Harry Potter and the Knights of the Roundtable
Chapter 5: Harry's Return, Explanations, and Confessions of the Heart
Harry was standing in the Great Hall of Camelot. He was dressed in the uniform of the Knights of the Roundtable, which consisted of a navy blue jumpsuit with the collar trimmed in gold and the symbol of the Knights of the Roundtable on the front and back, black polished dragon hide boots, a utility belt from which hung a scabbard for a sword and a holster for his wand, black gauntlets, and a navy blue cloak, also bearing the symbol of the Knights. Standing in front of him were Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot, and Lady Guinevere.
"It was the custom in our day, when a young man had completed his instruction and left to pursue his destiny, for those who had trained him to present him with tokens to aid him on his journey." Merlin said, then nodded to Arthur.
"Harry." Arthur said, stepping forward. "For thousands of years, in hundreds of cultures, the sword has been the symbol of justice. During my lifetime, one sword in particular came to symbolize the struggle of good vs. evil, freedom vs. tyranny, justice vs. injustice. That sword was Excalibur." Arthur pulled his sword from its sheath and held it out for Harry. "As my heir, you are called to go forth back into your world and lead the fight on the side of good, freedom, and justice. It is only fitting, therefore, that I now turn Excalibur over to you. Use it wisely, never draw it out of anger or revenge." Harry reached out and took the sword from Arthur, then held it up in salute.
"I swear that this sword shall only be used in defense of the innocent, freedom and justice." He said, and then slid the sword into his sheath. Arthur then removed a ring from his finger.
"This ring is the Pendragon crest. It is a symbol of authority over the Knights. Again, as my heir, it is now yours." He handed to Harry, who placed it on his right hand. Arthur stepped back. Lancelot came forward. Reaching up around his neck, he removed a silver chain. Attached to the end of the chain was pendant.
"Harry, this pendant was a gift from my mother. It is supposed to protect the wearer from harm and bring them luck." Lancelot said, handing the pendant to Harry. Harry placed it around his neck and tucked it under his shirt. Next Lady Guinevere stepped forward. She smiled at Harry.
"Harry, never forget that the greatest advantage of the light over the dark is love and friendship. For this reason, I give you these rings. Give them to those you love and trust the most. For it is through bonds such as these that even the weakest of men may conquer the strongest adversary." She said, handing him a dozen simple silver rings. Then she pulled a rather beautiful ring off her hand. "Take this ring and give it to the one you love above all else. Do not underestimate the strength of your feelings for you, nor her's for you." Harry took the ring and placed it in his pocket. Finally, Merlin stepped forward.
"Harry, the job before you is not an easy one. It will require all you have learned to accomplish. Trust your instincts and your heart, for they will never deceive you." Merlin said. He then handed a small orb to Harry. "Harry, this is the Orb of the Knights. When you have gathered your potential knights, have each one touch this orb. It will reveal whether or not the person touching it is worthy of the title." Harry took the Orb from Merlin and it immediately filled the room in a light blue glow. Harry placed the Orb in his trunk.
"Thank you all for all you have taught and given me." Harry said. "I will do my best not to let you down."
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Albus Dumbledore surveyed the Great Hall and smiled. It seemed that the professors' plans to lighten the mood of the students was working. Laughter could be heard for the first time since Harry's disappearance. Indeed, everyone seemed to be in much better spirits since the dance started an hour ago. Dumbledore caught sight of someone and his smile instantly disappeared. Yes, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, everyone except Hermione. He sighed. He had been aware for some time of the feelings Hermione and Harry had shared for each other, even if they didn't admit it to one another. His thoughts were interrupted when the doors of the Great Hall banged open. Standing there was a cloaked figure.
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Ron couldn't believe he was actually at the dance as Jennifer Linx's date. She was arguably one of the prettiest girls at Hogwarts and she actually seemed to like him. He felt a little guilty having such a good time with Harry missing and Hermione mourning over his disappearance. But once he was out on the dance floor holding Jennifer in his arms, those feelings disappeared. In the hour since the dance started, they had spent most of that time on the dance floor.
"I'm having a really good time." Jennifer said, as the couple danced to a slow love song.
"Me too." Ron said. The couple looked into each other's eyes and locked their gazes. Then Ron began to lean in to kiss her. Jennifer saw this and parted her lips to receive his. They were millimeters away from each other when a large bang sounded throughout the hall, startling them. There were gasps as the assembled students turned towards the doors of the Great Hall. The doors had been flung open and a cloaked figure was standing in the doorway. Slowly, deliberately the figure began walking towards the head table, as students parted out of the figure's way. Whoever this person was, their hood of their cloak was pulled up and cast a shadow over their face, making identification impossible.
As the figure approached the head table, Dumbledore rose to greet him.
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Hermione smiled weakly at Ginny and Draco. She was currently sitting at a table near the head table with Ginny, Draco, Jason Linx, Eric Ader, Moira Lynch, Cho Chang, and Neville Longbottom. Though the party was very nice, she couldn't seem to relax, her emotions over Harry's now five-month absence still tearing her up inside. When she heard the loud bang at the back of the Great Hall, she immediately turned her head. The doors to the Hall had swung open and a figure dressed in a dark cloak began to walk forward. She heard several gasps of surprise. Many of the students were fiddling with their wands, trying to decide whether this figure was friend or foe.
Whoever the person was, they seemed not to notice anyone else other than Dumbledore. The figure walked directly up to him. Dumbledore rose, came around to the front of the table and began speaking to the figure. Despite being very close to the head table, Hermione could not make out what was being said. A look of relief soon appeared on Dumbledore's face. He nodded to the figure, and then addressed the students and teachers.
"My friends, it is indeed a joyous day. I have just been informed by our visitor that Harry Potter is alive and well and not in the clutches of Lord Voldemort." He said.
"Albus, who is this visitor? How do we know he is trustworthy?" Professor McGonnagal asked. A twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eyes.
"An excellent question, Minerva." Dumbledore replied, "I'm sure once our visitor's identity has been revealed, it will erase all doubts as to the validity of the information." He turned to the figure. "Sir, if you would be so kind." The figure reached up and slowly pulled down his hood. A collective gasp was heard as the figure turned, revealing the face of Harry Potter. Then the sound of applause could be heard rising throughout the hall, until it reached its crecedo, sounding like a thunderous storm.
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"Harry!" Hermione yelled, jumping out of her chair and rushing over to him. She threw him into a big hug. He hugged her back. Tears in her eyes she said, "I was so worried." Harry grinned at her.
"I missed you." He said, then released here. He turned to face Ron, Ginny, and Draco, who had rushed forward to greet their returning friend.
"Its good to see you, mate." Ron said, pulling Harry into a hug.
"Thanks Ron, its good to see you too." Harry said, and then turned to Draco. "Draco, its good to see you."
"What about me?" Ginny asked, a mock pout on her face. Harry laughed and embraced her.
"Its good to see you too Ginny." He said.
"Where the hell were you?" Hermione asked. Harry's eyes flickered surprise at her use of a curse.
"I promise I will explain everything in Dumbledore's office. Right now, though, I need to get up to the dorm and put my things away." He answered, turning to Professor Dumbledore. "Would an hour be convenient for you, Headmaster?"
"Yes Harry, that would be fine. Is there anyone else besides the teachers, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy you wish to attend?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. Please inform Ms. Chang and Mr. Longbottom as well." Harry replied, and then turned and walked towards the door, stopping every so often to greet someone or shake the hand of another student.
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"Harry!" Molly Weasley exclaimed as he walked into Dumbledore's office. She started to make her way over to him, and then stopped as she and the rest saw, for the first time, his attire. He was wearing the uniform of the Knights of the Roundtable, complete with Excalibur.
"Harry, perhaps you could explain to us where you have been? As well as the outfit you are now wearing?" Dumbledore asked. Harry smiled and took the Orb out of his pocket.
"Of course professor. But before I do, I must ask Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Cho, and Neville to touch the Orb." He said, passing it to Ron. The Orb glowed blue. And so the Orb was passed among the six students; glowing blue each time. Harry took it back from Neville.
"Thank you. Now, I shall tell you everything. Or rather, show you." Harry said, taking his wand out and pointing it to his head. "Presento." Immediately images of that fateful night on Privet Drive projected on the far wall, along with sound. The assembled group watched in shock and amazement as the events of the last five months played on the screen. Harry was careful however, to leave out any mention of his feelings for Hermione, as he did not want her to find out this way. Finally the scenes ended and the images disappeared.
Several minutes of silence followed, as those present tried to process what they had seen and heard. Finally, Dumbledore spoke.
"It would seem you are more important to this war then we had ever realized, Harry. I must say it is quite a shock to be in the presence of the heir of Arthur. I had heard rumors over the years about the prophecy, but it was always dismissed as a fanciful bedtime story. Obviously we were wrong." Dumbledore said.
"Harry, that Orb that Merlin gave you. Was that the same Orb you had us touch?" Ginny asked.
"Yes." Harry answered, turning to his seven friends. "Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Cho Chang, and Ginny Weasley. Each of you has given me extraordinary friendship and demonstrated many of the most important qualities of a Mage Knight. I therefore extend an invitation to you to become the first members of the newly reformed Knights of the Roundtable. Before you accept, I must warn you. Your training will not be easy, nor will your life. The Knights of the Roundtable are called to be ever active in the defense of freedom and justice. We will be at the forefront of this war, as well as any new conflicts that should develop. Some of you may become injured; others may die. That being said, who wishes to accept the invitation?" Hermione and Ron immediately stepped forward.
"We're in." They said in unison. Harry smiled. They were his closest friends and he knew that he could count on them.
"I'm in too." Ginny said, moving forward to stand with her brother.
"Me too." Said Draco.
"I'm with them." Cho said, grinning.
"So am I." Neville said. Harry's heart swelled slightly. He hadn't doubted that his friends would accept but their determination to stand by him still made him misty. Harry draws Excalibur from its sheath. He walked up Ron.
"Ronald Weasley, you have been invited to join the ranks of the Roundtable and have accepted." Harry said, touching his shoulder with the sword, and then repeating the motion for the other one. As he did so, a light blue light surrounded Ron and his school robes were replaced with the uniform of the Knights. Harry then repeated the process with the others. He then turned to Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, I need to ask you several favors. First, I need a place where I can train my Knights. The larger the better. Second, we need a headquarters. Somewhere only we can access. Finally, my Knights need uninhibited access to Hogwarts. They cannot be subject to normal student rules. We must be able to come and go as we please." Harry said. Professor McGonnagal opened her mouth to object. "Professor, you have my word that we will not do anything…inappropriate. But by the time I am finished training them, my Knights will be the most powerful fighting force in either the Wizarding or Muggle world. We have a sacred trust to uphold and we cannot do that unless we are uninhibited." Harry's voice was calm and even, but contained an air of command and authority to it. His unspoken message was that he would do as he wished, with or without their permission.
"Harry, you have the permissions. I may know of some facilities you can use, but give me a few hours to look into it." Dumbledore said. Harry nodded. "Now, I'm sure your fellow students are all anxious to find out what has happened." With that Harry and the rest turned and left.
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Once in the main corridor of the school, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Neville said goodnight to Cho and Draco, and made their way to the Gryffindor Common Room. As he came through the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry was immediately descended upon by the rest of his fellow Gryffindors.
"Where have you been?" Dean Thomas asked.
"Talking with Dumbledore." Harry said with a grin. Dean slapped him in the arm.
"You prat! I mean where the hell have you been for the last five months?" he asked.
"And what the hell are you, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Neville wearing?" Jennifer asked, coming up to the group. She put her arm around Ron's waist and said, "I missed you." Ron blushed slightly.
"Uh, Harry, I like to introduce you to Jennifer…" Ron began but was cut off by Harry.
"Jennifer Linx. Age 16. Regularly attends the Salem Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry, currently participating in a foreign exchange program. Has one twin brother, Jason, who is also participating in the foreign exchange program. And your new girlfriend, correct?" Harry said. Everyone's mouth hung open.
"How did you know that?" Jennifer asked in disbelief.
"You mean the part about being Ron's new girlfriend? Well its bloody obvious." Harry said with a grin. "But if you mean the rest, I'm afraid I can't reveal my source. But I have been looking forward to meeting you." Harry took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on it. He then turned and greeted her brother. By this time Eric and Moira had also appeared. Harry surprised everyone further when he knew the details of each of them.
"Is somebody going to explain what is going on here or what?" Dean said, exasperated. Harry repeated the charm he performed in Dumbledore's office. After several minutes the images faded, leaving most in the room in a state of shock.
"Now, let me address some questions I'm sure are rattling around in your minds." Harry said. "First, I will be recruiting more Knights. Prospective Knights will be chosen based on their intelligence, magical ability, courage, and physical conditioning. The Orb however will make the final determination as to who will be offered the chance to join the Knights. I will be scheduling several times over the next few weeks to evaluate prospective members. I ask that until that time, you do not ask me anything more about it. Now, on with the party!" The room exploded into cheers as food and drink appeared. Soon Harry was mingling with his housemates. Through the corner of his eye he noticed Hermione walk out the portrait entrance. Ron walked up to him, with Jennifer by his side.
"What's up with Hermione?" Harry asked.
"She's been really worried about you." Ron said.
"Yeah, she took your disappearance really hard." Jennifer said.
"Well, that's understandable. She's my best friend, next to Ron." Harry said. Ron grinned.
"That maybe Harry, but I certainly didn't fall to as many pieces as she did. She was really scared you wouldn't come back." Ron said. Harry sighed.
"I know. I killed me not be able to contact her…you guys." Harry said.
"You love her don't you?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, I do. And I think it's about time I did something about it." Harry replied, turning from the couple and heading towards the portrait entrance.
Several minutes later Harry found Hermione sitting alone in the library. He smiled. This was her sanctuary, the place she always ran to for comfort. She was holding a book in front of her but he could tell that she wasn't really reading it. Her face was one of someone whose mind was a great distance away. Slowly and quietly, so as not to startle her, he made his way over to the table she was at.
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Hermione was only vaguely aware of movement over by the library entrance. She had needed to leave the party in the Common Room to clear her mind. She was a jumble of emotions now that Harry was back safe and sound. She was ecstatic that he was back in her life. While he was missing she had promised herself that given the chance, she would confess her love for him. But now that he had returned, the fear and uncertainty had returned.
What if he doesn't feel the same way? She thought. I just got him back, I couldn't stand to lose him as a friend if he doesn't feel the same way.
"Hermione?" a voice said. Blinking, Hermione looked up to see who had called her name. Her eyes fell on Harry's face.
"Oh, hi Harry." Hermione said.
"Is everything ok? You look like you were troubled by something?" He asked. Hermione looked into is blazing green eyes.
"No. Just thinking." She said.
"Hermione, there's something else that happened while I was away that I didn't tell the others before, but I need to tell you." Harry said, sitting down next to her. Hermione turned to him and took his hand, concern now flooding her face.
"What is it Harry? You know you can tell me anything."
"Well, while I was gone I had some time to think about some things that had been on my mind for the last year or so. You see, I had been feeling this jumble of emotions for someone, and I couldn't really decide what to do about it. But after talking with Lady Guinevere, I finally understood what I was feeling and that I needed to express it." Harry said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Well, you see, there's this girl that I like." Harry said. "She's smart, beautiful and a wonderful person. I realized I've been in love with her for a while, but I was too scared to admit it." Hermione felt as though her insides were being wretched out.
I knew it. He has feelings for someone else. She thought. Harry saw the look of disappointment on her face and immediately reached up and stroked her check.
"That girl is you Hermione." Hermione's eyes widened.
"W-What did you just say?" she asked, not believing what she had just heard.
"I said that the girl is you Hermione Granger." Harry said, grinning. "I love you and I have for a while now." Hermione began to cry. Harry pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her tears. "Don't cry Hermione. It tears me up inside when you do. I didn't mean to upset you." Hermione smiled.
"Oh, Harry, I'm not crying because I'm upset." She said. "I'm crying because I'm happy. I love you too."