Both boys were thrilled. For the first time, they were out in the open sea, taking part in an exciting adventure—and right before their eyes lay a real sunken ship.
Suddenly, Richard's voice sounded in Harry's ears:
"We need to find an entrance to the cargo hold."
"What? How are you talking to me?!"
"There's a magical equivalent of a radio built in—I switched it on. Harry, grab onto the hull with your tentacles and move along it to the left."
"Got it, Richie."
The enormous bulk of the old refrigerated cargo ship had sunk halfway into the seabed. Richard and Harry moved along it from bow to stern with growing excitement, using a form of underwater levitation and occasionally anchoring themselves to the ship's sides with their tentacles.
The boys passed a rusted smokestack.
Harry noticed something in the light of his Lumos and exclaimed:
"Richie, look! There's a big hatch!"
"Just what the doctor ordered!" Richard said eagerly.
Reaching the hatch, the boys tried to pry it open with their tentacles, but it refused to budge.
"Rusted shut," Potter observed.
"Harry, Captain Obvious strikes again! Open it."
"How?!"
"Who was bragging about knowing the unlocking charm?"
"You think that'll work against rust?!"
Harry's bright green eyes—clearly visible through the transparent helmet—were full of skepticism.
"No, damn it! Harry, I think the hatch is locked."
"Oh! Got it. One second."
Harry Potter pointed the hand holding his wand at the hatch and said:
"Alohomora!"
Sound carried well underwater. A loud grinding noise reached their ears.
"Nicely done, partner! Now, Harry, on three, let's try lifting the hatch together with all our tentacles."
"Right."
Fumbling with the controls, Harry managed—barely—to grip the edges of the hatch with the three-fingered claws of his steel manipulators. It was easier for Richard, who had already had some practice with the mechanical limbs.
"Alright—one… two… THREE!!!"
At Richard's shout, both boys strained with all their might. The steel manipulators jerked upward. A horrible grinding sound echoed as the hatch began to give way. Then, in a sudden motion, the mechanical limbs shot upward along with the lid, which swung fully open.
Before them yawned a dark opening. Something about it felt ominous. A chill ran down Richard's spine. Harry shivered as well but didn't want to show his fear to his friend.
Gathering his courage, Potter broke the heavy silence:
"Well… shall we go inside?"
"This is creepy as hell!"
"Same here," Harry admitted, relieved that he wasn't alone in his feelings.
Richard was conflicted. On one hand, they had come so far and were standing right at their goal—but the darkness of the hold, barely pierced by their spells, inspired a deep, instinctive fear. He tried to come up with an excuse not to go in.
"Scott and Stephen are probably worried sick about us. Already laying bricks, I bet."
"Probably," Harry said, flinching at the loud rustling sound of silt sliding off the ship's side.
"Maybe we should head back, rest up, and try again when we're fully rested?" Richard suggested hopefully.
Harry was scared, but he didn't want to abandon the adventure halfway through. Still, just in case, he asked:
"How much treasure is there?"
"A hell of a lot."
"More specifically?"
"Maybe a whole lot more than that," Richard replied, trying to mask his fear with humor. "There should be ninety tons of platinum, ten tons of gold, and about half a ton of diamonds."
"HOW MUCH?!" Harry's eyes nearly popped out of his head in astonishment. "That's… That's…"
Potter couldn't even begin to imagine such an enormous amount of treasure. An image of Scrooge McDuck's vault from DuckTales flashed before his eyes.
"Let's go!" Harry declared firmly, overcoming his fear.
"Well… alright, let's go," Richard agreed reluctantly.
Harry boldly dived into the hold. Richie followed right behind him. Both boys were scared out of their wits, but they pressed forward through the vast cargo hold. The floor was covered in silt, the walls were rusted, darkness surrounded them—and only two small spheres of spell-light illuminated a tiny space around them.
"A container!" Harry exclaimed joyfully.
"Yes, a container," Richard confirmed. "Looks like it's locked. Harry, care to give us a masterclass?"
Harry Potter pointed his right hand at the container.
"Alohomora."
A click sounded. Harry eagerly extended the steel tentacles and, with a loud grinding noise, wrenched the doors open.
The boys drifted closer—and froze in place. Richard turned his head toward Harry, his expression stunned. Richie himself looked no less shocked.
"Rocks?" Potter drawled in disappointment.
"Rocks," Richard nodded.
"Rocks…" Harry repeated quietly.
"Rocks, fuck!" Richard burst out.
"Where's the treasure?" Harry asked.
"In the fu—" Richard started to answer shortly and expressively, but then remembered that an aristocrat really shouldn't speak like that. "Somewhere…" he finished vaguely
"Maybe in another container?" Harry suggested hopefully.
"Maybe," Richard agreed.
Swimming farther, the boys found the top of another container, almost completely buried in silt.
With enthusiasm, they began digging out the steel box and hauling it up using the metal manipulators. Soon enough, they succeeded.
"Alohomora!"
Again—a click, a scrape, the container doors thrown open—and two boys' heads, lit by magical light, peering inside with immense hope.
Silence…
As Richard slowly turned his head toward Harry, it seemed as though his vertebrae creaked. Potter's face was stretched with astonishment. Richie's eyes bulged like a hypnotoad's.
Harry broke the silence in a subdued voice:
"Rocks…"
"Rocks?" Richie echoed.
"Rocks," Potter nodded.
"Rocks?!"
"Rocks, blyat!" Harry confirmed, pronouncing the last word in Russian with a terrible accent.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Richard couldn't hold back.
"I don't know… Richie, you said there was treasure here. Or are these rocks valuable?"
"Unlikely. They look like ordinary stones."
"Richie," Harry gave his friend a suspicious look, "where did you even get this information about treasure?"
"It was… an insight…"
(End of Chapter)
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