Disclaimer all characters, settings, etc, are the copyright of JK Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing
The return
.
Chapter 11
.
Merlin's freedom
.
For the first three days of his freedom Merlin had become almost childlike and Hugh was much the same, they spend the whole time together. After watching some TV together Hugh took a disguised Merlin on a quick tour of North Wales, visiting the famous Welsh tourist spots, and even taking rides on some of the attractions of the amusement parks. Merlin was amazed at the changes that had taken place in the land of his birth.
Meanwhile Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna took the time to relax and to wind down. Hermione said they needed the break before the wedding, and before facing the wizarding world with the biggest news of the millennium.
Hermione looked a little sad as she thought about her and Harry's upcoming wedding, a thought had just entered her mind and she gave a deep sigh.
"What's up Mione?" Harry asked
"I can see the papers now, 'The great and famous Harry Potter' gets married, guest of honour is none other than the greatest wizard of all time 'Merlin', finally released after a thousand years captivity" said Hermione, a look of sadness quickly flitted across her face. "Well the wedding day is supposed to be the brides big day, but with Merlin there, well you know what will happen, not that I mind too much really it's just… oh heck I don't know…" Hermione replied.
"Nothing is going to spoil our day Mione, we are not going to announce Merlin's release until after the wedding celebrations are over, it's his idea he said the same thing as you," Harry said, as he shifted his position lying on the bench that stood outside the barn.
Ron and Mya both nodded their agreement; they were both relaxing in huge armchairs that Mya had conjured, the five of them were enjoying the afternoon sun in the peace and quiet of this beautiful area.
Ron sat up and sweeping his hand to indicate the valley in front of them, he said "how would you like to live here Luna love."
Before she could answer Mya spoke up "It gets very lonely sometimes, being so far from any towns, and not having any other witches around," Mya said "but having said that, I would never want to live anywhere else now."
"Well now that you and Hugh have discovered each others secret, why don't you advertise the barn in the Prophet, that way you would be having witches and wizards coming here for their holidays instead of Muggle's, I'm sure it would be very popular," Hermione suggested.
Mya thought it was a great idea and decided she would consult Hugh as soon as he returned.
"So Luna you didn't answer Ron, how would you like to live around here?" Harry asked with a huge grin.
"Why, are you thinking of buying us a place close by too?" Hermione said her face brightening up.
"Nah! We don't need another one now do we, remember we already own a place close too." Harry said chuckling.
"I'd forgotten all about that," she admitted quietly. "we should have gone to check it out like we said."
The rest of the day was spent doing nothing more than lazing around in the early August sunshine. The following morning, exactly one week to go for the wedding, Harry woke before the others and crept quietly out of the barn closing the door slowly so as not to wake his sleeping companions.
He set off for a walk along the lane, he was enjoying it immensely the warmth of the early morning sun, the dew glistening among the leaves of the hedgerow, the fresh clean country air, occasionally the smell of freshly cut grass. Watching the wild life that continued on its daily routine as though he were not there, he had walked a mile and a half when he found himself at the main road. Just fifty yards in front of him on the other side of the road stood the local hostelry, an inn called the Goat.
"So this is the place Hugh was dreaming about," he said quietly to himself.
He read the sign outside, it was advertising bed and breakfast, 'it would be nice to pop in here for a beer later' he thought as he turned to retrace his steps back to the farm, by the time he reached the farm he was really ready for some breakfast.
He could smell the freshly baked bread that Mya had just a few minutes before, taken from the oven and placed on the window sill to cool, his stomach rumbled loudly and the aroma made him even hungrier than he had been just minutes earlier.
Harry walked to the kitchen door, resisting the temptation to help himself to a chunk of the beckoning bread as he passed within inches of it. instead he breathed in deeply, savouring the aroma of the fresh baked bread. Entering the kitchen he saw Hugh and Merlin sitting at the table, Mya was busy over at the range cooking breakfast, Hugh poured Harry a cup of tea as he joined them.
"Harry, would you be so kind as to do something for me today?" asked Merlin, continuing before Harry could answer "would you go over to Hogwarts and fetch Minerva for me, I think it is about time I met my only other decent living relative."
Harry said he would be happy to, "But I think we should tell aunt Petunia as well, after all she is family, I think she should know."
"I thought you did not like that family, Harry?" Merlin said a little puzzled.
"Oh, I don't, that's why I want 'you' to tell them, I can just see uncle Vernon's face, when he learns that his dear Muggle wife is a descendant of the one and only Merlin, greatest wizard of all time," Harry chuckled at the vision in his head.
It was an hour later when Ron, Hermione, and Luna knocked gently on the kitchen door. Harry had just finished his breakfast of bacon eggs sausage mushrooms tomatoes and beans, with still warm freshly baked bread all accompanied by several mugs of tea.
"Come in," Mya called as she rose to cook more food.
Harry, waited till they were seated before rising and saying "I am off to Hogwarts, to fetch grandma," it felt a little strange to him referring to his old Professor as grandma.
"I won't be to long," he said as he kissed Hermione and then went over to the barn.
He was eager to try out the new found form of travel, reaching the mirror he stood and thought about it, not wanting to bump his head again. It must be the same as disaparating he decided.
Looking into the mirror he concentrated on Hogwarts, more specifically on the large mirror in the boy's dorm in Gryffindor tower. A few seconds later he was looking at the room he knew so well, so he stepped into the mirror and was instantly in the dorm where the new occupants would sleep come September.
He made his way to the heads quarters, passing a few curious early rising resident professor's on the way. Having knocked on the door and waiting, he stood thinking about all that had happened since his encounter with death; he found that for the first time in his life he was really truly happy. Voldemort was gone as were his death eaters, he was about to marry the most wonderful woman alive and he now had family to call his own.
"Morning Harry," Minerva's voice bought him out of his thoughts.
"Morning grandmother, Merlin asked me to pop over to fetch you, said it was about time he met his family," Harry told her.
"He's free, you did it, oh how wonderful Harry, you really are a great wizard," his great grandmother hugged him tightly, a huge smile on her face.
"It was Hermione, not me, she's the one with all the brains, and Ron was the one who solved the final problem we had," he said with a small chuckle.
"Come in while I get ready," Minerva said, she was as excited as a young school girl asked for her first date.
"Would you like some breakfast before we leave gran," Harry asked, then he called out slightly louder "Dobby, can you hear me I am in the Headmistresses rooms, can you hear me?"
There was a popping sound and Dobby, Harry's friend, the house elf appeared.
"Harry Potter sir, how can Dobby help his friend?"
"Could you bring some breakfast and a pot of tea for my grandmother please?" Harry asked his huge eyed friend.
"Certainly, sir, would Harry Potter like some breakfast?"
"No thanks Dobby, but a cup of tea would be nice thank you."
Dobby vanished, returning shortly after with a huge tray laden with an assortment of food and drink.
"Is there any thing else Dobby can do Harry Potter sir?" Dobby grinned eager to help his friend.
"No thank you Dobby, oh yes, there is one thing you could do, you could accompany my Grandmother to my wedding next week as my personal guest," Harry said.
Dobby's eyes filled with tears as his face lit up, a look of joy spread across it.
"Harry Potter is inviting Dobby to his wedding, thank you Harry Potter sir, thank you, Dobby is so lucky to have a friend like Harry Potter sir," the elf left them with a huge smile on his face.
"I hope you don't mind Dobby coming with you grandma, as you know we wouldn't even be getting married if it were not for Dobby's help?" Harry said as she sat at the small table where Dobby had placed the tray of food.
Harry sat with his great grandmother as she ate her breakfast, and told her how they had freed Merlin, and how he had spent three days celebrating his freedom by travelling around with Hugh getting to know about things that you can't learn about by looking through a mirror.
"I knew if there was a way to free him, Hermione would find it. I never taught such a clever witch; she really is a great witch. I wonder if this is what will reveal to the world that she is the greatest witch of all time," Minerva said as they finished the last of the tea.
Harry held his great grandmothers hand as they entered the mirror on her wardrobe door, stepping out into the barn.
Minerva was amazed at how they had travelled so far with only the sensation of quickly passing through a warm gentle water fall.
While Merlin and Minerva got to know each other, Harry spent some time with Hermione, while Ron and Luna went for a walk around the farm.
As lunch time approached Harry and Hermione found Ron and Luna sitting on the stone wall of the small bridge looking down at the stream below.
Harry suggested a walk and led Luna, Ron, and Hermione to the local inn.
"I have been looking forward to this, trying a Muggle beer in a Muggle pub," he said, as they entered the bar.
Ron and Harry went to get the drinks while Luna and Hermione went and sat down at one of the tables. The service was quick and friendly; when the barmaid told them the price Ron looked totally bewildered.
"I'll get these Ron," Harry smiled at his best friend and wondered if he would ever get the hang of things in the Muggle world.
Hermione and Luna were deep in a discussion about the wedding plans when they got to the table, the girls did not look up and only stopped talking long enough to thank them for the drink. After a few minutes sitting twiddling his thumbs Harry asked Ron if he fancied a game of pool.
"What on earth is pool?" Ron wanted to know.
"Well you know that green topped table we passed on the way in; well that is a pool table."
"Well it did not look wet to me." Ron looked lost.
Deciding that explaining the game while sat at the table would not work, Harry stood up "Come on I'll show you," Harry said as he led the way to the pool table.
Harry set up the balls then tried to explain the rules to Ron, not sure if Ron had understood Harry took the first go, it was not long before Harry was asking Ron, "Are you sure you never played this before."
"Never saw anything like it before, but I must say it is fun," Ron said.
Just as at chess, Harry found Ron was much better at the game than he was. After losing four games, Harry decided it was time to surrender and go back to the women. The four of them stayed for a few more drinks before deciding it was time to go back to the farm.
The walk back to the farm was not as easy as the walk down to the village had been. They were not used to drinking, and the Muggle beer had been a whole lot stronger than butterbeer. So the gentle walk up the winding lane took them a lot longer than it normally would, they seemed to cover almost as much distance staggering side ways as they did forward.
After lunch the four friends left the farm house and went over to the barn for an afternoon sleep. They were to leave the farm that evening to take Merlin to the Burrow to meet with the remaining members of the order of the phoenix.
That evening the four of them were pleased to be back in the Burrow even if it was only because Molly had the ingredients for a hangover relief potion, they were all suffering for their lunch time indulgence.
Molly made Merlin most welcome and during the evening meal sat him at the head of the table, despite his protest that it was Arthur's position as head of the Weasley family.
Arthur however enthusiastically agreed with his wife, the entire Weasley family were there; all full of questions to put to Merlin, but before they had a chance to start to interrogate him Arthur stood and ordered them not to ask questions until after they had met with the order.
"That way Merlin will not have to repeat him self".
That night after their meal Merlin led Harry out to the field where the Weasleys played Quidditch, "Now is the time for you to learn how to control your new found power Harry. I want you to sit in the middle of the field where no one will disturb you and meditate, find your magical centre with your conscious mind. When you have found your magic you need to mentally sever the link from your magic to your subconscious mind. Place blocks to prevent the link reforming and then with that done you will have full control of your magic. I will return at dawn to see how you are doing."
Harry doing as Merlin told him sat down in the centre of the field, while he walked across the field Merlin walked back to the house. It took Harry almost five hours to actually find and be able to inwardly see his magical centre. Slowly he found and severed the links to his subconscious and then proceeded to place the mental blocks to prevent the links reforming. The dawn was just breaking as Harry woke from the trance he had been in. sitting in the middle of the open field he suddenly felt cold and damp, standing up slowly he worked out the stiffness that had settled in his joints during his long trance like state, by the time he was free of stiffness Merlin had joined him. The old wizard was a little surprised that Harry had been able to find his centre in just one night, it had taken him three nights, 'but then I was simply finding out what to do' he reminded himself. Harry walked back to the house with Merlin and went straight up to his bed to get a few hours sleep.
The remaining few days leading up to the wedding day were hectic, people seemed to be rushing around trying to get last minute things done before it was too late.
Hermione left to fetch her parents. Fleur left to go to France to fetch her sister and Ron found that his dress robes no longer fitted so he had to get new set made in Diagon Alley. The only person who did not seem to be affected by it all was Luna; she calmly did all she was asked and nothing seemed to fluster her at all.
On the morning of the fourteenth Harry was up before anyone else, his nerves were setting loose huge butterflies in his stomach. Today was the big day he had dreamt about since the ride on Buckbeak with Hermione when they rescued Sirius all those years ago that now seemed a life time in the past.
