Quidditch League Round 6
Fantasy
Prompts:
2: experience
6: fantastical
12: keyhole
Although the sky was clouded over with a thick blanket of grey, the air was warm and thick and lazy. Hermione flicked the page of her book, her eyes heavy with sleep. Although the atmosphere between the picnickers was relaxed and happy, there was the underlying tension that brewed before a storm. They were the only people outside; everyone else was inside waiting for the storm to crack and blow over. Maybe they should have been too, but the picnic had been bought and the event planned too far in advance to cancel.
The picnic was fantastical; bottles of ice cold Butterbeer and a few smuggled in of Firewhisky, still warm pumpkin pasties, pork pies, chocolate frogs, strawberries, ham sandwiches with thick slabs of crusty bread, cold sausages and of course squares of Molly Weasley's homemade fudge. All was left were a few crumbs though, the rest devoured in a storm of hungry teenagers who had just finished their exams. All but Hermione; she still had Ancient Runes tomorrow, which she was desperately trying to cram for. She still did two more subjects than normal, despite having discarded the disastrous Time-Turner from Third Year. Although she normally enjoyed the challenge, and had no problem with the extra homework, it was at times like this, when her friends napped lazily after their meal, that she wished her exams were over.
Hermione flicked to another page, though she wasn't really taking it in, her eyes flicking over the words till they were just a black smudge. Ron lay stretched out beside her, his eyes closed, his fingers fiddling with the grass beneath him. Just across from her were Ginny and Ron, both feigning asleep while having an energetic poking war. Neville was also reading a book, but not for an exam. It was a Herbology book, and every once in a while he stopped frowning at it, got his wand out, muttered something and went red in the face from concentration, though Hermione wasn't quite sure what he was trying to emulate. Luna was knee deep in the lake, mud swilling up as she waded around looking for Aquavirius Maggots, which she claimed spawned just before a storm.
Hermione flipped to a random page looking for inspiration. She flicked on some more until she found herself at the back cover. It was an old book, with a fabric covered back. But there, scratched into the fabric, were some runes. She squinted closer, trying to decipher them. Although they were faded they were obviously not what she had been studying. Panicking, she tried to work out what they were. Did she need to know them for the exam?
"Ron?" She said quietly, prodding him gently. Ron sat up bleary eyed.
"Wha-?"
"Do you know what these are?" Hermione said, pointing out the symbols.
"You're the one who does Ancient Runes. No need to show off about it." Ron replied, settling back into sleep.
"No! I don't recognise these." The rising panic in her voice must have alerted him because he sat up again and squinted at the runes.
"Well that one looks like a keyhole." He said slowly, pointing at a wiggly symbol. "And that one looks like a dog."
"You sound like Trelawney mate." Harry said, rolling onto his stomach and picking the last crumbs off the plate that once held the fudge.
"Shut up." Ron said grumpily.
"They're Ancient Greek Runes." Luna said calmly.
Hermione jumped and spun round to look up at Luna.
"Sorry?" She said, slightly disbelievingly.
"They're Ancient Greek Runes." Luna repeated. "From the Greek civilisation."
"I know who the Ancient Greeks were!" Hermione snapped. "But what are they doing at the back of an Ancient Runes book?"
"What do they say?" Neville said who had discarded his book.
Luna bent down. "They translate as 'Rise of the deep and the high come from the shallow before me.' And that symbol means water but I'm not sure what it means with a cross through it."
"Read them in Greek." Neville said, awed. Hermione looked slightly put out at Luna's new found skill.
Luna read out the runes slowly and the others watched her in marvel. When she finished she glanced around, unperturbed.
Suddenly the ground rumbled slightly and the trees around them shook. They looked around, shocked. This wasn't just a storm. Waves started coming up the shore towards them, each more violent than the next, shaking the picnic rug. Neville yelped and scrambled to his feet, and Ginny quickly followed, grabbing the picnic blanket. It was too late; the frothing waves pushed out and stole the crockery and cutlery. By then all of them were on their feet, backing away from the waves. Almost instantaneously they stopped; sucked back into the lake like an invisible force was pulling them. And it had. For after the waves stopped something began to rise out of the water. First were the tips of a shimmering trident, followed by the head and face of a giant. Hermione let out a tiny scream. She could hardly help herself.
Water slipped off the huge bare torso of the man, and has he came out of the water they could see the mermaid tail that licked the surface of the water. But this was no normal mermaid.
"Mere mortals!" He boomed, surveying the scene below him. Five of the six just stared at him, shocked beyond response. But Luna stepped forward.
"Poseidon?!" She said.
"And you are?"
"Luna. Luna Lovegood." She said politely, as if this was a daily occurrence.
Poseidon looked down at her suspiciously. "Not related to Luna, Goddess of the Moon?"
"I don't think so," Luna said thoughtfully, "Though Daddy said the moon was very bright when I was born."
"You're not by any chance the daughter of Aphrodite?" Poseidon said, looking at her more closely now he was reassured she wasn't related to the Goddess of the Moon. "You're look quite like her."
Hermione had had enough of hearing Luna being praised and stepped forward boldly. "Why are you here?"
"And you are?" Poseidon said, switching his gaze to her.
"Hermione Jean Granger." She said proudly.
"Hermione….Hermione…." Poseidon said slowly. "Daughter of King Menelaus of Sparta?" He said slowly.
Hermione shook her head. "My parents are dentists."
"Good, good. I had rather an argument with him a few years back. Quite a harrowing experience. But tell me good woman, what is a dentist?"
"Someone who looks at your teeth." Hermione said.
Poseidon nodded as if he understood, but he still looked a little confused.
"This is all rather nice but I have a kingdom to run. Why did you summon me?"
"We didn't summon you!" Ginny said loudly. "You just appeared!"
Poseidon chuckled. "Fiery little one aren't you? Not one of Artemis's hunters?"
"No! None of us are from Greek times. It's the twenty first century!" Ginny said a little angrily.
Poseidon blinked. "Twenty first century? How has time gone this quickly?"
"But you're immortal." Ron said slowly.
Poseidon turned to him. "And you are obviously not the brightest amongst your friends." Ron blushed deep scarlet, but Poseidon hadn't finished. "Although I am immortal, I still have great investment in your little human wars. Why! I must have missed the end of the American Civil War." He sounded disappointed. "And what about that pretty little sylph that used to come and see me?"
"The Northern Armies were victorious." Hermione said, glancing at Luna to make sure she had clocked this knowledge, but Luna was too busy staring at Poseidon to notice.
Poseidon looked considerably cheered. "I always knew that's who would win."
"But that doesn't matter now." Ginny retorted. "That was ages ago."
"So what do you need help with? You seem to have woken me, but for that I'm grateful, for otherwise I would have missed so much more. How about I'll do one thing for you and then you'll never summon me again?"
Ron grinned. "Anything?"
Poseidon rolled his eyes slightly. "Anything."
The six of them huddled together.
"So what shall we ask for?" Harry said.
"Rid the water of Aquavirius Maggots?" Luna said softly.
"Pass my exam tomorrow." Hermione said slightly less softly.
"Or we could get him to grow the Mimbulus Mimbletonia in the school grounds." Neville said eagerly.
"What about that the Gryffindor team win the next Quidditch match?" Ginny suggested. Harry nodded in agreement.
"Or a lovely sunny day and the best picnic that a God could provide." Ron said. The others couldn't help but laugh.
"We're never going to agree otherwise." Harry said, turning back to Poseidon. "We'd like a lovely sunny day and the best picnic a God can provide." He called up. Poseidon simply nodded once.
"Goodbye. I did enjoy our little chat." And with a swish he disappeared into the murky depths below.
For a second it appeared that nothing had changed, but suddenly the clouds seemed to evaporate, leaving a perfect blue sky with a gently breeze that just softened the sun's warm rays. Then slender and graceful sylphs danced across the grass, clasping plates of sweet honey buns and fresh grapes and olives. The party sat down and watched as heaving platters of Greek food was placed in front of them. The last sylph placed down a plate of what looked like gold.
"Ambrosia and nectar." Luna breathed. "The food of the Gods."
The adventure had exhausted them, and they ate until they were stuffed, and then stretched out lazily in the sun. It had been a perfect day.