Disclaimer: I own nothing except the extended Dolan family and Hound's
Hollow (including all of its subsidiary locations). The rest of this stuff
is property of its proper owners. I'm a broke college student who writes to
pass the time before classes. (I really do write between college classes.
in the halls, in the café, in the labs, and in the library.)
Patrick hesitated for a split second, unsure of weather or not to trust the man. He gave the old man a good once over. He was dressed in shabby gray robes with a pointed hat on his head and a heavy wooden staff in his hands. With the long white beard and hair, Patrick was forcibly reminded of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
The two started to walk back towards the school, the old man walking next to Patrick.
"How did you know I am a student?" Patrick asked, after finding his voice.
"It says so on your robes, young man," the old man stated, gesturing with his staff to the Gryffindor crest on Patrick's black uniform robe.
"May I ask you a question, sir?" started Patrick.
The old man cut him off, saying, "You already have but go on anyway."
Patrick gave the old man a puzzled look. He was trying to figure out what the old man meant.
"What were those things back there? You seemed to be able to talk to them," the red-headed wizard asked.
"I will tell you if, and only if, you promise not to tell anyone else," the old man retorted.
"I promise," the young wizard stated, giving the old man his oath.
"Those, young man, are elves," plainly stated the old man.
Patrick, again, gave the old man a look of confusion. This time, though, it was mixed with disbelief. The only elves he had ever heard of were house elves and he knew that they did not look anything like the creatures he had just seen,
"And, yes, you are the only one able to see them right now," the old man continued, ignoring the wizard's expression.
"Well," Patrick surmised, mentally, "that explains a lot."
Though he was thinking rather clearly all he managed to say was, "What?!"
"I've been trying to keep them hidden from view or, at least, that is what I thought I was doing," the old man explained.
"How?" Patrick stammered.
"By magic, of course. It is far easier for me to do such a task here because of all the magical energy in the air," the old man answered.
"Wait a minute. You're a wizard!" Patrick exclaimed, sounding stunned.
"More or less, you can consider me a wizard. It would be easier for you if you did. I am called Gandalf the Gray. You are?" the old wizard asked.
"I'm Patrick, fourth year Gryffindor," the red-head replied.
Then he added, "How come I'm the only one who can see them?"
The old wizard seemed to think for a moment, as if trying to remember some long forgotten bit of information.
"You can see them, Patrick," the old man said, finally remembering, "because you are a Gate Keeper."
"I'm a what?" Patrick asked.
"A Gate Keeper," the old wizard said, slowly.
Patrick shook his head. He wanted an explanation not a direct answer.
"What does that mean?" Patrick asked, hoping this question would yield the answer he wanted.
"Since you can see through my magic, you are a Gate Keeper. You, young man, have the power to not only see things from my world but to visit my world as well," Gandalf explained.
Patrick was totally and utterly confused by this talk of other worlds.
"Other worlds I can visit? What, in the name of Merlin, are you talking about?" hr thought to himself.
He wanted to ask the old wizard a million and one questions but he was only able to vocalize, "What? Why? How?"
The old wizard looked at Patrick in a grandfatherly sort of way.
"Ah. youth" he said, laughing.
Patrick didn't know what the old wizard was laughing about. To him, it looking like this man had never been.
Then Gandalf began to explain.
"You have a unique ability to open portals, or gates, at the spots where the barriers between my world and your world are the weakest. That tree back there is a very active portal but I caution you not to use it, yet. It opens to a place that has fallen into shadows and you would not be able to defend yourself against what you might meet there. I do not know why you were chosen to have these powers or how they came to be but they are yours to command. Do you understand?" he explained, all the while leading Patrick back towards the school.
The young wizard thought for a moment and replied, "Not really, sir. What are you talking about? How do I even open these gates?"
"You need not open them, Patrick, for they will always been open to you. You just have to step through them. You may even take others through with you but I suggest you pick those people wisely. You will know where the gates are but I am not sure how," Gandalf continued to explain.
"But where to they open to?" Patrick asked.
"To my world, Middle Earth," Gandalf answered as they reached the main entrance of the Hogwarts School.
Patrick wanted to ask more questions but, to his shock, the old wizard had vanished.
Patrick hesitated for a split second, unsure of weather or not to trust the man. He gave the old man a good once over. He was dressed in shabby gray robes with a pointed hat on his head and a heavy wooden staff in his hands. With the long white beard and hair, Patrick was forcibly reminded of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
The two started to walk back towards the school, the old man walking next to Patrick.
"How did you know I am a student?" Patrick asked, after finding his voice.
"It says so on your robes, young man," the old man stated, gesturing with his staff to the Gryffindor crest on Patrick's black uniform robe.
"May I ask you a question, sir?" started Patrick.
The old man cut him off, saying, "You already have but go on anyway."
Patrick gave the old man a puzzled look. He was trying to figure out what the old man meant.
"What were those things back there? You seemed to be able to talk to them," the red-headed wizard asked.
"I will tell you if, and only if, you promise not to tell anyone else," the old man retorted.
"I promise," the young wizard stated, giving the old man his oath.
"Those, young man, are elves," plainly stated the old man.
Patrick, again, gave the old man a look of confusion. This time, though, it was mixed with disbelief. The only elves he had ever heard of were house elves and he knew that they did not look anything like the creatures he had just seen,
"And, yes, you are the only one able to see them right now," the old man continued, ignoring the wizard's expression.
"Well," Patrick surmised, mentally, "that explains a lot."
Though he was thinking rather clearly all he managed to say was, "What?!"
"I've been trying to keep them hidden from view or, at least, that is what I thought I was doing," the old man explained.
"How?" Patrick stammered.
"By magic, of course. It is far easier for me to do such a task here because of all the magical energy in the air," the old man answered.
"Wait a minute. You're a wizard!" Patrick exclaimed, sounding stunned.
"More or less, you can consider me a wizard. It would be easier for you if you did. I am called Gandalf the Gray. You are?" the old wizard asked.
"I'm Patrick, fourth year Gryffindor," the red-head replied.
Then he added, "How come I'm the only one who can see them?"
The old wizard seemed to think for a moment, as if trying to remember some long forgotten bit of information.
"You can see them, Patrick," the old man said, finally remembering, "because you are a Gate Keeper."
"I'm a what?" Patrick asked.
"A Gate Keeper," the old wizard said, slowly.
Patrick shook his head. He wanted an explanation not a direct answer.
"What does that mean?" Patrick asked, hoping this question would yield the answer he wanted.
"Since you can see through my magic, you are a Gate Keeper. You, young man, have the power to not only see things from my world but to visit my world as well," Gandalf explained.
Patrick was totally and utterly confused by this talk of other worlds.
"Other worlds I can visit? What, in the name of Merlin, are you talking about?" hr thought to himself.
He wanted to ask the old wizard a million and one questions but he was only able to vocalize, "What? Why? How?"
The old wizard looked at Patrick in a grandfatherly sort of way.
"Ah. youth" he said, laughing.
Patrick didn't know what the old wizard was laughing about. To him, it looking like this man had never been.
Then Gandalf began to explain.
"You have a unique ability to open portals, or gates, at the spots where the barriers between my world and your world are the weakest. That tree back there is a very active portal but I caution you not to use it, yet. It opens to a place that has fallen into shadows and you would not be able to defend yourself against what you might meet there. I do not know why you were chosen to have these powers or how they came to be but they are yours to command. Do you understand?" he explained, all the while leading Patrick back towards the school.
The young wizard thought for a moment and replied, "Not really, sir. What are you talking about? How do I even open these gates?"
"You need not open them, Patrick, for they will always been open to you. You just have to step through them. You may even take others through with you but I suggest you pick those people wisely. You will know where the gates are but I am not sure how," Gandalf continued to explain.
"But where to they open to?" Patrick asked.
"To my world, Middle Earth," Gandalf answered as they reached the main entrance of the Hogwarts School.
Patrick wanted to ask more questions but, to his shock, the old wizard had vanished.