Beginning of a Legend Chapter 12
Salazar could hear the sound of a crackling fire and realized that he was somewhere warm. He felt groggy and had a hard time seeing what was around him. He attempted to get up from where he was laying, but the room was spinning and he just fell to the ground.
"Watch yourself," he heard a man's voice say. He didn't recognize the voice and he still couldn't really see anything.
"Who are you?" Salazar managed to say, sitting still.
His eyes were beginning to adjust to the room and he realized that Rowena, Helga, and Godric were also there. He looked up to see a kind looking man hand him a glass of water. He took it and stared at the glass. This man was not familiar and he couldn't tell what his intentions were yet.
"I am sorry about the spell," the man said. "I didn't want anybody to see where I live. I have been down here a while now and I have never found anybody wandering in the open like the four of you were."
"We didn't exactly mean to be," said Salazar taking a sip of the water. "It was an accident that we even got here."
"How do you mean, young man?" the man asked.
"We were following a tunnel and it landed us here," Salazar explained. "Then it disappeared."
"Strange," the man replied. "I have never heard of that happening before, but I also never found people who followed strange tunnels."
"It was that or let him go alone," said Salazar nodding toward where Godric was laying.
"What is your name?" the man asked.
"I believe I asked you that first," Salazar replied, still unsure of the mans intentions.
"That you did," the man replied, laughing. "My name is Hermit."
"Strange name, I'm Salazar."
"I would say that is a strange name."
"Who is he?" came a voice behind Salazar. He turned to see Helga was awake now and looking up at the two of them.
"He's the one who found us," said Salazar. "Though I am still not exactly sure where we are."
"Well, young man," Hermit began. "You are in the middle of the Arctic. I have lived here alone for some time. Most people don't find themselves here on accident as you have. It usually takes quite a lot of work to get here if you want to. And most don't go out of their way to get here either. So it makes me wonder how it is possible for four young children to end up here by tunnel."
"I don't even think we can explain how that would be possible," said Helga.
"Is that because you don't know or is it that you don't want me to know?" Hermit asked.
The two looked at each other and noticed that Rowena and Godric began to stir. Godric was the first of the two to sit up and look around and then Rowena did the same.
"This place is sweet," said Godric, speaking up first.
"Well, thank you," said Hermit, grinning.
"Who exactly are you?" Rowena asked, standing up. "And who in their right mind would live in a place like this?"
"I would," Godric replied.
"Well, I'm not sure I would say you are always in your right mind, Godric," said Salazar, the others laughed.
Godric glared at Salazar, before smiling wide. "Fair enough,"
"You know your over bearing sense of adventure has got us into enough trouble, Godric," said Helga, crossing her arms.
"If he didn't have an over bearing sense of adventure we would never have met Rowena," Salazar stated. "Though it would be nice if you toned it down a bit."
"This is not the first time you have found yourself somewhere unexpected?" Hermit asked, making them all jump. They had forgot that there was someone else in the room at the time, and yet they were not exactly sure how to respond. This man was a complete stranger and they really didn't want to give him too much information about them.
"You don't trust me," Hermit said before any of them could speak. "I don't blame you. I am a stranger who just happened upon you in the middle of the snow. It isn't exactly wise to tell complete strangers about yourself usually."
The four of them just looked at each other.
"It's quite alright, I don't expect you to tell me who you are exactly or how you got here," said Hermit smiling. "I do suppose I should help you all get back to wherever it is your from though. Something tells me the tunnel you came in isn't going to come back."
"That would be very kind of you," said Helga. "But I thought you didn't want anybody to know where you lived?"
"Yeah, I'm not comfortable with you putting another spell on us," Salazar added.
"No worries there, son," said Hermit. "I happen to have a jar of floo powder here. I would have used it to get you here before, but without a fire place that really does no good now does it?"
"That would be great," said Rowena. "Godric's parents are probably worried sick."
"They'll be fine," said Godric.
"Because apparently you do this kind of thing all the time," said Salazar. "Something tells me that you are going to get us into a lot of trouble while I'm staying at your house."
"No more than I usually get in," said Godric, grinning.
"That's not reassuring," said Salazar.
"We had better get back as soon as we can," said Helga, interrupting. "Godric's parents will likely have a heart attack by now."
"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I've got some business to attend too in the small town a few miles from here, so I will leave you to it." said Hermit. "The floo powder is in a jar next to the fireplace. I trust I won't find anything missing when I get back."
He grabbed a small bag lying on the floor and wave to them as he shut the door.
"He's sort of a strange man isn't he," said Helga.
"Yeah," Salazar agreed. "We really should be going."
"Don't you wanna look around his stuff first?" Godric asked, opening a nearby drawer.
Rowena waved her wand and the drawer closed quickly.
"We're not snooping around the mans stuff," said Salazar. "He helped us out. I think we can do him the favor of not looking through his stuff."
"Or taking anything," Rowena added, when she noticed Godric eying a strange glowing object on a nearby table.
"Alright," said Godric. "I guess we should be heading back to Hogsmeade then."
The four of them got into the fireplace together as Rowena grabbed a handful of floo powder.
"Hogsmeade"