Chapter 314: Compromise
"Someone secretly told me that you have a history of doing this."
Fleur laughed smugly and waved the wand in her hand.
The Memory Charm had been effortlessly deflected by a Shield Charm.
In truth, Fleur had been tense throughout the entire exchange. She had simply refused to let it show.
Malfoy had also deliberately restrained the power of the Memory Charm.
"That old bee."
Malfoy was stunned for a moment before gritting his teeth and immediately realizing whom Fleur meant.
There was no doubt about it.
Dumbledore must have secretly told her.
He had never expected that old man to go this far.
The two stood there awkwardly.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
The slightly fishy sea breeze fluttered their robes, making them rustle like the rapid beating of a bird's wings.
That was the only sound for a long while.
Eventually, Malfoy spoke first.
The corners of his lips twitched slightly.
"That was merely a small test."
"You passed."
Since things had come to this...
There was no choice but to accept reality.
Deep down, Malfoy simply didn't want more people becoming involved in his troubles.
If Dumbledore hadn't insisted so strongly, this girl shouldn't have participated in those dangerous journeys in the first place.
But her current behavior...
And the determination she had displayed...
Clearly exceeded his ability to stop her.
Could he really treat her harshly?
As though she were an enemy?
Perhaps, apart from dealing with Grindelwald, having this girl accompany him might bring some unexpected benefits.
Malfoy tried to console himself with that thought as he accepted the reality of his disrupted plans.
What he didn't know was that Fleur really would give him plenty of unexpected surprises during this journey.
"Why didn't you test me beforehand?"
Fleur rolled her eyes irritably.
Anyone would probably feel this way after learning that they had nearly been abandoned.
"But even if what you said is true..."
"Am I strong enough now?"
"I won't hold you back."
She spoke each word carefully, her expression serious.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
She followed Malfoy onto the small boat they had rented from the fishermen.
They hadn't hired anyone to sail it.
Ordinary people obviously couldn't accompany them on this journey.
The boat was fairly well equipped, and Malfoy had learned some basic sailing skills during his previous trips to sea with the old fisherman.
They certainly couldn't handle a violent storm.
But with today's calm weather, it was more than enough.
The manuscript was hidden somewhere on a secluded island.
At present, they only knew its approximate location.
The little boat raised its sails and slowly glided across the sea, propelled by the gentle wind.
Malfoy stood at the bow, staring intently at the compass in his hand.
It was an ancient compass.
The round surface was engraved with pale-blue diamond patterns, while the tips of its four differently sized needles were covered with a thin layer of reddish rust.
The needles trembled constantly.
The voyage proceeded without incident.
There were no strange sea monsters.
Nor were there any German Aurors pursuing them.
"We're almost there."
Malfoy finally looked away from the compass and gazed toward the horizon.
Strangely enough, the sky was completely clear today.
The sun shone brightly.
Yet a hazy white mist had suddenly appeared in the distance.
It slowly drifted across the sea, seemingly concealing something beyond it.
As the boat continued forward and entered the mist...
The scenery suddenly opened up.
A vibrant green appeared before their eyes.
An island.
Fleur stared at the lush, towering forest in astonishment.
A place like this shouldn't have remained undiscovered.
"This area hasn't been incorporated into German territory."
"Or rather, they simply haven't discovered it."
"To prevent anyone from finding the island, the person who created this place used a Concealment Charm and a Muggle-Repelling Charm around it."
Malfoy explained after noticing Fleur's confusion.
Unlike Nurmengard, which he had visited previously, this island was full of life.
Nurmengard had been filled with fortified buildings and an oppressive silence.
Almost no outsiders could approach it.
This island was completely different.
Dense, towering trees covered almost the entire island.
Without outside interference, hundreds of years of natural succession had allowed countless plants to flourish here.
A Muggle botanist or a Wizarding herbalist might even discover species believed to have gone extinct.
The first thing the two did after arriving on the island...
Was destroy their way through it.
Without doing so, there was simply no way forward.
Sharp blades of wind sliced through the thorny bushes, cutting them cleanly in half before they collapsed in orderly rows.
Some trees had grown so close together that their branches and trunks had intertwined, almost as though they intended to remain together forever.
Malfoy soon tore them apart as well.
The two of them gradually carved out a path through the dense forest.
"Guide me."
Malfoy's wand floated above their heads.
It swayed slightly from time to time, acting almost like a compass and guiding their direction.
Suddenly, a dense pile of rubble appeared ahead.
Dark soil covered one side of the ground.
The vegetation here was exceptionally lush, its mature dark-green color standing out from the surrounding forest.
"Whirlwind Sweep!"
Malfoy looked around before waving his wand.
The debris blocking their path was swept aside.
What appeared beneath it was a gigantic opening.
It was large enough to accommodate dozens of people at once.
The entrance resembled the gaping mouth of some enormous beast, as though it were waiting patiently to devour its prey.
Black rocks surrounded the entrance, mixed with patches of white and gray stone.
"This place has the strongest protective spells."
Malfoy tapped the thick trunk of an ancient tree nearby with his wand.
The dark-green leaves rustled violently before scattering across the ground.
Several aggressive-looking ancient runes had been carved into the bark.
However, after centuries of exposure to the elements, they appeared to have lost most of their effectiveness.
It wasn't difficult to imagine what would happen to anyone who rushed inside recklessly.
"Incendio!"
Numerous vivid red flames appeared from thin air.
They illuminated the darkness beneath the dense canopy.
Malfoy then expertly controlled the flames, sending them deeper into the cave.
For an instant, the outer section of the cave was brightly illuminated.
Malfoy saw rough gray stone walls covered in countless pits and cracks.
They clung to the ceiling like the withered bark of an ancient tree.
Fleur stared intently at Malfoy.
His control over Fire Magic was remarkably precise.
She could use fire spells as well.
But when it came to manipulating the flames with such skill and ease...
She was still far behind him.