October 31, 2001
The trio clumsily passed through the wall stepping several times on the others toes, but no one complained. Clearing the wall, Harry pulled the cloak off of all of them, but they instinctively stayed huddle together. They had found themselves in a large chamber, surprisingly well-lit and a bit dazzling after being in dark halls and stairways all day. As their eyes adjusted they spread out a bit looking around. The chamber seemed cavernous and their eyes were instantly drawn to a large circle that dominated the space. They had entered from the side on a sort of mezzanine level with the circle standing free from the floor below with the top curve just above even Ron's head despite being a floor up. A small portion of the lower curve of the disk was sunk seamlessly into the stone floor and seemed to provide the only support that kept it standing perfectly vertical. The circle itself was of a dark color quite different than the stone of the rest of the room and while the center was a smooth black the outer edge was ringed with carvings. It was clear that the chamber was focused around this circle, but the distinctive carvings along its edge gave no real clue as to its purpose.
"What do you think it is?" asked a bewildered Ron.
"Is there anything else like it in other magical places?" asked and equally confused Harry.
"Not that I've ever read about," stated Hermione. Both the boys turned and stared at her in unison.
"I'm sorry. Did you just say there is something you know absolutely nothing about?"
"Not even in the slightest?"
Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Avalon isn't even mentioned in the library that I've seen. And while I have read about the magical significance of several different circles of standing stones, nothing like this has ever been documented to my knowledge."
"She doesn't know," Ron gasped in mock shock.
"This may be a sign of the end of the world," smirked Harry.
"Hold me, Harry, I'm scared". Both boys enjoyed a moment of shared amusement at their own antics.
"If you're both through channeling Fred and George, we have an undiscovered room of unlimited educational value to explore." Hermione turned and stomped a bit away from the Harry and Ron along the mezzanine that stretched the full length of the wall. The wall was carved in a series of panels and Hermione studied each intently looking for information that she so frustratingly did not possess.
"Right, who can think of wealth and treasure when there is education to be had." Ron and Harry continued to chuckle to themselves as they wandered down the steps that curved along a side wall down to the floor below.
Hermione quickly became distracted in admiration for each of the carved reliefs along the wall. Each panel was an intricate arrangement of knots and pathways, vaguely Celtic in its design but more elaborate than any work she had ever seen. Some panels even had animals and plants artistically woven into the complex patterns. She counted eight panels, each with its own distinctive design before she reached the end. The raised level ended in an arched doorway that, looking back, matched the one where she, Ron, and Harry entered. Peeking through, she could see a set of narrow stone steps curving upwards. Not wanting to lose sight of the boys she turned back to the room and began descending down to the lower level on a staircase that mirrored the ones the boys had descended on the other side of the room. Ron had headed to the large circle rising in the middle of the floor and stood directly in front of the curve. With him standing beneath the arch it showed just how large the circle was, likely seven meters across.
"Any ideas yet?" Harry asked, meeting Hermione at the base of the stairs from where he had been inspecting the area beneath the overlook.
"Not anything definite. There's a string of symbols across the top of each panel that match some of those on the circle. Clearly, they're linked, but I don't know how or to what significance. Yet." Hermione informed him. Glancing up, Harry inspected the panels above.
"Huh, six each. There are seven on the carving down here."
Hermione had walked to the carving that she couldn't see from the upper level.
"This one has Ancient Runes carved on it as well. It has Welcome to Avalon above the circle symbols. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to the symbols on the circle or the panels, but they seem vaguely familiar, but I can't place them."
"Well, I got nothing. There were a couple of doors back there, well sort of stone arches that looked door like, but I couldn't open them, even with the cloak. They may just be decorative or something."
"Do you have anything Ron?" called Hermione to Ron as he wandered over towards them.
"Nah, the ring is solid, some kind of quartz or something, definitely not normal rock or stone. The pedestal sort of matches it, same carvings. Just a couple of pieces of jewelry on it, I'm not finding any great treasure."
"Ooh, what did you find?"
"This bracelet type thing, although it's huge so maybe from a giant and a cloak pin of sorts. You and Harry can decide who gets the bracelet." So saying, Ron tossed it their way. Harry easily snagged it out of the air and turned it in his hands to inspect it.
"Ron!" Hermione cried, "you could of broken that. It could be priceless."
"Harry caught it. Besides it's covered in snakes so I don't think it's worth all that much any way." Smiling, Harry waved it towards Hermione, whose curiosity outweighed her desire to row with Ron and she moved to look it over.
"I think I'm keeping the cloak thingy. It's not gold or anything, but it has some sort of self-sticking charm on it and sort of glows when you put it on." Ron demonstrated by sticking the fist-sized piece to the center of his chest and letting it hang there on its own, gently glowing. "I think it could have some cool charms on it. I can ask Bill when I see him next. He knows all about all sorts of magical treasure from working as a curse-breaker."
"You sure you should just wear it? It may have something dangerous on it." Harry asked.
"It'll be fine. Bill says if it doesn't kill you in the first thirty seconds, it's not likely to later."
Harry snorted. "Not sure I agree with how you decide on fashion accessories, but I'm sure the girls will find you very dashing." Ron smiled back, thrusting his chest out in a goofy pose before joining the others in laughter.
"Yes, very nice. Ron his isn't a bracelet, it's a torc." Hermione had removed the other piece from Harry's hands and traced the two snakes as they intertwined around each other forming a band, with each snake holding a dark stone in its mouth to mark the opening.
"What's a torc?"
"It's an old form of jewelry and usually a sign of rank. I've only seen them in gold or other metals before. I think this one is made from the same stone as the circle. You don't wear it on your arm; it goes around your neck." Beckoning Harry closer, she reached up to put it around him.
Holding up a hand, Harry declined. "Necklaces aren't really my thing. You wear it, Hermione. I'm fine just being away from everyone; I don't need a souvenir from the trip."
"Alright, thanks then." Hermione tucked up her hair to fit the torc on her own neck where it hung a bit loose, each end landing just at her collar. "It's surprisingly warm, I thought it would be a bit cool like metal, but it feels almost tingly. I wonder why Myrddin would leave this here to find." Hermione gasped and pointed behind the two boys. They both turned quickly, drawing their wands and stepping closer together.
As if called, a ghostly figure had appeared facing them. It was an old man with long hair and a beard to rival Dumbledore's. He was dressed in archaic looking robes and clasping a staff.
"Merlin . . ." Ron whispered and neither Harry nor Hermione were sure if it was a swear or in recognition.
"Salve!" the figure spoke before continuing on in a meaningless gibberish.
"What's he saying?" Harry quietly asked.
"I think he is speaking Ancient Runes. I've never heard it aloud." Hermione answered.
"Excuse me, um sir, can you speak English? I just not sure what you're saying."
The figure continued its slow speech, not acknowledging the request, but eventually stopped speaking.
"Can you translate for us, Hermione?"
"Um, sure. I'm not entirely clear." Hermione hastily pulled out parchment and a self-inking quill from a pocket, jotting notes to help her understand. "I think he said. Welcome children or maybe my children. Um, some unworthy have tried to come, but he. . uh . . distracted . . them. He has . . I'm not sure . . things? . . that can help us defeat darkness. Is that right?" Hermione asked looking at the ghostly old man.
Not responding the figure just continued on with Hermione haltingly translating as best she could. The figure stopped twice more in his speech, but never directly acknowledged their interruptions. Once he finished speaking he stood standing for a few quiet moments before fading from view.
Hermione scrambled upright from where she had hunched to scratch her notes while the ghostly figure, Merlin presumably, spoke. "Wait! I have so many questions." The figure did not reappear.
"Merlin?" she called. "um . .. Myrddin?" Again, the ghost of an old man appeared, identically as he had before and began to speak.
"He's just saying the same thing again. The exact same thing." Hermione said a bit confused. "Oh, I can get this down exactly now." The boys just watched, glancing between a frantically writing Hermione and the ghost of the most revered wizard of all time, not understanding a bit of what he was saying. The ghost continued on, pausing in the same places and for the same amount of time before once more fading from view.
"I have it this time I think. It's much easier to write it phonetically as he was saying it and then reading it afterwards. I'll call him again and translate along as he speaks this time." Brushing back a bit of hair that had come loose during her scramble, she stood, not noticing at all the bit of ink she left streaked on her cheek.
"Myrddin." She called again, realizing he only came at the sound of his name.
"Welcome," the figure spoke or rather Hermione spoke as she translated his speech. "Welcome Home my children. Many are the unworthy that would try to take your rightful place, but I have waylaid them with false trails and lesser treasures of worthless gold and jewels. Only one of true descent can enter this place and use the tools I have left for you to triumph against the darkness."
"Darkness? Sir, do you mean you can help me against Voldemort? Hermione, can you ask him about Voldemort?" Harry asked hopefully. Hermione quietly gripped his hand in support, aware of her friend's nagging worry about the villain that kept returning to hurt him, but she did not look up from her parchment.
The figure did not respond and did not seem to even pause for Harry's question just proceeding on as in the first two times.
"The greatest of these is the Astria Porta." The old man, Merlin presumably, continued, gesturing to the large circle.
"Sorry," Hermione interjected, "I'm not quite sure what that means so I just kept it as he said it."
"Travel to the places that have long been used to prepare ourselves," continued the ghost, "strengthening mind, body, and spirit. Learn just as the Knights of the Round Table learned."
"Wicked! You're going to train us as knights! Where do we start?" Ron exclaimed.
Again, Merlin's ghostly presence did not pause or acknowledge Ron's words.
"I wish I could remain to guide you, but my time on this world grows short. Here in Avalon I have left much of my own learnings to guide you in my stead. I trust that you will use it well to vanquish the darkness." The ghost's body flickered and grew even paler.
"I leave you my protection and control of all that is Avalon. I ask only that you keep such treasure hidden from the unworthy. May it serve you well and may you serve it well." With that the figure faded completely leaving no trace that it had ever been.
"Merlin, sir?" Hermione hesitantly called. "Um, Myrddin?" This time there was no reappearance.
"I think we used up whatever time he had," stated Harry. "Probably why he didn't stop. He wanted to make sure we got the message he prepared."
Hermione had moved over to the pedestal and continued to write.
"Writing the translation down?"
"No, I'll do that later." She answered her quill not pausing for a moment. "I'm copying down the symbols so that I can look them up later." Glancing between the circle and the pedestal she continued, "A few are hidden in the floor, but I am confident that the symbols on the pedestal and the circle, or rather Astria Porta, are the same." Turning slightly she glanced at the carvings on the opposite wall and jotted those down too. "The same for those, they match from the Astria Porta, but I can't see a pattern to it. Some are included on the panels and some aren't and some even repeat. The only one I recognize is the large one from the biggest panel down here."
"Which one is that?" asked Ron, peering over her shoulder, but obviously not able to make heads or tails out of her notes.
"This one here." Hermione pointed, "The closest match I can think of is A or Alpha, in Ancient Runes it basically means the first or the beginning, but it's at the end of the string of seven so who knows for sure."
"So what's Astria Portus mean?" Ron asked and Harry nodded his own question.
"Astria Porta. Literally it means Star Way or more accurately Gateway to the Stars, but that is likely just a fancy name and may not really reveal much."
"So Astria it means stars?" Ron confirmed.
"Yes. Really Ronald, you should try for a basic grasp of Ancient Runes or Latin even. It helps ever so much with getting spells right, especially the pronunciation which you always mix up." Hermione scolded.
"Yeah, no need, because I know what the symbols are," he smirked back.
"What, how? They're vaguely familiar to me, but I can place it." Hermione stared harder at the parchment, willing it to explain itself. Harry looked closer too, but wasn't sure what Ron saw in it.
"Think of our last Divination assignment, Harry," Ron prompted. "It's written in the stars as they say. Guess you shouldn't have dropped that class so quick, eh Hermione?" Harry gave a short bark of laughter as he too figured it out which only deepened Hermione's frown.
"Alright, just tell me." She relented.
"You're going to kick yourself. This is actually first year stuff." Harry ribbed.
"Stars. . . first year . . Oh!" Hermione grinned. "It's the zodiac, like in first year astronomy."
"Yep," Ron bragged, not in the least put out that she guessed it. He figured it out first after all. "I recognized Pisces straight off as soon as you wrote it down. I hated that assignment. Apparently, I am very deep and sensitive with an innate artistic nature."
"Also, lazy, weak willed and childish, but who pays attention." Harry goaded and Ron aimed a weak swat in his direction.
"Honestly, Divination is rubbish and completely useless."
"But it did help us solve this. Besides, I'm a Leo," Harry smiled, pointing to the appropriate symbol. "So I'm determined, honorable and passionate."
"Also lazy, conceited and foolish" Ron shot back, earning his own poke from his friend which missed completely. This quickly devolved into a scuffle.
Hermione just sighed. "Why do my best friends have to be boys?"
"Oy," she called. "So do you want to work this or what?" Ron looked up from where he had pinned the smaller Harry and hastily climbed to his feet, pulling Harry up along with him.
"So you know what it's about?"
"Well, once you recognize these as astrological signs it was easy to name the others. There's only thirty-nine and except for a few southern constellations, we've been studying them for years."
"But what does a bunch of stars on a circle mean?"
"Well, did you see this?" Pressing down on one of the symbols on the round pedestal it immediately lit beneath her hand. Turning, they saw a corresponding light on the Astria Porta. "Remember, Merlin told us to travel to places used by the Knights of the Round Table. It is meant to take us places. Constellations were important symbols and could easily be used like Runes, taking the place of letters or numbers. We just need to light up the right name or direction."
"It's like a giant portkey that can take us to Merlin's hidden places." Ron looked amazed. "That's probably where he's hidden all the treasure."
"Ron, this itself is a treasure. Can you imagine what kind of spells or potions that Merlin had in his personal library? This is amazing. We're going to learn so much." Hermione enthused, practically bouncing in place. "This is probably how they used to travel before someone invented the modern portkey." As Hermione rambled on about the advancement from travel based around a large ritual room to the current single spell on everyday items, Harry and Ron eyed each other and tried to hold back grins.
"The big question still remains."
Hermione broke off, looking quickly between the other two before she sported a matching grin.
"Where do we go first?"
