The Talisman of Monguk

Chapter 15: Angela's Bluff

Late on a Saturday evening in early February, three solitary figures appeared on a London street outside the Waterloo Underground station. They were a man in a long tattered cloak, a woman in a black leather jacket with shocking pink hair, and a second woman in a bomber jacket and baggy cargo pants. They entered the Underground station, jumped the turnstile, and headed down to the train platform. Except for the three of them, the station was deserted. They looked around suspiciously as they walked and spoke in hushed whispers. It was Lupin, Tonks, and Angela. They were on a mission for the Order of the Phoenix.

"Where's the entrance?" whispered Angela, looking around.

"Over here," Lupin replied, pointing to a restroom door.

A large 'Out of Order' sign hung crookedly across the entrance to the restroom. Lupin opened the door and the three filed quickly inside.

The restroom looked as if it had been out of commission for some time. The walls were covered with graffiti. All but two of the stalls were missing doors. Of the two remaining doors, one was hanging askew, half-detached. All of the sinks had missing or broken faucets. Every mirror was cracked or covered with graffiti.

"This is certainly an odd place for an entrance to a church," Angela commented, looking around the room.

"It's safe. There's no chance a Muggle would ever come in here," replied Tonks, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"That's not true. Muggles do come in here when they're down enough on their luck and wizards too. The Underground is warm and dry and safer than the streets. This entrance is accessible. Father Boniface often roams the subway, looking for those who need help, Muggle or wizard alike," Lupin said.

Angela and Tonks reddened with shame. "How do you know this?" Angela ventured.

"I came to see Father Boniface after Sirius' death, searching for answers. He helped me find them," Lupin said quietly, looking away. Then he turned back to the others and added, "And he told me about his ministry here. I even went with him on his rescue missions in the city a couple of times. You can't imagine the suffering that I witnessed."

Lupin approached the first mirror. Angela could see his expression of compassion reflected in the looking glass. He tapped the mirror with his wand. As his reflection faded, an old monk stared back at him.

"Welcome to St. Meliflua's Cathedral. For hours of services, please tap once. To leave a message for the clergy, please tap twice. To enter, please tap thrice and kindly step into the first stall. For all other needs, stay at the mirror and our representative will help you."

Lupin tapped three times and then walked over to the only restroom stall with a door. He opened the door and motioned for Angela and Tonks to step inside. Angela peered in curiously, expecting to find a tiny stall with a toilet. To her surprise, she saw a small empty room the size of a coat closet. As they stepped inside, the room expanded to accommodate them all comfortably. Then Lupin closed the stall door. They heard a click behind them, as the door securely locked. A grate appeared over the entrance and the stall began to sink through the floor. After many minutes, the room ground to a halt with a jolt. A large elaborately carved wooden door appeared behind the grate. Both the grate and doors opened of their own accord. Lupin and the women walked through.

They stood in the vestibule of St. Meliflua's Cathedral. The large wooden doors closed automatically behind them. They heard a grinding sound as the lift moved back up to the subway station above. They walked forward through a second set of heavy doors into the cathedral.

St. Meliflua's was a massive gothic structure made of limestone and marble. Ornate gilt carvings in relief lined the walls. Above them were enormous multi-colored stained glass windows. Although it was night and they were far underground, the windows were still illuminated. At intervals, massive marble pillars supported the structure. They were topped with gargoyles that stared down at them with startling realism. Angela could have sworn that she saw one of the carved creatures move. The transepts were similarly adored. At the front of the cathedral was a massive gilt screen, carved in relief. The altar was behind the screen, hidden from view. The pipes of a tremendous organ were arranged above the screen. In the nave, directly over the crossing was a stained glass cupola. Hundreds of floating white tapers lit the cathedral. The heavy smell of incense hung in the air.

Lupin led them to the center of the nave and stared up at the cupola. He pulled out the parchment on which he had transcribed the symbols from the map.

"Look," he said, pointing to the ceiling. "The symbols match exactly and are arranged in the same configuration as on the map."

Angela and Tonks gazed at the parchment and the stained glass cupola in turn. They nodded in agreement.

"So what does it mean?" asked Tonks.

"I suspect that it's a marker of some kind. Hidden somewhere around here, we should find a cipher for these symbols, some kind of key to unlock the code," Lupin replied.

"And what would that look like?" inquired Angela.

"I don't really know. It could be anything," said Lupin. A crease appeared on his forehead.

"What should we look for?" asked Tonks.

"Look for something with these symbols etched on it...something that could conceal a compartment...like the one in the vault at Gringotts," he suggested.

"You don't suppose that it's hidden up there in the cupola?" remarked Angela.

"If I had my broom, I could fly up there and have a look," offered Tonks.

Lupin studied the cupola for a minute or two and then answered, "No, I don't see how anything can be hidden up there. See the light coming from behind the glass. If something were up there, we would see its shadow on the stained glass. It must be hidden somewhere down here. I suggest that we fan out and explore. And keep your wands out, just in case."

Angela and Tonks drew their wands. They spread out in different directions, looking for clues. Angela walked slowly back toward the entrance, carefully scanning the room. She was about halfway to the doors, when she felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She spun around. She didn't see anything, but still couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She froze, listening. Then she heard the faintest sound, like the rustle of a wing high above her head. She glanced up at the pillar nearest her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the gargoyle move. It stared at her, unblinking, perfectly still. She shook herself and stepped forward. Then she cast a furtive glance back up at the gargoyle. She did a double take. It had changed position. By now, she was quite certain that the figures on the pillars were alive. Their presence filled her with such discomfort that she wanted to flee from them. She walked quickly toward the vestibule, where she would be out from under their watchful gaze.

Angela entered the vestibule and closed the door to the main chapel. She explored the room, her eyes searching the walls and furnishings. She had hardly begun, when she heard a loud grinding noise coming from the lift.

Suddenly, the exterior doors flew open. A heavy-set, masked Death Eater emerged from the lift and engaged her in battle. While she was fighting this one, another Death Eater ran out of the lift and entered the cathedral. She could hear his shouts as he fired hexes at her companions in the other room. Angela did not even have time to cry out a warning.

She had to focus all her wits on her own battle. This Death Eater was a skilled dueler. Flashes of colored light flew from their wands. Their curses collided in the air. He maneuvered her away from the doorway to the chapel. He shot a spell at her that she could not block. She ducked just in time. The jet of light flew passed her shoulder. It rebounded off of the wall behind her in a shower of sparks. She dodged to the left. It narrowly missed her on its return. As she ducked the spell, the Death Eater fled through the large wooden doors into the chapel. Angela dove for the doors after him, but he slammed them in her face. From the other side of the door, she heard him hiss "Colloportus!" She tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. She threw herself against it with frustration. He had locked her out. She backed away from the door slowly and raised her wand to cast a spell at it.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted a high-pitched voice from behind her. Angela was thrown against the carved wooden door, hit hard by the spell. Her own wand flew from her hand and landed with a clatter on the floor. She recovered herself and spun around to face her attacker. It was then that she noticed that the door to the lift was still open. With trepidation, she realized her position. She was locked in the vestibule without a wand, facing a new attacker. Two Death Eaters emerged from the lift. The doors closed, leaving Angela trapped with no hope of escape.

"Well, now, what have we here? If it isn't the filthy little half-blood," mocked a Death Eater with a cruel, high-pitched voice. "Aren't you the werewolf's girlfriend? I would have thought that your Muggle mother would have raised you better."

"My mother did just fine. She raised me to look at a man's character rather than at outward appearances," Angela retorted.

The Death Eater laughed coldly. "Did she? The fool! I've heard all about your little family from my sister, Narcissa. If I were your aunt, I would have eliminated you all long ago," she hissed.

"My aunt would never do that," Angela protested.

"Oh, she wouldn't, would she? If your uncle weren't around to protest, she would have done it long ago. She only tolerates you for the sake of that half-wit peacock she married," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Don't talk about my uncle that way," Angela rejoined with indignation. "He's a good man. He's a better person that you'll ever be, you hateful hag!"

The Death Eater laughed haughtily. Then she pointed her wand at Angela and hissed, "Impedimenta!"

A flash of light flew from the wand, hitting Angela in the chest. The spell slammed her body back against the door, knocking the wind from her lungs. She groaned and slid to the floor, gasping for breath.

"You are in no position to call me names. You are about to die." The Death Eater turned to her companion and commanded, "Boggs, kill her. And don't screw it up this time. I have more important business." Then the Death Eater uttered a charm at the door and walked passed Angela into the cathedral, laughing mirthlessly.

"Don't screw it up this time," Boggs repeated in a mocking tone, once his associate was out of earshot. "I seem to recall that you failed to kill the werewolf, Bella," he hissed.

Angela struggled to her feet. She leaned against the wall next to the door to the cathedral to support herself. Her mind raced. The other Death Eater faced her, his wand pointed at her chest. Angela glanced toward the door.

Seeing her, Boggs sneered, "Oh no, they can't help you now. Colloportus!" The door slammed shut and securely locked.

In desperation, Angela glanced at her wand across the floor.

"And you'll never reach that in time," he scorned, following Angela's gaze.

"So you're going to kill me then? Go ahead. Just get it over with," Angela said, her eyes flashing.

"Not so fast. I have a little score to settle with you first. A bit of unfinished business from our last duel." He sniggered.

"You deserved that and much more, you hideous swine! Consider that payback for what you did to me at the office. And for that revolting anti-werewolf proposal."

"Oh, yes! I almost forgot. You're dating the werewolf." Then he taunted, "Just so we're perfectly clear, all those ideas, those brilliant ideas, do you really think that Umbridge has the cunning or the brains to come up with those? No, those are all mine!" He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "But who would ever suspect me, poor bumbling Boggs?"

Angela mouth fell open. "You? All those anti-werewolf laws came from you?"

"Yes! Delicious, isn't it?" Boggs tittered and then he abruptly stopped. He faced her with a cunning look. "And now that you know the truth, I will make sure that you never live to tell my little secret. I intend to make you suffer and then I shall kill you." Boggs laughed cruelly.

Angela had to find a way out. Her eyes scanned the vestibule, hoping for a solution to her dilemma. Then she had a thought. It was a desperate move, but it was the only hope that she had. Angela steeled her resolve. With grim determination, she walked toward her opponent.

"What are you doing? Stay back," hissed Boggs, panic rising in his voice.

"So you're going to torture me? I'm not afraid of you," Angela retorted.

She continued walking toward the Death Eater and stopped. Now they were only an arms length apart. Boggs' wand pointed directly at Angela's chest. Angela stood unflinchingly before him. The Death Eater's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Enough of your bravado. Cruc-," he bellowed.

He never had a chance to finish the curse. Angela grabbed Boggs' wand hand. The sparks from the curse shot up toward the ceiling. Angela moved in close and landed several blows to his body. Boggs howled with pain and shock. He struggled against Angela's grip, trying to aim his wand tip at her. Angela landed several more blows, then grasped the wand and forced it free from his hand. Angela backed away, pointing the Death Eater's own wand back at him. Boggs staggered back, bloodied from the encounter.

"Consider that payback for every vile piece of anti-werewolf legislation that you ever authored," Angela retorted. Then she uttered a curse. "Stupefy!" Nebulus Boggs crumpled to the floor.

Angela backed away toward the door to the chapel, not taking her eyes off of the prone form of the Death Eater. She pointed Boggs' wand at her own and muttered, "Accio wand!" Her own wand flew back into her hand. Then she turned to the door. "Aholomora!" The door clicked open. She ran into the cathedral, leaving the door ajar behind her.

When Angela entered the other room, she saw Lupin battling fiercely with one Death Eater. A second Death Eater had engaged Tonks, but the third was not in sight. At that instant, Tonks was hit by a curse. Her wand flew in a high arc toward the cupola and landed on the floor far behind her.

"Tonks! Catch!" Angela yelled, tossing Boggs' wand to her.

Tonks caught the wand, but then her eyes grew wide with surprise. "Look out, Angela!"

Instinctively, Angela ducked just as a beam of light flew over her head from the rear. Before she could even turn around, her attacker grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms at her sides. Lupin turned. Angela could see a look of horror register on his face. He attempted to aim a spell at her attacker, but the Death Eater was using Angela as a shield and Lupin couldn't get a clear shot. Angela grabbed the Death Eater's arm with her left hand and landed several blows with her right, using all of her strength. The Death Eater groaned in pain, but he held her fast in his iron grip. Lupin fired a second volley, this time aiming his wand at the wall behind the Death Eater, a little to the right side. The spell ricocheted off the wall and rebounded, hitting the Death Eater squarely in the back. He slumped to floor on top of Angela with a moan. She struggled to extricate herself from under the body of the heavy-set man. Once freed, she ran to assist Tonks.

Meanwhile, Lupin and Tonks were dueling furiously with the other two. Lupin caught a lucky break. His spell hit his opponent, sending the Death Eater careening backward into the wall. His attacker hit his head hard against the rough carving. He bounced off the wall and staggered forward again, reaching for his head. Blood began to seep through the Death Eater's hood. Lupin stopped and faced him, breathing hard.

When the remaining Death Eater saw the state of her companions, she panicked. "Retreat! Expelliarmus!" she shouted at Tonks.

Boggs' wand ripped from Tonks' grip and sailed over to the Death Eater. The two Death Eaters ran for the door, sending a volley of spells back over their shoulders. On their way out, they grabbed hold of their companion, who was just rising to his feet. They pulled him through the doorway and slammed the door shut in their wake. "Colloportus!" one yelled and the door sealed shut.

"Should we go after them?" Tonks asked.

"No, let them go," counseled Lupin. He was winded and leaned on one of the pillars for support. He looked over at Tonks. "Are you all right?" he asked, still breathing hard.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "But I can't find my wand."

She turned around and began to search for it. Lupin looked at Angela. She was bleeding from the cut on her forehead that she had received when Bella's curse slammed her into the door. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood.

"Are you all right?" Lupin asked her with concern.

"I'm fine. The cut is nothing, but I'm a bit bruised," she replied, rubbing her side. "By the way, thanks, both of you," she added with a feeble smile.

"Hey, thanks for the wand," replied Tonks. "Where'd you get it anyway?"

"I ran into a fourth Death Eater out there," Angela replied, motioning behind her.

"Any idea who it was?" inquired Tonks.

"I know exactly who it was. It was Nebulus Boggs," said Angela with a wry look.

The expression on Lupin's face was indescribable. "This Boggs attacked you again and you disarmed him?" he asked with increasing apprehension.

"Yes ...but not exactly in the way that you think," Angela stammered.

There was something in her manner that made him uneasy. A worried look was now etched on his face. He was about to question her further, when Tonks interrupted them both. She stood under the cupola and stared down at the floor.

"Remus, come and have a look at this!" she yelled.

Lupin and Angela ran over to Tonks. Tonks pointed down at the floor where her wand lay. Light streamed through the cupola above, projecting the symbols down onto the stone floor right beside the wand.

"That's it!" exclaimed Lupin.

He knelt down and examined the floor around the symbols. The symbols were projected onto a single slab of marble in the middle of the floor. He fingered the edge of the slab, feeling for a telltale crack or finger hold. Then he pointed his wand at the slab and uttered "Aholomora!" A loud grinding noise echoed throughout the cathedral as the slab worked itself loose and slid open. Beneath it was a small hollowed out space. Lupin reached inside and gingerly pulled out a yellowed parchment. The parchment was very old and frayed on the edges. He gently laid it down on the stone floor, waved his wand over it, muttering incantations. Then he opened the scroll. They all leaned over to examine it. It was written in Latin and appeared to be the instructions that they sought.

"We've found it then?" asked Angela.

"It appears so," replied Lupin with a broad smile.

He carefully tucked the scroll inside his cloak. They closed the slab and prepared to leave. They proceeded cautiously through the door, into the vestibule, up through the lift, and back out into the station. They walked warily with their wands drawn, expecting another attack at any moment. But none came. Still, they did not let down their guard until they were back safely at Grimmauld Place.