Part 1:

As soon the gargoyles saw him they bowed their heads and quickly moved aside. The staircase immediately opened up and he quickly took his place before it began to move. At the moment, it is after hours. All students are supposed to be in the dormitories readying for bed or working on any last minute assignments. Regardless, Merlin knew he would be there sitting at his desk as always.

Murmurs could be heard on the other side of the door. They were most likely talking but it sounded like an argument. Umbridge's voice rang as clear as day and immediately he knew it was. In an effort to make his presence there seem as natural as possible he decided to knock.

"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice from the other side. Merlin slowly opened the door and walked in. The toad turned and faced him with a scowl on her face.

"And just what are you doing out of bed, Mr. Ambrosias?" She asked.

"You wished to see me headmaster," Merlin spoke to the man as he looked directly into his eyes.

It seemed a moment of pondering was spent before he replied, "Ah yes. Thank you for coming. I understand it's a bit late but I have been awfully busy today and could only just squeeze you in." He looked at Umbridge. "Would you mind Professor?"

She huffed and exited. "Thank you," Merlin replied as he took a seat across from the man before him.

"I am surprised to see you Mr. Ambrosias. From what I have heard, you have not been to your classes for several days now."

"Yes, well I had a few urgent matters I had to look into."

"Would it have anything to do with you being here tonight? Unless I am experiencing sudden memory losses, I am sure I did not send for you. Now, why are you here?"

"Umbridge."

"Ah yes, you did seem quite bothered by her on Halloween. After you put her to sleep, she did not wake for nearly a full day. Her classes on Wednesday had been closed regardless of your presence for that reason." Dumbledore seemed to have a hint of amusement in his tone as he recalled. "Do not worry, she seems to have no memory of the event."

"OK." He flat lines.

"I take it that is not all you wish to discuss with me about her then?" Merlin nods. "Alright then, what is it?"

"How do we remove her without causing the Minister to jump down your throat about it?"

Dumbledore furrowed his eyebrows. "Pardon?"

"Her presence here irks me. There is too much to do and I do not need her distraction."

"And what exactly do you need to do? Other than studying hard to pass you OWLs?"

Rather than continue to be talked down to, Merlin decides to raise his own level. He rises from the chair and begins to very slowly pace the floor. "I do not need to study."

"And might I ask why that is?"

Merlin turns to look at the man, "Because I already know all of the material. I have already learned it."

Dumbledore sits up straighter. "Then why come to Hogwarts if it is not to learn?"

Merlin continues his pacing. "There are things here that I have to do."

"Oh?"

"Exactly." Merlin quickly glanced at the sleeping portraits of the founders up high on the wall in their frames. A brief sad smile grace his lips before he turns around and continues pacing in the other direction.

"These things must be important to have brought you here."

"Indeed they are."

"These things wouldn't have anything to do with Harry Potter would they? Because I will have you know that he is under quite a bit of protection."

"Of course he is. I would expect nothing less. And no, the things I must take care of do not directly involve him."

"But they indirectly involve him? Care to elaborate?"

"Well yes but certainly not by my choosing. It is more due to his friendship with Miss Hermione Granger."

"And where does she fit into your list of things to do?"

"To be honest, I never would have thought she would have. But she has, because she was resorted."

"Into your house…" Dumbledore said to further along his explanation.

"Yes, into my house. Actually, it involves all of the students in my house."

"And why is that?"

"Because they are special." Merlin stopped again and full on smiled at the man.

"In what way?"

Merlin flat out says, "They've been reborn."

"You mean because they were resorted? What exactly is it that you know?"

"No. They were not reborn because they were resorted. They were resorted because they were reborn. Reincarnations. All of them."

"So are their past lives significant then?"

"Very." Merlin nodded.

"So why do you seem to know this while all the others do not? Everyone else seems oblivious."

"Because I was there. I remember everything. Everyone else's memories will come back soon I hope. Otherwise things shall become much more difficult."

"So you remember them all? And you already knew them? Why then did you only just come back now? Why not before? Was it only recently you got your memories back? What of your family you spoke of?"

"Before you keep asking questions, might I ask that you allow me to answer them?" Dumbledore gave a slight tip of the head in a general 'go ahead' manner and Merlin continued, "When I spoke of my background, I did not tell the full truth. Regardless, my family died a long time ago. I told you they died when I was young, and that may be true in relation to my age but not so by normal standards. I did live with my uncle for a time, but it was not due to my mother's death. It was her fear that others would discover my magic. You see; magic was illegal. Anyone caught practicing would receive penalty of death without trial."

"Where is this located? I have not heard of such a place these days."

"I can assure you that the place is easily recognizable if you heard the name. You simply wouldn't be so quick to assume because it was long before your time."

"But you are only fifteen. Do you speak of your past self then that you seem to remember?"

"I speak of myself in the past but not past self in a sense that you might be thinking."

"Though it pains me to say so, I do not understand your logic."

"I never told you that I was reincarnated, only that the others were."

"Oh?"

"Indeed." Merlin still looked down on the man in front of him.

"Would you perhaps like to retake your seat?" Dumbledore gestured to the seat still sitting vacated.

"That is alright, I would prefer not to be talked down to."

Dumbledore brushed off his comment and continued, "So you say that you were not reincarnated, but that this all happened before my time. Care to elaborate?"

"If you paid any attention to your surroundings, you might have a clue. As I can understand it, Umbridge has not been the only puzzling anomaly this year."

"You speak of the new house you were placed in." It was not a question; Dumbledore understood the implication.

"Yes I believe I do."

"What about it other than its students?"

"This house has been planned for over a thousand years. Not once before has it been opened so I can assure you that the events which are about to unfold do not happen often."

"A thousand years, you say." Merlin nods. "And you were there?" He nods again. "But you are here now and you were not reincarnated?" He nods again. It seems easier to ease a person through the shock if they manage to gather most of the knowledge about the situation on their own. "So you never died then?"

Merlin grins at the man. "Precisely."

"Then that would make you…"

"I can assure you, the creation of Hogwarts School does not determine my age. Though, for the castle itself, I cannot say the same."

"But you were there during the time of the founding."

"Yes."

"And you knew the founders."

"Yes," Merlin continued in a more encouraging tone.

"So then you also knew the fifth founder. You knew Emrys."

Merlin huffs and then gives Dumbledore a further encouraging smile. "You're quite close, almost there."

"What am I missing?"

"Well… it's not enough to say I knew the fifth founder."

Dumbledore seems to ponder this and then furrows his eyebrows briefly. "You are implying then that you were the fifth founder."

"Yes."

"How?"

"The name Emrys was not the name I was given at birth. It was given to me through the prophecies passed down within Druidic heritage. The term itself means 'immortal'."

"So you have been alive all this time?"

"Precisely."

"Were you the only one?"

"Yes."

"That seems awfully lonely."

"It can be… quite often. But not always."

"How did you come across the founders?"

"I didn't exactly. In a way, they sort of found me." Dumbledore didn't say anything, just gave a subtle nod as if to say, 'continue'. "Well, they found the castle."

"Then the sorting hat was correct in saying that they did not build this place."

"That is correct."

"What were you doing with a castle in your possession?"

"It wasn't necessarily in my possession as much as it was in my protection. You see I lived here once, a very long time ago. This to me has always been home. But unlike most, I could not die and everyone I cared about eventually became history. Quite literally I might add." Dumbledore seems to ponder his words. "Sadly, many interpretations of their stories have been made and none of them have been even remotely accurate. The biggest misconception though has always been me."

"So then history remembers you?"

"My name yes, but not my real story."

"And you said you lived here once. When was this?"

"This castle once belonged to one of the greatest kingdoms ever to have existed. Perhaps some of that awe may belong to my own personal bias but of it I am still undoubtedly sure."

"How so?"

"Take it from a man who has been around for fourteen hundred years. Never have I seen a better king than the one who sat upon his throne here. His people followed him not because he wore a crown, but because they believed in the World they knew he would create. A place that was fair and just. His fellow knights would follow him to the gates of hell if he had asked them to. And not because of his status but because of the heart their dear friend had."

"You speak very highly of the king. Did you know him?"

"Indeed. In fact, I still do."

Dumbledore nodded, "He is among those that have been reincarnated then?" Merlin nodded. "And you said that you are fourteen hundred years old." Merlin nodded again. "Why then do you look so young?"

"Do not attempt to determine my identity based upon appearances. Of all the things history has gotten wrong about me specifically, that is in the top two."

"And this place… this kingdom… does it have a name?

"Camelot." Dumbledore dropped the quill he had been holding but quickly picked it up and acted as if he hadn't.