Book 1 - James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing

18. the Tower Assembly
Dawn was a faint pink line on the rim of the horizon when James opened his eyes. He was lying
uncomfortably on the grass at the bottom of the Grotto Keep, and he was cold to the bone. Moaning, he
rolled to a sitting position and took stock of his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that the Merlin
throne was gone. There wasn’t as much as a depression in the grass where it had stood. The second thing
James noticed as he raised his head and looked around was that the Grotto Keep was no longer a magical
place. In the absence of the Merlin throne, the island was quickly returning to its wild, random nature. The
sense of haunting, gothic architecture was slipping away. Birds sang in the thatch of tree branches overhead.
“Oh-hh,” a voice nearby groaned. “Where am I? Somehow, I have the terrible feeling that a cup of
coffee and a fireplace is not about to appear before my eyes.”
“Zane,” James said, getting shakily to his feet. “Are you all right? Where’s Ralph?”
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