a/n- Finally! Another chapter! Sorry about the ::ahem:: one year wait, I
sorta got sidetracked. anyways, it's summer and I had some time on my
hands, and I found this story unfinished so I decided to write some more
again. : )
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, only the plot is mine.
Lady Alanna
As the Hogwarts trio crossed the threshold to Alanna's apartments, they looked around in wonder. Everything in the room seemed to glitter, to have an independent yearning to be used and touched. They followed Alanna, Keladry, and Cleon through the first room, which appeared to be a living room, and into a study area. Alanna sat down in one of the many chairs perched around the room, and motioned for the other three to follow suit.
This was the first real chance they had had to study Alanna. She was on the short side, with bright red hair tumbling in curls. Her eyes were unlike anything any of them had seen before, with their exuberant violet color. Overall, Alanna had a commanding presence, but not lacking a softer side.
"As Buri told you, my name is Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, also called the Lioness, but please, just call me Alanna. All the long chivalrous titles and such make me think in circles." She grinned to herself before continuing. "As long as you remain in Tortall, however long that may be, you will be welcome to stay here. However, I am sure you are anxious to get back to your homes."
"Thank you for your generous offer, Alanna, but you are right when you say we want to get back. Even if only because we have to catch the Hogwarts Express in two days to go to school," Hermione explained.
"Well, then, we need to find a way to get you back. How did you say you got here?"
"Floo powder." At Alanna's obvious confusion, Harry continued explaining. "You throw it in the fire and call out your destination, then step into the flames, and when you step back out you are there. We were in Diagon Alley shopping and tried to get back to Ron's house, but somehow we got here instead."
Alanna nodded, and suggested that they try using floo powder again now and try to get back. As they approached the merrily crackling fire in Alanna's study, Ron reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of silvery powder, and heaved it into the fire. He yelled, "The Burrow!" but nothing happened. The fire usually changed in some way, be it size, color, or something else when floo powder was added, but it seemed unaffected. Ron was puzzled, but Hermione didn't seem too surprised. "Well, of course this fireplace isn't connected to the network." For the benefit of the Tortallans, she explained, "Wizarding fireplaces are connected to the floo network, which means that they can be accessed by floo powder. The network is supposed to prevent something like this happening, so wizards don't end up in a Muggle fireplace."
Alanna had been silent throughout Ron and Hermione's explanations, but now she spoke up. "Do you know how to get a fire connected to your network?"
Ron nodded. "My father works for the ministry, he connected Harry's uncle's fire on time temporarily, but I'm not exactly sure how. If we had some way of getting word to my family, my dad could maybe get us hooked up. But. how do we contact them?"
"Owl?" Harry wondered aloud.
"Yes, that's it!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. She turned to Alanna. "Do you know where there are any owls around here? That is how we send mail at home, maybe it will work here too."
"I'm sure there are a few in the menagerie. Let's go there now," Alanna answered.
**************************
"Daine!" Alanna cried as she led Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the large airy courtyard. Everywhere they looked, there were beautiful and magnificent animals, some they had never seen before. At Alanna's yell, they looked at the subject of her words. A cheerful young woman turned from the deer she was working with to face them, loose brown curls framing her face. Her eyes were a bluish color flecked with grey. "Daine," Alanna asked, "do you know of any owls around here?"
If Daine thought the request was an odd one, she didn't mention it. Instead, she simply turned back to the deer, told him, "Be good, I'll be right back," and facing Alanna again, nodded. She started walking away, and Alanna, Ron, Harry, and Hermione followed. Before long they came to a great cage teeming with birds of all kinds. Daine beckoned three owls to come to her, and they perched on her arms and shoulders as she stroked them affectionately. Ron fished out from his pockets the letter to his family he had taken a moment to compose before they left Alanna's apartments, which basically just explained what had happened, told them they were alright, and requested the fireplace be added to the floo network. He walked over to the owls and held up the rolled letter, hoping that at least one of them would recognize it. For a few seconds his heart sank, and he earnestly thought of the dismay his mother must be in right now and wished with all his heart that they were back home instead of here in this strange realm. But then he was lifted out of his reverie as hesitantly, one of the owls offered her leg to Ron. He gently tied the letter on and grinned as the owl flew away. Behind him, Hermione and Harry were also very excited. Alanna and Daine smiled at each other knowingly, then Alanna said, "It's starting to get dark. I'll show you the way back to your rooms." The three students thanked Daine profusely, and once again followed the surprising lady knight.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, only the plot is mine.
Lady Alanna
As the Hogwarts trio crossed the threshold to Alanna's apartments, they looked around in wonder. Everything in the room seemed to glitter, to have an independent yearning to be used and touched. They followed Alanna, Keladry, and Cleon through the first room, which appeared to be a living room, and into a study area. Alanna sat down in one of the many chairs perched around the room, and motioned for the other three to follow suit.
This was the first real chance they had had to study Alanna. She was on the short side, with bright red hair tumbling in curls. Her eyes were unlike anything any of them had seen before, with their exuberant violet color. Overall, Alanna had a commanding presence, but not lacking a softer side.
"As Buri told you, my name is Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, also called the Lioness, but please, just call me Alanna. All the long chivalrous titles and such make me think in circles." She grinned to herself before continuing. "As long as you remain in Tortall, however long that may be, you will be welcome to stay here. However, I am sure you are anxious to get back to your homes."
"Thank you for your generous offer, Alanna, but you are right when you say we want to get back. Even if only because we have to catch the Hogwarts Express in two days to go to school," Hermione explained.
"Well, then, we need to find a way to get you back. How did you say you got here?"
"Floo powder." At Alanna's obvious confusion, Harry continued explaining. "You throw it in the fire and call out your destination, then step into the flames, and when you step back out you are there. We were in Diagon Alley shopping and tried to get back to Ron's house, but somehow we got here instead."
Alanna nodded, and suggested that they try using floo powder again now and try to get back. As they approached the merrily crackling fire in Alanna's study, Ron reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of silvery powder, and heaved it into the fire. He yelled, "The Burrow!" but nothing happened. The fire usually changed in some way, be it size, color, or something else when floo powder was added, but it seemed unaffected. Ron was puzzled, but Hermione didn't seem too surprised. "Well, of course this fireplace isn't connected to the network." For the benefit of the Tortallans, she explained, "Wizarding fireplaces are connected to the floo network, which means that they can be accessed by floo powder. The network is supposed to prevent something like this happening, so wizards don't end up in a Muggle fireplace."
Alanna had been silent throughout Ron and Hermione's explanations, but now she spoke up. "Do you know how to get a fire connected to your network?"
Ron nodded. "My father works for the ministry, he connected Harry's uncle's fire on time temporarily, but I'm not exactly sure how. If we had some way of getting word to my family, my dad could maybe get us hooked up. But. how do we contact them?"
"Owl?" Harry wondered aloud.
"Yes, that's it!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. She turned to Alanna. "Do you know where there are any owls around here? That is how we send mail at home, maybe it will work here too."
"I'm sure there are a few in the menagerie. Let's go there now," Alanna answered.
**************************
"Daine!" Alanna cried as she led Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the large airy courtyard. Everywhere they looked, there were beautiful and magnificent animals, some they had never seen before. At Alanna's yell, they looked at the subject of her words. A cheerful young woman turned from the deer she was working with to face them, loose brown curls framing her face. Her eyes were a bluish color flecked with grey. "Daine," Alanna asked, "do you know of any owls around here?"
If Daine thought the request was an odd one, she didn't mention it. Instead, she simply turned back to the deer, told him, "Be good, I'll be right back," and facing Alanna again, nodded. She started walking away, and Alanna, Ron, Harry, and Hermione followed. Before long they came to a great cage teeming with birds of all kinds. Daine beckoned three owls to come to her, and they perched on her arms and shoulders as she stroked them affectionately. Ron fished out from his pockets the letter to his family he had taken a moment to compose before they left Alanna's apartments, which basically just explained what had happened, told them they were alright, and requested the fireplace be added to the floo network. He walked over to the owls and held up the rolled letter, hoping that at least one of them would recognize it. For a few seconds his heart sank, and he earnestly thought of the dismay his mother must be in right now and wished with all his heart that they were back home instead of here in this strange realm. But then he was lifted out of his reverie as hesitantly, one of the owls offered her leg to Ron. He gently tied the letter on and grinned as the owl flew away. Behind him, Hermione and Harry were also very excited. Alanna and Daine smiled at each other knowingly, then Alanna said, "It's starting to get dark. I'll show you the way back to your rooms." The three students thanked Daine profusely, and once again followed the surprising lady knight.
