CHAPTER 4-
'That was a good meal.' Harry thought, as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. It was hours since he had eaten.
He looked at his watch. The hands were just moving about in different direction. 'Of course!', Harry thought. They had gone back in time. His watch couldn't adjust itself to the change.' He had no idea what time it was. Before he could ask, Godric entered.
"Is everything fine, Rowena?" he asked as soon as he came in.
Rowena turned towards him. Even that simple movement she performed with a grace that characterized all her movements.
"Only three of them have arrived, Godric" she said. Didn't Malra say that there would be four of them arriving?"
Godric frowned. "Yes." He said slowly. His mind went back to what Marla had said.
The Four of them- Godric, Rowena, Helga & Salazar had crowded into Malra's small, sweltering room, wondering what the important message, which she had received, was.
Malra always claimed to be able to read the future, but they had never paid any heed to her as all her predictions were very vague & had seldom been proved right.
But somehow, instinctively they knew that this particular prediction was true. They knew that some advanced magic (maybe even Dark magic) had been involved, as they could practically feel the vibrations coming from Malra, when she received the message.
"Four young students from the future,
Brought for us to nurture,
But not for long will they stay,
To the future, back they will go away,
Safe, while they are here,
Protected from danger far & near,"
And suddenly Malra's voice rose to a high-pitched almost hysterical
frenzy. "Danger! Danger follows them here!"
Then she had made some incoherent sounds & spoken something in a language, which they hadn't been able to understand.
Helga had tried to soothe Malra down, but only the combined powers of all four of them had proven successful in bringing her back to normal.
After coming back to normal, she didn't have any idea of what she had predicted.
"What language were you speaking, Malra?" Rowena had asked.
"Language?" Malra had turned a bewildered face towards her. "I don't remember speaking anything, except in English."
She scrunched up her face, as if trying to recall something. "I remembering saying something about four students from the future. But after that, everything is a blur."
"You don't remember saying anything about Danger following the four students?" Godric had asked her.
Malra shook her head.
The four looked at each other, wondering if the prophecy Malra had delivered was indeed true or not.
Helga had put an end to all their doubts by saying, "It must be true. She couldn't have spoken in another language, without her being aware of it. If she did, it proves that some other force was at hand. Whether it was Dark Magic or not..." Her voice trailed away.
"I don't think any serious Dark Magic was involved, Helga." Salazar had said.
This was the first time he had spoken after Malra had made her predictions. There was a queer note in his voice.
"After all, Malra wasn't harmed. Anyway we better see about those four students who are arriving." Saying so, Slytherin had walked out of the room.
"Godric?" Rowena's voice recalled him to the present. "What were you thinking of?"
"I was just thinking of the prediction Malra made." said Godric.
"That's what I was talking to you about." Said Rowena. "Didn't she say that four students would be arriving?"
"Yes, she did. But you can't rely on the predictions she makes. It's a miracle that some students have actually come from the future."
"Come now, Godric. Some of her predictions really have come true."
Godric just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's not waste our time arguing about it." He said. "What we need right now, is to explain to these students what they are doing here."
He turned to the trio. "I'm sure all of you are pretty non-pulsed as to what you are doing here. Well,-"
Before he could continue, Slytherin & Helga came into the room.
"Have they had some refreshments?" Helga asked.
Rowena nodded.
"Are you going to tell them?" Slytherin asked curtly.
"There's hardly anything to tell, Salazar." Said Godric. "We hardly know-"
Slytherin interrupted, "Godric, I want to talk to you."
Godric looked surprised.
"In my room." Said Slytherin & walked towards the door. "It can't wait." He said, before walking out.
Godric gave Rowena a puzzled look, before following Slytherin out of the room.
Draco, Harry & Ginny, who until now had been interested spectators to all the goings-on, were now startled to find themselves being addressed by Rowena.
"Come children." She said, "Helga & I will show to your rooms."
If they resented being called 'children', they made a good job of hiding it. They followed Rowena & Helga out of the Hall, wondering if they would ever be told what had caused their sudden transportation to the past & why.
'That was a good meal.' Harry thought, as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. It was hours since he had eaten.
He looked at his watch. The hands were just moving about in different direction. 'Of course!', Harry thought. They had gone back in time. His watch couldn't adjust itself to the change.' He had no idea what time it was. Before he could ask, Godric entered.
"Is everything fine, Rowena?" he asked as soon as he came in.
Rowena turned towards him. Even that simple movement she performed with a grace that characterized all her movements.
"Only three of them have arrived, Godric" she said. Didn't Malra say that there would be four of them arriving?"
Godric frowned. "Yes." He said slowly. His mind went back to what Marla had said.
The Four of them- Godric, Rowena, Helga & Salazar had crowded into Malra's small, sweltering room, wondering what the important message, which she had received, was.
Malra always claimed to be able to read the future, but they had never paid any heed to her as all her predictions were very vague & had seldom been proved right.
But somehow, instinctively they knew that this particular prediction was true. They knew that some advanced magic (maybe even Dark magic) had been involved, as they could practically feel the vibrations coming from Malra, when she received the message.
"Four young students from the future,
Brought for us to nurture,
But not for long will they stay,
To the future, back they will go away,
Safe, while they are here,
Protected from danger far & near,"
And suddenly Malra's voice rose to a high-pitched almost hysterical
frenzy. "Danger! Danger follows them here!"
Then she had made some incoherent sounds & spoken something in a language, which they hadn't been able to understand.
Helga had tried to soothe Malra down, but only the combined powers of all four of them had proven successful in bringing her back to normal.
After coming back to normal, she didn't have any idea of what she had predicted.
"What language were you speaking, Malra?" Rowena had asked.
"Language?" Malra had turned a bewildered face towards her. "I don't remember speaking anything, except in English."
She scrunched up her face, as if trying to recall something. "I remembering saying something about four students from the future. But after that, everything is a blur."
"You don't remember saying anything about Danger following the four students?" Godric had asked her.
Malra shook her head.
The four looked at each other, wondering if the prophecy Malra had delivered was indeed true or not.
Helga had put an end to all their doubts by saying, "It must be true. She couldn't have spoken in another language, without her being aware of it. If she did, it proves that some other force was at hand. Whether it was Dark Magic or not..." Her voice trailed away.
"I don't think any serious Dark Magic was involved, Helga." Salazar had said.
This was the first time he had spoken after Malra had made her predictions. There was a queer note in his voice.
"After all, Malra wasn't harmed. Anyway we better see about those four students who are arriving." Saying so, Slytherin had walked out of the room.
"Godric?" Rowena's voice recalled him to the present. "What were you thinking of?"
"I was just thinking of the prediction Malra made." said Godric.
"That's what I was talking to you about." Said Rowena. "Didn't she say that four students would be arriving?"
"Yes, she did. But you can't rely on the predictions she makes. It's a miracle that some students have actually come from the future."
"Come now, Godric. Some of her predictions really have come true."
Godric just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's not waste our time arguing about it." He said. "What we need right now, is to explain to these students what they are doing here."
He turned to the trio. "I'm sure all of you are pretty non-pulsed as to what you are doing here. Well,-"
Before he could continue, Slytherin & Helga came into the room.
"Have they had some refreshments?" Helga asked.
Rowena nodded.
"Are you going to tell them?" Slytherin asked curtly.
"There's hardly anything to tell, Salazar." Said Godric. "We hardly know-"
Slytherin interrupted, "Godric, I want to talk to you."
Godric looked surprised.
"In my room." Said Slytherin & walked towards the door. "It can't wait." He said, before walking out.
Godric gave Rowena a puzzled look, before following Slytherin out of the room.
Draco, Harry & Ginny, who until now had been interested spectators to all the goings-on, were now startled to find themselves being addressed by Rowena.
"Come children." She said, "Helga & I will show to your rooms."
If they resented being called 'children', they made a good job of hiding it. They followed Rowena & Helga out of the Hall, wondering if they would ever be told what had caused their sudden transportation to the past & why.