Chapter 4 - Hunted in the Dark

The Siurana was a slender and beautiful ship made of redwood that gleamed as the beams from the sun touched her surface as if the most devoted house-elf had just polished the ship decks. With 30 meters in length, but only 6 meters in width, it was a ship made to sail the Amazon and the hundreds of tributaries that created a network of river channels through the jungle that served as the highways of those who lived in the region. James’ first impression of the ship was that someone, or something, had squeezed it tightly enough to produce that strange shape, rising with smaller decks on top of each other like a kids' game. Funnily enough, it reminded him of The Knight Bus, which gave him a feeling of familiarity when he climbed aboard.

Despite its size and strange appearance, the Siurana displayed five sumptuous suites with all the luxury of a five-star hotel. The suites were all on the lower deck, five of them magically squeezed when empty, only to grow to comfortable proportions as soon as guests entered. There was space for a restaurant and bar on the middle deck and a sitting room that also served as an office. Finally, on the upper deck, protected by a canopy, they could sit and relax, watching the river go by.

It was their second aboard Don Miguel’s ship, and James was drinking a juice on the upper deck, thinking that this was the vacation he was expecting when his uncle asked him to go to the Amazon. But, instead, he was on the aft of the deck watching the waters when a group of pink dolphins appeared, coming from a nearby river, jumping above the water, playing amongst themselves.

“Pink dolphins.” Eduardo that climbed to the upper deck without James noticing was standing next to him. “Native to this part of the world. These seem safe.”

James chuckled, but seeing that Eduardo was looking intently at the dolphins, he decided to ask.

“These?”

“Yes. These ones are definitely dolphins and not botos.”

James waited for him to continue, but when Eduardo didn’t seem keen to explain more, he asked the question.

“What are botos? And why did you think that these dolphins might be them?”

“Sorry,” said Eduardo, who seemed to have forgotten that James was there all along. “Botos are shape-shifters and highly dangerous. During the day, they live in the water, appearing just like regular dolphins, with pinkish skin and a long nose. They even exhibit the same behaviour.”

Eduardo seated himself next to James.

“But at night,” he continued, “the Boto climbs out of the water and assumes a human shape of a handsome young man, always wearing a hat, for when he transforms, the blowhole is still present on top of his head. He then goes to the nearest village or hamlet to look for his prey. The Boto attacks almost exclusively young women, but there are known cases where older women and even men were attacked.”

“How does it attack victims?”

“It seduces and lures them to the nearest river and drowns and eats them. Few have escaped. Muggles are highly susceptible as they have a version of this tale where there is some sort of happy ending for the victims.”

“That sounds an awful way to die,” James said.

“It is. I’ve seen the remains of some of the victims of the Boto, and it is not a pleasant thing to see.”

James thought about this. He was used to danger in the Egyptian tombs; he wasn’t afraid of magical creatures. He had dealt with mummies and sphinxes, not to talk about what he had to endure in Care of Magical Creatures or taking care of Dragons with his uncle Charlie. But he knew what creatures to expect and how to deal with them. At least the theory. If that worked on the field was an entirely different thing, as some of his scars could attest. Here, he was in a dangerous environment, full of unknown dangers, and he didn’t know what to expect.

“You look worried,” said Eduardo in a gentle tone. “The vast majority of the creatures that live in the Amazon aren’t dangerous.”

“It’s not that,” James said. “I’m a Curse Breaker; I’m used to dealing with danger. It’s just that I don't know anything about the Amazon and its wildlife that can help me prepare.”

“Well,” said Eduardo in a professor tone that James hadn’t heard yet, “lucky for you, one of your companions in this adventure is a professor of Magical Zoology with a specialization in the Amazonian wildlife.”

James laughed.

“So, Professor,” he said half-jokingly, “can you give me a crash course on the natural dangers of the Amazon?”

Over the next two hours, Eduardo talked about the Amazon forest, its culture, traditions, and, most of all, its creatures, both magical and mundane. The Amazon is full of creatures that are both a wonder and a threat, even if they aren’t magical. He learned about piranhas, a school of which could devour a full-grown man in less than five minutes, and about anacondas, that could strangle a man to death, sharks and caimans that ruled the river, and poisonous frogs, spiders and bullet ants, whose bite although isn’t lethal can cause a lot of pain.

“Half the Amazon animals just want to get away from you,” Eduardo said. “The other half wants to eat you or just kill you. And that's even before we get to the magical creatures.”

He then explained all about fire slugs, amazonian salamanders, the Caiporas, who are mischievous spirits that guard the forest, including the grounds of Castelobruxo, and the Curupiras, red-headed dwarves whose feet faced backwards in an attempt to confuse hunters. But there were more fantastic creatures in the depths of the forest. Like the Mapinguari, a furry beast like a giant sloth that eats the inside of old trees to keep the forest alive and whose hide is as tough as giant skin.

But while the giant mapinguari is usually harmless to humans, unless when defending itself or its offsprings, the foul Abúhuwa is one of the most feared. With its long limbs and claws, it attacks its prey from above, descending from the top of the trees like a spider and using its long and pointy beak to open the victim's skull and feast on its brains. Fortunately, added Eduardo, they were now quite rare and, unless taken by surprise, any simple defensive spell was enough to safeguard a wizard, as they were cowardly beasts.

“I hate spiders and creatures like them,” said James. “There was a colony of acromantulas at Hogwarts, deep in the Forbidden Forest. My father and my uncle saw them. Wouldn’t like to experience that.”

“As far as I know,” Eduardo calmed him. “There aren't any acromantulas in the Amazon. There are some species of spiders that are bigger than the ones you are used to at home, but they rarely are a threat to humans.”

“In any case, I’ll be happy if I don’t see any. What are the most dangerous magical creatures in the Amazon?”

“Well, sometimes we have a stray Peruvian Vipertooth,” pondered Eduardo, “but those aren’t native to the forest. However, I would have to say that the two most dangerous creatures are the Tapirê-iauara and the Boiúna.”

“What are those?” Asked James.

“The Tapirê-iauara is a beast like a jaguar, but with the size of a cow. It has a water-proof red fur that is very prized in the black market. As a result, it feels at home both in the water and in the middle of the jungle,” Eduardo size. “Despite its size, it's incredibly fast and can camouflage itself to become almost invisible.”

“An invisible, fast, oversized jaguar? Sounds nice.”

Eduardo laughed.

“Yes, and I haven't told you the best part yet. The Iauara has a powerful stench, like decay and rotten meat. You can smell it before you see it. The problem is that the smell is so strong that it can make you sick or even faint. Not many wizards, and even fewer muggles, survived an encounter with one,” Eduardo concluded.

“Now I’m afraid to ask what the other one is,” James said.

Eduardo smiled.

“The Boiúna,” he said in a serious tone. “A giant black snake, about 35 meters long, with eyes that burn like fire torches, that lives at the bottom of the river. It attacks mostly at night, and you can sense it is on the hunt because the Boiúna brings rain and storms with it. Compared to it, the basilisk looks tame.”

James' eyes widened at this. He had never seen a basilisk, and he was all the better for it, but he had heard his father talk about the one he slaughtered to save mom at school. He shuddered to think how something could be worse than a giant venomous snake whose stare could kill in an instant.

“The Boiúna is dreaded by all.” Eduardo continued. “It can kill you in many ways. It can crush you or eat you whole with its massive mouth. It has fangs, as long as knives, with a venom that can paralyze your muscles and leave you at his mercy.” James swallowed dry. “Sometimes it swallows a large amount of water, swelling even more, and then he shoots it at tremendous speed. It is a weapon it uses to knock prey that climbs up trees and to defend itself from boats. While it lives in the water, the Boiúna can also come to land, although its magical powers are diminished. Frightened enough?”

“Yeah,” said James.

“And I haven’t told you the worst,” said Eduardo. “The Boiúna is a shape-shifter. It can assume the form of a beautiful young woman with long black hair. While she can’t talk, she can speak to you in your thoughts, entrancing its prey and drawing near to the river, where she assumes its true form and consumes its victims.”

“Consumes?” James was confused.

“You see, the Boiúna feeds on souls, much like a Dementor’s kiss. Once it has a victim under its trance and within the waters where it lives, a Boiúna will feast on a victim’s soul, sucking all its life form until only an empty shroud is left.”

James felt sick just by imagining it. He had learned about the Dementor’s kiss and thought that there wasn’t a more awful way to die, or more correctly, to cease to exist. But hearing about the Boiúna made him reassess that.

“Cheer up,” said Eduardo, who clearly had achieved his goal of frightening him. “It’s a warm sunny day. No Boiúna in the area. And there hasn’t been a sighting or, more likely, evidence of one in more than thirty years. And not all magical creatures here want to kill you, eat you, or consume your soul. Take the Wir’apurú, a magical bird whose song is said to have magical properties, and all those who listen to it are blessed with luck. Some even say that its call is stronger than a love potion”.

“That would be helpful…” he said.

At that moment, Bill’s red hair started to appear as he climbed to the upper deck.

“Ah,” he said, “there you are. I’ve been looking for you. Thought that you were sleeping in your cabin or trying to make friends amongst the locals.” He grinned at that jest.

“I’ve been making friends with the locals,” retorted James with a scowl and pointing at Eduardo.

“I’ve been telling James all about the wonderful creatures of the Amazon.”

“That explains his face. But, let me guess,” said Bill in a mocking tone, “he told all about the giant soul-eating snakes that can destroy ships and cause storms?”

“Yes,” said James, looking confused.

“Of course he did. But, Edu,” he said, looking at his friend laughing, “don’t scare away the boy, or I’ll make you carry all his load when you go into the jungle.”

He turned back to James.

“Don’t worry. Eduardo has been telling that story for decades. There is no proof whatsoever that something like that exists. It's only a myth.”

“A myth?” Protested Eduardo. “There are well documented historical sources and first-hand accounts of the Boiúna.”

“Have you ever seen one?”

“No, but…”

Bill was faster.

“Is there anyone alive who has ever seen one?”

“Again, no, but….”

“Was ever a body or the remains of one ever discovered?”

“No, but it's not unusual as it lives in the river. It probably decays, and the remains are deep in the river bottom.”

“Or,” said Bill emphatically, “it never existed or doesn’t exist anymore.”

“How do you explain then the number of different tribes, as well as European settlers' stories that talked about it?” Eduardo asked.

James could see that this probably has been a discussion they had before. Eduardo didn’t seem angry with Bill’s remarks, even the mocking ones. Instead, it felt like two scholars discussing a theoretical problem, only in the middle of a jungle, and about a soul-eating monster that would likely plague his nightmares over the next couple of days.

“Fertile imagination. As a species, we’re quite good at it.”

“And what about the skin I found in nineteen ninety-four that measured 15 meters long?”

“It’s a jungle,” said Bill, exasperated, opening his arms. “Look around you. It’s home to some of the biggest snakes and serpents in the world. It was probably an overgrown anaconda.”

“An overgrown anaconda? Eduardo spatted. “Unbelievable.”

James decided that he had enough of discussing monstrous snakes. Real or mythological. He wondered where Yani was. He hadn’t seen her after they all had lunch together. He was hoping to have the chance to speak to her and get to know her better. Maybe, who knows, one of those lucky birds that Eduardo talked about would be around. He was just fantasizing about it when a voice called him over.

“James, my boy. Come in, come in.”

It was Don Miguel, calling him from inside the bridge where he was at the helm of the ship. James entered the compartment where Don Miguel was steering a polished wooden wheel to keep the ship on its course. Displayed on the wooden panel was a chart of the Amazon river where a single dot of ink was moving tracking the course of the Siruana.

“So, how are you enjoying the jungle so far?”

“Well,” James answered, “it’s definitely a beautiful place.”

“But?” Asked Don Miguel. “I sense a but in there.”

“But,” James smiled, “it is also one of the most dangerous places I’ve ever been. I think it is overwhelming.”

Don Miguel laughed heartily.

“Overwhelming. Yes, that is the right word. I remember feeling like that when I first came here. Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

“You’re not from here then?”

“No. I’m from Spain, more precisely from the lovely city of Siurana.”

“Your ship’s name.”

“Yes. But I came to the Amazon a long time ago after the war.”

“Which war?”

“One of them. Does it matter which one? It's always the same war. I’ve grown tired of all the killing and all the hate. As soon as I could, I got out of there and came here to study the Amazon. At least here, creatures only want to kill you as a natural instinct, not because they don’t agree with your ideas, or because they've been born a couple of miles from you and that’s a different country”.

James hadn’t the foggiest idea of what to say to that. He had no experience with war, aside from the stories he grew up with, about his family's fight against Voldemort. And there it was a simple matter of being on the right side of history, not a question about countries or ideas. There were the good guys and the bad ones. Don Miguel was talking about more philosophical issues that he didn’t feel he was equipped to deal with. That was more his brother's style. He liked to be on the field, and not in classrooms discussing history or politics. He decided to refocus the talk in the jungle.

“So,” he said tentatively, “how long have you been here in the Amazon?”

“Oh, you know what? I can’t even remember exactly. Sixty or seventy years ago. Maybe,” he said shrugging. “I came first to Argentina, where there was a community that made me feel welcome there. Then I visited the Amazon as a tourist, and fell in love with it.” Don Miguel paused a bit before continuing. “The place is beautiful, but it’s more than that. There is always something new to discover, about magical creatures, the ancient tribes. It’s a paradise if you love history as much as I do.”

“That’s when you started to search for the Lost City?”

“No, that started many years ago in my youth. You see, the legend of the Lost City of the Amazon is a bit of an Arramendí family legend. One of my great-great-grandfathers was part of the first wave of adventurers that came searching for the city. I learned of it when I was still a small child, on my grandfather's lap and at family meetings with a good fire on the mantlepiece. Since then it had a special space in my imagination. It was also part of the reason that I chose to stay in the jungle, even after failing to find it when I tried, and even after not gathering new information about it for many years. Until you and your uncle showed up at my house two days ago, that is.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Why do you think there is some kind of Philosopher’s Stone hidden there?”

“That is what the legend says, and what we can guess from the oral traditions of all the tribes that still live here. They believe there was some kind of power in the city, one that allowed it to become not only rich and healthy but also a leading light in the region, governing over all, wizards and muggles alike. Can you imagine that? A society where magic wouldn’t need to be hidden because people wouldn’t fear it? Where everyone could live in peace? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

There was a feverish gleam in Don Miguel’s eyes that made James feel uncomfortable with the man. This was the kind of speech he was used to hearing related to people who had lofty ideas that usually ended in terror regimes with those who opposed them, or that were weaker, being trampled for “the greater good”. He might not have been the most interested student in history classes, but he knew to identify a dangerous speech when he heard one.

“Well,” he said with caution not to sound rude, “that sounds great and all, but what if someone with evil intentions got hold of that power and used it to enslave others?”

Don Miguel was brought from his reverie by this. For a moment he stood there fixing James, without answering.

“Of course,” he said finally, “there is always the risk that those who wield great power might use it to their own nefarious ends. I’ve told you that when talking about the city and its power in my house, remember?”

James nodded at this.

“That is why,” Don Miguel continued, “I always wanted to find the city. Not only for its historical purpose, although that is what fascinated me about it in the first place, but also to make sure that if some powerful object is found there, and we are not even sure that it had ever existed, it can be safely guarded or, if needed be, even destroyed.”

“It would be a shame to find something so important, to have to destroy it,” ventured James.

“Exactly,” said Don Miguel. “But, sometimes it's best to destroy history than let it ruin the present. In any case,” he added, “we are getting ahead of ourselves. We need to find the city first, and then we’ll see if there is anything there to worry about.”

“Right,” said James, not too certain of what else he should say to end a conversation that was becoming rather awkward.

For a while, they continued without talking, only with Don Miguel humming softly to himself some tune that James had never heard before. James stood near the door pretending to be mildly interested in the landscape, not knowing if it would be rude to just walk away.

While the minutes stretched in silence, James became aware of shifting in the lighting of the day. As the sun started to descend from the sky, hiding beyond the topmost trees perched in one of the hills that surrounded the river, beams of golden light crossed the horizon and filled the waters of the Amazon with a golden hue as if many hidden treasures were laid on the bottom of the river.

The sky looked like a patchwork of colours starting with a bright blue and passing through golden yellow, vivid orange, and then a gleaming red where the golden orb of the sun started to submerge under the trees on the horizon.

“Wow”, murmured James.

“Yes,” said Don Miguel. “No matter how long you live here, this is a show that still amazes you every time. And it’s also a reminder that it is time for us to have dinner. Come, young James. It’s time to wash and prepare to eat.”

James agreed and went back to his cabin to freshen up. Less than twenty minutes later he was joining the others in the ship’s restaurant, where they enjoyed a grilled fish courtesy of Eduardo’s phishing prowess, after which they climbed back to the upper deck to relax under the night sky.

James sat with Bill and Eduardo at the middle part of the upper deck, while Yani was alone at the stern, looking rather wistfully towards the night. It was a couple of days before the full moon, and the night clouds hide it from their view, although some of her beams of light pierced the softness of the clouds and went to rest as a silver gleam o the waters of the amazon. A pale and weak light that nonetheless cast Yani's beauty in stark contrast with the dark shapes of the jungle that crept on the river margins.

Presently, Don Miguel arrived at the upper deck carrying a tray with five strange-looking types of bowls with some sort of green drink in them. The bowls seemed to be made of wood and were larger in the middle section, and then narrowed down into some sort of foot, and up, to a mouth with a silver crown. In each, a silver ornate straw was placed. The air was filled with a strong minty scent that was relaxing and pleasant.

“Mate,” said Don Miguel. “A traditional drink here in South America that I’ve become fond of. Although, not too fond of sharing the same bowl as it is custom. A bowl each is better to appreciate the drink, and to avoid mixing the mate with another’s saliva,” he chuckled. “Drink now, and be content”.

James waited to see what was the proper etiquette, before venturing himself. After seeing Bill and Eduardo pick their bowls and sip a bit of the drink, he picked his bowl. Although wisps of fume could be seen rising from the cup the bowl was surprisingly cold. He took a whiff of the fragrance and felt his nostrils fill with the minty scent that cleared his airways in a rush of fresh and clean air.

Eager to feel the same sensation on his throat, he rushed to sip his mate. To his surprise, the drink was, at first, bitter with a strong taste of earth, but then left a sweet taste on his mouth as it brought a warm and uplifting feeling of comfort as it travelled through his body. He felt almost immediately more sharp and bold, ready to take action, but at the same time, he thought he could sit there relaxing and drinking for the rest of the time, without a care in the world.

“It’s…” he tried to get his head around the best words to describe it.

“A little overwhelming?” Bill had a smile on his face looking at him.

“Yes. At first is a little unpleasant, kind of earthy, but then it tastes sweeter, and feels… nourishing?”

Bill nodded and sipped a little more of his mate. Eduardo and Don Miguel were discussing the different traditions of the mate ritual in South America, as well as the different varieties and ways of preparing the drink. A single bowl was left on the tray as Yani didn’t join them, preferring to stay at the stern. James looked longingly at her.

Bill coughed softly to call his attention. He then nodded at Yani, pointing at her with the movement of his eyes. James looked confused. Bill nodded at the bowl left in the tray and then again in Yani’s direction.

James thought that he was asking why she hadn’t joined them and shrugged. Only when Bill rolled his eyes so far back that he saw only white, did he understand what he was telling him. But his uncle wasn’t taking any chances and pointed at James, then at the bowl, and then at Yani.

He wasn’t sure this was the right move. For one, Yani has stayed away from them all the time after dinner, which James thought was a clear sign that she wanted to be left alone. For another, what he was going to say to her? He had never been shy with girls, but Yani intimidated him a little.

He stood for a moment hesitating between staying where he was and letting the moment pass, or seizing the opportunity and taking a chance whatever the result may be. He finally stood up, picked Yani’s bowl and walked towards her, with Bill giving him an encouraging thumbs-up.

James walked towards her a little unsteady, not sure if he should continue and afraid of tripping and making a fool out of himself. Yani hadn’t heard him approach. She continued to look to the horizon without paying attention to anything else around her.

He paused a few steps from her. Both to admire her beauty, and to draw a little more courage before diving into it. Why was this so difficult? He had never had any problem talking to girls. But Yani was different from all other girls he had talked to before, in school or outside of it. There was something special in her, he could feel it. Something that made him feel as if he wasn’t

Drawing a long and deep breath he collected all the courage he had and went with it.

“Hi,” he said in a barely audible voice.

Yani looked surprised by the interruption but, to James' joy, she seemed happy to see him. Either that or she was being really polite.

“Hi”, she answered.

“So,” he stammered, “Don Miguel prepared some kind of traditional hot drink, that its really nice, and I thought I should bring you some. If you want of course,” he added quickly.

“That was nice of you. Thank you.”

She stretched her arm to grab her bowl of the mate. For a moment, James stood there looking at her, arm outstretched, without knowing what to do or say. The awkwardness of the situation caught up to him.

“Right,” he said while handing her the drink, “here you go. Hope you like it.”

He was preparing to turn back and give up on his frustrated attempt when Yani spoke again.

“You can stay. If you want, that is,” she said.

Hoping that his face wouldn’t betray his inner smile he tried to sound casual about it.

“Sure, if you want. I don’t want to disturb you”, he said passing a hand over his hair and immediately regret it as a stupid high-school kid trying to impress a girl gesture.

“You don’t disturb.”

Feeling as if his stomach was bursting with fireworks, that he was sure had nothing to do with what he ate or the mate tea, James sat next to Yani. For a couple of minutes, they stood silent, sipping their drinks and gazing at the night sky.

“This is beautiful out here,” he finally said. “The jungle, the river, the sky…” he pointed above him where thousands upon thousands of stars glittered in the dark sky.

“Yes,” agreed Yani with a soft voice. “Can’t you see the stars where you’re from?”

“Yes, but not like this. There is more population and with all the street lamps you can’t see them as well as here.”

“I’ve never been to a major city besides Manaus”, Yani admitted.

“What?” James looked at her in surprise. “You’ve never left the jungle before?”

“No, never needed to leave and I never had an interest in visiting. From what I gather they are all dirty, noisy and full of people. Why would we want to go there when you have all this nature available?”

James looked at her for a moment without answering. He was thinking over what she said, but he was also transfixed by her beauty. Under the starlight, she seemed to glow, with her dark hair reflecting the pale light of the moon.

He caught himself before his silence became too awkward.

“I see your point,” he said. “When you’re used to all this nature and freedom, big cities may seem a little too much. But there’s more than just noise and pollution. There is a lot of history and stories, and if you let yourself be lost in the alleyways you can learn a lot.”

“You make it sound interesting, but,” she sighed, “I still find it strange that you would prefer to live in a crowded city, instead of a natural preserve where you can mingle as one with nature, and every day discover more about nature and magic.”

James was, again, transfixed by her beauty and was drinking from every word she said as if had just crossed the harshest of the deserts without a sip of water for days.

“And here,” Yani made a gesture towards the river, “lives magic beyond what we can even start to comprehend. The river waters are filled with ancient knowledge that has guided the people from the Amazon throughout the ages. You can’t find that in any city”, she said defiantly.

“Yes”, answered James a little defensively, “there is a sense of connection with nature that you can’t get in a city. I agree with you, and I prefer to be out exploring the world than be in a city. But, what I’m saying is that not everything is bad in a city, there are positive things and if you combine the two things…”

“Quiet!”

The unexpected harshness of Yani’s voice surprised James. He was about to protest and she got up and made a gesture for him to be still.

“Can’t you hear it?”

He shook his head. The only sound that he could hear aside those of the jungle, was of the other three members of their party talking and laughing.

“Focus,” she said.

James closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his hearing to try and found what Yani was talking about. Was this some kind of test? Was she trying to show him something? He continued to try and listen, without getting anything more than before. But after a few moments, he thought he could hear something different, like water rushing. But the river current was calm where they were, and he couldn’t hear any boat motor.

“It seems like waves,” he said to Yani. “Moving faster. But I don’t see any movement of the water.”

“And what does that tell you?”

James looked at her blankly. He wanted to say something, to look smart, but he also didn’t to say something stupid.

“That this isn’t something natural?” he asked unsurely.

“Exactly!” Yani said. “If this was just the river current we would see it moving, but it isn’t. That means that the water is been pushed sideways. Something is coming towards us.”

James fixed his stare on the horizon but he couldn’t distinguish anything in the darkness. But the noise was coming closer at a fast pace and was now more distinguishable from the chatter and laughter from the front of the ship.

“Quiet”, said Yani to three men in a commanding voice that made James understand that she was more than just a pretty assistant to Don Miguel. “There’s someone or something coming towards us.”

Stunned at first by the unexpected command, Bill and Edu were quick to act and got on their feet drawing their wands.

“What is it?” Bill asked. James noted that his uncle was already ready to act, with a firm grip on his wand. Years as Curse Breaker and actual combat experience during the war had made Bill into a fierce fighter.

“Something, or someone, is coming to us”, explained Yani, pointing to the back of the ship. “You can hear the water being rushed aside as if a boat was riding it at great speed.”

“Nonsense,” burst Don Miguel with a chuckle. “It’s night. If someone was riding a boat we would already have heard it. It’s probably just dolphins playing around.”

“No,” said Edu. “I can hear it too. This is not the noise that dolphins playing in the water make. If I had to guess, whatever it is that’s coming, is more than one.”

They all stood still, listening to the rushing and waiting to see what, or who was coming in covert of the darkness. James was concentrating so hard that he could hear the veins on his head pumping blood.

As they stood, ready to act without knowing to what, the noise abruptly disappeared. There was a final rush of water spreading to the shores, but nothing more was heard. Whatever was moving had finally stopped.

The night was now still. James looked at his companions to see if they were as confused as he felt by this. But their look of concentration showed him that this was the moment where the danger was greater. A minute stretched, but nothing moved or made any sound.

“Do you think it just stopped and went away?” He whispered.

“No,” answered Bill. “Whatever it is, is lurking out there in the darkness waiting.”

“Waiting? For what?”

Bill made a sign for him to be quiet, which he did begrudgingly. He felt a little embarrassed to be told to be quiet like a child in front of the others. Namely, in front of Yani. What would she think of him? Being told off like a schoolboy?

James was about to tell his uncle that he was not a kid anymore, when all of the sudden, out of the dark, a jet of red light pierced the night hitting Eduardo square on his left shoulder. As if in slow motion, James saw him fly spinning through the air, hitting the floor like a rag doll.

“Edu!”

But no sooner had Bill screamed as more jets of light came towards them, none knew from where.

The quick reflexes of Bill, James and Yani, were barely enough to avoid being hit as well. The three formed a defensive semi-circle, with Bill facing the stern of the ship, while James and Yani protected one of the sides each. Don Miguel was quick to attend to Eduardo that remained on the floor laying still.

“He’s stunned,” said Don Miguel. “I don’t think he suffered more than a few bruises. I can revive him…”

But a new barrage of spells sent towards the ship stopped him from completing the sentence. The shouts of “Protego” from the others, and the noise of the spell's impact on the protecting charm, drowned his voice.

From the darkness now they saw five figures mounted on brooms approaching the ship from its rear. They stopped some distance away, hovering about 5 metres above the ship and encircling it to better gain a tactical advantage. Even though the light was dim, James saw that they were fully clothed in dark robes that obscured their faces. Slowly they approached the ship. Whether by strategy, or because they weren’t expecting any opposition after they failed to knock down everyone with their surprise attack, James couldn’t say.

“Who are you?” Shouted Bill. “Why do you attack us unprovoked and under the cover of darkness? Show yourselves, cowards!”

His shout and challenges were met with silence.

The five figures continued to hover around the ship, slowly drawing near but without hinting at their next move. James gripped his wand tightly in his hand, readying himself to spring back to action at the faintest sign of attack. He could feel the tension in the air and on his companions. Bill and Yani were also tense and ready, while Don Miguel was anxiously expecting, not knowing if he should join them or if he should try and attend to Eduardo.

A minute, that seemed to stretch to infinity, passed. James could feel drops of sweat descending from his brow towards the lower end of his face.

Suddenly, without a spoken word or a visible sign, the five mounted figures sprang to attack. With a sudden rush of wind they bear down on the ship, arm wand outstretched firing spell after spell, forcing the defenders to huddle closer together while trying to avoid being hit.

James was drawn into combat with one of the attackers that came from his flank. The quick movements of the broom made it difficult for James to defend himself, let alone to attack back. The figure danced from left to right, up and down, making it difficult to pinpoint its location and counterattack.

Yani was dealing with another attacker on her side of the ship, while Bill battled the remaining three. While clearly outnumbered, Bill was more than a match to his opponents managing to parry their attacks and force them to defend and retreat from his counter-attacks.

The night was lighted by jets of light that collided in small explosions as spell and counter-spell met in the air. Even though he was engaged in a fearsome duel, James couldn’t help but marvel at his uncle’s skills and quick reflexes that allowed him to duel against three opponents without being overwhelmed by them.

Bill darted through and fro, ducking from spells, shielding from others, while always gaining momentum to launch some spells that forced the others to be on their guard. They may have the numerical advantage, and a greater range of movement, but they had found more than their match, and it was clear that they weren’t expecting that.

James had just narrowly avoided a jet of purple light, when he saw, in a quick succession of rapid wand movements, Bill managing to parry three attacks and send a well-aimed stunning spell that hit one of the figures straight in the face, making it fall off his broom and plunge into the waters below.

The loss of one of their comrades only enraged the other four. The hooded figures now plunged into the offence more fearsomely than ever. James felt that they might be in more trouble than before as he noted that the spells sent towards them were more gruesome than before. Rather than stun or disarm, they were now aiming to kill.

As he blocked another spell his attacker sent in his direction, he heard someone shouting “Incendio” from above and saw the spell hitting the ship and the fire starting rapidly to spread aboard.

“The maps! We have to save them,” shouted Don Miguel as he started to run downwards towards his cabin.

James saw, rather than heard, Yani trying to scream for him to stop, but her voice couldn’t get through the raucous battle, that was now mixed with the sound of fire gnarling through the wood.

A small explosion shook the boat, and James saw with fear that the flames were now unstoppable, and had cut their way towards the bow of the ship. They were trapped between the fire on their backs and the attackers at their front.

“We have to get out of here,” shouted Bill. “The ship won’t last much longer. I’ll get Edu and disaparate to the shore. Get Yani and Don Miguel and go to.”

James nodded in agreement.

Bill waved his wand in an elliptical movement and launched a spell that forced the two figures that he was duelling to cast a shield charm to protect themselves. But the power of the spell was such that they were slightly knocked out of balance, long enough for Bill to get back to the still unconscious Eduardo and disaparate.

The suddenness of the movement created some confusion amongst the attackers, and Yani was quick to take advantage of it creating a whirlwind of water that she launched at her opponent knocking him over. But as she wheeled around to help James, a cry from their back made her sway.

Don Miguel was trying to get back, with papers and books in his hands, but the flames were now so powerful that he couldn’t get past them. Yani went to his aid, but another explosion made her stumble, and a crack appeared in the middle of the ship preventing her to reach Don Miguel. As she steadied herself, trying to find a way to Don Miguel through the flames, the two figures that were fighting Bill returned to the fray and focused their attention on her and engaged her in a duel.

The heat from the fire was starting to become unbearable and James was certain that, sooner or later, the ship would blow out as Bill said. He had to get out of there. He had to save Yani. But his opponent was a fierce fighter and didn’t seem eager to just ease the pressure on James. He needed a break from the onslaught of spells aimed at him, but he was barely able to defend himself.

As the heat of the fire and the shards of wood that broke off the ship made his position unsteady, a sharp memory of something his father said to him while training duels hit him: “It is not enough to know the spells. You have to listen to your gut, and be ready to improvise and adapt.”

Looking at the burning pieces of wood on the deck behind him, an idea sprang to his mind. Instead of blocking the next spell sent at him, he decided to dive to the floor, momentarily blocking him from his attacker's view. As he climbed up, he flung several pieces of flaming wood at the hooded figure hovering above.

Even though surprised by the unconventional attack, the attacker easily blocked the shards of flaming wood thrown at him. But this gave James the breach he was looking for to mount his real attack.

“Expelliarmus” he shouted.

As the wand of his attacker flew in an arch over his head, James didn’t waste time and quickly followed with another well-aimed spell.

“Stupefy!”

The jet of red light hit the figure squarely on its chest, and James watched as it toppled off the broom and fell into the river.

The elation of defeating his foe had barely raised up in his chest when the noises of crackling fire, and of spells being blocked draw his attention to the ongoing battle around the ship. Behind him, Don Miguel was still struggling to get past the flames that were now consuming the front part of the ship. But on the opposite side of him, Yani was still battling one of the hooded figures that had her pinned to a precarious position balancing on the ship’s ledge.

Torn between helping one or the other, James' attention was drawn to the area behind Yani where another of the hooded figures appeared and was ready to attack her. He quickly run across the deck and flung himself, grabbing Yani by the waist, plunging both into the waters as a jet of green light passed near them and hit the area where she was standing a moment ago, destroying the ledge of the ship that exploded into small pieces.

They hit the water with such force that ripples of pain were shot from James' upper torso throughout his body, as the cold water compressed his lungs. As the pain passed through his body, James felt himself plunge further into the deep of the river being engulfed in the darkness of the amazon’s waters.

A sense of panic started to creep up as lost the notion of what surrounded him and where Yani was. He searched for her in the darkness, waving his arms, reaching further hoping he would touch her. As the seconds passed by, the fear was overcoming him and he started to lose focus, not knowing where was up or down and not being able to control his breathing. He felt dizzy, as if his brain wasn’t receiving enough oxygen to help him keep in control of his senses and actions.

The panic was now overwhelming. He was going to drown.

He started to move his head looking for a sign of where the surface was. Everywhere he looked was dark. Then, just above his right, he saw a dim orange and yellow light flickering. “The fire”, he thought. He knew now where to go.

He started to swim in direction of the light.

He was barely mid his second brace when he felt something grab his left ankle and pull him down, back to bottom. The surprise at the tug almost drove the fear out of his mind. He tried to get his leg free, kicking hard against the unknown. But the grip that was holding him was stronger than him.

The thing pulled him down again.

He tried to pull back one more time, kicking his feet with as much power as he could muster but to no avail. Whatever was holding him was far stronger than he was and was going to pull him downwards to his end and there was nothing he could do about it.

His wand.

How could have he forgotten about his wand? He had it in his clenched hand all this time and never came to his mind to use it to get out of his current situation. The lack of oxygen in his bloodstream might explain that. Now wasn’t the time to ponder the issue.

“Lumos,” he thought and the tip of his wand shot a bright white light that he immediately turned down to see what was grabbing his leg.

To his surprise, it was a thin hand that had a tight grip on his ankle, with fingers that appeared ghastly under the pale light emitted by his wand. He tracked the arm from where the hand shot with his wand and almost screamed underwater with what he saw. Looking right at him, with features enlarged to inhuman proportions, was Yani. Her eyes, bulging into the size of golf balls, stared right at him with fear in them with a misty glow over them.

It took a while for James to understand what was happening. Yani’s head was inside an upside fish bowl. That was why all her features seemed to be engorged. Sometime before entering the water she must have performed a bubble head charm on herself, ensuring she was able to breathe underwater.

James could’ve kicked himself for not thinking of that. On the other hand, he was relieved that she was ok. Actually, she was better than him as he felt he would not be able to sustain his breath for much longer before collapsing. He looked at her and gestured with his hand upwards, trying to tell her that they should go to the surface.

To his surprise, she shook her head and gestured to him that they needed to stay down. He felt confused. What was she playing at? They couldn’t stay down here. He motioned once more to go up, but Yani again gestured for him to stop and pulled his leg downward. She clearly didn’t understand that for him, staying was a death sentence.

He pulled his leg from her grip, and once again motioned upwards, this time grabbing his throat with his left hand in a gesture, that he hoped, mimicked the fact that he was running out of air.

The look in her eyes told him she understood. Using his legs as a pole, she propelled herself upwards and was face to face with him almost instantly. She edged her face towards his, and James felt first his nose then his mouth and the rest of his face enter the bubble that allowed Yani to breathe underwater.

His lungs were filled with hot and moist air, and he could breathe freely again. After a couple of quick breaths, he opened his eyes and stared unblinkingly at Yani’s. Her green eyes showed like emeralds amid the darkness of the river. His lips were close to hers and, for a fleeting memento, he thought she was about to kiss him.

“We can’t go up,” she said.

Startled from his reverie and still too weak from the lack of oxygen, James couldn’t do more than a grunt of confusion.

“They are looking for us,” Yani added her eyes darting upward. “We need to go under the boat to the other side and then we might surprise them.”

James started to nod, but the space inside the bubble prevented him to continue.

“Good thinking,” he said hastily.

“I’m going to create a bubble of air for you, it should be enough to let you swim across. I don’t have enough air in here to create a full bubble, but a smaller enough should suffice.”

“Thanks”.

“We need to be quick. You go in front pointing the way with your wand and I will follow. You need to get far away from the ship so they don’t see us, but still near enough so we can help Don Miguel.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

On that Yani’s wand pierced the bubble on her head like a needle, softly and without letting the water in. She then said the incantation and a bubble formed around James' mouth and nose, just like a face mask but transparent. He breathed in to feel the air in it. He then slowly recoiled from Yani and got out of her bubble’s space.

It took about three minutes to swim under the boat and reach a safe distance before coming back to the surface. Slowly, they raised their heads above the water, careful to not draw their attackers’ attention. There was no sign of them on this side of the Siruana.

The situation on the ship was even more dramatic now. Flames erupted from everywhere and the ship was being consumed by the fire at a fast pace. On the aft of the ship, a lone figure stood jumping around trying to avoid the flames reaching the papers he clutched near his chest.

“Don Miguel”, whispered Yani, and James could hear the desperation in her voice.

“We need to reach him,” he said.

But as he was starting to swim towards the ship, a huge explosion ripped the air and the Siruana was blown into pieces that flew into the air and smashed into the water like bombs all around them.

Shocked and still unbelieving what he had just seen, James looked back to Yani whose mouth was open in a silent scream of despair. He wasn’t sure of what to say, or even if he should say anything.

He was starting to swim back to her when he felt a sudden and sharp pain in the back of his head. Instantly, he felt his consciousness leaving him while he slowly sunk into the dark waters of the Amazon.