The Broken Prophecy

Chapter 3: Dinner With The Blacks

"You heard someone laughing? Who was it?" Merlin asked as he sat back down in his seat.

"I don't know," responded Harry. "We were in too much of a hurry to get here to notice. Are you all right, Luna?"

"Yes, Merlin made sure of that," Luna replied as she smiled at Merlin.

The four friends talked for a while about who might have caused the trunk to fall and hit Merlin. Since no one had been able to tell who laughed at Merlin's accident, no one knew who was responsible. The thing that everyone agreed on was that a Slytherin had done it. Someone was out for revenge against Merlin since he had caused three of their students to be expelled. After several failed attempts to deduce who the guilty party was, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross Station and everyone got out.

After Luna hugged her father, Merlin asked her if she would like to meet his parents who were waiting on the other side of the barrier.

"I would love to meet them!" Luna exclaimed enthusiastically.

Merlin led Luna and her father through the barrier when Merlin's mother saw the bruise on his elbow.

"What happened to you?!" Katie Black asked in shock.

"My trunk fell out of my compartment and hit my elbow," Merlin replied. Merlin decided not to tell his parents about his hunch that the trunk falling on him was no accident because he didn't want to worry them.

"Why didn't you get out of the way?" Douglas Black questioned.

"I was too busy protecting Luna," Merlin replied as he smiled at her.

"Oh, so this is Luna!" Merlin's father blurted out. "Merlin has told us a lot about you. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Merlin's father, Douglas Black."

"I'm pleased to meet you too," Luna said as she shook his hand

"Luna, this is my mother, Katie Black," Merlin explained.

After Merlin introduced Luna to his parents, he introduced Luna's father. Luna's father excused himself because he had to take Luna home and get to work.

"I'll see you later, Merlin," Luna stated as she kissed him on the lips.

Merlin blushed because he was embarrassed by Luna kissing him in front of her father. After Luna and her father left, Merlin and his family entered their station wagon to leave Kings Cross Station. When Merlin sat down in the back seat, he sighed and stared into space thinking dreamily about Luna.

"I think we've lost our boy, Katie," Douglas Black sighed.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before a girl stole him away from us," Katie responded.

Not much was said for the rest of the trip since Merlin looked like a blank slate. When Merlin's family arrived home, Katie fixed dinner. After Merlin and his family sat down at the dinner table, Merlin's father looked at him sternly.

"Merlin, there's something I think we need to discuss," Douglas stated authoritatively.

"What is it?" Merlin replied.

"I heard about the little adventure you had at Hogwarts recently. I have to say that I'm not happy with the way you went about it," Douglas admonished.

Merlin started blinking more rapidly as he usually did when he was being lectured by his parents.

"Why didn't you ask Professor Dumbledore for help?" Katie asked.

"I'll admit that I didn't handle the situation in the smartest way, but when I thought about the possibility that I might never see Luna again, I lost my mind," Merlin replied.

"I understand that you were upset," Douglas continued. "And I'll admit that I have done some stupid things in the name of your mother, but I want to impress upon you the danger of what you did."

"Aren't the Malfoys strong supporters of You-Know-Who?" Katie questioned.

"From what I hear, the Malfoys are his strongest supporters," confirmed Merlin. "However, I wouldn't have cared if he himself had been there. I would have died for Luna. I love her."

When Merlin's father looked into his son's eyes, he realized there was no way that he was going to change Merlin's mind so he decided to change the subject.

"Sigh! Well Merlin, I'm very happy things have worked out so well between you and Luna," Douglas declared.

"I'm especially glad that you got over your fear of talking to her," Katie added. "We could both tell from the letter you wrote that year that you were very upset."

"I have my friend Hermione to thank for that," Merlin replied. "She put a spell on a coin and told me to keep it with me. It worked. However, when I thanked her for what she did, she replied that she had made up the spell and that I had gotten over my fear by myself."

"Wow! It sounds as if Hermione is a very shrewd person!" Douglas exclaimed.

"She is the smartest girl in my class," Merlin confirmed.

"Um, Merlin, Luna seems like a nice girl, but don't you think she is a bit odd?" Douglas questioned cautiously.

"Yes, I do," replied Merlin. "That's why I love her. All the other girls at Hogwarts look alike to me. Besides, Luna knows a lot of people think she's weird, but she does what she wants anyway. It takes a strong character to be like that."

All of a sudden, a loud pecking sound could be heard at the dining room window. A speckled owl was waiting at the window.

"Oh, it seems one of my friends is trying to reach me," Merlin declared with surprise as he opened the window and took the letter.

Dear Merlin,

Daddy would like you to have dinner with us at 6:00 P.M. on Sunday.

Love Luna

XOXOXO

Chapter 4: Dinner With The Lovegoods

Sunday had arrived. Merlin felt like a large creature was eating his stomach. He was even more nervous than he had been when he fought the Malfoys for Luna's life. As Merlin continued to pace across the living room, his parents tried to calm him down.

"Please try to calm down," Katie suggested.

"I've never been so nervous in my life," Merlin complained.

"Merlin, you'll be all right as long as you remember your manners," Douglas advised.

"I just have to make a good impression on Luna's father!" Merlin choked out.

"You've already made a good impression on him!" replied Katie. "You saved his daughter's life."

"That's right. He's required by law to like you now," Douglas joked.

Merlin finally started to calm down. After Merlin sat down in an easy chair, he nervously adjusted his glasses.

"Do you know who you remind me of?" Douglas asked his son.

"Who?" Merlin asked.

"You remind me of myself," Merlin's father replied. "I was just as nervous as you are now the first time I met your mother's parents."

"Everyone goes through this. Besides, I know Luna's father likes you because I saw the way he was looking at you at Kings Cross Station. He wouldn't be inviting you to his house if he didn't like you," Katie added.

Merlin calmed down as time passed. When the hour of five o'clock approached, he got up to leave when his father stopped him.

"Just a minute, son. You might want to give Luna this," Douglas said as he handed Merlin a gift wrapped box of chocolates.

"Thank you," Merlin replied as he hugged his parents good-bye.

"How are you going to get there?" Merlin's mother asked.

"I can think of one way," Merlin sighed. "Looks like I'm riding the Knight Bus."

"Oh, I've heard some stories about that," Douglas responded. "Be careful."

"I'll try," Merlin answered.

"Remember what I said about manners," Douglas commanded as Merlin left the house.

Merlin was not looking forward to riding the Knight Bus, but he knew it would be worth it to see Luna again. He pointed his wand into the air and a loud bang erupted. The Knight Bus arrived in a flash of light a foot away from Merlin. Merlin screamed and fell down in shock. He entered the Knight Bus with the intention of telling off the driver.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. I am Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor this evening," Stan happily blurted out.

"Who's the driver of this bus!" Merlin yelled.

"What are you so mad about?" an elderly wizard sitting behind the wheel asked. "My name is Ernie Prang. Where would you like to go?"

Merlin was quite angry at Ernie for almost hitting him, but he didn't think it would be nice to pick a fight with an old man. " I would like to go to Luna Lovegood's house," Merlin told Ernie.

"That will be ten sickles," replied Stan.

Merlin paid the conductor and sat down on one of the many brass beds. Sitting on the bed next to him was an elderly witch wearing a flower on her coat. Merlin thought for a moment that the witch was glaring at him but decided it was just his imagination. The bus took off with a bang and Merlin grabbed onto the bed to keep from being thrown off. The bus seemed to uncontrollably swerve around traffic. Buildings jumped aside to avoid being hit by the bus. Merlin looked at the witch and noticed that the ride wasn't bothering her at all. After the bus swerved around a lamp post, Merlin's bed rolled into the wall and he bumped his head. The bus arrived at Luna's house as Merlin rubbed his head.

"I take it you've rode this bus before," Merlin muttered to the elderly witch as he got up from his bed in a daze.

Merlin's vision went blurry and he fell off the bus.

"Merlin, Merlin, are you all right?!" a worried voice said over Merlin.

Merlin was too dazed to speak and did not know the identity of the person who had spoken.

"Oh!" Merlin whispered.

"Daddy, help me!" the voice cried.

Merlin's vision cleared as the voice continued to speak. Luna and her father were kneeling over Merlin.

"Merlin, please say something!" Luna commanded.

"You're beautiful!" Merlin responded.

"I think he's going to be all right," Luna's father sighed as his daughter giggled. "Can you get up?"

Merlin got up and took a couple of wobbly steps.

"Here, we'll help you into the house," Luna said cheerfully.

Luna and her father helped Merlin into the house and sat him on a sofa after Merlin gave Luna her present. He looked around the room and noticed an oak table in the center of the floor with an arrangement of flowers on it. A large clock stood in one corner of the room. A red rug covered most of the floor.

"You have a nice house, sir," Merlin complimented.

"Why, thank you," Luna's father replied. "Luna has told me how polite you are."

"I try, sir. I especially like these pretty flowers," Merlin stated.

"Unlike my daughter, I rather enjoy flowers. I spend a lot of time tending the rose bed in my front yard," Luna's father explained cheerfully.

"We're having spaghetti tonight, Merlin," Luna commented. "I made it myself. I hope you like it."

"If you made it, Luna, I'm sure I'll like it," replied Merlin.

"Flatterer!" Luna exclaimed as she playfully punched Merlin in the shoulder. Merlin continued the game by rubbing it and making a face.

Luna served the spaghetti and toast she had made at the dinner table. Merlin nervously dropped his glass of water.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Merlin blurted out blushing.

"Merlin, you don't need to be nervous around me. You saved my daughter's life so I'm required by law to like you," Luna's father said with a smile.

Merlin let out a loud laugh because of what Luna's father said.

"What's so funny?" Luna's father asked shockingly.

"Sir, my father said that exact same thing to me today," Merlin happily replied.

As soon as Merlin finished talking, a rock crashed through the window. Merlin got up so fast that his chair hit the floor. He stood in front of Luna in case any further attacks came. When he thought it was safe, Merlin picked up the rock which had a note attached to it.

Merlin Black, If you return to Hogwarts, you'll regret it!

"Who could do such a thing?!" Luna cried as the trio ran outside. When they got outside, they discovered that the prize rose bed of Luna's father had been destroyed.