Authors Notes

1) Because I'm changing chapter 1 a bit, there is a part of this that does not meet my story's continuity in the first chapter. I know about it and I'm working on it!

2) Dear Dan, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am aware of the continuity error with Draco being a Death Eater and there is a reason, which I can't explain yet without completely unraveling my plot. However, you're right about everyone being extremely accepting. I've attempted to shed some light on this in the chapter below, but obviously I'm trying to take baby steps, as I want to keep some mystery. Please let me know if this chapter helps any.

3) A new chapter 9 will be uploaded. – I wanted Neville's reaction to be a little different.

4) This was meant to be longer, but it just seemed like a good way to end. More unraveling of the mysteries around Merlin are about to happen!

Chapter 10: Searching for Answers

Draco sat silently in his dorm, looking out the window through his reflection. The things the dragon had said, they couldn't be true, could they? Draco wasn't sure what to do anymore. He was just so confused.

He'd gone through disbelief, denial, and anger. He'd tried outright ignoring everything he knew, but it was physically killing him. As Arthur promised, the headaches had increased in pain, nearly to the point of being crippling. He remembered this morning when he'd headed to class and the pain had hit him so hard he'd tripped and fell into the trophy case, smashing the glass to bits. What was he going to do?

His body tensed against the frame as an image of his father appeared in the glass. He blinked it away. The dragon didn't understand. Harry didn't understand. This wasn't his decision.

"Do you know what I've heard, Draco?" His father had said three nights ago.

"I don't read minds, father." He'd said.

He'd become more brazen lately, more resentful of his father, which he supposed was Arthur's doing.

"Don't speak to me that way, boy." Lucius responded caustically.

Draco stepped back with apprehension. His father hadn't used that tone in years. Then again, Draco hadn't questioned Lucius in years.

"You and Harry Potter." Lucius said suddenly. "It's a good thing I pay some of the Slytherins to keep an eye on you."

"You what!" Draco exclaimed. Fury couldn't begin to describe his feelings. The people he'd thought to be friends – spies, paid to stay around him. It was a sobering thought.

Lucius chuckled at his son's surprise. "Oh, Draco, you don't understand at all, do you? I thought I taught you to be less naïve."

Dread sat heavily in Draco's gut.

"It's downright insulting." Lucius had exclaimed. "My son going around with the likes of him. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Technically, Draco hadn't been going around with Harry. He'd been going out of his way to avoid the boy, with the exception of life or death situations, because, well, he didn't want Harry to die. But he wasn't interested in arguing this point in his red haze. That his father even presumed to dictate who his friends should be further fuelled his rage.

"My time is my own, father. Who I spend it with is my business." He spat, eyes daring his father to challenge him. He's angry. Good. Now he knows how I feel.

"If the Dark Lord catches you," Lucius responded, "you know what the consequences will be."

"I don't answer to the Dark Lord." Draco said crossly. "And as far as I can remember, he's dead."

Narcissa flinched at this and looked to Lucius. He frowned angrily.

"He will return, and soon. When he does, there will be no pity for those who betray him. You are my son, Draco. I cannot have you branded a traitor to the cause."

This had triggered Draco further. He'd always been loyal to his father, but could never understand the man's loyalty to Voldemort, other than fear. Before he'd have cowered and accepted his father's words, but now – now he had Arthur helping to fuel his actions. And Arthur did not like to cower.

"If you'd rather spend your life in servitude to a short-sighted, hypocrite of a wizard, then that's your choice, father. But I won't bow to someone like him. If that makes me a traitor, then so be it."

Draco groaned as the dorm room came back into view, and put a hand to his forehead with frustration. Those words…they had been the wrong words. Damn Arthur and his conviction! Damn everything!

Pulling up his sleeve, Draco poked the dark mark with disgust. They'd branded him. He'd thought only the Dark Lord could do that, but he'd been wrong. A new, powerful death eater had shown up, somehow able to bestow the mark but whose only wish was to resurrect Voldemort. Or so he said…

Draco hadn't wanted to surrender. He hadn't wanted to pledge his alliance, but then his father had made a threat he couldn't ignore.

If you are a traitor, the Dark Lord will brand us all the same. He will kill you and I. He'll kill your mother. Is that what you want? Think carefully.

And he had. He'd thought about her. Arthur had been right about his father, but it was too late to ask for Arthur's help now; the only part left of him was the headaches. Draco had even considered going to Harry, but then remembered him telling Draco to be a spy. Fat lot of good that was.

Draco gritted his teeth. Even if he'd wanted, he couldn't pretend. They were going to kill his mother! He turned, sending a hex across the room in frustration, and knocking down one of the paintings.

Draco.

He glanced up. "You!" he said softly.

Arthur stood in front of him, like a ghost.

"How?"

"Your magic called me forward."

Draco turned away with a sigh. "I suppose I asked for this."

"You suppressed me, Draco." Arthur said. "I was so far into the back of your mind that I couldn't reach you. If you didn't want my help, I wouldn't be here."

Draco looked up with honest eyes. "What do I do?"

"Will you listen?" Arthur asked.

"I'll think about it." He said.

Arthur sighed. "You know what I'm going to say."

"If you can't come up with anything more useful than that, I don't want your help."

The once-king folded his arms with annoyance. "And I thought Merlin was the most stubborn person I'd met."

Draco turned, hurtling a random object from his table at Arthur. It went through the apparition.

"Great. I've taken to throwing things." Arthur muttered, pinching his brow.

This irritated Draco even more. He held out his wand threateningly.

"Fine, I'm leaving." Arthur muttered.

"Good."

An empty feeling suddenly moved through Draco as Arthur's image disappeared. He sighed.

Good job, Draco. He thought. Now what?

"Bloody hell! What happened to Neville?" Ron said, tossing his books onto his bed.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked, glancing up from his spell book.

"Are you blind, Harry? He hasn't been able to speak a word to you all day! And he's been giving you these looks. I swear if I didn't know better I'd say that he…"

"He knows." Harry said flatly.

Ron turned abruptly. "What? You wanna run that by me again?"

"When you and Hermione were gone to Hagrid's last night, I found out he followed me to the library. He found a book on Arthurian Legend – proper Arthurian Legend." Harry said with a sigh. "And then accused me of being a body snatcher."

"A what?"

"Muggle movie." Harry said nonchalantly. "He thought I was Merlin and took over Harry's identity."

"You are Merlin, mate."

"Speaking of which, you never really explained why you believed me so easily, Ron."

"I…uh…"

Harry closed the book and sat up. "Well?"

"I didn't at first. I thought you were a nutter. I asked Hermione what we should do. She was so sure…she started talking about all the things you could do, all the evidence she found…" Ron explained. "In the end, it was just easier to believe it, than to believe you're a nutter."

Harry wasn't sure how to take that.

"Turns out you're a nutter anyway." Ron suddenly said.

Harry shoved him.

"What about Dumbledore?"

"What about him?" Harry wondered.

"Well, out of all of us, you'd think he'd ask the most questions."

Harry paused. That was true. Why didn't he think of that before? Probably preoccupied with the tasks, oh and making Draco see sense!

He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before replacing the glasses on his face.

"You have a point." Harry said. He felt a sudden curiosity about just what Dumbledore knew and why this revelation hadn't fazed the man. Harry knew it was his own suspicious nature that pushed him to find out, something he'd never quite shook from years ago. Everyone had wanted to kill Arthur, after all, so suspicion had been necessary.

He replaced his spell book inside the trunk and headed for the door.

"Harry?" Ron wondered.

Harry frowned. "I'm going to ask Dumbledore some difficult questions." He said, and left.

That was how Albus Dumbledore came to hear a knock on his office door in the early evening.

"Harry." He said. "Do come in."

"Albus, I have a question." Harry said bluntly, folding his arms.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "By all means, ask."

Harry sat in the chair across from Dumbledore with apprehension.

"Why do you believe I'm Merlin?"

There was a look of mild surprise before the wizard chuckled jovially.

"I wondered when you'd ask."

Harry raised an eyebrow, continuing his train of thought. "When Hermione and Ron found out who I was, they thought I was a nutter. They only gave me a chance because we're friends. Neville didn't believe me at all. Both times I had to prove it. But you knew before I did. You didn't ask any questions."

The boy wizard paused, leaning in. "I've been doing some research and as far as I can tell, this hasn't ever happened in the past. So Albus, why did you, a prominent member of wizarding society who follows so closely in Merlin's footsteps, believe me?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I suppose I should tell you."

Harry's eyes narrowed.

The headmaster stood up and began pacing. "Well Harry, long before you were born, before the prophecy about you and Voldemort was ever written, there was another prophecy."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"It predicted the return of Merlin." Dumbledore said, pausing to remember the exact words. "Only when the darkness has overcome the light, will Merlin be born again.

After the first Wizarding War, most put it in the back of their minds. When had there been more need? But Merlin hadn't appeared. Then you came along. I knew you were special, Harry, but after finding you in the Room of Hidden Things, I knew something was different.

Harry shuddered. "But that still doesn't explain how you knew it would be reincarnation. I could have been reborn exactly as I was before. And I could have been in the Room of Hidden Things for a lot of different reasons."

Dumbledore smiled. "To answer your first question, you wrote scrolls, which unfortunately, many in the ministry have read."

Harry's eyes widened. "What! You…" He stood up. "But I was nearly dead when I wrote those!"

"You'd be surprised how long things can survive, Harry." He said, a twinkle in his eyes. "A description of your final spell, with your handwriting trailing off, was found in the crystal cave. It's been hidden in my office for quite some time. Furthermore…"

He pulled out a red piece of cloth that Harry recognized quite well.

"That's…" Harry began, his voice breaking.

"Quite an old piece of cloth." Dumbledore finished. "I can't imagine what it was used for, but the cup of life was wrapped in this."

Harry picked up the cloth and smoothed it fondly. "How did you get this?"

Dumbledore smiled. "As you said, I am a prominent member of the wizarding society. I knew many people in the ministry who spent their lives dedicated to unearthing the mysteries around your life."

"So then, wouldn't you be more sceptical?" Harry asked. "Why would a 14 year old boy in the Room of Hidden Things make you think of Merlin?"

"Ah, well, that is indeed the question, isn't it?"

Harry folded his arms. "Yes. And I would like it answered."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Calm down, Harry. I will answer you. The book you found was in the room for my own safekeeping. I found it years ago with your final spell. I was curious and recognized it as druid magic, so I tried some of the spells. They were taxing and dangerous, so I hid it in the Room of Hidden Things. When Minerva found you, you were holding that book, and the essence of magic brimming within it was gone, transferred to you. I suspected as much, then. When Professor Flitwick told me about your display of wandless magic, I knew for sure that the prophecy had finally come true."

"So, if this prophecy is in the Ministry…does anyone else know about it?" Harry wondered.

"Yes, I'm afraid. Barty Crouch and Cornelius Fudge obsessed over it. They were determined to find Merlin, but for different reasons. Cornelius wanted to be rid of the ever-impending threat of your return. He figured you to be the one to disband the Ministry of Magic and proclaim yourself King. Barty, on the other hand, wished to be revered for finding our saviour. He is without a doubt, the biggest expert on your history, next to myself, of course."

Harry blinked, wondering what to say to that. "Wait a second. I thought the Ministry would want me to rule." He said with surprise.

Dumbledore smiled. "There is a lot more to discuss, I'm afraid. But too much information will prevent you from preparing for the third task, Harry."

Kilgharrah's voice came back, reminding Harry that he would be used if he was not careful. Harry sighed. "I've been preparing, and I can't see any way around using the old magic."

"You must beware the magical sensors around the maze, Harry. They will detect any foreign magic or attempt at tampering, and they have been modeled from the druids' books of old. Any magic you use must be properly considered."

Harry frowned. "Great. I'm glad we clarified that. Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Have you consulted your dragon friend?"

"You know about…?" Harry began, but paused. "I don't even begin to know how you find out these things. But, no. I haven't asked him. He gives me too many riddles."

"He may have thought of a solution we aren't aware of."

Harry sighed. "He always does." He answered, a little bitterly.

"Harry." Dumbledore said.

The wizard glanced back. "The task is just two days away. I will see you only briefly to introduce it. I would just like to say…good luck."

Harry nodded, and left the headmaster's office. Once sure he was gone, Dumbledore flicked his wand, causing a transparent wall decoration to become visible. He perused the family tree etched into its fine silk, eyes wandering over the names of his brothers and sisters.

Albus. Aberforth. Ariana. His parents, Percival and Kendra. The tree continued up for generations. Dumbledore flicked it down with his wand until the very top branch was at eye level. There she sat in her portrait, with bright blue eyes, pale pallor and braided brown hair. She smirked.

"Hello, Albus." She asked. "Tell me, how is dear Merlin?"

"Very well. Very well indeed," He said, "Nimueh."

Next one won't be up until Monday earliest as I'm heading to Germany for the May Day weekend. But it is the Third Task. And a lot of stuff gets revealed.

Plus I'm sure you're all dying to know what happens with Cedric. ;)

~AuroraKnight