"We've arrived."
Fred inwardly sighed in relief, the room he had just stepped into wasn't bedecked in white and gold. Instead, tones of blue, from periwinkle to sapphire, from turquoise to indigo, shaded the four walls, as if reflected from a pool. The floor seemed to give way to an endless pit of stars and midnight sky. It was merely another revelation of the magic these kinfolk possessed. Hera stood up gracefully, Fred noted, then he jolted, how did he know her name? No answers provided themselves but his mind was flooded with understanding and comprehension. He could suddenly remember the wizened yet robust man sitting grandly on the throne, the beautiful lady at his side whom he had earlier identify as Hera, and...his mother, Alcmene.
Fred gaped at them involuntarily. It was as if someone suddenly opened a window to allow his fake memories in. He remembered who he was, or rather, who he was supposed to be in this dimension of time. He remembered George, only in this universe he wasn't his twin but Horus, his childhood friend. Everything became clear. He did not forget his purpose of being there, however, he could still remember his brothers and Ginny, and the Boy Who Lived- his whole other life, actually. Fred shook himself out of his reverie and focused on the speaking Goddess. The rapidly flowing shades of blue illuminated their faces.
Almost automatically he nodded slightly to the man sitting on the grand throne and bowed. George did the same and the both of them received nods of acknowledgement from him. Fred chanced a glance at George and one look at him confirmed his suspicions - that George too had an idea of who he was in this world.
His attention snapped back to Zeus when He spoke, "You're finally back. And I see that you came with him."
That last sentence was obviously directed at George. George only nodded mutely though, not really knowing what to say.
"You can return to your room now." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
As soon as they were alone, Fred turned to George and said, bewildered, "What was that all about?"
George shrugged. "Where do you think Alicia and Angelina are?"
Fred's forehead creased in worry when he remembered their mission. "I know that I am Heracles and you are Horus, but who do you suppose they would be?"
"You have sisters don't you?"
Fred nodded, "In this world, yes."
"Maybe it is one of them."
Fred thought about this for a few seconds, all the while walking along beside George. He agreed, they had to be around his age.
"Think we should go find them?"
"In a minute," George grinned at him, "Let's revel in our newfound wealth. I mean, you? Son of a God? And me..." he shook his head in awe, "Horus would mean I am an Egyptian god....son of Isis and Osiris."
Fred smiled as well, "Unbelievable isn't it?"
They had reached their sleeping quarters. The room itself was bigger than the Gryffindor common room and was divided into three floors, separated by marble stairs descending from the floor they were standing on, a few meters from where the door was. You could see every floor, each equipped with entertaining facilities, couches and two gigantic beds on the lowest floor.
"Wow," muttered Fred. They walked to the middle of the room, a large chessboard was resting on a table similar to the one in the hall, with figurines of Magical Deities as the players.
"Fancy a game?" asked George.
"Later." Fred crossed the threshold of their bedroom, passing colourful bags of large cushions lying decoratively on the floor, to descend into the second level.
The whole place was amazing....elegant, classy and lavishly decorated. The floors were made entirely out of crystal too.
"I have a feeling cement and proper tiles don't exist in this world," Fred remarked.
George managed a weak laugh, he was totally stunned by the extravagance of the place. Even Malfoy couldn't afford this. His conscious mind chastised him, "Malfoy? Even Bill Gates can't build the mere foundation of this palace, let alone decorate it like this, not even if he spent every single penny!"
~*~*~*~*~
Alicia Spinnet shut her eyes tightly and anticipated her painful landing, wondering if she could actually survive it. The pain didn't come, instead both her feet landed neatly on soft ground. Her eyes flew open and she looked around in puzzlement. She was standing in the middle of a garden. A palace could be seen from where she was and Alicia was speechless, she had never seen anything like it before. Without even contemplating her mysterious surroundings, Alicia slowly crossed the dewy verdant carpet, her swaying hands brushing the flower petals softly.
It was only then that she paid attention to the shrubs, bushes and trees that grew there. She frowned, curiosity getting the better of her and she stopped to examine the foliage further. She didn't recall ever seeing these kinds of plants before. Glittery motes erupted from the middle, giving them a magical cloud. She gently held one of the crimson flowers in her hand and could almost swear that it was humming a soft melody. Totally enchanted, her attention didn't waver from the plants. No flower was the same, no leaf like the other. She was so engrossed in them as the twinkling tune floated to her ears that she didn't hear a thud behind her.
The person who made that thud walked towards her, footsteps sounding uncertain and hesitant. Suddenly, a hand clapped over her shoulder. Alicia jumped in fright and her hand was over her heart as she spun around to look at the newcomer.
"ANGELINA!" she exclaimed in surprise and joy. "What are you doing here?"
Angelina shrugged, "I was walking with Fred and something happened. The next moment, I was here."
Alicia frowned, "Where do you think we are?"
Angelina had just discovered the unique beauty of the flora that grew here and had stooped down to admire them. "Dunno, I just got here."
"Me too." Alicia whispered softly. "Angie, aren't you worried?"
Angelina released the hold she had on a particularly stunning silver rose and faced her, "Worried? When we're in a place like this?"
"Why not?"
"Alicia! Have you looked around you lately? This place is beautiful! Absolutely serene! What harm could possibly come to us here?" she sighed, a little morosely. "I suppose we do have to find a way out but that can wait. Let's just enjoy this, shall we?"
Alicia nodded reluctantly and eyed Angelina's dress, "Nice dress you got there," she remarked.
Angelina looked down and smiled. Then, she returned the compliment, "Thanks, you too."
Alicia absentmindedly fingered the scarlet satiny fabric and closed her eyes; admiring the diaphanous feel of it, "Wonder how we got them."
Angelina suppressed the urge to laugh at her friend. "Indeed, they don't look like dress robes at all."
Dress robes, in Angelina's opinion, were beautiful enough. But these dresses completely stole the thunder from those robes. It wasn't just the material and texture of the cloth, which was unusual too, it was the styling the designer had chosen. Alicia's dark red dress was worn off the shoulder and had a gold rose pinned at the corner. The cloth was wounded around her body tightly and framed her petite figure. A long slit at the side of her one-piece dress added to the elegance of the dress and showed off her long legs to perfection. The dress ended in folds and the darker shade of red provided harmony to the outer layer.
Angelina squinted at those folds that were too extensive to be called pleats. "Are they held together by magic?"
Alicia bent down, "No. Looks nice doesn't it? Wish I could do the same for my robes back home." She looked up, "Now, let me look at yours."
Her friend's dress wasn't startlingly white. Instead, it was more like the colour beige, only much more lighter. It was a beautiful shade of ivory. There were no sleeves, only white silk fabric hung from the back, off her shoulders and were tied to her wrists. Like Alicia's, her dress was hugging her body and her shapely figure could be seen. The gown carried an oriental aura. The hem of her dress was laced with a thin gold line and clung to her legs. All in all, it was simple yet classy, and couldn't be defined as plain. The white contrasted nicely with her dark skin too.
"Nice," she said appreciatively. Angelina smiled, although the dress wasn't really hers. But it was the natural behavior of teenage girls.
Alicia turned her attention from dresses and gestured to the looming palace, "Think we should go in? We could come back here later."
Angelina's glance shifted to the building and her mouth fell open, "Something tells me that that is not made of stone."
They made their way across the garden and reached the doors. Angelina fingered one of the diamonds wedged into the door. "Oh my..."
Alicia ran her hands along the smooth and glassy wall, "Crystal, Angelina! Where on Earth are we?" she said in a hushed voice.
They pushed the door gently and it opened with ease. They were greeted with corridors similar to the ones Fred and George walked through. Their eyes roaming all over the place, they walked down the winding passageway in bewilderment.
The first doors they came to were on their right. Angelina peeked in and was relieved to see that it was deserted. It was the same hall Fred and George arrived in. They both experienced the same surprises and discovered the same paintings. The only difference was that it was here, in this room, that they regained their phony memories of this world.
"This is the drawing room isn't it?" Angelina asked Alicia.
Alicia nodded wordlessly, then turned and faced her, "Angie, I know that nothing good can come out of this place, but the only comforting thing I remember is that we're sisters. Here, at least."
Angelina smiled at her, "Yeah, that fact and the flowers down in the garden."
Alicia sighed, "I wish Fred and George could see this."
"Let's go to our room Alicia. I'm tired and I want to see if my memory still serves me right, if our room is exactly as we left it."
"It should be, my mother would never let anyone touch it." Alicia's mind was still on George, "I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss the twins. I've never felt this alone in my entire life!" She admitted truthfully to her friend.
Angelina steered her gently out of the room, "Me too, Alicia, me too."
A/N: Well, that is the second chapter. Thank you very, very much for bothering to leave a review! Oh, and a million thanks to Jagged Epiphany for being my very, very helpful and nice beta. Did I mention she was very patient with me? So, thanks for taking the trouble to review and of course, for even reading it!
Kaidence Ledger: Hey! Thanks soooo much for reviewing this story!!!! I got a pleasant surprise when I saw you reviewed!
Jagged Epiphany: I'm glad you like it! I have no idea what I got myself into!!! Now, I;m really scared, what am I going to do with the story????? Lol....my beta and you reviewed!!!! I'm SOOOO lucky!
Angelfish Smile: Oh right, I;m glad to have you as a reviewer!!! You're one of my favorites!!! Now, was it my imagination or did I hear the words inspiration for your next chap???? Lol....get it our fast!!!
Sylvia Cater: You like it? Really? Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter then!!! Thanks so much for leaving me a line!
Fred inwardly sighed in relief, the room he had just stepped into wasn't bedecked in white and gold. Instead, tones of blue, from periwinkle to sapphire, from turquoise to indigo, shaded the four walls, as if reflected from a pool. The floor seemed to give way to an endless pit of stars and midnight sky. It was merely another revelation of the magic these kinfolk possessed. Hera stood up gracefully, Fred noted, then he jolted, how did he know her name? No answers provided themselves but his mind was flooded with understanding and comprehension. He could suddenly remember the wizened yet robust man sitting grandly on the throne, the beautiful lady at his side whom he had earlier identify as Hera, and...his mother, Alcmene.
Fred gaped at them involuntarily. It was as if someone suddenly opened a window to allow his fake memories in. He remembered who he was, or rather, who he was supposed to be in this dimension of time. He remembered George, only in this universe he wasn't his twin but Horus, his childhood friend. Everything became clear. He did not forget his purpose of being there, however, he could still remember his brothers and Ginny, and the Boy Who Lived- his whole other life, actually. Fred shook himself out of his reverie and focused on the speaking Goddess. The rapidly flowing shades of blue illuminated their faces.
Almost automatically he nodded slightly to the man sitting on the grand throne and bowed. George did the same and the both of them received nods of acknowledgement from him. Fred chanced a glance at George and one look at him confirmed his suspicions - that George too had an idea of who he was in this world.
His attention snapped back to Zeus when He spoke, "You're finally back. And I see that you came with him."
That last sentence was obviously directed at George. George only nodded mutely though, not really knowing what to say.
"You can return to your room now." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
As soon as they were alone, Fred turned to George and said, bewildered, "What was that all about?"
George shrugged. "Where do you think Alicia and Angelina are?"
Fred's forehead creased in worry when he remembered their mission. "I know that I am Heracles and you are Horus, but who do you suppose they would be?"
"You have sisters don't you?"
Fred nodded, "In this world, yes."
"Maybe it is one of them."
Fred thought about this for a few seconds, all the while walking along beside George. He agreed, they had to be around his age.
"Think we should go find them?"
"In a minute," George grinned at him, "Let's revel in our newfound wealth. I mean, you? Son of a God? And me..." he shook his head in awe, "Horus would mean I am an Egyptian god....son of Isis and Osiris."
Fred smiled as well, "Unbelievable isn't it?"
They had reached their sleeping quarters. The room itself was bigger than the Gryffindor common room and was divided into three floors, separated by marble stairs descending from the floor they were standing on, a few meters from where the door was. You could see every floor, each equipped with entertaining facilities, couches and two gigantic beds on the lowest floor.
"Wow," muttered Fred. They walked to the middle of the room, a large chessboard was resting on a table similar to the one in the hall, with figurines of Magical Deities as the players.
"Fancy a game?" asked George.
"Later." Fred crossed the threshold of their bedroom, passing colourful bags of large cushions lying decoratively on the floor, to descend into the second level.
The whole place was amazing....elegant, classy and lavishly decorated. The floors were made entirely out of crystal too.
"I have a feeling cement and proper tiles don't exist in this world," Fred remarked.
George managed a weak laugh, he was totally stunned by the extravagance of the place. Even Malfoy couldn't afford this. His conscious mind chastised him, "Malfoy? Even Bill Gates can't build the mere foundation of this palace, let alone decorate it like this, not even if he spent every single penny!"
~*~*~*~*~
Alicia Spinnet shut her eyes tightly and anticipated her painful landing, wondering if she could actually survive it. The pain didn't come, instead both her feet landed neatly on soft ground. Her eyes flew open and she looked around in puzzlement. She was standing in the middle of a garden. A palace could be seen from where she was and Alicia was speechless, she had never seen anything like it before. Without even contemplating her mysterious surroundings, Alicia slowly crossed the dewy verdant carpet, her swaying hands brushing the flower petals softly.
It was only then that she paid attention to the shrubs, bushes and trees that grew there. She frowned, curiosity getting the better of her and she stopped to examine the foliage further. She didn't recall ever seeing these kinds of plants before. Glittery motes erupted from the middle, giving them a magical cloud. She gently held one of the crimson flowers in her hand and could almost swear that it was humming a soft melody. Totally enchanted, her attention didn't waver from the plants. No flower was the same, no leaf like the other. She was so engrossed in them as the twinkling tune floated to her ears that she didn't hear a thud behind her.
The person who made that thud walked towards her, footsteps sounding uncertain and hesitant. Suddenly, a hand clapped over her shoulder. Alicia jumped in fright and her hand was over her heart as she spun around to look at the newcomer.
"ANGELINA!" she exclaimed in surprise and joy. "What are you doing here?"
Angelina shrugged, "I was walking with Fred and something happened. The next moment, I was here."
Alicia frowned, "Where do you think we are?"
Angelina had just discovered the unique beauty of the flora that grew here and had stooped down to admire them. "Dunno, I just got here."
"Me too." Alicia whispered softly. "Angie, aren't you worried?"
Angelina released the hold she had on a particularly stunning silver rose and faced her, "Worried? When we're in a place like this?"
"Why not?"
"Alicia! Have you looked around you lately? This place is beautiful! Absolutely serene! What harm could possibly come to us here?" she sighed, a little morosely. "I suppose we do have to find a way out but that can wait. Let's just enjoy this, shall we?"
Alicia nodded reluctantly and eyed Angelina's dress, "Nice dress you got there," she remarked.
Angelina looked down and smiled. Then, she returned the compliment, "Thanks, you too."
Alicia absentmindedly fingered the scarlet satiny fabric and closed her eyes; admiring the diaphanous feel of it, "Wonder how we got them."
Angelina suppressed the urge to laugh at her friend. "Indeed, they don't look like dress robes at all."
Dress robes, in Angelina's opinion, were beautiful enough. But these dresses completely stole the thunder from those robes. It wasn't just the material and texture of the cloth, which was unusual too, it was the styling the designer had chosen. Alicia's dark red dress was worn off the shoulder and had a gold rose pinned at the corner. The cloth was wounded around her body tightly and framed her petite figure. A long slit at the side of her one-piece dress added to the elegance of the dress and showed off her long legs to perfection. The dress ended in folds and the darker shade of red provided harmony to the outer layer.
Angelina squinted at those folds that were too extensive to be called pleats. "Are they held together by magic?"
Alicia bent down, "No. Looks nice doesn't it? Wish I could do the same for my robes back home." She looked up, "Now, let me look at yours."
Her friend's dress wasn't startlingly white. Instead, it was more like the colour beige, only much more lighter. It was a beautiful shade of ivory. There were no sleeves, only white silk fabric hung from the back, off her shoulders and were tied to her wrists. Like Alicia's, her dress was hugging her body and her shapely figure could be seen. The gown carried an oriental aura. The hem of her dress was laced with a thin gold line and clung to her legs. All in all, it was simple yet classy, and couldn't be defined as plain. The white contrasted nicely with her dark skin too.
"Nice," she said appreciatively. Angelina smiled, although the dress wasn't really hers. But it was the natural behavior of teenage girls.
Alicia turned her attention from dresses and gestured to the looming palace, "Think we should go in? We could come back here later."
Angelina's glance shifted to the building and her mouth fell open, "Something tells me that that is not made of stone."
They made their way across the garden and reached the doors. Angelina fingered one of the diamonds wedged into the door. "Oh my..."
Alicia ran her hands along the smooth and glassy wall, "Crystal, Angelina! Where on Earth are we?" she said in a hushed voice.
They pushed the door gently and it opened with ease. They were greeted with corridors similar to the ones Fred and George walked through. Their eyes roaming all over the place, they walked down the winding passageway in bewilderment.
The first doors they came to were on their right. Angelina peeked in and was relieved to see that it was deserted. It was the same hall Fred and George arrived in. They both experienced the same surprises and discovered the same paintings. The only difference was that it was here, in this room, that they regained their phony memories of this world.
"This is the drawing room isn't it?" Angelina asked Alicia.
Alicia nodded wordlessly, then turned and faced her, "Angie, I know that nothing good can come out of this place, but the only comforting thing I remember is that we're sisters. Here, at least."
Angelina smiled at her, "Yeah, that fact and the flowers down in the garden."
Alicia sighed, "I wish Fred and George could see this."
"Let's go to our room Alicia. I'm tired and I want to see if my memory still serves me right, if our room is exactly as we left it."
"It should be, my mother would never let anyone touch it." Alicia's mind was still on George, "I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss the twins. I've never felt this alone in my entire life!" She admitted truthfully to her friend.
Angelina steered her gently out of the room, "Me too, Alicia, me too."
A/N: Well, that is the second chapter. Thank you very, very much for bothering to leave a review! Oh, and a million thanks to Jagged Epiphany for being my very, very helpful and nice beta. Did I mention she was very patient with me? So, thanks for taking the trouble to review and of course, for even reading it!
Kaidence Ledger: Hey! Thanks soooo much for reviewing this story!!!! I got a pleasant surprise when I saw you reviewed!
Jagged Epiphany: I'm glad you like it! I have no idea what I got myself into!!! Now, I;m really scared, what am I going to do with the story????? Lol....my beta and you reviewed!!!! I'm SOOOO lucky!
Angelfish Smile: Oh right, I;m glad to have you as a reviewer!!! You're one of my favorites!!! Now, was it my imagination or did I hear the words inspiration for your next chap???? Lol....get it our fast!!!
Sylvia Cater: You like it? Really? Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter then!!! Thanks so much for leaving me a line!
