And all the Kings men

by Beth9891

When the Goblins choose to inform Harry of a few buried, hidden or otherwise unknown facts; his life and choices change. Lily committed an act that many would consider barbaric out of love—Harry has lived with the consequences up until now. Now that he knows the truth how will his second chance play out? Arthur/Harry-slash, harry/merlin—brothers. AU

7. I do not like thee, Doctor Fell

Ahhh! Sorry for how very, very long this update took, I have no excuse other then it is almost summer and well, summer is busy ;) To make it up to you wonderful and patient readers this chapter is exceedingly long (so YAY!).

That being said please leave me a review or Harry might just turn out to be Uther's secret love child (muhahaha...so you had all better review!) Jokes.

Anyhow read on and (hopefully) enjoy!

Warnings: religious views voiced by certain characters, language, slashy undertones, generally unmoral and murdeous actions and attitude etc etc

hahahahahhahahahahahahahahah-hahahahahahahahah

Chapter 6: I do not like thee, Doctor Fell

"It is one thing to believe in witches, and quite another to believe in witch-smellers."
― G.K. Chesterton, Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized State

All castles, it turns out, were not the same. Having spent so much of his juvenescence trudging through the ever changing and often disappearing halls of Hogwarts, Harry had not thought that Camelot's citadel would be any challenge at all. Apparently he was not yet at the age where things stopped proving him wrong….as currently, he was definitely lost.

In fact he could safely say that he had been lost thirty minutes ago, and if he wasn't concerning himself with his wounded pride, he would admit that it was probably closer to an hour ago….about the time that he had stepped foot outside of Gaius's chambers. He was unfortunately finding out that he was utterly perplexed by these winding corridors, leading him to hope that the potion Gaius had given him didn't have a short expiry date on it—or for that matter, neither did the person it was intended for.

That would be bad….and he was certain that he would take the blame should he end up accidently killing someone because he took too long to deliver a vital medicine. Of course he might not have been so lost had someone (cough cough, Merlin) actually given him the quick tour of the citadel that Gaius had instructed him to do so. Somehow, Harry, while disappointed, was not surprised that Merlin had been to 'busy' to do so and had left his half brother to figure things out for himself.

Harry wasn't sure how much worse things could get between the two of them, though he definitely didn't think the King giving him Merlin's old position (even if the warlock no longer had the time or energy to properly do said position) had endeared him in his brother's eyes at all. Well, at least Harry had managed to talk them out of giving him Merlin's room with Gaius, and moving Merlin to the chambers meant for servants- he really didn't think that his brother would have appreciated having Harry kick him out of a room that he had called home for the past year. No, thankfully they—whoever they were, (for Harry didn't think that it was actually the King who decided such things; he rather doubted the king cared to bother himself with where his servants slept) had given Harry a small bedroom on the out skirts of the servant's area. It was nothing fancy…. honestly, it rather reminded him of his bedroom back in Privet Drive—but he didn't mind so much. It helped that he was not the only one with such cramped and sparse living space (really, not being singled out made all the difference).

Ok, he was sure he had seen this particular set of stairs once before….the tapestry of the knights riding into battle looked WAY to familiar—mind you, most of the tapestries in this place seemed to involve knights and battles of some sort, so he couldn't say for certain that he had seen this particular one bef-

"Umph" Harry let out a surprised grunt as he fell backwards, having run into something both moving and very solid. Pain ricocheted up his back side where it collided with the hard stone floor, and he heard the horrifying sound of glass breaking. Shit. Well, he was definitely not going to be able to deliver that potion now….unless he used magic to piece it back together, but somehow that didn't seem like the wisest thing to do what with this being Camelot and all…..

When Harry was able to shake off his surprise at being suddenly knocked to the floor, he was met with the sound of cursing, "What the hell?! Watch where you're going!" a rather annoyed—perhaps even angry voice snarled.

Raising his head to look at the idiot who ran into him (not the other way around!), Harry was momentarily left speechless. The blond man standing and glaring down at him was, to put it simply: gorgeous….the kind of gorgeous that would not have looked out of place in those magazines that Aunt Petunia secretly read (you know; magazines that were really meant for teenage girls not housewives—but that had a bigger market in the housewives sector regardless of that fact). A blond Adonis with blue eyes and a body that even under all that chainmail, one could tell was fit….yeah…probably not the most important thing to note at the moment…. he probably should have been more concerned with the pissed off part of his looks right here and now.

"Watch where I'm going?!" Harry couldn't help but ask incredulously "You're the one that knocked me over! Maybe you should watch where you're going!" and really, Harry had hoped that his natural knack at insulting the wrong people and getting himself into trouble would have been one of the personality traits that hadn't stayed with him after the soul-meld….unfortunately, this didn't appear to be the case, as Harry belated made the connection of just who it was that was standing in front of him.

Prince Arthur. Ahhhh….double shit.

Though in his defense it wasn't as though he had actually met the prince before…. Sure, he had been vaguely aware of seeing the man standing off to the side of his father's throne yesterday—but he had been a little preoccupied with trying to get out of Morgana's machinations and Uther's 'benevolence' to really pay the blond prince any notice. Which in hindsight was rather stupid of him—especially since he had already decided that he would search the boy out to make sure that he had not in fact fallen victim to a assassination ploy or some such thing (which Harry didn't think was the case because he was sure Uther would have shown some signs that his heir had been murdered recently…then again, from the stories he had heard about Uther, that really wasn't the best evidence to go by). Right, not important right now, getting back on track….

He almost laughed at the surprised and….considering (?) look on the prince's face at his witty (belligerent) remark. "Excuse me?" Arthur asked, although his tone didn't necessarily sound all that pissed off—that was a good thing right?

"You're excused" Harry said, once again allowing his mouth to completely bypass the brain part of the thinking before you speak equation.

The prince's eyebrows were no longer visible considering the height they were raised, "no. I was not asking for your pardon, you idiot. Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?!" Arthur stated shaking his head slightly, disbelief dripping enough to fill a large ocean, evident in his tone.

It was only now that Harry's brain caught up with his impulsive smart aleck nature and he found himself flushing (which was even worse than the smart ass remarks in his opinion), "er…." Was all he managed, casting desperately for words that would allow him to vanish back into the comfort of obscurity where he didn't run into Princes and insult them needlessly.

Oddly enough, instead of immediately ordering his arrest and his subsequent beheading, Arthur just let out a sigh of resignation and rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Your Merlin's brother aren't you?" it sounded much more like an accusation then a question.

Not really sure where the prince was going with this, Harry saw no point in lying, it was one part of his new identity that he hadn't felt the need to change or alter in some way or another, "um….half actually" Harry stated once again not really sure why he couldn't simply answer with a yes….like the prince no doubt expected.

"What?" Arthur asked, looking at him like he was some form of really gross and icky foot fungi; a sort of a baffled disgust.

Harry forced the flush of embarrassment that wanted to turn his face into a ripe tomato to stay at bay (occlumency had more uses then just keeping someone out of your mind….hiding signs of distress or embarrassment was one such use), "he's my half brother…Merlin, that is. Different mothers, same father…." Harry trailed off realizing that he was again rambling and telling the prince information that he was pretty sure Arthur really didn't give two shits about. It was just that he kept getting distracted, his hair was so….shiny….very gold….

Harry shook his head violently to dislodge those thoughts (apparently he had fallen much harder then he thought—causing all common sense and reason to elude him…) and slowly picked himself up off the ground, looking down at the shattered vial with a sigh….shit, he should not be standing here getting flustered and hot over the stupid prince of Camelot; he should be going back to Gaius's (if he could locate it) and getting a replacement potion….crap…

"Er….right, well this is suddenly making more and more sense…" Arthur muttered, more to himself then Harry looking at the broken glass and Harry's dishevelment. Harry, for his part ignored the comment as it really made little sense to him- no doubt about Merlin- another little thing that he did not know, but some pompous prince knew instead. And no, that fact did not sting.

Suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable, at what—the situation, Arthur's golden hair, or his own inability to form a coherent and sensible thought at the moment—Harry didn't know. What he did know was that he needed to get out of there and that the sooner he did the better.

Unfortunately, getting out of there would mean knowing where the fuck he was and what direction he needed to be heading in….which he did not.

Deciding that swallowing his pride would be a lesser concession then continuing to stand here and endure this embarrassing conversation, Harry bit the bullet (as the muggles would say). "Er….sorry, about…um you know. I will just be going….if you could point me in the direction of the physician's quarters?" Harry mumbled resolutely not meeting the blue eyes peering at him in fascination (the kind of fascination one watches a car crash with or a science experiment gone wrong).

Apparently he was not the only one feeling a little off kilter at this encounter, as the prince stuttered out his own ineloquent response, "what? Er-what?"

Annoyed at the constant staring and questions, Harry sent him a glare, "Which. Way. IS. Gaius's?" he over enunciated each word—did he just really have a death wish? He knew people back in the old world used to joke about it, but maybe there was more truth to their words then they or he ever expected? He may not have been here all that long but it was long enough to know that there was a distinct and brutal divide amongst classes and one did not speak to royalty like he was and live to tell the tale….

Arthur shot him another indecipherable look before speaking, the commanding tone that one expected from royalty finally making an appearance, "The way to Gaius's? are you saying that you do not know this already…what with being the court physician's apprentice?"

Harry bristled at his words but could not deny that this was probably something that he should know already (and he would if his ass of a brother had done what he was suppose to do). He sighed, grudgingly admitting "No, I was rather tired during the tour last night sire….I am afraid I did not retain much of it." He hated—absolutely hated taking the fall for someone else's inaction (even more so since he had joined with Myror's soul piece) but it was his brother and even if Merlin was being a complete shmuck and child about this whole thing, Harry wasn't about to rat him out to his 'master' (and that was another thing that he couldn't understand: why the hell was Merlin posing as Arthur's servant of all things? Wasn't he suppose have been the court sorcerer and advisor? Whatever…. just add it to the ever growing list of questions that he needed to find answers to).

Surprisingly enough, Arthur's stance relaxed slightly and the corners of his mouth looked like they were trying to curl up into the beginnings of a smile. "Ah…yes, you did have a rather few trying days I would imagine…and not just because you had to put up with Morgana" this time Arthur did shoot him a grin.

Harry stared at him a little dumbfounded….was that a…joke? Was Prince Arthur trying to joke with him? (even if it was a rather lame one). Harry sent him a hesitant smile back, not quite sure if the prince was actually joking with him or making him the butt of the joke. "Ahh…right, so if you would mind?" Harry tried again. He was probably breaking all sorts of etiquette rules by asking the prince for directions but he really didn't favor wandering around these halls for the rest of his life.

"I am heading in that direction, why don't I just show you? Maybe if I have time later I will give you a second tour…." Arthur offered still smiling slightly.

Harry, once again speechless managed to nod in agreement, before turning to follow the now walking prince.

He couldn't help thinking as he watched the prince covertly out of the corner of his eye, that maybe he wasn't going to be as lost in Camelot as he had thought.

-0-

The churning feeling that had been ailing Merlin for the past day and a half swelled at the sound of conversation that had him hastily stowing his book of magic under Gaius's dusty anatomy texts. It wasn't necessarily the conversation itself that was causing his current ulcer-no, the cause of his current ailment was one and the same….Henry.

From the moment he saw his half brother's petite form leading a pale looking Morgana back into Camelot, he had known that he would not like what came after. And he was right. Merlin did not like it. At. All.

He had been angry enough at even having met his 'long lost' brother and that had been back when his brother had known no one from Camelot (well, no one well…as he seemed to have somehow garnered Guinevere's sympathies in a matter of hours—enough so that Gwen spoke hesitant words in his defense and had agreed to pass along a bag from him to Merlin. A bag that Merlin had immediately discarded to the deepest recesses under his bed; he was initially just going to throw it out…but for some reason he couldn't quite bring himself to do so; hence stashing it someplace he wouldn't have to look at it). Now however, the bastard had somehow managed to ingrain himself enough into Lady Morgana's good graces that the king had rewarded him with a position not only within Camelot, but in the royal household!

True, the king had at one time done the same for Merlin, but Merlin had saved Arthur's live! Now his brother had basically been given the same and only because he had somehow managed to find the lady and bring her home—something that none of the knights or Arthur had been able to do…which in itself was a little suspicious. Merlin sighed in annoyance, he knew that wasn't really what was bothering him about the whole thing…no, it was the conspicuous pairing of the Dragon's warnings and Henry's sudden reappearance that was truly bothering him. Because as much as he hated and resented his half brother, he was still family…no matter what Merlin had previously told Henry.

And as family, while Merlin would be hard pressed to be truly all that sad should something befall his sibling…it didn't mean he wanted to watch it happen, or worse be part of it. Something, that if the dragon's fears were true, he might just have to be…for the good of Arthur and Camelot of course.

At this moment however, Merlin was hard pressed to tell if the flipping of his breakfast was caused by the dragon's warning and Henry's own suspicious nature, or the fact that his brother had just entered Gaius's chambers lead by no other then Arthur himself. Merlin resolutely decided that it had to be the first….he had absolutely no reason for it to be the second. How many times had he himself been engaged in what apparently was an animated discussion with the crowned prince? Yes, definitely the second because there was zero reason for him to be feeling jealous of his half brother at the moment. None what-so-ever.

"Merlin! There you are you idiot! I've been searching everywhere for you!" the oh-so-familiar voice of the prince cried out when he looked up from his conversation with Henry. He paused a moment his eye-brows scrunching as though he just recalled something important, "I thought I assigned you to the armory this morning…..don't tell me you have already finished polishing the new chain male?!" Arthur stated his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Merlin sighed mentally, he had been planning on using the next hour and a half to read up on a few spells—specifically a monitoring one he had been planning on casting on Henry—and then just using his magic to quickly complete his assigned task…of course pretending the whole time that he had been doing said tasks. Great….well that plan was obviously ruined—time to come up with yet another excuse.

"Er….you did but Gaius needed someone to watch his Blackspore remedy and he got called into town, and since his assistant was nowhere to be found, I got stuck doing it" Merlin lied quickly, sneering slightly at the word assistant. True they were blood—but since his father had been happy to toss Merlin and his mom away for Henry, Merlin had no problem shoving him under the bus every now and again; especially since it was Arthur not Uther. All that would happen was that Henry might get a few days in the stalks. Something that Merlin really wouldn't mind seeing—at all.

And yet it didn't happen. Merlin watched in astonishment (and a bit of jealousy, perhaps) as Arthur frowned and turned to look at his slightly red faced brother who had his mouth set in an obstinate line. Henry shrugged, while shifting a bit but refused to look away from the prince's unhappy face, "er….I got lost?" Henry offered, looking sheepish but not apologetic.

Arthur stared at him for a long moment, sighing in resignation and muttering something under his breath before turning back to Merlin, "fine stay here and watch whatever it is that Gaius wants you to watch, you will then go to the armory after that and complete the tasks I have assigned you…." Arthur ordered then looked to his brother before continuing "I had better give you that tour now so that you are not completely useless the rest of the day…I suppose sword practice can wait for one day"

Merlin gaped at Arthur—since when did the prince ever, he meant EVER put off sword practice...for anyone? And what about chewing Henry out like he would have had it been Merlin who had gotten lost? Where was his punishment?

Not noticing—or pretending not to notice Merlin's look of surprise (betrayal) Arthur turned and walked swiftly out the door, grabbing onto Henry's arm as he stalked past. Just before Arthur left the room he turned to Merlin and added "Oh, and the chain male better sparkle when you're done with it" before letting the door swing shut.

Merlin stood there staring at the door for a long few minutes after….yes, he really, really did not like this.

At all.

-oo—

It wasn't fair! Completely and totally un-fair; that was what it was!

And okay, Merlin was old enough and wise enough to realize when he was acting well below his years; irrational and childish, some might even say. But they were not him. They did not have to sit by and watch as his brother—who he had never wanted to meet (at least this is what he told himself) waltzed into his safe haven (and perhaps he needed to revisit the definition of the word safe considering this was Camelot, and he was a magic practitioner….but eh…), weasel his way into Merlin's old job position, and make good with people Merlin considered his friends (and ok, calling Arthur a friend was perhaps stretching it a bit—because although he was almost certain that Arthur felt at least some sort of affection for him, however small, the prince was not exactly forthcoming on such things).

But no, despite how upset…and he could admit, threatened he was feeling by Henry's presence here in Camelot, Merlin realized that his surge of animosity towards his younger half sibling was perhaps a tad unjust….even for the likes of him. He had tried to ignore it…really he had. He had even managed to last for most of the morning, but sadly he could feel his control slipping. He could feel his magic crackling and pulsing, itching to find release—and he knew that if he did not do something soon to pacify it that it would act on its own, finding its own target for release. And that would be bad.

Very bad.

Which is why he, Merlin, was doing the responsible thing (like always) and sitting up on a lone hill top allowing his magic to satisfy itself by playing with the slow drifting fire smoke. He figured that it was much better that it form dragons, horses and knights out of smoke then it was to let it build to the point where it would lash out and do something that he could not hide; like turning his brother into a toad in front of the prince, or worse Uther. Though the toad bit did have a certain enticement to it….he was sure Henry could live quite a happy and satisfying life with all the other toads in some swamp: a swamp far, far from Camelot, Arthur and most importantly, Merlin.

Sadly, his day dreaming of such things was rudely interrupted by the sound of snapping leaves. It was just enough time for him to spin around and see the shocked looking face of a peasant woman.

[taken from actual episode script]

"Did you see it? The smoke, did you see it?" she asked gesturing frantically at the remnants of smoke that were just now dissipating from its previous shape.

Shit! This was not good. It was never, never good when something seemingly unnatural was 'witnessed' by someone living in Camelot. Especially if that someone seemed inclined to take their observations to the king….

Merlin put an immediate halt to his panicked thoughts and forced himself to calm down, fixing a slightly befuddled expression to his face. It was not too late to fix this. Yes, the woman had witnessed the smoke forming odd shapes but she did not seem to realize that it was him causing the strange phenomena….he could talk her out of this yet.

"No, I saw nothing" he denied his best poker face in place, hoping with all hope that she decided that she was seeing things and let it go. Her next words disabused him of any such hopes.

"Are you blind? You were right here! It was magic. I tell you. There's sorcery here. We must tell the King!" and with those most dreaded words spoken she did not she wait for a response but hastily made her way down the hill and (he had to assume) towards the castle.

Oh….this was not good. Not good at all.

Gaius was going to kill him. That is if Uther did not first.

-o—

Harry made his way slowly through the thick woods, not paying a whole lot of attention to where he was going as he tried (and largely failed) to make his heart stop racing and his face lose the flush that it had somehow gained while being given a tour of the citadel by Prince Arthur. He really had no idea why he was experiencing such symptoms….none what-so-ever.

He most definitely had not spent the majority of the tour discretely (he hoped) admiring Arthur's fine physique (one that clearly demonstrated the fact that the prince was a strong fighter),hair that just happened to catch, and somehow hold the late morning's golden light, or gazing into those cerulean pools, that just begged to be gazed into. Noooo….that would be a rather stupid thing to become distracted by, and Harry had decided when he was given his second chance, that he was done doing stupid things…. thus why he hadn't been doing that.

Gaius's half knowing and half suspicious look at him when he returned from his tour had done nothing to help his flush and he was most grateful that the elderly physician hadn't commented on his flustered state, but rather handed him a large basket and sent him off into the woods to find herbs and other useful medicinal plants. At least out here, he was all alone and therefore would not run the risk of further embarrassing himself.

So it was with no small amount of surprise, that during the herb gathering he was supposed to be doing and the wool gathering that he was actually doing, that he became aware of a rather panicked sounding female voice and a panicked (although better concealed in its panic) male voice a few stone's throw from him.

He fought with himself for all of a few seconds (trying to tell himself that it was not any of his business if others had somehow found trouble and were now dealing with the consequences of finding it) before his old Harry instincts seemed to win. Well, no that was not entirely true—Myror's half was not actually opposed to seeing what was going on, just opposed to actually doing anything to help should the situation warrant it.

He knew he shouldn't have been shocked to see that his dear brother was one of the currently worked up conversers. And after listening to the peasant woman's words-words that talked of sorcery and informing the king, Harry could easily admit that his brother's alarm might be warranted.

From what he had gleaned from the situation, Merlin had done something with magic and that magic had been witnessed…..something that did not bode well for his brother's long-term health.

Harry did not know what he could do. For as much as he was currently both hurt and angry at his brother's ignorance and blatant rejection (without so much as a by-your-leave) of Harry, he was still his only (as far as he knew) living relative. And Harry—even with Myror's addition to his personality—was still not nearly cold hearted enough to want to see actual (and likely irreversible) harm come to his brother. There was no question that Harry would do everything in his power to help his brother…

The only real question that was left was; what could he do?

-oo—

Her stomach churned with anxiety, the frantic beat of her heart doing nothing to help with the matter. From the moment that man stepped a foot inside the walls of Camelot, fear had been her most prevalent emotion. It was because her fear and anxiety was so great, that she did not recognize the second, only slightly weaker, emotion thrumming through her: hate.

Really, one could not necessarily blame her….fear and hate were rather similar in how their tangible symptoms presented. But perhaps she should have realized when she feared Uther more than the man who supposedly induced her anxiety.

She did not.

The only person, who seemed to have a true inkling to what she was experiencing, was her newest, and quickly becoming most important companion. The green eyed boy, who looked so unassuming, could easily understand such things as fear….and now that he was whole; hate.

But even he did not seem to realize the depth or the consequence of her strengthening bitterness towards Uther, maybe if he had, maybe if she had, the story would have turned out entirely different.

Somewhere deep below the citadel, an ancient, scaled beast of fire and flight shivered.

-00-

"What are we going to do?"

Harry stared at the frantic girl—no- witch, in front of him, wondering the very same thing. He had no idea what to do at this point. While he had known that the peasant woman running to Uther would bring consequences that he would not like, he had not expected for Uther to call in the manipulative charlatan.

A charlatan, who despite his trickery and deceit, seemed to have an uncanny ability to actually find and unmask magic practitioners….it would be amusing that the man seemed to almost stumble upon the sorcerers in his midst, almost by accident, if it was not so terrifying.

Well terrifying might be a tad strong perhaps, because Harry was certain that he could, if he so desired, make the man simply disappear; though because the witch hunter had already started with his accusations, his sudden disappearance might make matters worse. And despite being less self-sacrificial then he had been when he was just plain Harry, he had no desire to see innocents burn because of Uther's prejudiced paranoia (although in this case, the paranoia would have been justified…but details).

One thing was for certain; Harry was quickly starting to realize that his magic and his spells and potions were very different from the magic practiced in this day and age. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that the magic that current day sorcerers practiced was so elementary, as it was several centuries before the time he had actually grown up in (and a completely different world), but somehow, he had always pictured them to be more powerful… not less.

Again, a rather stupid assumption and no doubt the fault of fanciful fairytales and time altered truths, but still, Harry couldn't help but be a wee-bit disappointed with what he had witnessed so far.

"He wants to 'talk' with me this afternoon, Henry! I haven't done anything wrong, nothing to make him suspect, but somehow he knows! Uther can't find out the truth—he can't! He would watch me burn faster than you can say sorcerer….." Morgana wrung her hands in a near hysterical state, "What am I going to do?" she asked the last quietly, barely louder than a whisper.

It was that last sentence, so tinged with despair, that had Harry answering her with a promise that he was not certain he could keep, "Don't worry, I promise it will be okay. I will take care of it, promise."

And even if his brother's name hadn't been among those that whispers of suspicion were now following, one look at Morgana's terrified face, and Harry knew that he would do everything in his power to make his promise true.

No one should ever have to fear being themselves to such a degree. Uther had ruled this kingdom with fear for far too long.

That was going to change.

-0-

Hearing the agitated voices from within caused Harry to pause. After his conversation with Morgana, his resolution to find a way to fix this had only strengthened—for even though he had already decided that he was going to monitor the situation and stop Merlin from coming to harm, he had not yet decided to actively intervene. That changed with Morgana.

He couldn't help but feel drawn towards the young witch….it was not in a sexual manner, mind…but as though they were somehow connected. He felt for her, like he had come to feel for many of the females in his past life; Hermione, Luna, even Ginny….as a sister. He knew that he should be alarmed at the strength of his feelings for a girl he had known for not even a week, but as mentioned before, he had long ago learned to trust his instincts and magic, and both were telling him that he needed to protect the witch.

And if Morgana was worried enough to come straight to him, letting go of her infamous pride (or so he had been told—the castle staff liked to gossip and Harry had unusually good hearing. Ok, fine: he was nosey and had been using a lot of eaves dropping spells. Potatoes…patotoes) to ask for help; then the witch hunter that was coming, was bad news.

He hesitated for a second, wondering if he should really intrude on the conversation going on behind Gaius's door…after all, he would have been pissed should someone eavesdrop on him. In the end, his natural curiosity won over any moral doubts he had, and he cast a quick enhancing charm on his ears.

(Parts of conversation taken from the episode: Witch finders—Merlin)

"How many times, Merlin?! How many times must I drive it into that thick skull of yours that your magic is a secret to be guarded with your life?! What were you thinking?!" Gaius asked frustration and anger evident.

Well, there was that question answered at least. He had been pretty sure that Gaius knew magic and knew of Merlin's magic, but he hadn't been 100% sure. If nothing else, at least his eavesdropping eased that worry. And yes, he knew what Ron would say in light of Harry's worrying—that the raven haired teen was far to forgiving. Then again, the red head never complained when it worked in his favor. Harry mentally shook his head and turned his attention back to the conversation going on—one day, (he hoped) his past life would stop haunting his mind.

He cursed softly when he realized that he had missed Merlin's reply, if not more.

"You must hide the book. Anything that can connect you to sorcery in any way." Gaius stressed sounding more urgent now, then angry.

"What? Now" Merlin asked incredulously. Harry couldn't help but shake his head at his brother's attitude. Did the idiot not realize just how much shit he was in? Harry couldn't help but feel that Merlin was still very naïve in how the world worked—or at least he appeared to be.

Harry heard Gaius sigh in frustration, "Yes now Merlin. The man that Uther has sent for, I know him."

Well, wasn't that interesting? Harry pressed towards the door eager to hear more….he couldn't help but wonder what kind of history Gaius had with the man that left him sounding so frightened. Because that was what he was, underneath his fretting and worrying—the man was scared.

"The Witchfinder?" Merlin clarified, making Harry want to roll his eyes. Duh…who else were they standing around talking about?

Gaius answered without really answering, and a few back and forth comments later, from which Harry did not learn a whole lot more, (well other then the fact that Gaius was very, very worried and Merlin not near enough—Harry wondered if difference between elderly physician's worry and Merlin's disregard of the situation, was due to experience and wisdom. Harry got the feeling that Merlin had not yet learned the limitations of what magic could do and fix. It sounded as Gaius had though) Harry drew back from the door and quickly moved in the opposite direction.

He needed a moment to sit down and think this through. He had several possible solutions he could employ (all magical) but he was not sure which, or if any, he should try. One thing he had learned over the years was that there was always a consequence when using magic—it might be miniscule or severe; one never knew until they had to pay it. That, and the fact that he still did not understand how his magic worked here, or for that matter, how other's magic worked here. He had been led to believe (from conversations with Morgana) that it was very different then how his magic was—and again he wasn't sure if that was the magic here itself or simply his magical education coming into play.

He felt like he was once again eleven years old and flying into dangerous situation by the seat of his pants. Wasn't coming here suppose to rid him of his recklessness?—but no, that was not fair. It was not necessarily him being reckless by choice, so much as the situation forcing it.

Still he did not like it. Not one bit.

-0—

Aredian would not say that he was an evil man, no, evil men were those who went against the good lord's laws; those that lay with whores who were not their wives, those who slandered and said blasphemous words, and the worst of the worst; those that consorted with the devil. Because Aredian knew, without a doubt, that those men (and woman—but Aredian didn't really count them because they were only women, and therefore sinful in their very nature) who practiced what they liked to call 'magic,' were Satan's spawn.

It was his duty….no right, to flush them out like the scourge that they were, and if he just so happened to make a few gold coins on the side while doing so, then all the better. He did not think that his Lord in heaven would begrudge him a few small comforts for doing his holy work.

Oh, he knew that people called some of his methods unsavory, or unjust-stated that he persecuted the innocent more often than the guilty, but in his mind it was all for the greater good.

After all, if a few innocents had to burn in order for people like Uther to keep their faith in his abilities, so that he could find those that truly were guilty of witchcraft, then so be it. What were a few innocent souls (who would no doubt be rewarded for their sacrifice by ascending to heaven) in the face of routing out true evil? And while Aredian knew that the reports of witchcraft (the frogs and boils and such things) were purely fictional (he knew this because he had been the one to convince that sad little man to sell the hallucinogenic make-up—just another point in how woman were inherently sinners, what with their vanity), he also knew that there was indeed magic being hidden in Camelot.

And he would be damned if he did not find and eliminate the source….or as his investigation was leading him to suspect; sources.

At the sound of knocking on his door (the door of his given chamber, which thanks to doing and saying exactly what Uther wanted, was rather fine and decadent) he quickly sat himself down behind the large imperial looking work desk, making sure to start diligently scratching away at the sheet in front of him (it was very important to appear hard working and paramount).

"Enter" he ordered not pausing in his act.

He had to stop himself from showing just how unnerved he was when he heard nothing from his expected guest as the boy moved through the room silently—it was only thanks to a carefully angled mirror on the corner of his desk that he knew that his visitor had entered at all. Yes, he was right to be suspicious of this one; not only was the boy a stranger (and therefore had few allies who would stick up for him should Aredian need to use him as a scapegoat. After all, if Aredian could not find the actual witch, he would still need to accuse someone to protect his reputation) but he was apparently related to the one that Aredian was truly suspicious of—Mervin, or whatever.

After all, Mervin had been present when the true bout of magic was actually witnessed and yet denied witnessing it at all. Not to mention after listening to rumors, the boy had no obvious skills that would have gained him his position as the prince's manservant—at least not without trickery. And finally, the last strike for both of the boys was their ties to Gaius.

Gaius, who had escaped his accusations in the past thanks to his friendship with the king. Gaius, who had all but flaunted his magic for all to see and yet remained alive spreading his magical taint throughout Camelot. Oh yes, Gaius had escaped him long enough, and Aredian was determined to see him burn this time around—if he had to use a few servants to achieve it, well everyone had to make sacrifices.

And what were a few peasant souls when compared with the betterment of the kingdom? (not to mention the immeasurable wealth he was sure to receive when he uncovered the old witch doctor's betrayal).

Sensing that enough time had passed to show that he was far more important than the one who was here at his request, Aredian set down his quill and gave a shark like smile to his visitor.

"Ah, thank you for meeting with me…..Henry was it?" Aredian asked dealing out the typical pleasant social necessities (although both he and the boy knew that there was nothing pleasant about them).

"It wasn't really much of a choice on my part, now was it?" the waif like child replied—his calm, collected tone at complete odds with the belligerent reply.

Aredian had to stop himself from gaping at the child. How dare he?! Did the peasant not know who he was? Did he not understand the immense power that Aredian had over him? The respect that he ought to show his betters?

...maybe he was slow? Yes, that had to be it. Because no one in their right mind would speak to him with such disregard….hmmm, well while that would alter his plans slightly, it would also make them easier. After all, one who was not in complete control of their mental facilities would be easier to manipulate….

"Ah yes….well it is such a small sacrifice on one's part to ensure the safety of Camelot and her king, wouldn't you agree?" He replied while mentally trying to decide which direction he was going to take his interrogation in now. He just needed to get the boy to admit (accuse) that he had seen his brother and his 'mentor' practicing magic. It shouldn't be so hard.

It was because of his mental focus that Aredian missed how Henry tensed at his statement about sacrifice. Of course had Aredian known his intended victim's past with sacrifice and the good of many vs. the good of the individual, he might have realized he had touched on a touchy topic. Not that he would have cared. After all, Aredian had a very white and black view of the world—and in his fine opinion, all witches (or wizards) regardless of their actions, thoughts, or positions in society, deserved what they got at his and Uther's hands.

"Ask you questions then, I have duties to carry out yet" Henry answered shortly. One might wonder why he was going out of his way to antagonize the man—after all making nice with him would have been the smarter, more Slytherin thing to do. But Harry was still for the most part a Gryffindor (or at least still harbored a few Gryffindorish traits at the very least). And while yes, he could be rather sneaky and cunning when he wanted, the direct approach would work better for his current aims.

He was aiming to piss the man off enough to not only take his focus off of Morgana and Merlin, but to reveal something in his anger. After all, Harry, while wary of the man, knew that when it came down to it—he could eliminate him. True he did not want to necessarily have to resort to such actions, but the knowledge that he could, and would, was enough for him not to fear his words and actions towards the fraud. Plus he hated prejudice…and this man just reeked of it.

Aredian's lips pursed at the boys tone, he did not appreciate the impertinence that this scrawny whelp was addressing him with but pushed it aside for now—he could always make the boy pay for it later. While he was not a patient man, he could be when the situation called for it. "Yes, well then, I have a few questions for you….you are aware of the incident that forced Uther to seek my services….yes?"

The whelp wrinkled his nose in disgust—or disagreement, shaking his head slightly, "I heard rumors but have to admit that I tend to steer clear of those, as they are often full of fallacy and bias….as I am sure one as learned and wise as yourself is aware?"

No he really, really did not like this boy.

"True, but that is not always the case. So you are saying that you were not aware of magic being performed and witnessed by a loyal subject of Camelot?" Aredian rephrased his question arching his eye brow in suspicion.

"Hmmm…..and here I had heard that the town gossipmonger, who is known to drink far too much most days of the week, thought she saw shapes in some fire smoke. But if you say magic was being practiced, then far be it for me to say otherwise" Harry retorted his tone solemn and severe.

Aredian was sure that the boy was mocking him but when he studied the face in front of him there was no trace of sarcasm or jest present.

"I have been doing this for longer then you have been alive, boy. I can tell drunken hallucinations from the real thing. And this, here, was the real thing" Aredian felt the need to defend, annoyed by the fact that he did.

"Ah well….of course. But to answer your question, no, I was only privileged to the court gossip of the incident. Though I am fairly new here and therefore have not had time to develop such skilled abilities as yourself. I therefore cannot be expected to know the difference between rumors and the real thing" Harry clarified with a shrug.

"And that brings me to my next set of questions…. the king has informed me that you were the one who found Lady Morgana and ensured her safe return?" Aredian stated, sneering slightly at Morgana's formal address. In his opinion, women had no place in court or in positions higher than their naturally superior counterparts; the bedroom and kitchen were the only places for them.

"Yes, that is correct. I came across her injured in the woods" Harry agreed easily enough, though his posture tightened slightly as though sensing where this conversation was headed.

"Hmmm…..I see. And tell me Mr. Emrys, where were you up until you saved Lady Morgana? What exactly were you doing in the woods to begin with? It strikes me as odd that you show up, and suddenly Camelot is besieged with the devil's signs"

"Oh, well I could same the same for you Mr. Aredian, after all these so called devil's signs showed up around the time you came to Camelot as well. So unless you are suggesting that you are the one responsible for them, then I fail to see you're reasoning" Harry replied back looking for all the world calm and collected. He smirked in his mind when he saw his stress on the man's lack of knighthood or noble blood caused him to twitch—after years of dealing with people like Malfoy, this man's buttons were disappointingly easy to push.

Aredian could feel his blood pressure soaring the longer he subjected himself to this ignorant child. How dare he? How dare he suggest that he, Aredian, had anything to do with witchcraft outside of finding and eliminating it!? Oh he would make this boy pay for such a comment. No one, absolutely no one got away with such disrespect...

A rather evil smirk came to his face as the idea of just how to get back at the whelp entered his mind. While sure, the easiest way would be to accuse Henry of being the witch and watch him burn…. it was to merciful and short for Aredian's tastes. He recalled hearing (although he cannot quite recall the source…the boy was right about one thing, the court's gossip was rampant and admittedly unreliable) that this boy had family here in Camelot. In fact, if he was not wrong, (which he seldom was) he was almost certain that it was the boy's brother who was present when the smoke magic was witnessed.

Aredian had been doing this job for long enough to know that if you wanted to cause someone pain, true pain, then you did not go after them but those they cared about. In other words; their family.

It was rather ingenious of him really. He had already been planning on going after the Mervin boy, (if only to catch Gaius)—knowing that it would cause Henry pain was really just a bonus. Not to mention with an accused and found guilty (because anyone he accused was always found guilty) witch in the family, Henry would become a social outcast and subjected to countless rumors and suspicions. It would be easy down the road (once the boy had suffered long enough) to come back and accuse Henry of having followed the same path as his brother. Yes, as far as revenge plans went…this was a good one.

"Hnn. Just one more question before you go, the prince's manservant….he is related to you?" Aredian asked doing his best to make the question appear harmless and innocent.

His attempt apparently failed as the boy's eyes narrowed slightly, his suspicion evident, "yes" he answered succinctly.

Aredian hid his annoyance at not getting more information with a satisfied (and somewhat predatory) smile, "Thank you for your time Mr. Emrys. You may go….if you happen to see Mervin, do tell him that I would like a chat, yes?"

He watched with smug satisfaction, taking a long drink from his wine goblet, as the boy was forced to nod his agreement before hightailing it out of the room.

Ah it was good to be him he thought, sure that his plans would unfold unhindered as always. And if his wine tasted a little off….well, it was surely just a coincidence.

-0-

For not the first time, Harry was decidedly glad that he had lost at least some of his Gryffindor attitude, adopting more of a Ravenclaw/Slytherin mix since his meeting with the Goblins. Had he been the quintessential Gryffindor like he once was, he likely would have decked Aredian in the face… after cursing him to look like a little girl of course.

If he had not forced himself to study like he was Hermione during NEWTS, OWLS and CATS (Crazy Awful & Trying Seminary—the equivalent to muggle university entrance requirements) all combined into one, then he would not have had the potion or magical knowledge to not only have made the necessary brew, but to be carrying it with him when it was needed.

Needed for what? One might ask, and just what kind of brew? Well, in Harry's not so humble admittance, one of his and Severus's (although perhaps he should say the half blood prince- since the actual man would never have lifted a finger to help him, much less work with him. The potions book with said man's knowledge however had nooo such problem) creations.

It worked along the lines of Veritaserum—although it lasted far longer and was not nearly as potent or foolproof. While it did not guarantee that the consumer would tell the truth exactly how it was, it certainly compelled them to be far more honest with their opinions and behavior. And if Harry was right (which he—again not so humbly—tended to be), Aredian was a man whose motivations were far from pure.

True, working for a man like Uther this was not all that surprising; however, while Uther was all kinds of backwards and ignorant, he would not abide such behavior should the behavior be against him and his. And if the rather full gold satchel attached to the witch hunter's belt was telling, Aredian was hunting 'sorcerers' for no small amount of monetary gain. Gold, that had most likely come from the person employing him to hunt them—should he prove to be a quack, well it was only logical that said employer would be rather angered at having forked over such riches to a charlatan and scam man. Perhaps angry enough to see said charlatan's head roll….

Harry couldn't even find it in himself to feel guilty at his part in the man's most likely future death. After all the man had sentenced countless others (both muggles and Magic) to the same fate—just desserts and all that.

Standing in front of Uther (although thankfully not alone, but lost in the crowd of other, far more important courtesans and serving staff) Harry felt his disgust for both men swell when Aredian boastfully announced that Merlin was the magic user. As much as he and Merlin were at odds (ok, so Merlin was at odds with him rather then it being mutual…but details) he did not want to see his brother burned for something he was born with—it would after all, make him something of a hypocrite. He knew that he would have to act fast to expose Aredian for what he really was if he hoped to save Merlin from his execution.

He would have laughed at Arthur's adamant denials that Merlin was a sorcerer had the situation not been so dire. It was with no small amount of urgency that Harry ducked out of the court room to make his way hastily towards Gaius and Merlin's chambers—doing so upon hearing Aredian state that he could prove that Merlin was a sorcerer by searching Gaius's chambers and revealing the magical tools within.

Thankful for every second that rounding up the appropriate number of trusted guards would take Aredian and Uther, Harry took a chance and apparated straight into Gaius's rooms. He did not bother wasting time worrying about getting caught in the act as he hastily summoned any object that held a trace of 'supernatural' energy to him and tossed them into his cloak. It felt like a century (although Harry knew it was likely a few minutes) before he was sure he had everything.

Heart pounding with the knowledge that the guards would be here at any moment, Harry ducked out of the room and quickly moved into the shadowed corner to the right, sensing with his magic that it connected to a hallway. He had no idea where the hall led, but he could tell that at least it led away from here.

The door shut behind him with a soft click, and not a moment too soon as he heard the sound of multiple boots on stone as the guards and whoever else was 'honored' enough to be present, approaching the now unoccupied Physician rooms. He would have liked to stick around to witness Aredian's face when he discovered that the magical objects (that Harry was pretty sure the man had placed to ensure a guilty verdict) where no longer there, but alas, his plan was not yet complete.

No, it would not be finished until Uther was conveniently led to believe that Aredian had been conning him—and of course the subsequent discovery of illegal magical objects and hallucinogen in the man's rooms.

Aredian was not the only one who could frame someone after all…..now he had a blabbermouth kitchen had to find.

'Rumors were such nasty things' he thought with a smirk.

-0-

Gaius barely managed to hide his own incredulity, much less keep Merlin's surprise (the boy had a rather easy to read face) when Uther's guards overturned the entire room without finding so much as a fortune bead.

He couldn't believe it! He actually could not believe that Merlin had listened to him and had gotten rid of (hidden) all of the magically related paraphernalia. Though judging by Merlin's initial crestfallen and dread riddled face when the King announced that Gaius's chambers were to be searched, coupled with his surprised and relieved one now…..Merlin hadn't been the one to do so.

It left Gaius feeling a small amount of unease. Someone—either had the foresight, or had been told that the witch finder was going to accuse Merlin and Uther was going to order a search, and had decided to help them for some unknown reason. Gaius had not lived this long to not know that people did not do anything for free. He couldn't help but wonder if the price would be worth it.

Oh no! don't call him unfeeling or cold…. any price would have been worth Merlin's life, except that it would not have come to the young wizards life, not if Gaius had a say in it. If they had found evidence (which Gaius had been sure they would—after all, anyone accused by Aredian always had evidence unearthed against them) then Gaius had been prepared to take the fall. After all; both he and Aredian know what this was really about. Revenge.

Aredian did not like failure—and that was what Gaius had represented to him. Gaius was the one that got away so to speak. He had been accused by the witch finder when they were both still quite young, but he, unlike all the rest, had managed to talk Uther out of his own execution…something that no one had managed since. Something, that while he was ever thankful that he was in fact alive, he had to wonder if it had been a mistake. He couldn't help but suspect that his narrow escape from the pier was what triggered Aredian's almost obsessive need to accuse others of witch craft and see them burn. In a sense it was his own arraignment that had created the monster the man was today.

Gaius sighed and shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts—thoughts that only ever led to him feeling the weight of guilt and responsibility that, while in part might be his to bare, were not truly—or at least, completely so. Logically he knew the monster had always been there, and that if his own circumstances had not triggered its appearance, something else would have.

Watching the guard leave the room with a visibly snarling witch hunter, Gaius allowed himself a small measure of satisfaction. Perhaps the price they would pay would not be so bad—even so, seeing that rage in Aredian's eyes at being thwarted once again, made almost any price asked acceptable.

(A day later)

After the dramatic accusations the previous day, work settled down into its usual hull-drum; maids cleaned, cooks cooked, Gaius brewed and diagnosed—his new helper fetched herbs and leant a hand (Gaius had to admit the new boy, Henry, had far more talent in the healing arts then his previous assistant had—that and the boy was definitely less clumsy, saving Gaius from having to constantly save and remake his medications or waste time cleaning up broken pestles), and Merlin ran after Arthur. All was usual.

Except that it wasn't.

Gaius couldn't help but feel like there was something slightly off about his assistant. He had sensed it when the boy first started to help him, but it had been barely there and easy to dismiss. Now though… well ever since Aredian's interview with the teen, the feeling of offness (because Gaius really couldn't think of another way to describe the almost hyper alert, staticky feeling that made him want to simultaneously draw closer to the child and get as far away as possible) had increased.

Still, he didn't know Henry well enough to broach the subject and state his suspicions, (the boy was Merlin's half brother—that he had magic would not have been that big of surprise) so decided it was just another thing that he had better keep his tired old eyes on.

It was not the only thing that did not fall within the usual however.

There were certain rumors circling the citadel corridors and lower town like a wild brush fire. This in itself was not unusual—after all Camelot was almost as famous for its gossips as it was for its knights (there was a fierce debate on which of the groups was actually more powerful, although in Gaius's opinion the knights were seriously deluding themselves). But the fact that the rumors were covertly whispered, an extra bout of caution surrounding the telling of them was unusual; that, and the fact that they were all concerning a certain witch hunter; a certain witch hunter, who, if rumors were to be believed, had been witnessed practicing all sorts of forbidden magic.

According to many sources, Aredian had been spotted conjuring anything from toads to demon mice. The easily flustered washing girl, swore that Bobby the stable boy, had been told by Kendrick the black smith, by Kathreen the baker, that she had seen Aredian sacrificing a young virgin maid by the light of the full moon (which was obviously false, as this was Aredian they were talking about, Gaius doubted that any of the maids were still virgins, and there had been no full moon for weeks)—it was really only one of numerous outlandish 'sightings' being claimed.

And when the court was called to session late that afternoon, Gaius instinctively knew what was going to happen before it did: or, at least he thought he did. Apparently, being old and wise did not mean one was still not taken by surprise from time to time.

He had expected the king to dismiss the rumors and carry on with his witch hunts and even when the King caved to the mounting pressure, (caused by upset civilians) and had ordered his guards to search Aredian's rooms, (something Gaius had figured they would do- find nothing, and then resume as per usual) he hadn't expected the events to unravel they way that they did.

Unraveling in the manner that meant several dozen magical items having been found hidden around Aredian's bedchambers.

Unraveling in the manner that meant several hallucinogenic potions were discovered.

Unraveling in the manner that meant; Aredian suddenly coming clean about having drugged certain women with said potions in the past to make them 'witness magic,' before framing his chosen citizen with the magical items. Things, that he admitted to rather easily all things considered, when Uther questioned him on the items.

Yes, Gaius had not expected any of the above to take place, and despite the uneasy feeling growing (Because things just fell into to place a little too easily. He couldn't help but think that actual magic- though magic unlike anything he had witnessed before—had been used to make them happen) he wasn't able to smother his relieved and justified (ok, vindictive) feelings at seeing Aredian finally unmasked.

Even the rather light sentence handed down to the fraud was not enough to derail his good mood (although it was rather hypocritical that Aredian had only been sentenced to ten years in prison, when most of his victims—many innocent, had been burned alive. But Uther being Uther, Gaius had to count it as a win. At least the man was punished—though likely it was more because Uther hated being made a fool of, then because of the lives lost by the man's actions and words).

Still, he was not completely caught up in this sudden boon. He had taken the time to warn Merlin that he suspected another magic user's intervention. That and asking a few subtle questions regarding Henry…. after all, if Henry did turn out to have been the sorcerer who had a hand in this, maybe the boys would have something they could bond over.

Merlin needed more confidants then one old, tired, man. That and if it truly was Henry's work that had unveiled Aredian, then the boy was powerful. Far more powerful than any magic user Gaius had ever seen—and practicing magic that Gaius had not known was possible.

Someone that powerful was worth keeping an eye on. After all, if they turned out not to be a powerful ally and friend—then they made for a dangerous and formidable enemy.

But Gaius shook the last thought off—he was being silly. Surely a child so young and innocent looking could not truly be such a threat?

He was just being a paranoid old man…that was all.

-0-

When Garth came to replace the night shift guarding the fallen-from-grace witch finder, a rather unmanly scream was forced from his throat.

A crimson pool surrounded the body of the disgraced man, the man in question eyes staring open and unseeingly up at the cell roof.

When later investigated the death would be wrote off as a suicide, although no weapon would be found. Not that it was all that surprising, as the small stone carved with one word, placed underneath the man's inert body, was also missed.

That one word read: justice.

Note:

Chapter title: Taken from the nursery rhyme 'I do not like thee, Docter Fell' which goes along the lines of:

I do not like thee, Doctor Fell

The reason why; I cannot tell

But this I know; and I know well

I do not like thee, Doctor Fell

**All views expressed in regards to religion, dogma or personal perception are fictional for the purpose of the story and not necessarily shared by the author! So if expressed views of said characters offend, well I apologize, but suggest you stop reading fiction! ;)