Chapter 27 Fifth Year: Answers

The room was utterly silent, each of the occupants lost in their own thoughts. The thoughts in Harry's mind washed about with no clear direction. Not that he wanted a direction for his thoughts. If Harry let one thought settle in his mind then he knew he would be completely lost. It was best not to think at all.

Emotions dashed around in Harry's heart, making his breath come short and tears rise in his eyes. Everything seemed utterly hopeless now, not even his minor victory against Voldemort could cheer him up.

The soft sound of Merlin's feet drew Harry back to the present for a moment. The sorcerer was pacing across the room, his own eyes dark. Merlin hadn't said two words to Harry since they had arrived back at Hogwarts half an hour ago.

Harry watched him walk back the way he had come, turn and pace the same path again. Each step was carefully timed, his movements graceful. It was something that Harry had never noticed before. Merlin was tall and a little gangly and most of the time he seemed constantly on the verge of tripping, but when he was thinking Merlin's steps became impossibly smooth.

That trail of thought led naturally onto what Harry had seen what seemed like a lifetime ago. The single swift and deadly motion of driving the arrow through Voldemort's chest had looked completely natural to Merlin. It was clear that the sorcerer had practice at fighting with his hands. Yet that didn't make sense.

Casting that memory aside Harry watched Merlin's eyes. The few times he had seen Merlin's magic in effect while they had been in the Ministry battling Death Eaters...Harry grimaced and let his mind float until the pain in his heart stilled again. Those moments Harry had confirmed what he had seen out of the Quidditch field.

When Merlin used his magic there was no flash of light from a wand tip and often no wild flourishes of a wand or even a hand, instead the sorcerer's eyes glowed golden as though the magic he was using was too powerful to be held silent within Merlin's soul.

Harry wondered why that was. Merlin had always said that their wand magic was essentially the same as his magic, just younger and tempered but Harry had never seen or even heard of a witch or wizard using magic that fundamentally altered them as they used it.

The sound of the heavy door opening behind him broke Harry's train of thought. Twisting slowly in his seat Harry looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked utterly exhausted.

He walked slowly across the room, pausing only for a moment to rest a sympathetic hand on Harry's shoulder, and settled himself in the plump chair behind his desk. Dumbledore sighed and rested his head in his hands for a long moment. Merlin had stopped his pacing and had come to stand behind Harry's right shoulder.

A soft musical peep broke Dumbledore from his reverie. "My apologies." He murmured, withdrawing the baby Fawkes from a pocket in his robe and set the tiny phoenix chick back on his pedestal. Dumbledore slowly looked up. "I imagine there are questions you both have, I certainly have a few of my own..." The Headmaster left that hanging.

Merlin shook his head. "Before we get down to that I need to know why there is a tear between the worlds inside the Ministry of Magic."

Harry and Dumbledore both frowned at him. Merlin looked between the two of them. "That Veil looking thing, the one that..." Merlin cut himself off with a sad look at Harry.

Harry just stared blankly back at Merlin. His mind couldn't cope with that particular memory at the moment, even dancing around the edge of it threatened to dissolve Harry until all he could do was curl up into a ball and scream. So instead Harry focused his attention back on the rug at his feet, watching its patterns and letting them totally take over his mind.

Nothing, however, could keep Merlin's soft words out of his ears. "That veil is a break in the walls between the lands of the living and the dead, it should have closed when...anyway the fact that it didn't is a huge problem. However they opened it, they need to work out a way to close it before disaster strikes. I'm amazed nothing has happened yet. Maybe there is another magic at work, but the Cailleach should have done something about this." Merlin sighed. "You need to talk to the Ministry about it."

"I assure you I will, however at the moment I think there are more important things to discuss." Dumbledore insisted. Harry looked up gratefully at his Headmaster. Dumbledore had to understand how painful that topic was.

Merlin snorted. "Barely. Trust me if the Dorocha come back then Voldemort is actually going to be the least of our worries."

Harry looked up at Merlin. "Why did you do it?"

Merlin just looked confused. However Dumbledore leant forward. "I too am interested in your reasoning Merlin."

"Reasoning for what?" Merlin asked, clearly the sudden change of direction had thrown him.

"Why did you stab Voldemort? Why didn't you use magic?" Harry asked. "And why didn't it work?" He added on. For all that he was sure the prophecy intended him to kill Voldemort with magic he had to admit that stabbing him through the chest was a good idea. Although apparently that was only in theory given that the Dark Lord had walked away from Merlin with barely a backwards glance.

Merlin rubbed his fingers through his hair. "I've found that even the most powerful sorcerers aren't all that well defended against a sword in the back. I was hoping to stop Voldemort's reign of terror before he could really get it going again. Turns out that didn't work out like I was planning."

"So why didn't you try magic after that?" Harry asked. Voldemort was responsible for even more death and destruction now. It was now firmly planted in the front of Harry's mind that Voldemort had to be dealt with, and soon.

Merlin grimaced. "Shock and surprise mostly, I was absolutely certain that stabbing him was going to work. When it didn't it kind of froze me."

"That brings us nicely to the question of why it did not work." Dumbledore studied the two of them seriously. "Harry's question is an excellent one as is your own point Merlin. Despite his power Voldemort should have been susceptible to such an attack. Is there is a spell or magic which you know of that can prevent him from dying?"

Merlin's expression shifted to one of worry. "There are a couple I can think of off hand, but all those sort of spells...they should be way behind Voldemort's capabilities." He shifted his gaze and Harry felt a jolt of mistrust, there was definitely something that Merlin wasn't telling them.

"Let me think about it. There are a few things I really want to look into before I tell you anything."

"Don't you trust us?" Harry snapped, they had been doing so well at not keeping secrets from each other he really didn't want that to change.

"Of course I do Harry, but these are powers beyond anything you have ever heard of. This is magic beyond me, beyond anyone. I don't want to expose you to that unless I have no choice. It won't take long for me to confirm or deny the ideas I have so please just be patient a little longer." Merlin's eyes were pleading, but Harry just looked away. He had been put through an emotional wringer tonight and he was ready for bed.

"Harry..." Dumbledore had risen to his feet in response to Harry jumping up.

"I'm going to bed, thank you Professor, Merlin, but I...I just can't." Harry didn't meet either of the blue eyes watching him. He hurried from the room, with only a vague notion of returning to Gryffindor Tower.

The sensation of Dumbledore's eyes on him was so intense that it broke through Merlin's thoughts. Merlin looked up at the Headmaster and sighed. "I'm not going to tell you either Professor, I want to check a few things first." Merlin told him. It wasn't entirely a lie. In reality there was only a single thing that Merlin wanted to check on, there was only one thing that Merlin could think of which could preserve Voldemort's like that.

He was hoping he was wrong.

Dumbledore studied Merlin silently for a long moment. "Take all the time you need." With that Merlin departed, leaving the wizard alone to his morose thoughts.

One more explaining chapter left of fifth year. It will be uploaded sometime next week.