Chapter 12: Warnings and Rumours

Flora and Libæna turned to Merlin and were shocked to see a sad looking smile on his face. His eyes were moist, like he was trying to hold back tears.

"Drugen?" Libæna laid a hand on his shoulder and he started. "Are you alright?" He instinctively schooled his features before remembering who was with him and he lowered his mask a little.

"Yes," he said in a voice that caused Libæna to raise her eyebrows. He cleared his throat "Okay, mostly fine. She reminds me of someone I know. Someone I care for a lot." He glanced back and saw the founders whispering together. He knew they would want to talk with him soon so he used a partial lie to escape the Great Hall. "I think I need some air. I'll be back."

"Okay, just don't stay away from the celebrations too long Drugen," Flora warned him as he set down his glass and slipped from the room. He didn't go far, just a quick turn to the right and he sat on one of the benches in the corridor. He leaned his head back against the wall and hugged his legs to his chest. He had forgotten how much he had missed her, and how long it had been since he saw her. For years after Arthur's death he could not bring himself to go near her lake. Just being close to the place where he had lost his king, his friend, hurt too much. When he finally did return, she could only stay for a brief time and she warned her that her powers were not strong enough to visit him often. She told him that she was training every day to become powerful enough to comfort him and be with him.

"Drugen?" Merlin opened his eyes to see the founders standing in the hall.

"We need to talk," Merlin said as he swung his feet down, brushed his sad thoughts away, and lead the way to Helga's office where he knew they were heading. The others followed behind; they were going to talk with him soon anyways. "Are the celebrations still going?" he asked as they walked.

"Yes, though we expect the students will mainly be talking about what just happened," Rowena answered. Merlin gave a silent snort of laughter. Some things don't change, no matter where you are. Merlin slowed his pace to allow Helga to open the door to her office. With a flick of her wand, she called five chairs to gather in the center of the room and with another charm she lit the fire. They each sat, Merlin dropping his disguise as he did so.

"Just when I was beginning to get used to seeing you all small and innocent," Salazar joked, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"So what was that?" Rowena asked. The worry was evident on her face now that they were behind closed doors. "A prophecy?"

"A warning." Their eyes snapped to Merlin.

"For who?" Godric asked.

"For me. Although it does apply to all of you as well."

"How can you be so sure it is for you?" Godric asked.

"You know her don't you?" Helga, ever the astute one, realized that was why he had disappeared from the hall right afterwards.

"Yes. She is the Lady of the Lake. She guards one of the entrances to Avalon. Though I know her better as Freya. In her duties she is often given messages to deliver since it is not as hard for her to cross the boundaries between worlds. Presumably she was only able to come so far from her lake because it is Samhain."

"Alright so it's definitely a warning. But what does it mean?" Godric asked. "She couldn't have just told us without the rhyming nonsense?" Merlin laughed.

"Any message delivered by anyone on behalf of the Old Religion is that way. " Certainly his dealings with Kilgharrah and druid elders gave strong indicators that it was the case.

"This one is a warning rather than a prophecy so it should be easier to decipher." Rowena looked around the room. "Where do you keep your parchment, dear?" Helga stood and grabbed a sheet from a drawer while Rowena pulled a small writing table over. "Let's start by writing down the original warning and then I can add what we think it means on the side." While the rhyming was annoying, it made it much easier to remember the exact words and they had it written in no time.

"Our future's hope is born in you," Godric read. "My guess would be that Hogwarts is the future's hope, to keep the education of magic alive for years to come. And since we are its founders, it is born in us." The others nodded in agreement. "But only if the day proves true."

"We must pass a test of sorts and be able to stay strong," Rowena interrupted.

"Five must stand as be as one. Well that is certainly the five of us." Helga gestured around the room. "And only if we work together can the battle be won."

"Then the next line tells us when," Salazar chimed in. "Perseus is a winter constellation so anytime after the first of Spring is when the attack will come."

"Camelot's lost knight is no mere lore," Rowena read. "Would that refer to you, Merlin?"

"Yes. That's a new name for me though."

"But you aren't a knight. And you aren't really lost." Godric voiced the confusion the others held.

"In a way I am lost to Camelot," Merlin explained. "I haven't officially been back since the Battle at Camlaan. The only bodies not eventually found were Arthur's and my own. While the round table knows what happened, the larger population does not. As for the knight part, what is a knight of Camelot other than her protector? I may not be any good with a blade but I have protected the city and it's people the way I know best. Not to mention the knights viewed me as one of them. I only hope that the direct mention will not mean I have to reveal myself to everyone."

"I hope, for your sake, you will not have to either." Helga patted his shoulder and he smiled at her and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"Oh. Rowena said that you were also thinking that maybe I could teach the students some battle magic, especially since now we know that there will be a battle." They nodded. Rowena had told the rest of them that he had readily agreed. "Let's go enjoy the rest of the celebration and I'll meet you afterwards to discuss that. I've had a few ideas."

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Samhain celebrations finished and the rest of the students returned the next day. Nothing eventful happened between then and the holiday break. A few pranks here and there but everyone was focused on studying for their midterms. Study groups were pulling all-nighters and the week leading up to the exams the serving staff left out snacks in the great hall for students needing some food at five in the morning. Merlin continued discussing some plans for the class he would be teaching after the break and how to keep his disguise. But even he had to study hard. So when the holidays finally arrived and he hiked back to his house in the Valley, he collapsed on his bed utterly exhausted.

When he finally awoke, around mid-morning, he was already missing Hogwarts. Mostly the food, but he did miss the energy of having other people nearby. But he had kept his stores stocked in case he needed to come back urgently so he had some food to eat before he would have to go to the market. In the meantime, he had lessons to plan.

Merlin came back to Hogwarts in secret a few days before the other students to finalize his plans with the founders. And to eat the better food. They posted announcements of Merlin's elective course that would be offered twice a week. "A Practical Course in Battle Magic" it read. "To be taught by Dragoon the Great every Tuesday and Thursday following dinner. Open to all students." Merlin wondered what Gaius would think of him using the same disguise again. It had served him well in the past and it would serve him well again. Although this time he wasn't aiming for eighty years old, sixty would suffice. Still older but hopefully less of the pain in his bones. It would already be a rough transition from his current fourteen-year old self.

The only thing Merlin forgot to consider was how much influence Camelot still had. Many of the stories from his time in the city had already been spread. And here at Hogwarts, the tales concerning magic were some of the children's favourites. And one of the characters in those stories had been Dragoon.

"I heard he called Uther a toad and an arrogant fool!" Not quite his exact words, but Merlin smiled at the memory.

"I heard he made King Arthur give him a piggy-back ride!" This was followed by shocked laughter. Merlin didn't think anyone had seen them at the time, but he knew better than to underestimate the servants of Camelot.

"I heard he turned King Arthur into a donkey when he was still a prince!" Indirectly he supposed he caused the partial transformation.

"My favourite is the story of when he enchanted all the cabbage to talk and it scared the kitchen staff!" Wait what? Merlin stole a glance over his shoulder as he walked through the corridors listening to the snatches of the stories students had heard. That had never happened. Nothing remotely close even. He shook his head and dismissed it as a tale made up by a mother to get her child to eat their vegetables in some strange way. At least the tales never included who Dragoon really was. He figured that those who had seen him at the battle knew the connection and he mentally thanked them for not making the connection in public. He still felt slightly awkward when he heard stories or songs of the adventures of the Round Table. And the druids weren't helping as they continued to teach every one of Emrys and the Once and Future King bringing about the restoration of magic. It would be a disaster once the rest of the world realized that Emrys, Merlin, and Dragoon were all the same person.

"Quite popular, this new teacher of ours, eh?" Salazar was now at Merlin's side with a smirk.

"I guess I forgot how much people enjoy spreading a good tale," he laughed in response. "Not all of them are accurate though."

"Good stories never are." They shared a secret grin and Merlin briefly wondered what strange tales had been spread about him.

"Drugen!" Flora called his name from further down the hallway, spotting his head over the other students. He waved in response.

"I'll see you in class, Professor," Merlin said before he jogged to meet up with Flora. Salazar smiled and watched them embrace before walking his own way.

"Have you seen the posters?" Flora asked when she released him.

"I'd have been blind to miss them."

"So what do you suppose he will be teaching? I have heard rumors about the professor but some seem a little too crazy to be true. I haven't heard of him. Who is he?"

"From what I hear he was in Camelot occasionally and caused some mischief," Merlin gave her the bare bones just so that she wouldn't ask too many more questions about this character. "I'd imagine he will teach us how to defend ourselves if we are ever attacked."

"Like that woman warned us about at Samhain?"

"Possibly. Or if we are ever travelling alone and there are bandits. Or rogue Saxons."

"But the roads are clear of bandits now. There is peace in the five kingdoms."

"There are always people going against peace. And besides, as much as we wish it, peace cannot last forever."

"I guess you're right." They had made it into the common room now. "So are you excited to learn this new magic?" she asked as they both threw themselves in the large chairs by the window.

"Yea, about that. I can't make it." He frowned in false disappointment.

"What? But you don't have anything to do after dinner!"

"I do now actually." He kneaded the back of his neck with his hand. "That's what I was talking about with Professor Slytherin actually. Before the break I had mentioned to him how I wanted to explore the woods and see what was hidden away in there and he said that he was thinking the same so we made it a project of sorts. He gets to teach me extra little things about woodcraft while we catalogue the plants and find out how big the forest is. Maybe even make a map of it. And we had already decided that Tuesday and Thursday nights after dinner would be a good time since he is usually busy. So I can't actually make it to the class."

"But Drugen, you'll miss all the fun!" She seemed to have bought the story and felt terrible that her friend wouldn't be able to come to what promised to be an interesting elective. "Can't you ask him for a night off every once in a while?"

"I suppose I could try, but I am really excited to explore the woods too. You will just have to teach me what you learn in class."

"I'll remember everything for you," she promised and for a second Merlin felt a twinge of guilt at having to lie to her, but only a twinge.