There is a big jump in time here. I was trying to write this whole year all out until I realised that really nothing was happening so I decided to change it to a summary start to a chapter and move along to a point where things started up again.

Chapter 31: Sixth Year: Disaster

The quiet murmur of voices within the library was soothing. The rustle of turning pages, the soft scratch of quill on parchment and the occasional muffled cough were combining to make Harry's eyelids droop. It was late. With a huge amount of help from Hermione, Harry and Ron had finished the day's homework and were now back to their usual reading material.

Where could Voldemort have hidden the Cup of Life?

Harry shifted in his seat and scrubbed his hand across his eyes, trying to wake himself up a little.

They had been researching the same thing for nearly six months and all together they had come up with hundreds of different places that Voldemort could have hidden the ancient artefact. When they found something, they let Merlin know and he or one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix would head out and look into it.

Six months and all they had to show for it was an extensive knowledge of the best hiding places in the world and a significant lack of sleep. Every single place they had turned up was empty. Voldemort had clearly found the perfect hiding place. Harry turned another page and glanced through the pictures, then went back to the top to scan through the words themselves.

To his left Ron's head was nodding, getting closer and closer to the open book on the table in front of him. Across the table Hermione was flicking through an immense volume from the Restricted section.

They were getting desperate.

The rhythmic thump of footsteps approaching them made Harry look up.

Merlin dropped into the chair next to Hermione. He looked as tired as Harry felt. The sorcerer had been working twice as hard as the other members of the Order in the search for the Cup. While the others had normal jobs, he could easily be excused from his work in Hogwarts grounds.

"Anything?" He asked the three of them.

Ron had started awake at the scrape of Merlin's chair, now he shook his head blinking sleep from his eyes.

Merlin looked at Harry. Harry met the clear blue eyes and shook his head as well. While they had been researching the Cup they had also continued Hermione's work on Merlin's history. The problem they had discovered was that even in the wizarding world there were hundreds of different stories, all claiming to be the truth about Merlin, King Arthur and the Knight's of Camelot. The result was that while they had a general idea of Merlin's past, they still didn't have any real information. It made Harry more than a little wary of their mysterious friend.

Merlin was still reluctant to talk about himself. Every time they tried to bring it up the guilt and shame on his face would stop Harry in his tracks. Whatever had happened back then still haunted Merlin, and as much as Harry wanted to know, he wasn't sure he was willing to put his friend and most powerful ally through that much pain.

Tugging irritably on a lock of hair Merlin flopped back in his chair. "There has to be something somewhere." He muttered.

"Emrys?" Hermione spoke up, her voice was edged with confusion, such a foreign thing to Hermione that all three boys looked over at her. Hermione was still partially engrossed in the large book she had been reading, her finger was tracing along the line of the words as she read.

"Yes Hermione?" Merlin replied, "Have you found something?"

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure. Does the name Cenred mean anything to you?"

Merlin's eyebrows shot upwards. "Cenred was the King of the army which became immortal."

"The one you said nearly brought Camelot to her knees?" Hermione asked, she finally looked up, worry clear all over her face. "I think I know how Voldemort found out about the Cup." She turned the book towards Merlin. Harry got up and hurried around the table, reading over Merlin's shoulder.

The last mention of immortality en mass was during a great battle. Knowledge of this battle are limited, records were poor at that time. The only records are a collection of messages from Cenred to a general of an army. The note most important of these notes read thus:

'With her power, our blood and this cup we will walk this earth forever and bring our enemies to their knees. Make the men ready.'

It is unknown who they battled and why and what exactly the outcome was, but it is clear that a witch developed a spell to ward off death.

Merlin sighed. "It would at least give him something to start from. If Voldemort was interested in immortality it wouldn't take him all that long to find some legends of the Cup. It doesn't help us find it now though." He pointed out, handing the book back to Hermione.

"We're running out of places to look." Hermione pointed out.

"I know, but we don't have any other options." Merlin scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "Really Voldemort could have hidden the Cup anywhere on the planet. It will eventually come to light again, it almost always does but in the meantime thousands of people could die."

Ron groaned and flipped open the next book on their pile. "I hate research." He muttered.

Merlin collapsed face first into his bed. It had been a long time since he had worked this hard, thought this much and gone so far. The fact that all that effort, and the efforts of everyone else in the Order of the Phoenix, had so far come to nothing made it all the more depressing.

Rolling onto his back Merlin kicked off his boots and pulled the crumpled covers up around his shoulders. Hermione was right. They had looked everywhere that Voldemort could conceivably have hidden something magical and powerful. The only place left was Gringotts and that would involve a break in. Not something Merlin was too keen on doing. He knew some of the spells the goblins used to hide their wealth.

No, Merlin was sure that Voldemort had been smart about hiding the Cup. He may have been a crazy psychopath, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that if Dumbledore started looking for an object of power that Voldemort had hidden he would start looking in all the places that Voldemort himself considered important.

The most likely spot that the Cup had been hidden was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, somewhere that no one, particularly not Dumbledore would associate with Voldemort.

Of course the other option was the one that Dumbledore himself was following. That Voldemort had hidden the Cup somewhere with intense personal meaning.

Tossing the covers aside and peeling off his shirt Merlin closed his eyes and tried to force himself to stop thinking. The voice in his head which always sounded like Arthur snorted, 'shouldn't be too hard Merlin nothing much goes on in that head of yours anyway.'

Merlin gritted his teeth and sat up. He took a deep breath and looked around the room. The House Elves had been keeping it clean and tidy, despite the fact that Merlin was almost never here these days. He buried his face in his hands and sighed.

There was no telling how much time passed while Merlin sat, hunched over and deep in thought, but by the time the loud crack of House Elf apparition echoed through the room the candles were guttering in the last dribble of wax.

Merlin started and looked over at the terrified looking creature standing on the hearth rug. It wasn't one of the elves he was particularly familiar with, but it wore the clean and stamped tea towel which served as their uniform. "Mr. Emrys sir." It squeaked. "You is needed in the hospital wing sir."

Merlin swung out of bed and scrabbled into his clothes. "What's happened?"

The House elf's large eyes brimmed with tears. "It's Professor Dumbledore sir, he is sick."

Merlin didn't wait to hear more, barefoot and with his shirt only half buttoned he bolted out of the door.

By the time he arrived in the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey and Snape were working over the prone form of the elderly headmaster. Merlin skidded to a stop. "What's going on?" He asked.

"We don't know." McGonagall looked up. She had been standing back allowing the other two to work. "Albus arrived back at Hogwarts about ten minutes ago and immediately collapsed."

Merlin looked at Dumbledore's pale face. "He was searching for it." Guilt coiled in his gut. This was his fault, if Dumbledore died then it was on Merlin's shoulders. McGonagall squeezed Merlin's shoulder. "We all know the risks associated with searching for the Cup, especially given that we are opposing a wizard as powerful as You-Know- Who. Albus is no different."

Shrugging her comforting hand off his shoulder Merlin turned aside. "I should have done something more about hiding the Cup. I should never have let Voldemort get his hands on it." Leaning against the wall Merlin watched Dumbledore's ragged breathing.

While Madame Pomfrey and Snape worked frantically Merlin closed his eyes and focused. There had to be something he could do. He had brought people back from poison and mortal wounds, surely he could manage a curse.

"Let me see." He whispered.

Snape looked up and for a moment no one moved, then the Potion's Master stepped aside and pulled Madame Pomfrey with him. Merlin rubbed his palms together as he stepped forward. He bent over the bed and laid his hands over Dumbledore's heart. His magic thrummed.

The curse was powerful and with every passing second it worked its way deeper into Dumbledore soul. Clenching his teeth and focusing every bit of strength he had Merlin poured his magic into the body under his hands. The spell words tore out of his throat, focusing his power down into the curse.

Merlin struggled to drive through the curse. It was powerful and already had a handle on Dumbledore, but he pushed harder.

As his vision blurred and his legs wobbled Merlin felt hands grab him. McGonagall steered him to one of the other beds. Lying on his side, Merlin watched as Snape went back to work. Merlin had used up every bit of strength he had and from where he lay he could sense that Dumbledore had strengthened slightly, but the curse was still there.

There was nothing more Merlin could do to help Dumbledore.

As his exhaustion dragged him into sleep Merlin prayed that he had done enough.

I always thought that Voldemort was a bit silly. Given it would have been really difficult for the story had he not made the Horcruxes easy to find, but putting all of them in Britain seems like a poor plan to me. If I had something that made me immortal, completely untouchable and I knew that people would be looking for it I would have made a quick trip to say the middle of the Sahara or the depths of the Amazon rainforest and just dug a really decent hole. Wack a couple of spells around it, a warning alarm and some kind of shielding charm and then gone, 'find that!' For the sake of story convenience in this case we are going to assume Voldemort was a little cleverer about hiding vital magical artefacts than he was in the HP canon. A Gringott's vault is pretty good. The middle of the inaccessible jungle...probably better.

This will again be the last chapter for a little while. Hopefully I will have at least one chapter ready for March so look for an update about then.