Amelia Merlin

Part Thirteen: Ancient Greece

"Amelia!" Hermione shook her awake. "Amelia get up! The Weasley twins are asking for you,"

She groaned and rolled out of bed, pulling her robes on she went down the stairs to find Fred and George waiting for her with their scheming faces on.

"What..." Amelia asked, very cautiously.

"You're coming with us!" George's voice was slightly crazy.

"Where..."

"Hogsmeade!" Fred chimed in, he sounded slightly less crazy than his brother.

"How..." The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile.

"Trap door, we can give you the map and we'll meet you on the other side and everything!"

"When?" She laughed.

"Now?" The boys suggested to her, and Amelia ran back up the steps to get changed and brush her hair properly. When she got back down the twins showed her to the secret passage and soon she was sitting under the sweet shop in hogsmeade. She heard a rapping on the door and took that as her que to get out and when she did, Amelia saw two bright orange heads staring down at her.

"Hello boys!" She grinned, they each grabbed a hand and pulled her out.

"There's so much to show you Amelia," Fred was ecstatic.

"Can we go to the three broomsticks? Or Zonkos?" She had no idea where she wanted to go first.

"Hell no," George laughed at her and she felt a little crestfallen.

"Why not?"

"Because there are so many better things, hidden away in small alleys and back roads, Amelia Merlin," Fred took her hand and led her out of Honeydukes. They ran down an alleyway, the cold air biting their faces, passing a tattoo parlour, a store called Brain Magic, and so many other things she could barely process until the twins stopped at a shop called Sapana's Jars.

"What's this?"

"Come and find out, love," George winked at her and pulled the door open. The shop was dimly lit, with a high ceiling, where jars stood on bookshelves that reached to the very top. The jars were sealed with a small tag sticking off it.

"Well if it isn't my two favourite customers?" A young, dark haired witch stood behind the counter she had black robes wth rips in them, and her ears were covered in piercings. Her smile was lovely and her eyes were unnaturally green.

"Sapana! Meet Amelia, she's an old friend," Fred through his arms out displaying Amelia.

"Pleased to meet you!" The women named Sapana kissed Amelia on the cheek, which normally would have been uncomfortable for anyone else, but Amelia didn't mind.

"It's a pleasure," Amelia laughed, "so what is this place?"

"It's simple really, you pick a jar off the shelf, and open it," Sapana said, as though this was quite obvious.

"Well," Amelia started, she didn't want to sound stupid but there had to be more to it, what ever it was. "What happens when I open it?"

Sapana took her hands and said, "you go on an adventure," Amelia couldn't help but grin. She did love a good adventure.

"Are there any rules?"

"Nope," Sapana said popping the 'p'.

"Okay so I should just go.....pick a jar then?" She nodded and Amelia set off, reading the labels of every size and shape jar you could imagine.

Dragon

Underwater

A first kiss

Pirate ship

Mountains

Cinderella

Camelot

The Milky Way

Love at first sight

Ancient Greece

Amelia stopped there, "so I open this jar, and I get to go back to Ancient Greece? For how long?"

"It will feel like a day, but only minutes will have actually passed,"

"How does this work?" Her voice filled with wonder.

"A true magician never reveals her secrets," Sapana said slyly. Amelia laughed and pulled the jar off the shelf.

"How much?"

"Four sickles," Amelia handed them over eagerly.

"Can they come with me?" She asked, gesturing to the boys who had been watching her from afar.

"Of course!" Sapana smiled warmly and left the three of them alone.

"Alright let's do this," Amelia opened the jar and they each took a deep breath.

................................................................

"This is a good one,"

"Nice choice Amy," Fred clapped a hand to her shoulder and she was speechless. The twins walked down the twisted roads of Ancient Greece, but Amelia just stood their speechless. They had to come back for her and drag her from where she stood.

"Amelia come on! We only have twenty four hours!" Fred whined. Soon she was dragging the twins along, stopping for only a moment at each roadside stand, because there was always something much more interesting just around the corner. They walked down the streets of Athens, sat outside the Parthenon, ate pita bread by the ocean, talked with fishermen and princesses. The temples were breathtaking and the culture was rich with life. She saw artists and architects, mathematicians and magicians, scientists and singers. The ocean was a clear blue and the sky didn't have a trace of cloud anywhere to be seen. She stared in wonder at the world around her, and was pleased to see the Weasley twins doing the same. The day had been unlike anything she had ever experienced and anything she could ever experience again. And when night came, they were invited to a party at the royal palace.

"Gotta love a good toga party," Fred remarked as they walked up the steps of the palace, they could hear music and voices already inside. When the walked in they were immediately handed golden goblets of wine, and random people pulled them to the dance floor where they were all moving together. Amelia was with a young man, who looked about twenty, with dark hair and skin, but brilliant blue eyes. Fred and George each had very beautiful women who were throwing themselves at the ginger lads. Amelia felt so alive, the room was hot and sweaty and the wine made her head feel fuzzy. She was at such a good level and nothing was going to bring her down. The Greeks shouted praises to Apollo and Dionysus, and gave offerings to the gods.They danced the night away in the royal palace of Athens. Later Amelia found out she had been dancing with one of the princes. She was so drunk that she just fell asleep in a corner while the party continued long into the night.

The twins woke her up the next morning, "We have about five minutes before we go back Amelia, take a good look around," Fred put a hand to the small of her back as he lead her out of the palace. The light of day was so blinding that when she was finally able to blink it away, she was back in the dimly lit shop, Sapana staring at them.

"Enjoy that?"

"Was that really Greece?" Amelia asked.

"No love, it's all just a dream," Fred winked and led her out of the shop full of jars.