Both the sirens and the maelstrom were located in the Strait of Messina between the Italian Peninsula and Sicily.
From the northeast corner of the island, where Elwyn and the others were now, they could clearly see the panoramic view of the strait.
Near their camp was a small town of Muggle and wizards, Taormina. The town had a well-preserved ancient Greek theater, which was also the calling card of Sicily. Elwyn had visited it not long ago.
At the southern end of the town, there was a stunning view of cliffs and the largest active volcano in Europe, Etna.
The terrain of the entire mountain was quite complicated. The giants were hidden in it, and it was also the legendary birthplace of the Cyclops.
In the myth, the Cyclops would use the magma erupted from the volcano to make weapons, which often made loud rumbling sounds.
The clouds nearby were very thick, and the top of the mountain couldn't be seen most of the year. It was not easy to find the giants. Coupled with the loud noises that came from time to time, the nearby Muggle residents thought that the giant who lived in the mountain was the God of Thunder.
Elwyn carefully observed the surrounding terrain. The island that he saw in Ravenclaw's memory was probably in this area.
In other words, more than a thousand years ago, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been here.
Gryffindor had a fight with the Cyclops in the depths of Mount Etna, which left a permanent scar on his eye.
There was an old lighthouse near the coastline pier to the north of the town. It was the highest point in the area, and it was still guiding ships to the sea. If you wanted to take a ship to see the sirens, you had to set off from there.
The Italian Ministry of Magic had set up a special reserve here to provide protection for the sirens. There were also cruise ships that were specially designed to visit the sirens.
However, there weren't many people at the moment. Mr. Edas Grosso from the reserve told Elwyn that more wizards would come to visit during school holidays. It was very rare for a young wizard like him to come here during the semester.
"No, no, we can't go to sea now!" Gerosso shook his head and said, "Kid, I suggest you go to your parents or guardians. It's very dangerous around here. It's not a place for a little wizard like you to wander around."
"My uncles are busy with other things. I'm just looking around. I've read about the sirens in a book …" Elwyn said. "Why can't we go out? Is it because of the gold? Or do you think I need someone to accompany me to see those sea monsters? "
"I want both!" Gerosso said, adjusting the hat on his head and pointing to the lighthouse on the high ground next to the dock. "But the main reason is that the lighthouse is broken. Without the guidance of the lighthouse, we can't go to sea and die. Let me tell you, those female Sirens love little boys like you the most. If you fall into their hands, they won't kill you. Instead, they'll raise you slowly and lock you up in their nest on the cliff. Every day, they'll … "
Elwyn turned his head to look at the old lighthouse. Mr. Gerosso told him that not long ago, the light at the top of the lighthouse had suddenly gone out.
After all, this lighthouse was not as simple as giving directions to the Muggle ships. The light emitted from inside also had a very special protection spell, which could prevent the ships and crew from being confused by the sirens' songs, so that they would not be immersed in the illusion.
The lighthouse was now broken. Going to sea at this time was no different from suicide.
Next, Gerosso told Elwyn many horror stories about the sirens and the undead wandering in this area of the sea. What really concerned Elwyn was what happened after the lighthouse was damaged …
"Yes, after the lighthouse broke, the Muggle sent people to repair it several times. What did they call those weird people with long metal ropes? Electricians?!" Gerosso said. "I saw them go in with my own eyes and come out after a whole night. Those Muggle were all crazy. They kept talking nonsense as if they had seen a ghost."
"Crazy?!" Elwyn looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, they kept talking about the end of the world, destruction, ancient gods, and so on. It was as if they had been brainwashed. Who knows what they saw in the tower? I heard that they kept having nightmares after they went back." Gerosso looked around, then lowered his head and put his freckled face close to Elwyn. He lowered his voice and said, "The reason that the lighthouse was broken was obviously because of magic. There was a group of Dark Wizards inside. I saw them go in one night on the ship. They were all wearing black cloaks."
"Did you see what they looked like?" Elwyn asked.
"No, no!" Gerosso waved his hand, and a look of horror flashed across his face. "This is obviously the work of a Wizard. I reported it to the higher-ups, but the guy in charge of the town didn't respond. The Ministry of Magic didn't send anyone over either. In my opinion, a broken lighthouse is probably a trivial matter in their eyes. There's no need to send people to investigate. Anyway, those sirens won't starve to death. They will find their own food. "
"But this is very suspicious!" Elwyn said. The bad things that the Dark Wizards said made him think of something bad.
Before they set off, Nico Lemour had told him that the long-lost Raven's Claw had begun to move again.
This was the place where Ravenclaw had been. Could those hooded Dark Wizards be them?!
Or could it be the Death Eaters who were also looking for the giants?!
"It's indeed suspicious, but what does it have to do with me?!" Gerosso said and straightened his back again. "I'm just a breeder of the sirens. As long as they still pay me, I don't have to care about those troubles. To be honest, I've had enough of this job. I'm going to quit and go to Rome to find a new job. It's much better than guarding an empty ship and a group of sirens here. "
"Mr. Gerosso, if I fix the lighthouse, can you take me out to sea?" Elwyn said. "I still want to see the sirens!"
"No problem, kid, as long as you can fix the lighthouse!" Gerosso said. "I've never seen a little Wizard who is as interested in sirens as you are. Yes, their upper bodies look like human women, and they aren't wearing clothes yet, but their lower bodies … Once you've seen them, you won't be interested in them anymore!"
Elwyn waved his hand and walked back along the path he came from. When there was no one around, he phantomized and returned to the camp.
No matter the reason why the lighthouse went out, there was obviously new trouble inside.
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