Once again, the four boys sat in stunned silence, the revelations from the journal swirling in their minds like a whirlwind. They exchanged wide-eyed glances, struggling to process what they'd just read, the only sound breaking the tension being the loud crunching of Peter and his crisps.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Wormy!" Sirius blurted out, throwing his hands in the air. "Were you raised in a barn? Chew with your mouth closed for once!"
"I can't help it," Peter mumbled through a mouthful of crisps. "These are just too good."
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "Does this bloody book expect us to believe that Godric Gryffindor crossed blades with the legendary Cú Chulainn? The Cú Chulainn? The hero of Irish myth? The Child of Light? It's absurd!"
"Well, it did say he had the Gáe Bolg," James pointed out, flipping back a few pages. "And it fits the description of the legendary spear."
"That's not the bloody point, James!" Remus exclaimed, his voice rising in exasperation. "A magical school in another world is already pushing it. But Cú Chulainn? What's next? Are we supposed to believe King Arthur himself was an Excalibur student?"
"Well…" Sirius drawled, tapping his chin with an air of nonchalance. "Considering Uther Pendragon was listed as one of the Five Heroes of Avalon and one of the Five Founders of Excalibur, it's not entirely out of the question, is it?"
"This is mental! Absolutely mental!" Remus threw up his hands. "And not the good kind of mental. James, this book is a load of dragon dung. There's no way any of this could be real. A Dark Lord? Fine. The Five Heroes? Sure, I'll suspend disbelief. But legendary heroes of myth and a shadow organization running a school? That's where I draw the line."
"Ooh, maybe Hogwarts has a Congregation of its own!" Peter chimed in eagerly, wiggling his fingers dramatically. "Some kind of secret Order running things from the shadows, eh? Sounds thrilling!"
Remus shot him a withering glare. "Not helping, Pettigrew," he said sharply, his tone laced with irritation. "We're trying to make sense of this rubbish, not add more to it."
"It might be a pile of rubbish, Moony," Sirius said with a sly grin. "But you can't deny it's wildly entertaining."
"Not to mention," Peter added with wide eyes, "the whole thing about the Visionaries also being the ones who sit at the High Table! By Merlin, it had me on the edge of my seat."
Remus groaned, rubbing his temples. "Alright, it's official—you two are completely insane. James, tell me you at least have a shred of sanity left."
James remained silent for a moment; the book cradled in his hands. Finally, he spoke, his voice thoughtful. "I don't know, Remus. I want to believe it's real. I really do. And like I said, we've barely scratched the surface of this story. There's so much we could learn. So much we should know." He paused; his eyes distant. "And… I relate to Godric in this. He and his friends… they feel like, well us."
Remus sighed, standing and glancing at the clock. "It's late, and I'm done with this hogwash for tonight. I'm going to bed." He walked over and climbed into his own bed, muttering as he pulled the covers up. "And if Professor McGonagall scolds me again for being late because of you lot, you'll all regret it."
Sirius yawned, stretching dramatically. "For once, I hate to admit it, but Moony's right. I'm knackered. Save the rest for another day, Prongs." He patted James on the shoulder before heading for his bed, Peter trailing behind with a loud yawn of his own.
James sighed, closing the heavy book with a soft thud and placing it carefully on his nightstand. The flickering candlelight dimmed, plunging the room into darkness. Lying back on his pillow, his mind raced with wonder and questions that refused to settle.
What was Avalon, truly? What secrets did Excalibur hold? The magical races, the Visionaries, The Congregation—all of it hinted at a world larger and more incredible than anything Hogwarts had ever taught. Why did the history books hide it all? Or was it hidden for a reason?
Perhaps Remus was right—maybe it was all hogwash, a fanciful tale from a bored student with too much time on their hands. But deep down, James couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story, something waiting to be uncovered.
With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes. The questions danced in his mind as sleep finally claimed him, leaving the mysteries of the journal to linger in the quiet of the night.
****
With the final chime of Hogwarts' clock tower signaling the end of classes, James made his way to a quiet clearing a short distance from the main castle. It was a spot rarely visited by students, making it an ideal refuge for mischief, scheming, or—on this occasion—a bit of peaceful reading.
The journal had consumed his thoughts all day, distracting him so much that even Professor McGonagall had called him out twice in Transfigurations for "wandering off into the clouds." Now, at last, he could focus. He stepped carefully over the crunching autumn leaves, settling on a weathered bench beneath one of the ancient trees. With a deep breath, he pulled the leather-bound tome from his bag, brushing away the stubborn layer of dust that clung to its surface. He opened it to the page where he'd left off, ready to dive back into the chronicles of Avalon.
Before he could begin, a voice spoke from behind him.
"What're you reading?"
James jumped, nearly tossing the heavy book into the air as he spun around. "Lily! By Merlin's beard, don't sneak up on me like that!"
Lily Evans stood there, her auburn hair glinting in the late afternoon sunlight, cascading over her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement as a playful grin tugged at her lips. "The great and fearless James Potter, scared of little old me? Who would've thought?"
Her gaze dropped to the book in his lap, her brow furrowing slightly at the intricate sketches and aged handwriting. "That looks… interesting." She leaned over his shoulder to get a better look, her hair brushing against his cheek.
James felt his face heat up, his mind scrambling for a coherent response. "It's just… nothing important!" he stammered, awkwardly snapping the book shut. "Light reading, you know. Expanding the ol' horizons."
Lily's grin widened as her eyes caught a glimpse of the weathered pages. "What's Avalon? And… is that Godric Gryffindor? James…" Her voice softened; her curiosity piqued. "What is this?"
James hesitated, his hands tightening on the book. "It's… well, it's a little hard to explain," he admitted. "But it's not just any book. It's a journal—written by Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin themselves. It's their story, Lily. The Founders' story."
Lily raised an eyebrow, folding her arms as she leaned slightly toward him. "James, I've read about the Founders plenty of times, and I've never come across anything about this… Avalon." Her tone was skeptical, though tinged with curiosity. "Are you absolutely certain this isn't just some tall tale made up by a bored student?"
James sighed heavily, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. "You sound just like Remus," he muttered. "Look, I know it sounds absolutely mental as Remus had put it, but…" He paused, resting a hand on the journal's weathered cover. "It doesn't feel like a story someone conjured up for a laugh. Whoever wrote this," he tapped it with his finger, "they lived it, Lily. It's not just some made-up bollocks—it's a record. A memory."
Lily hesitated, her green eyes narrowing slightly in thought. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh, walking around the bench and taking a seat beside him. "Alright, Potter," she said, flashing him a small smile as she tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "If you're so convinced, then how about we explore this mystery together? I'll admit, I'm curious to know more about the Founders—and this Avalon place."
James blinked, feeling his cheeks flush slightly at how close she was sitting. "Er… y-you will?" he stammered, trying to maintain his composure. "Well, um, that's—yeah, alright, that's great!" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "But before we dive in, I'll need to catch you up. There's quite a bit you've missed."
Lily chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I've got time," she said, leaning back comfortably against the bench. "And from the looks of things, so do you, seeing as you're hiding out here instead of the library working on Professor Slughorn's assignments."
James gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging. "Fair point." He flipped the journal open, the old pages rustling faintly in the breeze. "Alright then, Evans. Let's get started."
With that, he began recounting the tale, his voice steady and animated as the words of the journal wove their spell once more, drawing both of them into the forgotten world of Avalon.