Chronicles of Camelot

Crossroads of Destiny

"That's it?" he asked, watching as Lily took a seat opposite her former schoolmate, "All that he put me through and you decide to just give him a right good smack across the mouth?"

"Not so," Severus replied, before he met Harry's eyes and, for the second time, every male, though this time including Harry, gave a groan of sympathetic pain as he saw Severus now sporting a black eye, a similar striking mark on the other side of his face.

"I only let you hear that last one," Lily told her son, smiling when she saw Harry tap into his magic before he healed the marks on Severus' cheeks, the lighter nail-induced scars remaining as if Harry were saying that Severus deserved them. "But it's going to take a long time for you to truly earn my forgiveness Severus: how could you be so blind?"

"I…I don't know," Severus answered, his voice calm as he thanked his student, Harry now sitting with his back to the ornate fireplace, "I just saw red when I saw Harry for the first time; up until I heard that letter, I never knew how you felt Lily. I'm just thankful that your son managed to inherit your sense of giving people another chance, though I do know that I don't deserve them."

"Maybe not," Harry replied, before everyone gasped as a swish of wings echoed through the house and, as most of those still standing ducked their heads, Harry gasped as a slightly larger, yet still beautiful sky-blue-scaled dragon flew over their heads and, using her front talons, seemed to pin herself to Harry's shoulder.

'Iris,' Harry gasped, his mind feeling the warmth and comfort that came from his bonded friend, 'You got bigger.'

'And you got stronger my Harry,' Iris replied; her voice had lost some of the child-like innocence, but it was still as beautiful and musical as it had been the first time Harry had heard her voice. 'I have felt your strength, but why did you not take me with you to the other world?'

'I was worried for you,' Harry replied, now petting the dragon's soft snout, Lily and Severus looking to the once-small creature with eyes of wonder, 'Without your ability to use your burning frost, I feared that you could get hurt. But don't worry, because my friend, the Minister, said that she's managed to allow you to come to the school with me.'

'Then you are forgiven,' Iris told him, 'I love you, my little King.'

'And I you, my radiant Rainbow Goddess.'

As he looked away from Iris' golden eyes, Harry smiled as he added, "She missed me; but yes," he explained, getting back to the matter at hand, "Maybe you didn't deserve the forgiveness and friendship that I offered you Sev, but you were more than willing to swear in the same manner as Sirius that you would do all that you could to help me."

"And I will keep my word," Severus explained, looking now to Lily as he asked, "So, how are you back anyway Lily?"

"In a word," Harry answered, drawing Excalibur from its sheath as he told Severus the truth, "Merlin."

"You met him?" asked Severus, his usually apathetic attitude abandoned for a look of pure shock, "When? Where?"

"When," Harry answered, "My birthday when I opened the Gate and went to Camelot: where? Within the halls where I was crowned King of the Magical Realm of Camelot or, to give it the true name that I learned from Emrys himself: Albion, the very land that this House was named after."

"Merlin's beard!" gasped Severus, earning a laugh from Harry.

"You know, I never will understand that saying thanks to the man: his beard wasn't that impressive: it was like looking at a powerful and, dare I say it, nice Albus Dumbledore," he shrugged as he looked back to Severus, "But if you think that's impressive, then try this: I also learned from him."