Thanks for all the commentary.  In some ways, this was a second homecoming, and Cissy is starting to think that she and her sister do enhance each other and the relationship.  Lucius suspects his prescient wife was more proactive than she wants to admit.Only a wizard of Lucius' calibre could hold steadfast through all the witches' doubts and hesitations, and perhaps only he could accept the Black sisters for what they are.Glad you enjoyed Debby enough to include some wordplay.The final paragraph introduces future reality although the last sentence is an example of feminine logic since Cissy was more of an instigator than she wants to acknowledge.Thanks again.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.  Poor Lucius.  He's had to endure Bellatrix and Riddle and Dumbledore and the Weasleys and Potter.  And now this.

Thanks for the review.  The money, the scrolls, and the artifacts are all sources of conflict and danger. 

Thanks.  The story is complete in four chapters although the latter chapters still need some touching up.

Thanks for all the comments.  Lucius is being given a chance to  use his aristocratic heritage: scholar, inventor, and adventurer.  The background, perhaps not brought out enough in the narrative, is that they are all competent misfits with no chance to use their talents in a stagnant society - among other things, a society not able to mount an archaeological expedition.  Debby may have a primitive streak in her that still resonates with the goings-on even after twenty years in the household.  Perhaps she will resonate as long as the couple continue to do so.

Thanks.  The idea was that all the tension generated in the first two chapters finally explodes.  Lucius has gone from commenting on scrumptious carrots and putting together jigsaw puzzles with his nephew to herding cats on a dangerous expedition and from there to a close encounter with Andromeda while Andromeda has gone from Grandma Tonks to deadly adventurerer to fiery companion.  In the next chapter, Lucius must cope with Cissy and consequences. 

Thank you very much.  This is different from the standard Lucius.  In this tale, he is a family man.  Cissy will not countenance an autocrat, nor will the witches on the expedition tolerate anyone overbearing.  His inventiveness and steadfastness see the group through, and he lets all the witches make their contribution.  In particuar, Andromeda rises to the occasion, but unfortunately, the story is too short to fully develop the others.Your comment on the artifacts points out a weakness in the story which reflects a weakness in Brit wizardary.  Their society is too weak to conduct a rational examination of its past.All of them did manage an extraordinary effort in team work, at least for this short quest.  And thanks for the comment on the humor which is a difficult thing to write.