Chapter 11: Long Distance, Longer Time

Summary: A few years later, Morgana reflects on what happened.

Morgana sat up in bed, holding back a scream. She had a nightmare, but surprisingly not a prophetic one. This one was real, a nightmare of a memory. She remembered it as if it were yesterday.

Morgana sat in the cold cell, watching with an even colder expression the many figures outside of it. Cenred, Morgouse, countless soldiers.

Why had they kidnapped her? Oh yes, to convince her to work for them, bring down Arthur and Uther. Uther wasn't a good man, but he wasn't evil, like they made him out to be. Unless magic was involved, he ruled quite justly. Anyways, magic would return to Camelot eventually. She could wait. She knew Arthur could be a better King, but only with her help.

Waiting, however, had never come easy to her, no matter how determined she was to keep to it. Draco had responded to her message, but that had been hours ago. She was considering using magic. If something delayed them, if they had been caught themselves... She assessed the scene. Only one magic user, she'd knock out Morgouse as Draco taught her, then take out the rest. She would be the only survivor, and write her own tale for it -

No. There was too much chance of something going wrong. Morgouse was a priestess of the Old Religion, and Morgana wasn't fooling herself into thinking she was matched against that.

Morgouse suddenly shifted, she sensed something. Morgana blinked rapidly as she sensed it too. Magic, and a lot of it.

"Explodimus!"* She heard. Two familiar figures rushed through the newly opened pathway, covered in dust from the exploding wall.

"Draco!" Morgana yelled in surprise. His friend Sirius was there next to him, wielding a long thin stick of wood.

Morgana didn't move, only watching as Morgouse turned to see the intruders. A word from Cenred and fifteen men rushed at her rescuers.

Draco and Sirius were holding their own, but fifteen men on two weren't good odds. When the blunt side of a knife, knocked unconscious, Draco got mad. In one burst of power, he sent the remaining men stumbling back.

From her position, she saw Draco easily blast them into unconsciousness. Then she saw Arthur.

Draco, not noticing the prince, continued to blast Cenred and Morgouse back, too, a bright, visible light glowing in his eyes. They hit the wall with a resounding thump.

Arthur stood, open mouthed. He processed Draco's 'betrayal,' looking around the room with a hurt expression. Morgana saw him draw his sword, so she yelled, "Draco!"

Draco turned around and smiled, relieved, at her, still not seeing Arthur. He easily unlocked her cell, and rushed to hug her. "Are you ok?" She heard him whisper. She didn't have time to reply.

"Get. Away. From. Her." She heard. Arthur stood a few feet behind Draco, sword pointed at his back.

Draco turned, finding Morgana's hand and pushing her behind him. Seeing it was Arthur, he relaxed, until the blond yelled accusingly, "You're a sorcerer!"

Draco grimaced. "It's true. I won't deny it."

Arthur growled. "You betrayed Camelot. We trusted you! Lord Draco, is that even your real name?"

'Draco' winced. "Listen, Arthur..."

Arthur stopped him."Don't call me that. And get away from Morgana, or I'll run you through."

"Listen to me first, yeah?" Draco said very quickly, "Sire, I promise you it was not by any evil nature that I practiced magic. I first did it accidentally, I never had a choice whether to use it or not. I..."

Morgana saw Arthur's stony face. He really would run him through.

Draco must have seen it too, because in a split second he whispered a goodbye, his form turned unsubstantial and Sirius disappeared with a crack.

She looked at Arthur, who gave her a hug. "I can't believe he's a
sorcerer. We trusted him. I think... the King might have even been thinking about having you two marry. I can't believe he was working with Morgouse and Cenred!"

Morgana shook her head. "He wasn't. He came in and blasted them to pieces. Arthur, he..." Morgana stopped. The words Draco said to her drifted back, 'If it hurts you and doesn't even help anybody, why do it?' Draco would be alright. She had to take care of herself, first. "I don't know why either, though. Thank you for saving me, Arthur."


Morgana clutched her book to her, despite being home in Camelot, she wasn't alright. She remembered every moment of that day, having to go home and tell the King that Draco was evil, to when she received a message from Draco. Almost habitually now, she opened the book and read 'Draco's last message.

Dearest Morgana,

If you've looked this far and found this letter, then I apologize to you. There was way more to me leaving like this than Arthur finding out about my Magic, and it wasn't fair to leave you with the impression that you could find me again.

Do you remember what I told you, that if it doesn't help someone than why do it? I didn't realize at the time you were asking about Arthur's possible marriage. Telling everyone about your magic isn't going to help anyone, and certainly not me. I have a few things to tell you. I'm ashamed to say I've lied, and if I haven't lied than I have concealed the truth. My name is actually Harry Potter, and I live in England thousands of years into the future from where you are.

I only concealed my own name because it's rather well known. Harry Potter is known as the Boy-Who-Lived, the one destined by prophecy to defeat Tom Marvolo Riddle. It's not a title I want, nor a destiny I asked for. And under certain circumstances, I would abandon it, to live in Camelot.

Camelot was akin to an escape for me, somewhere that no one had ever heard of Lord Draco, much less Harry Potter. It was somewhere I could be myself, especially with you. I'm sorry for leaving you abruptly, and I'm sorry I'm returning to the future. I want you to enjoy life, because it will be wonderful. When I promised magic returns to the kingdom, I wasn't lying. I know, for an absolute fact that it's true (even though my friends in the future no longer let me read history books.)

I want you to know that being your friend was one of the best things in my life, and even though I can never see you again I'll always remember you.

Harry James Potter

That had been so long ago. So long that she knew Draco- no, Harry's assurances of Albion were not far away. But no matter how many messages she sent, she never got a reply. Merlin and she were working on Arthur about the magic - he was King now, Morgouse had killed the King in a ferocious battle, during which Merlin and she had both seen the other perform magic. They worked together after that, and Merlin had even introduced her to the Last Great Dragon! (Not really the last, anymore. Aithusa, the baby white dragon and she got along famously.) Life was going well here, and everything was turning out for the best. She only wished...

It didn't matter. He never responded, and it was almost impossible to send a message to him.

That didn't stop her from trying.

Word Count: 1473

Does this part make sense? I tried to convey that Morgana was reflecting on the latest episode from a few years later, but it got all jumbled.

*Yes, that is actually proper Latin.

SH