(If you know it, I don't own it.)

Chapter 25 Just The Beginning

Maugrim let out a howl, his excitement starting to grow. That was too easy. He threw the crown up in the air and let it land on his head. Now the White Witch would surely forgive him. He started running towards the queen's camp.

As he neared, Maugrim knew something wasn't right. He heard yells but not ones of joy. It was more terrified than anything. Slowing down to a mere crawl, the wolf decided to take a peek, just to make sure it would still be ok to show himself. His senses started overtime as he inched his way to the camp, trees and bushes hiding him all the way.

Suddenly, yells and cheers were heard resounding through the wood. The camp got quiet. Within moments Aslan's posse swept through the camp, spreading panic and disorder. There was no competition. Aslan would win.

Just before he turned around and high-tailed it out of there, something golden and huge caught his eye. Looking closer his heart stopped and fell down to his paws. It couldn't be. He was dead. But standing only a few yards away was the Great Lion. Aslan had come.

As Maugrim saw his comrades fall the White Witch emerged. She was yelling orders to her decreasing army. Some listened, but most fled for their lives, but never getting past the edge of the camp alive.

Her Majesty went into action, trying to turn her enemies to stone, but failing horribly. Her arm was shaking so badly Maugrim thought the earth was shaking. Her composer was slipping away as she saw that she was defeated. Her eyes no longer held hate and victory. Instead confusion filled its place.

As she turned around for the first time, she saw Aslan.

"You," she croaked. Then a little more sure of herself, she said, "Let's finish this. If I can kill you once, I can kill you again."

"Did you really kill me?" Aslan countered, a laughing mockery in His voice. "Yes I was dead, but I died willingly, and now I am living again. You can never keep me down. But I can to you."

"Just try doing…" The witch never finished her statement before Aslan killed her in one little movement.

Maugrim knew it was time to leave, and he did, running into the deep of the wood, never looking behind him, the crown still on his head.

( )

The question Susan asked pounded in each of their heads. How could Aslan fail? Not one single heart could completely remove the doubt that was building up.

"Do you not trust me, Susan?" Aslan asked.

Lucy answered. "Can you," she faltered. "Can you save him?"

"What do you think?" responded Aslan.

Lucy took a minute to think over the question. She had once thought that Aslan could do anything, and deep down inside, Lucy believed that still.

"Yes," Lucy said, firmly.

"The heart of a child is the most believable, even when there is only the impossible."

Hermione pulled Ron out of the way as Aslan made His way through, towards Edmund. As she looked at Ron, he held a growing smile. It was an imitation of the one Lucy wore. Peter still looked as if he were going to a hanging. Pansy looked hopeful but Draco looked, well he looked like Draco, cold and stone.

Hermione forced herself to look back. She didn't know what Aslan was going to do. She doubted He could do anything to save Edmund. But that didn't stop the little speck of hope that tried to start a flame.

Aslan looked at Edmund, His eyes grave, but then He smiled. He took in a deep breath and with twinkling eyes, He blew it out at Edmund. For a moment, nothing happened. Another moment came and gone and still nothing happened.

The world seemed so tense at the moment that you could have heard a fly. The moment seemed so thick that you could cut it with a knife, but the moment dragged on and left. And on this moment, Peter's real miracle happened.

Everyone jumped back, even Susan and Pansy, who were standing just in front of Draco, as Edmund gasped for breath. Then he took another large gulpful of air before he started coughing. Everybody stood still, too stunned to think.

"Edmund!" Lucy yelled, falling to the ground beside her brother, her smile too big for her small face.

"Hey! That hurts," groaned Edmund, pushing away Lucy's embrace. Blinking he looked around at all the stunned faces, than to Aslan.

Every bone in his body felt new. His chest didn't feel like a ten ton brick was crushing down on it. His cuts healed, even the deep wound in his stomach. He felt… He didn't know exactly what he felt.

Before Edmund turned away from Aslan, Peter and Susan rushed over, grabbing him in an airless hug. And then he knew. He felt alive.

( )

"And then I jumped out at the beast, the size of that boulder over there," Mr. Beaver was saying, enthusiastically moving his arms and even his tail along with the story, nearly spilling his beer.

"That gave me time to get away," chimed in Mr. Winkle. "Of course I had a plan that I was putting into action."

"The huge beast started to run at me, but I stood my ground…"

"You did not! You ran away into a corner…"

"Alley, it was an alley!"

"A dead end alley."

As the crowd laughed, Mr. Beaver and Mr. Winkle told their story, adding and taking away things as they wished. The squirrels jumped in with their own little revised portion of their story.

Lucy had given a drop of her liquid to every wounded creature, and before long, the entire population of Aslan's Camp was dancing and singing.

Edmund and Ron were the center of attention. Ron because he led the Almost Last Charge, as he called it. And Edmund because of him being alive.

Edmund had been filled in on what had happened, but instead of milking it like normal; he just gave a solemn grin and told everyone to congratulate Aslan. He was leaning against a table, telling the cluster around him his version of the story.

Peter sat at the end of camp, watching everyone else have a great time. He even saw Draco and Pansy dancing and telling their story. But something inside him made him feel out of place. He felt he needed time alone, and in the shadows of the tents, he was.

However, it didn't take long before Starr noticed.

"Your Majesty," he bowed.

"Starr," Peter said, taking a small glance at his friend, "do you ever feel…Oh I don't know."

Star put his hand on Peter's shoulder, gazing at the party before them.

"Overwhelmed?"

Peter looked at Starr for the first time since he'd come. Overwhelmed was the word he was looking for. Everything was scrambled up, out of order and context. He had just been in battle, fighting bulls and leopards. His only brother had been dead, but he was now as alive as could be.

All Peter could do was nod his head.

"It'll all make sense in time. But for the moment, enjoy the celebration." Starr slightly jerked his head towards Edmund, who was scanning the crowd for someone. "He's looking for you."

"Thanks," Peter told Starr as he got up and sauntered over to the festivities.

( )

Most everyone had settled down and about half were already asleep. The party had been great, and hearing everyone tell their tail was even better, especially if you asked Mr. Beaver and Mr. Winkle. Their story changed every time they told it.

Peter had joined in after dark but by the time the moon was high in the sky he was having a blast. Pansy had gotten him to dance since Draco was too busy telling how he fought off a giant troll. Susan and Ron had been pushed onto the dance floor by Lucy and it was all too clear Hermione hadn't liked it one bit.

Looking back at only a few hours ago, Edmund looked up at the sky. He had died that day, but like Aslan, the witch just couldn't keep her victims dead.

He hugged Lucy tighter to him as she shivered lightly from the wind. Susan scooted closer to block Lucy from the cold. Edmund couldn't help but think she just wanted a reason to be close to him. Being protective was one thing, but making sure he didn't trip over his own two feet was another.

He looked over to the sleeping trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. There were only four thrones, but there was twice as many humans. They couldn't all be king and queen, could they? Glancing towards the other two Hogwarts students, he bet Draco was thinking the same thing.

Who would be crowned at Chair Paravel and who wouldn't?

( )

The ceremony was great, the food was excellent, and the loathing look in Draco's eyes made the day perfect. Ron couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. He looked at the High King of Narnia, King Peter the Magnificent and King Edmund the Just, the other King of Narnia. The Queens of Narnia were Queen Susan the Gentle and Queen Lucy the Valiant. However, there was no King Draco the Something-or-Another.

Instead of being crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia, the Hogwarts students were knighted into knighthood and became Sir Harry, Sir Ronald, although the last part of his name, the Brave could be debated and Sir Draco. The girls were the same way, Sir Hermione and Sir Pansy, although Ron couldn't see how 'Sir' was a better title than Madam or something more girly.

"I am so excited!" squealed Hermione. "I'm a Knight of Narnia!"

"We're all Knights of Narnia," Harry said, sounding almost as excited.

The Knights of Narnia had decided to take a stroll along the beach below Chair Paravel. At least that was the proper name for such people of their status. They really were having fun at the beach.

"I don't see why they should be crowned Kings of Narnia!" scoffed Draco. "They're Muggles!"

"There's a reason," persisted Pansy, for the one thousandth time.

"What then?"

"Well, for starters, more people will want to murder the Kings and Queens, not the Knights, if Narnia were to be invaded."

Ron chuckled. "Hate to tell you, mate, but we'd be the first to go since our job is to defend the Kings and Queens if Narnia were under attack."

Pansy shot Ron a glare, almost as good as Hermione.

"Hey!" Harry yelled, "There's a cave. C'mon!"

It didn't take long before they were inside the cave. They couldn't see very well since it was so dark, but Ron was sure it didn't have any buried pirate's treasure. What a waste of a cave.

"What's this?"

Ron turned around to see Hermione slip between two massive rocks that almost reached the roof of the cave. Shrugging at Harry, Ron followed. What he saw on the other side made him stop in his tracks, nearly bumping Hermione.

"A, guys," Ron yelled, "You might wanna check this out."

Of course that made Draco and Pansy push their way through before Harry, and in their hurry, knocking down Hermione and Ron.

"Draco, why is there a forest inside a cave?" Pansy asked pleasantly.

"Only one way to find out," Harry said, with a grin, "Let's go."

Looking up, Ron realized they weren't inside the cave anymore. The sky was blue and cloudless, and the light breeze felt wonderful on this warm summer day. Birds chirped and the trees swayed.

Suddenly they came out onto a clearing where the trees stopped but the grass went rolling along. As they went along their way, they couldn't help but think there was something familiar about this place. The way everything was placed reminded them of something. That something popped out at them.

A lamppost.

"Wait, I know this place!" yelled Pansy excitedly and she ran forward, leading the way back into the wood on the other side of the clearing.

She pushed back branches and stepped on the over brush that was interfering with her route. She weaved her way this way and that, trying to stay on a straight path. The closer they got to Pansy's destination, the faster she went. This way, that way, jump over this rock, duck under the low branches. Then right in front of them, right in the middle of the wood was the wardrobe.

"Wow, I nearly forgot about this," mumbled Harry.

Pansy turned around, a triumphant smile plastered on her face.

"See, Draco," she mused, "There's a reason we weren't crowned kings and queens. See? We're going home."

Draco grinned. "Wait till I tell Professor Snape you were in the Staff Room."

"You were in there too!" Hermione pointed out.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped into the wardrobe after Pansy.

Harry gave a half hearted grin and followed suit. Soon the tree branches turned into each other scrambling to get out of the wardrobe. Pansy pushed open the door and the five of them fell out.

"What is the meaning of this?" came an all too familiar voice.

Looking up, all five saw Professor Snape glaring down on them. Crabbe and Goyle looked pleased with themselves, a smirk on each of their faces.

"Stand up," snapped Snape.

The five children hastily stood up. They had their wands back, just as if they've always had them. They were no longer wearing their fancy knighthood clothing that Ron despised half the time he wore it. They also no longer had their weapons on them. His tomahawk was gone. So was Harry's flail.

"Fifty points off both Slytherin and Gryffindor for each of you," Professor Snape said in his monotone.

"But, Sir, we have one more person then they do," Hermione tried to reason.

"Not really. Slytherin has both Crabbe and Goyle," Ron said.

Professor Snape sighed deeply, as thought he was trying his absolute hardest not to turn Mr. Weasley into something unnatural.

"One hundred off Slytherin, two hundred for Gryffindor."

"You mean, one hundred and fifty," corrected Hermione.

"No," Snape drawled. "I mean two hundred for your House, unless you wish to lose more."

Hermione locked her jaw so she wouldn't say anything else to make Snape take more points off.

"Now out!" Snape said, pointing towards the door.

The five of them couldn't get out soon enough. As they headed to their House common room Draco swirled around, facing Harry, mere inches apart.

"This doesn't change anything, Potter," he spat. Then he spun on his heels and left.

"I wonder if we'll ever get to go back to Narnia," Ron wondered aloud. "I miss my tomahawk."

As they wound their way up the stairs to their common house Mrs. McGonagall was up at the top to meet them. Her stern face didn't make the three any happier.

"I've been looking all over for you three," she said, her eyes accusing each one. "Where have you been?" At their silence she added, "You haven't gotten yourselves in trouble have you, Mr. Potter?"

"Trouble?" Harry asked, wondering what to tell her.

"Yes, trouble. Professor Snape told me you were in the wardrobe in the staff room. Is that correct?"

The three nodded.

"Then I must ask this. What on Earth were you doing in there?"

Smiles spread across three faces. They wouldn't tell her, at least not now. No one would believe them anyway.

"Just saving the world, that's all," Ron said, and the three of them scooted past McGonagall and into their common house.

Por Fin