Tom observed the approaching sandstorm with an unhurried air, calmly appreciating the magnificent spectacle—the first genuine sandstorm he'd ever witnessed.
"Sir, the magic carpet isn't fast enough! We'll be swallowed up!"
Harry had already pushed the carpet to its limit, yet the sandstorm relentlessly gained on them.
Panic was evident on Malfoy's face.
"Professor, stop admiring the view and get us out of here!" Impatience laced Cassandra's voice as she urged him to action.
"Very well, if you insist…"
In truth, he was perfectly capable of dispelling the sandstorm entirely; Tom's inaction was merely a result of feeling it unnecessary.
However, seeing his apprentice's growing anxiety, he conceded.
After all, he had no intention of needlessly battling a sandstorm.
"Let us descend first." Tom's tone remained even as he retrieved the briefcase from the edge of the carpet.
Though puzzled by Tom's decision not to Apparate, Harry and the others complied.
As the carpet neared the ground, Tom opened the briefcase. "I choose you! Arise, Zouwu!" Tom proclaimed with sudden flair.
A colossal, golden figure materialized from the brown briefcase.
"Awooo…"
Four powerful paws struck the sand, and its magnificent red tail thrashed with unrestrained joy at its release. Emerging from confinement, Zouwu unleashed a resounding howl.
This is why I elected not to Apparate; it is hardly wise to traverse this landscape on foot when I possess a suitable mount.
Stunned by the appearance of the behemoth, Malfoy edged closer to Harry, whispering, "Where did the Master acquire such a creature?"
But Harry, equally awestruck, remained silent.
"Quickly, everyone, mount up."
Tom, Malfoy, and the others carefully directed the magic carpet toward Zouwu and clambered onto its back, stowing the carpet away.
Hearing Tom's instruction, Harry snapped out of his stupor and attempted to join Malfoy in mounting the Zouwu.
But just as they reached for its back, Zouwu whirled, seizing Harry's robes in its mouth and swinging its tail, sending Malfoy sprawling, clinging to the massive, red appendage for dear life.
"Wait! I haven't gotten on yet! I haven't..."
Malfoy's cries of panic were disregarded as the space around them warped, and the Zouwu, with its passengers, vanished from the spot in an instant.
...
Once sufficiently distant from the sandstorm, the Zouwu halted.
Releasing its hold, Harry tumbled onto the sand, while Malfoy had already collapsed moments before.
Harry rose, his hair and clothes in disarray; any observer might have assumed he had just been subjected to some unspeakable ordeal.
"Sir, is your… cat a bit temperamental?" Harry approached Tom with a resentful expression and hauled Malfoy to his feet.
"I am uncertain," Tom replied flatly, dismounting the Zouwu. "It rarely behaves in this manner."
After Cassandra and Nagini dismounted, the Zouwu turned, lowered its forequarters, and bared its fangs at Harry and Malfoy. "Grrr…"
"Merlin's beard… Help, sir! The giant cat is going to eat us!"
Harry instantly released Malfoy's hand and fled toward Tom.
To his astonishment, the Zouwu ignored him, continuing to bare its teeth at Malfoy.
"What is happening?"
"Am I the one who is disliked?"
Harry's bewilderment deepened. "Then why did it refuse to let me ride it earlier?"
"Perhaps you stood too close to Malfoy," Cassandra mused, her brow furrowed in thought.
Nagini approached the Zouwu, attempting to soothe the agitated beast.
Malfoy, utterly dejected, shuffled toward the Zouwu, seeking reconciliation. "Cat Lord, we are colleagues; we shall see each other frequently. There is no need for such animosity…"
But as he advanced two steps, "Roar!!!"
Confronted by the Zouwu's gaping maw, Malfoy broke out in a cold sweat and hastily retreated.
"Why is Malfoy the object of its ire?"
The question slipped from Harry's lips before he could consider it; then, a realization dawned, and he turned to Malfoy with disgust. "Malfoy, you… have you not bathed recently?"
"Scarhead, did you eat something awful today?"
"What do you mean?"
"Cease your absurd pronouncements!"
Malfoy lunged at Harry, and both tumbled down the dune.
Tom ignored their childish squabble, casting a contemplative gaze upon the Zouwu, which remained intently focused on Malfoy.
Then, Tom patted the Zouwu's massive head, placating the great cat and returning it to its suitcase.
But at that moment…
"Ah!!!"
Startled by the scream behind him, Tom whirled around.
Harry and Malfoy were half-submerged in the sand below the dune.
Quicksand?
"…"
He was speechless.
Tom effortlessly levitated Harry and Malfoy, freeing them from the quicksand.
But just as Tom and the others were about to depart, an unexpected event unfolded.
The quicksand that had ensnared Harry and Malfoy began to "vanish"!
The surrounding sand began to sink, revealing what lay entombed beneath.
It was then that everyone realized that the substance had simply disappeared!
But that was not the most significant revelation. The most significant revelation was what lay buried beneath the quicksand…
"Is this… ruins?"
Harry slid down the dune, gazing at the exposed brownish-yellow remnants of a structure below.
Intrigued, Tom transformed into black mist and descended.
Reaching the ruins, Tom gently stroked the brownish-yellow stone wall, scrutinizing the carvings etched into its surface. "…"
Seeing Tom's descent, the others followed.
The group dispersed to examine the scattered fragments of the ruins.
Suddenly, Tom heard a voice behind him, "It appears we can enter here!"
Turning, Tom saw Malfoy standing a short distance away, gesturing toward a gap within the ruined stone wall before him.
The ruins leaned against each other, creating a narrow opening, barely large enough for a single person to pass through. The gap was shrouded in darkness, obscuring its depths.
The group gathered before the gap, Cassandra casting "Lumos" to penetrate the darkness.
But alas, it was of little effect; the interior remained shrouded in shadow.
"Let us venture inside and investigate."
With characteristic boldness, Tom stepped sideways into the opening.
Driven by curiosity, the others followed.
Upon passing through the gap, they found Tom standing before them, gazing upward.
"Tom?" Nagini inquired with concern, but Tom did not respond.
Following his line of sight, Nagini's eyes widened in astonishment.
The space was vast!
It resembled a maze or a fortress. The crumbling, brownish-yellow walls were adorned with indecipherable runes. Dark passages and decaying staircases…
Yet, most astonishingly, despite being buried beneath the desert, they could perceive everything with remarkable clarity, even without any light.
"Remarkable! This place feels older than Hogwarts!"
Malfoy exclaimed in awe, his gaze sweeping across the scene.
Cassandra crossed her arms, attempting to appear composed, but her eyes betrayed her astonishment.
Harry scanned the surroundings, a nascent desire to explore stirring within him.
Tom pressed forward into the depths of the ruins, Nagini in close pursuit.
The others followed.
Strange patterns on the brownish-yellow stone walls, a shattered and uneven yellow floor, and a labyrinth of interconnected passageways evoking an ant colony…
After walking for an indeterminate time, a sound reached them from a corner to the right, "Meow…"
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