Several days later, high above the rugged coast of Cornwall, England, a massive, pale-gold bird soared through the sky.
"Damian, is that the village down there?" the girl on the Thunderbird's back asked, pointing to a cluster of dwellings on the ground.
"This should be the place. Find somewhere to land, Puff Puff," the dark-haired boy said, gently patting the creature's thick neck.
Over the past few days, Damian and Luna had taken Puff Puff out for frequent joyrides, allowing Damian to become quite familiar with the majestic beast.
The Thunderbird let out a crisp, resonant cry, folded its six wings, and dove toward the ground. Damian and Luna were shielded by magic, entirely eliminating the risk of being thrown off.
Before long, Puff Puff landed gracefully on a nearby hillside. Damian waved his wand, smoothly transfiguring the surrounding vegetation into a sturdy wooden ramp that connected to the Thunderbird's broad back. The two of them descended safely to the ground.
"Puff Puff, wait for us right here," Luna said softly, stroking the bird's belly. The Thunderbird lowered its massive head and nudged her affectionately in agreement.
"Let's go. I've cast a Disillusionment Charm on him, so there's no need to worry about any wandering Muggles discovering a giant magical bird," Damian added.
A short while later, Damian and Luna arrived at the village nestled at the foot of the mountain. The area was completely overgrown with weeds, most of the wooden houses had collapsed into rot, and traces of wild animals were everywhere. It appeared to have been abandoned for decades.
However, Damian knew this desolate scene was merely a superficial Muggle-repelling cover. He had come specifically to find the hidden Goblin Village.
Damian located a weathered stone tablet in the center of the ruins and injected a small pulse of magic into it. The stone instantly split down the middle, grinding loudly as it revealed a hidden, glowing passageway.
"It's a bit like the entrance to Diagon Alley," Luna remarked, peering curiously into the crack.
"Your intuition is correct. This is the exact same type of spatial magic, functioning as a localized variant of a Portkey," Damian explained. "During the Middle Ages, wizards invented this method to hide from persecution, turning ordinary objects into 'doors' that lead to hidden spaces."
The two stepped into the passageway. Damian examined the lingering magical traces on the stone walls for a moment before continuing. "Furthermore, this 'door' likely doesn't connect to another geographical location in the real world. It leads to a pocket dimension created by something similar to an Undetectable Extension Charm."
Before becoming the Prime Master of Aemon's Wizard Tower, Damian had considered establishing his own secret base in the Wizarding World and had carefully studied this type of spatial folding. That foundational knowledge allowed him to instantly discern the magical mechanics at play.
After exiting the passageway, they stepped onto a bustling street paved with dark yellow cobblestones.
"What are you two doing here?" a gruff voice demanded.
They had been quickly discovered by a rather unconventional sight: a bearded goblin. Facial hair was incredibly rare among goblins and fiercely clashed with their mainstream aesthetic, making this individual stand out immediately.
"We are here to see Mr. Bask Asghar," Damian said politely.
A hint of sharp wariness flashed in the bearded goblin's dark eyes. "Why are you looking for Bask?"
"Professor Dumbledore gave me a letter of introduction," Damian explained. "I've come to ask him to appraise an ancient artifact of goblin craftsmanship."
The artifact Damian wanted to investigate was the ancient goblin-made puzzle box left behind by his grandfather, Alphard Black. In truth, Damian had already placed the cube on the Analyzer within the Wizard Tower's 2nd Floor Alchemy Workshop. The colossal workbench had successfully scanned its properties, revealing that the magic cube functioned as a highly complex key.
Although Damian had previously opened the cube's first layer by feeding it the translated Runic sequence for the Lumos Charm, he still lacked the historical context to fully unlock its deeper secrets. Because this puzzle box still contained active magical fluctuations, it had piqued his intense curiosity.
"Dumbledore? So you're students from Hogwarts," the bearded goblin muttered, stroking his chin. "Bask Asghar is my father. Follow me."
"Then we'll trouble you to lead the way," Damian nodded.
As they followed their guide, Damian observed the Goblin Village. The architectural style was completely alien to human settlements, featuring much lower rooflines tailored perfectly to goblin proportions. The buildings were ostentatiously painted in shimmering gold and silver, reflecting the species' inherent obsession with precious metals.
"Mr. Bearded, my name is Luna Lovegood," the girl's unique, ethereal tone chimed in. Luna seemed absolutely fascinated by the goblin's facial hair.
"Lovegood? It seems the eccentric editor-in-chief of The Quibbler also shares that surname..." The goblin stroked his beard proudly. "And I am not called Mr. Bearded. My name is Eureka Asghar. Most people usually call me Little Asghar, or just Eureka."
"The editor of The Quibbler is my father," Luna smiled. "Is your age considered very young among goblins?"
Eureka looked genuinely surprised. "How did you know? When humans see my beard, they usually assume I am very old. In reality, I am not yet an adult."
He looked between Damian and Luna. "In goblin developmental terms, I'm about the same age as you two."
Goblins were a type of magical being with naturally long lifespans, generally living for three to four hundred years. Because they weren't considered full-fledged adults until they reached the age of fifty, the thirty-nine-year-old Eureka Asghar was technically still a youth in the eyes of his kin.
Damian looked closely at the goblin's face and realized that beneath the thick beard, his facial features were indeed quite youthful and unwrinkled.
"Don't stare at me; it's incredibly rude," Eureka muttered, crossing his arms.
"Apologies. My name is Damian Black," Damian introduced himself smoothly.
The goblin's eyes immediately lit up. "Wait, you are Damian Black? I know you! I saw the sports section in The Daily Prophet this morning. You just won the overall Best Quidditch Player trophy!"
Eureka seemed unusually invested in wizarding culture, having already casually name-dropped two major wizarding publications.
To prove his point, Eureka hurriedly pulled a crumpled newspaper from his pocket. "Look, this is today's Prophet!"
Damian took the paper. Sure enough, the bold headline detailed his dominant Quidditch victory. Because there hadn't been any official reporters at the school's private award ceremony, he hadn't expected the news to leak to the national press so quickly.
"Do you enjoy reading wizarding newspapers?" Damian asked, handing the parchment back.
"Of course I do! And I absolutely love Quidditch," Eureka said eagerly, already digging a spare quill and a scrap of parchment out of his vest. "Could you give me an autograph? You're definitely going to receive dozens of invitations from professional leagues after you graduate!"
Damian blinked in mild surprise. He certainly hadn't expected to be recognized by a goblin hidden in a secret village, let alone be asked for an autograph.
"Of course," Damian smiled, quickly signing his name.
"Thanks!" Eureka accepted the parchment with a deeply contented sigh. He was already calculating the investment; if Damian joined a world-class professional team in the future, this early autograph would be worth a small fortune in Galleons.
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