Chapter 28
Special shout out to RatherFabulous in the comments. Your review was really sweet and completely true and thank you for reminding me that the number of people that like my story outweigh the number of people that don't. I'm really glad that you guys like my stories and are willing to look past any flaws that they may have. I definitely want to go back some day soon and rewrite the first chapters. I was only like 14 when I wrote them so they make even me cringe (although all my writing makes me cringe so). I know that I'll get sidetracked if I do this before the story ends however so I guess the professional critics reading will just have to wait a little longer for me to fix all the plot holes. Also apparently almost 1000 people have decided to follow this story. I mean I can't say I understand why you like this story but thank you all for the support!
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Harry strode through the halls, admiring the webbing of frost that graced the edges of each window. His breath left his mouth as a thick cloud of mist before dissipating into nothingness in the icy air. Even though Harry normally hated this kind of bitter cold, he always held a fondness for winter. The Dursleys had always shown a bit more humanity as soon as the red and green decorations began to decorate the shop fronts. Whether it was out of respect for the season or guilt Harry didn't know, but no matter what the cause he always appreciated a small thread of kindness as the holiday season rolled in.
Despite this he still shivered as the cool air quickly sank through his robes. The thick stone walls around him did nothing to insulate the castle. Every year he wondered why the teachers never cast heating charms on the halls, but it was probably too much trouble. The charms would last less than a day, and it would take hours each morning to recast them on each of the many halls in the castle.
Still, a little warmth would be nice.
Ever since the nightmares started, Harry had begun to enjoy the early morning strolls he took to calm himself before he had to officially begin his day. Even if he was always a bit more sluggish throughout classes, Harry appreciated the time to think. It always cleared his mind slightly to sit in the cool halls and watch the fiery waves of the sun slowly creep up from the distant horizon. It was one of the few beautiful things he had been able to witness as a child and the flames of orange and pink leaping up from the tree tops still brought him the comfort of a new day.
Shivering heavily, Harry continued to walk down the long corridor before turning a corner and becoming significantly warmer. He looked around for the source of the comfort and noticed a large oak door which stood slightly ajar a few feet away from him. Curious, Harry peaked into the well lit room and saw Professor Emrys sitting at his desk and reading a rather dense book. The raging fire from the opposite wall seemed to be the source of the glorious warmth that Harry was enjoying.
"Mr. Potter" Merlin said suddenly, looking up from his book. Harry jumped slightly, knocking the door open and stood in the frame sheepishly. How the professor could tell he was standing there he had no idea, but he decided that it was best not to think too hard about it. It was probably his teeth chattering that gave him away.
"Come in Mr. Potter, it must be cold out in the hall" Merlin said kindly, with a welcoming smile he reserved for only his favorite students.
"Oh so he reads minds now too" Harry muttered under his breath as he entered the office and pushed the door closed behind him.
"No just simple deduction" Merlin replied offhandedly. Harry froze in his steps and looked at the professor.
"S-sorry Professor" he said in reply, sheepishly looking around. Merlin simply laughed in reply and motioned for Harry to sit in the chair that faced his desk.
"Take a seat Mr. Potter, I've actually been meaning to speak to you before the students leave for Christmas break tomorrow" Merlin said gently.
"Uh, sure Professor" Harry asked skeptically.
"Nothing...good or bad particularly...just curiosity" Merlin said offhandedly as Harry took a seat across from him, "I'm sure you remember when you fell ill a few months ago."
"Yeah, Madam Pomphrey said it was some sort of magical virus? She said I was lucky there wasn't permanent damage to my magical core."
Merlin's eyebrow went up and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. They were keeping the truth from the boy? He figured Dumbledore believed he had a good reason for this, but he still believed Harry should know what was happening to him.
"Am I wrong?" Harry asked suspiciously, wary of the expression and silence that followed his answer.
"No, no...but I am a bit worried that there may have really been some damage to your core" Merlin answered, crossing his hands on his desk.
Harry crossed his arms and leaned back into the cushy chair he was seated in, "what are you talking about...sir?"
"I have noticed a few...instances where it seems as if you've had a few major bursts of magical energy" Merlin said seriously, looking the nervous young boy before him in the eye.
Harry felt as if he had been doused in ice cold water, his grip tightened on the wooden armrests and he acutely felt the rough wood digging into his clammy palms. Merlin watched his reaction closely, noticing as the color quickly drained from his face and his entire body tensed, as if Harry was getting unconsciously ready to run from the room. Merlin felt a bit of surprise building up in the back of his mind. He thought someone would have talked to the boy about his outbursts by now, it wasn't as if the incidents were exactly private.
"I don't mean to pry, but have you spoken to anyone about these episodes yet Mr. Potter?" Merlin asked, trying to take on a calming tone.
Harry looked upon the teacher that sat across from him warily. He studied the man's thin face, trying to find any sort of motivation behind his words. Yet Merlin's face was nearly stoic save for his eyes in which he only saw kindness and worry. After an uncomfortably long silence, Harry finally answered.
"I don't know exactly who's noticed, but Hermione is the only one that's said anything" Harry said, trying to sink even farther back into the chair.
Merlin had to consciously keep his face passive. Was no one in this school even paying attention? He couldn't imagine what kind of confusing fear Harry was experiencing as he slowly lost control of his magic, and none of his teachers had even a second to ask him if everything was alright. Merlin felt the anger slowly build in his stomach until he was silently fuming. He needed to do something to help Harry.
"Are you alright Harry?" he finally asked, still unable to think clearly.
"I'm fine sir" Harry answered, looking everywhere but his teacher's face, "really don't worry about it, I'm sure everything is fine, I've just been really strung up lately."
Merlin raised an eyebrow and they boy's sudden denial, and watch him fidget uncomfortably from across his desk. Taking a deep breath, he decided that he was going to get nowhere with Harry while he was this uncomfortable and defensive.
"I'm going to believe you for now Harry, but if this happens again please don't hesitate to come to me. I'm worried this might be a symptom of a much larger problem" Merlin said, in his kindest yet most authoritarian voice.
"Um, yes of course sir. I need to pack my chest; can I go now?" Harry said, voice trembling slightly.
As soon as Merlin gave him a farewell smile, Harry bolted from the room as fast as he could without running. As soon as the heavy door closed behind him, the smile slipped from Merlin's face. Something was seriously wrong with the boy who lived.
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The wind howled as it pushed through the branches of the bare trees in an isolated forest in northern England. A small cabin sat tucked away against the side of a steep hill, windows glowing slightly from the lights that flickered inside. Although the cabin seemed small and rickety from the outside, the inside was heavily charmed to appear lavish and almost warm. Yet, an aura floated around the area that made even the bravest of animals skitter away as soon as they ventured close. A young woman paced back and forth across the entrance as she spoke to a dark figure seated across the room.
"Do you want the boy dead?" Morgana asked, slowly, measuring the reaction of the man across the room.
"Eventually" he answered slowly, "but for now he is useful to us."
"Not if we can't break his mental barriers" she answered, crossing her arms.
"Not yet, but he can't hold strong forever my dear and when he makes one mistake..." he trailed off for effect, "they must know about the department of secrets, otherwise that fool Dumbledore wouldn't make the effort to protect the boy's mind to the extent that he is."
"You underestimate Merlin" Morgana replied dangerously, eyes narrowing.
"Don't doubt me Morgana" Voldemort replied curtly, "that pest is doing nothing but interfering with my plans that are long in place. We simply need him out of the picture."
Morgana stopped pacing for a moment and looked at the man before her incredulously, Voldemort had come up against the most powerful warlock in history and he simply wanted him 'out of the picture'.
Reading the look on her face, the Dark Lord did more to sate the witch, "his magic may have stood the test of time, but that doesn't mean his mind has. No one can stay sane from a millennia of nomadic wandering."
Morgana flashed back to her final battle with Merlin and the pure hatred that flashed in his eyes before he finally struck her down. A warm bubble of hatred formed in the pit of her stomach as the long held feelings she used to feed off of once again began to rise to the surface of her subconscious. Yet, as soon as she remembered the irrational hatred, other memories long repressed came leaking through the crack in her resolve.
She remembered a single night, when she had woken up in a cold sweat. She had sat in bed, in tears that Gaius's serum had failed once again. Her dream that night had been particularly chilling as she had watched Arthur's life slowly drain out of his eyes until he lay still and unmoving. She had no idea what would prompt her subconscious to concoct such a thing, but even the fading memory of it shook her to her core. Yet, then she noticed Gwen sat in the corner of her room, slumped over in the uncomfortable chair she hated.
"My Lady?" she had slurred sleepily as she suddenly woke up to the sound of Morgana's sobbing.
"Gwen? Why...are you still here?" Morgana had asked, incredulous that her friend was still waiting on her.
"You said that the nightmares had been getting worse lately, so I figured that you'd want some company if you woke up" Gwen answered simply.
Morgana felt the tears spring to her eyes as she watched the fire crackle behind the back of the snake-like man in her company. She had died hating Gwen, hating her position and hating the betrayal she had felt. But her best friend had just been misinformed, tricked by her half brother into loving him.
"Morgana" Voldemort said curtly, trying to snap the witch in front of him out of her sudden burst of emotion, "can you take care of Merlin?"
Morgana's hands tightened into fists under her robes as she felt the cracks in her resolve weaken, "you won't need to worry about him" she said coldly, any warmth that had suddenly entered her eyes suddenly replaced by her normal thirst for revenge.
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Also I want you all to know that I didn't have a plot outline when I started writing this. I just...started writing and I think that hurt me a lot when I started trying to make things cohesive. I do have an outline now for like the next 10 or so chapters, but I'm still unsure of how this story will really end. I mean I have the main ideas but other than that I'm still missing some parts. If any of you have any ideas that you would like me to consider incorporating I read literally every comment so please just leave them there and hopefully I can get some great ideas from y'all (credited of course).