The Lady of Shalorts

The Lady of Shalorts - Adapted from 'The Lady of Shalott' by Lord Tennyson by Isla142

~Part I~

On either side the great lake lie

Long lawn of grass so green and bright,

That clothe the soil and meet the sky;

And thro' the lawn the drive runs by

To many-tower'd Hogwarts;

And up and down the students go,

Gazing where the waters flow

Round an island there below,

The island of Shalorts.

*

Willows wave and oak trees quiver,

Hex and Jinxes are delivered

By the wave that runs forever,

By the island with its shimmer,

Looking down to Hogwarts.

Four gray walls, and four gray towers,

Overlook a space of flowers,

And the silent isle embowers

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

By the margin, willow veil'd,

Slide the heavy school boats trail'd

By giant squids; and unhail'd

The mermen flitteth silken tail'd

Skimming down to Hogwarts.

But who hath seen her wave her hand?

Or at the window seen her stand?

Or is she known in all the land,

The Lady of Shalorts?

*

Only Hagrid, 'keeping early

In amongst the Forbid' Forest,

Hears a song that echoes cheerly

From the lake so smooth and clearly

Down to tower'd Hogwarts:

And by the moon then Hagrid weary,

Piling tools in greenhouse airy,

Listening, whispers ''Tis the fairy

Lady o' Shalorts.'

~Part II~

There she weaves by night and day

A magic robe with colours gay.

She has heard a whisper say,

A curse is on her if she stay

To look down to Hogwarts.

She knows not what the curse may be,

And so she weaveth steadily,

And little other care hath she,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

And moving thro' a mirror clear

That hangs before her all the year,

Shadows of the world appear.

There she sees the driveway near

Winding down to Hogwarts:

There the lake beings to curve,

And there the surly village-churls,

And the black cloaks of Hufflepuffs,

Pass onward from Shalorts.

*

Sometimes a group of Slyth'rins glad,

A Gryffindor with drawing pad,

Sometimes a curly Raven-lad,

Or professor in crimson clad,

Goes by to tower'd Hogwarts;

And sometimes thro' the mirror blue

The coaches riding Threstral drew:

She hath no carriage bright and true,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

But in her robe she still delights

To weave the mirror's magic sights,

For often thro' the silent nights

The parties start, with plumes and lights,

And music, went to Hogwarts:

Or when the moon was overhead,

Came two young lovers one day to wed;

'I am half sick of shadows' said

The Lady of Shalorts.

~Part III~

A bow-shot from her bower eaves,

He rode beneath the graceful trees,

The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,

And flamed upon the brazen greaves

Of bold Sir Harry Pot-

A red-dress lion for ever kneel'd

To a lady in his shield,

That sparkled on the yellow field,

Beside remote Shalorts.

*

The dark black hair it wavered free,

And now at last the people see

From the Firebolt there it be.

The nameplate shone quite merrily

As he rode down to Hogwarts:

And from his schoolbag there was slung

A mighty silver trumpet hung,

And as he rode his school clothes shone,

Beside remote Shalorts.

*

All in the blue unclouded weather

Quite redly shone the oak and leather,

The cloak and the robe forever

Burn'd like one burning flame together,

As he rode down to Hogwarts.

As often thro' the purple night,

Below the starry clusters bright,

Some bearded comet, trailing light,

Moves over still Shalorts.

*

His lightning'd brow in sunlight glow'd;

With burnished wood his Firebolt flowed;

From underneath his cloak-hood flow'd

His coal black hair as on he rode,

As he rode down to Hogwarts.

From the bank and from the lake there

He flash'd into the crystal mirror,

'Tirra, lirra,' by the willow

Sang Sir Harry Pot-

*

She left the robe, she left the loom,

She made three paces thro' the room,

She saw the whomping willow bloom,

She saw the cloak-hood and the broom,

She look'd down to Hogwarts.

Out flew the robe and floated wide;

The mirror crack'd from side to side;

'The curse is come upon me!' cried

The Lady of Shalorts.

~Part IV~

In the snowy east-wind straining,

The pale-green forest was waning,

The mountain stream his banks complaning,

Heavily the low clouds snowing

Over tower'd Hogwarts;

Down she came and found school boat

Beneath the willow left afloat,

And all about the front she wrote

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

And 'cross the great lake's dim expanse-

Like Trelawney in a trance,

Seeing all her own mischance-

With a glazed eyed countenance

Did she look to Hogwarts.

And at the closing of the day

She loosed the rope, and down she lay;

The lake it bore her far away,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

Lying, cloaked in pale white

That loosely waved to left and right-

The leaves upon her falling light-

Thro' the silence of the night

She floated 'cross to Hogwarts:

And as the boat-head skimmed along

The banks and trees and lawn among,

Students heard her final song,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

Heard the rhythm, sorrowed, holy,

Sung quite loudly, sung quite lowly,

Till her heart was halted slowly,

And her eyes were dimm'd so wholly,

Turn'd to tower'd Hogwarts;

For ere she reach'd as she did glide,

Hagrid's hut on the other side,

Singing her last song she died,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

Under tower and doors many,

By castle wall and canopy,

A red-haired shape she skimmed right by,

Dead-pale between the gray walls high,

Silent into Hogwarts.

Out upon the docks they came,

Staff and student, Gryff and Rave,

And round the boat-front read her name,

The Lady of Shalorts.

*

Who is this? And what is here?

And in the lightened castle near

Died the sound of Christmas cheer;

And then clutched their wands in fear,

All the staff at Hogwarts:

But Harry mused a little space;

He said, "She has a lovely face;

May she now be lent some grace,

The Lady of Shalorts."