CHAPTER 6-
Harry, Draco & Ginny entered the Great Hall led by the house-elf.
The Great Four were seated on the 4 tables, which Harry had seen previously. Godric was the first to speak.
"Hope all of you have refreshed yourselves?"
Before they could reply, Helga asked, "Did you find your rooms comfortable?"
Harry & Ginny nodded, in answer to both the questions, but Draco just stood there silently, staring at Slytherin.
"Well, I 'm sure all three of you must be wondering what brought you here." Said Godric, darting a glance at Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin just sat there, no expression on his immovable face.
"Wondering is too small a word." Said Rowena, smiling. "I'm sure they must be dying to know what this is all about."
Godric smiled & continued. "As you three are well aware, you have been transported to the past. But how you were transported & which year you have come from, is more than we can tell. Perhaps you could enlighten us on that point?"
"We've come from the year 2002." Answered Harry. He felt an odd sense of unreality as he said that. It felt like a line from a sci-fi movie.
"2002!?" exclaimed Helga.
"About a 1000 years in the future." Said Rowena.
"What magic could have been so powerful as to transport them 1000 years in the past?" asked Helga wonderingly.
"Obviously magic in the future is very advanced." Said Slytherin in a dry voice. This was the first time he had spoken since they had entered the Hall.
"Well, it certainly is a considerable number of years you have travelled." Said Godric. "It must have required quite a high degree of skill & expertise. May I know what was the spell that you used?"
Harry, Draco & Ginny looked at him in surprise. "We didn't transport ourselves here!" said Ginny.
The Great Four turned bewildered faces towards them. This was the first time Harry had seen emotion of any kind on Slytherin's face.
"You didn't?" asked Helga. "But then..what brought you here?"
Harry felt that it would be foolish to say that it was a whirlwind, which brought them there, but he had no choice.
"I think it was a kind of miniature whirlwind or cyclone." he said.
"Do you mean to say that there was a whirlwind inside your house, which carried you here leaving behind all the other members of your house?"
Slytherin spoke in a voice, which held incredulity & a thinly veiled sarcasm, though his face betrayed none of the emotions expressed above. Harry flushed.
Ginny spoke quickly. "I corroborate what he said. It was a whirlwind, which brought us here." She stared defiantly at Slytherin.
"What about you, child?" asked Godric turning to Draco, before Slytherin could make any more sarcastic comments.
Draco didn't answer for a moment. He appeared to be deep in thought. He then came out of his abstraction to reply briefly, "Same thing."
Godric nodded. "I see. Well, coming to why you were transported & who or what caused your transportation, we are as much in the dark as you are, if not more. Travelling backwards or forwards in time is very complicated magic. Even we haven't been successful in inventing a spell for it. We are just In the experimental stage. Nobody is willing to try out the spell as it might result in them getting splinched or getting stranded in a totally different time with no means of getting back."
Harry was reminded of Hermione's time-turner in their 3rd year. How long ago it seemed. He wondered what Hermione & Ron were doing now. Godric's voice recalled him to the present (or should I say past?)
"So, until we are successful in inventing the spell, which will take you back to the future without any side-effects, (by side-effects I mean, getting yourselves splinched or landing yourselves in a totally different time) I'm very much afraid you will have to stay here."
Harry felt as if the ground had slipped beneath his feet. His mind was in a whirl. They had to stay here until the proper spell was invented, and God knows how long that would take! He was about to say something in protest, but before he could open his mouth, a house-elf (the same elf which had led them into the Hall) burst into the Hall.
"Master Gryffindor, Master Slytherin, Mistress Ravenclaw, Mistress Hufflepuff." It said, bowing to each of them hurriedly. It was evident that something had occurred to disturb it very much.
"What is it?" asked Slytherin impatiently.
"Three more 'Young Ones' have arrived."
Harry, Draco & Ginny entered the Great Hall led by the house-elf.
The Great Four were seated on the 4 tables, which Harry had seen previously. Godric was the first to speak.
"Hope all of you have refreshed yourselves?"
Before they could reply, Helga asked, "Did you find your rooms comfortable?"
Harry & Ginny nodded, in answer to both the questions, but Draco just stood there silently, staring at Slytherin.
"Well, I 'm sure all three of you must be wondering what brought you here." Said Godric, darting a glance at Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin just sat there, no expression on his immovable face.
"Wondering is too small a word." Said Rowena, smiling. "I'm sure they must be dying to know what this is all about."
Godric smiled & continued. "As you three are well aware, you have been transported to the past. But how you were transported & which year you have come from, is more than we can tell. Perhaps you could enlighten us on that point?"
"We've come from the year 2002." Answered Harry. He felt an odd sense of unreality as he said that. It felt like a line from a sci-fi movie.
"2002!?" exclaimed Helga.
"About a 1000 years in the future." Said Rowena.
"What magic could have been so powerful as to transport them 1000 years in the past?" asked Helga wonderingly.
"Obviously magic in the future is very advanced." Said Slytherin in a dry voice. This was the first time he had spoken since they had entered the Hall.
"Well, it certainly is a considerable number of years you have travelled." Said Godric. "It must have required quite a high degree of skill & expertise. May I know what was the spell that you used?"
Harry, Draco & Ginny looked at him in surprise. "We didn't transport ourselves here!" said Ginny.
The Great Four turned bewildered faces towards them. This was the first time Harry had seen emotion of any kind on Slytherin's face.
"You didn't?" asked Helga. "But then..what brought you here?"
Harry felt that it would be foolish to say that it was a whirlwind, which brought them there, but he had no choice.
"I think it was a kind of miniature whirlwind or cyclone." he said.
"Do you mean to say that there was a whirlwind inside your house, which carried you here leaving behind all the other members of your house?"
Slytherin spoke in a voice, which held incredulity & a thinly veiled sarcasm, though his face betrayed none of the emotions expressed above. Harry flushed.
Ginny spoke quickly. "I corroborate what he said. It was a whirlwind, which brought us here." She stared defiantly at Slytherin.
"What about you, child?" asked Godric turning to Draco, before Slytherin could make any more sarcastic comments.
Draco didn't answer for a moment. He appeared to be deep in thought. He then came out of his abstraction to reply briefly, "Same thing."
Godric nodded. "I see. Well, coming to why you were transported & who or what caused your transportation, we are as much in the dark as you are, if not more. Travelling backwards or forwards in time is very complicated magic. Even we haven't been successful in inventing a spell for it. We are just In the experimental stage. Nobody is willing to try out the spell as it might result in them getting splinched or getting stranded in a totally different time with no means of getting back."
Harry was reminded of Hermione's time-turner in their 3rd year. How long ago it seemed. He wondered what Hermione & Ron were doing now. Godric's voice recalled him to the present (or should I say past?)
"So, until we are successful in inventing the spell, which will take you back to the future without any side-effects, (by side-effects I mean, getting yourselves splinched or landing yourselves in a totally different time) I'm very much afraid you will have to stay here."
Harry felt as if the ground had slipped beneath his feet. His mind was in a whirl. They had to stay here until the proper spell was invented, and God knows how long that would take! He was about to say something in protest, but before he could open his mouth, a house-elf (the same elf which had led them into the Hall) burst into the Hall.
"Master Gryffindor, Master Slytherin, Mistress Ravenclaw, Mistress Hufflepuff." It said, bowing to each of them hurriedly. It was evident that something had occurred to disturb it very much.
"What is it?" asked Slytherin impatiently.
"Three more 'Young Ones' have arrived."