Disclaimer: Harry and the gang belong to J.K. Rowling, who rules over
everything. I am a lowly college kid.
Chapter 10: Book of Revelations
Ron awoke in an easy chair in the Gryffindor Common Room early on Christmas morning. He looked around, and was surprised to see a large number of presents lying on the floor at his feet. With all that was going on, he had nearly forgotten about it being Christmas! He attacked the pile at his feet, finding a mismatched pair of socks at the top. Dobby, he thought. House elves never forget a kind deed. There was his regular maroon sweater from his mother, along with some homemade fudge. Hagrid had sent him a long hunting knife with his name etched into the wooden hilt. And Fred and George had sent him.a toilet seat, with a note proclaiming "COMPLIMENTS OF THE MARAUDERS OF HOGWARTS!" Ron grinned at his gifts, and then noticed something strange. There were three small gifts down at the bottom of his pile. The first one was from Hermione.
Ron opened the small package to find a moving picture in a frame. The picture was of Harry, Ron, and Hermione all grinning and waving up at him. Ron smiled and read the small note to him.
"Merry Christmas. We will always be here with you. Love, from Hermione."
Ron quickly turned to the second gift. This one was from Harry. He tore the wrapping off, to find a small glass case, with a badge in the middle. The badge was gold and beautiful, with four words emblazoned on the front: RONALD WEASELY: HEAD BOY. He looked quickly down at the small note to him.
"To us, you always will be. Your best friend, Harry Potter."
Ron fought back his tears, looking at his gifts from his two best friends. He looked down at the gift, which was a simple letter by the look of it, and knew immediately whom it was from. A large paw print was stamped onto the front of the letter: This card was from Sirius.
"Dear Ron, Merry Christmas. I've heard from Dumbledore that you are surprisingly alone this Christmas, so I thought I'd come by and visit. Please be alone in the Common Room at midnight. Your dear friend, Sirius Black."
Ron checked the time. It was ten in the morning. He thought he might as well go looking for Neville, and play in the new snow outside. It was good to have friends, Ron thought. And he knew that he, Harry, and Hermione would always be friends, no matter where they went, and he was happy for their friendship.
Late that night, Ron sat alone in the Common Room, staring into the fire. The book had become very interesting in the last few hours. Harry in Hogsmeade, and the two of them finally beginning to open up to each other. It was about bloody time, thought Ron. If the two of them falling in love took much longer, they will have graduated by the time they finally expressed their feelings. Well, maybe this book had its purposes in bringing both of them in after all.
Ron's thoughts were interrupted by a commotion in the fireplace. "Move OVER, Remus!" Ron heard, followed by the sounds of a punch landing. Through the flames, he saw two heads fighting for a spot. "All right, Sirius, but give me a chance soon." The head in front belonged to Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. He looked different than the last time Ron saw him. Last year, Sirius had moved out of his cave in the mountains and had gone to live in Professor Lupin's flat. And although they were friends, living in such cramped conditions tended to bring out the. colorful side of people. The head behind Sirius belonged to Ron's onetime Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. Lupin looked slightly testy right now, and it appeared that he had lost the battle for the place at the front of the fire.
"Padfoot, Moony, good to see you," Ron said with a small grin. "And Merry Christmas to you both."
"Merry Christmas Ron," they both said. "So, how are things Ron? Been keeping up with your studies? How's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" asked Lupin.
"We could really use you back. Do you know what its like having PERCY teaching me something? It's almost as bad as when Lockhart was here! I hope he decides to take up that new position in the Ministry. So, how's the fight against You-Know-Who?" That question sobered the two up.
"Well, we can't tell you exactly what we're doing, except that we're working hard, and hope to catch him soon. He's a sneaky little bugger, but with a little luck, this might all be over by next Christmas." Sirius smiled. "But that schedule has a lot to do with what's going on with the people inside that book over there."
"Yeah, I don't get it. Why did the book pull them in? They haven't done anything incredibly useful in there. Not yet at least. And why did it pick those two? I mean, I know that they've been falling for each other."
"WHAT!" cried Sirius, causing Lupin to begin chuckling. "You mean you didn't know, Padfoot? Your Harry's godfather, and you don't know?! It was obvious. When I was teaching them."
"Oh, shut up, you flea-magnet!" Sirius yelled. "Well, that is an.interesting development. Perhaps within that lies the reason that both of them were sent. Now that you mention it, they do remind me much of Lily and James. Lily was the brightest girl in our class, but incredibly shy. And James, well, James might have been brave on the Quidditch field, and may have led our little band of Marauders on our nightly escapades, but when it came to women. lets just say he needed bravery of another sort. It took me, Remus, and even Wormtail working together to finally unite them. But when they did, they were a match made in heaven, almost as if the were fated to be together. Believe me, all this might be for the best."
"But it still doesn't explain why they were pulled in to begin with!" yelled Ron. And then he quickly looked around to make sure he hadn't wakened anyone else.
"No, it doesn't," said Sirius, frowning. "From what I can see, Harry has been gaining a lot of physical prowess, almost as if he is in training for something. And I don't like the sound of this Mordred fellow. He sounds like bad news to me. And well, King Arthur seems to be physically pretty weak right now. Put it all together, and I don't know what it means, but it sounds like Camelot's in a heap of trouble. Maybe Harry's there to help fix it. And Hermione, too."
Ron looked into the flames. "You two take care of yourselves," he said. He had been worrying about these two men (and to a lesser degree, Snape) ever since they took up the fight against You-Know-Who. And he did not want either of them to be lost. There was trouble in Hogwarts and Camelot, and Ron only hoped that soon all of his friends would be in the same place.
"And you take care too, young man," said Remus, looking at Ron as a beloved student. "Remember, bravery comes in all forms, not just by fighting wizards. Stay strong for your friends, and that may be one of the bravest things of all."
"Oh, and by the way, before we leave, we brought you a little Christmas cheer," Sirius said with a grin. "Have fun, and keep in contact with us!" And with a small pop, both wizards were gone.but Ron saw something amidst the flames. It was a fiery red tunic. Ron picked it up, and noticed that the shirt had not been burned. It was a fireproof shirt! And tucked inside of the front pocket was a note. "This used to belong to Sirius. From one Marauder to another, Merry Christmas." Ron stood there in the tunic, with the red clashing terribly with his hair, and with his heart full of joy, walked over to the book.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Christmas morning was a cheery event in Camelot Castle, with Harry and Hermione joining into a large snowball fight with a number of children in the grounds outside the castle, followed by an immense lunch in the Great Hall. During the meal, the talk among the knights turned to home.
"I was born and raised in Hogsmeade! Any man who can show me a purer birthright, let him come forth and prove his valor!" cried Sir Cadogan, after downing yet another pint of mead. Throughout the conversation, Harry noticed that Benedicto Malfoy had kept silent, looking pensively into his roast. Harry looked over at Hermione, who looked sadly at the pale young man across from them.
"What about you, Benedicto?" asked Harry. Malfoy looked up, looking as if he wished the subject could be changed. "Well," he started, a small hitch to his voice, "I am from a very old wizarding family, with a long heritage in France. I am the youngest of six children, all of them wizards."
"Yeah, and half of them have gone bad, haven't they Malfoy?" cried Sir Cadogan. "You won't find any such riff-raff in my lineage, let me tell."
"Silence, you old fool!" Benedicto was suddenly up from his seat, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Yes, my brothers and I have gone different ways! Our family crest has been tarnished with the filth of treachery, and many have forgotten the old ways of valor and truth! But I for one shall not take kindly to insults against them. Who here dares defend their family as completely innocent? We all have histories we would rather forget, but I think that it is not as much who we were, as who we come to be!"
Silence filled the room after Malfoy's outburst, leaving all of the knights sitting at the table with looks of shock or embarrassment on their faces. King Arthur finally broke the silence.
"Brother knights, I propose a toast. To our family here!" His hand swept over all at the table. "May our rivalries be small, may the bonds of brotherhood never break, and may all our descendants be so lucky."
"Hear, hear!" cried Harry, Hermione, and all the knights. Benedicto looked with furious pride at the King. Harry had to keep reminding himself that this young man was a Malfoy.
After the meal, most of the knights retired to their chambers for a nice winter's nap, but Harry, Hermione, and Benedicto, feeling restless, decided to go out to the training field. The training field was set up on what would eventually become the Quidditch field, and had an assortment of wooden sticks shaped like swords, and a large archery pitch. Benedicto challenged Harry to a friendly little duel. "Come on, Squire Potter, lets see how good you really are," smiled Malfoy, putting Harry on. As they both chose their weapons, Harry turned to Benedicto. "I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk about your family back there," he said. "I know what its like to have some bad apples in the family tree."
"I am not proud of what my family has done, but I am proud of what I am doing. I came here as a student ten years ago, when I was 17, leaving behind a young wife and unbeknownst to me, a young son. After I graduated, I stayed on with King Arthur after the Time of Sanctuary was begun. In the beginning, he was strong." Benedicto and Harry bowed to one another.
"But after Lancelot and Guenevere were cast out, it seemed as if his power was waning."
"But why would the spell take energy away from the King? He didn't cast it. Merlin did."
"Yes, but part of the spell requires a person to bear the responsibility of the spell. They must keep it strong through their strength. And Arthur (Harry and Benedicto took up their positions) has been keeping the spell strong for five years. I think that when Guenevere left, she took part of his will, his power with her. And that, I think, is why Mordred is trying to go for the throne again."
Harry stopped in mid-swing. "But Arthur said that the Time of Sanctuary was merely an attempt at equality. Why try so hard for this, when Mordred could be so easily defeated with the aid of magic?"
Benedicto took advantage of Harry's lapse to begin a new attack. "Harry, I cannot tell you, for I do not think it would be safe. But you can trust me when I say that Arthur has many reasons for doing what he has done, and leave it at that." With a mighty swing, Benedicto broke Harry's sword in two. "Do you trust me, Squire Harry?"
Harry paused. Trust in a Malfoy? "Yes, Malfoy, I trust you."
Harry and Hermione walked down the darkening corridors after the fight in the courtyard, looking for Merlin. Harry thought he might be able to give some answers about the Time of Sanctuary spell. Harry tried a door on his left, and Hermione tapped his shoulder. "What are you doing," she asked.
Harry realized that this must be one the secret passages. He could see it because of the Eye of Truth he wore. Hermione couldn't see the passages; it just looked like a brick wall to her. Harry was about to tell her this when he froze. It had just hit him. "Come on, Hermione!" Harry yelled, grabbing her by the hand.
They began rushing through the corridors, down stairs, and into the corridor where they had heard the two plotting voices on their first day. Hermione was looking perplexed. "Harry, what are we doing down here? Merlin's room is upstairs!"
Harry pushed open the door to Snape's office, and saw, quite clearly, a door in the wall. Quickly, he ran up to the door and pushed it. With a small squeak, the door opened in on its hinges. Harry and Hermione stared at the entrance for a moment, nodded at each other and proceeded through the passage.
The passage was dark and musty, with cobwebs hanging over much of the ceiling. Harry could feel the floor winding steadily upward, and towards Hogsmeade. But something wasn't right. "Hermione, I thought Arthur said that he knew most of the secret passages in here. How come he didn't know about this one?"
"Well, this is Snape's office in our time. It probably belonged to the potions master back then, too. Arthur probably never saw the inside of that room before he was King."
The trail finally ended at a stone staircase. Harry took the lead, walking up what felt like a mile of stairs before finally coming to a trapdoor with strange runes written on it. Hermione peered at it. "If I'm reading it right, these are the names of previous potions masters. My word, these go back centuries. All the way back to Arsenius Jigger. And-Oh my goodness, the last potions master to put his name in here. Mordred of Camelot!"
Hermione shuddered. "He knows how to get into the castle."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The passage back to the Potion Master's room was taken at a sprint. Harry and Hermione rushed through the hallways, up the stairs and into the throne room, where Arthur, Merlin, and Benedicto were in fervent conversation. Arthur rose as he saw the two approach him. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Arthur, why didn't you tell us that Mordred used to be a teacher here? We found a passage that he could be using to get into the Castle. Through the Potion Master's chamber."
Arthur looked down at them. "I did not know that there was a passage through there. I have found nearly every passage in this castle, but I fear that many of its secrets evade me."
Hermione looked at the King, a mark of distrust on here face. "Why do you continue with the Time of Sanctuary? If Mordred is planning to get into the Castle, and has passages to get in, magic might be able to help protect the grounds."
Arthur looked suddenly tired again. He looked up, opened his mouth, and looked down again. Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your Majesty, it is time for them to know." Arthur looked up, nodded, and rose.
"Harry, Hermione, come with me." They followed, and Arthur led them into the Round Table Room. "Now you must understand that I couldn't tell you this until I was sure I could trust you both, and until you knew enough to understand your relationship to this." Arthur unsheathed his sword, and placed it over a small crack at the base of the table. At the sword's touch, the crack widened and opened, revealing a set of stairs leading down to a small stone table and a shrine with a purple satin curtain over it. He took a deep breath and opened the curtain.
A dazzling light came from the inside of the shrine. It seemed to almost hum with power. A smell of such purity swept over Harry and Hermione that it almost hurt their noses. Finally, the gleaming light dissipated, and they were able to see inside the shrine.
There, resting on a pillow, was a cup. A small, wooden cup, covered with dents and scratches, and bearing one large scratch in the shape of a cross over its upper half. Harry was amazed that a cup such as this could give off so much power. "Why did you want to show us this, Your Majesty?" Harry asked.
"Because," Arthur said, his voice low and reverent, "this is the Holy Grail."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, that's it for now. Merry Christmas, and keep reviewing. More fin to come!
Chapter 10: Book of Revelations
Ron awoke in an easy chair in the Gryffindor Common Room early on Christmas morning. He looked around, and was surprised to see a large number of presents lying on the floor at his feet. With all that was going on, he had nearly forgotten about it being Christmas! He attacked the pile at his feet, finding a mismatched pair of socks at the top. Dobby, he thought. House elves never forget a kind deed. There was his regular maroon sweater from his mother, along with some homemade fudge. Hagrid had sent him a long hunting knife with his name etched into the wooden hilt. And Fred and George had sent him.a toilet seat, with a note proclaiming "COMPLIMENTS OF THE MARAUDERS OF HOGWARTS!" Ron grinned at his gifts, and then noticed something strange. There were three small gifts down at the bottom of his pile. The first one was from Hermione.
Ron opened the small package to find a moving picture in a frame. The picture was of Harry, Ron, and Hermione all grinning and waving up at him. Ron smiled and read the small note to him.
"Merry Christmas. We will always be here with you. Love, from Hermione."
Ron quickly turned to the second gift. This one was from Harry. He tore the wrapping off, to find a small glass case, with a badge in the middle. The badge was gold and beautiful, with four words emblazoned on the front: RONALD WEASELY: HEAD BOY. He looked quickly down at the small note to him.
"To us, you always will be. Your best friend, Harry Potter."
Ron fought back his tears, looking at his gifts from his two best friends. He looked down at the gift, which was a simple letter by the look of it, and knew immediately whom it was from. A large paw print was stamped onto the front of the letter: This card was from Sirius.
"Dear Ron, Merry Christmas. I've heard from Dumbledore that you are surprisingly alone this Christmas, so I thought I'd come by and visit. Please be alone in the Common Room at midnight. Your dear friend, Sirius Black."
Ron checked the time. It was ten in the morning. He thought he might as well go looking for Neville, and play in the new snow outside. It was good to have friends, Ron thought. And he knew that he, Harry, and Hermione would always be friends, no matter where they went, and he was happy for their friendship.
Late that night, Ron sat alone in the Common Room, staring into the fire. The book had become very interesting in the last few hours. Harry in Hogsmeade, and the two of them finally beginning to open up to each other. It was about bloody time, thought Ron. If the two of them falling in love took much longer, they will have graduated by the time they finally expressed their feelings. Well, maybe this book had its purposes in bringing both of them in after all.
Ron's thoughts were interrupted by a commotion in the fireplace. "Move OVER, Remus!" Ron heard, followed by the sounds of a punch landing. Through the flames, he saw two heads fighting for a spot. "All right, Sirius, but give me a chance soon." The head in front belonged to Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. He looked different than the last time Ron saw him. Last year, Sirius had moved out of his cave in the mountains and had gone to live in Professor Lupin's flat. And although they were friends, living in such cramped conditions tended to bring out the. colorful side of people. The head behind Sirius belonged to Ron's onetime Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. Lupin looked slightly testy right now, and it appeared that he had lost the battle for the place at the front of the fire.
"Padfoot, Moony, good to see you," Ron said with a small grin. "And Merry Christmas to you both."
"Merry Christmas Ron," they both said. "So, how are things Ron? Been keeping up with your studies? How's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" asked Lupin.
"We could really use you back. Do you know what its like having PERCY teaching me something? It's almost as bad as when Lockhart was here! I hope he decides to take up that new position in the Ministry. So, how's the fight against You-Know-Who?" That question sobered the two up.
"Well, we can't tell you exactly what we're doing, except that we're working hard, and hope to catch him soon. He's a sneaky little bugger, but with a little luck, this might all be over by next Christmas." Sirius smiled. "But that schedule has a lot to do with what's going on with the people inside that book over there."
"Yeah, I don't get it. Why did the book pull them in? They haven't done anything incredibly useful in there. Not yet at least. And why did it pick those two? I mean, I know that they've been falling for each other."
"WHAT!" cried Sirius, causing Lupin to begin chuckling. "You mean you didn't know, Padfoot? Your Harry's godfather, and you don't know?! It was obvious. When I was teaching them."
"Oh, shut up, you flea-magnet!" Sirius yelled. "Well, that is an.interesting development. Perhaps within that lies the reason that both of them were sent. Now that you mention it, they do remind me much of Lily and James. Lily was the brightest girl in our class, but incredibly shy. And James, well, James might have been brave on the Quidditch field, and may have led our little band of Marauders on our nightly escapades, but when it came to women. lets just say he needed bravery of another sort. It took me, Remus, and even Wormtail working together to finally unite them. But when they did, they were a match made in heaven, almost as if the were fated to be together. Believe me, all this might be for the best."
"But it still doesn't explain why they were pulled in to begin with!" yelled Ron. And then he quickly looked around to make sure he hadn't wakened anyone else.
"No, it doesn't," said Sirius, frowning. "From what I can see, Harry has been gaining a lot of physical prowess, almost as if he is in training for something. And I don't like the sound of this Mordred fellow. He sounds like bad news to me. And well, King Arthur seems to be physically pretty weak right now. Put it all together, and I don't know what it means, but it sounds like Camelot's in a heap of trouble. Maybe Harry's there to help fix it. And Hermione, too."
Ron looked into the flames. "You two take care of yourselves," he said. He had been worrying about these two men (and to a lesser degree, Snape) ever since they took up the fight against You-Know-Who. And he did not want either of them to be lost. There was trouble in Hogwarts and Camelot, and Ron only hoped that soon all of his friends would be in the same place.
"And you take care too, young man," said Remus, looking at Ron as a beloved student. "Remember, bravery comes in all forms, not just by fighting wizards. Stay strong for your friends, and that may be one of the bravest things of all."
"Oh, and by the way, before we leave, we brought you a little Christmas cheer," Sirius said with a grin. "Have fun, and keep in contact with us!" And with a small pop, both wizards were gone.but Ron saw something amidst the flames. It was a fiery red tunic. Ron picked it up, and noticed that the shirt had not been burned. It was a fireproof shirt! And tucked inside of the front pocket was a note. "This used to belong to Sirius. From one Marauder to another, Merry Christmas." Ron stood there in the tunic, with the red clashing terribly with his hair, and with his heart full of joy, walked over to the book.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Christmas morning was a cheery event in Camelot Castle, with Harry and Hermione joining into a large snowball fight with a number of children in the grounds outside the castle, followed by an immense lunch in the Great Hall. During the meal, the talk among the knights turned to home.
"I was born and raised in Hogsmeade! Any man who can show me a purer birthright, let him come forth and prove his valor!" cried Sir Cadogan, after downing yet another pint of mead. Throughout the conversation, Harry noticed that Benedicto Malfoy had kept silent, looking pensively into his roast. Harry looked over at Hermione, who looked sadly at the pale young man across from them.
"What about you, Benedicto?" asked Harry. Malfoy looked up, looking as if he wished the subject could be changed. "Well," he started, a small hitch to his voice, "I am from a very old wizarding family, with a long heritage in France. I am the youngest of six children, all of them wizards."
"Yeah, and half of them have gone bad, haven't they Malfoy?" cried Sir Cadogan. "You won't find any such riff-raff in my lineage, let me tell."
"Silence, you old fool!" Benedicto was suddenly up from his seat, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Yes, my brothers and I have gone different ways! Our family crest has been tarnished with the filth of treachery, and many have forgotten the old ways of valor and truth! But I for one shall not take kindly to insults against them. Who here dares defend their family as completely innocent? We all have histories we would rather forget, but I think that it is not as much who we were, as who we come to be!"
Silence filled the room after Malfoy's outburst, leaving all of the knights sitting at the table with looks of shock or embarrassment on their faces. King Arthur finally broke the silence.
"Brother knights, I propose a toast. To our family here!" His hand swept over all at the table. "May our rivalries be small, may the bonds of brotherhood never break, and may all our descendants be so lucky."
"Hear, hear!" cried Harry, Hermione, and all the knights. Benedicto looked with furious pride at the King. Harry had to keep reminding himself that this young man was a Malfoy.
After the meal, most of the knights retired to their chambers for a nice winter's nap, but Harry, Hermione, and Benedicto, feeling restless, decided to go out to the training field. The training field was set up on what would eventually become the Quidditch field, and had an assortment of wooden sticks shaped like swords, and a large archery pitch. Benedicto challenged Harry to a friendly little duel. "Come on, Squire Potter, lets see how good you really are," smiled Malfoy, putting Harry on. As they both chose their weapons, Harry turned to Benedicto. "I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk about your family back there," he said. "I know what its like to have some bad apples in the family tree."
"I am not proud of what my family has done, but I am proud of what I am doing. I came here as a student ten years ago, when I was 17, leaving behind a young wife and unbeknownst to me, a young son. After I graduated, I stayed on with King Arthur after the Time of Sanctuary was begun. In the beginning, he was strong." Benedicto and Harry bowed to one another.
"But after Lancelot and Guenevere were cast out, it seemed as if his power was waning."
"But why would the spell take energy away from the King? He didn't cast it. Merlin did."
"Yes, but part of the spell requires a person to bear the responsibility of the spell. They must keep it strong through their strength. And Arthur (Harry and Benedicto took up their positions) has been keeping the spell strong for five years. I think that when Guenevere left, she took part of his will, his power with her. And that, I think, is why Mordred is trying to go for the throne again."
Harry stopped in mid-swing. "But Arthur said that the Time of Sanctuary was merely an attempt at equality. Why try so hard for this, when Mordred could be so easily defeated with the aid of magic?"
Benedicto took advantage of Harry's lapse to begin a new attack. "Harry, I cannot tell you, for I do not think it would be safe. But you can trust me when I say that Arthur has many reasons for doing what he has done, and leave it at that." With a mighty swing, Benedicto broke Harry's sword in two. "Do you trust me, Squire Harry?"
Harry paused. Trust in a Malfoy? "Yes, Malfoy, I trust you."
Harry and Hermione walked down the darkening corridors after the fight in the courtyard, looking for Merlin. Harry thought he might be able to give some answers about the Time of Sanctuary spell. Harry tried a door on his left, and Hermione tapped his shoulder. "What are you doing," she asked.
Harry realized that this must be one the secret passages. He could see it because of the Eye of Truth he wore. Hermione couldn't see the passages; it just looked like a brick wall to her. Harry was about to tell her this when he froze. It had just hit him. "Come on, Hermione!" Harry yelled, grabbing her by the hand.
They began rushing through the corridors, down stairs, and into the corridor where they had heard the two plotting voices on their first day. Hermione was looking perplexed. "Harry, what are we doing down here? Merlin's room is upstairs!"
Harry pushed open the door to Snape's office, and saw, quite clearly, a door in the wall. Quickly, he ran up to the door and pushed it. With a small squeak, the door opened in on its hinges. Harry and Hermione stared at the entrance for a moment, nodded at each other and proceeded through the passage.
The passage was dark and musty, with cobwebs hanging over much of the ceiling. Harry could feel the floor winding steadily upward, and towards Hogsmeade. But something wasn't right. "Hermione, I thought Arthur said that he knew most of the secret passages in here. How come he didn't know about this one?"
"Well, this is Snape's office in our time. It probably belonged to the potions master back then, too. Arthur probably never saw the inside of that room before he was King."
The trail finally ended at a stone staircase. Harry took the lead, walking up what felt like a mile of stairs before finally coming to a trapdoor with strange runes written on it. Hermione peered at it. "If I'm reading it right, these are the names of previous potions masters. My word, these go back centuries. All the way back to Arsenius Jigger. And-Oh my goodness, the last potions master to put his name in here. Mordred of Camelot!"
Hermione shuddered. "He knows how to get into the castle."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The passage back to the Potion Master's room was taken at a sprint. Harry and Hermione rushed through the hallways, up the stairs and into the throne room, where Arthur, Merlin, and Benedicto were in fervent conversation. Arthur rose as he saw the two approach him. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Arthur, why didn't you tell us that Mordred used to be a teacher here? We found a passage that he could be using to get into the Castle. Through the Potion Master's chamber."
Arthur looked down at them. "I did not know that there was a passage through there. I have found nearly every passage in this castle, but I fear that many of its secrets evade me."
Hermione looked at the King, a mark of distrust on here face. "Why do you continue with the Time of Sanctuary? If Mordred is planning to get into the Castle, and has passages to get in, magic might be able to help protect the grounds."
Arthur looked suddenly tired again. He looked up, opened his mouth, and looked down again. Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your Majesty, it is time for them to know." Arthur looked up, nodded, and rose.
"Harry, Hermione, come with me." They followed, and Arthur led them into the Round Table Room. "Now you must understand that I couldn't tell you this until I was sure I could trust you both, and until you knew enough to understand your relationship to this." Arthur unsheathed his sword, and placed it over a small crack at the base of the table. At the sword's touch, the crack widened and opened, revealing a set of stairs leading down to a small stone table and a shrine with a purple satin curtain over it. He took a deep breath and opened the curtain.
A dazzling light came from the inside of the shrine. It seemed to almost hum with power. A smell of such purity swept over Harry and Hermione that it almost hurt their noses. Finally, the gleaming light dissipated, and they were able to see inside the shrine.
There, resting on a pillow, was a cup. A small, wooden cup, covered with dents and scratches, and bearing one large scratch in the shape of a cross over its upper half. Harry was amazed that a cup such as this could give off so much power. "Why did you want to show us this, Your Majesty?" Harry asked.
"Because," Arthur said, his voice low and reverent, "this is the Holy Grail."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, that's it for now. Merry Christmas, and keep reviewing. More fin to come!