Disclaimer: Alright all the Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowlings, except for the plot, Zara, Jewel, Enrique, Jasmine, Ulrich, Torrin, Alina,, Leelee, Kai, Finley and Orvin. Those are mine. So please don't sue me because I don't have anything ;)
Chapter 20-Cave Of Wonders
The city of Camelot seemed to glitter in the afternoon sun; the goldenrod walls going around the city gave a slight Middle Eastern feel to it. There was a large castle in the center of the great city, with red and gold flags waving from the roofs. There were nice size houses around the castle and the streets looked busy with the daily routines of it's happy citizens. You could hear children laughing as they played in the parks and some splashed about a great water fountain in the middle of the town.
Harry and Hermione climbed down from the mountain and approached the front gate where a young man in a cart was just waiting there. The gate looked open. And he was just sitting there for a long time.
The young man heard them come up he turned to look at them.
"Sir, could we ask why you're just sitting here?" Hermione asked, "The gate looks open."
The young man gave her a smile. "Well I'm waiting for the shield to drop, which will be in about five minutes."
Harry and Hermione both nodded.
"So this is Camelot." Harry was impressed he looked up and saw the banner that read Home of the Camelot Falcons. "Home of the Camelot Falcons?" He asked out loud.
The young man nodded with a huge smile. "Yep, we won the World Cup this year. It was very exciting."
"Oh, so the Falcons are a Quidditch Team?" Harry found that odd. "Well why haven't we heard of them?"
The young man sighed, "up until now we never qualified for anything, I tell you we had the worse team ever." He said shaking his head back and forth with disgrace. His face then broke into a huge grin. "Well the worse team that is until we got a new coach last year. We have been practicing extra hard since he came to us that we actually made it to the World Cup."
Harry nodded.
"So what brings you two obvious travelers to Camelot?" The young man asked with a smile.
"Just need to get into Merlin's Cave that's all." Hermione replied.
After what sounded like electricity fizzling and cracking the barrier gave way and the city of Camelot was open.
"Ah, it's open." The young man said. "Why don't you two hop in the back of my wagon? I can drive you over to where Merlin's cave is located."
"That would be great, thanks." Harry replied as he and Hermione climbed into the back of the wagon. The young man started up his horse and they headed into the city. "By the way if you ever need anything you can ask for me. I'm Caleb. I run one of the local pubs and Inn." He said looking back at them for a moment.
"Thanks Caleb we'll remember that." Hermione replied.
"I have better prices for the stay in case you're wondering. My archrival always has it in for me, trying to make me look bad. Whatever you do don't believe a word he says." Caleb said as he pulled his wagon to a stop by the base of a hill. "The entrance to Merlin's cave is up that hill behind the waterfall." Caleb replied with a smile as he watched the two travelers jump down from his wagon bed.
Harry and Hermione started up the hill, it felt more like a tiny mountain then a hill while trying to climb it. As they reached the top a waterfall stood in their way. A nice mist came from the base of the waterfall as they carefully stepped along the small stone pathway; there were flecks of gold in the stones going behind the waterfall. They stepped into a cavern where amethyst crystals of deep purple and the size of their heads were sticking out of the walls. As Harry and Hermione stepped near to one it lit up with light. They approached the entrance to Merlin's cave where a large boulder stood in their path preventing them from entering Merlin's private sanctuary.
Ginny raced down the corridor she came to a door and could hear yelling on the other side of it. She knew Draco and his father were in there and it didn't sound good. She opened the door very quietly, just enough to see inside and not bring attention to herself.
Lucius had grabbed his son by the front of his robe and was yelling at him "You will do what you're told boy!" He snarled, dropping the robe from his grasp.
"I will not," Draco openly defied his father. "I will have nothing to do with that pathetic-" Draco was interrupted as the back of his father's hand connected with his cheek.
Draco rubbed his cheek as his father glared at him.
"How dare you speak that way about-" Lucius paused taking a breath. "This is your only warning, you defy me again and well let's just say I know of another who will take your place as Heir, or rather should I say Heiress." With that Lucius swung around, his cloak flying out behind him as he neared the door.
Ginny seeing him head in her direction backed away from the door, she moved away from the door a bit and hid in the small alcove available there. She saw Lucius step out of the room and look in both directions before heading down the corridor and out of sight.
She opened the door and stepped inside, she found Draco staring out the window his arms folded across his chest. "Draco, are you alright?" Her heart broke seeing him in such distress.
He whirled around facing her, his face set in a glare. As soon as he saw her, his glare softened. "I'll be fine Ginny."
Ginny closed the door behind her and moved towards him, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face within his chest. "Are you sure?" She said asked her voice muffled a bit.
His arms went around her, "yes I'm sure, everything will work out you'll see." Draco's hand framed her face and pulling up so he could look her in the eye. "Soon my father won't be able to bother me anymore."
"Do you plan on leaving home after next year?" Ginny felt a bit confused.
"No." He shook his head, knowing that this was not the time to tell her. "My father and I will come to an understanding of sorts." Draco rubbed her cheek lightly with his thumb. "Whatever happens you'll stay by my side, won't you?"
Ginny nodded, "you know I would."
Draco smiled to himself, hiding a grin of extreme satisfaction. "I knew I could count on you." He whispered then he bent down capturing her mouth with his in a powerful, mind-numbing kiss.
Ginny felt herself loose control of her legs, Draco must have sensed this as he wrapped his arms around her more holding her tighter to him. She felt his tongue beckon and command hers to respond.
After many spells and Harry trying to move the boulder physically, Hermione out of frustration had even kicked the big rock to see if it moved. Instead, she ended up hurting her foot. She had to use more of that healing elixir. The two of them were leaning against the boulder out of ideas; they were just staring straight ahead. Harry suddenly jumped up.
"How about this? Open sesame" Harry's arms were extended dramatically towards the heavens. Nothing happened.
Hermione was looking up at him oddly, "that was supposed to do what exactly?"
Harry shrugged "I don't know, it worked for Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Why wouldn't it work for us?" He grinned down at her.
"Well, for one I doubt Merlin was one of the forty thieves." She said as her eyes held a bit of amusement.
"Okay if you think you're so smart, how do we get inside?" Harry said crossing his arms over his chest, still grinning at her.
That sounded like a challenge to her, she started to get up. Hermione rested her hand against the boulder to help hoist herself up off the ground getting to her feet. In little less then a second the boulder started to move and roll out of the way.
Harry's jaw dropped and then he looked at her; Hermione had a shocked statement on her face as well. "How did you do that?" He asked in awe.
Hermione recovered from her shock. "Uh, it's all in the mind." She said pointing to her forehead looking like she knew what she was talking about.
"Well then why didn't your mind open the door before?" Harry smirked.
"Because, it didn't want too. It wasn't the right time." Hermione replied with her own smirk.
He was going to say something else but before he could she stepped into Merlin's cave. Harry shook his head back and forth with amusement and followed after her. A large diamond sticking down out of the ceiling automatically lit up filling the entire room with what looked like bright sunlight.
"Wow." They both said as the glanced about the cave.
There were shelves along the walls of the cave; on the left side of the cave on the top shelf was a row of crystal balls in all different sizes and colors. They could see that some of them were formed of quartz while others were formed of a dark green stone that could only be identified as Emerald. Idols of stone statues and gargoyles and other creatures aligned the second shelf down. The third shelf down was filled with scrolls. On the other side of the cave was the same layout only at the top was what looked like Muggle versions of telescopes.
The shelf beneath that held thick leather bound books, on the last shelf were staffs made of gold and onyx. One staff in particular caught Harry's eye and he walked over to the shelf he looked over at Hermione who was already looking through opened scrolls of parchment messily strewn about a large table. He turned his attention back to the shelf and the staff and picked it up. There was what looked like an amulet resting atop of long staff. He picked it up off the shelf and saw a ting label hang off of it. He read it quietly to himself Amulet of Torna. There was a small but impressive green stone in the direct center of a webbing of gold.
Harry set the staff back down on the shelf, he looked up at the wall and a map of an ancient city was to his right. Down in the left corner of the paper read City of Torna, a wonderful spot for relaxing. He laughed to himself, he never imagined Merlin the one to ever relax. He looked back over at Hermione who was studying an ancient looking scroll. He walked over to where she was standing and read over her shoulder.
"Can you read that?"
Startled, Hermione jumped a bit not having heard him approach. She turned her head looking at him. "Yes." She said with a smile.
"How? It looks like a foreign language."
Hermione smiled into his eyes, "it is. It's called Romaji; it's a written form of Japanese. Of course there are so many forms and ways to read Japanese, this is one of the easiest."
"You can understand Japanese?" Harry was impressed.
She nodded, "and Spanish and French, oh and a little bit of German."
"Wow, so all those times Cho was yelling at you or saying things under her breath that wasn't in English whenever you were near her, you could understand?"
Hermione shook her head, "uh no. Cho is Chinese not Japanese. I mean sure some words sound similar but it's still not the same."
Harry couldn't help the blush of embarrassment rise to his cheeks, "I knew that."
She couldn't help but smile, Harry just looked so cute when he was embarrassed. "It's okay; a lot of people get them mixed up. You aren't the first."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better." He said looking away from her.
"And what did Cho say about me whenever I was near her?" Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"How should I know?" Harry replied with a smirk.
"Cause you just said that she would say things about me in English, why did she suddenly have to hid her comments from you." Hermione's hands found her hips.
Oh Harry remembered very well what Cho had said about Hermione, but he wasn't stupid enough to tell her. For the fear of after they got back to Hogwarts, Hermione might go and tear Cho to shreds. By hand. "Only that you are far prettier than she was, and that you were smarter, taller and well the best damn witch Hogwarts has ever seen."
Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you sure?"
Harry crossed his fingers behind his back, "would I lie?" He didn't lie it was true of what Cho had said, but there were a lot of insults along with those words.
"About what Cho said, yes you would." Hermione saw Harry had his arm behind his back, "what are you doing there." She tried to look and he immediately uncrossed his fingers. She looked at him her jaw dropped in half amusement and half annoyance, "you did lie." She narrowed her eyes and started to turn away from him in her growing anger for his lying.
He quickly grabbed her by the shoulders before she could turn away completely and pulled her against him, she was about to protest when his mouth covered over hers and his arms went around her. Harry felt her struggling in his embrace but he only tightened his hold and deepened his kiss. His tongue touching hers, craving to taste more of her.
Hermione gave a soft whimper as she felt herself responding to his kiss and his touch; she stopped her struggling and melted against him. Her arms then went around his neck as she pressed her mouth harder against his, as the strokes of his tongue against hers grew more confident and almost demanding. This only caused her to hold onto him tighter.
They both pulled away when the need of air became too much to bare, his hands gently framed her face and she glanced up at him.
"What does it matter what Cho has said?" Harry spoke softly leaning closer to her ear. "What matters is what I said and how I feel." He pressed a tiny kiss to the spot just below her ear, giving her the sweet feel of tingles running through her. Her eyes closed in bliss feeling his lips and tongue dance her neck and throat. Hermione's fingers reached up into his hair as his mouth moved towards her collarbone, and his hands found their way under her shirt rubbing up and down her back, his fingers leaving tingly trails wherever they touched her.
"Harry." She panted, "need-to-stop." Hermione almost couldn't finish her sentence, it was almost too much to handle. Her body and its desire were almost controlling her. Almost.
"Why?" He asked innocently and continued to kiss up her neck.
"Uh," her eyes blissfully fluttered closed. You feel so nice, I don't want you to ever stop, she thought to herself. No, no the scepter remember? Her head reminded her. "Harry, if we don't stop now, I won't be able to in a minute. And we still have to find the scepter." She took a deep breath as Harry pulled a little bit away to gaze into her eyes that were dark with desire and need.
Harry gave her a soft smile, "All right Hermione." He also took a deep breath trying to regain his composure. "Besides, I don't think Merlin would appreciate two hormonal driven teenagers going at it in his private sanctuary, do you?" He said shrugging his shoulders with an adorable grin on his face.
Hermione cracked a smile, "no I suppose not." She said straightening her shirt from its rumpled up condition.
She glanced about the cave some more as Harry went to look along the other shelves for anything important about the scepter they were searching for.
"Hermione." He said from a squatting position on the floor. He looked up at her "I remember Rowena saying something about the scepter being in a vault.
Hermione nodded, she remembered that bit too. "What does the vault looks like?" She continued looking through the scrolls on the table for anything describing what the vault would look like.
Harry shrugged. "It's probably huge or a good enough size for someone to walk into it." He noticed there were a lot of large crystals of different shades and colors and several triangle shaped prisms gathered about the floor in several different corners of the cave. He found an opened scroll that told him about Crystal lighting and how a simple crystal can harness the suns rays providing light even in the dark for several weeks at a time. An ancient version of the Muggle light bulb Harry thought.
As Harry stood something glittered once getting his attention on the other side of the cave where it was still dark. He carefully walked towards the darkness another ceiling crystal lit up illuminating the darkened area of the cave.
Hermione too saw the light come on and caught up to where Harry was. They both stood facing a giant silver door with no handle.
"I think we use the incantation to get into the vault." Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "Okay, what is it?" He looked at her as she slowly turned her head to face him.
"You mean you don't know it, didn't you read the parchment that Professor Dumbledore gave us?" Hermione said wide-eyed.
"Yes, but I don't remember it. I thought you would." He said his eyes just as wide as hers.
"Well I certainly don't remember it, I only saw it for a second." She was getting a huge headache; she closed her eyes rubbing her temples with tired fingers.
"Well," Harry stepped in front of her and reached over and with gentle fingers took her hands down and started massaging her temples for her. "Let's try to remember. I mean it must be in our heads somewhere." He heard her sigh with relief, "Feel alright?"
She nodded as he continued to rub her forehead. Hermione thought hard, poking into the back of her head, as far as she could. But nothing was coming to her.
Harry's fingers dropped from her temples, only for him to rest his forehead against hers. He reached down with his left hand and grasped hers tenderly. A strange feeling came over the both of them at the same time. Both their eyes closed, it was like the time they felt the minds join when Rowena used that spell to see inside their memories. Harry wrapped his right arm around her waist as Hermione wrapped hers around his. They stepped closer together as if on cue, they could feel each other's heartbeat. It was as if some dam broke in their head and the information they were looking for flooded their minds, both their eyes popped open and they knew what it was they had to do.
"I've got it." They both said at the same time and they couldn't help the echoes of laughter coming from them.
They pulled their wands from their holders and held them in their right hands pointed towards the vault door, while their left hands remained intertwined. "Earth, sun, moon and sky, open now and reveal thee to thine eye" They spoke at the same time.
The vault door started to shake a bit, dust seemed to erupt from the seems of the door as it opened agonizingly slow. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with the same statement on their face. That how-long-is-this-gonna-take look.
Hermione shrugged, "well the door had been sealed for over a thousand years, maybe it's a bit stuck." She said with a half a grin.
"Perhaps." Harry said.
The door was open completely. Harry and Hermione stepped inside as the air still seemed thick as they seemed to fight for the need to breathe. After taking a couple of breaths the vault seemed to fill with air enough to breathe comfortably. They couldn't believe all the jewels and gold in large piles all over the ground. Necklaces of diamonds, pearls, sapphires and rubies hung on hooks upon the wall. Beautiful gowns of silk and satin were also on hooks across from the jewels they went with. Robes fit for a king made of velvet with satin trims were also in the mix.
There were several pieces of pure spun gold draped across the roof of the vault. Several different goblets made of thick quartz crystal and pink rose quartz were resting on tables made of marble. On the back wall of the vault was a portrait of a man wearing king's robes holding a sword up towards the heavens in a mighty intimidating pose. Hermione figured that the portrait was of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur.
They found a large crystal ball resting on a red velvet cushion, which sat on a black marble table in the center of the vault. There was a message written in ink on a piece of parchment that said whoever opens the vault press your hands to the crystal ball and see what happens. Harry had read it out loud to Hermione who was still looking at everything in the vault in complete awe.
Hermione then walked over to where Harry was and looked into the crystal ball, "well are you going to touch it?"
"I just hope it's not some type of burglar alarm that will fry me for trespassing into the vault." Harry said as Hermione picked up the parchment and also read for herself what it said.
Hermione got ready to touch the crystal ball, "well if you won't do it I will."
Harry quickly grabbed her hands to stop her from touching the crystal; he couldn't take it if she was burnt to a crisp so he immediately charged in. "No, no I'll do it."
"What you don't think I can handle it?" She lifted an eyebrow as if challenging him.
He thought a moment, "well I just don't want you to get hurt."
"So you'll endanger yourself instead? Well I don't want you to get hurt either." She said firmly.
Harry took a deep breath. "All right we'll both touch it at the same time, how does that sound?"
"That sounds fair enough to me." She said with a nod of her head.
They both lifted their hands and placed their fingers on the crystal ball. Purple mist swirled within the crystal, Harry and Hermione pulled the hands back watching the swirling mist until a figure's head appeared in the ball looking at them with a huge smile on his face. Harry and Hermione found it odd that old man from the village's head popped into the crystal ball.
"Nilrem?" Both Harry and Hermione said and in confusion.
"Harry, Hermione how are you two doing? Hope you found everything all right?" Nilrem said with a smile.
Harry stared at Nilrem oddly, "Sir, what is your head doing in this crystal ball?"
"This is kind of like a Muggle phone system, but very old. I thought of it myself, now a days wizards and witches use fireplaces to call on each other." He said with a grin.
"How could you have thought of this, it's Mer-" Hermione stopped in mid sentence and started laughing. Harry looked up from the crystal ball at Hermione who looked like she had just grown another head.
"Hermione what's so funny?"
Now Nilrem was laughing too.
Hermione calmed down, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Harry sweetie, spell Merlin backwards."
Harry spelled it backwards in his head and then his jaw dropped, he looked into the crystal ball at the still laughing Nilrem or should he now call him Merlin. "Merlin, you are Merlin?"
Merlin nodded, "you are right my boy."
"We all thought you were dead? How is this possible?" Harry asked.
"I'm not dead, far from it. I have been granted immortality." Merlin said with a smile, "on some conditions, I can only travel a few hours from Camelot."
"Why do you still prolong your life, if you can't really go anywhere?" Hermione asked as she sat in a blue velvet chair next to the table.
"People still need my guidance my young one, these people in the village needed me more than anything." He smiled. "But now that the Quintapod's gone, the children can finally attend Hogwarts where they will get a proper education. And I may return to Camelot where I belong."
"Why don't you just return now?"
"I will return to Camelot at the start of the new year when the children start Hogwarts, it will give me time to say goodbye to all the people I've met and became close with." Merlin grinned, "What do you think of my vault?"
"Very impressive." Harry said.
"Thanks, feel free to use anything you want from my vault." Merlin said with a nod of his head.
Hermione shook her head, "oh no sir, that's not necessary."
Merlin smiled up at her, "such a sweet girl you are my dear. But I insist. The yearly feast takes place tomorrow. And since the shield doesn't drop from Camelot again until the day after the feast, you'll be stuck there for another day and night." He paused a moment remembering when he attended the yearly feasts, they were always so much fun. His mind was then brought back to reality. "Now for the feast the Camelotians like to dress up in older fashions for the occasion anything from the eleventh century to the seventeenth. It will seem like you jumped back in time and it's loads of fun. Everything in my vault has been enchanted to fit its wearer no matter what size or build you may be. Anything you buy would just about cost you an arm and a leg. And if you use my belongings, you won't need to spend anything and you'll look just as good as the rest of them, Possibly even better." He smirked.
"You are too kind sir." Hermione said.
"Nonsense, it's my pleasure." Merlin looked behind him and then back at Harry and Hermione. "Now I have to go, it's story time for the little ones and they want to hear about Arthur and his knights. Hope I get to talk to you two again someday. Now try not to worry so much and have fun at the feast tomorrow. You two deserve a day of rest." And with that his head vanished from the crystal ball.
"Well that was certainly interesting." Harry said.
Hermione shook her head back and forth, "I can't believe I didn't pick upon it before. Nilrem is Merlin." She chuckled lightly to herself a moment, a thought then flashed into her head. "Harry let me see your bag please."
Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out his bag he set it on the floor in front of Hermione and she removed the shrinking charm. He watched her open his bag and pull out the sword that Merlin had given him. He then knew what she was thinking.
"No way, he wouldn't give that to me, would he?" Harry watched Hermione walk towards the portrait with his sword in her hand.
Hermione held up Harry's sword next to the one in the portrait, it was an exact copy of the legendary sword.
"It looks as though Merlin has given you Excalibur." She held the sword out for him to take it back
Harry shook his head retrieving the sword from her grasp, "why would he do that?"
"Merlin must have thought you worthy enough." Hermione said with a smile.
"Well I certainly don't think so." Harry said shoving the sword roughly back into his bag.
"I do." She simply said.
He looked at her and smile crept across his face, "honestly?"
"Honestly." Hermione smiled, "I don't know of anyone more worthy than you to have that sword."
Harry couldn't help the grin that spread across his face; he didn't care what the rest of world thought or how they saw him. The only one whose opinion and view of him mattered was Hermione's. He glanced past her a moment as saw it, the Soul Scepter. It was resting on a golden pedestal. Harry pointed behind him and Hermione turned around to see what he was pointing at.
She saw it; the scepter was like nothing she had ever seen. The scepter's rod was made of what looked like diamond; there were rubies on both ends of the rod. At the top of the rod in a webbing of pure silver with a large shimmering opal stone that flickered a bit in the direct center of the webbing. Hermione stepped up to the pedestal gazing at the scepter. She reached out her hand and grabbed a hold of the scepter by the rod she saw a flash of light-now Jasmine I am entrusting this scepter into your power and care, I have seen inside your soul and your heart. Only someone whose heart is pure can give love from the scepter and restore light. Those with a black heart can cause great destruction. See to it that you keep it safe. I trust you Jasmine, I trust you with the lives of many.
"I won't disappoint you sir, you can count on me." Jasmine said with a confident smile.
Another flash blasted through her mind and the memory was over, she could see Harry looking back at her with a worried statement on his face. Hermione shook her head.
"Hermione what happened? You just stood there not moving, not doing anything. You didn't even blink."
"I saw something," She said shaking her head again. "I saw Merlin entrusting the scepter to Jasmine."
Harry smiled. "I'm so relieved, I thought something happened to you and you lost all your will to move or even think."
"Oh no I'm alright." She stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled her bag out and un-shrunk it. She put the scepter into her bag and closed it up. She returned the bag to its small size and put it back in her pocket.
They stepped from the vault and it closed on its own, Harry took Hermione by the hand and they started from the cave.
"Let's to see that Caleb for a place to stay for these next two nights."
"All right." She said and they started away from Merlin's cave and the boulder rolled back in its closed position. They headed down the hillside towards the city.
They walked along the stone pathways towards the heart of the city, they walked along the many shops as finally came to the inn where the sign read Caleb's. Harry opened the door and the two of them stepped inside the busy pub. It was so crowded that you couldn't even hear yourself think. The two of the stepped up to the front desk and saw the familiar face of Caleb. He smiled upon seeing them
"Hello, it's good to see you again." Caleb said.
"Same here, could we possibly have a room for the next two nights?" Harry said with a smile.
"Ah so you're here for the feast aye, well I don't blame you. Word has spread far and wide about our grand feasts people come from all over the world just to attend." He looked into his book of registered guests. "Well I can have a room ready for you in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you two go have a seat and I'll call you when it's ready."
Harry and Hermione went over and sat on the cushiony bench right next to the check in desk, after a few minutes Harry felt a small pressure on his shoulder. He glanced down and found Hermione's head resting peacefully on his shoulder. At that moment Caleb came from down the stairs and approached them.
"All right, you're room is ready." Caleb said with a smile.
Harry nodded and picked up his sleeping Hermione and carried her up the stairs following after Caleb.
"Here you go." Caleb said opening the door.
"Thanks Caleb." Harry said with a smile.
"No problem." Caleb then watched as Harry carried Hermione into the room and laid her down on the bed. Caleb then closed the door leaving the two of them alone.
Harry climbed in the bed next to her and snuggled close, pressing herself up against her back with an arm around her waist. Within a few minutes he was asleep.
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Okay who do you think the New Quidditch coach is? Well please stay tuned for chapter 21-Beauty, Banquets and Bruises.