The Prophecy

McGonagall and some other teachers approached the window apprehensively, wands ready. A second flash of lightning revealed a terrible scarred face. Mad Eye Moody. He mouthed, "Let me in" through the glass. A look of relief spread visibly through the crowd, and McGonagall and some others went to the door, removed some of the spells protecting it and opened the doors. Moody walked in with an unusually fast clunk. He was immediately thrown against a wall and began to squirm and shake as if being strangled by some invisible force. McGonagall quickly hurried forward and released him (one of the hexes protecting the door mustn't have been removed properly). Flitwick and some other teachers went up to the door and quickly sealed it. The teachers and Moody swiftly walked over towards the crowd of people. Questions suddenly came flooding towards him, "What's happening?"; "Have you found Dumbledore?"; "Is he ok?"; "Are the Death Eaters gone?"

Moody replied, a glare in his eye, "It's ok, it's over, the Death Eaters are gone. We've found Dumbledore and he's ok. The battle's over."

A satisfied gleam in his eyes, he continued, "Now, you'll all have to come down to Hogsmeade with me. There's still some disturbance up near the castle so we'll have to do a circuit to avoid it."

Some people seemed a bit worried about this, but everyone began to follow Moody towards the door. Moody muttered as he went under his breath, followed at the front by the teachers.

Suddenly, there was a muffled scream from somewhere outside. Everybody stopped still. There were a few words heard from behind. It was Merlin, who was still near the fire and window; he gestured towards the window. "Professor, look," he said to McGonagall.

Everyone turned round to look at the window, the lightning still striking viciously to light the outside.

A bracing black figure was sweeping by outside. Covered in black robes, and gliding horribly, the tatty billows of its clothes blustering menacingly in the powerful wind, it glided with incredible speed towards Hogsmeade from which terrifying flashes of light could be seen, many buildings still on fire.

The crowd stared unmovingly and fearfully at the scene. Everyone stared at the window for what seemed like an infinity, watching the terror unfold until a few people turned round to see Merlin running furiously towards an opening in the gathering, wand raised, his robes gliding behind him. He looked oddly frightening and determined, it was like it was all happening in slow motion. As the crowd turned, it became clear that Merlin was charging towards Moody. People turned round to see the expression on Moody's face, expecting to see the surprise and shock that they also felt, but instead he was smiling bizarrely, his entire face stretched to the extreme in a huge and frightening grin, a glint of pure evil in his eye. He was drawing his own wand. Merlin shouted something in a very strong voice, a huge potent misty plume of green, purple and white shot from his wand at tremendous speed, right at Moody. Merlin had now stopped and was standing, wand outstretched, the plume moving forwards. Moody had pulled his wand and slashed it against the air. The crowd was thrown backwards with tremendous force, but Merlin remained standing. The plume hit Moody in his chest just as he had thrown the crowd back. He was knocked over backwards and seemed to be struggling to keep upright, or even conscious. Electric-like tentacles of green and purple swept over Moody's body and he began to scream. It wasn't a scream of pain; more like a scream of anger, as if he was trying to muster all his strength. Merlin seemed to be struggling too, a look of pain spreading across his face. There were now huge bolts and flashes of light coming from Moody's chest, and an odd purple and green mist around him.

Suddenly, Moody screamed a tremendous high pitched howl and pushed upwards, righting himself, wand drawn. He screamed out Crucio! in an abnormally exhausted and angry voice that wasn't his own. Merlin was swung into the air, a bright green stream of light coming from Moody's wand. Merlin was hanging, shaking in the air, screaming with pain, green flashes appearing all around him, howling, horrible screams of pure agony. Suddenly a tremendous bolt of searing yellow light blinded everyone and shrouded the entire room.

The blinding flash stopped, and the light was normal apart from the flashes of green from outside and the raging storm.

Merlin was lying on a large Persian rug on the floor, completely motionless, his robes singed, his wand still in his hand. People had begun to get up after being flung against the walls. Moody was lying flat on the floor surrounded by a white-yellowish glow and mist that was settling around him. About twelve Hogwarts teachers were standing around him, looking terrified and ruffled, lowering their wands. They had obviously all stunned Moody together. Crowds began to run towards Merlin and the teachers. McGonagall walked up to Moody, who was completely unconscious, pointed her wand at him and said, "Imperium liberatis."

Moody shook and his head slumped onto its side. Madam Pomfrey was looking over Merlin. "He's unconscious, completely out. He took a nasty bump to his head when he landed, and I can't heal the after affects of that curse quickly. He should be ok though."

Several people were now gathered round Merlin and a few had plucked up the courage to move up to Moody.

"The Imperius curse," said McGonagall. "One of those things outside must've been controlling him."

The crowd were terribly shaken by this, and were now scattered throughout the room where they had landed after being thrown back, and hadn't dared move.

Lily was still holding the pensieve, horrors still playing out inside it. Neville had fainted and was being helped up by three people.

Suddenly, there was a gasp from the crowd surrounding Merlin.

"You mustn't get up dear, he should've been out for hours after that." Madam Pomfrey's shocked voice could be heard.

Merlin was now sitting upright, the crowd parting around him. A huge red and blue bruise was visible on the right hand side of his forehead, down the right hand side of his cheek to his ear and a glowing green patch on his chest where the curse had hit. He propped himself upright with his slightly singed hands, his robes burnt and ruffled, as was his hair. He looked pained, angry and exhausted, but he seemed to be assured of something, something terrifying.

He simply muttered, "It's begun."

The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. The silence was more than eerie it was terrifying. His words still rang in their ears.

But what had begun? What had Merlin all worked up and ready to attack the next thing through that door? How had Mad Eye been caught, if he was one of the best they had? Did it mean that they were in more danger than ever with Dumbledore still in the hands of the Dark Lord, and Harry, Ron and Hermione still unaccounted for? All these questions ran through their minds, the terrified looks on their faces growing with every passing second.

"That's it then," said Professor McGonagall at last. "We have to fight. The war has begun. We'll have to take on the job as best we can until Dumbledore returns. Let me think about this... teachers, make sure that door is well guarded. Search the place from top to bottom, we don't want to suddenly discover that there is a secret way in when it's a Death Eater that got in here. The rest of you, sort yourselves out into your houses. Gryffindors on my left, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs on my right. Quickly please. Sort yourselves out."

What her sentence seemed to have omitted was that there were no Slytherins present, and that fact was displayed plainly to everyone now. Whether that was significant or not, however, they could only guess.

Even the re-arranging of their seating positions was done in silence. They were too terrified to talk. McGonagall's voice was so authoritative that no one dared question her about anything. She clearly had a lot of thinking to do.

Professor McGonagall sat for a moment, then started pacing the room. "If only Remus or Arabella were here. Dare I to do it?" she muttered to herself. She walked quickly over to the fireplace. The fire had gone out a long time ago. She quickly lit it- "Lumos holeb" and threw in a handful of powder that she had retrieved from inside her robes. "Remus, if you're there, I need you urgently. Bring Arabella if you can. We're all in grave danger."

Suddenly Lupin's head appeared inside the flames.

"What is it Minerva? What has happened?" He was clearly trying to hide the fear in his voice, but was failing miserably.

"No time to explain. We need you both here as soon as possible."

"Well, we just got in about ten minutes ago from our mission. I was about to go to Dumbledore with the new information we've obtained. But if you need us, we'll be there."

McGonagall continued talking to Lupin in the fire, everybody else had begun to mingle in between the lines she had neatly arranged. The house elves were still nowhere to be seen. McGonagall was now talking in hushed tones, some words penetrating her and Lupin's mumbles: Trolls, Dementors, Hagrid, Giants, Shadow Demons, Imperia stones, Fletcher, Karkaroff dead, Dumbledore, deception, Magimorph, Sorcerer's war.

The lines had now completely dissolved, but the teachers didn't seem to care, as they were all surrounding the fire.

Merlin was still sitting on a rug, propped up with his arms, surrounded by others in the room.

"How did you know, you know, Moody was..." An inquisitive Ravenclaw asked in a insecure manner.

"That doesn't matter," Merlin interrupted her abruptly and insensitively.

"Well, what was that thing you did to..." said Liselle.

"That's not relevant either, what does matter is you!" Merlin pointed towards Liselle angrily. He sounded furious, and there was a little vein throbbing on his forehead near the bruise. He got up frighteningly swiftly (considering he'd just been attacked by an unforgivable curse). He stormed over to Lily who was sitting down on the arm of a sofa, still holding the pensieve, and towered over her. Some of Lily's thoughts spilled out of the pensieve and onto the floor where they evaporated in an odd steam. Merlin wasn't particularly tall, but he looked bigger than usual now.

"What do you think you were doing walking and trying to get involved in something that's obviously way over your head? You could have put us all in danger hanging around the Hogshead like that, who do you think you are?" He sounded really enraged. "And honestly, you expect me to believe all this rubbish." Merlin pushed the pensieve out of Lily's hands and the thoughts spilled out onto the floor and steamed away.

Lily looked offended, shocked and frightened. People looked like they wanted to calm Merlin down but they were all too frightened to do anything. The teachers were still gathered around the fire talking to Lupin.

"How could you ever expect us to believe this, eh? A known criminal who killed thirteen people and a known Voldemort supporter turns goody two shoes and joins up to fight evil after escaping prison, and then, a fifteen year old boy and girl and the boy who lived team up with him and Dumbledore to save our souls. What do you think we are, Puffskeins? Now I can see something's wrong-" he gestured towards the window where Hogsmeade was still on fire, green flashes everywhere, an unnatural storm still raging, and occasional screams filling the air, "-but this-" he pointed to the upturned pensieve on the floor, "-this is trash."

Lily looked visibly terrified and offended. Merlin stormed off in a huff and landed himself in a large armchair. People would have gone up to him if the expression on his face didn't suggest he'd chew them into little pieces.

For what must have been over an hour, the teachers remained standing talking to Lupin. Liselle had picked up the old pensieve and stored it away, and everybody had begun talking, apart from Merlin who remained viciously sitting in his armchair like a time bomb. Although everyone (although not very vocally) disagreed with Merlin's behaviour, they had all begun to have doubts about Lily's story, even though Lily defended herself with regular references to the pensieve. It had got to the point that people were even beginning doubting whether anything Lily had said was true, and thought it might all be some elaborate joke.

"She's telling the truth." Merlin had got up and was standing above the crowd accusing Lily. "There's definitely something wrong, it has begun." Merlin still sounded angry but calmer. "I'm sorry Lily." Merlin suddenly rolled into a long explanation and sat on an armchair, surrounded by intrigued listeners.

"Sirius Black killed my uncle. He's a relative of mine. The ministry had sent their best wizards to find Black. They'd sent my uncle, Sirius's brother. They thought he might be able to turn him. My uncle cornered him in a street but Black threw a curse at him. Killed thirteen people, loads of Muggles too. He was my favourite uncle, always came to my parents house at Christmas, always bought fantastic presents. One time he bought some through-oculars for me, great fun."

A little smile spread across Merlin's face and he continued, but in a grimmer tone.

"And then Sirius killed him. Everyone in my family thought Sirius was a bad egg, always causing trouble. I sympathised with him, but after that, nothing could forgive that, but, I always wondered if it was a mistake, if perhaps it wasn't him."

Merlin continued. "There are other things you need to know. Voldemort is a descendant of an evil wizard."

Everybody shuddered at hearing Voldemort's name, several teachers turned round with worried looks on their faces but quickly turned back to the fire.

"He was called Voldemortis, that's where Voldemort takes his name."

A Ravenclaw boy responded. "Yes, I've heard that name before, erm, in a history lesson. Wasn't he defeated by Merlin?"

"Yes, he was, sort of. Merlin defeated him, but at a great loss. Merlin was one of the most powerful wizards ever." There was a note of pride in Merlin's voice. It was fairly common knowledge that Merlin was Merlin's great, great, great (and probably a few more greats) Grandfather.

"Merlin had so much magic flowing through his blood, he would probably have lived forever, but killing Voldemortis had taken more from him than was commonly known. Voldemortis fired a curse at Merlin that would have killed a thousand powerful wizards. Merlin survived though, probably through a combination of his magical strength, and the fact that it only hit his arm."

Merlin pulled up his sleeve to reveal a tiny blue speck on his right arm, where the face of his watch would've been. It was glowing slightly turquoise. Several people gasped and stood back.

"Merlin was clever. He knew the curse was killing him, so he used the most complex and powerful magic he knew against it. He reversed its powers. For thirteen years, he used its power to make him stronger to fight it, but eventually, he knew it was going to kill him, so had a son to continue his work. All these generations later, his descendants still have this mark." He pointed towards just beneath his wrist. "A few more generations and it probably won't be visible, but it'll still be there, it'll always be there. Merlin took measures to secure his future family from evil. He didn't know if Voldemortis had any offspring, but he wanted to make sure we were protected. When Voldemort rose, my family were safe, but Voldemort did all he could to break through, and he nearly did, but he never made it. Now I think he probably could. Voldemort got to my Grandfather just before he was stopped by Harry."

Most people now looked shocked. This wasn't in any textbook. They all knew Merlin (the original) was a great wizard, but nobody ever really knew what had happened to him.

"Merlin wrote hundreds of books, texts, potion manifests, alchemy scriptures. Most of them still belong to my family. I used to spend ages in our attic with the resident ghost reading them. One of them was a divination text. Some people say Merlin was the only true Divinator. The prophecy said something like this. On the thirteenth hour of the thirteenth month of the thirteenth year of Orion, Esit llhat sitromedloh fo riev htneetrihs rhe. Now, I worked it out, the thirteenth year of Orion is a term in astronomy, thirteen is the number of times the stars in the Orion constellation of circle the centre of the galaxy appearing to us. That was last year. I worked out the words too. It's a simple riddle, the first letters of the words are swapped around, the words are reversed, and the sentence is also reversed. You see, in those days, Muggles were even worse at riddles than wizards. Most of them couldn't even write, let alone read. It says The thirteenth heir of Voldemortis will rise. Now, I didn't even know who Voldemortis was then, so I didn't worry about it, and besides, there is no thirteenth month or thirteenth hour. Loads of people say Merlin went mad and so I put it down to that. The thirteenth year of Orion had passed, so there was no reason to worry about it, but now I realise. Think about it, there are only twelve months, so the thirteenth month must be January of next year, and the thirteenth hour must be one o' clock. That was an hour ago."

Everyone was very uncomfortable at this prospect. Was Voldemort the thirteenth heir of Voldemortis?

Suddenly, there was a whooshing noise. Everything went black. Several people screamed. Merlin, Liselle, and some others got up and lumos could be heard from several corners, but they needn't have bothered. As soon as they had risen, all the lights came back on again. Other than the storm, everything seemed normal. About nine people were standing up with their wands lit like torches. There was something missing though... all the teachers. There were a few hats lying around the unlit fireplace, including McGonagall's. People were shocked and frightened, where had the teachers gone? They obviously hadn't gone anywhere by will, and what was going to happen now? Everyone was at risk...

Liselle stepped up and stood next to where Merlin was sitting and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her voice was steely. "The most important thing is not to panic, which considering the circumstances isn't going to be easy."

Stopping mid-flow, she walked to the window where the magical storm seemed to be abetting. There was less octarine in the atmosphere and the fire that had engulfed much of Hogsmeade had subsided.

"I don't know what we can do really, I do know though that the most important thing that we can do is stick together. If we don't stand as a team then we don't stand a chance. I know that the teachers and Dumbledore would expect it of us." A murmur of agreement rippled around the room as one by one all the students stood to join Liselle. They all held their wands out as they formed a circle around Merlin's chair. There was a humming sound as a shimmering mist enveloped the group and the room as a whole. This was magic at its most basic, raw and powerful. The conceptual joining of wands creates a field protecting all group members while they are together.

"There, that should protect us while we try to formulate an idea."

With a wave of her wand, Liselle conjured supper which was eaten wordlessly by her fellow students. Liselle took this chance to talk to Merlin, something that they hadn't had a chance to do since his attack. "Are you ok? That was really freaky stuff. We were really worried, take it easy for a while will you- we need you at full strength for what's ahead... oh yeah, when this is all done I challenge you to another game of chess."

It was an in-appropriate time for a joke but it managed to raise a wry smile from Merlin. "You're on," he challenged. "Loser writes the next History of Magic assignment for the winner though!"

"Agreed," Liselle grinned back. "Hope that you're ready though, I'm nothing but a straight A student so I'll be expecting great things from you!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth that great things were expected of him, that they realised that great things were also expected of Liselle and Lily. Somehow they knew that they were the group's best chance of survival, between them they knew what was going on, or had a rough idea anyway, whereas the rest of the group didn't really have a clue. With the teachers gone, Lily had taken up a position to watch. Walking around the outside of the huddle of students... waiting... not knowing what she was waiting for... but nonetheless, waiting.

With the most horrid blood-curdling scream imaginable the whole room shook. The fear on their faces cannot be described. So far the whole evening ran like a dream in their memories, the events all disjointed and mixed up in their minds. But that was about to be over. They were about to learn the truth.

Liselle and Merlin ran to Lily. The three of them almost scared to death but they had to be strong for the others. They were their best hope. Lily whispered to them so quickly that they almost didn't catch what she said.

"We have to protect the others at all cost. It's down to us. They can't all fight with us, we have to hide them. I'm thinking the Visalto charm. What do you think?"

"On three?" came the shaky reply of Merlin.

"Wait... wait. Isn't that like having a secret keeper? Can we really pull it off?"

"It's our only chance. Most of these kids are first years and second years. They're too scared to do anything other than run!"

Merlin put his arm around Liselle's shoulders. "We have to. On three. one... two... three..."

Their three wand tips touched with a great flash of lilac. The light filled the room for only a few seconds. But something, or someone outside had seen it...

And it came...

The door burst open in a huge burst and with a flurry of smoke and light. They were Death Eaters, all completely cloaked in deepest black, gliding over the floor like fear personified. They really did look like they could eat death. Everyone screamed, but the Death Eaters didn't seem to notice, they just continued through the door. There must have been about six, but something happened. Three disappeared entirely, one collapsed in a pile of black cloak, another just fell through an invisible hole in the floor and was gone entirely. The remaining one stayed where he was, raised a gloved and heavily cloaked hand, and a creature, clothed almost exactly the same as him but in even longer, ragged robes that reeked of evil floated through the door. Unlike the Death Eater however, it was about ten foot tall and rattling menacingly, icy air bellowing from its extensive cloaks- but maybe they weren't cloaks, it might have been that the creature was composed of the cloaks. The only thing visible was one, thin, slimy, grey, long, wet, grey and scabbed hand. It was a Dementor. No one knew much about them, other than they drained life from any place they went, the epitome of evil and decay, grotesque in every sense, and one of Voldemort's closest allies. The Death Eater, who looked small when compared, strode forwards, almost elegantly, deadly elegantly, and looked around the room. He couldn't see the students, nor did he give any care for his fallen companions who had suffered the teachers' efforts to defend the group. The Dementor, however, was a different story. It glided towards the disguised group, looking, although it had no visible eyes. Its breath was intense and the most disturbing thing most of the group had ever heard. It swept round them, many people crying in distress.

The Death Eater walked towards the evil being. "Cease, there is nothing here," he said in a cold and tainted voice.

The Dementor, however, remained and raised its horrid hands to its hood, as if preparing to lower it, everyone turned away in fear.

"I have told you there is nothing here, you will come with me or the master shall punish you. Come," the cold voice repeated. The creature floated backwards (at least it didn't turn, its front and back were barely distinguishable), away with the Death Eater through the door.

There was a great sigh of relief. Everyone seemed to be ok, other than Merlin, who was on the floor, shaking.

There had been a cold and foggy mist in the room which had now subsided, leaving it almost normal.

Merlin gradually got up, helped by others, and pulled some chocolate out of his Honeydukes bag which he began to eat. He informed them chocolate helped counter the Dementor's effects. Some of the third and fourth years already knew this, and Merlin began handing out chocolate. No one seemed dare ask why Merlin had collapsed.

"It seems to have worked, everyone," said Merlin, with a note of relief in his voice. Now, what we have to do next is some very powerful and complicated magic. Some of you won't be able to do it, so it's going to be less powerful, but we older students will probably be able to pull it off if you concentrate hard enough. Now, the charm we have protecting us at the moment is good for the time being, but if we move out of this a certain area between us, it won't work. It'll wear off soon, and I reckon that Dementor could see through it. What we're going to do is the Fidelius Charm, but an even more complex version. Basically, all of us that can will entrust the locations of themselves, and those that can't perform the charm, to someone else. They will then, in turn, entrust their locations to those whose location they know, thus creating a very powerful defence, as long as you stick together."

Some people seemed confused, but assured. About eight people began enacting the charm. Merlin, Liselle, Lily, two other Gryffindors, a Hufflepuff, and a Ravenclaw, did not have the charm entrusted on them. They had something to do.

"I need to get two things. The prophecy I read says there are these two things that can help defend us, and I know how to get them- they're mine, but they're at Hogwarts," Merlin muttered.

"What?" said Liselle intrigued. Lily and the others seemed to mimic this curiosity.

"It'll only be worth telling you if we get there. But how are we going to do that? We wouldn't survive two minutes out there," replied Merlin. He pointed towards the storm that was gaining intensity, and the evil cackles, terrified screams, and newly raging fires coming from Hogsmeade.

"I reckon they- they- they've got reinforcements," stuttered Neville.

"Yes it looks like that, so how are we supposed to get to Hogwarts ?"

As wasn't long before Merlin's enquiry was answered. Dobby came timidly running into the room.

"Sir, sir," he said breathlessly. "Dobby knows sir, we can help you."

The group stared down at Dobby inquisitively, Dobby answered quickly. "As house elves, we is knowing certain things, we is knowing secrets sir, special things, that house elves is needing to know. Normally, we is not supposed to say, but we is all in danger, graaave danger."

A few more house elves, including Winky, who looked liked she had recently collapsed, popped their heads through the kitchen door.

"What Dobby, what can you tell us?" inquired Liselle.

"Well sirs, miss, there is things house elves is needing, to be good house elves, you know. We is having to get to places quickly, house elves is having lots to do, and we have to have special ways."

"Yes, what Dobby?" said Merlin.

"Shortcuts sir, tunnels sir. We is having tunnels and shortcuts everywhere sir. They is elf size though sir, but we is thinking that you could fit."

"Excellent. Dobby, where are they ?" said Merlin excitedly, with new found enthusiasm.

"They is in the kitchens sir, behind a cupboard. Come sirs, misses, this way." Dobby wobbled in his little elfish run towards the kitchens, closely followed by Merlin, Liselle, Lily, and the rest of their group, and Neville.

"I'm coming with you," he said. "Don't try and stop me."