Chapter 29

Alright here we go. We're getting towards the end guys. Maybe 10 or 15 more chapters. It's crazy that this story has basically followed me through high school, and I'd like to get it done before I graduate. But you know me 10 chapters could mean 3 months or another 3 years. I'm happy you all have stuck with me through all this and I hope you'll tune in again to a much more polished story when I rewrite it. I love you guys and thank you for the support I've received over the last 3 years. Also I'm sorry this chapter is very dialogue heavy and short, but I really wanted to end it where I did.

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A blast of cold swept suddenly into the entryway as the door to Number 12 Grimauld Place was opened. A few flakes of snow drifted past the doorway as the warmth from the raging fireplace struggled to keep pace with the chilled draft that was now suddenly enveloping the room.

"Who's there?" called a loud but warm voice from the kitchen, as the delicious fragrances wafting through the doorway made his stomach grumble angrily.

Molly Weasley emerged and smiled at the man who stood in the door frame, "Merlin, it's good to see you! Close that door will you? It's frightfully chilly out there."

"Nice to see you too Molly" Merlin replied with a kind smile. Over the last week he found himself spending much of his time in the decrepit old house sharing memories with Remus and Sirius. It was good to have friends that both he and Arthur could share a pint with, but every once and a while the similarities he drew to his escapades with the knights of the Round Table at the town cavern caused his heart to ache a bit. Of course he had gotten to know the many other inhabitants of Sirius's family home much better as well as a result of his frequent visits. Ron and Hermione seemed to have warmed up to his presence outside of school and now regularly conversed with him about his past lives. Of course Hermione's questions were a bit more stimulating then Ron's, but he enjoyed speaking to the boy all the same.

The only member of the house who did not welcome him with warm and open arms was Harry Potter. After their conversation towards the end of the semester the Boy who Lived was very wary around his defense professor. Harry would make an excuse to retire to his room when Merlin was visiting and even if he did manage to speak to the boy, he received vague and evasive conversation. He realized he only had a professional relationship with the boy, but he assumed that Harry would realize that he was only trying to look out for his best interests by this point.

Today's visit was a bit unplanned. Merlin was supposed to go into London with Arthur and show him the city, but McGonagall had warned them against it. It was dangerous for either of them to go into heavily trafficked areas with the interest certain people at the ministry had shown in their removal from Hogwarts. Merlin, although rather disappointed, had to agree with the acting Headmistress. He was acting as the only barrier between Hogwarts and the Ministry now that both Dumbledore and Umbridge were gone, and he knew Fudge was growing increasingly desperate to know what was happening at the school.

As Merlin entered the living room he noticed that Harry had not yet been able to flee due to the unplanned nature of his call. He felt a small pang of guilt as he slowly corned the boy into conversation.

"Good morning Mr. Potter" Merlin said warmly, trying to give Harry his kindest smile.

Harry looked up from the book he had been reading, rather startled, "oh, uh good morning Professor."

Harry looked ready to bolt so Merlin decided to approach him as a friend, rather than a guardian, "what's that you're reading?"

Harry closed the book and shifted a little and it was only then that Merlin realized the book wasn't a book at all, it was a photo album.

"It's just some pictures" Harry answered awkwardly, trying to avoid eye contact with the warlock. Merlin could see a pair of green eyes and a man with fitful tufts of black hair peeking out from a few of the pictures, Merlin paused for a second before taking a seat a few feet away from Harry on the couch and faced towards the raging fire. Harry looked up again, a little surprised but he seemed less like a cornered animal, which Merlin took as a good sign.

"You know; I never really knew my father" Merlin said suddenly to break the heavy silence that had enveloped the room.

Harry looked a bit surprised at this, "oh….uh…"

Merlin smiled a bit sadly, "sorry was that too personal?"

"No….it's just that it's kind of hard to imagine….you with parents" Harry stuttered, looking a bit embarrassed, "you know being the most powerful warlock in history and all."

Merlin chucked at this, "I suppose so. However, I do….or did."

"So, what happened?" Harry asked and Merlin's eyes widened slightly, he wasn't expecting the young Gryffindor to reciprocate the conversation.

"Well, before Arthur was born, my father lived under his rule in Camelot, that was until King Uther's wife died due to a bit of a…magical mishap." Harry nodded intently, actually interested in Merlin's stories of old for once.

"That loss cemented Uther's hate for magic. So he tried to chase magic out of Camelot."

"So your father was magic?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he did nothing to Uther personally, but the fact that he possessed magic caused Uther to try to hunt him down. The only way for him to survive was to flee our to my village. But Uther's forces soon tracked him down, forcing him to run away forever leaving my mother behind, who undenounced to him, was pregnant" Merlin continued, watching the boy's expression. He knew he was telling the story a but awkwardly, but it was still hard for him to fully understand the path Bailinor had taken after his persecution.

"Many years later a vengeful dragon attacked Camelot to get revenge on Arthur's father. In a last ditch attempt to stop the dragon Arthur and I searched out a man named Bailinorwho was rumored to be the last of a magical subset" he paused for dramatic effect, "the Dragon Lords."

"I've never heard of that before" Harry commented, a bit confused.

"Yes well, it was nearly a dead magic at that point" Merlin explained, "but before we left my mentor, a man named Gaius, informed me that this man we were trying to find was my father."

Harry's eyes widened for a moment as he watched a far off look envelop his teacher's face. Merlin's hands clasped together as he fell back into his memories and into a life he had lived long ago.

"Why hadn't your mentor ever mentioned that he knew who your father was?" Harry asked after a few minutes, his voice quiet with curiosity.

"Of that, I can never be completely sure" Merlin sighed, "I believe he never wanted me to hunt out my father. If Uther ever came to understand the deep connection I had to magic, not only would he separate me from Arthur, but he would probably try to have me executed." Harry looked as if he was biting his tongue, trying to hold back a thousand questions so Merlin decided to press on.

"Eventually we found Bailinor, but by that point in our journey we had been attacked and Arthur was rather seriously injured. Bailinor agreed to heal Arthur, rather grudgingly I might add, but tried to get rid of us as soon as I attempted to explain our mission to him. He hated Uther and Camelot, having felt betrayed by both for the 19 years he had spent in isolation. I had only ever seen that kind of malice on Uther's face before and it came as a shock to me that, that kind of deep rooted hate could belong to a man who was also my father" Merlin explained, still keeping his eyes fixed on the fireplace that crackled in front of him. Harry assumed that the man was not uncomfortable as his fidgeting had stopped, but simply lost in very distant memories.

"At first he outright refused to help us and Arthur and I left. It was hard meeting my father for the first time and after that I thought I would only ever see him as a coward. But he surprised me" Merlin stopped for a moment and took a rather unsteady breath, "he came after Arthur and I, telling us that he had changed his mind. And then I told him….that he was my father."

"What did he do?" Harry finally asked, completely enthralled in his teacher's tale.

"He told me he didn't know how to have a son, and" Merlin paused again, "I told him I didn't know how to have a father."

"Oh" Harry replied rather dumbly.

"But on our way back to Camelot we were attacked by enemies in the forest and during the battle…." Merlin had to stop for a third time, his back hunched and hands clasped together as he squeezed his eyes shut, perhaps to stifle tears, "and Bailinor was killed."

Silence consumed the room as Harry felt his eyes widen, and he was suddenly unable to think of a word to say. He just watched the most powerful, man in wizarding history open up to him in a way that no one really had.

"Did you defeat the dragon?" Harry finally asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Merlin chucked, "I did. Turns out that the abilities of a Dragon Lord are passed from father to son…when the father dies. So after Bailinor was gone, I became the last Dragon Lord."

"I don't think I ever heard that story about 'Merlin the great' before" Harry joked, a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm actually not sure if I've ever told it before. I never really told Arthur that the bitter old hermit we found was my father" Merlin said quietly, eyes once again trained on the fire.

"I mean, I guess I get it" Harry said, taking Merlin by surprise, "being special is rather awful when it comes down to it."

Merlin actually laughed, "I guess we would both know."

Harry nodded before sighing, "I just don't….don't want people to get hurt. I guess this whole fight is something I was destined for but, I dragged everyone into the danger along with me." Merlin was a bit surprised at this admission, but found himself smiling sadly.

"Harry, most of these people would have been in the same positions they are in today even without knowing you. All you've done is give them hope" Merlin answered, finally looking the young wizard in the eye.

Harry sat pensively as he took Merlin's statement in, "what do you mean hope?"

"You're someone Voldemort hasn't been able to kill. That's more than any of them can claim. That's why you're a hero for something you don't even remember."

"Well if I can give them that, then I guess I'll get over the inconveniences" Harry suddenly said, resolve in his eyes, "and if it comes down to it, I'll destroy every single one of them before they get to someone I love….again." A small breeze seemed to flash through the room, before Harry rose at Mrs. Weasly's call for lunch. But Merlin's appetite had disappeared rather suddenly. Yet wasn't the thin bloodlust in the boy's eyes, nor his threat of martyrdom that had stolen it away.

No, because when Harry had made his heroic declaration, his eyes grew cold, and Merlin could have sworn he had seen a flash of gold.

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Okay I know I know literally the worst cliff hanger ever. But good news, my Christmas break started today so hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in the next few days. I'm writing this down so I actually have to do it. Please yell at me in the comments if I don't. I love reading them all.