Prompt #6: How did Digory discover the Four had gone to Narnia?
Disclaimer: The world of Narnia and her people belongs to C.S. Lewis whether they are beyond the Wood Between Worlds on on this side of it :)
Diggory looked up from his desk when he heard a soft rapping on his door. He smiled to himself and spun away from his desk before calling. "Come in!"
As he expected, it was the children. Only once had they come to speak with him and he suspected it was the Macready's doing. She had probably put it into their minds that they should avoid him at all costs, and it made him glad that they would seek him out again. Even more to his delight, and frankly to his surprise, it was the youngest brother and sister who peered through the door.
"You'll have to pardon the intrusion, Sir," the brother began before he had even finished entering the doorway, "but we couldn't find a proper way around speaking with you."
"Ed," Digory heard the disembodied voice of Peter say from the hall. "It's fine." Then, as though pressed gently into the room, Edmund sidled in.
Digory watched amusedly as all four siblings awkwardly filed into the small office and arranged themselves in the chairs available. With seating for no more than three, they silently disputed who ought to stand and who should sit. It was Peter who won out, and he stood closing the door to his back as the others took the seats. Digory waited patiently for them, though the longer he watched them, the less it could be called waiting.
He noticed things. They were the sorts of things that only a Professor like himself would take any note of. First it was the way the girls held themselves: they took their seats in synchrony out of what seemed to be an outdated habit, and the younger held herself with a posture that was somehow befitting for a child, and yet completely unsuiting. Then, he remembered how he used to frighten her. Now –if she seemed uncomfortable at all– it was certainly not out of fright, but more out of a desire to be somewhere else. It took Digory a moment to realize this had to be the effects of Narnia; he knew first hand how the land had that sort of effect on people; and depending on what sort of adventures she had –and more importantly what sort of people she met– this effect could indeed be quite great. However, as soon as he drew this conclusion, Diggory became only more confused. Susan seemed to carry herself with the same child-like-but-not posture, and the boys had the same air of discomfort about them. Like they didn't really want to be here right now– though they had never been frightened of him in the least. Edmund had found him down right ridiculous upon their first encounter.
Digory was startled out of his musings when the very boy he had been considering cleared his throat. Glancing again at Edmund, the Professor had no more than a moment to think that the chemistry between him and his siblings seemed to have changed too, before he was forced to set his thoughts aside. Lacing his fingers and leaning forward he tried to act unfazed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
It was Peter who spoke. "Professor, though Ed is right in saying that we ought to tell you it, I believe it was entirely my fault we lost four of your coats."
All three siblings glanced back at him as the eldest did his best to ignore their glares.
"What my brother means to say," Susan added cooly, "is that we all lost your coats."
"He did not single handedly lose four of your coats, as he'd like to imply." Edmund agreed. "And he also fails to mention that none of them left the wardrobe upstairs, lost as they may be."
Digory couldn't help but smile at the interaction– the chemistry between them had changed. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but notice what Edmund had said about the wardrobe and an idea was beginning to take shape in Digory's head.
Outloud the Professor only laughed. "Well if you never removed the coats from their closet in the first place, I don't think I can hold anything against you. Still, an explanation may be in order. Wouldn't you agree?"
Peter sighed. "I'm afraid it would be rather pointless. You might find the story rather impossible to believe."
The words had barely left his mouth before the eldest turned red under the Professor's gaze. Digory said, not unkindly, "I don't care what they teach you in school these days; I've taught you better." He decided that they must have all made it into Narnia; the four of them together no less. "I think I'll be the judge of believable."
He settled into his seat and the children told him a tale of Witches and Lions and Talking Beasts. They explained how the four of them had ruled as Kings and Queens for more than a decade in Narnia before wandering back through the wardrobe. Digory was amazed at it all, but he certainly didn't find any of it impossible to believe. They continued to exchange stories through the afternoon, so that by the end of the day the five of them had become quite close friends –the sort of friends that any common man would have called a conspiracy– though Digory could think of one other person who would delight to be in on such a conspiracy.
It's been awhile since I updated but I recently went camping and had some time on the car ride to write so here you are. :) I'd been procrastinating on this one and was sorely tempted to just write "They told him, he knew, the end." so let me know what you think!
I'd like to try finishing last year's of prompts before the 2022 Adventures in Narnia Prompt Fest, but we'll see how that goes. As always, I hope you enjoyed!
