The Broken Prophecy

Chapter 7: The Burrow

For two weeks, Merlin continued to have nightmares. He had a dream where dementors were chasing him, a dream about blast-ended skrewts and a dream about being eaten by a large snake. Merlin also repeatedly had the dream where Luna had killed him. Since the dream about Luna didn't bother him as much as it did the first time, Merlin sat up in his bed and thought about it. After thinking about the dream for a while, he remembered that Luna was wearing a flower on her wedding gown. This was quite odd to Merlin since Mr. Lovegood had told him that Luna didn't like flowers.

Merlin's nightmares not only affected him but his parents as well. Katie Black's beautiful blond hair had become matted and tangled. Douglas Black had trouble sleeping and his short black hair was often messy. Merlin's nightmares got so bad that Katie had to hold on to her son's hand so that he could get to sleep. After two weeks, Douglas suggested that his son write another letter to Professor Dumbledore.

That night, Merlin and his parents were watching a movie on the television. Halfway though the movie, Feathers returned with Professor Dumbledore's letter.

Dear Merlin Black,

It is no longer safe for you to stay at your parents' home this summer. I am making arrangements for you to spend the remainder of the summer with Arthur and Molly Weasley. On July 20 at 4:00 PM, I want you to meet a witch named Nymphadora Tonks on the Knight Bus. Be sure to call her by her last name since she does not seem to like her first name. If Tonks is not on the bus, return home and write me again. Please do not tell anyone other than your parents where you are going. As always, be careful.

Professor Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

"Oh, no! He wants me to ride the Knight Bus again!" Merlin exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Douglas replied.

Merlin showed Dumbledore's letter to his parents who both frowned when they read it.

"I wish I could tell Luna where I was going," Merlin complained.

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has his reasons, Merlin," Douglas replied. "It's best to do what he says."

On July 19, Merlin packed his school things in his trunk and put Feathers in his cage. After his mother kissed him good night, Merlin went to sleep. After Merlin got up and had breakfast, Merlin and his parents talked for most of the day because they knew that they would be apart for a long time. After Merlin kissed his parents good-bye that afternoon, he went outside to wait for the Knight Bus. Merlin hid behind a tree because he had very little faith in the driving skills of Ernie. At precisely four o'clock, the Knight Bus appeared with a bang.

"Hello Stan, is there a..." Merlin started to ask as he got on the bus.

"You must be Merlin Black!" a young witch with short pink hair exclaimed.

"Are you Tonks?" Merlin asked.

"That's me!" Tonks replied as she shook Merlin's hand.

Tonks and Merlin sat on a brass bed in the back of the bus after she helped Merlin load his trunk.

"I really don't like riding this bus," Merlin complained.

"Very few people do," Tonks replied. "In fact, I think anyone that does is crazy."

"The last time I rode this bus, I bumped my head and passed out on Luna's lawn," Merlin grunted.

"You'll get used to the bus in time," Tonks stated.

"I wish that I didn't have to leave my parents," Merlin sighed.

"It must be rough," Tonks responded as she put her hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"I've never run away from a bully before!" Merlin exclaimed.

"I admire how brave you are, but it's very tough to fight an enemy that you can't see. Dumbledore knows what's best for you," Tonks stated.

The Knight Bus landed with a loud bang and stopped suddenly. Merlin was quickly thrown to the edge of the bed, but Tonks caught him before he fell off.

"I'm going to kill him!" Merlin yelled.

"Easy, Merlin! You're supposed to be in hiding, remember?" Tonks replied as she grabbed him.

Merlin looked at Tonks whose hair was now long and brown.

"Your... your hair!" Merlin exclaimed.

"Oh that," Tonks replied. "I'm a metamorphmagus. It comes in handy when I need to disguise myself."

Tonks modified the memories of Ernie and Stan so they would not remember seeing Merlin. Tonks then levitated Merlin's trunk to a lopsided house that had a sign above the front door that read THE BURROW. The yard was home to several rubber boots and some chickens. When Merlin and Tonks went inside the house, they discovered several red haired people sitting around the dining room table. Against one wall was a strange clock that showed the locations of all of the Weasleys instead of the time.

"Hello, Merlin!" a middle-aged wizard with red hair exclaimed as he got up to greet Merlin. "I'm Arthur Weasley."

"Hello, sir!" Merlin replied as he shook Mr. Weasley's hand.

"My, what good manners you have! Fred and George, you could learn something from this boy!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"Yeah okay," Fred grunted.

"Hello Merlin," Ron Weasley called out.

"Hello, Ron! Hello, Ginny!" Merlin replied.

"Hello," Ginny answered back.

"Dinner's ready!" a moderately plump witch called out as she entered the dining room. "Hello, Merlin, Tonks."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Merlin replied.

"Tonks, will you put Merlin's things in the empty room upstairs?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Sure," Tonks answered. She then levitated the trunk up the stairs.

After Tonks got back, the Weasleys started to eat dinner with their guests. Before any food had been eaten, there was a knock at the door.

When Mr. Weasley opened the door, Remus Lupin entered.

"Oh, good! You're here Merlin!" Lupin exclaimed.

"Hello, Professor Lupin," Merlin replied.

"Pull up a chair, Remus. You're just in time for dinner," Mr. Weasley ordered.

"Thank you," Lupin answered. After Lupin sat down at the table, he addressed Merlin.

"Merlin, Professor Dumbledore sent me here to talk to you," Lupin stated.

"Why?" Merlin asked.

"He wants you to tell me about the nightmares that you've been having," Lupin replied.

Chapter 8: Merlin's Advice To The Lovelorn

"He wants me to tell you about my nightmares?" Merlin asked in shock.

"If it's not too much trouble," Lupin replied.

"I've had dreams about dementors, blast-ended skrewts and snakes," Merlin stated.

"What's a blast-ended skrewt?" Lupin asked.

"You'll have to ask Hagrid about that," Merlin answered. "A verbal description doesn't do them justice."

"Very well," Lupin spoke. "Have you had any other nightmares recently?"

"Well..." Merlin stuttered.

"Merlin, I can sense by the pained expression on your face that you're hiding something. Dumbledore needs to know about all of your nightmares," Lupin ordered.

Resisting the urge to cry, Merlin revealed his dream where Luna had killed him. He told the Weasleys about the wedding and the coffin while everybody else listened in cold silence. When Merlin finished, he fell back into his chair.

"Oh, you poor sweet dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

"I've never even heard about such a nightmare!" Tonks added. "It's no wonder why you didn't want to talk about it!"

"Just being able to talk about it proves that you belong in Gryffindor House," stated Mr. Weasley.

"Thank you, sir," Merlin acknowledged. "It's a little easier to talk about it now than when I had to tell it to my mum that night. It took me some time to stop crying after that."

"There's something I would like to ask you, Merlin," Fred said questioningly.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"What do you see in Loony Lovegood anyway?" Fred replied.

Mrs. Weasley was about to yell at Fred when Merlin held up his hand to stop her. "Her name is LUNA!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! Just because you love her is no reason to bite my head off!" Fred yelled back.

"How I feel about Luna is not the issue here. She is a person," Merlin stated.

"So?" Fred asked.

"Is Professor Lupin your friend?" Merlin questioned back.

"Yes, why?" Fred responded.

"How can you like him? He's a werewolf!" Merlin exclaimed.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Fred asked.

"Aren't you scared of him?" Merlin asked.

"No, he's a person and... and... Oh!" Fred stuttered.

"Bravo! Well done Mr. Black!" Lupin blurted out as he clapped. "With your wisdom, you could have done well in Ravenclaw."

"Sometimes I wish I were in Ravenclaw," Merlin sighed thinking about Luna.

"Well, you were right dad. I learned something from him," Fred grunted in defeat.

After everyone ate their dinner of pork chops and blood pudding, Mrs. Weasley gathered the dishes.

"May I help, Mrs. Weasley?" Merlin asked.

"No thank you, dear. Why don't you go up to your room and get settled in?" Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Merlin, your parents must be very proud to have such a considerate son," Mr. Weasley complimented.

"I certainly hope so, sir," Merlin answered.

"Well, it's time for Tonks and me to leave," Lupin stated. "Merlin, I don't want you to send any letters while you are here. I've sent word to all of your closest friends not to contact you."

Merlin put his hands over his eyes.

"I know it will be hard to be cooped up here for so long so I've brought something to make your stay a little more enjoyable," Lupin declared as he handed Merlin a couple of photo albums. One photo album had a picture of Luna and the other had a picture of Merlin's parents.

"Oh, thank you!" Merlin exclaimed happily.

"I thought that would make you happy," Lupin replied. "I don't want anyone else to blab about Merlin being here."

After Lupin and Tonks left, Merlin went up to the empty room to unpack his things. When Merlin opened the top drawer of the dresser, he discovered an old pair of glasses. After he started to put his clothes away, he heard a knock at his door. When Merlin opened the door, he saw Fred Weasley standing in front of him.

"Hello, George," Merlin called out.

"I'm not George. I'm Fred!" Fred replied.

"Oh, sorry!" Merlin exclaimed.

"People keep mixing us up for some reason," Fred responded.

"I wonder why," Merlin mused.

"May I come in?" Fred asked.

"Be my guest," Merlin answered.

After Fred shut the door, Merlin sat down on his bed.

"What can I do for you?" Merlin asked.

"I wanted to shake the hand of the man who got Draco Malfoy expelled from Hogwarts. I wish I had stayed long enough to see it," responded Fred.

"He got himself expelled. I just rescued Luna," Merlin replied.

"Anyway, to commemorate the occasion, I'd like to present you with a token of my affection," Fred said as he handed Merlin a short stick.

"I already have a wand," Merlin refused.

"This is a very special wand," Fred replied. "It might come in handy if you have to face any more dark wizards. However, I wouldn't want to mix it up with your regular wand. That could be quite embarrassing. Cheers!"

After Fred left, Merlin put the wand in a pocket in his robe. After Merlin fed Feathers some owl treats and some water, he heard another knock at the door. This time it was Ron Weasley.

"I'd like to ask your advice about something, Merlin," Ron stated.

"Why are you asking me and not your parents?" Merlin asked.

"Your experience in this matter is more recent," Ron replied.

"All right, come in and have a seat," Merlin ordered.

"What do you want to ask me?" Merlin asked after they both sat down on the bed.

"I love Hermione and I'm not sure how to tell her!" Ron cried out.

"I certainly know how that feels. How long have you felt this way?" Merlin asked.

"Since we got off the Hogwarts Express," replied Ron.

"Ron, I know it won't be easy, but you have to tell her," Merlin advised. "Take it from someone who knows, you never know what will happen tomorrow. I almost lost Luna before I told her how I felt."

"I know, but I don't know how to do it," Ron sighed.

"Why don't you write a letter to her and have Pig deliver it?" Merlin asked. "It will feel better just to get your feelings out into the open."

"Okay, I'll do that," Ron replied. "Do you mind if I ask what you see in Luna?"

"Well, since YOU asked nicely, I'll tell you. All the other girls at Hogwarts look alike to me. Luna does what she wants despite the fact that people laugh at her," Merlin answered.

After Ron left, Merlin put his photo albums on the dresser and went into a dreamy sleep on his bed. Merlin's dream looked somewhat like the nightmare where Luna had killed him except that the atmosphere was much more happier. Merlin smiled when he saw that there was no coffin in the far corner of the room. His best friend Neville Longbottom was standing next to him as his best man. Merlin looked at Luna's face and saw her most beautiful smile instead of the evil glare she had before.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Dumbledore decreed.

Merlin lifted Luna's veil and took her into his arms. When Merlin kissed Luna, the outside world seemed to disappear.