"Look!" Lina pointed excitedly in the direction the beam was traveling. "It seems to be guiding us toward a specific location."
As the beam moved, the magical patterns shone more intensely. The previously chaotic lines gradually became clear, forming the hazy outline of a map.
Near the edge of the map, a small point of golden light flickered conspicuously.
"That must be where the Invisibility Cloak was transported," Grek declared confidently. "Judging by the magical traces remaining in these patterns, the location is extremely far from Hogwarts, somewhere deep in the northern mountains.
"Powerful magical barriers surround the area. Ordinary people would have great difficulty approaching it, let alone discovering any trace of the Invisibility Cloak."
Keir frowned, his eyes filled with confusion. "But why would the Invisibility Cloak be transported there? Is someone secretly controlling all of this?"
Lina considered the question for a moment. "Perhaps the ancient magic within these ruins detected the Invisibility Cloak's unique power and automatically activated a transportation mechanism. In that case, no one is controlling it.
"Or perhaps... a powerful wizard used these ruins to deliberately transport the Invisibility Cloak to that hidden location for some secret purpose."
Grek slowly rose and brushed the dust from his clothes, his determined gaze turning northward.
"Whatever the reason, we must find the Invisibility Cloak. Whether goblinkind can escape wizard oppression depends on it. Gather your equipment. We leave for that location immediately."
The other two goblins nodded, determination gleaming in their eyes as they prepared themselves for the challenge ahead.
Several days later, the three goblins reached the calculated destination of the teleportation spell.
A salty wind swept over the cliff and struck them head-on. Grek, Lina, and Keir stopped at the edge of the precipice, where the ground beneath their feet was covered by black obsidian ruins marked with dark patterns.
This was another site of ancient magical ruins, but unlike the previous one, it remained largely intact. Most of its magical arrays were still operational.
Grek tightened his grip on the bronze claw hanging from his waist. It was the latest invention of goblinkind. Although it could not amplify a goblin's magic as dramatically as a wand enhanced a wizard's power, it still provided a considerable boost.
More importantly, the claw contained a permanent magnetic enchantment that allowed its wielder to manipulate metal in combat. It was currently the goblins' primary weapon.
Grek ran his sharp fingertips over the dark patterns along the edge of a stone platform, then looked up at Lina.
"There's no mistake. The energy remaining from the teleportation array matches our calculations. This should be the place."
Lina nodded and pressed one ear against a partially collapsed wall. Her eyelashes trembled as she felt the vibrations traveling through the stone.
"There's a passage inside, behind that broken pillar."
She raised her hand, and the claw fitted over it began glowing with dark blue light. A large quantity of metal flew from the leather pouch at her waist and pushed aside a loose slab of obsidian beside the pillar, revealing an opening barely wide enough for one person.
Tiny patches of luminous moss clung to the walls of the opening, faintly illuminating a flight of stone steps descending into the darkness.
Keir was the first to remove the leather backpack from his shoulders. He pulled out three small enchanted lanterns.
Their wicks were made from stardown, a plant unique to the goblin settlements. Once lit, they emitted a gentle silver-blue glow.
"I'll go first." He raised his lantern above his head. A thick layer of dust covered the stairs, and the only footprints in it belonged to the three of them. "Watch the runes on the walls. Don't trigger any traps."
The three goblins descended the stone steps. The passage was filled with the stale smell of ancient dust and corroded metal.
Under the pale light of the luminous moss, they occasionally saw remnants of murals painted across the walls. The images depicted pointed-hat wizards fighting goblins armed with short blades. In the final scene, the wizards defeated the goblins.
The three goblins' expressions darkened, but they eventually sighed. Defeat was defeat. No matter how bitterly they resented it, that remained the truth.
As the eldest of the three, Grek was steadier than his companions. He patted them both on the shoulders and offered words of reassurance.
"As long as we find the Invisibility Cloak and obtain the power of Death, we can leave this world. Once that happens, we'll never have to suffer under wizard rule again."
The other two goblins nodded, their eyes filled with anticipation.
"Look over there!" Lina suddenly stopped and pointed toward the stone chamber at the end of the passage.
A stone sarcophagus stood in the center of the chamber. Its lid was partially open, and the interior appeared empty, but the magical fluctuations coming from its walls told the three goblins that the Invisibility Cloak was hidden inside.
Through the information Death had given them, they knew exactly what magical signature the Deathly Hallows possessed, allowing them to recognize it immediately.
The goblins exchanged excited glances.
Together, they pushed the lid aside. A piece of silvery fabric appeared inside the sarcophagus, resting quietly beneath a faint magical glow.
It was the Invisibility Cloak they had been searching for.
"It's real!" Lina exclaimed before she could restrain herself.
She turned toward Grek. The silver-blue lantern light shone across her face, and her eyes glittered with delight.
"We really found it! It's the genuine Invisibility Cloak!"
Grek strode to the edge of the stone platform and gently lifted one corner of the cloak. The fabric was as light as a cloud, yet it carried an unmistakably ancient magical presence.
He clenched his other hand into a fist, his voice trembling with barely contained excitement.
"We were right. With this, we can summon Death, obtain his power, and free ourselves from wizard oppression!"
Keir came closer, and the light from his lantern fell across the Invisibility Cloak, making the faint aura around it even more visible.
He grinned and patted Grek on the shoulder, his voice filled with satisfaction. "At first, I was worried that another treasure hunter might beat us to it, or that this was merely a trap left by Harry Potter. Thankfully, we arrived first, and it isn't a trap after all!"
"That's right! The dream we've pursued for so long is finally within our reach!" Lina raised one corner of the Invisibility Cloak and held it toward the light spilling in from the passage. The part of the fabric touched by the light truly vanished, leaving behind only transparent air.
Her eyes curved with joy. "It's incredible! As expected of a Hallow capable of hiding its wearer even from Death! Grek, let's secure it and return to the settlement immediately. We have to tell everyone!"
Grek nodded and pulled a piece of deerskin embroidered with the Raven Clan's emblem from his backpack. He carefully prepared to wrap the Invisibility Cloak inside it.
"Let's go! We'll tell the elders that we fulfilled the task they entrusted to us!" His voice was louder than usual, overflowing with irrepressible joy. "We'll never have to fear those wizards again!"
However, just as they were celebrating, Grek's vision suddenly blurred. For some reason, the Invisibility Cloak in Lina's hands had become indistinct.
Lina noticed it a moment later and cried out in alarm, "What's happening? Why is my Invisibility Cloak disappearing?"
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke from behind them.
"Because that isn't the Invisibility Cloak. It's merely an illusion given physical form."
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.