AN: This was for a school assignment where we had to right a dialogue between King Arthur and one other character. This is the result.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord ofthe Rings, King Arthur, or Harry Potter.
"King Arthur Meets Frodo Baggins"
King Arthur silently wandered through the halls of his castle late one night. He had been unable to sleep so had decided to leaf through some of the ancient manuscripts as a remedy, which had work. But one book in particular, The Once and Future King, had made him so drowsy he was having a hard time remembering where his bedroom was. Rounding a corner, the King was just in time to catch sight of a figure darting into the room that held the Round Table. Arthur quickly followed.
"Who are you?" the King demanded. He saw now in the dim lighting of the room that the figure before him was a boy or a short man.
"Frodo Baggins of the Shire," the stranger answered. "And who are you?"
"King Arthur of England. May I ask what you are doing in Camelot?"
"Camelot? Is that the school of witchcraft and wizardry?" Frodo asked.
"No, Camelot is home to the Knights of the Round Table."
"The round table…" Frodo sighed. "I used to have a ring that was round. It was gold and very pretty, but it was made by a dark lord and had to be destroyed."
"That's too bad," said Arthur, who wasn't really listening.
"Yes, it is. I often find myself missing it nowadays, but I suppose it was for the best. I am still haunted by the memories though, which is why I was having difficulty sleeping. What are you doing up at such a late hour?"
King Arthur sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. "Our country is at war," he confessed. "Everyday I have to make decisions about where each knight is stationed, and whether or not to attack some fort. Plus, on top of all that, there are still the local issues such as famine and disease and peasant revolts and, well, it's hard work!"
"Well, the wizard Gandalf always said to me, 'all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us'. He was a very wise man."
"He sounds a lot like Merlin," the King commented.
"Yes, that's what all the fans said, but at least there are enough significant differences between the two to tell them apart. This Dumbledore character is almost a direct clone of Gandalf."
"Yes, I'm afraid it's true. What is literature coming to these days?"
"Who knows? But look on the bright side; at least we've passed the test of time."
The couple was silent for several minutes, contemplating these sorrowful times. "Right," Arthur said at last. "If this Gandalf is so much like Merlin, than I think it would be wise to take his advice. 'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us,' right?"
"Correct."
"Well, in that case, I'm going to Disney World!" And with that Arthur ran from the castle. Several minutes later there was a clang as the castle gates were flung open, followed by the sound of galloping hooves. Frodo went to the window in time to see the former King Arthur galloping into the west. With an evil smile, he turned from the window and gently stroked the table before him.
"My precious," he whispered.