The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 19: Breaking Windows ... and Repairing Them.
JudgeDP
Author's Note: I am so sorry! I meant to update weeks ago but then my friend dragged me on stage for the cuts for the dance we've been working on in dance class for over a month now and my teacher actually put me in the show. Can you believe that? What happened to the universe where I could not dance? I know it was here in 2001 but something about 2002 made it go away. Anyway, the show is over now so I should be able to update more now, but because of it I can promise you that I will not meet my goal of finishing this story or "Modern Times Are So Medieval" by summer vacation. This chapter is like two in one (maybe three) to make up for the lateness. It gets kind of fluffy towards the end, you have been warned.
"Hello, my name is Archanes, I am the master of this castle," Archanes said, introducing himself to John and Lucile. The two bowed or curtsied as was apropriet. "If they have not already told you so, these are two of my four pupils: Godric and Helga."
"We know sir," said Lucile, "Salazar and Rowena told us."
"I see, well you will not be seeing them for quite some time, that is if you decide to stay."
"Why not?" asked Helga. She and Godric were standing behind the two nobles and it was slightly obvious that Helga's pressence alone was keeping Godric from speaking.
"They have gone on a mission as it were, to ensure the well-being of the future, Adolf has gone with them. Now! I think it is time we ate, three of us have had a rather long ride and it is time for some food!" With that Archanes turned around and began making his way to the Great Hall, the four following.
"I can't believe this," raved Godric that night. He and Helga were in the latter's main room, she patching a few clothes which had become torn, he pacing about like a lion in a zoo.
"That your old friends are back, that Salazar and Rowena were sent off before we even got a chance to say 'hello' or both?" asked Helga, not once looking up.
"The last one, definately."
"Well, if you ask me I do not trust that John fellow anywhere near this castle or anything for that matter but Lucile just seems to be some naive little girl dragged into some nobles' game."
"You mean like you were?"
"There were no games involved where I was concerned and I am going to pretend I did not hear that. As for Salazar and Rowena I do miss them both terribly but Archanes must have had a good reason for sending them off like that. All we can do is wait and hope he tells us why eventually. Now sit down, you're wearing a hole in the floor."
"But-"
"Now!" Helga ordered, finally looking up from her sewing.
Godric sat down and couldn't help but think that she was very beautiful when she was angry.
"This is getting weird," said John. He and Lucile were in much the same position as Helga and Godric, the male pacing about while the female sewed, but here Lucile was working on her embroidery and John was close to a mad rage.
"What is?" Lucile asked timidly.
"Everything!" John came and stod before her, getting closer every second until he was grasping the arms of her chair. "First we come here and are fed nothing but lies, then Keith is killed by his own cousin and those two try to make up for their trechery by telling us even more lies! Now Godric and that girl of his show up with this castle's 'real' owner just as Salazar and Rowena disappear! Don't you see? They're trying to trick us."
"Why?" asked Lucile, her voice thick with fear.
"Because they want us dead, that way there will be no one left who knows what is really going on here."
"What?"
"That they killed the original owner of this castle, a baron or something, and took it for themselves."
"It doesn't make any sense though."
"Of course not, they are using their dark powers to cloud your mind. It's not working on me because I've been fighting it from the beginning, but you lowered your guard."
Lucile was silent, she could see the madness in John's eyes. She had long wondered if he was really on this quest to bring Godric home, now she felt she knew the truth.
"I can see you believe me," John said, calmer now, "you cannot tell anyone that you know, this must be a secret, otherwise they will not hesitate to kill you and I will not be able to protect you."
Lucile nodded.
"Good." said John leaning down to give her a long, fierce kiss that left her more violated than anything else. With that he left her rooms.
A large vortex opened up in Archanes' office later that night, admitting Adolf to medieval times once more.
"I take it they have been deposited at the school?" asked Archanes.
"I left them at the train station, they should be able to make it from there," the werewolf answered with a yawn. "Please tell me you haven't eaten already, I'm starved."
"I knew you would be old friend, there should be a steaming plate of food in your chambers." Both friends knew that they were not Adolf's chambers but the guest rooms that Adolf used when Archanes needed him for some extensive work.
"Thank you Archanes." The werewolf made his way for the door only to be stopped by his friend's voice.
"Adolf?"
"Yes?"
"They weren't terribly mad at me were they?"
"They were to intrigued to be mad."
"Oh, thank you."
"Anytime."
A hooded figure stalked the halls of the old castle just after the witching hour had ended. He stumbled along with grim purpose, obviously not used to such acts of night. On the third floor a little snake crossed his path, almost making it cry out, but the figure bit its tongue just in time. When he finally reached his destination he was afraid to go in but finally did only to be greeted by the welcoming yellows and blacks of Helga's rooms. Helga aparently, was up reading to her calla lilies.
"Yes?" asked the girl, turning on her foot stool to see her visitor. "Who are you?" Helga said, her tone harsher than before. Behind her rain pelted down the window and a crash of thunder and lightening reflected her sudden change in mood.
"It's me," said the figure, removing his hood to reveal Lucile's tear streaked face.
"Lucile what's worng?"
"It's John, he's going to kill Godric."
Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just kiddin'! I almost left it off there, but this story's gettin' pretty darn long and I would like to make the chapters as long as I can so that I don't end up with like fifty. Here you go!
"I knew there was something I didn't like about him!" Helga said, rising to her feet with such force that the foot stool went tumbling into one of the planters. The girl immedietly turned back to her plants saying, "It's all right, everything will be fine." She marched over to the noble girl and sat her down in a big comfy chair explaining, "Plants are very simple creatures, but very sensative too. Now tell me why you think John is going to kill Godric."
When Lucile had finished her tale Helga sat thinking for a moment. "Insane, hm? Well the last madman we had in this castle was probably its last owner and the only one who was here for that was Archanes. Come on." Helga got up and took hold of Lucile's wrist, pulling her towards the door.
"To a man's room? At night? And a sorcerer?"
"Yes, a man. At night. And a sorcerer. He won't mind, he'll only be mad if we wait until morning to tell him."
"But-"
"I know what you're thinking and he's not like that. He has a lover down south, he wouldn't endanger that for the world, trust me."
Lucile obediently followed Helga through the twists and turns of the castle and soon found herself face to face with a large stone gargoyle.
"Move it," said Helga. The gargoyle gained an expresion that seemed to say "push-y" but jumped aside anyway, revealing a a large stone staircase. Lucile was once again dragged and this time found herself in a well furnished office with a door on the other side of the desk. Helga let go of the girl's hand and rapped the door three times in quick succession. Moments later Archanes came out dressed in a robe of blue, covered in gold stars, suns and moons.
"What is it?" Archanes asked tiredly. Helga just looked at his robe. "Don't give me that look. This is a very fashionable night robe, all great sorcerers wear them." (AN: Now we know why all those wizards always wear those robes.)
"Fine," Helga said, snapping out of it. She turned to Lucile, "Tell him what you told me."
Now by this time it was getting to be very early in the morning. So by the time Lucile finished and Archanes made the decision to go tell Godric at once John had already gotten up. Actually John had gotten up at about the same time Lucile had entered Helga's rooms which just happened to be the same moment that Adolf, who was the only one close enough to Godric's rooms to have even the slightest chance to hear anything coming from there, had entered REM sleep mode.
When John did get to Godric's rooms it took him a good five minutes to find Godric's bedroom and by that time all his stomping about had disturbed Godric's sleep considerably. Thus, when John brought the daggar down towards Godric's heart the ex-prince's arm shot up to catch his old friend's wrist.
"Good," said John, the hatred evident in his eyes, "it would have been too easy the other way." He reached for his sword just as Godric reached for his which hung in its sheath from the headboard on the opposite side of the bed from John.
The two blades came together with a crash that put the thunder that echoed outside to shame. Both boys were on their feet, fighting for their lives in the dark room. Flashes of lightening illuminated the scene occationally, causing the onlooking little snake to wonder just how it happened that in one flash Godric was winning while in the next John was. This predicament went on for quite some time until finally both boys lost their swords and took to wrestling around the room; many vases, tables, chairs, etc. were lost in this tumble. The little snake was highly disappointed when the boys ended up crashing through the window to the ground below.
Helga, Archanes and Lucile raced for Godric's room a couple of hours later.
"Why are we running so fast?" Lucile asked Archanes.
"Because Helga has a little bit of seer in her and I think she senses that something has happened or is going to."
Lucile dared not question the sorcerer again, but went back to her fearful thoughts of what John might be doing or have done to Godric if he had gone after him in the night.
Helga threw open the doors of Godric's room so hard that they bounced of the walls. She was still several yards ahead of her two companions when her hands came up to her mouth in horror, "Oh no." It was obvious that there had been a fight, a fight that had ended when both parties had gone out the now shattered window. Helga fell to her knees, unable to look out at what had to be the rain drenched bodies of the only man she had ever loved and what had to have been his only enemy.
Godric got up out of the mud, knowing that he had to but not knowing why. A massive headache claimed him as he tried to move, but years of training to be a knight had left him with a good deal of self control. Finally he made it to his knees and looked around. He sprung to his feet when he was John's body, half submerged in mud. He dared a look up to see where they had fallen from, the lightening illuminated a window at least a hundred feet up.
Godric couldn't breathe, it was his worst fear brought to life, he had caused the death of a friend, true John had been trying to kill him but you must understand reader, if Godric had made it to be a knight he would have been the only one who actually abided by the laws of chivalry. Godric ran. It was the second time in his life he had run from his fears, all other times he had either stood his ground or run towards him, but now he was scared.
Godric did not know where he was running, he only knew that he was and with each step his guilt grew deeper. At times he thought of returning to the castle, to Helga, but he always pulled himself back from these idiot thoughts. He could not trust himself, he had been a fool to ever think he could, if he returned what was to stop him from killing Helga as he had killed John?
Finally Godric was stopped by his second fall that night. Aparently he had entered a cave and tripped over a rock. He picked himself up and heard a loud booming voice ahead of him.
"Who dares enter the Cave of the Chivalrous?!"
"What?" Godric looked frantically around the cave for someone to explain to.
"Who dares enter the Den of the Daring?!"
"I do not understand," Godric said, utterly perplexed.
"Who dares enter the Berth of the Brave?!"
Finally Godric got fed up with the questions and cried, "I do!"
"Good," said the silky smooth voice, "it has been quite some time since anyone dared enter."
A crash could be heard and Godric was showered with a rain of pebbles and dirt. On the left side of the cave a chunk of rock had been knocked away and molten lava now poured from the opening into a rock bowl about a foot beneath the opening and from there into a large half circle pool coming out of the wall, its diameter was about ten feet and it reached halfway to the other wall. In the newfound light Godric could see a very large Sphinx sitting before a lone stalagmite with a crest embedded into it. Godric could not make out the design.
"What is this place?" Godric asked, trying to mask his fear.
"You cannot blame yourself," the Sphinx said simply.
"What are you talking about? I asked you a question!"
"He attacked you, you had no choice."
"There is always a choice."
"Yes, and in this case there was the choice to fight back or to die."
"You're wrong."
"No, I am not."
"Why are you here?"
"To protect this place from anyone who is not brave, daring and chivalrous."
"I should have known. Then why an I still here?"
"Because I know that you are chivalrous and daring, but I am still deciding if you are brave."
"You know," Godric said, sitting down by the pool of lava that never seemed to overflow, "you sound a lot like a friend of mine."
"I know."
"What am I going to do?" he said, putting his head in his hands.
"What you know you must."
"But I'm uncontrolable, I can't even control myself! How can I trust myself around them?"
"You have been in control for over a year, it was only when you were provoked all those months ago that your powers got out of hand."
"But I was out of hand tonight."
"No you weren't, look back on the fight."
Godric did as he was told and was surprised to find that he had been in total control, using every trick he knew to disarm his enemy without harming them. "John threw us out the window," he murmured.
The Sphinx nodded, "His anger drove him to insanity and his insanity drove him to the thought that he must defeat you at all costs."
"But how did I survive that fall?"
"You are important in the great scheme of things, if you were to die tonight many things would be altered and many people would die."
The two sat in silence for a moment as Godric thought over all he had just learned. "I'm going back."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked the Sphinx.
"Yes," Godric said, the finality in his voice compelling. He stood up and made for the mouth of the cave; he was just about to turn back and thank the creature when she said, "Wait!"
"Let me guess," Godric ventured, "I'm not allowed to leave until I either prove myself to be brave or solve some riddle."
"You have done both."
"What?"
"You proved your bravery by returning home and you solved the riddle of your life, up to this point at least."
"Oh. So what does all that mean?"
"It means many things: 1) I belong to you, 2) you now own this cave and the underground chamber it leads to, 3) you do not have to walk home in the rain because the chamber has another outlet- the portrait above the fireplace in your chambers at the castle, and 4) you are now the Gryffendor." She moved aside at this to reveal the crest. It was a golden lion on a red background framed in gold, above the lion was a gold banner with red lettering saying "GRYFFENDOR."
"Why me?"
"Because you are Godric Gryffendor, you always have been, it is just now that you have found out."
"Oh." Godric turned and looked out at the dark forest with all the wet and noticed that it was not so dark as before.
"Dawn is here, you had best run." The back of the cave opened to reveal a flight of stone steps leading down to the chamber. As Godric ran down them he heard the Sphinx calling, "And do not tell anyone about this! It is not yet time for them to know!"
Godric ran across the chamber which was lighted by the same flowing magma as the cave and up the flight of steps at the other side. He emerged in his main room and ran up the steps to the top of his tower. There he saw a sight that wrenched his heart. Archanes was examening the broken furniture, Lucile sat on his bed fingering his sheets, but none of that mattered, Helga was sitting in the doorway, crying.
Archanes was the first to see him, but he dared not say a word to or about his young pupil, he merely walked over to Lucile and put a hand on the girl's shoulder to silence her when she saw the ex-prince.
Godric slowly walked over to Helga, unclasping his cloak as he went. He gently layed it across her shaking shoulders and gave her a side-hug. The girl looked up at him with redened eyes and threw herself into his chest.
"I'm sorry," he said simply.
"Never do that to mea again," said said.
"I won't."
R/R please.
JudgeDP
Author's Note: I am so sorry! I meant to update weeks ago but then my friend dragged me on stage for the cuts for the dance we've been working on in dance class for over a month now and my teacher actually put me in the show. Can you believe that? What happened to the universe where I could not dance? I know it was here in 2001 but something about 2002 made it go away. Anyway, the show is over now so I should be able to update more now, but because of it I can promise you that I will not meet my goal of finishing this story or "Modern Times Are So Medieval" by summer vacation. This chapter is like two in one (maybe three) to make up for the lateness. It gets kind of fluffy towards the end, you have been warned.
"Hello, my name is Archanes, I am the master of this castle," Archanes said, introducing himself to John and Lucile. The two bowed or curtsied as was apropriet. "If they have not already told you so, these are two of my four pupils: Godric and Helga."
"We know sir," said Lucile, "Salazar and Rowena told us."
"I see, well you will not be seeing them for quite some time, that is if you decide to stay."
"Why not?" asked Helga. She and Godric were standing behind the two nobles and it was slightly obvious that Helga's pressence alone was keeping Godric from speaking.
"They have gone on a mission as it were, to ensure the well-being of the future, Adolf has gone with them. Now! I think it is time we ate, three of us have had a rather long ride and it is time for some food!" With that Archanes turned around and began making his way to the Great Hall, the four following.
"I can't believe this," raved Godric that night. He and Helga were in the latter's main room, she patching a few clothes which had become torn, he pacing about like a lion in a zoo.
"That your old friends are back, that Salazar and Rowena were sent off before we even got a chance to say 'hello' or both?" asked Helga, not once looking up.
"The last one, definately."
"Well, if you ask me I do not trust that John fellow anywhere near this castle or anything for that matter but Lucile just seems to be some naive little girl dragged into some nobles' game."
"You mean like you were?"
"There were no games involved where I was concerned and I am going to pretend I did not hear that. As for Salazar and Rowena I do miss them both terribly but Archanes must have had a good reason for sending them off like that. All we can do is wait and hope he tells us why eventually. Now sit down, you're wearing a hole in the floor."
"But-"
"Now!" Helga ordered, finally looking up from her sewing.
Godric sat down and couldn't help but think that she was very beautiful when she was angry.
"This is getting weird," said John. He and Lucile were in much the same position as Helga and Godric, the male pacing about while the female sewed, but here Lucile was working on her embroidery and John was close to a mad rage.
"What is?" Lucile asked timidly.
"Everything!" John came and stod before her, getting closer every second until he was grasping the arms of her chair. "First we come here and are fed nothing but lies, then Keith is killed by his own cousin and those two try to make up for their trechery by telling us even more lies! Now Godric and that girl of his show up with this castle's 'real' owner just as Salazar and Rowena disappear! Don't you see? They're trying to trick us."
"Why?" asked Lucile, her voice thick with fear.
"Because they want us dead, that way there will be no one left who knows what is really going on here."
"What?"
"That they killed the original owner of this castle, a baron or something, and took it for themselves."
"It doesn't make any sense though."
"Of course not, they are using their dark powers to cloud your mind. It's not working on me because I've been fighting it from the beginning, but you lowered your guard."
Lucile was silent, she could see the madness in John's eyes. She had long wondered if he was really on this quest to bring Godric home, now she felt she knew the truth.
"I can see you believe me," John said, calmer now, "you cannot tell anyone that you know, this must be a secret, otherwise they will not hesitate to kill you and I will not be able to protect you."
Lucile nodded.
"Good." said John leaning down to give her a long, fierce kiss that left her more violated than anything else. With that he left her rooms.
A large vortex opened up in Archanes' office later that night, admitting Adolf to medieval times once more.
"I take it they have been deposited at the school?" asked Archanes.
"I left them at the train station, they should be able to make it from there," the werewolf answered with a yawn. "Please tell me you haven't eaten already, I'm starved."
"I knew you would be old friend, there should be a steaming plate of food in your chambers." Both friends knew that they were not Adolf's chambers but the guest rooms that Adolf used when Archanes needed him for some extensive work.
"Thank you Archanes." The werewolf made his way for the door only to be stopped by his friend's voice.
"Adolf?"
"Yes?"
"They weren't terribly mad at me were they?"
"They were to intrigued to be mad."
"Oh, thank you."
"Anytime."
A hooded figure stalked the halls of the old castle just after the witching hour had ended. He stumbled along with grim purpose, obviously not used to such acts of night. On the third floor a little snake crossed his path, almost making it cry out, but the figure bit its tongue just in time. When he finally reached his destination he was afraid to go in but finally did only to be greeted by the welcoming yellows and blacks of Helga's rooms. Helga aparently, was up reading to her calla lilies.
"Yes?" asked the girl, turning on her foot stool to see her visitor. "Who are you?" Helga said, her tone harsher than before. Behind her rain pelted down the window and a crash of thunder and lightening reflected her sudden change in mood.
"It's me," said the figure, removing his hood to reveal Lucile's tear streaked face.
"Lucile what's worng?"
"It's John, he's going to kill Godric."
Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just kiddin'! I almost left it off there, but this story's gettin' pretty darn long and I would like to make the chapters as long as I can so that I don't end up with like fifty. Here you go!
"I knew there was something I didn't like about him!" Helga said, rising to her feet with such force that the foot stool went tumbling into one of the planters. The girl immedietly turned back to her plants saying, "It's all right, everything will be fine." She marched over to the noble girl and sat her down in a big comfy chair explaining, "Plants are very simple creatures, but very sensative too. Now tell me why you think John is going to kill Godric."
When Lucile had finished her tale Helga sat thinking for a moment. "Insane, hm? Well the last madman we had in this castle was probably its last owner and the only one who was here for that was Archanes. Come on." Helga got up and took hold of Lucile's wrist, pulling her towards the door.
"To a man's room? At night? And a sorcerer?"
"Yes, a man. At night. And a sorcerer. He won't mind, he'll only be mad if we wait until morning to tell him."
"But-"
"I know what you're thinking and he's not like that. He has a lover down south, he wouldn't endanger that for the world, trust me."
Lucile obediently followed Helga through the twists and turns of the castle and soon found herself face to face with a large stone gargoyle.
"Move it," said Helga. The gargoyle gained an expresion that seemed to say "push-y" but jumped aside anyway, revealing a a large stone staircase. Lucile was once again dragged and this time found herself in a well furnished office with a door on the other side of the desk. Helga let go of the girl's hand and rapped the door three times in quick succession. Moments later Archanes came out dressed in a robe of blue, covered in gold stars, suns and moons.
"What is it?" Archanes asked tiredly. Helga just looked at his robe. "Don't give me that look. This is a very fashionable night robe, all great sorcerers wear them." (AN: Now we know why all those wizards always wear those robes.)
"Fine," Helga said, snapping out of it. She turned to Lucile, "Tell him what you told me."
Now by this time it was getting to be very early in the morning. So by the time Lucile finished and Archanes made the decision to go tell Godric at once John had already gotten up. Actually John had gotten up at about the same time Lucile had entered Helga's rooms which just happened to be the same moment that Adolf, who was the only one close enough to Godric's rooms to have even the slightest chance to hear anything coming from there, had entered REM sleep mode.
When John did get to Godric's rooms it took him a good five minutes to find Godric's bedroom and by that time all his stomping about had disturbed Godric's sleep considerably. Thus, when John brought the daggar down towards Godric's heart the ex-prince's arm shot up to catch his old friend's wrist.
"Good," said John, the hatred evident in his eyes, "it would have been too easy the other way." He reached for his sword just as Godric reached for his which hung in its sheath from the headboard on the opposite side of the bed from John.
The two blades came together with a crash that put the thunder that echoed outside to shame. Both boys were on their feet, fighting for their lives in the dark room. Flashes of lightening illuminated the scene occationally, causing the onlooking little snake to wonder just how it happened that in one flash Godric was winning while in the next John was. This predicament went on for quite some time until finally both boys lost their swords and took to wrestling around the room; many vases, tables, chairs, etc. were lost in this tumble. The little snake was highly disappointed when the boys ended up crashing through the window to the ground below.
Helga, Archanes and Lucile raced for Godric's room a couple of hours later.
"Why are we running so fast?" Lucile asked Archanes.
"Because Helga has a little bit of seer in her and I think she senses that something has happened or is going to."
Lucile dared not question the sorcerer again, but went back to her fearful thoughts of what John might be doing or have done to Godric if he had gone after him in the night.
Helga threw open the doors of Godric's room so hard that they bounced of the walls. She was still several yards ahead of her two companions when her hands came up to her mouth in horror, "Oh no." It was obvious that there had been a fight, a fight that had ended when both parties had gone out the now shattered window. Helga fell to her knees, unable to look out at what had to be the rain drenched bodies of the only man she had ever loved and what had to have been his only enemy.
Godric got up out of the mud, knowing that he had to but not knowing why. A massive headache claimed him as he tried to move, but years of training to be a knight had left him with a good deal of self control. Finally he made it to his knees and looked around. He sprung to his feet when he was John's body, half submerged in mud. He dared a look up to see where they had fallen from, the lightening illuminated a window at least a hundred feet up.
Godric couldn't breathe, it was his worst fear brought to life, he had caused the death of a friend, true John had been trying to kill him but you must understand reader, if Godric had made it to be a knight he would have been the only one who actually abided by the laws of chivalry. Godric ran. It was the second time in his life he had run from his fears, all other times he had either stood his ground or run towards him, but now he was scared.
Godric did not know where he was running, he only knew that he was and with each step his guilt grew deeper. At times he thought of returning to the castle, to Helga, but he always pulled himself back from these idiot thoughts. He could not trust himself, he had been a fool to ever think he could, if he returned what was to stop him from killing Helga as he had killed John?
Finally Godric was stopped by his second fall that night. Aparently he had entered a cave and tripped over a rock. He picked himself up and heard a loud booming voice ahead of him.
"Who dares enter the Cave of the Chivalrous?!"
"What?" Godric looked frantically around the cave for someone to explain to.
"Who dares enter the Den of the Daring?!"
"I do not understand," Godric said, utterly perplexed.
"Who dares enter the Berth of the Brave?!"
Finally Godric got fed up with the questions and cried, "I do!"
"Good," said the silky smooth voice, "it has been quite some time since anyone dared enter."
A crash could be heard and Godric was showered with a rain of pebbles and dirt. On the left side of the cave a chunk of rock had been knocked away and molten lava now poured from the opening into a rock bowl about a foot beneath the opening and from there into a large half circle pool coming out of the wall, its diameter was about ten feet and it reached halfway to the other wall. In the newfound light Godric could see a very large Sphinx sitting before a lone stalagmite with a crest embedded into it. Godric could not make out the design.
"What is this place?" Godric asked, trying to mask his fear.
"You cannot blame yourself," the Sphinx said simply.
"What are you talking about? I asked you a question!"
"He attacked you, you had no choice."
"There is always a choice."
"Yes, and in this case there was the choice to fight back or to die."
"You're wrong."
"No, I am not."
"Why are you here?"
"To protect this place from anyone who is not brave, daring and chivalrous."
"I should have known. Then why an I still here?"
"Because I know that you are chivalrous and daring, but I am still deciding if you are brave."
"You know," Godric said, sitting down by the pool of lava that never seemed to overflow, "you sound a lot like a friend of mine."
"I know."
"What am I going to do?" he said, putting his head in his hands.
"What you know you must."
"But I'm uncontrolable, I can't even control myself! How can I trust myself around them?"
"You have been in control for over a year, it was only when you were provoked all those months ago that your powers got out of hand."
"But I was out of hand tonight."
"No you weren't, look back on the fight."
Godric did as he was told and was surprised to find that he had been in total control, using every trick he knew to disarm his enemy without harming them. "John threw us out the window," he murmured.
The Sphinx nodded, "His anger drove him to insanity and his insanity drove him to the thought that he must defeat you at all costs."
"But how did I survive that fall?"
"You are important in the great scheme of things, if you were to die tonight many things would be altered and many people would die."
The two sat in silence for a moment as Godric thought over all he had just learned. "I'm going back."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked the Sphinx.
"Yes," Godric said, the finality in his voice compelling. He stood up and made for the mouth of the cave; he was just about to turn back and thank the creature when she said, "Wait!"
"Let me guess," Godric ventured, "I'm not allowed to leave until I either prove myself to be brave or solve some riddle."
"You have done both."
"What?"
"You proved your bravery by returning home and you solved the riddle of your life, up to this point at least."
"Oh. So what does all that mean?"
"It means many things: 1) I belong to you, 2) you now own this cave and the underground chamber it leads to, 3) you do not have to walk home in the rain because the chamber has another outlet- the portrait above the fireplace in your chambers at the castle, and 4) you are now the Gryffendor." She moved aside at this to reveal the crest. It was a golden lion on a red background framed in gold, above the lion was a gold banner with red lettering saying "GRYFFENDOR."
"Why me?"
"Because you are Godric Gryffendor, you always have been, it is just now that you have found out."
"Oh." Godric turned and looked out at the dark forest with all the wet and noticed that it was not so dark as before.
"Dawn is here, you had best run." The back of the cave opened to reveal a flight of stone steps leading down to the chamber. As Godric ran down them he heard the Sphinx calling, "And do not tell anyone about this! It is not yet time for them to know!"
Godric ran across the chamber which was lighted by the same flowing magma as the cave and up the flight of steps at the other side. He emerged in his main room and ran up the steps to the top of his tower. There he saw a sight that wrenched his heart. Archanes was examening the broken furniture, Lucile sat on his bed fingering his sheets, but none of that mattered, Helga was sitting in the doorway, crying.
Archanes was the first to see him, but he dared not say a word to or about his young pupil, he merely walked over to Lucile and put a hand on the girl's shoulder to silence her when she saw the ex-prince.
Godric slowly walked over to Helga, unclasping his cloak as he went. He gently layed it across her shaking shoulders and gave her a side-hug. The girl looked up at him with redened eyes and threw herself into his chest.
"I'm sorry," he said simply.
"Never do that to mea again," said said.
"I won't."
R/R please.