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"Amazon ruins?!"
Tom shot the headmaster of Castelobruxo a strange look. "Professor Sanchez, I've read a fair bit."
"But it's all from Muggle books," Tom added, "and the first thing that comes to mind is the Amazons from Greek mythology. But I know that the Amazons and the Amazon rainforest aren't the same thing. The Amazons' homeland was in Greece."
"..."
Sanchez knew Tom was faking his ignorance. The boy clearly had access to more than just Muggle books.
Still, he also knew when to let things slide. Whatever game Tom was playing, pushing him on it wouldn't get him anywhere. So he swallowed his thoughts and chose instead to continue, offering more details about the site.
"Mr. Riddle, it's like this—"
It was an ultra-ancient ruin. So far they had only explored the outer perimeter; they hadn't even reached the core.
The central area was guarded by swarms of venomous snakes, with thick miasma and layers of dark-magic traps surrounding it. Castelobruxo had already lost a professor there.
That was why they'd come to Tom. They wanted to transform into a basilisk again and use its overwhelming magical resistance, plus its natural intimidation of snakes, to push into the core.
Tom understood that part. But when Sanchez linked it to the legendary Amazon queen, he couldn't hold it in anymore.
Amazons?
No one in this world understood the Amazons better than he did. Or their queen.
In myth, Heracles and the Amazons shared a tangled history of grudges and half-resolved ties. And Andros, one of the inspirations behind Heracles, had his own connection to the Amazons in reality.
In fact, it was one of the few things he'd ever done that weighed on his conscience.
Back when Andros wandered the world, he passed through the Amazon tribe. They welcomed him warmly. Their queen was beautiful, too.
But someone with ulterior motives stirred things up. The queen came to believe Andros had come to seize the tribe's treasure, while Andros thought the queen was pretending hospitality to drug him, capture him, and hand him over to his enemies.
The misunderstanding exploded into conflict. But even with her warriors, the Amazon queen was no match for Andros. Only when she lay dying did the truth come out.
Enraged, Andros killed the instigator. The man had been a pawn sent by his enemy all along. But by then, the tragedy couldn't be undone.
After killing the queen, Andros had no face to remain. He never set foot in Amazon territory again.
Whenever he got drunk, he would sigh and bring up the story. Tom ended up knowing it inside and out, down to what color underwear the Amazon queen had worn.
Honestly, if not for that misunderstanding, and if things had followed the usual "wrap-it-all-up" development… Tom suspected the magical world might have gained an Andros family line.
So when Sanchez started talking about Amazons, Tom simply didn't buy it.
Did he realize how far Greece was from South America? Was he saying those Amazon women had migrated across the world in prehistoric times?
But Sanchez stood his ground and even produced evidence.
The architecture in the ruins, the statues, the inscriptions, all traced back to ancient Greece. There were even ritual objects unique to the Amazon tribe.
That gave Tom pause. He pulled Andros out to take a look.
Andros, who had been counting days on his fingers, fell silent. He asked Tom to pick up a pottery shard from the table. After studying it for nearly a minute, he slowly nodded.
"It is really Amazon in style… They actually moved to South America?"
Andros didn't say more, but Tom could sense his curiosity. Or rather, his desire to learn what had become of the Amazons. So Tom invested in the project.
"Well then, Professor Sanchez, you've convinced me."
"I have only one condition." He raised a finger. "Any reproducible materials from the ruins must be shared with me. And I want a list of all treasures. If I see something I like, I'll trade for it with Galleons or other items."
It was a harsh demand. But Castelobruxo wasn't in a position to bargain.
Without Tom's help, they couldn't even qualify to explore the core.
In the end, they signed a contract. Tom handed over half of the basilisk flesh and blood to Sanchez.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help?" Tom asked at the door, still unwilling to let it go. "Exploring ruins is dangerous, but I don't mind danger. Let me handle it. I guarantee I can clean the place out in ten days."
"How could we trouble you with such a small matter, Mr. Riddle?" Sanchez forced a stiff smile. "We'll take care of it. Just wait at Hogwarts for good news. We've signed a contract. We won't hide any of the gains."
Didn't he know Tom was stronger than all the Castelobruxo professors combined?
Of course he did. That was exactly why he didn't dare invite him.
Buying some basilisk flesh had already cost them dearly. If Tom personally took action, would the ruins still belong to Castelobruxo, or would they end up under the name Riddle?
At that point, anyone could tell.
Seeing his resolve, Tom reluctantly sent them off.
"Andros, once you revive, head to South America. Maybe you'll find news about your old lover."
Inside the study space, Andros said nothing. He only looked up at the sky and let out a long, faint sigh.
...
It wasn't often they got gossip about Andros, so everyone in the study space gathered around.
Tom personally dragged him over and made him share how he felt.
"I really had nothing going on with Hippolyta."
Andros gave a wry smile. Facing all those eager looks, his explanation felt painfully weak. Still, he had to say it. This was his reputation on the line.
"When I visited the Amazon tribe, I really was just traveling. They had incredibly powerful magic that could be attached to arrows. The anti-magic effect was far beyond anything centaurs could manage."
"I'd already made a bit of a name for myself back then, and the queen welcomed me warmly. But her sister, Melanippe, stirred things up, claiming I intended to steal the Amazons' treasure."
"At first Hippolyta didn't believe her. But Melanippe actually drugged her and tampered with her mind."
"Why would Melanippe target you?" Morgan asked, voicing everyone's question.
"Because…" Andros sighed. "The man she was secretly involved with was a dark wizard I had defeated quite badly. Sigh~ I didn't know they were connected at the time. If I had, I wouldn't have gone to the Amazons at all."
Morgan was clearly enjoying the gossip, but Ravenclaw focused on something more practical. "So what exactly was the Amazon treasure?"
"The Belt of Ares." Andros said it under a chorus of stunned looks. "Don't stare at me like that. That's just what the Amazons called it. In our era, everything had to be linked to the gods, so no one really knew its true origin."
"Still, the thing was… strange. It continuously amplified Hippolyta's magic, but it also gradually eroded her sanity. In the end, I couldn't hold back anymore. I had to strike harder than I wanted."
He let out another long sigh. "Enough about my dark history. Tom, there's a good chance the Belt of Ares is in that ruin. You might be able to grab it while the Brazilians don't realize what it is."
The boy nodded. "If you're saying that, I'm definitely getting it."
"Though with Castelobruxo's level, even with the basilisk flesh I gave them, they probably won't accomplish much against the ruins. There's no need to rush. Just a little under half a month, and you'll be revived. After that, you can go and retrieve it yourself, Andros."
"Why would I go and get it?" Andros waved a hand dismissively. "I never wanted the Belt of Ares."
But there was a trace of melancholy in his voice.
"Tom, when are you coming back to school?"
Ariana's slightly aggrieved voice cut through the silence.
She hadn't been having an easy time these past few days. Staying in Hogsmeade, she was well taken care of by Aberforth, but he kept pushing her to prepare for the next round of the competition. She was even busier now than she had been during classes.
"I heard they're preparing some kind of friendly match?" Tom asked instead of answering.
"Yeah." Ariana nodded. "A bunch of people got bored and decided to organize a Quidditch friendly. The idea came from the Mahoutokoro group."
"The last day before term starts will be us versus Mahoutokoro."
"Alright. I'll head back two days early." Tom ruffled her hair. "Once I'm back, I'll sneak you out somewhere fun."
It sounded suspiciously like empty promises, but Ariana still brightened immediately.
At least Tom was willing to coax her. That was enough.
Grindelwald shook his head helplessly. Her utterly unguarded expression left him speechless. If Dumbledore saw this, he'd probably explode on the spot.
.
.
.