Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, obviously.
Chapter 1
The wind was crisp and cold. It seemed to seep into my very bones. The air smelt of lilys and fresh spring. Trees swayed in the breeze as the massive stone tablets around me stood tall like ancient guardians. What strange thoughts to have as I was dying, for I was not long for this mortal coil. The whithering curse was already creeping up my arm, in an hour or less it would reach my heart and I would die. While I had only an hour to live my foe had only minutes.
I knelt down next to her, kicking aside the ritual stone that had been my undoing, and moved a strand of her hair out of her eyes. I was careful not to touch either of her broken arms or the wound in her chest, no need for her final moments to be any more painful. She coughed suddenly, blood running from her mouth before speaking. "Hahaha history shall remember me, the one to fell the great and mighty Merlin himself, oh how the mighty fall!" There was a gleam in her eyes, something I had not seen in many years.
"Tell me Morgana was this revenge truly worth it? Was ending the line of Le Fay worth killing me?" I asked her with a strained voice. I needed to know before she died, before I died. She spit on my face, blood and saliva rolling down my cheek and smiled a humorless smile. "I had no choice. The non-magicals deserve death, every last one of them. Your pathetic ideals and all of camelot would have us believe otherwise. We had to end it." Fear gripped my heart as I realised there was more to this confrontation. "What have you done? What have you done! Tell me!" "As we speak Camelot is falling. The world will never see the paradise of magicals and non magicals that you have envisioned. The round table is dead!"
I stood, preparing my heart to see Camelot in flames, and looked down at my once apprentice. "You know not what you speak of. Camelot may yet fall but destiny has already had its say. Camelot shall rise again on the strike of lightning." She sneered up at me, disdain written on her face. "Destiny shall not save you this time, for when lightning strikes, thunder follows." She gave one last cough and then stilled, the line of Le Fey had ended. I looked upon her one last time before engulfing her body in flames, no necromancer would use her for their own plans. I picked up her wand and then focused on camelot, I felt the world shift around me and felt it press upon me on all sides before finally releasing. What I saw was something I hoped would never come to pass.
The outer wall of Camelot had already been breached. Its outer dwellings set on fire, not having even bothered to pillage any valuables. The Camelot Knights were standing a strong line, led by half the Knights of The Round Table, but they were overwhelmed. No amount of courage or strength would save Camelot now, it would fall, it was only a matter of time. My arm throbbed in pain as the curse traveled past my elbow reminding me I had little time left. I spared one final look at the invading army and its swath of destruction before making my way towards the royal court. Entering the chamber I found the rest of the Knights of The Round Table standing around my friend William Peverell and laying on The Round Table was King Arthur.
I walked up to the table and grasped the hand of my king, his grip was strong despite the blood pouring from a wound in his stomach. The wound was black and felt of dark magic, I looked towards William for comfirmation. "A magical assassin disguised as one of the royal advisors stabbed him with a demon cursed blade. The assassin was struck down by the King himself but it was already too late, he has precious few minutes left." I nodded my head and turned back to the king. "Morgana has betrayed us, she struck me unexpectedly through a cursed ritual stone. With both of us weakening by the second and half The Round Table dying as we speak Camelot will fall."
The king lifted himself up slowly, straining with the effort, before standing and leaning against the table. "Yes I had thought the attack too convenient with your departure. I have sent all the citizens and royal court members down through the Goblin tunnels to flee Camelot. What of what you have seen Merlin? Of Camelots rebirth by lightning? Is it too late?" He spoke clearly, hand resting on the pommel of his sword and voice radiating magic. "No it is not too late but we must act swiftly if we are to preserve Camelot for its revival." I turned towards William, reaching into my robe to pull out an incredibly small black stone with a strange symbol encased within it, and handed it to him. "Take this and tell no one of it. For as long as your family has this it shall remember the truth of Camelot. Flee through the Goblin tunnels and make sure to keep the Wizards Council and the Families alive and on the path towards unity." He closed his fist around the stone and nodded his head. "I will not forget my duty Merlin, nor shall I ever forget my true king." He turned and left that chamber knowing he would never see Merlin or King Arthur again.
I could hear the invading army pounding against the inner wall and knew the Knights of Camelot had fallen. I turned back to King Arthur and helped him sit down on his seat before taking my own directly next to him. The rest of the Knights of The Round Table sat as well. I did not ask if any would like to flee for I knew they would all lay down their lives for Camelot and their King. I lifted my staff and pointed it toward the middle of The Round Table and each Knight did the same with their swords ending with King Arthur pointing Excalibur. I started channeling my magic towards the center as did each Knight and King Arthur, and when our magic ran out and the spell still needed more it started taking of our life energy. The sphere of magic in the center grew brighter and brighter until it burst out in a blinding wave that covered all the earth. Merlin, King Arthur, and the Knights of The Round Table were dead, drained of all life. The invading army, confused as to their purpose, left the empty wide open field.
As for Camelot? It was a myth. A story told to children, magical and not. A story of bravery and wit, of loyalty and ambition. While Merlin was real no one knew where he had gone. One day he had simply disappeared from the British isles, as had Morgana Le Fay. As for the truth? None knew except for the Ancient and Noble House of Peverelle who had in their possession a small black stone with a strange symbol inside of it. The true purpose of which even they would never know. For it would be another 1500 years before the return of Camelot would begin, by the strike of lightning.