Richie didn't want to admit that his information came from his past life—from the HoloNet. Once, with nothing better to do, he had been browsing aimlessly, jumping from link to link, and stumbled upon an article about the greatest treasure finds. He remembered a massive treasure discovered in the early twenty-first century. All he had retained was that the treasure was unbelievably rich—and that the ship had sunk about fifty miles off the Cape Cod Peninsula. But there had been some murky story around it—the vessel had never been raised from the seabed, either due to a lack of proper technology or because the British government, which technically owned the ship, had prohibited its recovery.
"Let's find another container and open it," Richard suggested.
"Let's try."
Once again, their search was successful. Following the same routine, they dug out and opened another container. This time, the boys stood there for a long while, faces stretched, silently staring at yet another heap of stones.
Harry broke first.
"What the hell is this?! Satan bite Hitler by the thigh! Why are there rocks in every damn container?!"
"It's all one big scam!!!" Richard groaned.
"Richie, do you know something?"
"I think I have a guess."
"Well?" Harry asked, drawing out the word questioningly.
"It's all been stolen!"
"No way?!" Harry looked at him skeptically.
"And a long time ago," Richard continued.
"Well?!" Harry grumbled impatiently, demanding more.
"This ship was carrying payment from the USSR under Lend-Lease."
"Richie, who are you talking to right now?" Harry's eyes showed nothing but confusion.
Richard rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
"It's so hard dealing with people who didn't study history. Harry, World War II—ever heard of it?"
"Of course."
"The Germans were fighting against Europe and the USSR. The Americans and the British, under the Lend-Lease agreement, supplied the Soviet Union with military equipment, canned food, and more. In return, the Russians paid in gold, platinum, and precious stones."
"So, Richie, if I understand correctly, this ship was supposed to carry payment for those supplies?"
"Exactly. But apparently, someone had the bright idea to steal everything valuable, and the ship was sunk near the U.S., staged as an attack by a German submarine."
"That's it!" Potter snapped. "We're going back to the ship."
"I agree. But, Harry, what do we tell our guys?"
Harry thought for a moment.
"Hmm…" he drawled. "We'll say we didn't find anything. There's no ship here. I don't want to embarrass myself."
"That works. For the jump, say 'Portus.'"
Richie vanished. For a second, Harry panicked, but then repeated after him:
"Portus."
Young Potter felt a jerk, and a moment later realized he was standing on the deck of the boat. Richard was standing across from him, a look of indescribable delight on his face as he tried to take off his helmet.
A pale detective was hobbling toward them with concern.
"Boys, are you all right?" he asked.
"Everything's fine, Mr. Potter," Richard replied. "Tell Stephen to head back. We'll just relax in Cape Cod—enjoy the beaches and American cuisine."
"Harry?" the man looked at his nephew with concern.
"Everything's great, Uncle Scott!" Harry answered in an overly cheerful tone. "There's nothing down there. Just the ocean floor. We're really fine. I can't wait to try that amazing pizza again."
"You're not planning to dive again?" Mr. Potter asked hopefully, with a hint of excitement.
"No, we've had enough," Harry said, shaking his head.
"Exactly!" Richard agreed. "Diving is great—but land is better."
"That's good to hear!" the detective said with relief. "I hate the sea. I hate the sky! I'll tell Stephen not to spare the fuel and to go full speed. It's better on land…"
When the boys got out of the suits, Harry asked:
"Richie, what should I do with the suit and the tentacles?"
"I'll shrink mine and put it back in the satchel. As for yours—do whatever you want."
Richard opened the compartment on his forearm and took out his wand. Harry looked at the young Grosvenor in confusion.
"What do you mean, mine?" he asked.
"The suit is yours, Harry. It's a gift."
"A gift?!" Potter's eyes widened in shock. "But it must be expensive."
"Harry, it's impolite to ask about the price of a gift. Just accept it and say thank you."
"Thank you!" A broad smile spread across Harry's face as he eagerly examined his new suit. "Uh… Richie, still, where am I supposed to keep it?"
"Shrink it and put it in your pocket—at least until you get yourself a bag with an Extension Charm."
"There's just one small problem," Harry hesitated. "I don't know the shrinking charm… Not yet, anyway! But I'll definitely learn it at school."
"I'll help you. Take out your wand."
Harry pulled his wand from its holder. With a nonverbal spell, Richard shrank the suit along with the steel manipulators. Harry picked up the miniature artifact and carefully placed it into the side pocket of his jeans.
"Richie…"
"What?"
"Can Doctor Octavius's tentacles be used without the suit?"
"Easily. You attach them to your clothes the same way and use them. Just don't stick them directly to your skin—I hear it hurts like hell. And don't attach them to a jacket or T-shirt either—they'll tear. But a sturdy leather vest or coat? That'll do just fine."
"That's amazing! I'll be like a superhero now," Potter said excitedly.
"More like a supervillain," Richard smirked. "Remember who Doctor Octavius was."
"It depends on the person, not on the instrument he uses!" Harry declared with firm conviction.
"Agreed. Alright, Harry—no more adventures this summer. Just the sea, the beach, good food, and a peaceful vacation!"
"Oh, yeah…" Harry drawled with anticipation. "I've had enough adventures. Though it was fun."
"Exactly. Fun… but I don't think I'll ever look at rocks the same way again. What a disappointment…"
(End of Chapter)
Hey! Don't forget, your support is very important.
Please donate power stones, write reviews, and leave comments. It will be a huge help!
🎁 Bonus chapter at 50 power stones!