Gathering Echoes

Prologue: A History

Muggle legends often stem from wizarding history, and the creation of a sacred and powerful object never fails to produce catastrophic conflict capable of transcending cultures, worlds, and time.

The gift of magic was first presented to humans before the dawn of recorded history at Glastonbury Tor by an ancient race of elves possessing unfathomable strength and abilities until their magic was weakened by human treachery. The Tor housed a sacred temple in which mankind kept a powerful object, which symbolized their brotherhood with the fair folk. It was a beautiful goblet forged from the precious metals once indigenous to the Tor. One needed only to drink from the enchanted cup in order to receive the priceless gift.

It was the fault of the elves' pure nature that they trusted their allies so implicitly, and they inadvertently put themselves and the entire world in immeasurable danger. As the elves had bound their powers to the golden bauble, the humans agreed to keep it under protection in the temple.

While the precious beings would still possess magic if the cup were to disappear, they would undergo a gradual transformation into mortal slaves as their magic began to be used for dishonest purposes. The cup's magic would be forever altered, and the human race would be bitterly divided for all time. Breaking the magical bond between the humans, the cup, and the elves held consequences that could not be reversed once set into motion.

Elvish custom encouraged the sharing of magic with any pilgrim willing to receive the gift by traveling to the temple and drinking, but the newly formed nation of wizards grew greedy and selfish. They wanted to use their magic to give only themselves power and prestige beyond that of ordinary men. Their hearts hardened with the need to lord their gifts over their fellow creatures.

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Israelite Muggles uncovered the goblet centuries after it was stolen from Glastonbury Tor. It became known as the Holy Grail after an infamous rabbi from Nazareth was able to recognize, harness, and use its remaining powers in the name of the Hebrew God. As a boy, he and his brothers found it buried in the desert exactly where those ancient thieves from the west had finally met their mysterious demise at the hands of a cruel, arid climate and a golden talisman that had turned from a blessing into a curse.

Young Joshua told his skeptical brothers that God had told him where to dig for the treasure. He informed them that it was meant to help him heal both the bodies and the souls of mankind. Fearing for their lives and the boy's reputation, his family packed it away in the same chest with the three luxuries that he had received on the night of his miraculous birth.

Responsibility for the Grail was passed from James the Just to Joseph of Arimathea shortly after the Christ's crucifixion because James realized that Joseph's political power and wealth were needed in order to keep the relic safe during dark times.

As righteous men, Joseph and his accomplice, Nicodemus, could sense that the goblet did not belong in the Judean desert. As wizards, its magic called to them and guided them to organize an expedition to bring it back to its birthplace somewhere in the west. Their core desire was to pluck it out of the hands of Muggles because they considered them all a threat. After all, Muggles had killed one of their own for using powers that they did not understand.

Joseph and his crew knew not where their journey would take them. Waiting until after the next year's Passover, they looked to the stars for guidance. The end of their travels came during a harsh winter spent trekking the unfamiliar island home of the Britons. Standing on a hill, the pilgrims witnessed a shower of heavenly lights during the Winter Solstice, and they knew to travel no further. Joseph built a small monument upon the Tor and stowed the Grail deep within it, keeping it hidden for the next several centuries.

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The great schism between wizards and Muggles intensified with the resurfacing of the notorious vessel during a beloved king's quest to gather the best warriors from around his kingdom to become knights in his visionary new government. The Early Middle Ages were volatile and dark times, but the cup was once again in the capable hands of a worthy soul.

King Arthur founded Avalon on the very hill in which he unearthed the Grail. At the time, it was a steep, green island with prominent plateaus, presiding like a noble protector over the surrounding fenland. Not only was the location bizarrely beautiful, but also building a gated city in such a strategic location ensured the best security for Arthur, his people, and their wealth.

Merlin was known for his cunning, intelligent mind and his thirst for wealth and power, which was why it didn't surprise anyone that he quickly attached himself to the Muggle king. In that particular era, Muggles held most of the world's riches and influence. The wizarding world was not yet a secret. Some Muggles respected magic, but others only feared it. Arthur believed that it was wise to feel both respect and fear for the unexplained phenomenon. He knew that it was better to keep a sorcerer as a friend than to count one among his enemies. Merlin fast became Arthur's most trusted advisor.

Merlin was the first to recognize the king's sword for what it really was. Excalibur had the precision and polish of goblin-made steel. When the wizard asked Arthur where he had found a blade of such unparalleled quality, the king replied that he had received it from a beautiful and ethereal lady on the foggy shore of a nearby lake. It amazed Merlin that the other Muggles believed such a sensational story from their king, but he couldn't deny that it worked to assure the king's subjects that their noble monarch was chosen to lead by divine rite.

The real story of how Arthur came to possess the sword was much less spectacular. It was a gift from his witch mistress, Nimue. When she discovered that she was not the only sorcerer vying for the king's attention, she began a vicious campaign to gain the older wizard's trust. She soon convinced him to teach her how to perform his legendary magic.

Merlin already had one apprentice, Morgana. In fact, she was more of a faithful disciple than an apprentice. Morgana could literally see Nimue's deceit dripping from her false and provocative features like poison, but her master was blind to the other woman's true intentions. The man that she loved and respected wouldn't listen to her solemn pleas for his understanding. She felt physically ill the morning that she saw Nimue fleeing from his bed in the darkest of hours. She immediately knew that they were in danger of losing everything that they had worked for and more.

Some wizards thought it a disgrace that those Muggles responsible for the burning of witches would openly seek a magical chalice forged from the same power that lived within the feared magical population. Listening to the protests of his people against the current owner of the goblet, Merlin attempted to destroy it. He believed that completely removing the source of the argument from the equation was the best solution.

Nimue pretended to comply with Merlin's wishes when all she really desired was control over Arthur and his kingdom. The young witch despised her Muggle lover and bided her time until she could destroy him. She had given him the sword, and she was determined to keep the cup within his possession. As she, Morgana, and Merlin soon realized, she needn't have worried about the cup's destruction.

It was impossible to destroy. Even when Merlin reduced it to golden dust, it was only a matter of time before the unharmed cup appeared in the very same spot where Joseph of Arimathea had been called to place it centuries before.

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Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor were Merlin's two most powerful friends, so when the power struggle between him and Nimue finally exploded into open hostilities, he went to them for help.

Merlin had more in common with his old friend, Salazar Slytherin, but Salazar's personality was too volatile. The separation of Muggle and wizard societies was an issue that Salazar had been backing for years. While Merlin did not oppose the idea, his friend's outspoken and violent way of attaining his goal did not sit well with him. He wished for the cup's guardian to be someone without ambition or cruelty. Helga was perfect for the task, and Godric's chivalrous nature would ensure his cooperation to keep her safe should she need help protecting the cup.

Helga agreed to take the cup and disguise it as her own, adding her own symbols and protections to it. The cup's magic recognized her noble intentions and empowered the loving and loyal witch. Merlin beseeched her to keep the valuable item hidden within her bloodline, which she did.

Merlin took Arthur's sword to Godric and warned him of his belief that Nimue had acquired it through dishonest means. Gryffindor was presented with the sword, which he promptly renamed the Sword of Gryffindor after paying a handsome fee to the goblins for the privilege of wielding it. The grateful goblins were inclined to acquiesce to his request, as they had previously believed the stolen sword to be lost forever.

Helga and Godric never saw Merlin or his young apprentices again, but every wizard and witch in the kingdom could sense the dangerous dark magic looming over the prosperous Castle of Avalon like a tempest preparing to rampage. The future Hogwarts founders knew that the treasures entrusted to their care must continue to be protected even as the world fell into a period of peace. The continued absence of their friend was proof enough that they were only experiencing a calm age between storms.

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The second reign of Lord Voldemort had come to an abrupt and bloody end two years ago, and wizarding Britain was finally returning to its former glory. Peace and prosperity embraced every business and household from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade and every wizarding community in between. Most witches and wizards were too content with their regained happiness and freedom to notice the undercurrent of darkness still pulsing below the surface of their new world. Knockturn Alley was dead, but the dark arts would always live.

The dark arts were the main concern of the young witch slowly climbing her way to the apex of Glastonbury Tor in the crystallized dead of winter. Her ancient soul knew that the destroyed Horcrux would reappear pristine and original on the very hill where it had been created. She and the other ancients were the only people aware of the cup's entire history. The only mystery was why the cup's magic had allowed such a dark wizard to tamper with it. Maybe using it in such a way had been the true reason for his downfall. There was likely no way to know for sure, but she would never stop looking for answers.

Taking great care to conceal her presence, she pulled the borrowed invisibility cloak tighter around her slender frame as the wild wind threatened to rip the heavy garment from her shoulders. She was uncertain of the others' memories and intentions, but they had been too straight-faced lately for her comfort. She suspected that they were all once again consciously playing the old high stakes game of guile and stealth from which she would eventually emerge victorious. After all, she had survived the last round with more ammunition than her opponent.

Reaching her desired destination, she realized that the area contained no surviving monument or tomb for housing the goblet. She glanced around, making sure that she was alone before removing her wand and blasting through the frozen surface of the soil. The ground was freezing, but she had no choice but to drop to her knees and dig with her bare hands. She'd not risk hitting the powerful object with an offensive spell.

It took almost an hour for her to uncover the golden chalice from its native earth, but the witch's triumph was worth every second spent toiling in the deadly weather. She carefully wrapped the treasure in a blanket and slipped it into her satchel. Sensing that she was still alone on the hill, she promptly Apparated back to her warm home and her loving husband.