Celebwen Telcontar: Sorry for the delay, but there has been some problems—
Balrog: Like the fact that you simply abandoned your readers for an entire bloody six months??
Celebwen Telcontar: Sorry! And it wasn't for six months, it was less!
Balrog: Oh, yah right! Well, you do not own the story in any way shape or form. Please review, sweet people.
Celebwen Telcontar: I own the plot!! That at least should count for something!!
Balrog: Bach.
Celebwen Telcontar: Why are we talking about Romantic era musicians?
Balrog: Bach in my language is a sound of disgust!!
Celebwen Telcontar: Uggh. Please review.
Just a reminder, but Actaeon Harry, Tithonus Ron, and Kilissa Hermione. Also, if any of you are worried that Actaeon, Tithonus, and Kilissa drink wine on a regular basis, just remember that this is ancient Greece, and the Greeks didn't have much in the way of beverages save water and wine, and the water was pretty much guaranteed to give you typhoid or some other nasty disease. The alcohol in the wine would kill the germs, and also the legal drinking age in the British Isles is 18. They were 17 when they left, so this would make them 20, since three years have passed.
Three years passed on the tiny island as the three Hogwart's students got used to the beautiful scenery and life there. They remained close friends with Odysseus and Penelope, and often went to each other's houses to chat. Penelope became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she called Telemachus.
Actaeon mopped his coarse homemade bread in the rich olive oil, savoring the taste. The wine was just a little too sweet and more like grape syrup for his tastes, but it was what his brass would buy. Tithonus bit heartily into his plate of mutton, grinning at his friend.
"Actaeon, my friend, we have been here too long. Kilissa will be worried."
"You're right, Tithonus. Besides, she'll be making bread for the morning anyways. Why don't we surprise her and go to the market on our way home?"
"Alright, what do we need form the market?"
"We need some olives and some plums. The wine should be lower by now, and the apples are in season. I believe she said she was low on cinnamon, and also on salt."
"Salt?! We live on an island, Actaeon! We have salt water surrounding us! And the cinnamon? What are we made of, gold?! We sold the Wizarding money we had, but that didn't buy us all that much! Cinnamon is expensive! It has to be shipped out here, from wherever it grows."
"True, my friend. But I was just trying to be helpful with our friend Kilissa. She has been our friend and ally since the troll in First Year!"
"No kidding. Well, anyways, let's get a move on..." Tithonus grabbed his friend's arm and hauled him to his feet. Actaeon then walked out the door as Tithonus drained the sweet, syrupy wine in his cup, and followed Actaeon.
The market was bustling with activity, as the vendors had just arrived in town. One vendor was selling legs of mutton, hide and hoof still attached. Another was selling plums of various sizes and ripeness, some nearly rotting in the crate. Actaeon went over to the vendor selling different spices, and began to banter with the vendor to get a container of cinnamon. He finally got it down to a semi reasonable price, and bought a good quantity, while Tithonus was dealing with the apples and plums. Actaeon then went to the grain dealer and bought a goodly amount, before meeting up with Tithonus. Tithonus had a goodly amount of fruit in one basket, and a large amphora of wine over one shoulder. Actaeon took the wine, smelled it, and admitted that it didn't smell too sweet. Finally they made their way home.
Albus Dumbledore paced his office, trying to figure out where Harry, Ron, and Hermione could have gone. He had tried to owl them several times to tell them of the current news, but all of his owls came back with puzzled looks on their beaked faces. It was as if they had simply dropped off the face of the Earth itself. He knew that Hermione had decided to go to Greece for three weeks and had taken Harry and Ron with her, but they should have at least received his owls.
Magic was a tricky thing, especially with long-distance portkeys. If some Time Turner dust had gotten on the book... He thought long and hard about where they could have gone. If they didn't respond to his owls in the next two weeks, he would send Severus to try and figure out where they were. If they had gone back in time, Severus was the only one who could figure out where they were. As he sat pondering the problem and staring at the death form of Percy Weasly, he heard an owl come into the office with yet another unopened letter.
The days passed quickly, and soon a messenger approached bearing a message.
"Damn!" Odysseus roared, slamming his fist into the table, and startling Telemachus into tears. "I knew those damn Trojans were bad news, especially that rat, Paris! Now he's gone and kidnapped Helen and Pleisthenes!"
"Odysseus, what are you going to do?"
"Pretend I'm mad. I'm not going to leave you and Telemachus alone, while I go off to war with Troy! I may never come back!"
"I'll go in your stead," Actaeon said, in a very firm voice. Tithonus backed him up, and Kilissa looked resigned to being left behind.
"Thank you two. You've proven your worth as friends thousands of times over in the past three years," Odysseus said.
"Is there anything we can do now?" Actaeon asked.
"Hitch up the donkey and one of the oxen to the plough. I'll take it down the beach, with some salt."
"What? Sowing the beach with salt? Agamemnon and Menelaus will know that you are mad!" Tithonus laughed. He ran to do as he was bidden, while Actaeon conjured armor and war gear for himself and Tithonus.
Actaeon and Tithonus stood on the beach near Penelope, while Kilissa held Telemachus. Palamedes and Agamemnon were at a loss as to what Odysseus was doing.
"Fife hundred and fifty-eight, five hundred and fifty-nine, five hundred and sixty, and may Helios shine down upon them and the Gods grant rain so they may grow!" He was planting grains of salt into the beach sand, using a donkey and an ox to pull the heavy plough, while putting a deaf and mad ear to Agamemnon's pleas.
"Your Majesty, are you really mad?" Palamedes asked.
"Five hundred and sixty-two, five hundred and sixty-three, five hundred and sixty-four..."
"Okay then." With that, Palamedes snatched up Telemachus from Kilissa's arms, and placed the infant on the ground, where he gurgled happily and clutched at the sand, oblivious to the approaching plough. Without a second thought, Odysseus wrenched the reins aside, the ox bellowed and the donkey brayed. The furrow went way off course, and Odysseus collapsed to the ground next to his son, pulling the oblivious baby into a secure embrace.
"You have me. I will be ready," Odysseus snarled, letting Telemachus pull at his beard contentedly.
Tithonus stood in the prow of the ship, feeling the waves surge under him and rise to the fury of a new war. He checked that his wand was in its holster, and clapped Actaeon on the back. The other time-traveler grinned shakily as the Trojan shore came into view, and the imposing walls of the reputedly impenetrable city. The Trojans were definitely ready for the Greeks, since they were the ones who kidnapped Helen. Menelaus was furious with Paris, that was certainly clear, and in the weeks ensuing the kidnapping, Actaeon and Tithonus were slightly frightened of his wrath. Then, Palamedes put Telemachas in danger, and Odysseus was almost as enraged as Menelaus had been. Tithonus and Actaeon were wondering whether they would ever see Greece, and Kilissa, again, and if they were to die in the Trojan war, if they would be sent back to England. They looked ahead, to tomorrow, to the future, to ten years of bloody war.
Celebwen Telcontar: Again, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while.
Balrog: And how soon will it be until you will update again?
Celebwen Telcontar: I'm not sure. I know that it will have to deal with the Trojan war, and I have a surprise in store for you guys. But I'm not telling what it is.
Balrog: And what is that?
Celebwen Telcontar: If I told you, then it won't be a surprise, would it be?
Balrog: Of course. But why can't you?
Celebwen Telcontar: Are you whining?
Balrog: (In a whiny voice) No...
Celebwen Telcontar: Yes you are. Okay, no granite, semi soft pegmatite, and gneiss sundae for you.
Balrog: No marble and gypsum either? (Begins to sob, tears causing a hissing sound when they hit flames)
Celebwen Telcontar: You know that marble and gypsum give you indigestion because of the reaction to folic acid. I'm surprised gneiss doesn't cause the same problem with you.
Balrog: Oh. Going now.
Celebwen Telcontar: Thank you. Well people, please hit the little periwinkle button on the left part of the screen and leave a review. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time!!
