Amulet of Time 4: There and Back Again

Chapter 10: The Chicken or The Egg?

Glenadade smiled shyly, Dumbledore stared at him in confusion, and Harry fell to the floor in a dead faint. Surprised, Glenadade waved his hand over the motionless boy, effectively enervating him. Harry opened his eyes groggily and looked once more at the new arrival, his eyes widening considerably when he remembered what had happened. After a startled yelp, he hastily sent a very loud mental message to a certain ghost.

'TEA! COME TO DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE

Alright, alright, there's no need to shout. I'm on my way

Hurry!

Why? What's going on?

Just wait and see

A grumbling Gallatea severed the connection and Harry was once again alone with his thoughts. He wasn't quite sure what to think. In front of him stood an older version of the little boy he had seen in the painting which hung above the fireplace in Domus Corvus Corax. He had said his name was Glenadade Potter, which was impossible unless….

His thoughts were interrupted by Gallatea floating through the floor in front of him. She had a very annoyed look on her face, and he knew he was in for it as soon as she spoke to him. She only used Anglo-Saxon nowadays if she was really mad.

" Harry James Potter, what makes you think you can talk to me like that? I am not at your beck and call. You can't just order me around, you know!"

" Er, 'Tea…"

" No, Harry, let me finish! Men! Urgh! Why did you feel the need to raise your voice? Hm? It's not like I wouldn't have heard you, you know!"

" But 'Tea…."

" Don't you 'but 'Tea' me! In future, I expect you to show a little more respect for me…"

" 'TEA, SHUT UP!"

" Why, I…"

" NO, it's your turn to listen. I'm sorry I shouted, but if you look behind you, you'll see the reason for the urgency!"

Gallatea sent Harry a poisonous look, and he just glared back at her. Relenting, she rolled her eyes and turned around, a wide smirk appearing on Harry's face as she did so. The ghost froze when she spotted a worried looking boy standing behind one of the headmaster's chairs. She slowly turned her head slightly to one side to speak to her ex-boyfriend.

" Harry, catch me."

" Why?"

" I'm going to faint."

" Ghosts don't faint!"

" Yes they do! Now, catch me."

" I can't…" he said as the woman crumpled to the floor, gliding through his outstretched hands and coming to rest an inch above the floor.

" Hem hem."

Harry and Glenadade looked up startled, but for different reasons. Harry relaxed a little when his eyes met the twinkling orbs of the headmaster, who had watched the whole affair in amusement.

" Maybe we should sit down and discuss a few things. I'm sure we can fill the Lady Ravenclaw in when she wakes up, don't you think?"

Harry nodded readily, but noticed that Glen seemed to be nodding to himself with a look of intense concentration on his face, and Harry realised he was trying to systematically work out what the headmaster had said. Switching to Anglo-Saxon, he spoke to the other boy for the first time.

" Glenadade, did you understand that?"

The younger boy looked up at Harry and hesitantly nodded.