Fire and Plot: Part One
Hermione stepped out of the Anglia behind Harry who was off talking rapidly about the day ahead of them. He hadn't stopped speaking since they had thought of this idea and had even changed into a smarter looking black outfit and a knee length black coat especially for this visit. Hermione however had just slipped into a pair of jeans and had thrown over her blue hoodie for comfort, she suspected that it would be cold where they were headed.
`If you can believe it I've never actually met him' Harry said as he stood still, fidgeting slightly on the spot, as he waited for Hermione to catch up with him.
`How come?' Hermione said as she looked up at him, excited like a school boy.
`To tell the truth I've always been a little nervous about meeting him' Harry said with a sly smile `it's not exactly normal, even for me, to walk up to Albert Einstein and just say hi'
`True' Hermione said as she zipped up her top, the wind was as chilly as she had expected it to be, however much Harry was determined to say it was going to be warm `maybe you should try howdy? Or even bonjour?'
`Or maybe even gruezi?' Harry said laughing before he turned serious again really quickly `but I am apprehensive about it still'
`You battle demons and beasts pretty much for a living but your scared of a man?' Hermione said laughing.
`Not just a man!' Harry said indignantly `he changed the world with his thesis on power and relativity…plus demons and beasts are usually pretty simple'
`You did it with Shakespeare' Hermione pointed out.
`I bumped into him by accident the first time' Harry said simply `but Einstein! The basis for all modern Science, without his theories we wouldn't have travelled to the stars, created nuclear power and split the atom…and don't forget the microwave!'
`So where are we?' Hermione said grinning as she watched Harry's exuberance.
`If your going to see Albert Einstein there's only one time to go to, his miracle year as people like to call it, although I probably shouldn't use that seeing as the press don't coin that term for about another thirty years…anyway, we're in…' Harry said as he looked around, but stopped mid sentence and said distractedly `…1905…'
`What's wrong?' Hermione asked quickly.
`Why are we inside?' Harry said shaking his head in confusion `and when did Zurich ever look like this?'
`Look like what?' Hermione asked looking around, the room they were in was highly decorated with deep blood reds and gold's, thick rugs covered the flooring and paintings were hung throughout.
`Like…' Harry said examine the painting before he quickly turned to Hermione and asked confused `have you ever heard of a…London type area…in Zurich?'
`Cant say that I have' Hermione said chuckling at Harry's complete confusion `But I'm sure you have an answer for where we are exactly'
Harry had paused for a second, seeming to strain his ears for few moments before his shoulders visibly slouched and he looked at Hermione.
`Unfortunately, I do' Harry said dejectedly as he turned around and sighed. Hermione quickly spun around and instantly copied Harry in throwing her hands up into the air as she saw about a dozen men in red outfits all pointing guns at them with confused looks on their faces.
`Ah…' Harry said as he held his hands up and looked at the men who pointed the guns at their chests `1605'
`1605?' Hermione said shooting Harry a quick look of disapproval.
`Practically the same thing as 1905' Harry said sighing before he shrugged and said quickly `although if I remember correctly a little less warm…'
`Anyway…' Hermione said nudging Harry slightly who seemed to spring back onto topic as he withdrew his magic paper, inspecting the men before he handed it over.
`God fearing men, protestant, Crown orientated…' Harry said quickly and with a nod of approval he held the paper up to show them `Reverend Potter, and Sister Granger from the Glastonbury Cathedral. We have been invited on behalf of King James the First to inspect the Churches of the area, which we fear may be open against the menacing threat of Catholicism'
`Oh…' the guards said slowly as they looked at each other for a few moments, one of them, a sandy haired man with broad shoulders stepped forward which seemed to be the signal for them to lower the guns.
`Good to have you on board, Father Potter' the man said extending a friendly hand out which Harry took quickly with a smile `troubling times we find ourselves in and we welcome an extra hand with great accord'
`You're welcome' Harry said brightly `whatever we can do for our King and God is our duty after all'
`Brilliantly said' the man said as he now took Hermione's hand, she saw his sandy coloured moustache twitching slightly as he did.
`So what troubling things have been happening?' Hermione asked curiously, hoping for something that wasn't just paranoia or stupidity.
`Many things, Sister' the man said looking straight at Harry as he spoke letting Hermione know how the rest of this conversation was going to go `just before we found you even, we heard a low rumbling like thunder spread throughout the castle'
`Perhaps you've displeased God somehow?' Harry said with a smile for he knew it was the sound of the Anglia appearing.
`I assure you if I have I will repent!' the man said, his voice broken slightly by panic.
`I'm sure Father Potter is wrong though' Hermione said as kindly as she could `we have seen a lot of sinners on our visits and he may be finding the habit hard to break'
`That's probably the case' Harry said laughing softly to himself `so what other troubles have you been having'
`Well…' the man said in deepest thought `its nothing we can exactly pinpoint, that's the worrying part'
`Please speak exactly kind sir' Harry said with a friendly smile `who knows how much time God has allowed either of us in this life, and I would hate for it to be over before I heard the end of your tale'
`Yes…' the man said completely taken aback, Hermione knew he would never have heard a priest talk like Harry `strange sounds have been reported from the cellars, but when we investigate we find nothing'
`Sounds in an old building?' Harry said sounding unimpressed.
`And also things have been going missing' the man said quickly `rifles disappearing never to be seen again, and a lot of fresh meat as well'
`People stealing guns and food?' Harry said looking even more bored by his words.
`Maybe he has something' Hermione said kindly, although she wasn't too sure herself.
`Yes, I think I do' the man said impatiently `I'm talking about over a hundred rifles and enough food to feed London for a month just disappearing from a heavily armed institution'
`Maybe' Harry said as he thought for a moment `I guess we could look into it, lend our expertise on trying to solve this riddle'
`Thank you, Father' the man said bowing slightly.
`Can you lead us to kitchens, I wish to see where the meat has been stolen from' Harry said looking brighter, more himself.
`Yes, Father' he said as he turned and barked orders at the men, half of which stormed of the other way obviously to patrol the area `if you'd care to follow us'
Hermione walked next to Harry, several steps behind the leading soldiers as they went to show them the kitchens. Hermione wasn't surprised that Harry had wanted to go to the kitchens instead of the barracks where the guns had been taken or the cellar for the noises, as Harry usually liked things that didn't kill others.
`So…' Hermione said to Harry `Albert Einstein probably isn't going to be here, is he?'
`It's not that bad really' Harry said quietly to her `turn the 9 in 1905 upside down and you get 1605'
`What about Zurich turning out to be London?' Hermione teased shooting a glance at the guards who led the way to check they weren't listening in.
`Both have six letters' Harry said shrugging.
`Doesn't it seem a little odd?' Hermione asked curiously, something gave her a bad feeling about being here.
`Maybe, but maybe not' Harry said with a quick shrug `just appearing in the wrong place and time isn't enough though'
`What about them saying strange things have been going on?' Hermione asked `the noises and disappearing items?'
`These people always think strange things are going on' Harry said rolling his eyes `I think they unsuccessfully predicted doomsday every fifty years'
`Point taken' Hermione said with a little smile `but you were pretty off on this trip, weren't you?'
`Yeah' Harry said annoyed as he admitted this `I guess being so excited about where we were going could have done it…'
Harry walked along the corridors in silence as he thought on what was happening, and Hermione knew it was generally best to let him think for a while, because at least he wasn't being as rash as he usually was.
`I don't like that guy' Harry said sighing having given up for the time being on working out what had happened
`I don't think he was that bad' Hermione said teased as she lent closer to Harry `although I thought you playing the religion card was a little harsh'
`Fire and brimstone and eternal damnation' Harry said brightly `specifically created to get a reaction'
`I guess, but still…' Hermione sighed, she had always felt better being out of touching distance from religion, and she thought that now she was back in a time in which the Crusades and the Inquisition existed that she shouldn't really be changing this rule
Hermione shuddered a little and quickly zipped up her hoodie even higher up, sometimes she hated the English weather and longed for warm beached. She caught Harry who seemed to be studying her intently, but he suddenly started to walk faster in order to get next to the man in charge.
`It's a little chilly for August?' Harry said in a friendly manner as he strolled down the corridor confidently.
`August?' the man said laughing `just how long have you been wandering the hills?'
`Quite some time now' Harry said sighing `sin is a tricky business to be in, and has the worse of hours
`It's November' the man said shaking his head, a little hint of a smile coming from under his bushy moustache.
Harry stopped suddenly, making everyone spin round and stare at him confused. Hermione though saw something in his face that she knew all to well. It was the look he had when things had gone wrong.
`November the what?' Harry asked, his voice lower than usual and seemingly not wanting a reply.
`Why, it's the fifth today' the man said looking at Harry like he was wondering if he had lost his mind `November the fifth'
The words sprung memories in Hermione's mind, like it would any person who had spent every winter in England for their whole lives. It was the second most famous date in English history, perhaps more famous than 1066 even.
`And what building are we in?' Harry asked, running a hand through his hair as he usually did when things weren't going so well.
`Don't you know?' the man said, suspicion in every line of his face.
`We've never been to London before' Hermione lied quickly to stop Harry from answering angrily `and we don't know all the proper names of the buildings, sorry'
`We're in the Houses of Parliament' the man said, his eyes still focused solely on Harry.
`Remember, Remember the fifth of November' Harry said lowly, annoyance and apprehension colouring his words `Gunpowder, Treason and Plot'
`What are you talking about?' the man said taking a step closer to Harry.
`I see no reason why gunpowder, treason' Hermione said remembering the rhyme every school kid knew so well `should ever be forgot…'
`What are you two talking about?' the man said, his hand had now slipped down to his sword as he looked in anger at the pair of them.
`It means something very bad is about to happen' Harry groaned as he looked straight at Hermione `it means that something, be it the universe or fate or even a person, wants us here'
`Why?' Hermione moaned, like a child who knew what he was saying made sense but not wanting it to be true.
`Because coincidences don't exist' Harry said shaking his head sadly at Hermione `something has made us appear here by mistake, and whatever it is must have done it for a reason'
`Maybe we're supposed to stop Guy Fawkes?' Hermione volunteered, not caring at the others reactions who were now looking at them as if they were getting ready to arrest them.
`And maybe we're supposed to help him succeed' Harry said with dawning comprehension `but whatever it is we are needed to do, we only have a matter of hours to do it'
Hermione looked around them and realized their predicament. By the cold air and the setting of the sun outside of the windows she realized it was quickly approaching night time, and the night Guy Fawkes became famous. Panic started to grip her at the enormity of their situation, and she looked at Harry and spoke the words that scared her most.
`To stop or start a Revolution?'
*
So that's the beginning of their newest adventure, hoped you liked it…Sorry I've taken a while to update, its been a hectic week for me with job searching and things, and I had a little trouble ironing out all of the points I needed for this adventure. But don't worry, all sorted out now (on the plot aspect) and I think it will be...Fantastic!
Till next time…
Jms Granger.
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