I had just finished school in Ilvermorny. Getting the very best grades of the year in Defense Against the Dark Arts, I set off to begin my career. But what to choose? Maybe an Auror? No, there were almost no Dark wizards in the USA at the time. Possibly a Professor. No, where was the adventure in that? Maybe a Curse Breaker? Perfect! I could work for the major wizarding bank in the US, Franklelink.
I went there, eager to apply for the job. When you walk in, your first thought is ''Oh my Merlin!'' I walked into the Atrium, a large lobby made of gold, a porcelain floor, and a domed glass ceiling. In the center was a silver statue of Thomas Quinch, the current President of the Magical USA.
The Head Goblin, Grapscar, looked down as I came to his oak desk. He was one of the kinder goblins and a family friend of mine.
"Ah! Hello Ridgeback! Are ya here fer a withdrawal?"
"Er, no Grapscar. I am here to apply to be a Curse Breaker."
"Ah! We're runnin' low on those Henry. Come with me." Grapscar jumped down from his chair and put his finger on a button on the golden wall. A wooden door appeared, Grapscar took out a rusty key, and opened the door. He went down a flight of steps with me following close behind. We came to a huge room with a desk, target dummies, many props, and some people about my age practicing with cursed items and spells.
Behind the desk was a grizzled old goblin with a scar on his left brow. "This is Scar, Henry. He will do the interview to evaluate yer skills. Then, you will undergo a few years of training. I'll leave you two alone to start." Grapscar went up the flight of steps.
"Come with me," said Scar, obviously quite old. Scar took me to another room with targets, files, and a Dark wizard dummy. "Ok, let's begin."
Scar took me through a rigorous examination that involved a load of questions, identifying curses, and duelling. I finished, exhausted, and Scar was impressed. He sent me to the Practice Room where I met my crew.
For the next two years, I practiced everything that I might need to know. First, I practiced history of the tombs and hieroglyphics. Next, I covered curses on objects. After that, I learned defenses against mummies, dangerous reanimated corpses in ancient tombs.
Soon it came time for my first assignment. I was transported to Cairo, Egypt where a new tomb had been discovered by officials at Franklelink. I was sent to recover the Adosseus, a grand wooden chest full of gems and ancient tablets. We entered first thing in the morning.
The entrance was dark and cold, so I cast the Fire-Making Charm, Incendio. Simply move your wand in a teardrop shop, starting at the top, bending down at the right. We could see many hieroglyphics reading,
"The bowl of the Death's Draught
shall be overcome when it is gone."
The Death's Draught is a dangerous Egyptian poison that has different effects on different people. I volunteered to drink it, with a clever plan. On the end of the room was a stone bowl with red liquid on a stand. I picked up the bowl, quickly gulping the drink. My body started to shudder and I became dehydrated. I felt terrible hunger and a growing thirst. I quickly told my friend, who was a fellow Curse Breaker, to cast the Dislodging Charm. He said "Anapneo" and made a circle around my throat. The red liquid shot out of my mouth and I smiled at my cleverness.
A door appeared and opened behind the bowl. I entered the room to find a most unusual sight. A long golden box shaped like the Egyptian god, Ra was on the far wall. Above it was a script of hieroglyphics reading:
"Beware the mummy, he who wears
the golden amulet of the mighty Ra."
Our leader, Joseph Muntz, read it aloud and the golden box started to rumble. A decaying mummy crept out of the box. On his neck was an amulet of silver imbued with the Eye of Ra. The mummy was a weak one, but it had simple telepathic powers. It raised its arm and the frame of the entrance collapsed.
A part of the rubble was magically lifted and sent flying. It hit the head of one of my coworkers, causing him to pass out. The mummy magically lifted another piece of rubble, and nearly hit me in the back of my head if it weren't for my quick thinking. The mummy sent another sharp rock at me, so I cast Protego, the Shield Charm. Mummies can block a few spells and some have the magic to see the future, so to defeat one, you must act unpredictably. I cast the Levitation Charm, Wingardium Leviosa, on a heavy piece of rock, releasing it upon the mummy's head. This rendered the spell upon it useless and ineffective.
With my curse-proof gloves on, I picked up the amulet. This was cursed with a simple Decay Curse. It withers whatever it touches, unless the item is curse-proof or protected by Egyptian magic. I used a strong Effect Canceling Charm, Finite (fin-EE-tay), to reverse the Curse and I put it in my bag.
After moving the golden box that was blocking the doorway, we entered the tomb. It was full of gold and gems, but in the center was the Adosseus, our target for the mission. My team carefully reversed every curse, getting the Adosseus, returning it to the goblins of Franklelink. Grapscar congratulated me on my plan with the Death's Draught, my work with the amulet, and my daring duel with the mummy. Little did I know that I would have many more exciting duels than with that mummy.