Merlin Keeperoliver Chapter Twenty Five

As Dudley entered his home, he was met by his mum and she began asking him questions right off. "Well, did you get to meet your Aunt?"

"Yes Mum."

"How did she look? How did she feel? Was she nice to you? Did you see her at her home? How was it? Did you meet her husband?" she was about to ask more questions when Dudley stopped her.

"Mum, if you are so interested in her, why don't you visit her?"

"I couldn't. I don't know where she is. I don't even know if she wishes to see me."

"Mum, sit down and let me tell you about Aunt Lily. I'll even tell you about Uncle James, but that is a different type story."

"You don't have to tell me about James. He wasn't real happy last time I saw him. Him and your father didn't see eye to eye."

"Do you want to know something, If I was James I wouldn't do anything different than what he did. What you did to Aunt Lily, and what dad to them both was unbelievably terrible. You brought them there to insult them. Why?"

"I didn't bring them there to insult them. (Sigh) OK, maybe I did, but you have to understand I felt like she deserted me when she went to Hogwarts. I tried to go there, but my letter was refused. Dumbledore called me a Squirt, what ever that meant."

"Aunt Lily told me about your letter. He called you a Squib, which is a son or daughter from a magical family that has no powers. But that didn't make any sense because Grandpaw and Grandma didn't have magical powers either."

"I think what he meant by that was there were magical members of our family earlier on. I don't know who though. But to get back to what we were talking about, what did you talk about?"

Before I do that, I want to know why you and dad tried to get me to believe that both Aunt Lily and Uncle James were drunks and freaks? Why do you still hate your own sister?"

This statement brought tears to Petunia's eyes. She did not hate her sister like Dudley thought. She was very jealous of her and hated the fact that Lily was special and she was plain old Petunia. Even though she always called Lily spoiled because she was special, she knew deep down it was not the case. Lily never asked for anything special and was never treated any different than Petunia was, but Petunia was the spoiled one of the two. She was always looking to take the limelight away from Lily. Being the older sister gave her the right to boss Lily around, and she tried doing this up until Lily learned she was magical, or a witch. Lily didn't agree with Petunis but did do as she was asked if it didn't hurt or bother anyone else. If it was just her, she would, within reason, do as she was asked. Once she learned she was a witch, everything changed.

Then Dudley went into their meeting, "Let me go through my search for them first, I went to the place you told me about. It is the Leaky Cauldron, not the Rusty Cauldron. Also, the name of the Alley is Diagon Alley, not Diagonal Alley. I went to the wand shop to begin with, but the owner said it was against wizarding law to speak of another family to someone they didn't know. He told me to check someplace called the MMM. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I wasn't about to stay there any longer as the man was just weird. So I went looking for the MMM. I had to go to another lane to find what I was looking for. Something about the Marauders. There I met a man who finally got me in touch with Aunt Lily."

"You say it was called something to do with Marauders? Who was it you talked to in this place?"

"I didn't catch his name, but luckily he knew Aunt Lily. She took me back to her home, and believe me when I say, it was a mansion. Splendid in it's every way. I didn't get to look around, but if the rest of the home looked like where we were, then I would say it is quite impressive. Any way, before we even got to talk, a young lady came out asking Aunt Lily who I was."

"And who was this? I didn't know Lily had a daughter as well?"

"It was not her daughter, mum, she was her ward. But Myrtle thought of her as her mum, because of the love she showed for her. Then, when I got up to meet her, I tripped over my own feet and fell into Myrtle who then fell on Aunt Lily's lap."

Petunia was doing something Dudley never saw her do before, She was laughing. "That is what Aunnt Lily and Myrtle did, laugh. I was so embarrassed I was ready to run out of the home, but Aunt Lily stopped me saying they weren't laughing at me, but at the chain of events. I stuck my foor in my mouth once more when Myrtle told me that I wasn't her daughter but she felt liked Lily was more like her mum even though there were only about five years difference in their age. I said you're not the same age? I had to tell her that I wasn't trying to say she looked old, but that Aunt Lily looked so young."

"Lily still looks young? How young?"

"Myrtle is Twenty Five and Aunt Lily looks just as young as her. Aunt Lily is Thirty One, I think she said."

"Yes, she turned Thirty One in January. Tell me Dudders, is she still slender?"

"Why do you aske that?"

Petunia stood up and ran her hands down her sides. She was still slender, even though she was six years older than Lily. "I still have my figure and hoped that maybe it was something I had over your Aunt."

Dudley laughed at his mums vanity. "Sorry mum, but Aunt Lily has you beat there as well. I told you she was gorgeous. OK, back to the story. Aunt Lily had Myrtle talk to me as she went to call Uncle James to tell him he had a visitor. She must not have told him who it was though."

"Why not?"

"I'll get to that in a little bit. Myrtle finally told me about herself. You're not going to believe this, but up until a couple of weeks ago, she was a ghost. I mean real honest to goodness ghost. She couldn't tell me how it happened, but it all changed because of Harry, Aunt Lily's son. She became a ward to the Potter's because of her age and how long she had been a ghost. She told me of how she met a man that she fell in love with, but how he was gone at the moment and didn't know when he would be back. About that time Uncle James came in with Aunt Lily."

"So Myrtle didn't say what her boyfriends name was?"

Nope, and didn't say where she met him. I know it sounds weird, just knowing him for two weeks and calling him her boyfriend. Everything about magic goes against what we believe in. Now, back to Uncle James. When he walked up to me to shake my hand, I told him my name, and he dropped his hand and just stared at me for a bit, then looked to Aunt Lily. I almost pee'd myself when she went off on him. I wanted to laugh. She looked him right in the eye and told him that I was his nephew, not his brother in law. James took my hand and I thought he was trying to greak it off, he shook it so hard. That was when he went into your wedding and their invite. Why did you do that to them, mum?"

"The same reason as before, jealousy. I don't know if you noticed it or not, but James is quite a bit better looking than you father, and quite a bit more fit. I also heard that he is more than rich. You add it all up, and your Aunt Lily once again topped me. Any one of those would have topped me, but all three, plus those I didn't tell you about, make me very jealous of her."

"So you tried to make her and Uncle James look like fools at your wedding. What about dad?"

"He tried to make himself look bigger by sticking up for me. If he wanted to, Uncle James could have really hurt your dad, but Lily pulled him away. That was when your dad made the statement that kept us apart, calling them freaks."

"I want you to know, no matter what you or dad say, they are not freaks. Aunt Lily is so sweet and Uncle James is so funny. I can't wait to meet his friends. Actually, I can't wait to meet Harry. He was off protecting someone else and will be gone for a couple of weeks. Aunt Lily said she would contact me when he got back with his friends."

"Where did he go?"

"Aunt Lily didn't say, just that wherever he is has no phone system so there is no way to contact him."

"Did your Aunt Lily sound like she was mad at me?"

"Not at all mum, in fact she sounded like she wished you and her could talk. I think she misses you mum."

"Do you know how to contact her?"

"Same way I did before, I guess, through the MMM. If we go back there, I am going to ask that guys name. He was really protective of Aunt Lily, and you should see the lady he has working for him. Mum, if all witches look like this lady and Myrtle and Aunt Lily, I am going to try and become a male witch."

"That would be a warlock, Dudley, not a male witch. If all the wizards look like James, I might feel the same way."

"Well, the guy I talked to sure was fit, as you called Uncle James."

Petunia was thinking about what Dudley just said, when the front door opened and Vernon walked in. He put all his things down and walked into the kitchen to see his wife and son standing there talking. He kissed Petunia on the cheek and asked them what they were talking about, as he lifted the top off the kettle on the stove. He dropped it back down when Dudley said, "Aunt Lily and Uncle James."

"What brought the freaks up?"

Vernon jumped back as Dudley let loose on him, "I don't care what you call them when I'm not here, but if you talk like that when I am here, then prepare to receive likewise from me. I saw them today, and believe me when I say, it is you and mum who are the freaks. What you did to them at your wedding was uncalled for. If I had know who it was when you talked of them before I knew who they were, I would have you long ago. You heard how Harry and his friends are heroes, even by the government. Why is it our own government thinks of them as heroes and you think of them as freaks?"

"Because what they are is unworldly. There is no such thing as magic and they are allowed to get away with making people think they are special."

"OK, tell me dad, how long does it take you to get to work each morning?"

"About an hour, and an hour to return home."

"Do you know how long it took me to get from London to where Aunt Lily lives?"

"How the hell do I know where they live?"

"It doesn't matter how far away they live. It took me one step into a floo. One step. About a half a second. And it was not in the same building I started from, if that is what you are thinking."

"How do you know it wasn't?"

"I just know."

"Did you go outside to check, to make sure?"

"Will you listen to yourself, dad. Just because you feel there is no such thing, it has to be right, and there has to a reasonable explanation for everything. There, is, but it is not the answer you wish to hear. Magic does exist, and even in our own family. Just because you don't acknowledge it, doesn't mean I have to feel the same way as you. I have seen it and I believe."

"What have they done to you Dudders, You never believed in magic before?"

"Stage Magic. This is entirely different. They have pictures that talk to you, did you know that?"

"You mean like our telly? We can match anything they can do with technology. Does that make us magical?"

"There is no use talking to you, you are to pig headed to listen. I know there is magic in the world, and it is not evil. Aunt Lily said that Magic isn't evil, it is the person doing the magic that is either good or evil. Just like our weapons. A gun itself is not evil, until it gets into a persons hands that is evil. It is the way of the world. The battle of good over evil. It is people like you who don't think outside your four walls that can't accept this. You live a centered life that has no time to listen to the things going on around you."

"This thinking has kept us safe all these years, doesn't that count for something?"

"It's not your thinking that keeps us safe, it is the authorities that keep us safe. If we didn't have our Bobbies around, what do you think would come of us?"

"There is always someone around to protect us. The Government would find another way to protect us."

"Do you think the States would be what they are right now if they thought like you do. They stood up to your government and took what was theirs. That they earned. We wanted to take that from them because they were so far from their homeland. We never saw it as they protected what they had because it was where they wanted to be. We over taxed them and they took notice over it. I'm not saying we were the evil ones here, but you have to see that we did tax them without them having any say in the matter. They had no representation in our legislature."

"My government is your government Dudley, and you talk like it is evil, not letting the people speak for themselves. We don't have a seat in the government, yet we survive. More than that, we prosper."

"But not all of us do."

"They all have the same choices we have. It's what you make of you decisions that dictate what you become."

"NO, it is not. It is the people in charge that makes these decisions for us. Here, in the States or anywhere else. I understand that there has to be a system in place to set our standards and punish those who play outside these rules. But like anything else, there are those in charge who have their evil plans."

"We are getting off the subject we were arguing about. Magic is not real, it is the manipulation of a person with money to make it look like something it isn't."

"I'm through talking with you, dad. You will never believe that Aunt Lily and Uncle James aren't freaks. You will always look at them like they shouldn't exist." and Dudley walked out of the kitchen and up to his room

Merlin-}

If Harry thought the encounter was over with, he was sadly mistaken, as a loud roar was heard on the other side of the hills to their right. A cloud of dust was rising in the air. The sound of marching was heard soon after they first saw it.

Harry soon found all seven of them standing side by side and Merl out in front of them. Harry pulled him back to join the rest. "No one leads our team Merl. We all fight together. Now, Luna do you have an idea of what is coming?"

"Yes, and I don't like it one bit. It is some kind of monster, Harry. It's about four stories tall and as long as a ship. It is being followed by about four hundred soldiers with some big guns. With what I see, I don't know why they are not trying to take over the bigger cities."

"Do you think our vehicle could stands up to them?"

"Maybe, if it came at them from the rear. I think that is it's only hope though. Have you got an idea?"

"How long before they get here?"

"Anytime now for the monster. About fifteen minutes for the troops."

"OK, you guys get back on the vehicle and get over to the hills. I will cover you with sand and then face the monster. Once the troops pass your spot, attack from the rear and do as much damage as you can with both magic and our weapons."

They barely made it to the spot Harry had them take and then covered, when Luna's monster appeared at the top of the hills. It was everything Luna said and more. It's tail looked about twenty meters long itself, and it's body, another fifteen meters. It had large teeth that were like boulders in it's mouth. Not sharp, but excellent for grinding. It had average length arms, for it's size, and short stubby fingers on it's hands that looked like they were good for digging in the sand.

Harry could see where it might scare the local people. It was definitely strong, and probably hard to kill with what the locals had for defense.

Harry advanced to the creature and stood before it. The creature stopped when Harry did and looked down on him with wonder. Then he used his long reach to try and squish Harry under his hand. Harry saw the chance to hurt the creature without killing it. He created a spear and stuck it in the ground and moved away from it. Not expecting anything like this, the creatures hand came down on the spear and the noise it made was deafening.

It brought his hand to his face to see what caused the pain, and saw the stick in his hand. He tried pulling it out, but the barbs kept the spear in place. He turned on Harry and tried the same thing with his good hand, and got the same results. Now both it's hands were useless for it, so it went with it's tail.

Once again, Harry was expecting this and used the spell that Severus taught his, "Sectumseptra!" and the once twenty meter long tail was now down to seven. Thirteen meters of dead meat lay in the sand.

That was enough for the creature to withstand and it headed back over the hill and into the advancing army. Not expecting this, the creature had killed half the forces by crushing them under it's feet and body, before on of the big guns killed it. This also brought the troops to a halt, so that they could reorganize. The vehicles now went in advance of the troops and once they crossed the hill, it was like Harry's plan was sheer genius. Merl brought their vehicle out as the enemy vehicles passed and were sitting ducks for Merl and the droids. Then they turned on the troops and between Harry and the vehicle, the enemy never stood a chance.

Harry got back to the vehicle and once again took the lead as they moved forward once again. Hermione left the vehicle and joined Harry once more, only this time she took his arm and wrapped it around her.

After about another hour, Harry stopped the vehicle and set up camp for the night. After eating, he asked Draco to stand first watch, and he was joined by Luna. He asked Dobby to see how far they had to go to the village they were looking for. He was gone less than a minute when he returned, "It is about another four hour ride at the pace we are going Harry Potter, sir."

Thank you Dobby. Now how about helping me set up our wards to protect us against unwanted visitors." and between them it took about five minutes to be safe from attack.

After eating, Harry and Hermione laid down and were asleep right away. Eight hour later they were up and eating breakfast and ready to move on. There were no further encounters with the Dreggs, but about an hour from the village they were challenged by a small group of locals, who they took as the resistance. They hoped that either Caldom Blokk or Syrion Lynk were leading them.

Merl walked to the group holding up his hands to show he had no weapons. When he got to them, he could not believe what this group was challenging them with. Small hand held weapons that had a range of maybe 300 meters.

"We mean you no harm. We have come to speak to Caldom Blokk or Syrion Lynk. We are here to offer you our assistance. My name is Merl, and we have come a great distance to join you."

"You are not from here, just like the Dreggs and Gorax. Why should we trust strangers to our land?"

"We have saved a family in our travels. We left a larger village in peace to come here. We defeated about five hundred Dreggs and a large creature during our travel. Is that not enough to show you our intent?"

"I could tell you the same thing, but that does not make it the truth. This creature you speak of, how did you kill it?"

"We didn't, the Dreggs did, to keep it from killing anymore of their own. We just chased it away."

"How? The Moghat has tough skin and a killing tail."

"It had a killing tail, until we cut it off. This is what caused it to turn away and back into it's own army."

"There are no weapons that could cut the hide of a Moghat. You lie to save your own skin."

"Take us to Caldom Blakk and we will prove everything we say."

"Prove it to us first and then we will speak of this Caldom Blokk."

Harry had Dobby take this leader to show him what they had done. Dobby took the hand of the leader and snapped his finger, and was gone.

The site of the battle hadn't been changed and five hundred Dreggs lay in the sand dead. Dobby led him to the hill and showed him the body of the Moghat with the missing tail. He showed the leader where the missing tail was, and the leader asked if they could bring the tail back with them for proof to the others, and Dobby agreed. They soon joined the rest, with Dobby delivering the tail to the small group of challengers. The leader also told them of the five hundred dead Dreggs.

The leader went back to Merl, "If it was truly you who did this, then we are sorry for doubting you. However, if we find it was how you found them and try to take credit it for it, we will find some way to make you pay for your lies. Now, you wish to speak to Caldom Blokk, then speak, as I am him."

They had to go over their entire trip again to tell Caldom why they were here. "You say you bring power the likes of which Gorax has never seen. Could you show me this power?"

"I agree to show you some of it, but not their full power. Harry, why don't you show them what you got."

"Nah, I think it should be Ginny. If she can impress him as a female, then he must believe we are as strong as we say."

Merl saw the logic in that and asked Ginny to show her power. She thought on what she could do that would impress them. She looked at the group and decided, why not. Using her levitation charm, she had the entire group floating in the air. They dropped all their weapons when this happened, and Hermione used her own spell to give them back their weapons. Ginny then let them down gently and dropped her hands.

"You all have this power?"

"At different levels of strength, yes. Harry is our most powerful one, along with me. Then Neville and Ginny. Wait, I forgot to add Dobby. He is as powerful as Neville and Ginny."

"And the rest are like the young girl that gave us back our weapons?"

"Yes. Now do you believe us?"

"I need one more show. I brought the tail back to verify your statement. Have whoever cut it the first time do it again."

Harry stepped forward and asked, "How would you like it cut?"

Caldom knew his request was taken for what it was meant to be. He wished to make vests from the hide to protect his men. He told this to Harry and a few minutes later, the tail was cut to the desired size. Once again Caldom asked how is this possible?"

Harry answered since he was the closest, "It is what we call magic. We weren't for sure it would work here on this planet, but once we were here, we knew it would. We think you may have one here with you that may have it as well."

"I think you are mistaken. If any of us here had that kind of power, we would know it."

"Do you think we could test our theory out on our suspected wizard?"

"Only if he wishes to be tested. Who is it?"

"Syrion Lynk."

One of the men behind Caldom passed out and Harry knew who he was looking for. He walked over to him and used the Ennervate on him to revive him. Syrion opened his eyes and almost passed out again when he saw Harry standing there. Instead he asked, "Why would you think I have such power? I am no different that any others here."

"So, you don't wish to know if you have these powers or not?"

"I told you I already know that I don't."

"So what is the harm then, in trying?"

"What is it you wish me to do?"

Harry took out his spare wand, not wanting him to use his personal wand. "I want you take this wand, and move it just like this, and say loudly, Wingardium Leviosa, while pointing it at this rock."

Syrion did what was asked and at first there was nothing, but after more tutoring from Harry, he had the rock up in the air. He got so excited, he lost control and the rock dropped to the ground.

Harry and the rest were led to the village, with Harry and Syrion doing more magic. Harry gave the wand to Syrion and Syrion began to ask about greater spells. Syrion's thirst for knowledge, or power, which ever it was he was looking for, was unbelievable. By the time they got to the village, which was really an understatement, Syrion could perform fifteen spells. He used every one of the group after this for more knowledge. Harry did tell them all not to teach him any deadly spells, and they stayed true to this.

Now it was time for them all to sit and plan for what needed to be done to end this threat.

Merl had the team sit with Caldom and Syrion and picked their brains for information they knew about Gorax and the Dreggs. Gorax had only been on the surface of the planet one time to show it's people his plans of destruction.

He had the Dreggs attacking from four different directione with about 2,500 Dreggs in each attacking force. There were twenty five vehicles assigned to each attacking force and they were heavily armed. Each force had one Mogaht with them that they used to destroy the village, then followed it in and killed it's people. Gorax had six space vehicles that carried all his troops and weapons, as well as the beasts.

The team made their plans for the ground forces, but didn't know how to destroy the space vehicles. Then Luna had a thought. "Sir, do you know how the space vehicles attack, I mean in what sort of a formation?"

Caldom drew a picture in the dirt of what he knew. This brought a smile on her face. "Harry, I think I know how we can destroy Gorax, and with just one blow. It has to be a very powerful one, so it will take all of us to accomplish it."

Harry smiled at Luna. He knew she was smart, but to think they could do this was more than that, if it worked. "It will have to be after we destroy the ground forces then Luna. Their destruction will be what draws Gorax in."

"I know Harry, and the Dreggs all have to be destroyed in the same day for my plan to work."

"Well, I would say we have a start anyway. Anyone for some dinner?"