Chapter 3: The Keeper of Golden Dragons
Landyr turned toward the castle, which was now back to a ruined form and he was also back in the year 2998. They headed up the stone steps, and then though a massive archway where the wooden doors once stood. It was very dark and dank inside. Landyr notice that there was a strong moldy smell in the air. The walls were crumbling with small pieces of stone on the floor. The ceiling looked as if it could collapse at any moment. They went down several halls and finally stood in front of what was obviously a statue, but now it was complete featureless.
"Sherbet Lemon," Dumbledore said.
The broken statue begun to rise reveling a spiral staircase as it went. They climbed up the stairs with Dumbledore in the lead. There was a lion shaped knocker on the floor where another door once was. They went in to the room. The pictures on the wall were blank. There was a think layer of dust on everything. In the corner of the room there was a golden perch with a red and gold bird sitting on it. The bird turned its head at Dumbledore when he walked into the room. Dumbledore went over to the big bird and started to stroke it.
"It's been a long time, Fawkes." Looking up at Landyr he said, "You see Landyr, Fawkes is a Phoenix. They can live for a very long time. After I ... err, well ... died, he flew away from here to live a life with his own kind. He came back today because he could sense that something was going on."
"He's a magnificent bird, Professor."
At the sound of that, Fawkes looked at Landyr approvingly. Landyr went over to Fawkes and began to stroke its back.
"I can tell you more, but that will come later. You need to complete two assignments first."
"What do you mean, assignments?!?" cried out Landyr. "I'm not in school right now."
"No, no you're not, but you will be soon enough."
Landyr had a puzzled look on his face and was thinking, "What does he mean by that?"
"You are confused I'm sure, but first your assignments. You need to find the Keeper of the Golden Dragons and ask him how you can get a Golden Dragon scale and a limb of a Kith Tree."
"Where do I find this Keeper?"
Dumbledore took out his wand and drew a straight, vertical line in air by drawing his hand from the top to the bottom. A slit appeared as tall as Landyr. It began to widen. Landyr could look though this slit and see lush fields of green and many trees. In the distance he could barely make out the shape of a mansion. He assumed this is where the Keeper lived.
"All you need to do is step through this gateway and you will be in the 'Land of the Never-Ending Sun'. It sure beats apperating there, doesn't it?" Dumbledore seem to gain his smile back.
"Apperating?"
"You will learn in good time. Now go on. The gateway will not be open for long."
Landyr held his breath and took a step through the gateway. He turned around to notice that the gateway was slowly shrinking making Dumbledore and his office disappear. He could now see more fields of green where the slit once was. There was something large and golden moving in the distance. He turned towards the mansion and made his way to it. Landyr had a look of owe at the site of the mansion. It was a three-story, stone-walled, medieval looking mansion complete with turrets. It was more of a mansion than a castle, though. Landyr went up stone steps with railings that resembled a long dragon. He knocked on the oak double doors, and waited. After a bit, a short, stout man opened the door.
"Welcome! Welcome!" the man said cheerily. "I have been expecting you for a while. A thousand of your years have gone by since I heard from - come in ... come in and have a seat."
Landyr walked in to the main entrance hall with his mouth open. The ceiling was three stories high with a golden chandler that had sparkling diamonds on it. There was a beautifully carved-wood trim all a round the wall where it met the ceiling. Along the right side there was a staircase that from the ground floor to the second, and the stairs that went from the second floor to the third were along the left hand side. This was a bright, happy place. The stout man led him to the sitting room where they sat in big, lofty chairs that felt like one was sitting on a cloud.
"Excuse me, but are you the Keeper of the Golden Dragons?" asked Landyr
"Why you can call me that, but that is a rather long name for someone, now, isn't it?" the keeper said jokingly. "You can just call me Friar Buttergomon."
"Funny, you don't look like a Friar!?!"
"Oh, I use that in memory of my brother that ... let me see ... I think it's been more that fifteen hundred years since I last saw him. He went to Hogwarts you know."
"More than fifteen hundred years! No one can live that long."
"Haven't you figured out that time has no meaning here. No one or thing is affected by time. Tell me, what brings you here?"
"I was sent by the environmental memory thing of Professor Dumbledore to retrieve a Golden Dragon scale and the limb of Kith Tree."
"Do you know what you are going to do with these powerful items?"
"No. I don't have a clue. Dumbledore says that this is my assignment."
"The environmental memory of Dumbledore told you to get this?" He let out a sigh and then continued, "Something bad must have happened for him to send someone looking for these items." He paused to think. A sad look started to show on his face. "I think I know what Dumbledore has in mind. Funny man, Dumbledore. First, you need to understand a few things about Golden Dragons. They are very smart creatures with the ability to sense whether a person is good or evil. If one is evil, the dragons will attack full fury with no warning. They are very powerfully, so don't mess around with them."
"Powerful? Can they use magic then?"
"They cannot use magic; however, they have more magic in them than any other living creature. That is why I am here. I help protect them, because they cannot defend themselves against a wizard. I remember a while back I had to chase off some ruddy bloke named Slytherin. He wanted the blood to make himself immortal."
Landyr turned toward the castle, which was now back to a ruined form and he was also back in the year 2998. They headed up the stone steps, and then though a massive archway where the wooden doors once stood. It was very dark and dank inside. Landyr notice that there was a strong moldy smell in the air. The walls were crumbling with small pieces of stone on the floor. The ceiling looked as if it could collapse at any moment. They went down several halls and finally stood in front of what was obviously a statue, but now it was complete featureless.
"Sherbet Lemon," Dumbledore said.
The broken statue begun to rise reveling a spiral staircase as it went. They climbed up the stairs with Dumbledore in the lead. There was a lion shaped knocker on the floor where another door once was. They went in to the room. The pictures on the wall were blank. There was a think layer of dust on everything. In the corner of the room there was a golden perch with a red and gold bird sitting on it. The bird turned its head at Dumbledore when he walked into the room. Dumbledore went over to the big bird and started to stroke it.
"It's been a long time, Fawkes." Looking up at Landyr he said, "You see Landyr, Fawkes is a Phoenix. They can live for a very long time. After I ... err, well ... died, he flew away from here to live a life with his own kind. He came back today because he could sense that something was going on."
"He's a magnificent bird, Professor."
At the sound of that, Fawkes looked at Landyr approvingly. Landyr went over to Fawkes and began to stroke its back.
"I can tell you more, but that will come later. You need to complete two assignments first."
"What do you mean, assignments?!?" cried out Landyr. "I'm not in school right now."
"No, no you're not, but you will be soon enough."
Landyr had a puzzled look on his face and was thinking, "What does he mean by that?"
"You are confused I'm sure, but first your assignments. You need to find the Keeper of the Golden Dragons and ask him how you can get a Golden Dragon scale and a limb of a Kith Tree."
"Where do I find this Keeper?"
Dumbledore took out his wand and drew a straight, vertical line in air by drawing his hand from the top to the bottom. A slit appeared as tall as Landyr. It began to widen. Landyr could look though this slit and see lush fields of green and many trees. In the distance he could barely make out the shape of a mansion. He assumed this is where the Keeper lived.
"All you need to do is step through this gateway and you will be in the 'Land of the Never-Ending Sun'. It sure beats apperating there, doesn't it?" Dumbledore seem to gain his smile back.
"Apperating?"
"You will learn in good time. Now go on. The gateway will not be open for long."
Landyr held his breath and took a step through the gateway. He turned around to notice that the gateway was slowly shrinking making Dumbledore and his office disappear. He could now see more fields of green where the slit once was. There was something large and golden moving in the distance. He turned towards the mansion and made his way to it. Landyr had a look of owe at the site of the mansion. It was a three-story, stone-walled, medieval looking mansion complete with turrets. It was more of a mansion than a castle, though. Landyr went up stone steps with railings that resembled a long dragon. He knocked on the oak double doors, and waited. After a bit, a short, stout man opened the door.
"Welcome! Welcome!" the man said cheerily. "I have been expecting you for a while. A thousand of your years have gone by since I heard from - come in ... come in and have a seat."
Landyr walked in to the main entrance hall with his mouth open. The ceiling was three stories high with a golden chandler that had sparkling diamonds on it. There was a beautifully carved-wood trim all a round the wall where it met the ceiling. Along the right side there was a staircase that from the ground floor to the second, and the stairs that went from the second floor to the third were along the left hand side. This was a bright, happy place. The stout man led him to the sitting room where they sat in big, lofty chairs that felt like one was sitting on a cloud.
"Excuse me, but are you the Keeper of the Golden Dragons?" asked Landyr
"Why you can call me that, but that is a rather long name for someone, now, isn't it?" the keeper said jokingly. "You can just call me Friar Buttergomon."
"Funny, you don't look like a Friar!?!"
"Oh, I use that in memory of my brother that ... let me see ... I think it's been more that fifteen hundred years since I last saw him. He went to Hogwarts you know."
"More than fifteen hundred years! No one can live that long."
"Haven't you figured out that time has no meaning here. No one or thing is affected by time. Tell me, what brings you here?"
"I was sent by the environmental memory thing of Professor Dumbledore to retrieve a Golden Dragon scale and the limb of Kith Tree."
"Do you know what you are going to do with these powerful items?"
"No. I don't have a clue. Dumbledore says that this is my assignment."
"The environmental memory of Dumbledore told you to get this?" He let out a sigh and then continued, "Something bad must have happened for him to send someone looking for these items." He paused to think. A sad look started to show on his face. "I think I know what Dumbledore has in mind. Funny man, Dumbledore. First, you need to understand a few things about Golden Dragons. They are very smart creatures with the ability to sense whether a person is good or evil. If one is evil, the dragons will attack full fury with no warning. They are very powerfully, so don't mess around with them."
"Powerful? Can they use magic then?"
"They cannot use magic; however, they have more magic in them than any other living creature. That is why I am here. I help protect them, because they cannot defend themselves against a wizard. I remember a while back I had to chase off some ruddy bloke named Slytherin. He wanted the blood to make himself immortal."