The Boy Who Was Forgotten

Part 3

Hadrian awoke to four people staring down at him. Not being used to so much attention, he froze in the woman's arms. The first thought that went through Hadrian's head was that these people were here to punish him for running away. Or at least trying to run away. He thought back to the last thing he remembered seeing. A cloaked figure, grabbing him and knocking him out. Were these people here trying to get a ransom from his family from him. He laughed as the thought passed through his head, knowing that the only response these people would get if that was the case was a request to keep him or better yet, make sure he was never heard from again. A ripple of shock seemed to pass through two of the people crowded around him and heard a few that he couldn't see gasp. Hadrian recalled reading a book in the library about mind magics. Realising that these people were probably accomplished magic users, and that Legillimense was probably one of the many tricks that some of them had at their disposal, Hadrian pulled up in his memory what he could remember about Occlumency and shielding his mind. Re-reading the passage in his head Hadrian then emptied his mind of all thought and pushed any foreign magics out of his mind with his shields. Hoping that would be enough he then wriggled himself free of the kind witch's arms and landed gracefully on the floor. Making sure not to meet anyone's eyes he scanned the room. Hadrian had to lift a hand to cover his face as to hide his laughter at the expressions of surprise on all the faces.

Once everyone had gotten over their shock a man in his middle twenties stepped forward. The wizard had rich chestnut hair that reached his shoulders and lively blue eyes that danced with the light that fell on them. He was not short but not tall, in all he looked to be average, but Hadrian could feel them immense amount of magic coming of him in waves. It felt like the warm summer day that come just before a huge ice storm hits. Like a bittersweet hug. Like a hello and a goodbye all at once. It comforted Hadrian, he could feel that this man knew that the world wasn't perfect, that this man had suffered, but he could feel that this man was also happy now. And if not happy then fulfilled, this man knew what he had to do and knew that he would try his best to accomplish it.
"Excuse me young lad, but what exactly are you?" Hadrian noticed that the wizard had said what instead of who, as if implying that he wasn't human.
"What do you mean what am I? I'm just as much of a wizard as you are, maybe not as powerful but I'm still human and still magic." Hadrian responded slightly disgruntled at being addressed as a what not a who.

Almost everyone in the room chuckled at this.
"I did not mean any offense, I apologise, but then may I ask, who are you?" The same man with the bittersweet magic asked again with a smile in his voice. Hadrian considered this question, if these people were trying to ransom him then they should know who he was. But then again what if they wanted to know who he was because they ran a business out of abducting people. Deciding that it would be safer to not answer the question but to ask his own.
"I do not know who you are, so how do I know that it is safe to tell you my identity?" There was another round of chuckling at this and some confused looks, as if they were confused as to why a small child wouldn't trust them.
"Well, dear boy," Started the man with the bittersweet magic "My name is Merlin Emrys. The man in the armour is Arthur Pendragon, the woman standing next to Arthur is-" At this point he was cut off by the witch indicated
"My name is Morgana le Fay youngling, Merlin let everyone introduce themselves, don't hog the spotlight!" This witch had a magic that felt like honeysuckle flowers and nectar juice on a perfect spring day. But there was an undercurrent flowing from her of power and thunderstorms. Hadrian shivered at the feeling, but he could feel that this woman was trustworthy, so he decided to trust her if not the others. The next to speak was the kindly woman with the steel grey bob.
"Well deary, I am Helga Hufflepuff, mother of Hufflepuff house and one of the four founders of Hogwarts." She spoke kindly and once again Hadrian searched for her magic. Once he found it, the magic was hard to identify as one thing or another, there were tones of earth and plant, but also waves of parchment and quills, then there was that slicingly sharp tang of steel under all of it. Hadrian decided that Helga was a jack-of-all-trades and was to be trusted, but to be watched.
"I am Godric Gryffindor, father of the house of Gryffindor one of the four founders of Hogwarts." Boomed the auburn hair man. His magic felt red and gold, proud and slightly arrogant, but the power it held was undeniable. The magic was telling him that this man would do what was right no matter what, no matter who, no matter when. So he had to be careful and make sure that he was always on the right side of Godric.