Thirty Days and Thirty Nights
N.B. I love crossovers, none more so than Harry Potter ones. This one kind of has a Worst Witch twist. I am just seeing where it all goes for now.
As the days turned dark, Mildred thought of him. She remembered everything about him; the first time they had met they had been children, about thirteen. He was a wizard and she was a witch. A world away from the reality of now. Like his namesake Merlin had been destined for greatness. Though what that greatness had entailed nobody could have known that it would have led to this.
His thirst for knowledge had corrupted him. It was the only thing that Mildred could think of, because he had been such a sweet young boy. Even when he had seen her at Weirdsister College, Mildred thought him a kind young gentleman. He had become Algernon's apprentice. Not everyone had thought that this was a good thing, but as his friend Millie had supported him.
Though despite this Merlin had appeared to flourish in his magical career and as a person. His instructor brought out a side that Mildred had never seen. "Hi, Millie," he had said so boldly when he had seen her. His voice had been different from the squeak it once had been.
What a difference that two years had between them? She with her hair cut short, and complicated love life, and he with his bold impression. His blonde locks were nothing like Hobbs' dark alluring features. They were stroked to give him a very glamorous 1950s comb over. For a split second she had not recognised him. His unmistakable geeky glasses had vanished forever, though still the same hazel brown eyes glimmered back at her.
"Don't you recognise me Millie?" the memory whispered back to her adoringly. His voice floated in on the cool summer breeze. There was a tenderness about him that had only matured in that moment. No, Mildred confessed to herself finally, she had not recognised the man he had grown into. Somehow he had known who she had been, was she still the same woman as she was now? Was she the same woman then? Obviously Merlin thought so.
Never the less returning to the memory, of course she had only giggled. It made her tingle dangerously like it had done with Hobbs when they had danced around the false dream. Finally she managed to grasp some control of her senses, hysterically half-screaming, "Of course I do Merlin!"
Hobbs had been stood broodingly by her side all the time. He did not know their history. It had only made things more awkward between the three of them, as Mildred had not known which one to look at. After all their history was a little more complicated than boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, and so on.
Together they had saved Algernon, an innocent incarcerated wizard; little did she know then the extent of the darkness growing in this equally innocent heart. Perhaps she could have brought him back from the abyss, to change him from the path he had set himself upon, if she had only known. Now Millie hated that she had never saw what he was becoming; something had blinded her to the truth. They had always been a great team. So why had he not confided in her the nature of his work, or maybe he had done so but she had been too absorbed in her own life she could not have helped him.
Then it crossed her mind; perhaps, he never wanted saving. What would have happened if he knew exactly what he was doing the moment he set out to complete his destiny? Never before had she seen it from that angle before. An innocent boy had become a murderer. It was a long slow process, but inevitably that was what he had evolved into. Yes, he had been considered weird by his fellow students at the wizarding academy before he had become Algernon's apprentice, but it was not the reason he had become this dark shadow. Merlin had fallen into a realm of magic you were not supposed to venture into; the thirst for power had made him only move deeper into the Black Magic.
Here, Millie sat alone. Maud Moonshine, Enid Nightshade, Hobbs, Sybil Hallow, Charlie (Cackle's Academy's old janitor's nephew), Cas Crowfeather, Azmat Mafaridi and Time Wraithewight- all were huddled in a frightened sleep in the next room. This was the norm. Old rivalries had long been forgotten. The wizarding world was on the edge of outright war. This was the new constant in their lives: some magical, some only as squibs, and others non-magical. They all were reliant on each other to survive, living from day to day sometimes going without food for a couple of days.
The first time their bellies had chorally complained, miserable fear crept upon them. It seeped through every corner of their minds. That was the first time they had really fought amongst themselves. Sybil had cried profusely into Charlie's shoulder, gasping violently, "We're going to die. We're all going to die."
Over and over she chanted it religiously like it was a protection spell. Being the youngest out of us all, Sybil had brokenly endured. Her strength waned, and it was Cas who had managed to calm her at Charlie's side. However, that night, the group were almost divided at Hobbs arrogant defiance, "We shouldn't be cowering in this hovel! We should be out there fighting!"
His suggestion was not ludicrous. It was the most obvious answer that a person could give. Certainly there was an agreement that they could not just sit there. Something had to be done. What Mildred did not know? Long and hard she often thought about what should be done.
There was stillness for the first time in the magical world; even the youngest amongst them could sense it. There was no way to know if their loved ones were alright. Everyone thought that Millie could get them out of this. If anyone could then Mildred Hubble would know how to.
Mildred knew she was no heroine. Sat here at the age of twenty five in the midnight light, the witch had no idea what to do. If they could no one practiced their trade anymore. There was a magical 'silence'; no one used magic not unless they had to. Magic attracted magic. It would only bring him and his vigilantes here down upon them...
Although their coven of refuge was secured by ancient Hallow magic, it did not protect them from beyond the front door. They still had to find food, water, basic necessities. The spells worked as long as a Hallow lived. And Sybil was that link. She was to be kept safe at all costs. It was the only way to keep them all alive for now.
No doubt that the men in skull death masks had been deliberately sent to all these old houses, seeking out any undesirables as they called them. Merlin had become a butcher. The wizard had sunk into such moods he would do anything to acquire the knowledge, it was only a matter of time before the purity ideals festered in open wounds. Voldemort's pet warlock.
Life could never go back to how it had been. He was beyond redemption...that much Mildred was pretty sure of. How many had died so far in this pursuit? It was too many for her to think of.
Despite what Ethel had done whilst at Cackle's she did not deserved to be mauled by the ruthless werewolf Greyback. It made her quiver when she thought of it. Sybil had screamed horribly when she set her eyes on the mutilated body. Between herself and Maud they had managed only just to get away from the scene. Such horrors were never meant to be seen. Death was his trade, and a brutal task he made of it. It was like it was meant to be a warning: you are next.
Millie got up peering into the next room. Everyone was in a light asleep, albeit somewhat troubled they were still resting. Quietly she closed the door firmly. They had all taken to sleeping in one room as a method of comfort.
One of the first things they had done was secured the house with mild enchantments to act as alarms should anyone try force their way into the house. The next was to drop their heavy bags, which had few personal possessions, a couple changes of clothes and the rest was emergency supplies collected as they had moved mundanely throughout the countryside for the better part of three weeks. On the first night they had attempted to sleep in separate rooms in the Hallow Manor in king size four poster beds which had to date back centuries.
This was short lived, after Sybil had screamed the walls down with banshee wailing thinking one of the Dark Lord's followers had broken into her family home. It had frightened the others in to submitting to the girl's sorrowful pleas to share a room with someone.
"Then all of us will share," Enid had announced decisively, "Everyone in a single room."
"The Library would be big enough to fit us in," Azmat agreed with her. He too like Charlie did not know what had happened to his family. He was a muggle born wizard of a shop keeper in Croydon. Azmat was determined not to give in, keeping the group's morale despite the dark haunting thoughts that loomed in the background, only to emerge as the night hours crawled slowly by. There was not a night that they were not awoken to the screams and cold sweats of one of their comrades.
Suddenly sensing Hobbs' reluctance, Millie insisted, "And we can put a curtain down the middle for privacy."
"And it can be left open when it does not need to be closed," Maud nodded to Mildred, wrapping a friendly arm around Sybil.
"Fine," Hobbs stared at Millie, "One problem: how do we get those beds in there?"
"Oh that's easy," Sybil muttered behind red stained eyes. Clueless everybody waited for her to answer their next obstacle. "There is a monkey's lucky hand: it has the ability to shrink and resize objects without raising the alarm of magic being in the area."
"Wow," Enid said intensely, Millie looked more concerned at such sinister cruelty to animals.
"That's that sorted," Cas finished the conversation, glancing at her watch. Five minutes to five. Exhausted she announced, "I might get started in moving the stuff in the library after some toast and tea."
"I'll help you," Azmat offered his help, "Does anyone want anything?"
"Toast, please," Time mumbled like a caveman, still half asleep. Give it half an hour and he would be awake. Eventually the group met in the grim kitchen for breakfast before their day began.
Somehow it had worked. The beds had been shrunk, resized then pushed to the very edges of the room, blocking some of the thick dusty rows of books. Two rows with enough room to slip down the sides of the bedside furniture when it came to changing for look out. Everything else like washing and having personal space was left to the two rooms either side of the library. The girls had created a screen down the middle of the room, something Millie and Maud both took pride in as the thick, heavy crimson curtain fell from the metal rod found in an abandoned part of the house.
"Me and Ethel used to do this," Sybil muttered admiring their morning's work. After that comment the girl walked away to be alone, wandering about the house.
Not much had changed except that food was once more running low. With everything on her mind, Millie wished she could run into the cool night air under the cover of pitch blackness. Now, would be the best time for her to run into the village to collect some groceries. Nobody would know until she came laden with food. Somehow something was stopping her, and she did not know what it was exactly, apart from the ill tide washing over her that the house was being watched by an invisible spectre.
Merlin sat catlike on the wall.
All day she had been taunting his mind, how often he loved to think of Mildred Hubble. The troublesome witch enthralled him, setting his blood on fire. Her charm had bewitched him since they had been teenagers. Dare he say he loved her more than his master? Was such a sweeping statement true?
Every thought consumed him. Meditating he attempted to concentrate. None of his men had seen or heard anything regarding her. No doubt she was in hiding with her mudblood friends. He was not a boy anymore he could not suffer muggle sympathisers to live. Mildred was everything that he now stood against but she could be as easily as dark.
But Merlin, he didn't mind it at all; Merlin loved to hear about Mildred. He was enthralled by her; even hearing someone talk of her reminded him of Mildred's charm. The young wizard could not get Mildred out of his head or his heart, ever since she showed him how to stand up for himself. That had been a life-changing event for him.
This witch had set him down this path by teaching him how to stand up for himself. It taught him that he could be more than he ever thought he could be. He would never have achieved such notoriety without her. It was as if...
"Hello Mildred," he whispered through closed eyes. There she was stood beside him. Her shoulder length hair rippled in the uncomfortable evening breeze. "I thought I might find you here," he challenged her, "Have you come to give yourself in? It would be better for you all."
"Where are we?" Millie asked quietly, "It looks like Edinburgh."
"Yes it is," Merlin glanced at Edinburgh Castle dominating the landscape.
Millie scowled uncomfortably, "I won't tell you where they are, and I know you only manage to track where people apparate to not from. So you cannot trace me."
"Then why come?" Merlin looked at her large amber eyes.
"Because I still believe you can be saved," Mildred Hubble said bravely. Her voice shook but she was not going until she had everything she came here to say and do.
"Are you still spouting this traitorous crap?" Merlin reached for her arm, "I should kill you, but I won't."
"Shame you did not show Ethel the same courtesy when you let your dog maul her to death!" Mildred scorned him darkly.
Angrily Merlin shoved her to the ground, "She was a traitor. Her family were sheltering blood traitors. She deserved to die."
"But you won't kill me?" Mildred snapped. The witch knew that Merlin had learnt of her heritage, as well as the heroic acts of saving supposed blood traitors and mudblood.
"Yes," the young warlock replied honestly. For a moment Millie thought she could see the young boy she had known as a teenager, though that soon vanished with a flash of coldness. "I will ask you to join us Millie, I don't want to sign your death warrant Millie."
"You said you would not kill me," Mildred jumped to her feet, "And I believe you. So you must still be in there Merlin!"
"Mildred you would appreciate what comes with joining our brethren," Merlin moved closer to her, his breath hot on her face. "The excitement. The mystery. The power. I know it all lurks in here," slowly he pointed first to her heart then to her head, sliding his hand amongst her loose hair. "I think you would appreciate it, Millie," he whispered bitterly seductive into her right ear.
Millie felt her back arc as Merlin leaned over her; her enemy was barely an inch from her own lips. Goosebumps ran down her spine, as he increased his hold on her. "I have always loved you, Millie," Merlin purred at her.
"Anyone capable of love can be saved," Mildred whispered softly, she too was as much in love with him. It was here and now that Millie understood her own pounding heart.
Edging closer, the Dark Lord's follower silkily murmured, "Should I share the news you are going to be my new apprentice?"
"No," Mildred pushed him away, "That is not me, Merlin. I don't even think it's you, love, it is a pretence. You have lost your way and cannot find it back. I cannot lead you there. It is only you who can do that."
"What?!" Merlin yelled at her angrily.
"I'm sorry Merlin," Mildred whispered heartbroken, disappearing into thin air with a loud echoing crack.
Bitterly Merlin watched where she had vanished from. That witch was responsible for making him doubt his allegiance to his Master; Mildred had set him on this path to endless power. Somehow her rejection only increased his desire to have her, one way or the other. Now, their paths were forever entwined. She had chosen this path just as much as he had. It was after all their destiny.