Chapter 28 Prisoner of Azkaban A/N I do not own Harry Potter. I'm terrible at writing accents, so just assume they all have a french accent, except Merlin. Let's give him a Welsch accent. Tommy and Leon obviously english accent. Italics is speaking in french. The story at the end is not mine 's around mid-July. Sorry for the waits, between schoolwork and my other fic, it's taking a while to catch up to them. But, with that fic, I have to finish the five seasons, and with this one, I have until it starts revealing too much from the other one which isnt that long, so it'll be much slower to upload. Maybe once a month! I'm sorry.

"MERLIN!" Cassie yelled when he showed up at the gates, running over to let him in.

"Think she has a crush on him?" Fleur asked, laughing at her reaction to him.

"From what she's told me about him, I wouldn't be surprised." Gabrielle replied.

"Hello to you too, Cassie." he said, returning her excitement. "Hermione's just over there. First portkey."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Fleur and Gabrielle. They're part-Veela, just warning you." Cassie said, taking his bags and walking with him over to where she'd left the girls.

"This is Merlin! He's the one I was telling you about, Gabrielle." Cassie said, "And this is Hermione, we desperately need your help with her hair, Fleur." she said once Hermione showed up, looking a little green.

"I don't like portkeys." she mumbled, taking deep breaths. "So glad mum and dad let me come alone, they would have hated this."

"Enchanté" he said, bowing and kissing her hand.

"And this is Fleur." Cassie said, Merlin turning to Fleur and repeating the gesture.

"So good to finally meet you. Cassie speaks highly of you both."

"Why is it you never act the Gentleman with me, dollophead?"

"Because you don't act the Lady with me." Merlin replied, looking at her with his goofy smile and repeating, "Dollophead."

"Pleasure,' Hermione said, holding out her hand, nose held high.

"Would you like a tour of the house?" Gabrielle asked, batting her eyelashes at Merlin, and using just a little bit of the Veela magic she had; this alone made Hermoine crazy, and Cassie giggle a bit.

"I would love one." he said, offering her his arm and letting her lead him around, while Cassie and Fleur exchanged amused glances and followed behind. When they got inside, Cassie excused herself to put his bags in the guest room and show Hermione to her room, where she would be staying, and returned to find him sweet-talking Apolline.

"I thought your parents were coming as well." Cassie told her friend.

"No, they said I could go camping, and then they'll come by and pick me up at your friends' house when we get back. Dad got the weeks mixed up and planned vacation time for the week after the camping trip."

"Oh, I would've loved to meet them."

"You will." Hermione said, following Cassie out the door.

"You know, if they weren't part-Veela, I'd be feeling incredibly jealous." Cassie said to Claude with an amused smile, conveying to Hermione she'd explain later.

"Yes, sometimes I wish they weren't" he replied with the same expression.

BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK

"So, when do we leave?" Cassie asked, over dinner later that day after they'd all gotten settled down.

"Tomorrow, in the morning, preferably. Tommy and Leon are going to meet us there with their parents, Ced couldn't come, he and his family had something else planned. Ron and his family are going to Egypt to visit their older brother, and Harry couldn't get permission from his uncle."

"Oh, I would've liked for Fleur to meet Ced, I feel like they'd be great friends! And it's not going to be as fun without the Weasleys. Where are we going?" Cassie asked him.

"Brittany. There's this little clearing in the forest I used to go to all the time. I just hope it's still there." Merlin said, taking a bite out of his lamprey a la bordelaise. "This is one of the better Lamprey's I've had, Mrs. Delacour. It's truly delicious!" he said

"You've had lamprey before?"

"Yes, I used to travel a lot, years ago. Ended up in Denmark one winter and tried some. It was delicious, but this one has a more… earthy flavor. Does it have shallots in it?"

"Yes, it does, Merlin. Most people can't tell."

"Years and years of practice, Madame." Merlin answered with his cheeky grin.

"I must say, from Cassie's stories about you, we pictured someone entirely different." Fleur said, looking at him with a tilted head.

"You haven't seen me trip, I've been extra careful." Merlin pointed out.

"Oh, yes. When Harry and Ron first met him, he rolled down half a hill after tripping over nothing." Hermione piped in brightly.

"Yes, well I can help you along if you'd like?" Cassie offered, an innocent smile hiding the mischief in her eyes.

"I'm good, thank you. Your help last year was more than enough." Merlin said with a laugh.

"I'll just have to wait until tomorrow, then." Cassie said with a sigh, taking a bite out of the canneles in front of her.

"Well, I'll just have to make sure and wake you up extra early, you'll be too grumpy to try anything." Merlin responded.

"You know me too well!" Cassie said, petulantly, pranks already forming in her mind.

"Well, Merlin brings up a good point, we should get some rest. How will we be getting to Brittany?" Claude asked, standing up and retreating to the drawing room with everyone for a coffee-or hot chocolate for the kids.

"Portkey, I've got both, the one to take us and the one to come back. Tommy and Leon have one too." he said, anticipating Cassie's question.

"What's the portkey? Not another tattered book?" Cassie asked while Hermione groaned.

"A tent. I went for practicality." he said, smiling widely over his cup of chocolate.

"Smart." Claude said in approval.

"The portkey's set to leave at seven, so I suggest having everything ready."

"Cassie's packed everything already, I think she's pretty excited about this camping trip." Apolline said, amused at the girl's antics over the past week.

"I think what she's excited about are the stories. I've been told I'm a great storyteller."

"You could be a bard, Merlin. Like Taliesin or Aneirin." Cassie said, smirking at his annoyance.

"If you mention one of the ane's again, Cassie, I will be forced to prank you!" Merlin warned, tired of her jokes, while Hermione giggled at the two.

"I've only mentioned them once or twice." she said, shrugging innocently.

"A month."

"Besides, I wasn't going to, I have another plan for you, Merlin." Cassie said, sticking her tongue out at him like a little child. She had been dying to do that since they sat down at dinner.

"I can embarrass you as well, Cass. Don't forget that." he said, smirking at her narrowed eyes.

"Tell us, Hermione. Are those two really as bad as they seem?" Claude asked her, his eyes amused.

"Worse, sir." Hermione answered with a giggle.

"It'll so be worth it!" Cassie said after a while of looking at him with narrowed eyes.

They stayed up a little longer, talking excitedly about the trip they would be taking for the next week. The following morning they all gathered around the folded canvas tent and grabbed onto it, waiting for it to glow blue and transport them where they needed to go.

"Do you know how to set up tents?" Merlin asked them all. The only one who knew was Claude.

"Why would we know how to, Merlin. This is the first time we've been camping." Gabrielle told him. She took to him quickly, and began to see why the two bantered as they did. It was too easy to fall into the teasing banter with the boy, he was so easy-going and good-hearted.

"Right, I forgot. Where I'm from, the women all knew how to set up a camp." Merlin said as if that explained everything.

"Where are you from?" Cassie asked, "you never said."

"Wales." Merlin said. "Outskirts of Carmarthen. Can you girls gather some firewood?"

"Sure!" Cassie said and set off through the bushes to look for wood.

"Don't go too far!" Merlin yelled after them as the four girls disappeared into the woods.

"Should they be wandering around, what if they get lost?" Apolline asked nervously.

"Cassie's got a good sense of direction. If they do get lost, they'll show up sooner or later." Claude said.

"Yeah, I'll go find them, if they really have never been camping before, they'll get lost pretty easily, good sense of direction or not. Could you finish with this tent?"

"Sure," Claude said, waving his wand and setting it up in the blink of an eye.

"Huh. Should have thought of that a while ago. I'll be back." he said and ran after the girls, using his magic to find them quickly.

"That's not good firewood, Fleur." Merlin said looking at the twigs she'd collected. "Try finding something more like..." Merlin said, looking around on the floor and picking up a dead long twig. "See how it's dry and rather thick. That size of twigs would burn out quickly, and it's kind of wet."

"Well, it's your fault for sending three girls, who've never camped, and one whose family brings everything, to gather firewood. Besides, we're witches, won't it be easier to have Claude or Apolline light it?"

"You still need wood to keep it burning, Cassie." Merlin said, shaking his head and adding, "Besides, what fun is camping if you don't do everything?!"

"I think we'll just go back and get settled in the girl's tent, away from wet, bad twigs. You can finish gathering everything." Cassie finished brightly, giving him a toothy smile and hooking her arms through Hermione's and Gabrielle's and leading the giggling girls back to the camp.

"Cassie!" Merlin called out with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Camp's the other way." Merlin said, trying not to smile and pointing the other way.

"Right, I knew that. Just testing you." she said sheepishly, turning around and walking back towards camp.

"You know, Merlin's far cuter than you made him out to be. In a goofy way, but still cute!" Gabrielle said once they got back to camp, still giggling.

"I never said he wasn't. When I met him on the train I remember thinking 'I could just melt in those eyes!' But then I saw Hermione batting her eyelashes at him and thought, 'if I want her to be my friend, might as well not like the same boy.' So we just became good friends, and then it was really quickly that we became like family to each other. He'd lost his uncle and my sister and parents hated me. I really hope Arthur and 'Gana can convince my parents to let them come!" Cassie said, giving Hermione a side hug.

"They'll come. they're supposed to be going camping with Pietro somewhere in the Italian Alps next week. They'd invited them before you did, so Arthur'll probably be able to say the date wrong without them knowing, and he told Pietro to cover for him too." Fleur said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"So, you and my brother getting along alright?" Cassie asked, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"No, we broke up a while ago. I'm surprised Gabrielle didn't say anything." Fleur said, looking at her sister.

"Didn't know, you didn't tell me. The only reason I knew about you two anyway was because Morgana's much more observant than we give her credit for." Gabrielle said.

"Is it going to be awkward with you two here? Because if it is, then-"

"Don't worry, Cassie. We're still friends." Fleur said with a smile.

"He'll probably catch the Floo to Pietro's place, and then Pietro's brother will apparate them here." Gabrielle said, just as Merlin called the girls out.

"Okay, we already know which tent the girls chose, now the rest of us choose."

"Shouldn't we wait for Tommy, Leon and their parents?" Cassie asked, not noticing them walking up to the camp behind her.

"We're already here!" Leon said, hugging her from behind and scaring her.

"Leon! You total di- uhm, boy." Cassie cried, cutting herself off and glancing sideways at Apolline red-faced and finishing lamely, hugging him back and then hugging Tommy.

"Missed you too, Cass." they said.

"Claude, this is Leon and Tommy. Some friends from school." Cassie introduced them then went to introduce Gabrielle and Fleur to them as their parents introduced themselves.

"So, you're the famous Tommy." Fleur said, tossing her hair back and looking him up and down. "I approve, Cassie."

"As do I." Gabrielle piped up, batting her eyes at Leon who was seemingly transfixed.

"We'll take this tent." Claude said, picking the tent next to the girls' and glaring daggers at Leon.

"I think your father hates me." Leon said, seeing his look and stepping behind Cassie a bit.

"Claude's harmless, unless you decide to hurt one of us. Then good luck." Cassie said, jumping slightly when a popping sound came from behind her.

"Boo!" came a familiar voice from behind her.

"Arthur! I will shear your hair off if you scare me one more time!" Cassie yelled at him when she let go of Tommy's arm.

"Yeah, if you keep scaring her, I'm going to lose feeling in my arm!" Tommy said, flexing his fingers and rubbing his arm where she'd clutched.

"You must be Tommy." he said, holding his arm out, his face serious.

"Yeah, I am. Nice to meet you." Tommy said, shaking the offered hand and wincing when Arthur tightened his grip.

"Hurt her and you won't just have me to deal with." he said in a low, dangerous voice, "Now, who's behind getting my sister to go camping? I need to know his secret."

"Ignore him, he's a big bunny." Cassie said, pinching Arthur's cheek for good measure. "Where's 'Gana?"

"You know how well she likes aparating." Arthur said, nodding towards the bushes.

"Oh!" she said and ran over to her sister when she emerged from the bushes with a water bottle and a tall, muscular boy by her side.

"Lorenzo! 'Gana! Come stai?" Cassie greeted, hugging her sister tightly and then greeting Lorenzo.

"It's nice to see you again, Cassie." he said, kissing her cheeks.

"Stay for some food? Merlin should be making lunch soon." Cassie offered as they walked back to where everyone was.

"I'd love to, but I'm supposed to be meeting my girlfriend in a bit. I just had time to pop these two over here. Bye, Cassie. It's nice to see you again. Bye Fleur, Gabrielle." he said, giving them a quick kiss on both cheeks and disapparating.

"Friendly guy." Leon said.

"He is." Morgana said with a dreamy smile.

"Oh, guys this is Morgana, my sister."

"I thought you said you were twins. You really don't look like each other." Leon said.

"Fraternal twins, ever heard of them?" Morgana said with a smirk gracing her features.

"I take it back, you two are just the same."

"Thank you." they said at the same time, hooking their arms and tilting their heads exactly the same, and making the girls laugh and shake their heads.

"Lunch is ready!" Merlin called from where he was cooking over the campfire. "Ah, more people! I'll grab some more plates, feel free to serve yourself." Merlin said when he saw Arthur and Morgana join them. He quickly schooled his features, and went to his tent, closing the flap and letting his emotions take over for a second, making sure no one could hear him. He allowed himself a moment more, conjuring two plates and a glamour over his undoubtedly red eyes. The moment he heard Arthur speak to Cassie, he knew. They were finally back, and he wouldn't make the same mistakes this time.

"There you are!" Cassie said, "Food's gone, those monsters practically inhaled it all." Cassie said, nodding to Leon, Arthur and Tommy who were sitting around the campfire laughing at something or other. Merlin had to think to keep himself from letting them see his emotions, the scene reminded him so much of Gwaine and Lancelot, saying. "Thought that might happen, which is why there's another pot full over there." Merlin said, his goofy smile present as he pointed over to the other fire.

"Right, I hadn't seen it." Cassie said, looking at him strangely and walking over to the pot with him in tow. "Let's see if your cooking skills are as good as they made it seem." Cassie said teasingly, nudging him with her elbow.

"Merlin! Your cooking is delicious!" Claude called over to him, "Is there any more?"

The boys' eyes all flicked towards him expectantly, and Cassie was thrilled it would work.

"Yeah, there is. I'll take this over." Merlin called back, putting some on his plate and winking, "If I don't serve some now, I won't have any."

"So, what about these famous stories of yours, when are you going to tell us?"

"As soon as Cassie joins us." he said, watching her walk over with both plates.

"Here you go, Merlin." she said, handing him his plate and sitting down next to Arthur and Tommy

"Okay, ready for the story?" he asked them all.

"No, Merlin. We're waiting for the sun to set." Leon said, rolling his eyes.

"So, what should I tell you?" he said, thinking through all the stories he had at his disposal.

"Tell us what happened down in the chamber." Leon said. "Cassie never told us."

"For good reason, I did nothing." Cassie said.

"Yeah, if you think transfiguring pillows to look exactly like us and look like they're breathing is nothing. Or that bit of magic that sent Dumbledore the letter. Or using a freaking nonverbal Disillusionment charm in second year is nothing!" Merlin said, counting them off on his fingers.

"They were complete accidents."

"Not the letter, you do that all the time with us." Arthur said, looking at her wide-eyed.

"You seriously did a disillusionment charm?! Merlin's beard! I can't even remember how long it took me before I could do a nonverbal Wingardium Leviosa!" Tommy's dad said.

"Well, it was nothing." Cassie said, blushing deep and looking at the floor in embarrassment.

"Dumbledore himself said he didn't do that in second year, and the man had more talent in his second year than most ministry officials at the time!" Merlin said.

"Well, what about you? I don't believe for a second you passed out in the Chamber!" Cassie said, turning everyone's attention back to him.

"Yeah, go on and tell us what happened. Cassie's been incredibly tight-lipped about it." Fleur said.

"Okay, well I'm going to start with the morning, before Hermione was attacked." Merlin said and launched into this seemingly fantastical tale about Harry fighting off the basilisk by himself while Merlin had slowly inched the cursed diary over.

"I knew it!" Cassie cried triumphantly when he got to that part.

"How did you know that he needed to stab it?" Leon's dad asked.

"I figured basilisk venom is fatal, so it would destroy the diary's dark magic."

"You know what I can't believe. I can't believe Cassie went down in the first place. You've always seemed so… safe, well not impulsive and this was a rather impulsive decision." Arthur said, looking at her in a new light.

"Jeez, thanks, I suppose I am getting predictable." Cassie said thoughtfully, "Yes, and my math's off, your hair should be… Oh! There it is." she said, nodding satisfactorily.

"Hogwarts has been good for you, Cassie!" Morgana said, "You've managed that prank without getting them to grow hair everywhere!"

"No, 'Gana, that's a different prank." Cassie said, giggling as the three boys looked at each other in horror. Shame you didn't leave any for Merlin though, it was supposed to be on him."

"Cassie!" Merlin cried affronted.

"Don't worry, I'm planning something else for you." Cassie said, winking at him and making the adults all burst into laughter.

"If this is how you behave at school, I feel bad for your teachers!" Claude said when the peals of laughter subsided.

"Some of them deserved it." Cassie defended.

"Lockhart definitely did!" Merlin said, snickering.

"And Snape. He's brilliant, but a complete butthead." Cassie said, getting snickers from everyone who knew Snape.

"Cassie!" Hermione said, astonished at her words.

"What, it's true! The man's a brilliant wizard, but personality wise, he's a complete and utter butthead!"

"Well, I'm off to sleep, it's well past midnight. Good night everyone." Leon's dad said trying to hide his laughter from the children, standing up and going to his tent.

"'Night." they all told him.

"I'm afraid I'll be retiring as well." Apolline said, standing up gracefully and going to her tent.

"You have to tell us more stories, Merlin!" Gabrielle said, getting more comfortable and leaning against Cassie.

"There's this legend my uncle told me. Do any of you know what the Labyrinth of Gedref is?" Merlin asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"No." they all said.

"Okay, over a thousand years ago, a haughty prince and his rather debonair manservant, who had been dragged out along with the knights might I add, were roaming through the woods near the prince's castle on a hunt. The prince and his manservant separated from the party and when they heard the noise of an unfamiliar animal, the prince-"

"What prince?" Cassie asked, fully intent on annoying him the rest of the night.

"You know, a prince with a castle near the woods. Don't interrupt." Merlin said slowly, not sure what to say. "Now where was I? Oh yes, the prince sent his debonair manservant ahead to flush out the animal while he and his knights surrounded it. But this manserva-"

"What manservant, why don't you just name them?" Cassie interrupted again.

"Cassie, would you like to name the prince and servant? I wasn't told the names, just 'prince' and 'manservant,' and never bothered to ask. " Merlin told her.

"The prince is Arthur and his servant is… George." Cassie said, and Merlin snickered knowing full well how much Prince Arthur liked George.

"Okay, fine. Arthur-" Merlin paused and looked pointedly at Cassie, "sent George out to flush the creature out. But when George entered the glade he saw the most beautiful, white unicorn grazing. George desperately tried to shoo the creature away from harm, but before he could, Arthur fatally shot the unicorn with a crossbow. His heart breaking at the death of such a pure animal, Geoge fell to his knees to cradle the animal's head as it took its last breath, whispering how sorry he is. 'Ha Ha! A unicorn!' the haughty prince says delightedly, and has one of his knights retrieve the horn. 'Don't be such a girl, M-George!' the prince said. But as I- George, as George stands up, he sees an old man in a white hooded cloak in the woods behind Arthur. 'What are you looking at?' the prince asks him, looking back to see what he saw. But when he looked there was no one. Later that day, the hunting party went back to his castle and Arthur presented his father, the King, with the horn on a pillow, and showed the entire court. The king's advisor, and court physician, says 'Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures. There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one, my lord.' The king scoffed at this, saying such stories are nonsense and that they'll be the envy of every kingdom.

"The next day, the King and prince ride out to a field outside the citadel walls, where the grains are grown. They discover that the entire grain crop has died overnight. The King says 'Every single ear has died. We've received reports that it's the same throughout the entire kingdom.' He then gives the order that they must begin rationing, if it is a disease, then the court physician would find out. The prince's manservant, who lived with the physician as his ward, asked about what had happened. Back in his quarters, Gaius can find no logical cause for the crop's death: however, he is reluctant to believe it is sorcery. If it is, and he goes to the king, there would be a witch hunt. This king was relentless about the destruction of magic, and hated everything about it. The situation became worse the next day when two villagers tried drawing water from the water pump, but were greeted to sand flowing out. An investigation of the city's wells and reservoir confirmed that the city's water supply had dried up and the court physician was forced to conclude that it is the work of magic, a theory the King agrees with.

"The manservant, a secret sorcerer, attempted to change the sand back into water, but was unable to, no matter how many spells he threw at it. Knowing his guardian knew about his magic he goes to him dejected and says 'I've tried everything. If it is magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess.' the physician looks at him dejectedly, thinking that if his ward couldn't do it, no one would be able to. The king orders a city wide curfew, telling his son to execute anyone found looting the supplies. George, having been told to find the rat in the prince's roomewrlier that day while Arthur was in a sour mood, was crossing the main square after curfew to get to his chambers when the prince asked him: 'You do realise there's a curfew?' the-George replied 'Yeah, I was in your chambers, hunting for the rat.' 'Did you find it?' Arthur asked. 'No.' George admitted. Arthur then said, 'So you have been outwitted by a rat?' and I said, 'They do say rats are very intelligent.' and Arthur said drily 'More intelligent than you, it would seem. Go home. It'd be embarrassing to have to lock up my own servant for breaking the curfew.' Just then, he saw the white-cloaked man walking around the city after curfew had started. After evading them for a bit, the man entered the castle, and evades their efforts to catch him several more times while roaming the dungeons before he reveals himself to them. Arthur and George got frustrated and began bickering like they always did after countless turns and not finding him. 'Arthur, no one passed me.' George said. 'Are you blind?!' Arthur exclaimed in a loud whisper. 'Are you looking for me? I am Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns.' the white cloaked man said. Both George and Arthur looked at him confusedly. Arthur stepped into his role as prince and demanded, 'We are under curfew. What's your business here?' To which Anhora replied 'I have come to deliver a message.' 'And who is this message for?' Arthur asked. Anhora said 'It is for you, Prince.'

"Arthur suspiciously asked 'Is it you who's responsible for killing our crops, turning our water into sand?' Anhora said, 'You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot.' Disbelievingly. Arthur asked 'Me?! You think I'd bring drought and famine upon my own people?' So Anhora explained to him, 'When you killed the unicorn, you unleashed a curse. For this, your city will suffer greatly.' Angered at the accusation and the blatant use of magic, the prince said sternly 'If you have put a curse on Camelot, you will lift it, or you will pay with your life.' Anhora told him 'The curse was not my doing.'

'Undo the curse or face execution.' Prince Arthur demanded of the old man. 'Only you can do that. You will be tested.' Anhora told him, expecting the next words to come out of his mouth. 'You're under arrest.'

The prince reached for the old man, but he disapparated and Arthur stumbled. Anhora reappeared on the Wrought Iron Stairway that led to the main level and said gravely: 'Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, your city will be damned for all eternity.' At the physician's advice, George tries to convince Arthur to take Anhora's warning seriously. So, after they finish their breakfast, George goes to the prince's chamber, only to find him fuming about the rat that ate through his boot. 'I guess the rat might be as hungry as the rest of us!' George joked, then asked in a serious voice, 'Have you given any more thought to what Anhora said last night?' Arthur answered; 'Ah, well, he may have escaped last night, but at least we now know who we're looking for. I told my father I'll find this Anhora and put an end to it.' 'What if he's telling the truth about the curse?' George asked. 'You think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?' Arthur asked. 'No, not deliberately. When you killed the unicorn, I saw Anhora in the forest.' George said truthfully. "Why didn't you say anything?' 'It was just for a second, and then he disappeared. I didn't even...well, I-I thought I was seeing things. But he was definitely there.' Arthur looked at him weirdly and said 'That doesn't actually prove anything.' 'Doesn't it make you think he might be telling the truth?' 'Because he was skulking about in the forest? That makes me trust him even less.' Arthur scoffed. 'Why would Anhora appear here, and then lie to you?' 'We had him cornered. He was trying to talk his way out of it by blaming me.' 'Arthur, he can disappear into thin air. He didn't have to talk his way out of anything.' 'My father has warned me about sorcerers like him. They will not rest until our kingdom is destroyed.' Arthur said; he had been raised his whole life believing one thing: that magic corrupted the soul. George, however, was raised outside their kingdom, and had been doing magic since before he could walk. So, 'Well, I believe he's telling the truth.' he told the prince. The prince told him in no uncertain terms 'Then you're a fool. You cannot trust a single word a sorcerer says. You'd do well to remember that. Now, I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be, and when he makes it, we're going to be waiting.

"That night, George and Arthur waited in the grain store, convinced this would be the curse's next target. Instead, they found a farmer who was trying to steal grain to feed his starving family. Despite the command to execute looters, Arthur let him go, and gave him a small bag of grain, saying 'Use it sparingly. It might be the last food you and your family get for some time.' The farmer leaves, telling Arthur that his kindness 'will bring its own reward'.

"The next day, the same villager who discovered the sand found that the water had returned to the city. The prince and manservant, each with their own big mug of water, gulped down every last drop. 'Never knew water could taste so good.' the prince said. 'I know, my throat was so dry, I thought I wouldn't be able to talk.' his manservant replied. 'Well, at least some good would've come from the drought, then.' 'More?' George asked, serving some more water for the both of them. 'The sand's disappeared. The water returned to the well. It doesn't make any sense. I suppose you have some explanation for this, George? Let's hear it.' 'Anhora said you would be tested. And last night, in the grain store, you let that villager go. And he said it would bring its own reward. Maybe that was your first test. You passed it, so the curse has begun to lift. Perhaps this is your reward. I know you don't have to listen to me.' 'Glad we agree on something.' Arthur said before George could say anything else. 'If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything. Perhaps we should seek Anhora out.' George suggested. 'I cannot negotiate with sorcerers. My father wouldn't hear of it.' 'Then it's probably best you don't tell him.' 'I must go check on the guard. See if you can find me some food.' '(mutters)Find some food!' Then, George saw the rat climb out of Arthur's boot and an idea struck him. He mumbled a spell and the rat froze long enough for George to kill it and take it to the kitchens to cook. Later that day, the prince and the princess walk among the villagers lining up outside the grain store, hoping for food. The princess-"

"Morgana." Cassie said, interrupting the story and releasing them all of his spell.

"What?" Morgana asked.

"Well, if Arthur's the prince, you're the princess." Cassie said as if it were obvious. "Besides, you're older than me, so…"

"Okay, Morgana asked Arthur who the people were, 'They've come from the outlying villages in search of food. There's not enough rations to feed the people who are already here.' she knew what he was thinking and said, 'You shouldn't blame yourself. I'm sure you're doing everything you can.' 'It is not enough.' Arthur said, walking away dejectedly. The good princess and her maidservant proceeded to hand out as much food they managed to sneak from the kitchens amongst the children and the old people, making it go as far as they could. Arthur, in the meantime, went to skulk on the battlements of the castle, looking down at the long lines sullenly.

"Later that night, George poured some meat stew into a bowl and placed it in front of Arthur. 'Lost my appetite.' Arthur said, pushing the plate away. 'You have to eat something.' George told him. 'I can't. Not while my people are starving. Do you really believe I'm responsible for the curse?' 'I'm afraid so.' 'We're going to the forest, first thing in the morning. Maybe we can pick up Anhora's trail. Whatever it takes.' 'Okay, but you have to eat. You won't be able to help anyone if you're too weak to pass the test.' George told him, hiding his smile when he saw Arthur take a bite. 'What kind of meat is this? It has a very strange texture.' 'It's pork.' George answered quickly. 'This isn't pork. It's far too stringy. What is it? It's, erm…' Arthur put down his spoon. 'It's rat, isn't it?' '(nods) Try not to think about it.' Arthur stood up and walked over to a chair pulling it out and shoving George down as he said 'Look at me. I'm being rude. Here I am, stuffing my face with this delicious stew when you're hungry, too. Come on. Take a seat. Eat.' he ordered, revelling as George chewed the stringy meat. '(grimacing) It's actually pretty tasty.' 'Mm. Well, I'm glad you like it. Because…' Arthur fetched the pot of stew. '...there's plenty more.'

"Someone knocked on the door and interrupted them, so Arthur called out, 'Enter. Morgana?' 'I hate to ask, but I was wondering if you had anything to eat…' The prince and the manservant shared a smile, giving her the rest of the stew."

Throughout the story, Merlin had acted out everything he was saying using different voices, and it was rather entertaining, but when he handed the pot to Morgana, Cassie just had to say something:

"You added the rat, didn't you?" Cassie asked amused, they'd been listening to the story for about two hours and she couldn't stay quiet much longer. Most of the adults stood up earlier to go to sleep, only Tommy's dad remained.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe this manservant really did feed his master rat, especially if he was a supercilious clotpole whose head was as big as his waist." Merlin answered with a mischievous grin.

"I think I'll make my own food tomorrow." Cassie said, making them all laugh.

"Aw, I wouldn't feed you rat. You'd give me something much worse in retaliation, I've learned from my mistakes." Merlin said. "But the story's not over yet." he said, taking a drink from his canteen and sitting back down, feeding the dying embers.

"The pair go back to the forest in the hope of finding Anhora and the next test. At the site of the unicorn's death, Arthur encounters the farmer he released, who it turns out, is a thief. 'You? You're a thief.' 'Well spotted. Wasn't that obvious when you caught me stealing your grain?' 'Fortunately I have more important things to deal with.' 'You didn't really believe that story about my children, did you?' 'What kind of man lies about starving children to save his own skin?' 'Your people starve because you let thieves steal their grain. That is why they doubt you.' 'You don't speak for my people.' 'Hey, your father would never have allowed himself to be fooled like that.' 'You hold your tongue, or I will make time to teach you some manners.' 'Your father would have had me executed, but you didn't have the stomach for it, did you, Arthur? And that's why he doubts you'll make a good king.' 'You know nothing of what my father thinks.' 'I think he wishes he had another son, one who was worthy of taking his place. You shame him.' 'Pick up your sword.' 'The King must fear the day when you will take the throne.' Infuriated by the thief's taunts, Prince Arthur attacks him. 'He fears you do not have enough strength to defeat his enemies. The King must wonder if you are even his son.' he kept taunting as they fought. Arthur was a skilled swordsman, however, and quickly got the upper hand, dealing the deathblow. But as the blade pierced flesh, the thief disappeared and Anhora appeared behind Arthur. 'This is your doing?' Arthur asked, panting and angry. 'It was a test to see what is truly in your heart.' 'Your tricks prove nothing!' 'Why did you kill this man?' Anhora asked calmly. 'He insulted my honour!' 'You could have chosen to ignore his taunts. What harm would they do you?' 'You will lift the curse, Sorcerer.' Arthur demanded, angry. 'It is not in my power.' 'Then you will die.' Arthur lifted his sword to strike at the old man, but Anhora disapparated and Arthur fell to the ground. 'Killing me will not help you.' Anhora said calmly, and Arthur tried to strike him, but Anhora disapparated and Arthur fell to the ground again. 'You have shown that you would kill a man to defend your pride. You have failed the test. For this, your kingdom will pay dearly.' 'My people have done nothing!' 'Your people's suffering is not my doing. It is yours.' and with those words. Anhora disappeared.

"'Arthur?! Arthur?!' George yelled, finally finding him. Arthur just looked at him annoyed, mostly with himself, and started back towards the castle. The king sifted rotten grain through his fingers as Arthur entered the storage rooms. 'What is it? What's happened?' 'All our remaining supplies have rotted. Every last grain.' Later that same day, the ruthless king ordered the distributions to be stopped, much to his children's dismay. 'We must defend the kingdom at all cost.' the king said, annoyed at the conversation. 'What's the point of defending a kingdom when the people…' 'Well, what would you have me do?!' '... starve to death?! Ask the neighbouring kingdoms for help!' 'Ha.' 'They may be able to spare some food, Father.' 'Out of the question. As soon as they realise how weak we are, our enemies will strike against us.' 'You don't know that for certain!' 'Besides I would rather starve than beg my enemies for help! What of our kingdom's reputation? Have you no pride?' 'I cannot think of my pride when our people go hungry. They're all I can think of.' 'Give the order to stop distributing food to the people. Is that understood?' 'You'll have to give that order yourself.' the prince said, he cared more for his people than for his pride, and he wouldn't give the order. 'Very well. But if you'd caught the sorcerer, I would not have to. That's your responsibility! One day you will understand what it takes to be King!' But Arthur knew he would never be the type of king to put pride over his people."

"You're all still awake? It's four in the morning!" Tommy's mother said, walking out of the tent.

"Merlin wasn't exaggerating! His stories are amazing! And we haven't even got to the good part yet." Tommy said.

"Comes with the years of traveling." Merlin said smugly.

"If none of you are tired?"

"Absolutely not!"

"I'm wide awake!"

"Okay, then. Carry on." she said, walking back into her tent.

"Okay, go on, Merlin!" Morgana said, leaning forward excitedly.

"Arthur was destined to be a great King. The king to unite all of Albion. And so, he and his faithful manservant were looking in distraught at all the people who were suffering in the square below. 'They do not yet know there is worse to come.' Arthur said somberly. 'What do you mean?' 'My father is going to stop distributing food to the people. They are to be left to starve. I had a chance to lift the curse. And I failed them.' 'You weren't to know you were being tested.' 'My people are starving. My kingdom is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing.' Arthur said miserably, turning around to go to his chambers.

"George, knowing just how much his friend needed to save his citizens, ran to the forest, to the clearing where the unicorn had been killed, and yelled for Anhora to show himself. 'You wanted to talk with me?' 'I've come to seek your help. The people are starving. They will soon be dead.' 'You must believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to see your people suffering.' 'If it pains you, put an end to it.' he pleaded. 'It is not in my power to lift the curse.' 'Then give Arthur another chance. He has accepted it is his responsibility, and he will prove himself worthy and lift the curse if you give him one more chance.' 'You have faith in Arthur?' 'I trust him with my life.' 'Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There, he will face a final test. If he fails, there is no hope. The curse will destroy everything.' he said with finality, disapparating. 'Wait! What kind of test will he face?' George called out, he received his response telepathically; 'That is for Arthur alone to discover.' Arthur heard about this, his final chance to save his people, and refused to let Geroge accompany him. He set out for Gedref alone. Or so he thought. George, ever the faithful servant and friend that he was, refused to let him go alone, refused to let him go without knowing what he was getting into. So he followed the trail, not letting Arthur realize what he was doing. Arthur arrived at the Labyrinth shortly before George did and entered; and without any way of knowing which way he went, George followed. He wound his way through the maze until he arrived at the middle, he almost screamed in delight, but then he saw the wrong man standing in the center. Anhora. 'You said Arthur would face a test. And here you are, preparing a trap for him.' 'The trap isn't for Arthur. It is for you.' Anhora said, whispering a spell in the Old Religion. Vines crept up from around the maze, wrapping themselves around m-George." Merlin got up and wrapped his arms around Gabrielle tightly.

"They were so tight, that George couldn't think of moving, and before he could react he was knocked unconscious. Eventually, Arthur reached the end of the labyrinth, and stepped out onto the shoreline, spotting me-George sitting at a table and Anhora not ten paces away. 'George? Let him go. I'll take your test, but not till he's released.' 'That is not possible. George is part of the test. Please sit. If you refuse the test, you will have failed and your kingdom will be destroyed.' Arthur sat down at the table across from George, 'I thought I told you to stay at home.' he hissed at his manservant. 'Let's get on with it.' 'There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet.' 'What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?' 'What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted.' 'Let's think about this. What if I drink from my goblet first?' 'If it's poisoned, you'll die.' 'And if it's not, then you'll have to drink from yours, and you'll die. There must be a way around it.' 'It is perfectly simple. One of us has to die. We have to find a way to determine which goblet has the poison. And then I'll drink it.' the prince said, not wanting an innocent person to die because of him. 'I will be the one to drink it.' 'This is my doing. I'm drinking it.' 'It is more important that you live. You're the future king. I'm just a servant.' 'This is no time to be a hero, George. It really doesn't suit you.' '(sigh) What if I drink from mine first, and if that's not poisoned, I will then drink yours?' 'He said each of us is only allowed to drink from a single goblet. I had no idea you were so keen to die for me.' 'Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself.' '(snort) I'm glad you are here, George. (sigh)' 'I've got it. Right, we pour all the liquid into one goblet and then we can be sure it is poisoned. Then all the liquid can be drunk, and it will be from a single goblet.' 'You never cease to surprise me. You're a lot smarter than you look.' 'Is that actually a compliment?' 'Look out!' Arthur yelled, pointing behind George and making him look. Arthur took the two goblets and poured all of the liquid into one of them, holding it up to drink. 'No! I will drink it!' George cried horrified, for he didn't want his best friend to die. 'As if I'd let you.' 'You can't die. This isn't your destiny.' 'It seems you're wrong again.' 'Listen to me!' 'You know me, George. I never listen to you.' And so he raised his goblet in a toast and drank the contents in one. 'Arthur! No! What have you done?' George cried as Arthur fell off the chair, unconscious. 'Arthur! No!' George stood up and went over to his friend, trying to shake Arthur awake. 'Arthur. Arthur. Come on! Arthur, come on. Come on. Come on! No... Come on. Please. Please! Just... let me take his place!' George pleaded to Anhora, refusing to let his best friend die. 'This was Arthur's test, not yours.' 'You've killed him! I was meant to protect him!' 'He is not dead. He's merely consumed a sleeping draught. He will come round shortly.' 'What?' George asked through his tears, gratitude and relief flooding through his veins. 'A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted.'

"He has passed the final test, and the curse on the kingdom will be lifted. Upon their return, Arthur and George see everything has returned to normal: the crops have regrown, there is plenty of food and water, and the people are no longer suffering. 'Is this your doing? Is the sorcerer dead?' the king asked his son upon arrival. 'He won't be troubling us anymore.' 'Good, make sure the grain reserves are restocked.' 'I'll see to it. There's something we must do first.'

They returned to the site of the unicorn's death and buried its horn. Arthur knelt down next to the burial mound, 'I should never have ended your life. I'm sorry.' He begins to place the stones over the unicorn horn, when George looks up and sees the unicorn grazing nearby. 'Arthur.' George said, making the prince look up from the burial mound to the unicorn. Anhora explains to them that 'When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again.' Now, I'm going to show you something, but you have to tell no one. And I mean NO ONE. My uncle would be furious I was even using it like this." Merlin said, looking into the fire and using his magic to make a unicorn in the flames. "Upastige ánhornan!" from the flames they saw a unicorn take shape with its head down, grazing and the keeper of the unicorns standing to the side.

"Marvelous!" Tommy's dad breathed in wonder.

"How'd you do that?!" Morgana, Hermione and Gabrielle asked at the same time, their eyes wide with childlike wonder and excitement.

"My uncle and my father were practitioners of the Old Religion. They taught me a few things, but not enough." Merlin said sadly.

"If you can do that magic, and I've seen you light a torch, why must you insist on using these stones?" Cassie asked, picking up the flint and throwing it at him.

"Reminds me of my family, I'd always light the fire this way with them." Merlin said, catching the stones and looking at her, Arthur and Morgana.

"Can you teach us how to do that?" Leon asked with a wide smile.

"Can you hear me?" Merlin asked telepathically.

"Yes." Cassie, Arthur, Morgana, Fleur and Gabrielle answered.

"Yes what?" Tommy and Leon asked, looking confused.

"You two are part Veela, right?" Merlin asked the two Delacour sisters.

"Yes, our grandmother was full Veela." Fleur answered gracefully, her French accent plain to hear after hours of hearing only him.

"Well, it's not something easy to teach, and certainly can't be learned if you don't have the Old Religion in your veins." Merlin explained, looking apologetically at Hermione, Tommy and Leon.

"Does that mean you can teach us?" Morgana asked, beaming at him excitedly.

"Maybe."

"Can you teach us to talk to each other telepathically?" Gabrielle asked.

"Sure, that's easier. Just think what you want to say, and put power behind it, clearly imagining who you want to talk to. Sometimes, you can communicate with those who don't know the Old Religion, but it's usually one-way and pretty exhausting."

"You're a terrible teacher, you know." Arthur said. " How exactly are we supposed to 'think what you want to say, while thinking of who you want to talk to and put power behind it?'"

"Can you hear me?" Morgana asked Arthur.

"It takes a while, I've done it for a long time, you guys just need to find which magic is which. Old magic feels different, more instinctive, more… in tune with nature. It might be part of why Cassie's so good at Transfigurations." Merlin said mysteriously.

"No, she's just an overachiever." Morgana said dismissively.

"Gee, thanks." Cassie said, nudging Morgana.

"Well, I'm beat, I think I'll go to sleep while you lot figure out how to talk in people's mind." Leon said, standing up and yawning while Mr. Loughty did the same.

"I think I'm going to do the same." Tommy said, following Leon and going into their tent.

"No way am I passing up the chance to learn something new! Even if I can't do it myself." Hermione said excitedly, a manic gleam in her eyes.

"How does your magic feel?" Cassie asked after a while of trying it herself.

"I've felt it my whole life, it feels like a part of me, flowing in my veins."

"Oh!" Cassie said, then she added telepathically to Merlin, "Anhora reminds me of Dumbledore."

"Ha! Me, too." Merlin said, his eyes shining with happiness at his friends.

"No fair! Why do you always have to be better than everyone?" Arthur said, annoyed.

"'Cause I'm smarter than you." Cassie replied smugly in a sing-song voice, sticking her tongue out and standing up, "But Leon and Tommy had the right idea, I'm going to sleep. That was exhausting."

"It'll get easier."

"Can we talk long distances?" Gabrielle asked him telepathically.

"Not advisable, unless you have the help of a spell. But if you're going to use a spell, may as well just scry and speak that way. It's easier because there's an anchor, something to keep the magic steady." Merlin answered.

"What'd she ask?" Arthur said, knowing it wasn't him, but not knowing who it was.

"If we could speak long distances like this." Merlin answered them all telepathically.

"Oh, yeah that would be amazing."

"What would be amazing?" Hermione asked, clearly confused and missing something.

"Speaking long distances." Arthur said.

"It's called a telephone. Muggles have done so since the 1930s." Hermione said with a giggle.

"Pretty sure they've done it since the 1890s" Merlin corrected. "You should go to sleep, though, it's getting light, and I'm sure your parents would kill me if they knew you didn't get any sleep." Merlin said, tossing the twig he was playing with aside and standing up.

"Good night-or morning. Whatever." Morgana said, giving Merlin and Arthur a peck on the cheek before going into the girls' tent. Fleur and Gabrielle did the same.

"Merlin? How come they can all use this Old Religion but Tommy, Leon and I can't." Hermione asked, standing up and hovering in front of him.

"Fleur and Gabrielle are part-Veela. The Veela are said to be descendents of the Lamia, but much less bloodthirsty, and full Veela can turn into harpies, Lamiae turn into humanoid girls with, like, fourteen tentacles and two tails. Pretty scary actually." Merlin said, blushing deeply. "But, they have some Old Religion flowing through their veins. Not really sure what to say about Cassie, Arthur and Morgana, but Tommy and Leon don't have any Old Religion in their veins. And you don't either, 'Mione. Sorry."

"Hmm, somehow imagining them like harpies isn't very hard to do." Hermione said, saying goodbye and going to the tent for some sleep.

Merlin stood up and went about the camp, collecting supplies and washing the pot.