Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Merlin do not belong to me, the only thing I own is the plot.

Severus Snape rushed down the deserted halls, pitch black robes bellowing out behind him. His normally apathetic features were twisted into worry. Ignoring the click of his dress shoes, he raced across the worn stone hoping the noise wasn't enough to draw attention to himself. He stopped suddenly in front of a pair of inconspicuous looking gargoyles with angry expressions.

"L-Lemon Drop" he panted, breathing heavily. The heavy stone door sealing the headmaster off from the rest of the world slowly slid to the side, grinding across the floor. Within a minute a set of dark stairs appeared from the wall and the potions master rushed up them in a hurry, almost tripping over his normally ominous looking robes.

"Albus...Albus I have news" he huffed as he rushed into the headmaster's study.

"Ah, Severus. I'm sorry but I do have a few guests at the moment, do you think this could wait?" Dumbledore answered with a warning look. Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge turned to face Severus with identical looks of suspicion.

"I'm sure anything Severus was going to tell you he can tell us too" said Fudge, narrowing his eyes at the potions master. Snape had to consciously stop his lip from curling at the sight of the incompetent Minister of Magic.

"I was just here to inform you that Harry Potter has almost fully recovered and should be able to return to his classes in a day or so" Snape said, his fists clenched behind his back praying that no one saw through his rather flimsy lie.

"I'm glad to see you care so greatly for your students, but maybe consider a new exercise plan?" joked Fudge as he stood up and began to walk from the room with Umbridge at his heels.

"We will discuss this more later Albus." The headmaster nodded and Umbridge gave Snape one last look before leaving the well-lit room with an annoying 'humph' Fudge right at her heels.

"Severus" Albus said, a worried look crossing his wrinkled face, "sit."

Snape sat in the chair opposite the headmaster and rubbed his weary eyes. "I have been watching Professor Emrys closely..." he started.

"Severus I told you that you have nothing to worry about. He is a good man and I trust him" Albus sighed wearily.

"I know" Snape agreed, causing a rare look of surprise to appear on the Headmaster's face. "I don't think me means to harm us...intentionally."

"What do you mean Severus?" Albus asked quietly leaning forward.

"The...darkness...the thing that had invaded Potter's...soul" Snape started.

"Yes, but as I said we cannot remove it. It is feasting on the boy's magic supply and if we were to somehow remove the mist we would also destroy Harry's magic..." supplied Dumbledore, the gears in his mind running at top speed trying to predict what Snape was about to say.

"Emrys entered the room and asked if he could take a look at the boy because of his experience with foreign illnesses..." Snape continued, studding Dumbledore's face.

"Of course yes! How stupid of me, he would have been a wonderful mind for me to pick..." interrupted Dumbledore.

"Sir, Emrys absorbed the...darkness, the mist" Snape said quickly to regain the Headmaster's attention.

"What...?" asked Dumbledore, his voice suddenly quiet.

"He put his hands on either side of the boy's head and they both stared to glow golden; it was very faint but there none the less. I thought that he had simply expelled the mist when Potter breathed out a bit of smoky looking air" Severus explained. The light mood in the room had quickly become dark and dense. "I thought he would explain this all to Poppy but instead he lied. He told her that all she would have to do is cast some simple charms on him to replenish his magical supply."

"That would help replenish a nearly empty magical supply, but that mist would have simply stolen any magic Harry could regain" muttered Dumbledore, his features twisted in rare confusion.

"He left the room and I followed, keeping a very long distance so I didn't see any symptoms he may have had in the halls, but he stumbled into a room and collapsed on the ground, he struggled for a few moments before a black smoke burst out of him" finished Snape, studying the other man's reaction.

"But that mist...if he had somehow caught it from Harry. There would be no way for him to expel it himself. It's impossible..." said Dumbledore, his voice laced with shock.

"How much do you really know about that man?" asked Snape.

"He met all the basic requirements and he seemed to be a better teacher than Professor Umbridge, but other then that not too much" answered Dumbledore. The two men looked at each other once more both wondering what other secrets the new professor may also be hiding.

Harry groaned as he felt himself wake up. His mind felt like a limb when the circulation had been cut off, full of imaginary pins and needles indicating he had been asleep for a long time. Forcing open his sleep-crusted eyes, he was assaulted by the blinding white light illuminating the world around him. Just as his eyes had begun to adjust a pair of arms threw themselves around his neck and a bush of brown hair was shoved into his face.

"Harry!" squeaked a high voice, sounding rather hoarse as if it hadn't been used in a day or so.

"Hey Hermione" croaked Harry, suddenly aware at how dry his throat was.

"I'll get some water" muttered Ron, who had been standing at the foot of Harry's bed with insomnia heavy eyes.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Better" answered Harry with a weak smile. Hermione grabbed his hand lightly and sat in one of the chairs next to Harry's bed. Ron handed Harry a tall glass of water and sat next to her.

Giving Hermione's hand a small squeeze Harry let go and forced himself to sit up in his bed. He took the water from Ron and downed the entire glass in a few seconds.

"Better?" asked Ron with a slightly amused smile.

"Better" answered Harry returning the smile.

"What happened to you Harry?" whispered Hermione quietly as she gripped his hand. Harry felt a pang of guilt at his friend furrowed brows and worried expressions. He considered telling them about the strange dream that he had, but immediately decided against it once he took a second look at his friends' pained and exhausted expressions.

"I...I don't really know Mionie..." muttered Harry, refusing to make eye contact with her.

Ron, oblivious as always just shrugged, "guess you just got a really bad cold, eh mate?" Hermione shook her head slightly and studied Harry's tired face.

"Heh...guess so" Harry answered with a fake smile, but he could tell by the bag's under his friend's eyes and the disorder of their appearance that neither of them had left his bed in the unknown time he had been unconscious in the hospital wing. They all knew it had been a lot more than a cold.

The three friend continued to discuss classes and make other small talk until the large double door leading into the hospital wing quietly creaked open. Harry looked past his friends to see the defence professor entering the room. He watched him until the young man looked up and made eye contact with him.

"Ah Harry! I'm glad to see that you're awake!" Professor Emrys said with a wide smile.

"Hullo Professor" Ron greeted cheerily.

"Hello Professor" sighed Hermione, realizing her time to interrogate Harry had ended.

"Hello Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger. I hate to interrupt the three of you, but would you mind if I spoke with your fallen friend for a moment?" Merlin asked, his cheery smile becoming a bit more forced.

"Of course not Professor, we have homework to get started anyways" replied Hermione with a smile that was equally forced. Taking Ron's hand, she lead him from the room and left Harry alone with the eccentric defence Professor.

Harry watched Merlin take a seat beside his bed and look at him with a worried expression mixed with a bit of curiosity.

"Tell me what happened ."

Harry managed a small smile, "I must have gotten a bad case of the flu that's all professor."

Merlin sighed, "Harry you could have died."

Harry's smile melted away into a neutral expression. "What?" he asked quietly.

"Well seeing as no one else is willing to tell you this I will: something happened to your magic..." Merlin trailed off for a moment when he saw Harry's panicked expression.

"You should be fine now...but I'm sure you know that wizards can't live without out magic and something managed to steal most of yours away. It's a miracle you survived Harry" said Merlin slowly, choosing his words carefully.

Harry studied the professor's face for a moment before deciding that his confession deserved a compensation.

"I had a dream...I was in a dark room, filled with this dark smoke. And I heard this voice...it sounded so far away...I couldn't make out what it was saying. And then the smoke took shape of huge shelves covering every portion of the room from floor to ceiling and these people, at least I think they were people, were wandering around the room. Then the smoke started to fill up my lungs and I heard a voice again but I couldn't make out what it was saying."

Merlin looked at Harry with a truly worried expression, "thank you ."

Harry sighed, "if you don't mind Professor, I think I'm going to get some sleep now. I mean I've done nothing but sleep for the past week, yet I'm exhausted."

Merlin gave Harry a small smile, nodded, and stood from the stool exiting the sterile room. It made no sense to him. How had that smoke managed to get to Harry from a dream? And how had it managed to find its way into him? The professor was so lost in thought that he didn't see the potion master until he had run into him.

"Oh! Professor Snape! I'm sorry I was a bit preoccupied" exclaimed Merlin with a sheepish smile.

"It's not a problem" answered Snape in a monotone voice, looking as if he wanted to get away from the newest professor as quickly as possible.

"Is something wrong Severus? You look like you've seen a ghost, which is entirely possible" Merlin joked.

The potions professor just gave him a strange look and excused himself before continuing down the hall. Merlin stared after him for a moment before continuing on his way.

He figured he should probably drop by the headmaster's office and pick his brain for any theories of what may have happened to Harry, but stopped when he heard hushed voices from inside Dolores Umbridge's office.

Normally Merlin was very against eavesdropping, as he felt it was an invasion of privacy but he still found himself stopping to listen.

"...do not want that man teaching my child" said a cold voice, filled with authority.

"I'm sorry Lucius, but we didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I barely managed to get Dolores on as staff with that loon Dumbledore in charge" replied another voice, sounding a bit frightened.

"I agree with Lucius Minister, he seems just as incompetent as the headmaster but with less restraint" voiced Umbridge. Merlin frowned at this; why was he being discussed among the Minister of Magic, Lucius Malfoy, and Dolores Umbridge?

"I don't care Fudge. I want him gone before he can fill my son's head with any more of his ludicracy! In the last letter I received from Draco he told me that he was beginning to question whether blood status meant anything at all!" Malfoy snarled, and Merlin could imagine the anger on his face. He felt himself smiling a bit, maybe he had really gotten through to young Draco after all.

"Well...I mean...I'm not sure if that's..." stuttered Fudge, sounding extremely uncomfortable. Merlin knew the man had good ideas and okay morals, he was just too much of a coward to do anything.

"If Professor Emrys steps one foot out of line, I will have him dismissed off staff. But until then..." Umbridge stated in her sickly sweet voice.

"Oh I think we may have something already" said Malfoy, "according to reports from my son and some of his friends, he has been displaying contempt for the Slytherin house that has led to unfair treatment of its students."

"I'm afraid not Lucius, if that was the case Severus would have been sacked years ago" piped up Fudge.

Having heard enough Merlin turned away from the door in disgust. He would've hexed all three of them right there if he could. Strolling at a rushed pace he headed towards the gargoyles concealing the headmaster's office.

"Chocolate Frog" he said, surprised by the anger in his voice. Taking a deep breath, he ascended the stairs.

Knocking on the partially open door, he peered into the office. All matter of thingamabobs and doohickies whirled around the space and Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, across from Minerva McGonagall. The old man looked over at Merlin and gave him a warm smile.

"Ah! Ben, how nice to see you" he greeted warmly. Merlin returned the headmaster's smile, although his was a bit more forced.

"I'd appreciate if I could borrow your mind for a moment Albus" Merlin said, still feeling a bit angry. The headmaster nodded and McGonnigal moved to leave the room. "That's alright Minerva you're deputy headmistress, you should hear this too." She gave him a small nod and took her seat once again.

"I was visiting in the hospital wing to check on his condition and on my way back to my room I overheard a concerning conversation between Dolores Umbridge, The Minister of Magic, and Lucius Malfoy." Dumbledore nodded and motioned for Merlin to continue.

"I am wondering why in the bloody world that they were discussing options to get me sacked" continued Merlin, ignoring the shadowed look that passed over the transfiguration professor's face.

Dumbledore sighed, "I'm sorry Ben. I'm sure you're aware that there are some...unfavorable characters in power in the wizarding world as of late."

Merlin, who had calmed down significantly by now took a deep breath, "Albus, I'm only trying to help the students of this school."

McGonagall studied the young man's face. He rubbed his eyes and his features sagged with a weariness that didn't belong in their youthful glow. For a man so young, he carried the weight of age more than Dumbledore himself.

"Lucius Malfoy has been a tumor to this school ever since he joined the board" she said in a clipped tone. Dumbledore seemed a bit surprised at her words, but she saw a look of amusement twitch over the young professor's face.

"There are many...unsavory things happening in the wizarding world as of late" interjected Dumbledore, "Ben I...must ask what side you're on." He looked up at the young wizard with a serious expression that did not seem to belong on his normally mischievous and jolly features.

Looking Dumbledore dead in the eye Merlin straightened his posture, "Albus I am on whatever side ensures that this world can live safely, be it Wizard, Muggle, or Goblin. I will never support someone who believes that they are better then someone for a reason as trivial as ancestry. I will never support someone that idiotic and misinformed."

Dumbledore felt a chill run down his spine at the danger in Merlin's words. The look in the man's eyes was unsettling to say the least.

In that moment the old man vowed to himself to never let the newest professor go anywhere near any side but the side of the light.

Alright guys. So this is the last chapter I have pre written so the next one may not be uploaded by next week; no promises. I'm really enjoying writing with the characters in this story so far and I have some exciting updates ahead so I hope you all will continue to support me in the same amazing ways. I love all of you and I hope everyones continues to enjoy this story.