After surprising everyone once again, the conversations grew increasingly lively. With me out in front, capable of foreseeing every trap, no one had anything to worry about: all they had to do was admire how I solved or dodged each obstacle. Of course, some mechanisms that didn't activate as I passed managed to give the others a scare, but knowing they were practically harmless, the journey turned into a thoroughly entertaining experience.
We ended up ascending one more floor and soon reached the ancient quarters of the wizards of that era. On this level, there were barely any traces of traps, so the tour turned primarily into a history lesson. We learned various aspects about Egyptian wizards, though there was nothing extraordinarily novel. Even though magic possesses the capacity to preserve and restore ancient vestiges, many things end up being hopelessly lost, whether due to ignorance, a lack of skill, or simple bad luck.
We continued exploring that massive structure, which, ultimately, was much more than a simple funerary enclosure. We chatted along the way about everyday matters, though the main topic remained the pyramids. The twins wanted to calculate how long it would take to traverse the whole thing on their broomsticks; Percy raised academic doubts, and Ron showed a marked interest in the hidden riches and the fees of a Curse-Breaker like Bill.
In the end, we ascended one more level, stopping in a particular room: one of the largest halls in the entire building, and one that projected an out-of-the-ordinary atmosphere.
The space consisted of a large open chamber bordered by an elevated platform running along its entire perimeter. The central section sat about two meters below that edge, and its floor was composed of multiple tiles sculpted with ancient symbols that protruded slightly from the surface.
"Alright, this is one of the most relevant rooms in the complex, at least from a study standpoint, and we believe it played a fundamental role for the inhabitants back in the day," Bill explained as he stepped aside.
Around the elevated platform, besides our group, part of the Gringotts staff was present—including guards and magical researchers instructing their apprentices. The curious thing was that none of them set foot on the central area.
"What is this place?" a young woman from the tourist group asked.
"We believe it was a training room," Bill chimed in. "Anyone can try it out if they wish. This is a reconstruction, and we think it replicates rooms present in higher-ranking tombs. In fact, it's said that the original structure of this 'board' was located in one of the most important sepulchers of antiquity, which, unfortunately, no longer exists."
"Was it destroyed?" a bearded man inquired with some interest. He seemed to be a traveler planning to visit every pyramid Egypt had to offer, and knowing that one of the best was no longer available bothered him... "By natural causes or by the hand of some wizard?"
"Unknown," Bill denied. "No trace was left beyond certain chronicles, records, and relics that some attribute to that site. But returning to this hall: we consider that it functioned as a training room for apprentices or as a testing area. And today, all of you will have the opportunity to participate in it," he concluded with a smile.
A Gringotts representative took the floor to replace Bill in the explanation and detail how the room operated.
"Each tile integrates a special mechanism that triggers a particular effect. We've restored most of the magic here and toned down the lethal enchantments. Currently, it doesn't pose a great danger and is preserved for research, though we suspect it holds more than meets the eye. Stepping on specific sequences of tiles causes particular reactions. For a modest fee, we invite anyone who wishes to test themselves in this ancient ritual, whether to learn, entertain themselves, or try to discover some unprecedented combination. Honestly, we believe there's nothing left to decipher... But if anyone feels lucky, they can try. Gringotts will award a substantial reward to anyone who discovers a new sequence. And don't worry: we will provide magical protective gear during the test, and we have a medical team ready to intervene in case of any mishap. Furthermore, if they manage to complete a sequence of at least ten tiles, their registration fee will be refunded; if they exceed that number, they will receive a refund multiplied by the number of tiles in the completed sequence.. Mind you, I warn you that finding such a long combination is extremely difficult, and a single misstep ruins the whole attempt."
The atmosphere in the room grew much more lively. Observing from the edge was one thing, but actively participating was entirely different, not to mention that the prospect of a reward was always attractive to most. Even though the registration fee was somewhat steep—proving why Gringotts had no qualms about exploiting a historical site as a tourist attraction—our father offered each of us the opportunity to try our luck.
No one wanted to be the first to step in, as everyone preferred to evaluate the mechanism from the outside. However, a few couldn't resist the curiosity and jumped into the pit equipped with protective vests provided by the institution; they were heavy garments, but imbued with high-level defensive enchantments. When the participants were ready, the rest of us retreated to the edges of the platform while watching the system trigger, causing several smaller obelisks to emerge from the floor.
The first person advanced cautiously and placed a foot on the first tile... But nothing happened. She was baffled for a moment, but upon stepping on the next tile, a violent gust of air burst from the stone and blew her backward through the air. She slammed hard against the floor, though the gear cushioned the blow entirely, preventing any injury.
Witnessing this, the crowd split between fear and excitement. Immediately, more participants rushed into the pit. Since it wasn't mandatory to enter one by one, this time two people entered simultaneously: one repeated the first tile the previous woman had stepped on, and the other opted for a completely new path.
The first, veering off route, received a powerful electric shock, while the second was surprised by a burst of fire shooting from a pillar. Nothing truly lethal, just as they had warned: the system had been regulated for exhibition, and the gear cushioned the impact, though it didn't prevent the fright.
My mother watched the scene with evident concern, unlike my brothers, whose adrenaline had them on the edge of their seats. Participants flowed in and out in a steady stream, allowing up to five people simultaneously. The twins planned their entrance, not without first shoving Ron onto the board to test the waters.
The test was far from simple: as minutes ticked by, several tiles altered their appearance and associated enchantment, nullifying any attempt to memorize the map. Ron hurled insults at the twins after getting soaked from head to toe on the very first tile; however, the ambition for the reward made him keep going. His enthusiasm was short-lived: two steps further, he triggered an electric arc that, supercharged by the water on his clothing, left him convulsing on the ground until the venue staff had to drag him over to the medical zone.
Fred and George witnessed the scene and, far from showing empathy, burst into laughter before flinging themselves into the challenge.
The whole thing turned into a genuine spectacle. It was hard to know whether the ancient Egyptians conceived this facility for recreational purposes—considering how costly and complex its fabrication was—but it indisputably possessed a hypnotic dynamism. Very few of us remained without trying it. Even my father got up the nerve to test his luck, turning a deaf ear to my mother's warnings.
The board deployed an impressive variety of traps and elements: from thermal blasts to a tile that summoned a swarm of beetles over the participant. Wizards and witches resorted to defensive enchantments to string together successes and keep their footing, but the unpredictability of the mechanism ended up overwhelming the vast majority.
The room filled with enthusiasm to the point where the others invited my mother, the girls, and me to step in. Xenophilius, for his part, was absorbed in a technical conversation with one of the institution's researchers, so he remained on the sidelines.
Gradually, either due to physical exhaustion or because they had run out of Galleons, the crowd in the pit began to dwindle. The few goblins present sketched increasingly wide smiles as they weighed the profits raked in from registration fees.
Out of our brothers, who had already wrung their budgets dry, only George managed to complete a sequence of ten tiles, recovering merely the cost of one of his many attempts. Since neither the girls nor I had stepped onto the board, they hounded us with requests to enter and try to win back their lost money... Though knowing them, their true interest lay in watching us fall into a trap just like they had.
It was right then that Bill, noticing us hesitating, leaped directly into the test area—without paying a fee, of course—and began advancing with absolute ease among the mechanisms, devoid of a protective vest. He clearly had accumulated plenty of practice in the room and moved with total confidence.
"Come on, kids. If anyone manages to beat my score, I'll cover desserts for the whole month. What's more: I got an old flying carpet on one of the expeditions and I'll gift it to whoever beats me," Bill challenged us with a provocative smile.
Perhaps, in his role as older brother, he felt a bit of a grudge for not having been able to pull a prank on me yet. Since I was the youngest, Bill wanted to reclaim his authority by scoring a victory, even if it just amounted to getting me slightly soaked like Ron. Besides, he felt a genuine curiosity to test just how far my abilities went.
The offer fired up Ron and the twins, who wanted to throw themselves back in convinced they were about to crack the pattern. The snag was that they didn't have a single coin left, and our father refused to fund any more attempts, so all eyes ultimately concentrated on Ginny, Luna, and me.
"Mmm..." I articulated, pretending to hesitate for a few seconds before nodding with a mischievous smile. "Alright, I hope you stick to your word. Ginny loves desserts and I'd love to see her gain a couple of kilos."
I said the latter as I began taking off my outer robe. Ginny elbowed me upon hearing that, but the gesture of stripping off the garment generated expectation in the others: they assumed I was taking the matter seriously and regretted not having done the same earlier, since heavy clothing hindered mobility beneath the protective vest.
Once I set my robe aside, I slipped into the protective vest provided by one of the supervisors and, without a second's hesitation, took the first step onto the board. A second and third fluid advance followed, closing the distance to Bill as the mechanisms began reacting to my stride:
Boiling-point water. Stone projectiles. A debility enchantment.
My wand moved with a speed superior to the mechanisms themselves, tracing movements of absolute precision to block or deflect each attack. I advanced untouched, without even needing the protective vest to brush against a thing.
"Well, shall we start for real?" I asked with serenity.
Bill's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and competitive drive. He had made it clear that I didn't fit the mold of the rest of the family, and he was ready to test me.
"Go ahead. May the best man stay standing," he replied, raising his wand.