Node Seven's Voice

She turned and looked at Graves.

Graves's eyes looked especially deep in the glow of silver-white light.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No." Vivi walked up to him. "I want you to watch. Watch me go to the lowest level of Node Seven, watch the thing that person hid for nine thousand years be opened, watch the place you spent two years trying to crack but could never get into. Didn't you want to be a participant? Then I'll let you witness it on-site."

Graves showed an expression of relaxation that looked almost like relief.

"All right."

Kingsley glanced at Vivi and said nothing.

He brought Graves from the entrance to the center of the cave and had him sit down beside the circular depression.

The Binding Charm still bound his wrists and ankles tightly, but Kingsley adjusted him into a slightly more comfortable position.

Hagrid poked half his body in from the fourth-level entrance.

"The carriage is still up top. I'll go feed the Thestrals first. Once you've finished reading Node Seven's memories, we'll fly straight to the Jordan Valley."

Vivi nodded and turned toward the fourth-level entrance.

"Move."

The Advance Team walked up along the stone steps. Vivi led the way, silver-white magic forming a thin film of light around her, illuminating the runes on both sides of the stone steps.

Harry followed behind her, platinum-white magic condensing in his palm into a small ball of light.

Cassandra and Nasser walked in the middle of the group, the Analyzer's screen pulsing steadily in Cassandra's hand.

Kingsley escorted Graves at the rear, while Hagrid had already gone ahead to the edge of the forest to prepare the carriage.

When they emerged from the crack in the rock, the east had already brightened to the pale white of dawn.