Merlin, Arthur and their three new friends walked out from the dungeon and headed towards the great hall. Their stomachs rumbled terribly because they hadn't eaten since the morning. Halfway, Hermione stated that she's going to the library and will join them later.
"This Snape, is he always so mean?" Arthur asked when they were squeezing through the crowded corridor.
"Towards me? Always," Harry replied. "When it comes to you both I think he wanted to show you where you belong."
"Why is he like that?"
"It is said that he's been hunting for a post of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for years, but Dumbledore still refuses him," said Ron.
They all fell silent because they've already entered the great hall. Arthur and Merlin looked at everything with amazement. In the air were floating some lit candles. The king wasn't sure whether he may touch one of them or not, but finally a big smile appeared on his face when the pushed candle flew away swaying slightly. There were also four wooden tables and their length was almost the same as the length of the hall. At the end of the room, on the dais, stood another table at which were sitting a few people facing the entrance. They were probably teachers because among them was Dumbledore.
"He was going to be very busy, and yet he sits here enjoying a small talk with the others!" Arthur looked indignant.
Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders. Merlin didn't say anything, he was just staring at the ceiling which looked like a beautiful cloudy sky. He almost tripped but Arthur was quick enough to catch him.
"Oh, no…," Ron groaned. "What does he want this time?"
In the place where they were about to sit, Draco Malfoy was leaning against Gryffindor's table. Behind him were his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Merlin recognised in him the boy who was staring at him and Arthur almost the whole time in potions class.
"Hey!" Malfoy exclaimed to them.
"Shove off, Malfoy," snarled Ron.
"Not so harsh, Weasley," said Malfoy. "I was talking to them," he pointed towards Arthur.
"Me?" the king asked, slightly confused.
"Yeah, you. And to your friend," Malfoy glanced at Merlin. "I'm Draco Malfoy, and these are my friends, Crabbe and Goyle. Rumours travel very fast. They say you're the king Arthur and Merlin the wizard, and that you've jumped from the Middle Ages. And I can see that you've barely made it to the future and you've already managed to mate with someone like them." the boy said, giving, specifically Ron, a superior look.
"Middle Ages?" Merlin and Arthur said unisono and looked at each other.
"Never heard of that?" Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "So you don't even know what time you're from?" he laughed, and Crabbe and Goyle cackled.
"No wonder you hang out with them. Water finds its level," Malfoy smirked. Ron clenched his hands into fists in anger. Merlin and Arthur still were staring at the blond boy blankly.
Draco sighed and shook his head with disbelief of how people can be so stupid. "I really doubt you really are the king Arthur and Merlin… Middle Ages, you know… the time when people couldn't read."
"But we can read," Arthur seemed insulted.
"Thank at least for that," said Malfoy.
At this moment Dumbledore's voice sounded in the hall announcing that there is time for a feast. Malfoy shot them a glance and walked away with Crabbe and Goyle to Slytherin's table. Merlin and Arthur took their places across from Harry and Ron. On silver plates, loads of different looking delicious food and snacks magically appeared. Arthur's eyes widened to the size of golf balls when he saw all of this. He didn't know what to eat first, but then he remembered that Merlin could choose for him.
"Merlin, could you please put something good on my plate?" he asked, looking around the table. There were so many dishes, even much more than Camelot had at the feasts.
Harry and Ron gave him a side look. Merlin smiled nervously. They all think he's a great wizard, but do they know he's a servant to king Arthur?
"I told you this morning," Merlin hissed to Arthur. "We're not in Camelot so I'm not serving you here."
"Oh, come on. This is your duty. You said before you didn't know where the kitchen was, but now there it is, food," Arthur smiled and made a move with his hands as if he was showing him some masterpiece he had done by himself.
"Honestly, Arthur. You can put something on your plate without my help," said Merlin and took some meat and pudding.
"I guess this is gonna be good, I want it too," Arthur looked at his friend biting a piece of good smelling meat.
"Is something wrong?" asked Harry. He and Ron were watching the whole scene with raised eyebrows.
"Everything's fine," Arthur smiled. "Merlin just doesn't want to do his work."
The warlock lowered his hands to the table with a thud, so that he accidentally nudged the spoon resting on his plate. Its contents, possibly the pudding, fired like a slingshot and landed in Neville's goblet, splashing him with the drink.
"What work?" Harry asked.
"Well, I don't know what your books are saying about me and Arthur, but I'm actually his servant," Merlin explained.
"They're mostly saying you're his advisor," said Ron. "Maybe that's who you will become in the future… I mean, your future."
"Yeah, probably," Arthur agreed and finally put some meat on his plate. "He's already telling me what to do."
"Hello to our new friends, how is it going?" said a happy voice behind them. It was Fred and George who sat next to Merlin and Arthur.
"Hi," they replied simultaneously.
"Second day in Hogwarts and you're already famous," said George to Merlin.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at them," Fred pointed at some girls walking into the great hall. They were all glancing at the warlock, smiling strangely and whispering something to each other.
"What do they want?" Merlin asked, confused a little.
"Probably you," George and Fred laughed. "They're walking around the castle saying that young Merlin is really handsome and charming and that you look really pretty in our school robes," Fred pretended to brush the dust off Merlin's robe.
Arthur was looking at the twins with a frown. They caught his glance.
"Unfortunately, girls don't talk about you, Arthur. They are completely charmed with Merlin," said George.
The warlock sighed and looked pityingly at the twins, and then at Arthur, not paying any attention to the girls staring at them from all sides of the great hall. How come he hadn't noticed it before?
"Why do the students sit at the four tables, not at one?" he asked to change the subject.
"Oh, well… At each table sit students who belong to one of the four houses," Fred replied.
"Houses?" Arthur was surprised.
"Yeah, we have Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor to which we all belong," Fred pointed at Harry and his two brothers. "Each house has its colours and symbols, you see? And personality traits that determine which one you'll be sorted to. So everyone before their first year in school has to get through a sorting ceremony."
"And you are in Gryffindor?" asked Arthur and they nodded. "So what are your characteristics?"
"Courage, bravery, determination… and chivalry," George glanced at Arthur.
"I would fit very well to Gryffindor," the king stated.
"I'm sure you would!" said Fred and George and took a spoonful of pudding in their mouths.
"Merlin is brave, too," said Arthur after a moment.
"In the books it's written he was in Slytherin," Fred replied.
"You know, Malfoy and his blokes are in this house," said Ron.
"But Merlin is not like them," Arthur stated. "I bet all Slytherins are not the same."
After lunch, Harry, Ron, Arthur and Merlin said goodbye to twins and headed to the third floor for their last classes of the day, charms. From time to time they passed giggling girls glancing stealthily at Merlin, which clearly irritated Arthur a lot, because he was giving them a dissatisfied look. And Merlin didn't quite know why, but he decided not to be bothered by it. When they climbed on the mezzanine floor, a knight in shining armour jumped out in frame to meet them. They stopped at this sudden greeting.
"What is he doing here?" asked Ron more to himself than to the others and looked at the painting of a woman holding a basket of fruits. The knight was standing on them.
"I am on a quest!" the knight exclaimed proudly. "I am travelling around the castle to find my king! Ha! Yes, I heard king Arthur came to Hogwarts! You, scallywags, do you know where he is?" he pointed with his sword at them.
But the blade was too heavy for him and the knight staggered dangerously forward so that he could almost fall out of the picture frame. The sword stuck into the apple, and the knight pretended to have done it on purpose, and now he was leaning against it. The woman on the painting gave him an irritated and disapproving look.
"Where is your ugly, fat pony, sir Cadogan?" Harry asked, ignoring the knight's question.
"I had to give my horse a break, so he is grazing in a meadow now. But I am not resting! I am looking for king Arthur!"
"I am king Arthur," said Arthur, staring at him.
"You are…," sir Cadogan's eyes widened. "I have finally found you, my lord! I dare to say I am the best of the knights of the Round Table!"
Arthur raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with Merlin. They must have realised that Sir Cadogan was not sane.
"Sir Cadogan, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Merlin," Arthur smiled, he was trying to be nice.
"Merlin?" sir Cadogan looked at the warlock suspiciously. "The wizard?"
"Yes, the very same," Merlin nodded.
Sir Cadogan took a step back still looking at them and all of a sudden he started screaming extremely loud.
"I knew Merlin! He was old and had a beard! You do not look like him! And you, king Arthur!" sir Cadogan pointed at him. "You are not the king! You do not even wear a crown and armour! You liars! You frauds!"
Harry, Ron, Merlin and Arthur backed away from him sharply, fearing he might spit on them.
"He's mental, isn't he?" Arthur glanced at Ron and Harry who nodded slightly.
"Don't say he really was one of your knights," said Ron.
"Luckily, as far as I remember, I don't have a knight named Cadogan," the king replied.
"Come on, we're gonna be late for charms classes," said Harry and they all started walking away.
"Hey!" sir Cadogan exclaimed after them. "You cowards! Draw your swords and fight! You dogs!"
They heard his screams and insults until they reached the third floor. There were already some of the students waiting for the teacher at the classroom door. Hermione joined them soon after.
"Do you know why sir Cadogan is screaming so bad?" she frowned.
"No idea," said Harry and Ron, glancing at each other.
"And you spent all this time in the library?" Ron asked.
"Unlike you, I am trying to help Merlin and Arthur return to their time," Hermione replied.
"Did you find something?" Arthur looked at her hopefully. Hermione nodded with a smile.
"I found some clues that led me to where we can find the information we really need. And we'll be needing your help, Merlin. I'm not an expert in the language of the Old Religion, and I'm sure you know it best," she said.
"I wish I had my book of spells with me," Merlin sighed.
"Don't worry, we have plenty of them in the library."
"Then why don't we go there now? Nothing will happen if we miss charms classes," Ron stated.
"Have you gone mad?" Hermione was indignant. "Charms are very important. Besides, these books we need are, indeed, in the library, but in the restricted section."
At this moment everyone walked into the classroom because professor Flitwick showed up. Ron murmured something about professor Lockhart, that it was a pity he's not a teacher anymore because then he would gladly give Hermione permission to use books in the restricted section. They all took their places and Arthur with Merlin started to look around.
"Where's the teacher?" asked Merlin who lost sight of their professor.
"He's there," Harry nodded towards desk.
Behind the teacher's table, they could hear a noise, like if someone was stacking something on top of each other.
"Someone must have taken his books from him," Ron chuckled.
"Ron, because of this we're losing precious minutes of our lesson," Hermione replied.
After a moment, professor Flitwick appeared behind his desk. He was a tiny little person and when Arthur leaned back to see better he noticed that the teacher was standing on a pile of books. For the rest of the lesson they were practising some spells. Girls were amazed seeing that Merlin was doing all his spells without a wand and without even saying a word. Arthur, on the other hand, was surprised that the others had to use wands, and for a part of the classes he played with Ron's wand, asking him how it works. The lesson ended with a bell sound and Arthur's exclamation: Merlin is the king of charms! And then he whispered into his friend's ear: They're such losers. They all have to use their wands and you don't need one!
