The Once and Future Dragon King
By Tulzdavampslayer
Chapter IX - At Last We Meet
A/N - weeeeeeell I thought it was about time for some plot development. so I decided to go INSANE. No. not really. I'm just joking. But yeah.
Disclaimer - [blinks] .oh. I'm not a billionaire. That sucks. [goes back to being poor] there's nothing wrong with poor, I like it. I'm used to it. heehee. one day. one day. ok I'm shutting up now coz that's not funny in any way.
APOLOGY - I am so so so sorry this took so long to get up, I moved house and I'm on dial up and this is the first time I've been online in AGES I am so so sorry, enjoy the chapters!
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Albus Dumbledore flicked a lolly wrapper across the room only to notice a moment later that another hand on the clock had stopped. He tapped his upper lip a few times with his quill, before pulling out his wand.
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"Attention students!"
Draco and Ginny were interrupted from a rather compromising situation by their Headmaster's voice. They spun around but couldn't see him anywhere. It took them a moment to realise it was a school-wide announcement.
"Could the following students please report immediately to the Headmaster's office:
From Slytherin, Elaine Weasley-Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Thomas Derdrom, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode.
From Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.
Thank you."
By the time the echoes had cleared from the hall, Ginny and Draco were already running full pelt towards Dumbledore's office.
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Albus Dumbledore smiled at the ten students before him. "Lemon Sherbet, anybody?"
There was a nervous silence over the students. Tom, oblivious as always to such discomfort, jumped forward to take the offered candy. "Thanks, Professor," the boy grinned.
"Now, you're probably wondering why I've called you up here today."
The Gryffindors grinned, and the Slytherins, apart from Elaine and Tom, grimaced.
Elaine and Tom just looked at each other for a moment, before stepping forward. "It's because of King Arthur's return, isn't it Professor?" Elaine asked.
Albus Dumbledore blinked. "So the signs have started showing themselves then, have they? Well. I suppose I owe you an explanation then. You will all know the legend of King Arthur, of course, and how he was taken to Avalon grievously injured by his illegitimate son Mordred. The Legends said he would return when he was healed. The part of the story left untold is that Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, did not have the power to heal Arthur. He died. Nimue called on the witch Morgause to help her with a spell to 'resurrect' Arthur when the time came. Arthur's soul would be released into the body of the one most suited to carry on his path."
"Where was Merlyn in all this?" Ron interrupted.
"Well," Dumbledore gave an embarrassed cough. "I was stuck in a tree. Nimue had put me there."
Ron blinked, but didn't ask why.
"But that is not important now. So I shall explain to you exactly why you are here. Arthur's soul is about to be returned, but Morgause somehow had an affect on the spell. Not only is Arthur coming back, but..." Dumbledore pulled out the clock and placed it in a stool in front in the middle of what was quickly becoming a circle. The students hadn't even noticed themselves moving in.
Harry cocked his head. "What do all the hands stand for, Professor?"
"Ah! I am glad you asked master Potter. Each of the hands on this clock represent a separate person from the time of King Arthur. Around the edges of the clock are names of students and teachers here at Hogwarts. In the past few days, many names have disappeared, and several of the hands have slowed or stopped on certain people's names. I have brought you ten here because I believe you to be the most likely suspects."
Ginny tried to read the names around the edge of the clock. "What language is that, sir? I can't read it."
Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, it is a forgotten language. Well, perhaps I should say it is an unwritten language. You see, I live backwards, and this language is not yet spoken in this world. I am the only person who can read it because it has not been invented yet."
Ron grimaced. His head was starting to hurt. At his side, Hermione was counting the hands, and the people in the circle. "Uh, Professor Dumbledore..."
"Yes, miss Granger."
"There are ten hands.""Yes."
"And eleven of us.""Correct.""And you're Merlyn."
"Quite right."
"So, one of us has nothing to do with the prophecy."
Albus Dumbledore almost squirmed. "Alas, yes, one of you do not have a part in this. But -"
Draco was getting edgy. "Who exactly is coming back? ...sir..." he added after his foot was quickly stepped on by the redheaded girl at his side.
The Headmaster smiled and ceremoniously raised his hands.
"King Arthur Pendragon," he said staring at the ceiling.
"Sir Kay," he looked pointedly at Ron.
"Sir Galahad," he said before being interrupted by a gasp from Elaine.
"Sir Mordred," Tom blinked but for once was silent.
"Queen Guenevere," he said as he bowed deeply to a rather shocked Ginny.
"The Witch Queens and half-sisters to Arthur: Morgause and Morgan Le Fay, and the sorceress Nimue," the remaining girls looked at their toes.
Draco and Harry exchanged a glance. They knew who the final hand belonged to, before it needed to be said. And they could guess who would inherit the soul.
"And finally, Sir Lancelot du Lac, also known as the Chevalier Mal Fet, the ill-made knight." Draco's lips formed a smirk at the similarity of his surname to the legendary knight's title.
Dumbledore looked around at the nervous students. "I have an experiment to try. I would like each of you to place the palm of your hand on the clock, one by one. It should make your birthright clear for all to see."
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Nobody moved.
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Albus Dumbledore sighed, and placed his hand on the clock. The clock-hand with the letter 'M' emblazoned on it turned a bright white, and vanished. The normally calm headmaster appeared slightly flustered, although the experiment had been his idea in the first place.
The room was plunged into silence for a few moments, until Elaine grinned widely. "Cool... I'm next!" she exclaimed as she bounced forward and placed her hand against the clock. Galahad's hand turned a soft pink, spun once around the clock and vanished.
Ron, not to be undone by an eleven year old girl or a Malfoy, went next. The hand representing Kay turned a blue so deep it was almost black, blinked in and out of existence, before disappearing as well.
Tom was almost bouncing out of his skin by the time it was his turn. But when he placed his hand on the face of the clock, Mordred's hand turned a blood red, leapt out of the clock, scratched across his skin and fell to the ground, transfigured into the form of a jewelled dagger. Dumbledore was immediately at the boy's side, looking carefully at the bleeding cut. Tom shook his head, smiling. "It's fine, sir. Wow that was awesome... who's next?"
It took a few minutes before anyone was game to try their hand. (a/n - i'm so witty) Ginny stared at the clock in front of her nervously, paused, took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly and placed her hand against the clock. This time, Guenevere's hand floated out, transfigured itself into a locket on a thin gold chain, and clasped itself round her neck. Ginny gasped in terror and opened her eyes, only to find the chain's clasp would not undo. She opened the locket to find two muggle-style portraits of a handsome man in his mid-twenties and a beautiful girl of about seventeen.
Millicent, biting her lip so hard it almost bled, stepped forward nervously and placed her hand on the clock. A moment later, she was on the other side of the room against the wall, and all the hands on the clock were spinning wildly.
Albus Dumbledore blinked. "I was not expecting that."
Millicent slowly stood up, dusted herself off, and sat back down on the floor. "I'm fine, I'm all good, just sore," she smiled weakly.
Hermione was slowly pushed forward by Ron. "I don't want to touch it, I don't want to touch it!" But Ron placed Hermione's hand firmly against the clock anyway, and the two of them watched the remaining hands spin for a moment before Nimue's hand slowly dissolved into the air in a pale green light. Hermione grinned sheepishly before her knees buckled.
Next was Pansy. When she placed her hands on it, both Morgause's and Morgan Le Fay's hands became so confusingly fast, nobody could tell which was which, until one melted into an orange light, leaving the other, Morgause, smack bang on Blaise's name.
"Right," Blaise said, jumped forward and swiftly placed her palm on the center of the clock-face. The room was plunged into darkness for a moment, but when light returned, Morgause's hand was gone and Blaise was left looking extremely troubled.
Now only Draco and Harry were left. And the only hands left on the clock belonged to Arthur and Lancelot. Neither boy moved, but their eyes dared the other to move first. In the end they both gave in at the same moment, lunged in and placed their hands on at the same time. The clock shone a million shades of light, shining so bright that everyone in the room had to cover their eyes.
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When the light had dimmed back to "room temperature", they opened their eyes to see all traces of the clock gone. It was as if it had never existed, or perhaps did not exist yet. In Harry's hands lay a long sword.
"Excalibur!" Ron exclaimed.
Draco cleared his throat. "I, uh, doubt it somewhat."
Everybody turned to see Draco standing there, staring at the gold crown now clasped tightly in his hands.
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Albus Dumbledore smiled quietly, because smiles are normally reasonably quiet.
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Ginny fainted, and was quickly caught by a rather stunned-mullet-looking Ron.
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Albus Dumbledore looked up to his door, which had just opened to show a surprisingly sane-looking Severus Snape.
"Ah, Headmaster," the potions master drawled. "I've been looking for my missing student." He swept through the room, oblivious to the crown and sword, and poked Ginny awake.
"Tag, you're it."
Albus Dumbledore gave up.
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Coming so soon if you blink you'll miss it: Ch X - 'Will the real King Arthur please shut up?' featuring several storming teenagers, a disobedient Phoenix, and another appearance of a Moping Malfoy!
I love you all, please keep reviewing, coz it gives me happies!
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---7u13 d@ \/@mp $!@y34---
