Chapter 21

I honestly don't think I thank you guys enough for how you have supported me over the past year or so. The fact that this story has almost 400 reviews, almost 800 followers, and over 116,000 hits means so much to me and I never thought this would do as well as it has. I know it might seem like I'm bragging a little (I mean I kinda am I'm really proud) but thank you all. I wouldn't have anything to write if there was no one to read it. Btw I have no idea who the heads of houses were during this year so I'm just making it up. Just roll with it. I'm also sorry this chapter is a little shorter, I have finals tomorrow but I wanted to get something up for you guys. I mean writing fanfiction is a great way to study for AP English right?

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Umbridge had finally broken the curse on her pastel pink door and had spent the few hours after dinner wandering the halls and staring down students and staff alike. Little did she know that just below her feet, one floor below, a secret meeting was taking place; a meeting she would love nothing more than to be privy to.

Anthony Otterburn, Head boy, wrung his hands rather nervously as he waited in a dark and cold classroom. Waving his wand, the few candles placed haphazardly around the dusty and unused room lit and reflected a dim light of the damp stone walls.

"Otterburn" muttered a voice from across the room, he turned quickly to find Gerald Vickers leaning against the door frame and smirking as he watched his friend jump a foot in the air as he called his name.

"Damn it Gerald, don't do that to me" Anthony sighed, glaring at the Ravenclaw prefect.

"Where's Davis?" Gerald asked, giving the room a rather disgusted look.

"No clue mate, I was the first one here" Anthony shrugged, "in fact it seems I was the only one here on time."

Gerald rolled his eyes and shoved his friend's shoulder.

"Woah!" exclaimed Anthony as he stumbled and lost his footing on the damp stone floor and started to fall, only to freeze half way down.

"I swear..." muttered Tracey Davis, wand in hand, brushing a speck of dust of her impeccable Slytherin robes and straightening her 'Head Girl' badge.

"Aw c'mon Davis, they were just messing around" sighed Raza Mohammad, crossing her tanned arms, the maroon prefect badge on her robes almost blending in with their rich red tone.

"Hey Raza" smiled Anthony, with a ruffle of his chocolate brown hair.

"Ugh" muttered Tracy, letting Anthony fall to the floor.

"Hey!" protested Anthony, looking at the now brown Hufflepuff insignia embroidered on his robes.

"Watching you to flirt is gross" she shrugged as Raza turned pink.

"We are not here for this" muttered Gerald, pinching his brow.

"Yeah" said Raza, suddenly serious, "Anthony why are we here? Don't we have to deal with one and other enough in the prefect meetings?" She sent a pointed glance in Tracy's direction which was answered with a look of thinly veiled disgust.

"Well, considering Davis and I are the Head Boy and Girl and you and Gerald are prefects in your houses, I thought that it would be up to us to keep said houses in check" Anthony answered, his blue eyes taking on a serious air that did not fit with his normal lopsided grin.

"Merlin" stated Tracy.

Anthony nodded.

"If we do want to try to keep his secret for the time being" he unconsciously glanced towards Tracy, "then we have to use our position to make sure our houses follow through with Headmistress McGonagall's promise to him."

"Don't worry about the Gryffindors" shrugged Raza, " the older students will probably follow the prefects lead and the younger kids will just watch what Potter does."

"The Ravenclaws have already agreed that from a tactical standpoint, it is better to let Merlin forge his own image in the world today."

"And the Hufflepuffs aren't a problem" finished Anthony, "what about you Tracy?"

Tracy crossed her arms looking rather ruffled at being singled out, "he's a Slytherin. We take care of our own."

The other three houses nodded, if Slytherins had anything, it was loyalty to Slytherin.

"So we're agreed" said Gerald, nodding at the other three.

"Agreed" the three nodded back, making the first four house pact in almost one hundred years.

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"Mr. Malfoy, good to see you" Merlin looked up from the book he was reading at the Slytherin who had just entered his office.

"Hullo" muttered Draco, obviously uncomfortable.

"I'm glad you came to see me Mr. Malfoy" Merlin reassured, giving the boy his most innocent smile.

"I'm not really sure why I came Professor...uh..." Draco tried, rubbing the back of his head.

"Just call me Merlin for now, or Ben if that's what you're more comfortable with" Merlin said, folding his hands on his desk, "and to be frank Mr. Malfoy you know perfectly well why you're here."

Draco sighed and took a careful seat across from his professor, "I guess you're right, and just call me Draco, Mr. Malfoy always sounds wrong."

Merlin smiled, "let me guess, 'Mr. Malfoy was my father'" he imitated Draco.

Draco gave him a strange look, "well, yes I mean obviously?"

Merlin held back a snort as the muggle joke went right over the young Malfoy's head, "well Draco, you came to me to confide so start confiding whenever you feel like it."

Draco shifted a bit, his face stiffening, "you promise this is just between us? You won't tell anyone?"

Merlin gave his student a very serious look, "Draco I swear this is strictly between us."

The young Slytherin scanned his professor's face before beginning his tale, "It's no secret that my father was an underling of The Dark Lord."

"I believe the official report was 'he made me do it?'" interjected Merlin.

Draco snorted, "yes I do believe that is the official excuse. But it's a lie, just like everything else my father does."

"What do you mean Draco?" Merlin asked, trying to look as invested as possible.

"Well I hope this doesn't come as a surprise to you Merlin, but he is still serving that man to this day, most likely at this very moment" Draco said in a tone barely above a whisper. The moment the words left his mouth he felt the weight of a secret he had held his entire life lift from his shoulders, only to be replaced with the most intense guilt he had ever felt in his life.

Merlin watched as Draco physically drooped as the guilt from his confession settled upon him, "well, I can't say I'm surprised Draco, but truly I am sorry."

This got Draco's attention, "why would you feel sorry?"

"No child deserves to grow up carrying that burden" Merlin answered, deciding on a tactic. If only he could get Draco to place some of the blame on family instead of himself than maybe he could heal the boy a little before the true betrayal hit him.

"Maybe...but I didn't come here for pity" Draco replied, looking Merlin in the eye.

"I thought you came to talk about your family?" Merlin wondered.

"In a way" Draco said with a wave of his hand, "but it's what they're trying to make me do that...that...I needed to..."

Merlin had never seen the suave Slytherin so tongue tied in his life, "Draco, what have they gotten you into?"

Taking on an air that seemed much too old for the fifteen-year-old, Draco leaned forward and mirrored Merlin by folding his hands on the desk, "They want me to join him." Pausing and not seeing the shock he expected on the teacher's face he continued, "The ceremony was supposed to be mid-June."

"Next June?" Merlin asked, feeling as if someone had poured an icy bucket of water over his head.

Draco nodded and took another deep breath, "my father has disappointed the Dark Lord consistently for the past decade and a half. He refused to swear his loyalty once he vanished and has not quite lived up to expectation since his return. I am my father's punishment."

"So you are being forced to become a death eater?" Merlin asked, horror evident in his voice.

"I didn't really view it that way until a few months ago. When...you showed up actually" Draco explained resting his head in one of his hands, "I've never really questioned the beliefs I had been taught. My parents required unwavering loyalty from me and not much else, if they asked something of me I had to carry out their request without hesitation. So, when my father asked me to finally become a death eater I agreed without a second thought. When I was younger this was all I ever wanted, but now..."

Merlin watched the boy's facial muscles twitch as he tried to keep his expression neutral, "now you're scared" he finished for his student.

"Malfoy's don't get sc..." Draco started defensively before closing his eyes and sighing, "yes, I'm scared."

"What does Voldemort want with you? You're still a child Draco" Merlin asked, tilting his head slightly.

"He wants a spy. Someone he can trust and Dumbledore would never expect" Draco explained robotically as if quoting someone else, "although I believe I've ruined that plan now."

Merlin leaned forward and took the boy's hand in his comfortingly, "Draco none of this is your fault. Absolutely none of it, and I must let you know that you are one of the bravest people I have ever met in all my years." Draco snorted at this but Merlin continued, "No I swear you are. Not many have the courage to stand up to their family, betray all the hate they have been fed since birth, and all without a support net; especially a Slytherin."

Draco looked up at the man in front of him, surprise filling his face, "t-thanks."

"Now that you've told me this, what do you want to do Draco? It's obvious that you don't want to follow in your father's footsteps and I don't want you to either" Merlin said, "how do you want me to help."

"Uh...well in the past few months I've been learning more and more about the inner circles secrets because my father has been more trusting with information, but after my outburst about a month ago, I doubt he'll tell me anything ever again" Draco shrugged, struggling to keep his voice impassive.

"You told him you didn't want to be a death eater?"

"In a way, but he did tell me quite a bit before I broke his trust though" Draco explained.

"Okay Draco, tell me what you think is most important" Merlin said kindly.

"I know that the Dark Lord's base is somewhere in a small Russian town and that he's been talking about a secret weapon as of late, but he's not being very specific even with his most trusted advisors" Draco muttered, trying to remember everything his father had told him, "My father mentioned seeing a strange woman around the mansion but he didn't recognize her at all."

Merlin felt as if someone had dropped a stone into his stomach and the blood drained from his already pale face, "did he tell you what this woman looked like?"

Draco studied his teacher wearily, "a bit. He said she was very beautiful and young, maybe in her late twenties."

"With eyes like a storm at sea" Merlin muttered to himself, looking very unnerved.

"Yes? A bit like that" Draco answered, growing more nervous by the moment, "do you know who she is Merlin?"

"If I'm not mistaken she is an old enemy of mine, the witch who killed Arthur a millennia ago" Merlin said with a shaking voice.

"Who...who is she?" Draco asked, eyes wide.

"Morgana."

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I always felt there was a serious lack of caring for their students by the adults at Hogwarts so here's like 3/4 of a chapter dedicated to Merlin being a responsible and supportive adult. I also kinda forgot I brought Morgana back for a hot second so...oops. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and wish me luck on my first finals tomorrow!