a/n- Please read/review!
Disclaimer: same as ch.1
Corus
Harry was the first to exit the fireplace, followed by Ron, then Hermione. Harry glanced around, but the room he was in looked nothing at all like Ron's kitchen. It contained a king-sized bed made neatly with green blankets and a dresser against one wall. A short woman with rumpled brown hair entered from an adjoining room, a puzzled expression plastered on her face. She was not wearing robes, but brown britches and a white billowy shirt. She started when she saw the three strangers, her hand reaching for a dagger at her waist. She drew the dagger and pointed it at the trio, saying, "You better not try anything funny." They all shook their heads frantically.
A tall man, also wearing britches and a shirt, entered the room and asked, "Buri? Is everything ok?" Seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione, he continued, "What's going on?"
"We.we.we." Harry stammered. "We were using Floo Powder and came out the wrong fireplace. I'm very sorry, we'll leave right away as we have to get to Hogwarts in two days."
"What is all this nonsense! You're not going anywhere," the man said suspiciously. "You break into Buri's rooms and then just expect to be let go?"
"Raoul." the woman, Buri, he had called her, began, but bit her tongue when he looked at her.
The man motioned for the trio to follow him, then turned and strode out of the room, Buri at his heels. Hermione shrugged before following them.
They were led into a small study, where two sofas were positioned at a right angle to each other, a mahogany coffee table between them, laid out with tea for two. Two walls were lined with bookshelves, and a third had a large desk, half piled with papers and books, as well as the doorway they had came through. The fourth wall was bare except for a door and a framed portrait of the lady on horseback, crossbow in hand. The man pointed at one sofa, and the Hogwarts trio sat down. The woman and the man settled themselves on the other.
Raoul opened his mouth, but Buri was quicker. "Before anyone says anything, I would like you," she pointed to Harry, "to explain who you are and what you and your friends are doing here, and why you are wearing those hideous costumes."
Harry said, "It's like I told you earlier. We got here by mistake with Floo Powder. And these aren't costumes, they're our clothes!" he finished indignantly. Then, on an impulse, he asked, "We are still in England, aren't we?"
"I will come to that in a minute," the woman answered. "But you still haven't told me who you are."
Harry sighed exasperatedly. "I am Harry Potter." He shoved aside his bangs, revealing the lightning-shaped scar in the center of his forehead. He waited for that to sink in, but when the woman made no signs of recognition, he thought exasperatedly, Muggles, and continued. "These are my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Buri nodded, then asked rudely, "Now then, what the hell is this England you were talking about?"
"You mean you've never heard of England?" Hermione interrupted.
"Yeah," Ron piped in. "If we're not in England, where are we then?"
"You are in Corus, the capital of Tortall," Raoul's deep voice boomed, silencing them.
"Tortall? There's no such place. I have the entire global map memorized!" protested Hermione.
"Right, there's no Tortall, just like there IS an England," Raoul shot back.
"Children, children," Buri intervened. "Stop quarrelling. It seems to me that this tale is too far-fetched to be false. This is Corus, in the spring of the 20th year of the reign of King Jonathon IV and Queen Thayet, in the year 459 H.E."
"What!" Hermione bristled. "That's impossible. It is 2001, and this is London, and it is FALL!"
Ron nudged Hermione sharply, and she immediately looked sheepish and muttered, "Sorry."
"Now," Buri continued, "Let's just get you some food and some rooms for awhile, until you figure out how to get back to this England of yours." And with that, she swept out the door, the travelers behind her, leaving Raoul dumbfounded in her study.
Corus
Harry was the first to exit the fireplace, followed by Ron, then Hermione. Harry glanced around, but the room he was in looked nothing at all like Ron's kitchen. It contained a king-sized bed made neatly with green blankets and a dresser against one wall. A short woman with rumpled brown hair entered from an adjoining room, a puzzled expression plastered on her face. She was not wearing robes, but brown britches and a white billowy shirt. She started when she saw the three strangers, her hand reaching for a dagger at her waist. She drew the dagger and pointed it at the trio, saying, "You better not try anything funny." They all shook their heads frantically.
A tall man, also wearing britches and a shirt, entered the room and asked, "Buri? Is everything ok?" Seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione, he continued, "What's going on?"
"We.we.we." Harry stammered. "We were using Floo Powder and came out the wrong fireplace. I'm very sorry, we'll leave right away as we have to get to Hogwarts in two days."
"What is all this nonsense! You're not going anywhere," the man said suspiciously. "You break into Buri's rooms and then just expect to be let go?"
"Raoul." the woman, Buri, he had called her, began, but bit her tongue when he looked at her.
The man motioned for the trio to follow him, then turned and strode out of the room, Buri at his heels. Hermione shrugged before following them.
They were led into a small study, where two sofas were positioned at a right angle to each other, a mahogany coffee table between them, laid out with tea for two. Two walls were lined with bookshelves, and a third had a large desk, half piled with papers and books, as well as the doorway they had came through. The fourth wall was bare except for a door and a framed portrait of the lady on horseback, crossbow in hand. The man pointed at one sofa, and the Hogwarts trio sat down. The woman and the man settled themselves on the other.
Raoul opened his mouth, but Buri was quicker. "Before anyone says anything, I would like you," she pointed to Harry, "to explain who you are and what you and your friends are doing here, and why you are wearing those hideous costumes."
Harry said, "It's like I told you earlier. We got here by mistake with Floo Powder. And these aren't costumes, they're our clothes!" he finished indignantly. Then, on an impulse, he asked, "We are still in England, aren't we?"
"I will come to that in a minute," the woman answered. "But you still haven't told me who you are."
Harry sighed exasperatedly. "I am Harry Potter." He shoved aside his bangs, revealing the lightning-shaped scar in the center of his forehead. He waited for that to sink in, but when the woman made no signs of recognition, he thought exasperatedly, Muggles, and continued. "These are my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Buri nodded, then asked rudely, "Now then, what the hell is this England you were talking about?"
"You mean you've never heard of England?" Hermione interrupted.
"Yeah," Ron piped in. "If we're not in England, where are we then?"
"You are in Corus, the capital of Tortall," Raoul's deep voice boomed, silencing them.
"Tortall? There's no such place. I have the entire global map memorized!" protested Hermione.
"Right, there's no Tortall, just like there IS an England," Raoul shot back.
"Children, children," Buri intervened. "Stop quarrelling. It seems to me that this tale is too far-fetched to be false. This is Corus, in the spring of the 20th year of the reign of King Jonathon IV and Queen Thayet, in the year 459 H.E."
"What!" Hermione bristled. "That's impossible. It is 2001, and this is London, and it is FALL!"
Ron nudged Hermione sharply, and she immediately looked sheepish and muttered, "Sorry."
"Now," Buri continued, "Let's just get you some food and some rooms for awhile, until you figure out how to get back to this England of yours." And with that, she swept out the door, the travelers behind her, leaving Raoul dumbfounded in her study.
