CHAPTER TWELVE: Who is Merlin?

"I can't believe how boring History of Magic is!" I complained as we made our way to our next class the following afternoon.

"And with Binns being so old and all he's lived through it all so you'd think he'd make it a bit more exciting!" Martin added. "I just can't seem to remember the difference between Hilda the horrible, and Tilda the terrible."

Jenny sighed, and shifted the huge load of books she was carrying from one arm to the other. "It's simple." She explained. "Hilda lived during the fifteen hundreds and she was more into muggle baiting than anything terrible like Tilda, who lived in the seventeen hundreds, and didn't confine her behavior merely to muggles, but also included witches and wizards!"

"Oh yeah, that's so simple." Martin said, rolling his eyes, but we didn't continue our discussion because as we arrived at the DADA classroom so did Snape.

He glared at us. "Running a little late again today Gryffindoors?" He asked coldly.

"Sorry Sir," Martin said, hiding a grin. "We were up late last night celebrating, and even now we're still tired. Did you go to the game Sir? Wasn't it great?"

I choked back a laugh, and I could tell even Jenny was trying not to laugh. Martin was right about one thing though: we had been up late the night before celebrating in the common room. Even Jenny had joined in the celebrations! Throughout the Transfiguration lesson that morning on Animagus and the strict registration process they had to go through we'd all been yawning. However for once the headmistress was lenient-I suppose because we'd beaten Slytherin- and she didn't tell us off for it. In potions, we were slightly more awake, which was lucky considering that Professor Selwyn decided to give us a quiz on different potions to see what we knew. When we'd all scored fairly low (except Jenny) he'd been so annoyed he'd given us an essay to write on whether or not it was possible to make a true love potion.

"Get in the classroom Simms, Potter, Weasley." Snape snarled instead of answering. As we walked in Martin said to me in a loud whisper "I guess he didn't like the game much hey Sam?" Snape pretended not to hear.

"Okay, class. Today we're going to talk about something some of you might think you're an expert on. We're going to talk about the baddest wizard who ever lived." Snape said, and then he nodded at Alforth who had his hand up.

"Father and Grandfather claim that he was also the greatest." Alforth said.

Snape's lip twitched for a moment, and there was a strange expression on his face. "I guess that's debatable." He finally said. "But for our purposes today, we're not going to discuss that."

After Snape started talking I tuned out looking at Alforth carefully. We'd only seen him in classes really since he got put in Slytherin but he seemed happy. And unlike when he'd been in Gryffindoor with us he was more than willing to pick on us to our faces, like in Flying Lessons yesterday. So much for my idea about becoming his friend.

"MR. POTTER!" Snape was yelling, and I jumped. "Let me guess-your father defeated Voldemort so you don't need to PAY ATTENTION!"

"I was listening Sir!" I argued.

"Ten points from Gryffindoor for lying." Snape replied. "And answer me this then Potter-what is it which kills a werewolf?"

"Kills a werewolf?" I repeated confused. "I don't know sir, we're not up to that yet."

"A silver bullet." Snape said slowly. "And ten more points from Gryffindoor for not knowing the answer. Now, pay attention Potter before you lose your house any more points."

I bit my lip to keep quiet, and privately thanked Jenny for being so smart and earning us so many points in other classes to compensate for all the ones Snape so unfairly took from us!

*****

"Ready?" Jenny asked after DADA ended. "I'm sure we'll find out who Merlin is and why the ghost's council were so secretive about the whole thing."

"Sure." I agreed, not very enthusiastic, but knowing I'd promised to help. For my own part I was wondering whether the Merlin they were talking about WAS the Merlin from muggle stories, or whether he was a real wizard who had lived in our world. It just seemed strange that neither Jenny nor I had heard of him if the later was the case!

"Ready for what?" Martin asked overhearing.

"We're going to the library to see whether we can find out who Merlin is." Jenny answered, hesitantly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You know I was thinking last night actually," Martin said. "I seem to recall reading something once about Merlin working in conjunction with another famous wizard-the one who was the maker of the philosopher's stone. Although Merlin didn't work on the stone with him- it was something else! But for some reason whatever it was I was reading seemed sketchy on the details about Merlin..it was almost as if the writer wasn't able to give them?"

I frowned. "I've heard of the stone-something about eternal life or something, but I can't remember who it was who made it." I said. "I know it was destroyed years ago because Voldemort tried to steal it and I know that my Dad was involved, and yours too Jenny, and I know-"

"Nicholas Flamel!" Jenny exclaimed, interrupting me.

Martin and I both gaped at her, and she explained in a lower tone. "Nicholas Flamel worked with Dumbeldore on the stone. So that means it's Flamel who worked with Merlin on something. Does that sound right Martin?"

He looked thoughtful and then nodded. "It rings a bell. So we can look up him, as well as Merlin then?"

"We?" Jenny asked. "Are you coming to the library to help too?"

"Well what else would I do?" Martin said, trying to sound casual. "Homework?"

But both Jenny and I saw through his attitude and knew that he wanted to help, and that he was as curious about Merlin and the ghost's council as we were!

*****

"It's no use!" Jenny cried, about four hours later. "I can't even see anymore my eyes are so tired."

I yawned. "And I'm hungry. We only ate quickly at dinner because we wanted to get back here!"

"And I hate this place." Martin added, slamming the huge book he was reading shut so hard that the sound reverberated through the huge library.

"I guess we should give up for now." Jenny said with a sigh.

We put our books back and left the library. As we walked Jenny told us that it was only a matter of time before we worked out who Merlin was, and that all it needed was simply perseverance. Martin grinned and asked me "Has she always been such a nerd?"

Rather than answer directly I said "Ten to one she'll find out who the real Merlin is before either of us!"

Jenny went red, but hurried on so we could only see her back, but by the way she walked I had a feeling my comment had made her proud.

"Ten to one hey?" Martin mused. "Okay Sam, let's make a real bet. If you or I find out who Merlin is first I win, if Jenny does you win."

"Win what?" I asked, curious despite myself.

"The bet. The winner choses a dare for the loser." Martin replied. "And it has to be a good dare, a proper dare."

I didn't hesitate. "You're on Simms!"

*****

In the next few weeks we spend lots of our spare time in the library- something not unusual for Jenny, but certainly not the place Martin or I would have imagined us spending time. The teachers piled on the work as the Christmas break approached, and between that, Quidditch, and Merlin we had little time for anything else. During a potions lesson Professor Selwyn mentioned the elixir of life, and Martin, Jenny and I exchanged glances.

"Professor, when you're talking about the elixir of life, were you talking about the Philosopher's stone and Nicholas Flamel?" Jenny asked.

"Sort of. I guess that's one example of that. But in general elixirs of life don't work. Does anyone know why?" The Professor replied.

A Ravenclaw first year put up her hand. "Because they are selfish potions." She said.

The Professor nodded. "Of course a lot of potions are selfish, but something like this is extremely selfish, and hence it can backfire more often than not." He explained.

"Do you know Nicholas Flamel's work well Professor?" Jenny persisted.

"Well enough." The Professor replied. "Anyway elixirs of life are very complicated even if they were to work-"

"Professor, have you heard of Merlin?" Jenny asked.

"The magician?" The Professor looked confused.

"No, the wizard." Jenny said.

"I think you've got the story back to front-Merlin was a magician. A muggle tale. Now back to what I was discussing..." The Professor said.

I sat there thinking: even a Professor didn't know who Merlin was, and this seemed really strange to me. What was the big mystery about Merlin?

*****

"Potter!" Alforth called to me one afternoon as I was on my way down to join Jenny and Martin after flying lessons. Now that Professor Janson was back they were a lot more enjoyable. The Slytherin's weren't as willing to make fun of us in class as Professor Janson didn't hesitate to take points off them. I'd been lost in my own little world contemplating the quiz we had coming up in Herbs on dangerous herbs. Herbs classes were getting a lot more interesting now, as Professor Sprout had learnt to deal with the snide comments the Slytherin students always threw at her. She still sometimes got a funny look on her face when the subject was brought up, or alluded to, but it was mostly better.

Alforth was with Carlos, and I sighed. "Yes Alforth?"

"Slytherin are playing Hufflepuff today and we're going to win by heaps, and then we'll play you after Christmas to see who finishes where on the ladder." He told me.

The last few weeks had been filled with Quidditch games, and currently Gryffindoor were sitting second on the ladder and Slytherin first, with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first and third respectively. For every game the whole school turned out and barracked at the top of their lungs.

"You wish you'd win. Hufflepuff will wipe the floor with you." I said automatically.

Alforth snorted. "For someone who thinks they know it all you don't know very much about Quidditch!" He said.

I was about to comment on that first accusation, but instead I smiled. "Well we'll see." I said, and I turned and walked off. Nonetheless I heard Alforth's words to Carlos: "Father says the Potters have always thought they were great!" My face turned red with fury, but I didn't turn around. I arrived at the library fuming.

"Bloody Alforth." I muttered to Jenny. "I'm glad he got resorted. He really does belong there!"

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't question me any further.

Martin was doing the readings for DADA and he said, "I am too glad about it being the Christmas break next week to care about that stupid fool. Although with all the work Snape's been giving us, plus that essay for Transfiguration I won't be having much of a holiday!" Snape and the headmistress had been the only teachers to give us holiday homework.

I sighed, and pulled out another book on famous wizards hoping for a mention of Merlin. But there was none. I shut it with another sigh, looking forward to the next week and no more reading!