A warning here is due, this may not be in chronological order, it has been some time since I read or watched the second Harry Potter and time has not been permitting for me to get on the subject matter to determine the correct order. If it truly bothers anyone then let me know the correct order and I'm happy to change them around, otherwise it can stay as it is.

Chapter 3: Second Year

Merlin hoisted himself up the final boulder to the hidden entrance to the Crystal Cave.

It had been months since he had been here. Had it been any other time in the previous centuries this would not have been a strange thing. Mostly Merlin made a biannual pilgrimage to the Cave, hoping some day to catch a vision of Arthur in his future. However ever since Harry Potter had once again emerged into the magical community Merlin had made a habit of returning to the Cave full of crystals more often.

Merlin pushed aside the disguising spell he had placed on the entrance and stepped into the cool dampness of the Cave. The crystals glimmered in the dim light and Merlin breathed in the scent of pure, simple magic.

He smiled and strolled through the Cave letting his mind wander. He had learnt to control the visions in the Crystals when he had discovered who he was, but sometimes it was best to let the Crystals show him what was important. It was how Merlin had practiced the delicate art of preventing tragedy. Of course it didn't always work; several wars had been the testament to that.

Images swirled in the clear depth of the crystals and Merlin stopped to see what future they were going to show him now. Harry's face swam through Merlin's vision, people frozen in step, Hermione with her face fixated on a book; whispered words written in ink, fear, lies and snakes wound their way around Merlin's mind until he threw himself backwards, his old bones creaking with the effort.

Looking around desperately Merlin knew he had to do something. What happened to waiting and watching? A voice in the back of his mind whispered. Merlin shoved it aside, he wasn't going to get involved. He was just going to give a little nudge. The only thing was how to administer the nudge, he needed to warn Harry, but he needed someone who the boy would trust, who he would listen to.

Merlin paced around the Cave floor until one of the images which continued to flow through the Crystals caught his eye, a tall pale haired man with a sneer glared down his nose at a group of red headed children. Merlin frowned; he recognised Lucius Malfoy and knew that he owned a House Elf, a practice that Merlin loathed. Still perhaps the elf could help. Merlin nodded and placed his hands around the nearest Crystal. Harry would certainly trust a House Elf, they were known for an inability to lie.

Merlin rubbed his eyes and looked into the crystal, when Gaius had been alive he would have tutted and told Merlin not to be a fool and go to bed. Merlin smiled. Memories of Gaius always cheered him up. Still he realised that he was developing a bad habit, an insatiable desire to see exactly what was happening in Harry Potter's life.

Sighing and promising himself that he would get some sleep after a quick check Merlin watched the vision slide across the crystal. Hermione was twisting her fingers as she paced around the girls dorms in the Gryffindor tower. Merlin frowned and wondered what she was thinking of. She glanced outside and Merlin could see the Quidditch pitch filling with students.

Hermione looked down at her bed, which Merlin noticed was covered in sheet upon sheet of parchment. Merlin frowned and focused on the parchment, as he did the past and future of the paper and the notes upon them surged into view. He froze. The Basilisk, the horrific dark creature which had taken up residence in the Great Dragon's empty prison cell, Hermione was trying to find it.

Merlin shook his head, but he could see the decision in her eyes. He could no more change Hermione's mind than he could ever have changed Arthur's.

He cast about for an option, he had to stop her, the multi-layered visions were showing him her dead form, her frozen body, the basilisk uncoiling in its dark enclosure, the basilisk striking out death.

Merlin shook his head to clear his mind. There was no option for Hermione that didn't involve an encounter with the giant snake.

For a single ridiculous second Merlin contemplated calling Kilgharrah. The Great Dragon could surely defeat a basilisk. Shoving that thought from his head Merlin went with the only option he had. Better petrification than death. He reached into the image and focused. "A mirror, take a mirror to glance around corners. If what you fear is true than better this fate than death." He whispered, praying that Hermione was as receptive as others he had influenced.

Merlin stepped back from the crystal warily, and was relieved to see Hermione dig through her trunk for a small hand held mirror. He sunk down onto his temporary bed. First thing tomorrow he would leave and stay away for a while. He had forgotten how much caring like this hurt.

Harry's chest was burning as he ran; he could hear Ron's own agonised breathing as his friend hurtled along behind him. The chilling skittering sound of giant spider's legs filled the air and sent strength into Harry's own legs in the form of pure terror.

They had to get out of the forest, but in his blind fear fuelled run Harry didn't know which way was out. Gasping for air Harry turned around a tree and stumbled over an exposed root. Ron bolted past him whimpering as he ran. Harry followed him as fast as his shaking legs could manage.

The skittering was getting louder and Harry could almost feel the tickle of the spiders legs on his neck, then without warning there was a roar and the thick brush to Harry's left exploded apart and the Weasley's old Ford Anglia burst through the undergrowth and skidded to a stop in front of Ron.

The red head slid to a stop, gaping at the car before he threw himself through the now open door and grabbed the steering wheel. Harry stage dived through the back door landing roughly on the backseat. The air was promptly knocked out of him as Fang followed him, launching himself onto Harry's back.

The engine roared and the car took off with spinning wheels, the spiders still in hot pursuit. Ron fumbled with the gear stick trying to get the car in the air while Harry leant over his shoulder shouting at him to hurry. Fang howled.

Finally with a loud shriek of metal on metal and a bump that knocked Harry's head on the roof they were in the air, dodging between tree trunks while the spiders were left in their wake.

Harry hung over the front seat and looked over at Ron. "That was lucky." He gasped out.

Merlin sunk back on the rocks and breathed a sigh of relief, he hadn't been entirely sure that the car would make it in time. He figured that blasting spiders was probably getting a little too involved for his own rules. Not that he was entirely sure he could have managed it.

It had only just worked out too, really it had been pure luck that Merlin had forgotton his bag in the Cave and had arrived in time for the visions of Harry and Ron's visit to the great spider Aragog. Thankfully Harry and Ron were safe back in the castle and they knew the truth about Hagrid. Merlin hated to see the innocent suffer, it was something that he and Arthur had agreed on completely.

Turning the crystal over in his palms, Merlin sighed. It had been flashing insistently for the past hour, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the determination to gaze into it's depths and see a future he would loathe.

The magic began to prickle at his fingers, demanding to be released. Merlin chewed on his lip, flicking his beard out of his mouth with his tongue afterwards. He didn't want to look at a future which he had invariable ruined. He'd never mastered the ability of making prophecies come true in a good way. Every time he got involved someone got hurt, his accidental intervention last time had been the exception. Last time Hermione had been hurt this time it would be Harry himself. Merlin knew it.

Merlin yelped and looked down automatically as the magic stung his fingertips. His eyes were immediately drawn into the vision the crystal presented him with. Harry stood facing an apparition of a boy slightly older than him; a red headed girl lay unconscious on the ground at their feet. Unlike the visions in the Cave this crystal was silent, but Merlin could tell that Harry was making a righteous speech by the way his shoulders were back. It reminded Merlin painfully of Arthur.

The apparition sneered at him and raised a hand, Harry's eyes shifted to focus over the other boy's shoulder. Merlin froze as the image flickered. The basilisk rose in a single fluid motion from the watery depths. Harry averted his eyes and spun on his heel, ready to run.

Merlin shoved aside his reservations about interfering; at this point non-interference would kill Harry. Voldemort couldn't win, not like this, not without a fight. Bird of flame sing your protection call, ever-swift. Merlin could hardly bear to watch as Dumbledore's phoenix swooped in to attack the furious basilisk.

Fingers tightening around the smooth surface Merlin glanced away for a moment and when he glanced back his heart soared. Harry and the phoenix were tag teaming the Basilisk, slashing with magic and flame tipped claws until the beast dropped to the ground, dead. All the while the apparition screamed it impotent fury.

Merlin set aside the crystal, unable to keep the grin from his face. Maybe he wasn't totally useless at this after all.