Okay, true believers, sorry it took so long for this to come out. In the past few weeks, I've been in 4 plays, in rehearsal for 2 more, been on crew for 1, and oh yeah, fell in love. That's right, the hopeless romantic is no longer hopeless (There is hope for all). Please forgive the recent lack of Harry from me. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that J.K. Rowling wrote, so back the libel suit truck up!
Chapter 15: Knightfall
Harry, Hermione, and the Knights of the Round Table all crowded around the slumped and panting body of Benedicto Malfoy. Most of the Knights had looks of contempt on their faces. Benedicto looked up, unflinching, into Arthur's cold, gray eyes. "Get it over with," he spat to the assembled crowd. Most of them looked only too happy to oblige. Arthur nodded, and unsheathed his sword.
"Stop!" cried Harry. He came forward, blocking Arthur's view of Malfoy.
"Get up, Malfoy," Harry said, anger still biting in every word. "Get up and leave this place. Go back to your wife and child. And don't ever return to England."
Malfoy looked shocked, but managed to contort his face into a grimace. "I don't want your pity, Potter. You can kill me for all I care."
Harry merely shook his head. "You will leave now, and we will not follow. But if you attempt to follow the code of Mordred further, you will be hunted down."
Arthur placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, this man would have killed you, me, and Hermione merely to achieve greater power for himself. If anyone deserves to die, it would be him."
"If I did that, I would be no better than him. Besides," Harry added, turning back to Malfoy, "Maybe if you act like a father towards your son, he won't grow up to be like you." Although, he thought, it's not bloody likely.
Arthur turned and nodded towards his knights, who parted and let Malfoy pass. Harry would not soon forget the look on his face. A look of pure hatred, mixed with a self-loathing. He watched it until Benedicto Malfoy disappeared from view, heading towards the docks. Maybe, thought Harry, there is hope for the future.
Harry turned to Hermione, who was standing as tall and proud as any Knight. He walked slowly to her. "That was some thrashing you gave Malfoy. Remind me never to meet you in a dark alley." He grinned, and threw his arms around her. She hugged him back, smiling broadly.
"It's good to be back where I belong," she whispered in his ear.
As the two young lovers clasped to each other, the knights, looking sheepish began milling around, asking each other about the weather, and how the wife and children were. Apparently, thought Harry, chivalry was not dead, even if they were. Finally, Arthur broke the awkward silence by clearing his throat.
"Harry, Hermione, we still have a little business to take care of, I'm afraid. If you two would please release each other for a moment."
Harry let go of Hermione, blushing slightly. They both turned to face Arthur, who had a small grin creasing his face.
"Thank you. Now first, Harry, if you would hand me the Grail. As I have very little else to do, I shall take responsibility for it. Along with my fellow knights. Secondly, if you both would kneel, please."
Harry looked at Hermione with a stunned expression on his face. It couldn't be, he was thinking. Hermione looked just as stunned, but nodded and dropped to one knee. Harry knelt beside her.
Arthur unsheathed his sword, which still seemed to pulsate with a strange energy. Arthur placed the sword first on Harry's shoulder, then Hermione's. "Truth. Honor. Valor. A knight upholds these pillars of virtue. They are lights in a world of darkness. A fire to purge hatred and injustice. Rise now, and shine forth into this world, Knights of the Round Table."
A light had poured from Arthur's wand, and Harry saw it envelope him and Hermione. When the blinding light receded, Harry was wearing a leather shirt with a Green-eyed Phoenix on the front. Hermione wore a similar breastplate, except hers showed a book with a bow and a sword crossing over a Fleur de Luis. He thought it made her look even more beautiful.
"Now, I'm afraid I must take my leave of you," said Arthur, a catch in his throat. He extended his hand to Harry. Harry and Hermione rushed up and threw their arms around the King, who looked startled, but not altogether angry at this response.
"I'll never forget you Arthur." Said Harry, trying to hold back tears. Hermione was not trying to at all.
"I am so proud of the both of you. Live well. I expect great things from you. Goodbye." And with that, Arthur and his entire army of knights disappeared beneath the earth of Avalon.
"Goodbye," said Harry.
"The Once and Future King," added Hermione.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A few hours later, a boat carrying a very weary Harry and Hermione landed on the docks of Camelot, where Merlin stood, beaming like a headmaster would at his two favorite students.
"I knew you would be back! So glad to see you two together...in one piece I mean," he said, glowing with unrestrained admiration.
Harry and Hermione grinned. Merlin looked over the both of them. "But where is the Grail?" he said, although Harry had a feeling that he knew.
After being told the story of Avalon, Merlin nodded. " I am so proud of both of you! You faced nearly unbeatable odds, dark fears, and even your own temptation for revenge, and stayed true to yourself. I could not have asked for any less from Knights of the Round Table. Congratulations to you both. And now," Merlin said, with a wave of his wand, "I believe you no longer need this: Tempus Sanctorum Finites!" he cried. Harry suddenly felt three times lighter, and he realized that the Time of Sanctuary was indeed over.
"Due to Arthur's sacrifice, there is no need for The Time of Sanctuary to remain at Camelot... or Hogwarts. I dare say that the time has come for the castle to reopen its doors as a school again. It is what Arthur would have wanted, I am sure of that. And I'm sure that you want to return to you Hogwarts as well."
Harry and Hermione nodded. Merlin smiled. "Trust me, wherever you are, Arthur and I will not be far. Believe me on that. I will miss you both greatly. Harry, you have done more than you will ever imagine. And Hermione, I see the world open before you. Good luck to you both!"
He waved his wand over the two, and shouted "Tempus Ordinarious!" And suddenly, Harry and Hermione found themselves being pulled by a bright light, through a tunnel, and felt themselves land on the hard floor of the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ron beamed down at his two friends, clothed in medieval garb, and sprawled out on the floor.
"And they lived happily ever after," he chuckled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No!! Wait!! I'm not done yet! Epilogue to come! Keep with me true believers!!!!! Long live the Brotherhood of the Exclamation Point!!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing that J.K. Rowling wrote, so back the libel suit truck up!
Chapter 15: Knightfall
Harry, Hermione, and the Knights of the Round Table all crowded around the slumped and panting body of Benedicto Malfoy. Most of the Knights had looks of contempt on their faces. Benedicto looked up, unflinching, into Arthur's cold, gray eyes. "Get it over with," he spat to the assembled crowd. Most of them looked only too happy to oblige. Arthur nodded, and unsheathed his sword.
"Stop!" cried Harry. He came forward, blocking Arthur's view of Malfoy.
"Get up, Malfoy," Harry said, anger still biting in every word. "Get up and leave this place. Go back to your wife and child. And don't ever return to England."
Malfoy looked shocked, but managed to contort his face into a grimace. "I don't want your pity, Potter. You can kill me for all I care."
Harry merely shook his head. "You will leave now, and we will not follow. But if you attempt to follow the code of Mordred further, you will be hunted down."
Arthur placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, this man would have killed you, me, and Hermione merely to achieve greater power for himself. If anyone deserves to die, it would be him."
"If I did that, I would be no better than him. Besides," Harry added, turning back to Malfoy, "Maybe if you act like a father towards your son, he won't grow up to be like you." Although, he thought, it's not bloody likely.
Arthur turned and nodded towards his knights, who parted and let Malfoy pass. Harry would not soon forget the look on his face. A look of pure hatred, mixed with a self-loathing. He watched it until Benedicto Malfoy disappeared from view, heading towards the docks. Maybe, thought Harry, there is hope for the future.
Harry turned to Hermione, who was standing as tall and proud as any Knight. He walked slowly to her. "That was some thrashing you gave Malfoy. Remind me never to meet you in a dark alley." He grinned, and threw his arms around her. She hugged him back, smiling broadly.
"It's good to be back where I belong," she whispered in his ear.
As the two young lovers clasped to each other, the knights, looking sheepish began milling around, asking each other about the weather, and how the wife and children were. Apparently, thought Harry, chivalry was not dead, even if they were. Finally, Arthur broke the awkward silence by clearing his throat.
"Harry, Hermione, we still have a little business to take care of, I'm afraid. If you two would please release each other for a moment."
Harry let go of Hermione, blushing slightly. They both turned to face Arthur, who had a small grin creasing his face.
"Thank you. Now first, Harry, if you would hand me the Grail. As I have very little else to do, I shall take responsibility for it. Along with my fellow knights. Secondly, if you both would kneel, please."
Harry looked at Hermione with a stunned expression on his face. It couldn't be, he was thinking. Hermione looked just as stunned, but nodded and dropped to one knee. Harry knelt beside her.
Arthur unsheathed his sword, which still seemed to pulsate with a strange energy. Arthur placed the sword first on Harry's shoulder, then Hermione's. "Truth. Honor. Valor. A knight upholds these pillars of virtue. They are lights in a world of darkness. A fire to purge hatred and injustice. Rise now, and shine forth into this world, Knights of the Round Table."
A light had poured from Arthur's wand, and Harry saw it envelope him and Hermione. When the blinding light receded, Harry was wearing a leather shirt with a Green-eyed Phoenix on the front. Hermione wore a similar breastplate, except hers showed a book with a bow and a sword crossing over a Fleur de Luis. He thought it made her look even more beautiful.
"Now, I'm afraid I must take my leave of you," said Arthur, a catch in his throat. He extended his hand to Harry. Harry and Hermione rushed up and threw their arms around the King, who looked startled, but not altogether angry at this response.
"I'll never forget you Arthur." Said Harry, trying to hold back tears. Hermione was not trying to at all.
"I am so proud of the both of you. Live well. I expect great things from you. Goodbye." And with that, Arthur and his entire army of knights disappeared beneath the earth of Avalon.
"Goodbye," said Harry.
"The Once and Future King," added Hermione.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A few hours later, a boat carrying a very weary Harry and Hermione landed on the docks of Camelot, where Merlin stood, beaming like a headmaster would at his two favorite students.
"I knew you would be back! So glad to see you two together...in one piece I mean," he said, glowing with unrestrained admiration.
Harry and Hermione grinned. Merlin looked over the both of them. "But where is the Grail?" he said, although Harry had a feeling that he knew.
After being told the story of Avalon, Merlin nodded. " I am so proud of both of you! You faced nearly unbeatable odds, dark fears, and even your own temptation for revenge, and stayed true to yourself. I could not have asked for any less from Knights of the Round Table. Congratulations to you both. And now," Merlin said, with a wave of his wand, "I believe you no longer need this: Tempus Sanctorum Finites!" he cried. Harry suddenly felt three times lighter, and he realized that the Time of Sanctuary was indeed over.
"Due to Arthur's sacrifice, there is no need for The Time of Sanctuary to remain at Camelot... or Hogwarts. I dare say that the time has come for the castle to reopen its doors as a school again. It is what Arthur would have wanted, I am sure of that. And I'm sure that you want to return to you Hogwarts as well."
Harry and Hermione nodded. Merlin smiled. "Trust me, wherever you are, Arthur and I will not be far. Believe me on that. I will miss you both greatly. Harry, you have done more than you will ever imagine. And Hermione, I see the world open before you. Good luck to you both!"
He waved his wand over the two, and shouted "Tempus Ordinarious!" And suddenly, Harry and Hermione found themselves being pulled by a bright light, through a tunnel, and felt themselves land on the hard floor of the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ron beamed down at his two friends, clothed in medieval garb, and sprawled out on the floor.
"And they lived happily ever after," he chuckled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No!! Wait!! I'm not done yet! Epilogue to come! Keep with me true believers!!!!! Long live the Brotherhood of the Exclamation Point!!!