Ch 4- The Crowning Achievement
Yet another reminder. If I were the creator/owner of these characters, I would not be stuck in college. I would be out on Broadway or in movies. C'est La Vie
"King Arthur", Sir Cadogan pronounced, as he stooped into a low bow. The result of his words were instantaneous. Harry and Hermione both gasped. THE King Arthur!! Harry stooped low, imitating Sir Cadogan's bow. Hermione, for lack of anything better to do, tried to do the same, but was tripped up by her skirt. She went sprawling across the hard ground.
The King, still immobile on his throne, gave no impression of having seen anything out of the ordinary. Harry noticed that his eyes had gone to the back of the room, where there stood:
A wizard? How had Harry not noticed this man before? He was dressed in long wizard's robes, with dark blue stars and owls embroidered everywhere. He had long white hair, a beard to rival Dumbledore's, and eyes that sparkled with intelligence and sympathy. He met Arthur's gaze, nodded simply, and returned to his motionless state at the back wall. Arthur at last, spoke:
"My dear knight, thank you ever so much for discovering my new squire. He must have gotten lost upon entering the castle. Didn't you." Harry quickly mouthed his name.
"Harry. Harry and his.servant girl." Hermione looked mildly shocked but since he seemed to be trying to help, and due to the fact that this was a king, she did not respond.
"I know that I ordered a decree that those who practice magic on this sacred ground are to be executed, but due to the innocence of these two, I pardon them." Harry suddenly understood what Arthur was doing, although he still didn't understand why. A look over at Hermione confirmed she was as clueless as he was.
"Thank you ever so much, sir Cadogan. You have again proven yourself a loyal and trustworthy knight. Now please, I would like to begin my squire's training. You may be gone." Sir Cadogan bowed and marched out the door, pompous as ever.
As the King spoke, Harry listened to the sound of his voice. It was low, a few earmarks above a whisper, but when he spoke it was with absolute authority. There was also something that could only be described as an unrepressed sadness. He sounded like there had been so much misery laid upon his head that even speaking was rendered difficult.
In the moments of silence that followed, Harry tried to think of where to begin. "Urm. Your Highness, thank you for saving us from execution just then."
"I did nothing of the sort," Arthur said, and bitterness was etched in every word of his speech like the scar underneath his neck. "You, young man, are in very serious trouble. The only thing that saved you was Merlin."
Harry whipped around as he heard the swishing of a cloak and saw the wizard, who had to be Merlin (he looked just like his Chocolate Frog's trading card), and saw him come and stand behind the King.
" I trust him, and he said to spare you and your friend." Harry noticed the disgust was at its highest degree when talking about Hermione. What doesn't he like about her?
"Now, where are you from, Harry?"
"Urm. I'm not sure I could answer that. Because I came from here, except here was then, not now." Harry marveled at how little sense this last sentence made.
"Well, Harry, the here you are from is much different than the here of now. I made a decree, five years ago now, that no magic was to be performed on the grounds of Camelot."
"Don't you mean Hogwarts, Your Majesty?" asked Hermione. This question brought about a different shift in the conversation than either Harry or Hermione could have expected.
"NEVER. EVER. UTTER THAT NAME IN. MY.PRESENCE!!" Hermione and Harry trembled as the King's anger flooded over the both of them. Arthur looked on the verge of unsheathing the sword he wore at his side, and Harry feared he had changed his mind about the execution. But, as quickly as it had come, King Arthur's anger faded. A look of deep sadness flooded his eyes.
"Leave me be, Squire Harry, and take HER with you. I place them in your hands, Merlin."
Arthur motioned the wizard close, and whispered something in his ear. Merlin looked greatly pained at what he heard, but nodded.
"Come along," Merlin said, in a voice uncannily like Dumbledore's. "It will be all right. Mr. Potter."
Harry started. How did he know my name? Hermione looked just as confused, but neither of them said a word until they had bowed themselves out of the Great Hall, and began a march up the stairs. Harry and Hermione then both opened their mouths at the same time, about to bring their questions to light.
"Before you begin," said Merlin, without looking back, "I should tell you that I have been given strict instructions over what I may answer, and what you must not know, at this time."
"Do you know who we are, and where we are from?" Asked Hermione. "My dear Ms. Granger, of course I know who you both are. I brought you here."
"How?" asked Hermione.
"Why?" asked Harry.
Merlin grinned. I'm afraid that I can answer neither of those two at the moment. Both of them require knowledge that must be earned to be understood. I pray you pardon me."
"Why is magic forbidden at Hogwa. at Camelot?" asked Harry.
Merlin paused. "I will tell you what Arthur told all his subjects. While the City of Camelot, what you know as Hogsmeade, may still practice magic, the Castle had become void of all magic. The castle is now a place of Sanctuary, and all those who have come into here have sworn an oath to never practice magic again, so long as they are on its grounds."
"But why?" Asked both Harry and Hermione.
"I'm afraid that the reason behind his order has been forbidden."
"But. if magic was forbidden, what did that door into the castle do, then?" Hermione asked, and Harry wondered why he hadn't seen that.
"Ahh. that was a bit of my doing. In order to make sure that no one but those under the power of their oath could enter Camelot, Arthur had me enchant the grounds, to make it impossible to perform magic here, without my express direction. I am the only one on the grounds permitted to do magic. This is an ancient magic, known only as the Time of Sanctuary, where only the caster may perform spells. Now, I suggest you get out of those wet, and into something more acclimated to the times." Merlin began in a direction that would take him to what Harry knew as Dumbledore's office.
"Merlin!" Harry called after him. Merlin turned to show he heard. "Why doesn't the King seem to like Hermione?"
Merlin paused, as if considering what category this question fell under. "She. brings memories of another. Good day, Mr. Potter. Ms. Granger, good day."
And with that, Merlin was gone, and Harry and Hermione were alone, left to contemplate the events of the last few hours.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A note to all who read: I was hoping that when I wrote these, people might just read them. If you are, but not reviewing, please do! I implore you!!
Yet another reminder. If I were the creator/owner of these characters, I would not be stuck in college. I would be out on Broadway or in movies. C'est La Vie
"King Arthur", Sir Cadogan pronounced, as he stooped into a low bow. The result of his words were instantaneous. Harry and Hermione both gasped. THE King Arthur!! Harry stooped low, imitating Sir Cadogan's bow. Hermione, for lack of anything better to do, tried to do the same, but was tripped up by her skirt. She went sprawling across the hard ground.
The King, still immobile on his throne, gave no impression of having seen anything out of the ordinary. Harry noticed that his eyes had gone to the back of the room, where there stood:
A wizard? How had Harry not noticed this man before? He was dressed in long wizard's robes, with dark blue stars and owls embroidered everywhere. He had long white hair, a beard to rival Dumbledore's, and eyes that sparkled with intelligence and sympathy. He met Arthur's gaze, nodded simply, and returned to his motionless state at the back wall. Arthur at last, spoke:
"My dear knight, thank you ever so much for discovering my new squire. He must have gotten lost upon entering the castle. Didn't you." Harry quickly mouthed his name.
"Harry. Harry and his.servant girl." Hermione looked mildly shocked but since he seemed to be trying to help, and due to the fact that this was a king, she did not respond.
"I know that I ordered a decree that those who practice magic on this sacred ground are to be executed, but due to the innocence of these two, I pardon them." Harry suddenly understood what Arthur was doing, although he still didn't understand why. A look over at Hermione confirmed she was as clueless as he was.
"Thank you ever so much, sir Cadogan. You have again proven yourself a loyal and trustworthy knight. Now please, I would like to begin my squire's training. You may be gone." Sir Cadogan bowed and marched out the door, pompous as ever.
As the King spoke, Harry listened to the sound of his voice. It was low, a few earmarks above a whisper, but when he spoke it was with absolute authority. There was also something that could only be described as an unrepressed sadness. He sounded like there had been so much misery laid upon his head that even speaking was rendered difficult.
In the moments of silence that followed, Harry tried to think of where to begin. "Urm. Your Highness, thank you for saving us from execution just then."
"I did nothing of the sort," Arthur said, and bitterness was etched in every word of his speech like the scar underneath his neck. "You, young man, are in very serious trouble. The only thing that saved you was Merlin."
Harry whipped around as he heard the swishing of a cloak and saw the wizard, who had to be Merlin (he looked just like his Chocolate Frog's trading card), and saw him come and stand behind the King.
" I trust him, and he said to spare you and your friend." Harry noticed the disgust was at its highest degree when talking about Hermione. What doesn't he like about her?
"Now, where are you from, Harry?"
"Urm. I'm not sure I could answer that. Because I came from here, except here was then, not now." Harry marveled at how little sense this last sentence made.
"Well, Harry, the here you are from is much different than the here of now. I made a decree, five years ago now, that no magic was to be performed on the grounds of Camelot."
"Don't you mean Hogwarts, Your Majesty?" asked Hermione. This question brought about a different shift in the conversation than either Harry or Hermione could have expected.
"NEVER. EVER. UTTER THAT NAME IN. MY.PRESENCE!!" Hermione and Harry trembled as the King's anger flooded over the both of them. Arthur looked on the verge of unsheathing the sword he wore at his side, and Harry feared he had changed his mind about the execution. But, as quickly as it had come, King Arthur's anger faded. A look of deep sadness flooded his eyes.
"Leave me be, Squire Harry, and take HER with you. I place them in your hands, Merlin."
Arthur motioned the wizard close, and whispered something in his ear. Merlin looked greatly pained at what he heard, but nodded.
"Come along," Merlin said, in a voice uncannily like Dumbledore's. "It will be all right. Mr. Potter."
Harry started. How did he know my name? Hermione looked just as confused, but neither of them said a word until they had bowed themselves out of the Great Hall, and began a march up the stairs. Harry and Hermione then both opened their mouths at the same time, about to bring their questions to light.
"Before you begin," said Merlin, without looking back, "I should tell you that I have been given strict instructions over what I may answer, and what you must not know, at this time."
"Do you know who we are, and where we are from?" Asked Hermione. "My dear Ms. Granger, of course I know who you both are. I brought you here."
"How?" asked Hermione.
"Why?" asked Harry.
Merlin grinned. I'm afraid that I can answer neither of those two at the moment. Both of them require knowledge that must be earned to be understood. I pray you pardon me."
"Why is magic forbidden at Hogwa. at Camelot?" asked Harry.
Merlin paused. "I will tell you what Arthur told all his subjects. While the City of Camelot, what you know as Hogsmeade, may still practice magic, the Castle had become void of all magic. The castle is now a place of Sanctuary, and all those who have come into here have sworn an oath to never practice magic again, so long as they are on its grounds."
"But why?" Asked both Harry and Hermione.
"I'm afraid that the reason behind his order has been forbidden."
"But. if magic was forbidden, what did that door into the castle do, then?" Hermione asked, and Harry wondered why he hadn't seen that.
"Ahh. that was a bit of my doing. In order to make sure that no one but those under the power of their oath could enter Camelot, Arthur had me enchant the grounds, to make it impossible to perform magic here, without my express direction. I am the only one on the grounds permitted to do magic. This is an ancient magic, known only as the Time of Sanctuary, where only the caster may perform spells. Now, I suggest you get out of those wet, and into something more acclimated to the times." Merlin began in a direction that would take him to what Harry knew as Dumbledore's office.
"Merlin!" Harry called after him. Merlin turned to show he heard. "Why doesn't the King seem to like Hermione?"
Merlin paused, as if considering what category this question fell under. "She. brings memories of another. Good day, Mr. Potter. Ms. Granger, good day."
And with that, Merlin was gone, and Harry and Hermione were alone, left to contemplate the events of the last few hours.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A note to all who read: I was hoping that when I wrote these, people might just read them. If you are, but not reviewing, please do! I implore you!!