Notes:
So I have prepared something special. Y'all will get the three promised chapters before my hiatus, but on Halloween, I have made a fourth chapter as a little special, looking into the past. It's just something for Halloween. I was even gonna make it its own little new story, but after writing it, it was canon to my story, so I decided I was just gonna make a Halloween special. I'm not planning on doing it often, but I thought I'd treat y'all to something cute after the Nimueh plot twist.
It's not gonna be scary. A bit angsty and fluffy, but I think y'all will like it. And it will be my only romance attempt for a while.
So three chapters will be posted by Halloween! Enjoy that!
Anyway, I really love Nimueh's character. I love writing evil characters and sassy characters. And she is like hitting both for me. It's so fun to write. She is an absolute menace; it's amazing.
Also, I was so determined to post this chapter that I made it really long. I finished the next chapter, but it's short, so I think I will work on it a bit more before posting.
Thanks for reading tho!
/
Crystal Cave
June 4, 2007
10:50 am
Merlin finally arrives at the entrance to the Crystal cave. But what he sees before him is a mess; there are three dead Death Eaters. One looks to have bled out from a cut in their stomach. But it's the other two which make Merlin nervous. Two of the dead Death Eaters are burnt black, and it looks an awful lot like an Old Religion spell only himself and one other use. And since he'd been seeing that person's face in the crystal. Merlin looked around the outside of the cave, and there was not a soul in sight. He then looked to the dark luminous entrance to the cave and took a deep breath.
"Nimueh?" He called, waiting patiently as he had no plans to step into the cave with her.
After nothing but silence for a moment, Merlin heard soft footsteps slowly getting louder the closer they got to the entrance of the cave. And the face of his nightmare slowly entered into the light. She was holding another crystal, and she had a wicked smile on her lips.
"Ah, so my next visit is you," Nimueh says with a haughty expression on her face.
"Haha, so we meet again, Merlin, or should I say Emrys?" Nimueh chuckles and greets Merlin.
Merlin pales.
"You..." Merlin stares at a loss for words.
Merlin flinched at the name Emrys, as she was truly one of the only ones who knew the meaning behind it.
"...Nimueh," Merlin said quietly, looking distrustful.
She felt as strong as her past self, nothing like the Morgana of the present.
"Oh, come now, that can't be the only thing you have to say to me since you killed me." Nimueh was having fun.
Merlin was panicking.
"That..I...uh.." Merlin was at a complete loss.
He was thinking that maybe Arthur had returned, but Nimueh...well, he didn't know what to think of this.
"Nimueh...you've returned as well. But your not a reincarnation?" Merlin stated and asked at the same time.
"No...I've hmmm...it seems I've just been brought back. I felt like I died by your hand no more than a week ago. Though I can guess that it's been far longer than that. Seeing how much you've grown. And how the world advanced from the crystal," Nimueh said, looking at the mature face Merlin sported compared to the baby face he had when they first met.
She also noticed the stubble and the long scar stretching into the confines of his suit.
Merlin laughed a cold, detached laugh.
"Oh, it's been a long time Nimueh,"
Merlin said, looking at the High Prestiess in front of him with a sad, nostalgic look,
"A very long time."
He takes a better look at her and sees she's covered in blood, and there is a large gap in the stomach area of her dress as it was like it was cut, but the skin was unblemished. He then looked back at the dead Death Eaters and frowned.
"Looks like you were having fun," Merlin said, sighing.
Nimueh also looked down at her bloody attire,
"Well, the monster with no nose happened."
"Why do you know about Voldemort?" Merlin asked, picking up on the 'nose-less monster' jab.
"Well, if you had let me finish, he cut me as I was having fun with the...reincarnation, was it? Angry that I wouldn't join hands with her and kill you in revenge. I almost died for rejecting the idea but of course, a life for a life." Nimueh said, pointing to the stabbed Death Eater.
"Ah. Well, I guess that's something different. I must say I expected you to join her. Morgana. To try to kill me again." Merlin said not to be bothered by the dead bodies nor the fact that she killed so many Death Eaters.
"Why aren't you killing me?" Merlin asks.
"Uh, not that I want you to," Merlin says, backtracking with a sheepish expression.
"Why would I try to kill Emrys? Your immortal; I'm not stupid. If I had known your destiny before, things may have been different in the past. Unlike the little sorceress, I now know that Emrys can't die; I made that mistake once already; wouldn't it be stupid to repeat history?" Nimueh explained.
Merlin frowned at the immortality comment but understood her reasons.
"Plus, if it's been as long as you said, what's the point anymore? I mean, Uther is dead now; why should I linger in the past?" Nimueh said, smiling after realizing Uther was dead.
"I suppose," Merlin said, not sure.
"Well, I was a little bit angry, especially at the time. But maybe it's like I'm at peace after death. I don't want to kill you, nor do I have any plans of working with Morgana to kill you. Actually, she probably thinks I'm dead." Nimueh says as she runs her hand over her bare stomach.
"I'm working in line with you this time, I guess," Nimueh says, smiling, putting Merlin on edge.
He still couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Nimueh walked up right in front of Merlin, and she tugged his suit jacket briefly,
"But look at you. No more thin fabric shirts, and too small brown trousers and your cute little red scarf around your neck. No, you look like a popper nobleman even though the clothes are not exactly as I remember; but since I know times have changed as I've been dead, the fabric is enough to allude that you are no longer a servant, it seems." Nimueh said rather astutely.
Merlin stepped back and adjusted his suit jacket again,
"You're right I'm not a servant. I am the sole heir to a very old family. Of course, it's just me throughout the years creating a fake family for myself, but I have the money and power of what you would remember as a nobleman. But there are no kings or queens that have power like they used to in this day and age. The monarchy has fallen in terms of power, even if they still are revered. And more importantly, for you, I guess the magical community has hidden completely away from the eyes of normal people. They have their own government systems and laws. They have schools and magical jobs, and communities that thrive hidden away tucked in little corners of the world. There are no more witch hunts and burning at the stake. Well, if this war goes the way I'd like it to. See these masked idiots and that noseless monster you talked of, they have that dream of killing or enslaving those without magic while having those with magic rule over all. A foolish idea." Merlin sighed, looking annoyed.
"Oh, so there is peace now. How nice. While I don't like the idea of having to hide away, I can appreciate no meaningless deaths of my kind." Nimueh said, enjoying this future she heard about.
"I agree. I, too, would rather not hide away, but they are scared of our past they'd rather stay hidden than be hunted and persecuted again. I can't blame them, but they frown upon the world that's ruled by people without magic. And the two communities don't interact much at all; the world of people without the gift of magic has advanced so much; it's so amazing what people have done without magic. And in the magical world, there are cures for diseases that plague the non-magical one, and I feel that since they are so separated, it's a shame because together, they would be so amazing. But I digress; that's the world I dream of, not the one we currently have, I guess." Merlin said, sobering up after imagining a united world, his vision of Albion.
But then Nimueh could also imagine the world Merlin was talking about as it put a smile on her face just thinking about what a nice place it would be.
"Dreams are meant to someday be achieved, and I'm sure your dreams will come to fruition as long as it aligns with destiny and fate," Nimueh said, being nice rather than her sly or wicked usual nature.
Merlin softly chuckled,
"Maybe. But only Arthur could achieve something so great." Merlin said, truly believing his words.
Nimueh didn't say anything, but she thought Emrys was pretty influential that he could do it too.
"Any way how did you know I was here?" Nimueh asked.
For Morgana, she basically said she came for the crystals but found Nimueh as a plus. But Merlin was not shocked at all; no, it was like he expected her.
"Well, my wards were breached." Merlin said.
"Oh, your the one warding all the magical sights." Nimueh deduced.
"Yes. And I could feel it, while I didn't know it was you until using the crystal." Merlin explained, finding this situation so weird.
"Oh, I see," Nimueh said, looking down at herself.
"Do you happen to know where I can get more clothes in these times?" Nimueh asks as she notices as compared to Merlin, she was dressed in rags.
Merlin looked at her bloody clothes once again and agreed; he couldn't bring her anywhere near the others covered in blood.
"Ah, well, I can just do this.." Merlin said, pulling out his wand and transfiguring her old rags into a rather modern and muggle-ish red spring dress.
Not for the weather, but it was better than before.
"Oh well, that's a nifty spell. But why are you using the weaker magic with that stick? Did you do away with the old religion as well?" Nimueh said harshly.
"No. The newer magic is considerably weaker, which is true, but it is magic nonetheless, and they have a more developed availability in the difference between each spell. While I could transfigure your clothes with the old religion, I'm not sure I would get such a clean result. Of all people, do you think I would do away with the old religion?" Merlin explained.
Nimueh shrugged her shoulders,
"Who knows, the world is so different now," Nimueh said, looking around her even though this place looked relatively the same, she knew everywhere else was not.
Eventually, she asked a good question, "
Why are we here now? Is something...?" She was going to ask if something was wrong, but she didn't need to ask; she was almost as in tune with the old religion as Merlin.
She felt the unbalance; she felt the wrongness of the world.
"Does it have to do with that noseless monster that hangs around the young sorceress?" Nimueh asked, connecting the dots herself.
"Yes. There was a prophecy made a long time ago. When my King would return some day when Albion's need is greatest. Seeing as there are reincarnations popping up and your return, it seems to me the time is now." Merlin explained.
"Ah, your prophecy. Hmmm." Nimueh tried to remember the prophecy of Emrys in its entirety.
"But there is another prophecy as well happening now as well. The monster, Voldemort, has obviously thrown off the balance. And there was a prophecy made of a boy who will vanquish him, his name his Harry Potter." Merlin explained.
"Poor kid, the noseless man, seemed powerful compared to the rest of the magic users," Nimueh said, feeling a bit bad for the young kids' destiny.
"He is in comparison. There was only one other man strong enough to keep him at bay, and he was murdered three days ago." Merlin said, dejected remembering how he failed even if his friends assured him it wasn't his fault.
"And you," Nimueh said, stating the obvious.
But Merlin sighed,
"I could duel him a hundred times and win all hundred times, but I can't kill him it's not my destiny; he dies by the boy, Harry Potter. Destiny is something that controls me; even though I could've saved that old man, I couldn't." Merlin said, beating himself up still.
"If it were his fate to die that day, then there would be nothing to prevent it even if you had stopped it then. Death would've found the old man sooner or later." Nimueh said, not knowing how right she was.
"No one can allude Death, well, except maybe you," Nimueh said.
"What about you as well, miss 'a-life-for-a-life'?" Merlin asked, hating that she kept pointing out his immortality.
"Well, I was just not fated to die today, that's all," Nimueh said like it was obvious.
"Now, can we leave here? As much as I love this place, the blood and the dead bodies is ruining the atmosphere." Nimueh said, pointing to the dead Death Eaters.
Merlin sighed and took out his phone, took a picture of what happened, and tried to get a close-up of their faces so they could be identified and labeled as dead.
Nimueh was watching with fascination,
"What is that?" She asked, pointing at the flat metal box in Merlin's hand.
"Oh, it's called a phone; you can message anyone instantly and talk as well as capture pictures. Ah, I'll explain later." Merlin said after seeing the confusion on her face.
"So shall we leave here? I retrieved a crystal, so my business is done." Nimueh stated, holding the cloth-covered crystal in her hand.
"Don't you scry?" Merlin commented after a moment.
"Yes. But this is better." Merlin just nodded, agreeing.
He raised his hand and reapplied the barrier, doubling it for safety.
Nimueh looked surprised but smiled at the use of the old religion. Merlin then held his hand out to Nimueh.
"What?"
"I'll take you to my home. And later I can introduce you to everyone. I have to go back to a meeting... I left abruptly..." Merlin said, dredging to go back to the meeting.
"Hmmm, I suppose so. What's the meeting for?" Nimueh asked as the whirlwind started up.
"The sorcerers and sorceresses of this day and age are preparing to fight against the noseless guy," Merlin said as they disappeared into the wind.
Hogwarts
12:50 pm
Once arriving at Merlin's house, the conversation continued as if they had never moved.
"Didn't you say that only this Harry boy can kill him?" Nimueh said as the wind dissipated.
"Yes, but it's an all-out war now; it's more than just Voldemort; he has an army, and you killed three of them," Merlin explained.
"Oh, I see this makes sense." Nimueh says, then glances at the new area around them,
"Oh, how nice," She says in reaction to Merlin's home.
"Shall I go as well? I'm curious about magic users of this day and age." Nimueh said, curious about this newfound future and the meeting Merlin was talking about.
Merlin hesitated but figured now or later, meeting Nimueh was going to be involved.
"Okay, but two things you must know first. Well, actually, one since we can just say you are not reincarnation and were reborn. But my name is Myridian Emrys, or rather it's my fake identity. So you can't call me Merlin. My name became weird in the future." Merlin stressed.
Nimueh shrugged, not caring too much as it was easy just to call him Emrys.
"Consider it done. Let's go." Nimueh said excitedly.
It was so unusual compared to her eerie and serious nature of the past. But Merlin just grabbed her hand again and traveled back to Hogwarts. It seemed that the order meeting that was going to happen before the funeral had finally ended in his absence.
Hogwarts
It seemed the funeral had started.
Merlin, who was supposed to be standing on the stage, just folded himself into the crowd in the back with Nimueh. He wasn't going to disrupt the funeral even though afterward there was going to be a shock that he was back and didn't say anything but this was a somber time and a time for the magical community to mourn. No need for disturbances. Though the duo did look a little out of place since Nimueh was wearing a muted but red dress. But since they were in the back, it wasn't too noticeable.
As the speeches went on, the first was by Mrs. McGonagall and some other faculty members and some students. Eventually, after all the speeches were said and done, all of the participants in the funeral started to spread out and talk amongst themselves. They grouped into groups of 5 to 6 to 10 people and just chatted about Dumbledore and their worries about the future.
This time Merlin dragged Nimueh to a particular group, one group that was very large. The order members and the reincarnations, and his co-workers were standing around just chatting. Though all the conversation stopped when Merlin walked into view. Gwaine runs up to Merlin to ask what is happening when he notices Nimueh.
"Merls...ah, who is this?" Gwaine whispers the nickname, but his voice gets louder in his confusion.
"This is Nimueh...I think this conversation should be had in private...if possible." Merlin suggested not wanting people outside the Order to hear. Everyone subtly nodded their heads, agreeing, and soon, they all shuffled back into Merlin's classroom.
On the walk there, Gwaine pulled Merlin aside.
"Merlin. Are you okay? Who is she?" Gwaine whispered.
Merlin sighed,
"For now...she's an ally," Merlin said, mumbling, not explaining further. Gwaine looked unsure but trusted Merlin.
Myridian's Classroom
3:30 pm
Merlin, Nimueh, Gwaine, Gwen, Percival, Leon, Bell, Remus, and Sirius were the first to enter. Next entered Moody, Kingsley, the golden trio and Mrs. McGonagall, and a few other staff. Two new people were also attending, but Merlin had never met them before. It was two women, one with vibrant pink hair and the other with a tight slicked back bun.
Nimueh took her time analyzing everyone in the room since these should be some of the best and brightest. Their magic was all very different and definitely not as strong as those in their prime back in the day, but it wasn't bad.
Nimueh actually had a soft spot after learning this place was a school for magical children. It was something unheard of happening in the past, so she was quite happy that there was such a place. But she still had a cool neutral expression on her face. She wanted to ask questions to the teachers and even learn about this new magic, but the vibes of the room showed this was time for a serious conversation.
"Myridian Emrys! I don't understand what happened before but explain what happened. This is the Order of the Phoenix, and I understand you have other responsibilities however that doesn't excuse your sudden leaving nor the fact you broke through Hogwarts wards. Druid or not, I need a better explanation. I would also like to know who this young lady you brought is," Mrs. McGonagall demanded.
Merlin sighed.
"I apologize for the sudden departure in the morning. I, as some in this room know, have placed wards around famous and important magical sights around Europe. Earlier, two of my wards were broken, and they were very dangerous places for people to trespass, so it was imperative that I had to leave immediately to check. However, I am sorry for not explaining prior I was just a bit overwhelmed." Merlin said, actually sorry since this was a sad day and he didn't mean to make a mess.
"And your friend," Moody asked.
Merlin looked at Nimueh as if he was scared she would lash out at being called his friend, but she said nothing looking at Moody with a blank face.
"Ah well, I found her at one of the magical sights. She broke through my wards." Merlin said, not caring she broke through the wards because they were only meant to stop either Morgana or Voldemort; Nimueh would've broken through with ease.
"And why did you bring her?" Moody continued.
"Well, as you know, Alastor, the place where I found her was a place you have been at before, a place you can only get two if you were guided there once before. Also for the fact that I increased the wards around that place since we found the Dark Lord and Morgana rummaging around last time. However she broke through those Wards, and she knew how to get there on her own. Meaning to say that she is..." Merlin said, pausing.
Kingsley listened to what Myridian was saying about this new girl he suddenly showed up with and summarised it, and voiced it out loud,
"Oh, so you've been reincarnated then."
Merlin nodded his head.
Around the room, everyone who knew about reincarnations now understood why she was here. Remus paused in thought...something seemed to click in his head at that moment, but he didn't know what to do with the information.
However, Nimueh had something to say. Shaking her head while Merlin nodded, confusing some in the room.
"That little girl Morgana was saying the same thing, but no, she assumed wrong, just like you. I haven't been reincarnated but rather Reborn." Nimueh said, looking proud.
"Reborn? What do you mean?" Kingsley asked, confused about the difference between the two.
"I was never put into another body; how should I explain this? This body that I am currently in, is the same body I died in 1500 and some odd years ago. I literally walked out of a lake." Nimueh explained.
Merlin looked shocked, but it made sense why she was so strong and had all her memories it also explains what she said earlier. It was reasonable since she was so unlike Morgana.
"Wait, a lake? Do you mean that lake? The one Myridian brought us to?" Sirius asked.
Nimueh paused, remembering Emrys was now Myridian but shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what lake that was.
"How would I know I only just came back this morning," Nimueh said.
"It has a small island with a broken tower, and there is a bench overlooking the lake," Merlin said, describing the lake Sirius was talking about.
"Oh, then yes, that's the one. I don't know what was so special about it." Nimueh said, not remembering much until her feet hit the sand and it wasn't like it was a magical sight; she would've felt it if it was.
"It's a grave," Merlin said rather sadly and didn't say anything more about it nor about it being a passage point that looked into Avalon sometimes.
Nimueh watched Merlin as if she was examining him.
"Wait, Morgana? You met her?" Gwaine asks after looking at Merlin worriedly.
"Oh yes had a lovely chat. Met her monster and some goons in masks." Nimueh said, recalling the events of a few hours ago.
"Her monster?" Mrs. McGonagall asked.
"Oh, what was he called again, Emrys? Something with a V? Honestly, a forgettable being." Nimueh said, making Merlin want to bang his head against the wall.
He'd never talked to Nimueh for so long, and like this, he didn't know this was how she normally was.
"She's talking about the Dark Lord," Merlin said, making everyone look at Nimueh in a different light.
"You met with He-who-must-not-be-named and are okay?" Hermione asked in awe.
Nimueh looked at the young girl and nodded.
"Yes, he was nothing. Well, he's strong for sorcerers from this day and age, but for me, he's nothing but a child. Not embracing the Old Religion and the practices of the Triple Goddess no wonder you all are so weak. You've forgotten the greatest teachings of your ancestors." Nimueh said admonishing the wizards and witches in the room, though it was less their fault than their ancestors who learned this new magic forgoing the old religion.
"Oh," Hermionie said, thinking she did something wrong in asking.
Nimueh felt slightly bad,
"But I was not okay; I almost died," Nimueh said.
Everyone looked at her and then didn't believe her.
"I was leaving the...no...a magical sight." Nimueh began deciding not to mention the Crystal cave.
"And when I was leaving that girl...Morgana Pendragon was there with the noseless guy and a kid and three masked people." Nimueh said, grating her teeth over the name Pendragon as her grudge against Uther seemed to just be as bad as it was.
Rather than focusing on the dislike for the name Pendragon, everyone couldn't overlook the noseless comment. Sirius, for one burst out laughing.
Nimueh looked at him and paused.
"Who's that, Emrys?" She asked Merlin.
Merlin smiled, "Oh, my older brother." He said out loud.
In his mind, however, " He's in disguise; leave it. "
"Ah, I see; you looked so similar I was curious," Nimueh said, playing along.
"Anyway, as I was saying, that group showed up saying crazy things." Nimueh continued.
"Crazy?" Kingsley asked.
"Yes. That I should join them and take over the world and whatever else they said. They really wanted Emrys dead, though. Heh." Nimueh said, rather bored of villain monologues.
Merlin wanted to bash his head into the window. Everyone was looking at Merlin as if they pitied him.
"Why is that funny?" Gwaine said defensively.
"Ah well, it's just something between Emrys and me, don't worry," Nimueh said, enjoying getting on Gwaine's nerves.
It's been a long time since she could talk to so many people; she was having fun.
Gwaine looked like he wanted to kill her, but Merlin touched his shoulder and whispered, "Later," so Gwaine said nothing else.
"I don't recognize you. Ah, sorry." Leon said, then apologized as he just talked abruptly.
"Nor I you," Nimueh said.
"Did Morgana kill you? Or Uther?" Leon asks, not remembering her, but her face feels familiar even if he can't tell.
But with what Merlin said, she seemed to be a magic user. But Nimueh chuckled.
"No, neither. But not for lack of trying, I should point out." Nimueh says and looks at Merlin, who is staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
Nimueh sighed as if she was hesitating to say something.
"Emrys...has told me a little about the world with our brief exchange, and it seems the man who killed me is someone so famous."
The wizards in the room looked confused, but Nimueh continued,
"See, the man who killed was Merlin. When I met him, he was nothing but a servant, but I guess times change, especially after I died." Nimueh said with a sad voice, but she was straining not to laugh out loud at the look on Emrys' face.
All of the reincarnations looked shocked and side-eyed Merlin.
Remus, who had been watching everything from the sidelines, had his suspicions suddenly confirmed, and he stared in shock but for another reason.
"You knew Merlin!?"
"Merlin tried to kill you?"
"What!"
Half of the witches and wizards in the room exclaimed.
"Why?" Harry asked seemingly the most important question.
Nimueh smiled at him.
"Your name is Harry Potter, right?" Nimueh said, lightly touching her pouch as she smirked, remembering something she saw from the future after she had gotten the second crystal.
There were murmurers around the room as that question dawned in their minds as well.
"Ah, right; I'm not someone who wouldn't be labeled a hero from the past. I used to be good friends with Arthur Pendragon's' mother. I even used magic to help her conceive him, but unfortunately, things went bad, and then I was hunted like a rat for the rest of my life until I was killed mist of getting my revenge against Uther Pendragon." Nimueh said simply, as she may have forgiven Merlin, but she'd never forgive Uther for the betrayal and the mass murder of her kind.
Merlin scoffed, but when others looked at him, he didn't say anything.
Nimueh sighed again, explaining further,
"Well, my revenge was done by a different version of myself. Now I am not constrained by revenge, nor am I being hunted for being able to use magic. Then I may have tried to kill the prince and then almost killed Merlin's mother and mentor in the process, and ultimately tried to kill him, but seeing as I died at the end of that ordeal, I feel like it's over with, and it's been so long now." Nimueh said to the room, but it was meant for Merlin.
Remus, who was still in shock, seemed to be internally freaking out as the conversation continued. He had learned something that should've been rather obvious as he spent so much time around Myridian, despite it being ridiculous. It was a thought he had laughed out of his thoughts time and time again, but now he couldn't believe it to be anything but the truth.
Myridian caught his eye, and Remus couldn't control his face, and soon Merlin, who noticed the weird look on Remus' face but was not sure what it meant. Merlin decided to take a small peek into Remus' mind for just a second as he couldn't read the emotion on his face, and the word he heard spooked him.
Merlin quickly looked away, panicking internally as well, and he thought that he needed Nimueh to shut up!
He coughed loudly and spoke into Nimueh's mind,
" Stop talking of the past. Say you tired and end thing conversation, they can not find out I'm Merlin, so stop hinting at it."
Merlin glared at Nimueh as he spoke into her mind.
Nimueh just smiled, enjoying the chaos. She wasn't necessarily evil anymore, but her nature was always slightly wicked.
"Ah, I don't mean to quell your questions, but I'm rather tired. Could we finish this another time? I was just reborn only hours ago and then almost died fighting a couple of crazy sorcerers. I think I'm due for a break, right?" She said to the room but looked at Merlin with her eyes saying, 'like this?'
McGonagall seemed the quickest to get over the information she had just heard and compose herself enough to answer.
"Ah, right, you've been through a lot today; let us eat; I'll have the house elves make us a separate space so we can continue talking at a leisurely pace." She called a house elf and went to get everything ready.
Merlin let out a breath before smiling a fake smile at Remus,
"Remus, could we talk a second." Merlin asked, walking out of the room with a slow-paced and rather hesitant Remus following.
The reincarnations wanted to talk to Merlin, but he seemed weird when he had just left, so they would wait for him instead.
As they left, Hermionie couldn't contain herself and walked up to Nimueh,
"Did you really know Merlin?"
"Yes," Nimueh answered, finding the little girl cute with her bushy hair and excited smile, and obvious awe on her face.
"Wow, that's amazing." She paused and then turned to the other reincarnated people in the room as it dawned on her,
"You guys know Merlin, too, right?" Hermione asked with an intelligent gleam in her eyes.
Gwen smiled,
"Yep, he was my very first friend." She said, remembering the early days in Camelot.
Nimueh looked at Gwen and spoke,
"Oh, I remember you." Gwen looked at Nimueh, having thought she was familiar but not someone she remembered.
"You do?" Gwen asked, trying to remember her.
"Yes, we met once at a party, but I'm afraid this was another instance where I tried to kill Merlin," Nimueh said, remembering all her interactions with Merlin and his friends, who she knew would be bad.
The witches and wizards around the room weren't sure what to feel about this woman as she was someone who tried to kill the Merlin multiple times, but then she was also killed by Merlin. And she also knew about Merlin, which was something they all wanted to know about.
"Remember the poisoned chalice? When Bayard visited Camelot, I was posing as a servant at the time. I was responsible for the chalice being poisoned. I will say my actions were rather evil, but at the time, I detested Uther and wanted nothing more than to see him in pain." Nimueh said after seeing the looks on the faces around her.
It took a moment, but Gwen remembered,
"Oh, you! I remember! That was sooooo long ago. Woah...like...a really long time ago, now that I think about it. You tried to poison Arthur, but Merlin stopped it, but no one believed him, and they made him drink the poison to see if he was telling the truth, and he drank it so Arthur wouldn't have to, but it was poisoned, and he almost died if Arthur hadn't found the cure." Gwen said, vividly remembering as the memories flashed through her mind.
Others in the room looked awed at the stories being said around the room; it was literally legends never told before being said in this very room, and most of the witches and wizards felt honored. However, they also didn't like how Merlin was treated.
"Why did they make Merlin drink the poison?" Harry asked; he thought they had poison testers and stuff back then.
"Because he was a servant to the prince," Nimueh said, watching in glee as Merlin's idea in the minds of these people crumbled. She was a tiny bit bitter that no one seemed to know who she was. She wasn't doing this maliciously she was just a little annoyed that she wasn't remembered in history, that was all.
"What?"
"A servant?"
"Merlin was?"
"Why?"
Was mumbled loudly as the witches and wizards felt personally offended.
"Magic was banned in Camelot," Leon said.
"I assume Merlin was just hiding his powers; if he hadn't, he would've been executed," Leon said.
Gwaine nodded his head,
"Yeah, Princess...ah no...Arthur, yeah, his dad was a bad dude; he killed anyone if they were accused of using magic, even if they weren't actually. Lots of people died." Gwaine said his American accent was slipping in.
Those in the room were horrified.
"Then, when Arthur was king, it was different, right?" Hermione asked.
Gwen frowned,
"No. It was better, though. As long as they didn't attack the kingdom, Camelot and its knights didn't hunt for magic users when Arthur became a king. But there was a lot of mistrust during that time. See, Arthur's father was killed by magic, and his sister was a witch who tried countless times to kill him and take over Camelot; you know her as Morgana. She was a very different person when she was younger; she was a very good friend of mine. But suddenly, she changed; I don't want to say it's because of the magic, but maybe the influence of the people around her made her into a very wicked person." Gwen said.
As she always believed it was the magic that made Morgana turn crazy, but after learning about Merlin and all of these magic users, she now knows it was just something that Morgana had a personal experience that changed her and not her magic.
"Then what's with the history books? Why are they so wrong?" Hermione asked, feeling like she couldn't trust the accuracy of books.
All of the reincarnations shrugged their shoulders as they had no idea. Though it was probably to do with Merlin messing with history so he could keep his identity a secret.
"Why did you side with us?" Percival asked after he had been mulling over the question for a while.
"You mean, why didn't I join Morgana?" Nimueh asked.
Percival nodded his head.
"Hmmm, I seemed to reach peace after death. Uther was killed, and now I know by magic which makes me even happier, and well, I like how magic has progressed in the future. A school was something in my wildest of dreams, so why would I destroy such a place? I am your elder in magic craft. I feel I should teach you rather than taking over. Plus, I don't know what this world is like; I am confident in my strength, but the...muggle world was it...it's like a foreign world. I know my limits, and I wouldn't be able to grow with them. Plus, Emrys looks very similar to someone I know." Nimueh said, chuckling.
"Really, who?" Harry asked, curious about Myridian.
"Oh, he looks like Merlin when he was young," Nimueh said.
The reincarnations looked like they wanted to slap their hand over her mouth.
"He looks like Merlin?" Kingsley asked, shocked.
"Yes, very similar. Not exactly the same, but similar enough that when I first met him, I thought it was Merlin. I thought he'd come to fight me again." Nimueh chuckled, enjoying herself.
"Is Myridian Merlin's reincarnation?" Harry asked.
k he wasn't reborn "No. He's not a reincarnation. And before you either. He doesn't feel like he was. If I had to take a guess I would say he is Merlin's very distant ancestor. Maybe. I mean, that would make the most sense." Nimueh backtracked a bit because she remembered Merlin's warning before he left.
"Wow," The kids said.
Kingsley thought that made sense as well; it made sense as to why he seemed to be in the center of the Darkest Hour prophecy and why his family knew about it so much. Sirius remembers Merlin saying something similar, so he thought it made sense and thought it was cool.
Mrs. McGonagall stepped out into the hallway and then stepped back in, saying dinner was ready. They were planning to eat in the kitchen to have some privacy, as the students were still eating dinner in the dining hall. McGonagall had the elves set up a few tables and simple decor for them.
All too soon, she led the big group to dinner.
Abandoned Classroom on the Newly Renovated Second Floor
4:10 pm
"Remus," Merlin said, not asking anything but everything at once.
"Are you a reincarnation or reborn or whatever?" Remus asked.
Merlin was silent. He wasn't sure what to say. He could lie and say he was, and it would be so easy, but he didn't want to lie to Remus.
"No. I am not." Merlin said, standing tall with a mask prepared for the worst outcome.
"Then how? You-your him, right?" Remus asked without saying his name.
But Merlin wanted to hear it.
"Who am I?" Merlin asked.
"Are you Merlin?" Merlin smiled a broken and sad smile when Remus lifted his head at the silence.
"Yeah. I am." Merlin said slowly.
Remus stared into his eyes and still couldn't believe it.
"That's...I don't know.." Remus was awed and confused.
"How? I mean, you don't look old, and you-you said you didn't reincarnate or get reborn, so how?" Remus asked.
Merlin looked sad for a moment before the mask he always wore was back,
"I am immortal, Remus. I never died." Merlin said in a monotone voice.
Remus' eyes bulged at the thought. Myridian...no...Merlin was immortal, so this whole time he was alive...he was alive for a thousand years.
"You..no..how...I...how old are you?" Remus asked the seemingly stupid question.
"Oh, about 1530-ish. I think I'm not too sure, I might be a few more years older, but I lost count when it came to the little numbers." Merlin answered.
But Remus didn't know what to say. So it was silent for five minutes. Merlin was letting Remus digest the information, he knew it was a lot.
"Why weren't you here earlier? To stop the Dark Lord or to...?" Remus wanted to say everything bad.
"I actually was in prison. Just for a little longer than I said." Merlin said, scratching his face.
"Not five years, more like 500 years." Merlin laughed awkwardly.
Remus looked horrified,
"F-f-f-f-five hundred years?! How are you okay?" Remus said, touching Merlin's shoulder, worried; he didn't think of him as Merlin, the greatest wizard, but his poor friend Myridian for a moment.
"Ah, I may have lied about something but not everything. The Dementors don't like me. Whether it's because of my old magic or just me, I don't know, but they tended to stay away, and their bad influence, and depressing thoughts didn't bother me. I already had depressing thoughts and horrible nightmares without Dementors they didn't really do much to enhance it, if any. Plus, I don't age, nor do I really need food or water or anything really. I mean, I still starve, and I still feel thirsty, but it won't kill me. Plus, I slept for most of it. I didn't realize I was in there for that long though, not until like made it outside. I must have just lost track of time while I was inside." Merlin said, being truthful but making Remus feel even worse for him.
They were going to continue, but a house elf appeared.
"Lord Emrys and Mr. Lupin, dinner is ready and will be held in the kitchen." It said bowing to Merlin and then popping away as it was very busy.
"Ah, should we?" Merlin said.
"Uhm, yes, let's go, uh, but can we talk some more later, Myridian," Remus asked, still too nervous to call him Merlin.
"Yeah, anytime, Remus. I want you to know I may have lied about my identity, but I'm still your friend." Merlin said.
Remus just looked down, not sure how to answer.
Merlin frowned but hid it.
"Let's go eat I'm starving!" He said happily and left the room.
Remus sighed and followed.
Headmaster's Office
4:oo pm
Sirius pulled the new Headmistress aside.
"Okay, mister Emrys, what is it?" Mrs. McGonagall asked, wondering what the older brother had in store since the younger one was such a troublemaker these days.
"Ah, that's...hmmm...how do I explain this...see Dumbledore knew the truth before, so I figured it would be fine to tell you now." Sirius started.
Mrs. McGonagall seemed nervous but was ready.
"I'm not James Emrys."
"What?" Mrs. McGonagall said, then almost immediately pulling her wand out in alarm.
"Who are you? Where is Mr. Emrys?" She asked, hostile and worried for one of her professors.
"No, no, no. I am James Emrys. The real one." He said, pulling his cheek.
"But what I'm trying to say is that James Emrys doesn't really exist. Here." Sirius said, pulling out a blue vile.
He uncorked it and downed it. All too soon, the change took effect. The shorter raven black hair and his ocean blue eyes soon reverted back to his old look. What was once James Emrys turned into Sirius Black.
Mrs. McGonagall wasn't prepared for this, so when it happened, her jaw dropped, and ever her wand hit the floor.
"Mr. Black?" McGonagall asked, confused.
"Yeah, it was me all along. I was in disguise so I could help Myridian teach and so I could be near Harry." Sirius explained.
"Also, Myridian, Remus, and Mad-eye know. As well as some kids. Dumbledore knew; he approved of it too. I don't know how Myridian convinced the goblins at Gringotts to forge fake documents, but he managed it, and soon James Emrys was made. I thought I should tell you as you are the new head of the Order." Sirius explained since Dumbledore had told everyone he had sent Sirius was on a mission for him to explain his absence recently.
Mrs. McGonagall was at a loss for words truly. She didn't know whether to be upset at the lies or the law-breaking. But even after stuttering for a while, she sighed; if Dumbledore approved it, then it was fine for now. And she thought in his absence, it would be okay to have a few hidden cards.
"I see. Well, I'll keep this a secret then." Mrs. McGonagall said, looking tired.
"Okay, thanks, I'll tell everyone at some point; I plan to clear my name and live as my usual self anyway. But it's convenient for now since I need to move freely." Sirius said, taking out another vile and drinking it, and transforming back into James Emrys.
"Sirius, what is that potion?" She asked.
"Oh well, I don't think it has a name yet, but Myridian made it. He said his uncle made it for him when he was younger, but he modified it for me to change into him." Sirius explained as he was leaving the room.
"I see. How marvelous. I'll have to talk to Myridian later. Be on your way I still need to organise things." She said.
"Yes, ma'am," Sirius said cheekily and left.
He reminded McGonagall of his younger days when Potter, Black, and Lupin would run around causing mischief. Though now that she thought about it, nothing changed. Kids will be kids no matter how old they get.
McGonagall smiled, looking at Dumbledore's sleeping portrait.
The Dinner
5:00pm
Merlin and Remus were the last to arrive soon, sitting down. When they sat, Merlin noticed a bunch of people staring at him.
"What?" He asked as Remus took a sip of his drink, needing it after the conversation he just had with...Myridi-...no...Merlin.
"Is it true your ancestor was Merlin?" Ron asked.
Merlin glared at Nimueh, and Remus spit his drink all over Sirius, who was, unfortunately, sitting in front of him.
Everyone looked at Remus and James. Remus stood apologising to James, and James looked like he wanted to punch his good old pal Remus. Nimueh raised her hand, and the drink disappeared from Sirius' face and clothes. Everyone looked at Nimueh, who shrugged and went back to reading a book Hermionie had lent her.
All too soon, people looked back at Merlin still curious.
"It is possible, I don't know if it's 100% accurate, though, but people in my family like to think so," Merlin said.
Remus was shocked but then more amazed at how well Merlin was at lying. But then, putting his years of experience into thought, it made it seem obvious why.
"Ah Nimueh was it? May you continue to tell us about when you met the Dark Lord?" Mrs. McGonagall asked.
"Oh, sure. Well, for a while, they asked me to join them and tried to convince me to join them. But as I kept denying, they got angry and tried to kill me. I took out the 3 Death Eaters...that's what they are called, right? And then, after that, I started to fight Morgana. It was going pretty well. I was overpowering her but then, as I was getting ready for my final spell to get rid of her, but that noseless bastard cut my stomach open with a spell." Nimueh said, annoyed.
Everyone looked shocked.
"You survived that?" A teacher asked worriedly.
"Oh yes. See, I fell to the floor, obviously from the wound. And they thought I was dead, so they left. Luckily however, one of the minions on the floor we're still alive. Apparently, they only had been knocked unconscious by the initial spell I threw at them. So I performed the spell to save my life. In the old religion, it was focused solely on the belief of balance. As long as there was balance you could do anything. So since I was dying, all I needed to do was trade a life for my own. So I killed the minion, and then I lived. Well, I say it is simple, but it is only so simple because I am a high priestess of the old religion I was at the pinnacle of magic back in the day. Even sorceresses from my time would have trouble with those types of spells. But someone of Merlin or Morgana's level in the past could definitely have done it. If they knew how." Nimueh said.
She was open to sharing information because she wanted people to start following the old religion again. She had made up her mind when she saw how interested everyone was in the past. She had no plans to teach them old magic, but she would at least be able to give them the history of their own kind. However, she was thinking of taking an apprentice at some point; she thought it would be fun, but not right now.
"You killed three Death Eaters; where are they?" Kingsley asked.
"Oh, I left their bodies where they were. But I took pictures; I'll send them to you." Merlin said, pulling out his phone.
"Right, but I think I'll need to collect their bodies too," Kingsley said.
"Okay, I can transport them to the ministry after this," Merlin said, not offering for him to go near the Crystal cave.
Kingsley agreed, but he was a tad unsure about Myridian still.
From then on, the conversation continued. They chatted about the past. They talked about Merlin, the great sorcerer. They even talked about the future and Hogwarts and how the world has evolved for the benefit of Nimueh.
It was a very pleasant conversation on such a somber day. But the gaining of a new and powerful ally was something that reassured the members of the Order of the Phoenix.
/
Notes:
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, Remus has discovered something. He was always going to be the first to know. It would be weird if he weren't. He'd seen so much. I already know who the next person is going to be and maybe the next after that. I wanted Hermionie to figure it out quickly, but I can't have Harry knowing just yet, and if Hermionie knows something, she's telling Harry, so, for now, she will not know. I'll distract her with the reincarnations for now.
(side note) As I read the Harry Potter wiki for research, I've come to understand that I have severely lacked knowledge about the last three books. LOL, I watched the movies cause I was too busy to read the books, and I thought I knew everything, but I was a fool. Plus, my timeline for things that happen within the book suck; I forgot about so many small details *crying* But I'll try to fix it. I will eventually make everything work.
Also lastly, my favorite ship in this whole series is coming soon. I will burst out of my comfort zone and write a cute romance if it's the last thing I do! Ahhh, I can't wait. It was delayed cause I'm dumb and forgot to bring one half of the relationship into the book, but it will happen!