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Author: Sorting Hat Story: Through the Mists of Time Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 6 Words: 25,476
Merlin greeted them warmly, but his face took a guarded expression the moment he looked at Thomas. "What troubles you?" he asked. "I overheard Harry and Ron here talking about something interesting. Merlin, I don't think they're from another town at all." Instantly, Merlin's face went dark. Harry could feel the magic in the area rallying itself to the old wizard. He kept his hands well away from his wand. "What's this?" Merlin asked sternly. "Nothing. I have no idea what Thomas is going on about," Harry said flatly. Ron nodded. "They're lying," Thomas said firmly. "I heard them talking about how Lancelot was going to lead to the destruction of Camelot." Merlin's face was grave as he sat down. He waved his hand, causing chairs to appear all around him. "I see. Sit, all of you." Harry and Ron sat immediately. Thomas hesitated, but then he took a chair and twirled it around, sitting on backward. "Perhaps you'd better give me the whole story,Thomas," Merlin said, sighing. "I
head him talking about a book which refers to this place and how it
states that Lancelot is going to lead to the destruction of Camelot. I
also heard them talking about how Gryffindor predicts the same thing.
As I said, I don't they're from another town at all." "I think they're from another time," the young man replied. Merlin visibly relaxed. "I suspected as much." "Wh...what?" Harry asked, before Thomas could say anything. "Who?" Harry wondered. "I'd rather not say, Harry." Harry's shoulders slumped. Ron was looking at him like he'd grown tentacles. Thomas looked skeptical. "So? My mum--" Harry began. "Won't exist for nearly a thousand years, will she?" Merlin cut in. Thomas shot up out of his chair in shock. Merlin ignored him and continued, "As it happens, Godric has mentioned his reservations about Lancelot to me before. That man bears watching." Here, Merlin turned to Thomas said shook his head. "Forgive me. This is for your own protection." Thomas raised his hands and started backing up. "Now Merlin, wait. Just a momen--" Merlin lowered his hands as Harry began to see the symptoms of a memory charm appear. The blank look in his eyes, slight trembling in his stance, and then the snap back to consciousness all took hold of Thomas. "S-sorry? I'm afraid I missed what you said," Thomas said apologetically. "I said the idea of Lancelot causing the fall of Camelot is alarming, but I don't see any reason to disbelieve Harry. It could be that he just has a talent for Seeing." "You're sure?" Thomas asked. "I have no doubt." "Well, if you're sure, that's good enough for me. I do apologize, Harry. Dangerous times, you understand." "No hard feelings," Harry said with a sidelong glance at Merlin. The old wizard smiled for Thomas' benefit. "Excellent. That's settled. Now, if you don't mind, Thomas, I'd like to have a private discussion with Harry and Ron." "Oh. Sure. I'll see you lot at dinner tonight?" With that, Thomas changed himself into his dog form and bolted away. Merlin waved his hand, causing the door to shut and the shutters to close. He then rested his hands on the table before him for a few moments, regarding his two students. "We cannot change the future." "You mean you want us to just stand here and let--" Ron began. "Yes, Ronald. That is precisely what I mean," Merlin said firmly. The look in his eyes almost made Harry's blood stop. Once again, Harry reflected that Merlin was not a man to cross. "We'll need to tell Hermione and Ginny about this, I reckon," Ron muttered. This time, Merlin nodded, but Harry was shaking his head. "What?" Ron asked, "we do need to tell--" "That's not it. We're not supposed to change the future, right?" Harry asked, pausing to let Merlin nod. "We can't avoid that. It's not possible." "Oh?" Merlin asked, steeling his fingers and leaning back in his chair. "We've already changed the future," Harry explained. "Have you?" Merlin asked. Harry nodded. "Just by being here, we've changed things. We've influenced things. That game of Angingen..." Harry trailed off. Merlin frowned, but Ron had a different opinion. "Who's to say we weren't supposed to do that? That we weren't supposed to be here? I mean, suppose the flight you did for that game was what inspired the original Quidditch?What if we'd never come back and you hadn't done that? What if there was no Quidditch?" Harry shuddered. Merlin nodded thoughtfully. "I have found that I tend to influence my circumstances as much as they influence me. That could well be the case here." As Merlin pondered, Harry walked quickly around the room. Without warning, the toe of his boot caught on something protruding from one of the lower cabinets and Harry fell to the floor cursing. "What the bloody hell is this?" he growled, holding up a bowl shaped object. He thought at first it was a Pensieve, but there was no silvery memory substance inside it. "That is a tool we use for communicating across large distances," Merlin explained. "Like fire-talking?" Ron wanted to know. "I've never heard of that," Merlin replied. "How does this thing work?" Harry cut in, before Ron could give anything else away. "It causes a reflection which can be made two way, to allow for long range communication or observation," Merlin said. "We tend to use ink to create a type of mirror." "Can you show us?" Ron asked. "Certainly," Merlin replied. He moved quickly to gather the necessary materials. "We can use this to observe the enemy during battle, and often do. Let's look in on the grounds shall we?" The image that formed was fuzzy at first, but gained clarity as the magic took hold. Harry rubbed his eyes to see that what he was observing was true. Ginny walked along the grass, until she topped a knoll overlooking the castle. She blushed beet red suddenly, causing Harry to wonder just what she was thinking, but her mood was short-lived. Tears streamed down her face as she looked the castle. "It looks just like Hogwarts," they heard her say. Harry watched as two figures approached Ginny from behind. They looked at her, and then at each other before one of them turned into a dog. Thomas, Harry realized. The dog dashed through the field, pausing long enough to grab a flower or two into his mouth. A moment later, he jumped over her with a great "Wuff!" and landed in front of her, dropping the flowers into her lap. Ginny's tear-stained face transformed into one of shock. Harry noticed the look in her eyes as she jumped to her feet and her wand appeared in her hands. When she realized it was Thomas who was in front of her, she lowered her wand. "This is a wonderful place, Thomas. I just..." "Want to go home," the lady behind Ginny finished for her. Ginny whirled around again. Harry's mouth quirked, and he nodded, though Ginny couldn't see him. "Who are you?" Harry heard Ginny ask. "I get homesick sometimes, too,"the woman replied, "My name is Jenny." Harry started violently as he noticed the color of Jenny's eyes. They matched so perfectly with Ginny's eyes that Jenny could have been a Weasley, were it not for her hair, which was a light strawberry blond. "I come here sometimes myself. This is one of my favorite places in all of Camelot, Ginny," "How do you know my name?" Ginny asked. Jenny smiled. "Thomas told me when he saw you over here." "Beauty such as that of my present company is hard to miss!" Thomas said, having transformed. Both of the women laughed. Harry noticed that Jenny seemed to be holding a picnic basket. Thomas gave them a courtly bow that somehow seemed a little mocking. "If you ladies would lay the picnic so we can share some of that excellent food, I shall make a survey of the area to make sure there is nothing dangerous or undesirable lurking in the underbrush." Harry had seen the look on Thomas' face before, on Fred and George, usually before they instigated a prank. Seeing it on Thomas' face struck Harry as a little odd. The arched eyebrow on Jenny’s face told him the same thing, but he didn’t know what it meant. Jenny looked at Ginny and commented, "Cheeky sod, isn’t he?" "I like him; he’s nice," Ginny retorted. Harry's jaw firmed up of its own accord, only to relax a moment later. Jenny smiled as she watched the younger girl watching Thomas. "He’s betrothed, you know." "Betrothed?" Ginny asked. "He’s to be married, and I’m afraid that we’ll have to get that done soon. It’s a good thing that Sanan isn’t the jealous type. Not a few girls and women are going to be ‘upset’ when he is wedded." "He needs someone special," she whispered as a tear fell down her cheek, "I knew someone a lot like him, named Sirius. He was so lonely; he really only smiled when his house was full of company." Harry's throat tightened as he thought of the Sirius he knew. He watched Thomas turn and wave, then he transformed into the dog; and with a jaunty wave of his bushy tail went on a circuit of the area, while the girls set out the food. "Ask him about Sanan if you want a laugh," Jenny said with a smile. "He’s positively besotted over her." With that, the vision faded, the spell had run its course. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Merlin asked, "Go find out what happens." Laughing, the boys' nodded, and left to find the other group. When they found them, Harry could see a woman approaching Thomas. She caught sight of them, and raised a finger to her lips. Harry grinned, and nodded. For some reason Thomas seemed oblivious to her approach. After a moment, Jenny asked, "Thomas, are you sure no one is around to disturb us? No one can sneak up on us without your knowledge?" Her face was straight, but her eyes belied her amusement. Thomas didn't seem to notice. "No one will be able to sneak up on us. This place is all clear," responded Thomas. Harry almost laughed out loud when the newcomer knelt behind Thomas and started to play with his hair. "Hmm. A nice breeze seems to have picked up," was all Thomas said. "I'm told you're betrothed. What’s she like? Ginny asked, "Sanan, I mean." A dreamy look stole over Thomas’ face along with a small smile. "Sanan is special. She can talk to anything with fur or feathers. When she sings, the animals come out of the forest to listen. When she plays her flute, the birds come down from the sky. She moves like a will o’ the wisp and is the only truly good person I know. When she smiles, it’s like the sun comes out, and when she laughs, it’s like the bubbling of a brook. I don’t deserve her; I’m below her in station. But she chose me and I her." "You’re right, Lady Jenny. He’s besotted, all right. I always wondered what that word meant. Now I know," Ginny giggled. Harry joined in, silently, lest he be discovered. At this point, Sanan stood up and made her presence known. She startled Thomas so much that he almost fell into his food. She caught him and steadied him until he caught his balance, so he took her in his arms and kissed her soundly. "I wish you wouldn’t do that," he admonished her in a stage whisper. "I was bragging about my abilities." To the others he explained, "She's the only one I can't sense approach." "But it's ever so much fun to startle you!" Sanan said with a pout. Without warning, she dug her fingers into his sides, causing him to yelp, then stumble, and fall into the river. Unable to contain his mirth any longer, Harry fell out from behind his hiding place, along with Ron. The girls' weren't far behind them. Their laughter only increased when Thomas jumped out of the water and scooped Sanan up, and they both fell in together. Not wanting to miss out, Harry took a running jump and plunged into the water himself, dousing everyone else. Ron sputtered and looked indignant while Jenny laughed that much more. Then she herself jumped in. Harry chuckled as Ron shrugged and joined the rest of them. Before any sort of water battle could truly get underway however, the mood was shattered. Harry heard the clatter of approaching hooves. Thomas and Sanan heard it as well, and both reacted simultaneously to what they obviously viewed as a threat. Sanan whistled and hoof beats sounded from the other direction and a pink horse burst into the clearing. "Thomas, put Ginny on Strawberry and Her Majesty behind him. Stay with them." with that, Sanan Disapparated. Harry caught a glimpse of something bronze just inside the woods as Thomas moaned, "I thought he was up north. However, this could be interesting, your highness," Harry's mouth fell open in shock. Before he had time to digest this latest revelation, Lancelot and two of his men came riding into the glade. "We’re here to escort Her Majesty back to the castle. It isn’t safe for her to be out." Lancelot said, puffing out his chest. Before anyone could answer, a voice rang out, "You are treading on sacred ground of the little people. Dismount and give fealty to those who are your betters or endure the consequences. You have one minute." Harry moved into a position to better protect Ginny. Thomas shook his head and said, "Ginny, stay calm and don’t be afraid of anything you see from now on. Nothing will hurt you, but Lancelot hasn’t met Sanan and he has offended the gods of this place. She does have a unique way of punishing people who don’t do as she asks." "No wench is going to tell me what to do," thundered Lancelot. "Only his and her highness outrank me in Camelot, and I will take orders from none here except the Queen." The spot of bronze Harry had been spied earlier came just a bit closer. Thomas whispered, "It won't be long now," softly enough that only Harry could hear him. Harry had to agree. Sanan had a very peeved tone I her voice. "You refuse to leave?" "Yes, we do." "Very well. You were warned. Now behold the wrath of the little people!" Before Harry could blink, a hoard of little men filled the area where they stood, pinching and jeering the knights and their horses. Lancelot began cursing, and his lackeys joined in as they tried desperately to control their horses. Unfortunately for the intruders, that wasn't the worst of it. Harry had been watching the spot of bronze when it winked out. Thomas pointed up so the others would watch when the sky suddenly filled with a great bronze dragon. "Be gone, knaves!" ordered Sanan, who was riding the dragon. It breathed a great stream of fire well over the heads of the trees, causing the assembled knights to fidget a bit. Harry understood. Sanan had no intention of killing anyone. Another burst of heat landed near Lancelot's horse. The tactic worked; the horse panicked, Lancelot fell from it, and the other knights turned their horses and galloped away. Lancelot lagged them, running on foot. To Harry's utter shock, the horse which Ginny was on seemed to be laughing at the knights' misfortune. "Well, that's taken care of then," Sanan said, once the dragon had landed, and flown off again without her. "That was bloody brilliant," Ron breathed. "Isn't she remarkable?" Thomas asked, hugging Sanan. Harry couldn't disagree. "Where's Hermione when you need her? She'd have loved to see that," Ron said admiringly. "But why didn't they attack us?" Ginny asked Thomas. Sanan answered instead. "Because Lancelot came looking for trouble. Or more likely, to be trouble. The little people don't like that. But you and Harry and Ron here are friends, and acted as such. Friends are always welcome." "Aye. 'Tis as the lady says. This place is and ever shall be protected by our line," began one of the little people, who Harry half suspected of being part gnome, part dwarf. "In this place, help will always be given to those who deserve it. Farewell, friends!" With that, the little people disappeared, leaving Harry half wondering if they'd ever been there at all. "Speaking of friends," Thomas began, but Sanan pressed a finger to his lips. She nodded, and Thomas chuckled, before Disapparating. "So, let me get this straight. Who are you exactly?" Ron asked, turning to Jenny." "My friends call me Jenny mostly. Some call me Gwen." Ginny swung her head around, causing her hair to fling about her like a wave of fire. Harry's heart skipped a beat as Ginny said, "What? Gw-Gwen? Surely you don't....I mean...are...surely?" Jenny waited silently, a slight smile gracing her lips. Harry caught on an instant later. "Hang on. They called you the queen. You're Guenevere? The real Guenevere?" Her smile grew just a bit. Harry had only enough time to move around the horse to catch Ginny as she fainted. He lowered her to the ground as Guenevere said, "Oh my." A moment later, Thomas reappeared along with Hermione. As soon as she appeared, Hermione took stock of the situation and decided on a course of action. Ignoring the newcomers for a moment, she knelt next to Ginny. "What happened?" Hermione demanded. "She got a bit of a shock," Harry replied. "That's the truth," Ron concurred, glancing up at the queen. "Just surprised then?" Hermione asked Harry, who nodded. "Right. Renverate!" Hermione said. Ginny woke up instantly. "Hermione! You won't ever guess who I met!" Ginny began. "Gracious. You make it sound as if you met the queen of all England!" Hermione said lightly. When Ginny didn't answer, Hermione faltered. "Uh..." Harry said. "Uh, what, Harry?" Hermione asked. She stood up and noticed Guenevere and Sanan for the first time. She stuck out her hand and Sanan took it. "I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you." "I'm Sanan. Thomas may have told you about me." Hermione smiled uncertainly, but then turned to Guenevere and repeated her introduction. "Hi! I'm Lady Guenevere. Arthur may have told you about me." Hermione's eyes went wide and she opened her mouth and closed it several times. Ron just barely caught her on her way to the ground. "Seems you have quite the effect on our friends," Sanan said, raising an eyebrow and looking at the queen, who merely blushed.
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