Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. The group heads to Merlin's prison for the final confrontation.

Chapter 42

Salazer rose from the small platform he had been lying on, prompting those around him to take a step back and raise their wands. His appearance made them feel both intimidated and disgusted. He didn't pay attention to their reactions at the time, though. Instead, he turned his head to speak to Rowena.

"Why did you awaken me, Guardian?"

"Merlin's mind has been set free, and he is now attempting to take over the castle," Rowena informed him.

"What year is this?"

"1994."

"A thousand years," Salazar whispered. "How did Merlin manage to escape?"

"It all started when the Sorting Hat was stolen," Rowena said, before briefly explaining the situation. His anger grew with each word she spoke. The other adults were also surprised because they had not been privy to all of the specifics. After she finished speaking, Salazer closed his eyes and appeared to be deep in thought. Everyone exchanged uneasy looks, not knowing what to do next.

"How do you continue to exist in that form?" Charlus questioned, taking control of the situation. "Even though you are an abomination, it shouldn't be possible."

"Be quiet, child," Salazar ordered, opening his eyes. "You have no idea the sacrifices I had to make."

"I didn't expect the founders to resort to necromancy," Fliwick said. "It kind of takes away the respect I had for you and all the great things you accomplished."

Rowena addressed the group. "You cannot begin to imagine the pressure they were under. Yes, they made a mistake in trusting Merlin, but it is not the first time humans have been duped by a deity."

Charlus grimaced.

"You haven't answered his question," Minerva said sternly. "How do you even exist?"

Salazar nodded. "Well, I will indulge you for a moment. To achieve true immortality, I needed to create a Horcrux in conjunction with what I did to my body."

Only two adults reacted to the revelation: Charlus and Snape swore at the same time.

"What's a Horcrux?" Harry asked. "Is this what you were talking about earlier, Rowena? That Salazer split his soul and put a portion of it in the Sorting Hat."

"Indeed," Salazar replied. "I had to murder someone to complete the ritual required to create the Horcrux, but I felt no remorse for the person I chose as the victim."

Harry blinked. Someone must have angered him greatly.

"After the ritual," Rowena explained, "the next step was for him to die." He then became a wraith. We needed to resurrect him in physical form, so we had to locate a fresh corpse. Salazer didn't hesitate to use the body of the person he killed."

"To overcome the limitations of a mortal body," Salazar explained, "we had to resort to necromancy to create a body that could withstand the test of time. My colleagues made numerous modifications to the corpse, effectively slowing its decomposition and allowing me to exist indefinitely. Surprisingly, I was able to continue my teaching career for many years without the students suspecting that I was nothing more than a soul trapped in a lifeless shell. I was under a glamour to make it look like me when I was still alive."

"I doubt you will be able to move freely around the castle in your current physical state," Harry said, looking at Salazar in disgust.

His face resembled that of a zombie from a horror film. Salazar had lost the majority of the skin on his face, exposing the flesh beneath, and his eyeballs bulged out of his sockets. If Salazer's body wasn't covered by a robe, he imagined the rest of him would look equally disgusting.

"It appears that I'm not completely immune to the effects of a decomposing body," Salazar admitted. "Not that it matters."

Harry was horrified by the founder's actions, but he couldn't ignore the undeniable fascination he felt after learning about their history. "Why did you subject yourself to this cursed existence? Surely there had to be a better way to keep Merlin in check."

"There are a couple of reasons, I suppose," Salazar said. He was about to provide further clarification when he was interrupted.

"We don't have time for this," Rowena reminded him. "We need to get to Merlin's chamber and finally bring this incident to a close."

"Why do you need me?" Salazar sighed. "Surely you can handle it on your own?"

"Harry," Rowena said, gesturing to the boy, "has devised a plan to preserve the castle's wards. To perform the same ritual as Merlin, we need a physical body. I was wondering if yours could serve this purpose. I must admit, I'm not well-versed in the specifics of the ritual that he performed."

"That is because we only gave you a quick overview of how it works," Salazar explained. "We decided to destroy Merlin's research notes on the ritual so that no one else could copy it."

"So, is it possible with your body?"

"No," Salazar stated. "To be able to perform the ritual, I must have magic. However, when a wizard or witch dies, their magical conduit is severed, and they lose access to magic.

"So, it's no good?" Harry exhaled, disappointed.

"I have an idea," Salazar stated. "But let us hurry and get to Merlin's chamber before it is too late."

"Where are Merlin's chambers located?" Charlus asked.

"In a secret chamber within the dungeons," Rowena replied. "Where else would we keep a criminal?"

They left the room and retraced their steps through the Chamber of Secrets, returning to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. When they attempted to open the door, it refused to budge.

"It appears that he is attempting to stall us," Rowena said, her voice full of concern. "He is quickly gaining control of the castle."

Charlus pointed his wand at the door, preparing to cast a curse. Harry's intuition was triggered as soon as his grandfather raised his wand, but his shout to stop him came a second too late.

"Get down!" Harry yelled as he quickly tackled his grandmother, who was the closest person to him.

"What are you...?" Minerva started.

Immediately after the curse shattered the door, a bolt flew into the room and firmly lodged itself against the back wall. Fortunately, his grandfather and Snape heeded his warning and sidestepped the projectile. Aside from his grandmother, they were the only ones directly in the line of fire.

Headmaster Flitwick reacted quickly, unleashing a Confringo Curse on the statue standing outside the bathroom door. The statue, which had fired the bolt, was no match for the curse's power. The statue shattered into pieces in an instant, sending debris flying in all directions.

"Tricky bastard," Charlus growled.

Harry helped his grandmother to her feet, and she hugged him in appreciation for saving her.

"He is escalating his attacks to stop us," Salazar explained. "Be on your guard. "How did you know something was going to go wrong?"

"I am amazing like that," Harry said, shrugging.

"It must be some kind of ability," Salazar said, slowly scanning his body to uncover Harry's secrets. "Are you a Seer?"

"No, but I can speak the noble tongue like you," Harry hissed, showing off to the man.

Salazar's head snapped up. Harry's admission that he was a parseltongue seemed to unnerve him. It was difficult to tell with that horrifying face, but Salazer's body language gave him away.

"Let's keep going," Charlus said.

After leaving the bathroom, they carefully glanced in both directions down the corridor. They were relieved to discover that it was empty. They approached the stairs leading to the first floor, wands at the ready.

"Harry, stay in the middle," Minerva instructed, pushing him to the centre of the group.

"Good thinking," Salazer approved. "With his intuition, he is a valuable asset that we must not lose."

"Yes, that is exactly why I did it," Minerva replied sarcastically.

"Watch out for the windows!" Harry shouted. Everyone turned to see a group of gargoyles flying towards them.

The windows shattered, sending fragments of glass flying in all directions. Responding quickly, those armed with wands summoned protective barriers that shielded them just in the nick of time. The gargoyles smashed into the shields, viciously scratching them with their sharp claws and emitting piercing screams. Nonetheless, the barriers stood firm against their relentless assault.

They moved towards the window and pushed the gargoyles out. The gargoyles regrouped and flew back at them, but they were swiftly destroyed.

"I am getting too old for this shit," Charlus complained.

"Are you okay, Salazar?" Rowena glanced at the man, her expression filled with concern.

A claw mark on his torso revealed the exposed flesh underneath, caused by one of the gargoyles raking him with their claws. Not everyone escaped unscathed.

"It's just a flesh wound," Salazar said, unintentionally cracking a joke. "My body is more resilient than others.

As they approached the stairs, preparing to descend, Peeves appeared. "Greetings, Lady Hogwarts. I strongly discourage venturing down those stairs. Good ol' Merlin has gone and rigged them with sneaky traps."

"Of course he has," Charlus grumbled, before looking around for a solution to his problem.

"Look," Harry said, pointing to the rug placed at the top of the stairs. "We can turn into a flying carpet."

"Mr. Potter," Flitwick explained, "operating a flying carpet is illegal."

Harry opened his mouth to protest when he was interrupted.

"However, we find ourselves in a situation where there are no alternatives. I will perform the charm just in case we get into trouble for it later."

With a flick of his wand, he levitated the long rug from the floor, causing it to float towards them. The carpet hovered in mid-air, solid and stable enough for them to climb aboard and sit comfortably.

"I think I prefer a broom," Minerva said, shuddering and wrapping her arms around her husband's waist.

"Hold on tight," Flitwick instructed from the front. With his wand raised, he directed the rug, which zoomed through the air and down the staircase.

All of the traps had been neutralised, allowing them to move freely throughout the first floor. Harry whooped, thoroughly enjoying himself despite the gravity of the situation. As they approached the staircase to the ground floor, they were met with an intimidating sight.

At the bottom of the staircase, it appeared that every statue in the castle was standing in perfect formation, like a regiment of soldiers. These humanoid statues wielded a variety of weapons, including swords, maces, crossbows, and chain maces. In addition to the lions that Harry had come across earlier, there were several other animal statues scattered about. Among them were eagles and more gargoyles.

"Everyone, summon your shields to cover us," Flitwick said. "I cannot have any attacks land on the rug, or it will disrupt my charm and send us tumbling to the ground."

"I will take care of it," Charlus replied. "Protego Maxima."

A protective blue shield enveloped the entire group, including the rug. A moment later, a bolt flew through the air and collided with the shield, followed quickly by several others.

"Hold on!" Flitwick yelled as the rug flew down the stairs, then swerved to avoid a statue wielding a two-handed sword.

Flitwick flew them to the dungeon's entrance, where they descended the staircase to the floor below. They were now on the castle's eastern side, across from the kitchens and the Hufflepuff common room. The dungeon consisted of three floors, and they were so extensive that the third floor was located partially beneath the Black Lake. The first floor was the most frequently used, as it housed the potions class and the entrance to the Slytherin common room. However, the dormitories spanned all three floors.

Several flying statues appeared and chased them from behind. Charlus lowered his shield, allowing them to fire shots at them. Harry used the Fireball spell card to eliminate four of them single-handedly, demonstrating his incredible accuracy. To be more specific, he knocked them out of the air, but they weren't finished.

"Where do we go from here?" Flitwick inquired as they flew along the corridor.

"Go down to the third floor," Rowena ordered. "There is a secret entrance to the fourth floor, where Merlin's chamber is located."

Snape frowned. "There is a fourth level to the dungeons? Why hasn't it been discovered yet?"

"Because we did not want it to be discovered," Slytherin replied. "Who are you, exactly? Why do I find myself needing to explain such a simple concept to you?"

"He is the potions professor and the Head of Slytherin House," Harry told him.

"The standards have certainly dropped since my time," Salazer muttered, causing Snape to glare at him.

They descended the staircase to the third floor and quickly navigated the corridors until they arrived at the far end. Merlin appeared to have abandoned his attempt to impede their progress, as there were no longer any obstacles in their path.

Headmaster Flitwick decelerated and came to a stop as they reached what appeared to be a dead end, and everyone dismounted.

"I will need one of you to open the way, as a wand is required," Rowena said.

Snape stepped forward eagerly, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to learn the method to enter Merlin's chamber. He followed Rowena's instructions and tapped on over a dozen blocks in a specific order. As a result, the wall began to shift, revealing a hidden staircase leading down. Without this method being shared with them, it would have been impossible for anyone to discover it on their own.

"Proceed carefully," Salazar advised. "I'm not sure what the current state of Merlin's prison is."

"Harry, maybe you should stay here," Minerva suggested.

"No way! The only reason we have come this far is because of me," Harry insisted.

"The boy may be useful," Salazar stated. "Allow him to come."

"He has a name," Charlus said, glaring at the man. "Harry, you will be in the back. Any sign of trouble, and you leave immediately."

"Fine," Harry mumbled.

Charlus took the lead, guiding the group down into the chamber. Harry was astounded to see what awaited him at the bottom. The round room was extremely spacious and surrounded by a walkway. Extending from this walkway were several narrow bridges, leading to an enclosed structure at the centre, resembling the spokes on a wheel.

Deep channels of water flowed between these bridges, providing an impressive visual spectacle. When Harry looked closer at the nearest bridge, he noticed hundreds of intricate rune arrays etched into the surface. Some of these arrays were releasing a faint glow, while others were completely dark.

"What type of array is this?" Harry inquired eagerly.

"It's called a water prison array," Salazer answered. "Rowena is the one who designed it. This array uses the power of the water element to reinforce the prison to keep Merlin imprisoned."

"I haven't even touched upon using elements in my arrays."

"That is because it is incredibly advanced. This whole array is a work of art, but there is one crucial weakness."

"I can see it with my own eyes," Harry said, gazing at the glowing arrays that climbed the walls of the room before disappearing into the ceiling. They looked strikingly similar to the Enchanted Wall. "You failed to contain his consciousness."

"It is because of the ritual he performed," Salazar said grimly. "He effectively transformed his consciousness into a sentient array capable of spreading throughout the castle. We couldn't find a way to completely contain him, so we hired an artisan to create the Sorting Hat to fulfil that role."

"You used an artisan? What was his name?"

"Lancelot."

"You certainly created a web of lies about the history of Merlin and Camelot," Flitwick said, frowning.

"Falsifying history was the least of our worries considering everything else going on," Salazar said dismissively.

"So, how do we put an end to this for good?" Charlus questioned. "Should we just walk up to his prison and destroy his physical body?"

"I doubt it will be that easy," Rowena replied. "I'm not sure how much influence his consciousness has over this space."

A person appeared in front of them unexpectedly, completely surprising them. An elderly man stood in front of them, wearing a long grey cloak and sporting a waist-length beard. The man immediately reminded Harry of Dumbledore. He was holding a long wooden staff with a large gem inserted at the top.

"Merlin, you bastard," Salazar cursed.

"Hello, my dear student. You're looking a bit under the weather."

"How are you appearing in front of us?" Rowena exclaimed. "Are you using an illusion?"

Merlin pointed at himself. "Isn't this a remarkable illusion? If you hadn't known my circumstances, would you have realised I wasn't a real person?"

Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something was wrong, but he had no idea what it could be. Merlin exuded unwavering confidence as if everything was going as planned. Harry scanned his surroundings but found no obvious irregularities. Nonetheless, he remained tense, ready to respond at the first sign of danger.

"You cannot distract us, Merlin," Charlus said. "We will destroy your body and put an end to your foul ambitions."

"Oh, I think not," Merlin smirked. "Bathsheda, would you be a dear and help me?"

When Harry heard Merlin say those words, he immediately recognised the impending danger. He quickly transformed into his demiguise form and jumped onto the adjacent bridge. He spun around to see what was going on. His eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the adults, except for Bathsheda, collapse to the ground.

Merlin turned to face Harry with a smile. "You are a troublesome brat."

"What the hell?" Charlus gasped.

The woman in question held a device that had incapacitated his grandparents, Snape, and the headmaster. Salazar charged the woman with a mighty roar, but she quickly brandished her wand and unleashed a powerful curse, sending him tumbling into the water.

"Why are you doing this, Bathsheda?" Minerva asked.

Harry became concerned when he noticed his grandmother's weakened condition. If he were to judge by Merlin's previous actions, it appeared that her magic was being drained. He felt compelled to assist the rest of the group after noticing that they were all affected in the same way. However, knowing he could not compete with Bathsheda's abilities, he decided to jump over to the next bridge, putting some distance between him and the witch. He returned to his normal form and drew back his sleeves, ready to attack whenever the opportunity arose.

"I am afraid Bathsheda has gone on vacation, and I have occupied her mind," Merlin said, stroking his beard. "Didn't you notice her silence when you left the Chamber of Secrets? It was because I took control at that precise moment. To avoid arousing suspicion, I ensured she didn't speak and unintentionally reveal something."

"Do you already have the capability to take control of people?" Rowena asked, horrified.

"Not exactly," Merlin answered. "One day, while researching the Enchanted Wall, Bathsheda made a critical error. She inadvertently touched the wall, allowing me to access her mind and place a marker on her. From that point on, I could control her mind whenever I needed it."

"That means..." Snape started.

"The artifacts she supposedly created to protect you actually served another purpose," Merlin said. "They would incapacitate you whenever I deemed it necessary."

"Why all the theatrics?" Charlus asked. "With Bathsheda under your control, you could have carried out numerous clandestine actions to further your plans."

"Who says I didn't? It doesn't matter that I have not been able to free my body from my prison. Since then, my goal has changed."

"What is it?" Rowena asked.

"Why, it is about making sure the boy gets here," Merlin explained, his gleaming eyes now fixed on Harry. "I have been completely captivated by the boy ever since he touched the Enchanted Wall and resisted my mind control. "Do you realise how incredible you are, young man?"

"You sound like a paedophile," Harry snarked. "Stay away from me."

"Harry, when were you in the third-floor corridor?" Minerva inquired, not missing an opportunity to reprimand him.

"Not the time, grandmother," Harry grumbled.

Merlin continued his monologue. "I have been testing you ever since, and you have passed with flying colours. Perhaps I went too far with all the statues attacking you, but you didn't disappoint me in the end."

"Why did you put so many obstacles in our path to get here?" Snape asked.

"I was just having fun," Merlin said, "and I had to make it look good. To be honest, none of the obstacles were truly dangerous, except for the bathroom. I could have killed at least one of you if it hadn't been for the boy."

"What are you planning to do now?" Charlus growled.

"Why, I am going to take this boy's body for myself. I am not sure what makes him so special, but that does not matter. If I can take over his body, I might be able to finally return to the fae realm..." Merlin said, before shaking his head. "But that's not important right now. Come over here, young man, or I will kill these people, beginning with your grandparents."

"Don't listen to him, Harry," Charlus ordered. "You need to escape. Don't worry about us!"

"Your grandfather is right," Minerva cried. "You are the entire world to me. I can't bear it if anything happens to you."

"Speak for yourselves," Snape said dryly. "I would be grateful if you did everything in your power to save me."

"Professor Snape, that isn't the mindset that a professor should have," Flitwick chided. "Our responsibility is to protect and support the students, not the other way around. Whatever the consequences for us, your priority should be to find a way out."

Harry found himself in a difficult situation. If he surrendered to Merlin, he doubted his chances of survival. If he refused, he would be condemning his grandparents and others to death. Was there any other choice? How could he get out of this predicament?

"I will give you the count of three," Merlin said, and Bathsheda raised her wand. "One...two…"

Salazar erupted from the water with a powerful roar, grabbing Bathsheda by the legs and causing her to lose her footing. He grabbed her wand and threw it into the water.

"No!" Merlin shouted as the two wrestled for control.

Harry saw that she had dropped the device. Seizing the opportunity, he returned to his demiguise form and leapt back onto the walkway. He retrieved the device with a triumphant grin and prepared to switch it off. But he was distracted by the sound of running footsteps approaching from behind.

Recognising the person, he let out a squeak. He transformed back and addressed him. "Blaise, what are you doing here?"

His intuition flared, and he had a strong sense that something was wrong, but Blaise's sudden appearance caught him off guard. Blaise brandished his wand and cast a spell at him. It struck Harry, who was enveloped in darkness.

Harry awoke with a gasp as someone slapped his face. As he opened his eyes, he saw Bathsheda's face looming above him. He tried to sit up, only to realise he was being held down and couldn't move.

He turned his head to see that he was lying on the bridge, just outside the structure in the centre of the chamber. A ritual circle was drawn beneath him, with various materials placed at specific points. Blaise and Merlin were standing nearby.

"Blaise!" Harry gasped. "What the hell is your problem?"

Blaise didn't reply, his expression flat and his eyes distant.

"I am afraid he is another one of my puppets," Merlin explained. "He fell victim to his ambition and wanted to check out the Enchanted Wall for himself. He made the same mistake as Bathsheda did."

In hindsight, Harry realised that he should have noticed it earlier, although he was being overly critical of himself. The only sign that something was wrong with Blaise was his casual wandering around the castle alone, despite the danger.

"My grandparents!" Harry turned his head and breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed they were still in the same position—unable to move but undeniably alive.

"Why should I kill such useful puppets?" Merlin snorted. "Until I have gained enough power to return to the fae realm, I will require their assistance."

Harry could hear his grandparents calling out to him in desperation. However, he made a deliberate decision not to respond. The reason was simple: if he allowed himself to respond to them, his emotions would take over and he would burst into tears. Harry didn't want to give Merlin, his tormentor, the satisfaction of seeing him crumble.

Rowena stood nearby, her eyes filled with sadness, unable to help. Similarly, Salazar was chained to the ground and rendered helpless.

"It's almost ready," Merlin said.

Harry looked down at himself and saw that his entire body was covered in arrays. He shuddered as he realised this was Merlin's consciousness.

"Why did you leave the fae realm in the first place?" Harry asked in an attempt to distract himself. "If you are that desperate to return?"

Merlin snarled. I had no choice but to leave. A new force emerged in the fae realm, motivated by the desire to impose restrictions on us. It seemed to disapprove of our methods of amassing power. Despite our efforts to resist it, the strength of this power overwhelmed us. Even the combined might of several deities proved ineffective."

"What was the name of this force?" He had a sudden suspicion, but it couldn't possibly be true.

Merlin shrugged. "All we knew was that it called itself the Source."

Harry's suspicions were confirmed, which gave him some relief. In an instant, his situation didn't seem to be so dire. Though he feared he was harbouring false hope, it was still preferable to having nothing at all.

Bathsheda summoned her wand and tapped a specific point on the ritual circle, resulting in a brief flash of light. Harry felt a sudden surge of heat and itching all over his body, and he watched helplessly as the arrays on his body gradually sank into his body.

"Don't worry, I'll be as gentle as falling asleep," Merlin murmured, revealing a glimmer of humanity.

As time passed, Harry felt himself heat up more, and then he sensed a presence in his mind. It penetrated his surface barriers and sank into his deeper subconscious. Even if his occlumency skills were significantly higher, he didn't believe he would be able to prevent the invasion. Just as he started to worry about Merlin successfully stealing his body, he saw him gasp in surprise.

"What the hell is this?" Merlin cried. "Why cannot I proceed deeper into your mind?"

"I know the reason," Harry whispered, struggling to speak. "Why don't you come closer?"

His intuition tingled, but he sensed no danger. It was the opposite, a sense of euphoria, as if everything was right with the world. He shouldn't have doubted the Source's power.

Merlin moved closer to Harry and bent down.

"You couldn't have chosen a worse body to steal," Harry said, smiling weakly. "Would you like to know what makes me so remarkable? It is because the Source has given me this power. Perhaps it was so I could get rid of a nuisance like you."

"No!"Merlin screamed as his form started to flicker. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. Kill the boy quickly!"

He was speaking to Bathsheda and Blaise, but they didn't respond to his command. Instead, they blinked a few times, as if waking from a deep sleep. They gasped as they took in what was going on. Blaise quickly grabbed the device and flipped the switch. As Merlin's illusion deteriorated, the adults who had been freed rushed up to Harry.

"Harry, are you alright?" Minerva kneeled on the ground, reaching out to check for injuries, but Rowena stopped her.

"He is no longer in danger," Rowena said, casting a curious glance at the boy. "However, touching him might hurt you. It is best to let the ritual run its course, as it has clearly backfired on Merlin."

"What is happening?" Charlus scowled.

"Damn you!" Merlin exclaimed. "Why did the Soutce have to appear here? This is…."

Merlin's illusion vanished. Harry felt a rush of euphoria as the numerous arrays within him were not expelled from his body but rather transformed. The Source was actively working to modify his body, using Merlin's consciousness as fuel. All Harry could do was wait patiently for it to finish its task. He wasn't sure what was changing, but he was confident that whatever happened would benefit him.

The ritual abruptly stopped glowing, signalling its completion. Harry lay there dazed and exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon. His grandmother hugged him as he checked himself for any noticeable changes. The symbol on his hand began to emit heat, indicating that new messages were awaiting him. It wasn't the best time to look into them further.

He had a sudden thought and delved into his mind to investigate the mechanism that kept track of his magical reserves.

3590

Harry was taken completely by surprise. In an instant, his magical reserves had more than doubled and far exceeded their previous level. After leaving his mind, he examined his surroundings to assess the current situation. Although he realised that not everything had been resolved, he chose to leave it in the hands of the adults. It was now time for him to take a nap.

As soon as he thought that, he was out like a light.

So, what do you think? Here concludes the Enchanted Wall arc. The rest of the school year will be relatively tamer, although there is still someone lurking out there.

Patrons get access to advanced chapters for all of my stories. Read my profile for information on how to join if you are interested.

Thanks for reading.