---

Chapter Navigation:

Previous

OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTen

Next

Eight

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone? Are you sure?" Harry spat, his mind already working on possible locations and discarding them just as quickly. Sanan knew her way around Camelot.

Thomas looked at Harry like he was an idiot for a moment. Harry mentally kicked himself. If anyone was qualified to know when Sanan was gone, it would be Thomas.

"Let's go," Harry said. He and Thomas took off at a run as Slytherin ducked into the shadows, unnoticed.

It wasn't long before they reached Merlin's cottage. He took one look at Thomas and sighed.

"She--" Thomas began.

"I can see that, Thomas," Merlin muttered, grabbing his scrying bowl. "Harry, please fetch the others."

Harry dashed outside. "Sonorus," he muttered, pointing his wand at his throat. "Weasley!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, though his voice was already amplified. Several birds took flight from nearby trees, a nearby peasant dropped his load of wood, and a crash came from inside the cottage. Harry reversed the charm and dashed back inside.

"Good Lord, Harry! I'll never have the hiccups again!" Thomas seethed. Harry shrugged apologetically. Merlin emptied the last of the ink into his scrying bowl and hrmphed.

"I don't doubt all three of Harry's friends will show up rather--" Merlin began as the door burst open, slamming into the wall beside it. "quickly."

"What the hell is going on?" Ron yelled. Ginny and Hermione looked just as upset.

"Sanan's gone," Thomas snarled. Ron frowned, Hermione and Ginny looked stricken.

"Come here, all of you. Concentrate on Sanan. Perhaps we will be able to find her if we combine our efforts," Merlin said, cutting off any speculation or questions the new arrivals may have had.

Ten minutes later, it was apparent they weren't going to succeed. Merlin was frowning, while Thomas was growing more upset with each passing minute.

"This isn't working!" he yelled, stepping back from the scrying bowl.

"Calm yourself, Thomas," Merlin said, sternly. Thomas continued to fume, albeit silently. Merlin stepped to a corner of the cottage and muttered something to himself, mixing ingredients into a small container that Harry couldn't see. There was a bang and a flash, then stillness.

"Now what?" Ron asked.

"We wait for the others to arrive," Merlin explained.

It wasn't long before Godric Gryffindor arrived, along with Arthur. Harry decided that Merlin must have given Arthur some way of communicating magically in an emergency. Following them were two people Harry didn't know.

"One of our most promising magical students has gone missing," Merlin said without preamble. "As we failed to locate her, I conclude a dark force is behind this."

"Le Fey, you mean," Thomas snapped. Merlin regarded him with disapproval.

"That is only one possibility," Merlin told Thomas. "There are others we may also need to explore."

"She's number one in my book, Merlin," Godric said. A woman Harry didn't know nodded in agreement.

"Rowena has told me of Morgana Le Fey's exploits in the past. I do not think we can afford to shove her aside," she said.

"That's true, Martha," Godric answered her, a frown on his face.

"Lady Fig has a point," Arthur spoke up. "You know what she's done, Merlin."

"I think she should be our first suspect. Who are these others?" the other lady Harry didn't know spoke up, giving him, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny a very suspicious look.

"They're visitors from another town who've come to study magic with us. I trust them," Merlin said. Godric nodded fiercely.

Harry held out his hand, which the lady ignored. "I'm Harry," he said, dropping his hand after a moment.

"Rowena Raveclaw. I don't care what Merlin might think. I don't trust you."

She turned back to Merlin. "Well?"

"I believe we must have a wizard's council." Merlin replied.

"Well, yes. But that will take time to set up that we don't have," Ravenclaw replied. "We need to start a search immediately!"

"Agreed," said Godric and Thomas in unison. Lady Fig nodded.

"That is, of course, my intention. But regardless, we must convene the council. The girl is from Avalon."

From the stricken looks on the others' faces, Harry gathered that was big around here. Bigger than in his day.

"I don't need to remind you that Avalon is a Focus, Merlin. If Le Fey could--" Thomas began. Merlin spun around so quickly that Harry feared he might fall.

"Be quiet you fool!" Merlin snapped. Thomas fell silent immediately. The atmosphere in the room turned very tense. To Harry's surprise, it was Ginny who broke it.

"We should start right away, even if we do have to convene a council."

Merlin nodded, sighing. "I will represent this branch of the Wizengamot. Godric, I'll need you to reprsen-"

"I can't, Merlin. Le Fey will be on the lookout for me, as well as...others." Godric retorted.

"Do you have another suggestion?" Merlin asked Godric.

"Send Harry," he replied.

"What? Me?" Harry said, shocked.

"It's the perfect solution, Merlin," Godric went on, oblivious to Harry's discomfort. "She knows everyone else. You may be powerful enough to evade her, but the rest of us aren't. Harry has already shown himself to be a capable wizard, and I've seen that he may be more than merely capable. Something about him rings true. Le Fey won't know to look for him, so she may not notice."

"But...but..." Harry began. Merlin was nodding.

"Are there any objections?" Merlin asked.

"But..." Harry began. Merlin nodded briskly.

"It's settled then. Godric, you'll get him ready. The council will convene at midnight, if we've not found the girl by then. In the meantime, we search. Thomas, you take Harry and the rest of your group and search Owestry. The rest of you know where you need to be."

The group broke up then, the others going toward areas they'd obviously searched before. Harry and the others were led by Thomas toward a spot near the center of the grounds. Thomas whistled shrilly, causing Harry to clap his hands over his ears. It wasn't long before Strawberry appeared. Thomas opened his mouth to speak, but the horse nuzzled him and galloped away, only to return a few moments later with more horses. Thomas mounted Strawberry quickly, and the others followed suit, except for Harry.

"I've uh...never really ridden a horse."

"It can't be that much harder than when you rode Buckbeak, can it?" Ron asked. Hermione whimpered just a bit.

"Don't worry. These horses are used to inexperienced riders. You won't fall off," Thomas assured him. Harry shrugged, and mounted the horse. Almost before he had a chance to grab hold of something, they were off. The four future students lit their wands to see by.

"I...think...I...prefer...flying!" Harry said. Hermione laughed. Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Brooms are hideous for flying any distance. You're much better off on a horse," he said.

Harry muttered something incoherent. They hadn't ridden long when they were joined by a band of Muggle knights, led by Lancelot himself. Harry nearly cursed out loud, but Lancelot seemed intent on his goal and merely nodded at Harry.

Must have been sent by the queen herself, Harry thought. Probably wants to impress her by having us tell her exactly how dedicated he was to getting this lost maiden back from the clutches of evil.

The group rode in silence for nearly four hours, before Thomas called a sudden halt.

"This is the place. Lancelot, you and yours fan out and search the east end of the forest. Harry, you and your lot come with me."

"If we get separated, send up red sparks to let help us regroup," Harry told his friends. "Thomas?"

"I'm more than talented enough for that, Harry." the other man said tightly. Harry nodded.

The darkness seemed to grow thicker around them despite their lit wands. Thomas muttered a charm and his whole body began to glow. The darkness continued to close in. Harry shivered just slightly as the moon disappeared. It wasn't long after that when the screams began.

"Thomaaas! Help meee!" the voice of Sanan rang through the night. Harry flinched as he caught the look in Thomas' eyes. Sanan screamed again, this time in pain. Harry kicked the sides of his horse and his horse bolted faster. Thomas kept up with him easily, though he didn't seem to be controlling the horse at all. Not that he needed to. Strawberry seemed to know exactly what was going on.

A loud crack ripped through the air, followed by a yell of pain and surprise. Harry heard Lancelot curse. Then he yelled, "Where are you lot?"

Thomas sent up sparks to guide the knight. It wasn't long at all before they were joined by Lancelot and two other horsemen. A bolt of red lightening fell from nowhere and blew one of the knights to bits. Harry yelled but stayed on course. Another bolt of lightening appeared at the same instant Ron bellowed a shield charm. A bright blue light surrounded Lancelot, protecting him. Harry heard something hiss in frustration. An enchanted crossbow bolt flew toward Ginny, but Hermione cursed it out of existence.

Several bolts came toward Ron, who seemed furious. "You—don't—mess—with—my—SISTER!" he yelled, cursing or deflecting them all.

"And you said you wouldn't make a good keeper!" Harry hollered to Ron.

"Maybe," Ron yelled back.

Another bolt of lightening went after Thomas, but he just waved and it disappeared. One of the knights was blown out of existence without any warning whatsoever, leaving just Lancelot along with Harry and the others.

"Hold," Thomas said suddenly, as all light was extinguished except for a bit of red light emanating from a point just in front of them.

"So, we meet again, Black," someone said as the light brightened enough to reveal them. Thomas moved just slightly so that the rest of the group was partially obscured.

"Nott," Thomas said by way of greeting.

"I told you we would meet again," Nott said to Thomas.

"And I told you that would occur on the day of your death," Thomas replied.

"I think not," Nott said, holding up a lock of hair for Thomas to view. "Not if you ever want to see her alive again.

"Go to hell," Thomas told him.

"I've been there. Quite a lovely place this time of year," Nott said sarcastically.

A group of wizards began to become visible behind Nott who said, "I think we have you a bit outnumbered.

"We don't need numbers to take care of slime like you!" Lancelot said. Nott flicked his wrist and Lancelot fell silent, though his mouth continued to move.

"If you ever want to see you girlfriend alive again, I suggest you tell Merlin to meet us here, unarmed, in three days time."

"You--" Thomas began, but Nott and his lot Apparated away before he could finish. "--bastard."

"To Camelot!" Thomas ordered, urging Strawberry back toward home.

"Casualties?" Harry asked Lancelot once they'd been underway a while.

"Everwest and Cai are dead. I don't like to think of what happened to the others."

"You mean..." Harry started.

"There are things in this forest Harry. My men were eaten."

"Nasty place," Harry said.

"Aye. Perhaps they should call it the Forbidden Forest," Lancelot muttered, before pulling ahead.

Harry swallowed. "This place does seem a bit familiar, but the land features are wrong," he muttered to himself. Ron poked him in the side and gestured to the trees around them.

"There's something I don't like about this place Harry. I don't like it at all," Ron whimpered.

"This is the Forbidden Forest, I think," Harry muttered back. He nearly jumped out of his skin a moment later, when Ginny let loose a very loud scream. All the men in the group turned toward her. She was white and pointed behind her.

"A mantacula!" Thomas yelled.

The spider was at least twice as big as Aragog, and looked hungry. The group urged their horses onto even faster speeds, as Harry turned around and said, "Arania Exumai!"

The flash hit the spider, but didn't faze it. Harry gulped. "Uhhh."

"Kill it!" Ginny screamed.

"Now would be a good time," Thomas suggested dryly.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. She rode over to him and together they turned backward.

"Let's blow it up, then," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"Reducto!" both teens said in unison. The spider came to a dead stop in a matter of seconds, and seemed to quiver. Harry paled.

"RIDE!" he yelled.

They hadn't gone more than few feet when the spider exploded. Debris showered the group like rain causing Lancelot to curse, the other boys to groan, and the girls to say, "Ewww," simultaneously.

"I'll never get this stuff out of my hair," Harry heard Lancelot mutter.

The rest of the ride to Camelot was silent. They were greeted immediately by Merlin and Arthur.

"Did you find her?" Merlin asked before Harry could even dismount.

"Does it look--" Harry forced himself to calm down, and wiped a bit of goo off of his brow. "No. We didn't find her. All we found were a bunch of Dark Wizards."

Merlin nodded, his eyes already glazed over in thought. Arthur was next.

"What happened, Lancelot? Where are the rest of my knights?"

"Dead. Or eaten," Lancelot said, deflating.

"What?" Arthur asked, incredulously.

"The forest is a dangerous place," Thomas cut in. He sounded impatient. Harry couldn't blame him.

"What did the wizards say?" Arthur asked.

"That if we don't have Merlin there in three days, Sanan will die," Thomas replied. Harry could see the frustration on his face and hear the pain in his voice. He wasn't surprised when Thomas strode away without another word to the king. Arthur opened his mouth, but Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's best to let him go," the old wizard said.

"Yes, I suppose. You can all go. Perhaps a bath will help clear your minds," Arthur sighed.

"Not to mention our hair, our skin, our clothes, our--" Ron began in frustration.

"Shut up, Ron!" Ginny cried shrilly. Harry turned to face herto find she was furious. Ron opened his mouth to retort, but Harry beat him to it.

"I know. We're worried, too. Let's go, Ron."

Uncharacteristically, Ron didn't object. They showered, and Ron went to sleep.

Harry was wide awake when Godric knocked on the door. Several moments later, both men were on the grounds.

"The wizards' council only meets once every generation, unless there is an emergency," Godric said. "You'll be one of the youngest participants ever."

"How does it work?" Harry asked.

"Merlin will arrive before the others. He will open the area where council meets. It's magically sealed at all other times. The others will arrive in order of importance, after that. You're taking my place and I will eventually take over the position of Head Sorcerer in Camelot, so you'll arrive second. I imagine Merlin will take you with him. Merlin will open the council and then explain what's being going on. You'll be asked for what you know, and then the rest of the witches and wizards will have an opportunity to ask questions. After that, everyone will start trying to formulate a plan to work together to recover Sanan. With luck, we won't have too much trouble once everyone is in on this."

"Famous last words," Harry muttered.

"That's not a very brave attitude, Harry," Godric admonished.

"Sorry."

"Do you have any questions?" Godric asked.

"How long will the council last?" Harry asked.

"We don't know. And it doesn't matter. No matter how long you stay in the council chambers, only an hour will have passed by out here. There won't be any passage of time you can measure. You won't age while you're in there," Godric replied.

"Any other suggestions?" Harry asked flatly.

"Answer any calls of nature before you go into the council chambers," Godric replied seriously. "When you arrive, Merlin will begin the ritual opening for the council. All you have to do is say, 'We are the seven, the council stands open' when he finishes."

"Oh, ok. What's the longest you've been in there?" Harry asked.

"As I said, I don't know. Time stops for those inside the council chambers. You could stay in there a hundred years, and only age an hour. That's why it's so closely guarded and so well sealed. It's not safe to mess with Time like that for very long."

"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, thinking back to third year and the Time Turner.

"Well, this is where I leave you. Good luck," Godric said to him, before waving to Merlin and walking away.

"You're ready, I trust?" Merlin asked.

"Eh," Harry replied.

"Come along then," Merlin told him.

They walked for nearly fifteen minutes, before Harry began to feel a very strange sensation. He was suddenly hit with a very powerful bout of nausea.

"Merlin, oh, God," Harry muttered, clutching his stomach.

"That will pass," Merlin replied, taking Harry's arm and gently leading him forward. Harry grew pale and began to retch, but a moment later the feeling subsided. He dropped to the ground and took gasping breaths.

"You could have warned me," he moaned.

"That would have made it more difficult. This is a very complex security ward. It won't affect you again, unless you undergo a major physical or mental change."

"Ugh," Harry said flatly.

"Close your eyes and step slightly to the right. Keep them closed and step five steps forward, one step to the left, and one step backward," Merlin said. Harry closed his eyes and did so, nearly falling when he stepped backward. For an instant, his blood ran cold. He opened his eyes and gasped.

The building he was standing in was huge. Hogwarts would easily fit inside it. There were tables and chairs for thousands of people. The ceiling was at least five stories above Harry's head, and there was a tree with gold leaves growing in the exact center. Harry could see green apples growing from the branches. Surrounding the tree were four small fountains. Looking to the windows, he noticed that torrential rain was falling outside. Moving to observe, Harry saw that though the rain hit the ground, it disappeared instantly.

"Many of the wizards on the council find the sound of rain relaxing. It's all magically generated," Merlin called to him. Harry nodded approvingly, and walked back over to Merlin who led him to a table near the front of the room. It was set apart and had a sense of privacy about it. Almost as if there were a permanent ward surrounding the table.

"This place also serves as an emergency shelter in times of great need, although the wards concerning time are removed in such a case," Merlin muttered to Harry. "This table is reserved for council meetings even then. There is a ward surrounding it. No one will overhear us, magically or physically."

Merlin gestured Harry to a chair labeled Camelot. The moment Harry sat down, he felt a strange sense of power flowing though him, as though he had tapped into some sort of magical Focus.

"Hang on, what?" Harry asked, shooting out of his chair. Merlin laughed.

"It's a Focus. Your powers are increasing, due to the importance of the Seat you take," Merlin explained.

"Won't that make it easier for Morgana Le Fey to detect me?" Harry asked.

"No. Not while you're in here. Once you leave, however..." Merlin trailed off.

"How long will it last?" Harry asked.

"It's permanent."

"Wow," Harry breathed. "I can remember things. I mean...spells, potions, things I...but it's all jumbled. I can't make sense of it."

"No, I would be amazed if you could. It takes a while to get used to. It should make things a bit easier for you to pick up, magically," Merlin told him.

Before Harry could reply, another person appeared. He was tall, and broad with straight black hair and a black goatee. He could probably tear me in half, Harry thought.

The stranger walked directly to the table and sat in a chair whose name Harry didn't know.

"Who is this runt sitting in the Camelot Seat, Merlin?" the stranger asked with a sneer.

"My name is Harry. Who are you?" Harry retorted before Merlin could say anything.

"Mind your manners, runt. My name is Aranor. You would do well to remember it,"

Harry rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Aranor rose, his face reddening.

"I would blast away your head, if it stood a little closer to--" Aranor began. Harry, still thrilling from the effects of the Focus, got right up in his face.

"I don't know who you think you are, and I don't give a damn. Sit down, shut up, and if you call me runt again, I promise you can keep your vocal cords for your wall," Harry said dangerously. For a moment, Aranor seemed utterly shocked. But then he clapped Harry on the back and laughed uproariously.

"Good lad! Well done!" he thundered.

Harry narrowed his eyes, but sat back down along with Aranor. Merlin nodded approvingly. It wasn't long before another council member arrived. She was almost as tall as Harry. Her hair was black, with traces of white beginning to show through. She wore a cloth over her eyes like a blindfold. For an absurd moment, Harry's mind ran with visions of Professor Trelawney, and his usual mental association regarding her.

"I assure you young man, I am neither a fraud nor a Seer, though I do use the Sight," the newcomer said without introduction. Harry's eyes opened wide with shock. She laughed out loud.

"Yes, I do get that reaction. My name is Nimuae. I am an empath. That's why I knew what you were thinking."

"Can you do that all the time? And what do you mean you use the sight, if you aren't a Seer?" Harry asked. The woman looked in Merlin's direction, and then back at Harry with a smile.

"I can't read minds all the time. Only when they're broadcasting as loudly as yours was. I use the Sight to See the world around me. As you may or may not have guessed, I am blind."

She sat down as someone else arrived. This newest arrival wore a cloak and a hood covering his face. Harry couldn't tell much of the man, but the mysterious way he seemed to peer straight into Harry's soul reminded him of Death and made him uneasy. The stranger sat down in silence, and declined to identify himself.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Eventually, another person arrived. This woman was wearing a thick fur coat, and looked cold. Harry thought that odd.

"Well, well, Mina. A sight for sore eyes, then," Aranor said. The woman blushed and introduced herself to Harry before removing her coat and sitting down. Almost immediately, the last person arrived. The hair on the back of Harry's neck raised, his wand began to vibrate slightly, and his stomach clenched with a sense of dread. It was only through a momentous struggle that he kept his face passive.

"A newcomer. Pity. I am Voldgern. You need know no more." Voldgern sat without another word.

"The council is convened," Merlin began, "We gather in time of need, setting aside our personal differences, in the face of a common goal. This council stands open."

Everyone stood, so Harry followed suit. Together they said, "We are the Seven. The council stands open."

Harry and the others sat again, as Merlin began to explain.

"One of my most promising students has disappeared under unknown circumstances. We have reason to believe that Morgana Le Fey is involved."

"Excuse me, Merlin, but why should we concern ourselves with the loss of only one student?" the hooded stranger asked in a cold voice, "Particularly if it isn't one of our students to begin with?"

"She is a child of Avalon," Merlin said flatly. An immediate undercurrent of shock ran though the room, but Harry noticed that the hooded stranger seemed unaffected, and Voldgern just crossed his arms.

"If Ley Fey manages to get at her blood...Avalon is a very potent Focus," Nimuae said, sweeping her hair back with her right hand.

"It's tied to all the other Focuses in this area," Aranor said thoughtfully. Harry noticed that his forceful demeanor had been replaced by one of thoughtful consideration.

"And in other places," Mina said with a distinctly French accent.

"As you can see, we have a problem," Merlin finished.

"If she is so valuable, why wasn't there more security on her?" Voldgern wanted to know.

"In Camelot we don't believe in making people feel like they're marked for death. Aside from that, I have multiple security wards in place. It must have been an inside operation."

"I don't like the sound of that at all, Merlin," Nimuae said severely.

"Nor do I."

"So what do we do about it?" Harry spoke up.

"We attack," Aranor answered him. "We go in with five hundred magi and take--"

"You idiot!" the hooded stranger snapped. "A display of force would most likely convince Morgana Le Fey that keeping this student is too much trouble. Do not forget that what Le Fey cannot keep, she merely destroys."

Aranor leaned back in his chair and glared at the stranger. "Oh, really? How do you know her so well?"

The hooded stranger didn't reply.

"Why can't we sneak in? I mean, she can't be everywhere at once, can she?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Mina said flatly. "She has spies everywhere. She would spot a trespasser instantly.

"When in Troy, do as the Greeks do," Harry muttered.

"How?" Merlin asked.

"There has to be something she wouldn't see as a threat. Surely she has to have some sort of outside contact with the world?" Harry asked, an idea forming in his head.

"Well, she does sometimes send servants to retrieve things for her. Ingredients and things of that nature," Nimuae told him.

"Perhaps we could take the place of one of them? Servants are fairly invisible. At least, around here."

That could be arranged," the hooded stranger said. "It's nearly time for her to send out servants this month."

"How do you know that?" Aranor asked again. The others nodded, curious.

"We studied together, long ago," the stranger replied.

A hush fell over the room. The hooded stranger glared at everyone. "We no longer communicate."

"I don't trust you," Aranor told the man flatly.

"I do not care. I neither want nor require your trust. Merely that you assist to obtain our common goal."

"Just who are you, anyway?" Mina asked. Merlin nodded. "I believe it is a legitimate question. We cannot afford to have a traitor in our midst."

The stranger folded his arms, but eventually growled and threw back his hood. Harry nearly fell out of his chair.

"Professor Snape!"

"I am no professor, young man. Nor is my name Snape. I am of the Prince line. Yet you seem to recognize me. I find that curious," Prince said.

"Your reputation precedes you," Harry told him weakly.

"I find that very hard to believe," Prince replied, but said nothing further.

"Avalon doesn't touch anything related to me. Therefore, I see no reason for me to waste any of my time or energy with this," Voldgern said.

"Fine," Merlin snapped. "Recall that the wards will kill you if you attempt to depart without leave of the council, which I will not grant until we are finished."

"All opposed to Mr. Harry's infiltration idea?" Nimuae called a vote, glancing at Merlin for approval. When he nodded, she looked across the table. No one spoke.

"It's settled then," Merlin said. "Since this most directly my area and yours, Nimuae, I think you should stay. The others can go." He stood and said, "We are the Seven. The council stands closed."

The others stood. Harry followed suit once more. "We are the Seven. The council stands closed."

With that, everyone but Nimuae, Merlin, and Harry left one by one.

"So. When in Troy then. Tell me, Harry. What's your real idea?" Nimuae asked.

"The same as I explained to the group pretty much. Replace a servant she's used to with someone on our side. What they don't know is that I can replace a trusted servant with the same person. At least, on the outside."

"What do you mean?" Nimuae asked. "Like, wearing their skin?"

"Exactly. Except I know how to do it with a potion. I intend to go myself," Harry said.

"If you go, I am sending Gryffindor along with you," Merlin warned.

"Great. He's a powerful wizard. He'll be good to have along."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Harry. For all our sakes. Well met then, and good luck!" Nimuae said, before disappearing.

"You'll see her again Harry. Perhaps some of the others as well," Merlin predicted.

Chapter Navigation:

Previous

OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTen

Next

Please enter your comments below, they will be emailed to the admin staff of PhoenixSong.net

Please Note: This is for problems with the formatting or the layout of the chapter. This is NOT for comments on this chapter itself!
Any non-technical comments will be ignored.