered, mostly to herself. "It's a structure. A system of magical concepts. A syntax of forces."
Across from her, Percy was practicing. A bowl of water hovered in front of him, sloshing lazily back and forth. He moved his hand, and it obeyed with eerie precision. But there was something different now, something deeper. It wasn't just manipulation. It was… communication.
He could feel the water listening.
"It's like it understands me better," Percy said, breaking the silence. "Or I understand it. Like I've gone from shouting into a storm to speaking the ocean's native language."
Hermione didn't look up. "That may not be far from the truth."
Harry paced near the window, glancing periodically out at the lake. "Ever since the temple… I've been having dreams."
Hermione looked up sharply. "Dreams? Of what?"
"A city beneath the waves," Harry said. "Made of coral and glass. It pulses with light, and there's a throne at the center. But it's empty. Then something… calls me. It doesn't speak, not with words anyways. But it wants me to come."
Percy's hand trembled, and the water in the bowl splashed. "A city under the sea?"
Hermione set her notebook down carefully. "That's what this language keeps referring to. I think it's called Thalassaeon, at least, that's the closest translation. It means something like 'deep dominion' or 'the sovereign ocean.' There are references to a Seat of Tides, guarded by a being older than the gods."
Percy looked grim. "We may have just rung its doorbell."
Later that day, the trio slipped into the library between classes. Madam Pince gave them her usual glare, but didn't stop them as they headed toward the Restricted Section. Percy held up the pass Professor McGonagall had given Hermione "for advanced magical study," she had called it.
They searched for hours. Tomes in ancient dialects, scrolls half-decayed from time, grimoires bound in seaweed-like leather. It was Hermione who found it: The Echoes of the Abyss, a book so old it didn't have a known author.
She opened it, and the pages whispered.
"I can read this," she said, stunned.
The script was indecipherable to Percy and Harry, ink flowing like river currents. But Hermione's eyes darted across the lines, absorbing meaning at lightning speed.
"There was a war," she murmured. "A war in the sea, before Atlantis. A god, or something like it, was bound beneath the ocean. They called it the Sleeper Below. It wasn't defeated. Just… sealed. With magic older than human memory."
She turned the page, revealing a faint, water-stained illustration, towers of coral rising from the depths, a massive eye carved into a black obelisk. Around it were symbols. The same symbols they'd seen glowing in the temple.
"Is this what we awakened?" Harry asked, voice low.
"Maybe not awakened," Percy said. "But stirred."
They all looked at each other.
This wasn't just ancient magic.
It was a prison.
And they had cracked the door.
That night, Percy stood alone at the edge of the Black Lake. The moon's reflection rippled across its surface, disturbed by wind and the occasional leap of a fish. But beneath the surface, Percy felt something moving. Not a creature. A current.
It brushed his consciousness, like a finger trailing down his spine.
He knelt and touched the water. The lake responded, coiling up around his fingers like a silver ribbon.
"I didn't ask for this," he whispered.
The water rippled in response.
But you were chosen, something seemed to say.
A gust of wind blew, and suddenly the lake went still, unnaturally still.
Then Percy heard it.
A whisper, not from outside but inside his skull.
"He watches the gate. But the gate is cracking."
He jerked his hand back, breathing heavily.
The lake slowly returned to its natural rhythm.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry couldn't sleep. His scar didn't burn—but it ached, like something pressing in from far away. He sat by the fire, staring at the flickering flames until Hermione came down the stairs, clutching her notebook.
"I just translated another passage," she said without preamble. "The temple wasn't the only one. There are seven. Scattered across the world. Each one was a seal."
Harry sat up straight. "How many are still intact?"
Hermione swallowed. "It doesn't say. But it implies… at least two have already failed."
The fire popped loudly, sending sparks into the air.
"Whatever's rising," she said, "isn't just coming back."
"It's coming through."
Far below Hogwarts, beneath the Forbidden Forest, deep in a cave long forgotten by men and centaurs alike, a single glowing rune flared to life on the floor.
Water pooled around it.
And then it began to spin.
The next morning dawned cold and gray. Fog curled around the castle's turrets like cautious fingers. In Gryffindor Tower, Percy woke to find Harry already dressed, his green eyes haunted and distant. Hermione sat by the window, scribbling frantic notes in her notebook, lips moving as if reciting an incantation only she could hear.
Percy swung his legs out of bed and stretched. The memory of the lake's whisper still clung to him like a wet cloak. He caught Harry's eye, and for a moment, neither spoke. They didn't need to. The quiet tension between them said enough.
Hermione looked up suddenly. "I think I know where the next temple is."
Harry blinked. "What? Another one? How?"
Hermione stood, gripping her notebook so tightly her knuckles went white. "It's mentioned in the passages from The Echoes of the Abyss. The text refers to a city beneath the Aegean Sea: ancient, hidden, protected by layers of magic that even wizards avoided. They called it Thalassopolis."
Percy felt his breath catch. Even the name sounded like a wave crashing against a cliff.
Hermione nodded, as if hearing his thoughts. "Thalassopolis means 'City of the Sea.' The text describes it as a center of power, a place where ancient sorcerers and demigods once gathered to seal the Sleeper Below. If it truly exists, it may hold answers." "Or more seals." Percy deadpanned.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "So… we just dive into the Aegean and hope we don't wake something worse?"
Hermione's voice lowered. "It might already be too late. Remember what I read? Two seals have already fallen. We have no idea what's been released or what's waiting."
Percy clenched his fists, water droplets gathering around his fingers like tiny pearls. "Then we don't wait."
During lunch, the three sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, huddled together, whispering. Plates of food went untouched. The noise of the Great Hall faded into a dull hum behind them.
Hermione traced the map she'd drawn in her notebook with a trembling finger. "Here, just south of Crete. We'll need a ship to even get close."
Percy glanced at Harry. "You're the hero, mate. What do you think?"
Harry hesitated. "I think… we don't have a choice. Whatever this is, it feels connected to me. My scar, my dreams, everything."
Hermione looked up, eyes shining. "Then it's settled."
A sudden hush swept through the Hall. Percy turned to see Professor McGonagall approaching their table, her lips pressed into a thin line. She stopped in front of them and leaned forward slightly.
"Mr. Potter. Mr. Jackson. Miss Granger," she said, her voice sharp but quiet enough to stay between them. "I trust you are not planning any… extracurricular adventures?"
They exchanged quick, guilty glances. Before any of them could answer, McGonagall's eyes softened, if only for a heartbeat.
"I do not know what you three have stumbled upon," she continued, her tone more grave. "But Hogwarts is no longer the sanctuary it once was. Be careful. Whatever darkness you've found, it is already moving."
Then, as quickly as she came, she turned and swept away, her emerald robes trailing behind her like a wave's edge.
Hermione's hand shook slightly. "She knows. Or suspects."
Percy nodded grimly. "We have to move faster."
That night, under the cover of darkness, they crept out of the castle. The grounds were hushed, moonlight painting the grass in silvery lines. As they neared the Forbidden Forest, a soft hoot made them jump. Hedwig swooped down, circling Harry before perching on a low branch.
Harry looked at her, his face a mix of gratitude and sorrow. "Stay here. I'll come back."
Hedwig hooted softly, as if understanding, then took off into the sky.
Hermione led them into the woods, guided by a flickering charm she had conjured. Percy could feel the lake's magic tugging at him even from a distance, as if urging him back to its depths.
They found the hidden cave entrance near the forest edge, the one from Hermione's translation. Stones marked with faded runes surrounded it like silent sentinels. The mouth of the cave yawned open, dark and cold.
A rush of ocean-scented air hit them. Percy inhaled sharply, tasting salt even here, miles from the sea.
Harry swallowed hard. "This is it."
Hermione lit her wand. The glow reflected off damp walls, revealing ancient carvings in languages neither Harry nor Percy could decipher, but Hermione's eyes widened with each step.
"These are instructions," she breathed. "The tunnel connects to a portal… to Thalassopolis. The city is not reachable by normal sea travel. This is how they kept it hidden."
Percy ran a hand along the wall, feeling the echo of power thrumming under his fingertips. Water seeped through cracks, following his touch like affectionate creatures.
Hermione read aloud softly. "Once through, we cannot come back the same way. The portal only opens one direction, into the city. We must find another exit from within."
Harry tightened his grip on his wand. "Then we'll have to succeed. There's no turning back."
Percy nodded. "On three?"
They all exchanged one final look. Fear, excitement, resolve all mingling behind their eyes.
Hermione took a deep breath. "One…"
Percy felt the ocean in his veins surge.
"Two…"
Harry's scar prickled like a live wire.
"Three!"
They stepped forward together into the tunnel's mouth. A burst of blue light swallowed them whole. The world tilted, twisted, then inverted completely. Percy felt like he was tumbling through a whirlpool, his senses torn apart and rebuilt all at once.
When the light finally faded, they stood on a ledge overlooking a massive underwater city. Spires of coral rose into the gloom, bridges woven of living kelp connected structures that pulsed with an inner glow. The water pressed all around them, yet they breathed as if they stood in open air, as if some enchantment protected them.
All around, giant statues of sea gods stared down, their eyes hollow and accusatory.
Hermione stumbled forward, eyes wide, lips parting in awe. "Thalassopolis…"
Percy felt an overwhelming pull toward the city center, where a throne sat empty, just as Harry had dreamed. Light shimmered faintly above it like a heartbeat.
Suddenly, a distant, echoing groan reverberated through the city walls. The ground trembled beneath them. Cracks formed along the floor, and a single, immense eye slowly opened on the far temple wall.
Harry staggered backward, clutching his forehead as his scar flared with searing pain.
The Sleeper Below… was waking.
Percy felt his pulse hammering in his ears as the ancient eye in the temple wall slowly widened, a terrible awareness flooding the silent city. Waves of pressure rolled through the water, rattling coral towers and sending kelp bridges swaying like sea serpents in a storm.
Hermione screamed as she fell to her knees, clutching her head. Strange syllables spilled from her lips, echoing through the chamber like broken glass. Harry staggered forward, his fingers white around his wand, but his scar's pain forced him to his knees too.
Percy felt the ocean inside him respond to the awakening presence. A primal power, older than gods, coursed through his veins. The water churned and rose around his ankles, coiling like protective serpents. He stepped forward instinctively, toward the throne at the heart of Thalassopolis.
"Percy, don't!" Hermione's voice cracked, but he barely heard it.
Something deep within him whispered: Take the throne. Claim your birthright. Bind the Sleeper again.
Percy's breath came in ragged gasps. He felt the weight of a thousand years pressing down on his shoulders. He saw flashes, visions of ancient warriors, sea gods wielding tridents made of pure light, creatures rising from abyssal trenches to serve a king of the tides.
A voice boomed through the chamber, not in words but in feeling, vibrating in his bones: You dare to wake me, half-blood? You seek to bind me again?
Percy forced himself forward another step, his fists clenched. He tried to speak but only salt water rose in his throat.
Harry crawled forward on hands and knees, finally forcing out a shout. "Percy! Stop! We don't even know what that throne will do!"
Hermione's eyes suddenly snapped open, glowing faintly blue. She stood, swaying, and began chanting in the lost language she had absorbed from the temple inscriptions. The syllables were harsh and musical at once, like waves crashing against a rocky shore in an impossible rhythm.
Percy glanced at her, his mind torn between her words and the echo inside him calling him forward.
The eye in the wall split further, revealing cracks that formed a massive, jagged mouth. From its depths, dark shapes began to slither, tentacles, made of pure shadow and ancient magic, curling and sliding toward them.
Hermione's voice rose higher, her whole body trembling with effort. She drew symbols in the air with her wand, lines of turquoise light that burned against the gloom.
Harry managed to stagger upright, blood trickling from his scar. He pointed his wand at the shadows, shouting, "Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Depulso!" Each spell only momentarily pushing back the tendrils, which always regrew stronger, angrier.
Percy reached the steps of the throne. He could feel the throne's song calling to his blood: An ancient promise of dominion over the seas, a power that surpassed anything he had imagined. His hands shook as he reached out.
But a single thought sliced through the fog: Power is not the same as control. And it's never free.
Percy stopped. He turned to see Hermione collapse again, nearly smothered by a tentacle. Harry lunged forward, hacking at it with a flaming blue charm, barely keeping it at bay.
In that moment, Percy understood. The throne wasn't just a seat of power. It was a lock, a final barrier holding back the Sleeper Below. If he claimed it rashly, he might break the last seal and doom them all.
Percy turned back to the throne, took a deep breath, and instead of sitting, slammed his palms down on its armrests. Saltwater burst outward like an exploding dam, sending a shockwave through the chamber. The tentacles recoiled, screeching in a voice deeper than any abyss.
Hermione's chanting grew steadier. The runes she had drawn brightened, forming a protective dome of light around her and Harry. The broken syllables started to harmonize, each phrase weaving into the other like an ocean current finding its shape.
The eye shrieked, a deep bellow that cracked the coral structures around them. Percy felt the sea magic surge through his bones, threatening to split him open. He roared, forcing his own will into the magic, pressing it downward like a dam holding back a raging flood.
Hermione gave one final cry, thrusting her wand forward. The dome of light shot forward, merging with the waves Percy controlled. Together, they formed a spear of pure oceanic energy that pierced the giant eye.
For a moment, time froze.
Then, with an echoing boom, the eye shattered like black glass, its fragments dissolving into the water and swirling away like dying ink. The tentacles collapsed into nothing, leaving only silence and the shimmer of falling coral dust.
Percy slumped to the ground, gasping. His entire body felt like it was made of broken waves and lightning.
Hermione collapsed beside Harry, her wand falling from limp fingers. Harry fell forward onto his hands, breathing hard, his scar still pulsing but no longer bleeding.
They lay in silence, the ghostly glow of Thalassopolis illuminating their exhaustion. The city felt different now. Emptier, less oppressive. But there was a lurking echo in the darkness around them, a promise that the battle wasn't truly over. Something had retreated, but not been destroyed.
Hermione finally spoke, her voice ragged. "We… we closed it. For now. But that was just one piece."
Harry looked up, his face pale and drawn. "My dreams… they showed more temples. More places. This… this was just the first step."
Percy dragged himself upright, gripping the throne for support. "We can't do this alone. If more seals are breaking, we need allies. We need to understand who, or what, is orchestrating all this."
Hermione nodded weakly. "We'll need to return to Hogwarts. Find Dumbledore. Maybe even the Ministry, though I don't trust them. And there's something else in the language… a mention of 'The Deep Choir.' We need to learn more."
Harry stood shakily, looking out at the ruined city. His voice was low, but determined. "Whatever's coming, we face it together. We stop it, or we all drown."
Percy looked at his friends: Battered, terrified, but unbroken. Despite the fear, a fierce pride burned in his chest.
He turned his gaze back toward the shimmering coral spires, and in the far distance, he thought he saw a figure, tall, hooded, and watching.
Before he could call out, the figure vanished into the dark water.
Percy's stomach twisted. They weren't alone. Someone, or something, was already one step ahead.
To Be Continued...
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These daily uploads are to make up for the missed uploads due to holiday and my bribery to you guys to send a powerstone or smth.
Seriously, it doesn't take that long. Please for the love of god I need to know if someone reads these little afterwords taht i make. If you do read this, just comment with a funny little gif on here :)
Byeeeee ;)
also I have a p*treon now :) it's
p*treon.com/Reader004 (remove the star)