Merlin's Chosen
Summary: Arthur has slept in Avalon, the otherworldly place just beyond the reach of magic for all but Merlin and his chosen, recovering from the injuries sustained in the battle at Camlann. Years have passed and times have changed and Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has taken its place on the edge of the Lake of Avalon, unknown to modern witches and wizards. The world is in need of the Once and Future King to protect Albion again but to do that the immortal Merlin, the man that has learned to live backwards, must be there and he is nowhere to be found. It is now the job of Merlin's Chosen. Only, Harry Potter thinks he's going mental.
This is based on the mountains that are around the movie version of Hogwarts and the lake that Merlin takes Freya to in season 2 episode 9.
Author's note: *Hides behind my couch* Hi! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I never intended for over a year to go by before updating again. Life kinda got in the way. Then I was yanked back into an old fandom and it wouldn't let me go. In fact, I have a fic started for that one that I hope to start posting soon. But this was never abandoned. I just lost motivation for a lot of things the last year or so.
I don't know when the next update will be. I am starting a new job this month and I am already crazy busy getting that set up. (I am teaching! English! At a college! What?) But I pounded out this chapter in like 3 hours. I have no idea where it came from, but it got me out of the slump so that's what I am happy about.
Until next time folks! Enjoy.
Vana
Chapter 24:
Harry didn't know what to do.
Then again, it wasn't an uncommon feeling. That's why he so often relied on Hermione and Ron.
But he watched as his god-father paled completely and nearly collapsed by the window in shock. He watched as Remus rushed over and supported his friend, led him to a chair, and gently took the letter from his shaking hands.
He watched as Remus went to the name at the end without reading the letter, pale and then circle back to read it properly.
"Merlin," Remus breathed, falling into the chair next to Sirius. "It's really him."
"But how?" Sirius asked. "I mean I know we never found his body, but how?"
Remus shoved the letter back at him. "Read it."
The room was silent and breath seemingly held as Sirius reread - read? - the letter. Then Harry watched his eyes circle back and began reading it aloud.
Dear Sirius,
I know this is a shock. I truly thought I was going to die that day and I hope that we can meet soon so I can tell you the story, but considering everything that is the least of what I am worried about.
You need to tell Merlin. Tell Emrys that Mordred is back and he is working with Voldemort. I only know snippets of what they had planned. There is only so much I can take and watch being trapped in my own body, because I don't know how, but Mordred has taken control of my body.
He killed the muggle Prime Minister in some sort of attempt to open the veil between life and death. It didn't work. He blew up the muggle parliament building. For the chaos I am sure.
And I don't know if anyone on your side knows about the Horcruxes, but Mordred took care of them. I don't know why other than he seemed utterly disgusted by the mere act of them and surprisingly got rid of all of them. I wasn't able to find out for sure how many there were, but Voldemort is mortal again and, as far as I know, he doesn't know.
I don't know exactly what Mordred has planned, but I know he is thriving on the chaos in order to draw out Merlin.
Find him. And warn him about Mordred.
If this is my last act on Earth let it lead to the death of both of them.
I am sorry, Sirius, that I didn't run when you offered, but I was already doing what I needed to make sure Voldemort fell.
I hope this gets to you.
I love you, Sirius.
Mischief Managed.
Regulus
This time Harry didn't miss or dismiss the look that Remus shot him and the scar on his head, but he still asked the important and loaded question of, "What is a Horcrux?"
Merlin let out a string of a foreign language that Harry didn't recognize, but understood that he was swearing. And creatively if the shocked expressions on Arthur and Leon's faces meant anything.
"Absolutely vile things they are," Morgan said.
"Okay, I got that part," Harry said. "But what are they?"
"A path to immortality that costs the lives of others," Merlin said. Remus and Sirius glared at him, but he continued. "An act of murder to split your soul and then a spell - that really needs to disappear - to place that bit of your soul in a container of some kind."
"Then you hide the containers and no one can kill you for sure if they can't find them," Harry concluded.
"And Regulus implied that there were multiple," Morgan said.
"And that we don't have to worry about them anymore because Mordred took care of them," Remus cut in. There was a distinctive edge to his voice that suggested wolf and that the conversation was over. Harry felt a shiver down his back.
Then a lightning bolt. A realization.
"I was a Horcrux, wasn't I?" Harry's voice was small, almost a whisper. There was a spike of betrayal as Sirius buried his face in his hands and Remus whipped around to face him.
"Harry…"
"No, it makes sense," Harry said. "Our connection. The prophecy. Why I hadn't heard anything from him in months."
"We're not sure if he meant to make you one or if it just happened," Remus said.
"'We' as in Dumbledore," Harry shot back. "And he's the reason you never told me."
Both of his parent's oldest friends had the decency to look ashamed, which meant that Sirius at least knew that part of it and never told him.
"After everything that has happened ever since I set foot in this place and you didn't have the faith in me or the wherewithal to defy him and his plans," Harry raged. "For all I know he was raising me to be a pig for the slaughter!"
Remus flinched.
And Harry pulled his wand, his anger sharp and pounding through his body, forgetting he didn't really need the wand anymore.
But Merlin appeared in his field of vision. The elder wizard had a hard look in his eyes, a mix of anger and sympathy, but he placed a calming hand on Harry's arm, forcing him to lower it.
It was only when the pounding in his ears lessened, the anger retreating did he hear the shouting.
It seemed like Sirius didn't know about that part and was tearing into an ashamed looking Remus.
"Enough." The command was quiet, but effective and everyone looked at Arthur.
"Fighting amongst ourselves is not going to accomplish anything but provide a way for Modred and this Voldemort to succeed," Arthur said. "We don't know Dumbledore's reasonings for anything and only he can answer to those, but right now we need to figure out what Mordred and Voldemort are planning and stop them before they raze the world to the ground."
"If it is worth anything, Harry, I wanted to tell you," Remus said. "I wanted to tell you everything and Albus knew that. That's why he made it a Secret."
Harry could hear the capital S.
"In fact, I am still under that spell and fighting to even confirm what I know," he said.
"Shite," Sirius said. "What was he thinking?"
"He needed…" Harry could see it then. The strain Remus was under to even talk around it. "Harry couldn't know. He was…" His mouth closed with a snap and he shook his head to indicate he couldn't say anything else.
Something loosened in Harry's chest at that and suddenly he knew that he could and would forgive Remus, just not right then. The betrayal was still fresh and he was still mad.
So he nodded with his mouth in a hard line and Remus smiled a sad smile.
Harry turned to Merlin and Arthur. "So what now?"
The pair traded a look of their own.
"First," Merlin said, "I want to visit Aithusa. See if there is anything else she can tell me."
Arthur nodded. "In the meantime, we can see if we can glean anything else from the letter and what Mordred's plan could be."
Harry nodded. Morgan called for the elves for lunch, making Leon jump and scream a little when one of them appeared behind him with a tray of food.
Harry could feel a laugh bubbling up when then the castle shook. Or that's what it seemed like for Merlin and Harry.
"What was that?" he asked.
Merlin's expression darkened. "The headmaster has returned to the Castle."
