The Broken Prophecy

Chapter 9: A Death In The Order

Merlin Black woke up the next day with a huge grin on his face. He knew the dream that he had the night before was the happiest dream that he ever had. Merlin wished that the dream had been true and that he really had married Luna. After Merlin got out of bed, he looked longily at the picture of Luna that Remus Lupin had given him. When Merlin went downstairs to eat breakfast, he bumped into Ron.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Merlin exclaimed dreamily.

"That's all right. What are you so happy about?" Ron asked.

"I had the best dream ever last night!" Merlin replied.

"What was it about?" Ron questioned.

Merlin was about to tell Ron about the dream he had when he heard a loud conversation downstairs. When Merlin and Ron ran downstairs to see what the commotion was about, they saw Mr. Weasley talking with Mad-Eye Moody whose head was hovering in the fireplace.

"It's too bad about what happened last night," Mr. Weasley said dejectedly.

"Aye, its going to be a lot harder for the Order to keep track on dark wizards now," Mad-Eye replied.

"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I talked to him just before I called you," Mad-Eye answered. "Hello Merlin, did you have a nice sleep?"

"I did. Thank you, Professor Moody," Merlin replied.

"Dumbledore will be glad to that, but call me Mad-Eye. I was never a professor to you;" Mad-Eye ordered as his head left the fire.

After Mad-Eye's head left the fire, Mr. Weasley rushed off to work.

"Do you have to rush off before eating breakfast, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"It can't be helped, Molly," Mr. Weasley replied. "I'm going to have a very busy day at the office because of the murders that were committed last night."

After Mr. Weasley left, Merlin wondered how Mad-Eye Moody's head could have been floating in the fire. "Ron, why was Mad-Eye's head floating in the fireplace?" he asked.

"You've never heard of Floo Powder, have you?" Ron questioned back.

"No, my parents are Muggles," Merlin replied.

"You can use it to talk to people and to go to different places," Ron stated.

After, Mr. Weasley left, Mrs. Weasley brought breakfast that consisted of toast and fried eggs to the dining room table. As Merlin started to eat breakfast, he glanced at the headline of the Daily Prophet. It said that Mundungus Fletcher and ten Muggles had been murdered on the previous night.

"Good morning, Merlin. Did you have any more nightmares last night?" Mrs. Weasley asked after Merlin read the paper.

"No, I didn't," Merlin replied. "In fact, I had the best dream I ever had last night!"

"What are you so happy about?" George asked with a yawn as the remaining Weasleys sat at the table.

"Do you remember the nightmare that I was telling you about where Luna killed me?" Merlin asked.

"Let me guess," Ron replied. "You got to marry her that time."

"Yes, how did you know?" Merlin asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"You are getting to be so predictable, Merlin," Ron grunted.

"Looks like Cupid spared no expense on the arrow he used on you," George commented with a smirk.

After everyone finished breakfast, Pig zoomed through an open window and danced on Ron's head.

"Ow! Cut it out Pig!" Ron exclaimed in exasperation.

"Look at me! Look at me! I delivered a letter! Yippee! Yahoo!" Merlin joked as he did a dance causing Ginny to laugh.

"If you think it's so funny, why don't you trade owls with me?!" Ron exclaimed as he grabbed Pig and took the letter.

"No, I think I'll keep Feathers thanks," Merlin replied.

When Ron read the letter, his mood drastically improved. He read the letter several times to make sure that he had not misread it as he put his hand on his forehead in shock.

"Is something wrong?" Merlin asked.

"I love you!" Ron screamed as he hugged Merlin around his neck.

"Ow! Geroff me, Ron! You're choking me!" Merlin wheezed.

"Oh, sorry!" Ron apologized.

"What are you so excited about anyway?" Merlin asked with very little breath.

"Here, read this!" Ron ordered as he handed the letter to Merlin.

Dear Ron,

I was very happy to get the letter that you wrote to me. I have felt the same way about you for a long time. I love you too.

Love, Hermione

XOXOXOXO

"I'm very happy for you Ron," Merlin stated after he finished reading the letter.

"It's all thanks to you, Merlin," Ron replied. "You sure gave me some good advice last night."

"Anything for a friend," Merlin commented.

"Does this mean that there's going to be a double wedding in our future?" George teased after he read the letter over Merlin's shoulder.

"Knock it off, George!" Merlin exclaimed. "We're not even out of Hogwarts yet!"

"That reminds me. What do you want to do after you graduate?" George asked.

"I'd tell you, but you would just think I was crazy," Merlin replied.

"I would never think that the man who got Draco Malfoy expelled was crazy," George promised.

"I want to be a Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher," Merlin stated shocking everyone in the room.

Chapter 10: Neville's Betrayal

"You want to do what?" exclaimed George. "Don't you know what happened to the others?"

"Yes, but that doesn't change my mind," Merlin replied.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"I want to help students stand up to bullies. I don't want them to have to run like I'm doing now," Merlin answered.

"Merlin, dear, you aren't running from anything!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "You're very smart to follow Dumbledore's directions."

"I think that you've been spending too much time around Luna," Fred said with a smirk. "Part of her personality is starting to rub off on you."

"Perhaps I am spending too much time around her, but that's not going to change anytime soon," Merlin replied with a smile.

"Merlin, I'm taking the family to the Ministry because Ginny is going to take her Apparating test today. You better stay here," Mrs. Weasley stated.

"I'll stay here with Merlin. I wouldn't want him to get lonely," Ron offered.

"Thank you, Ron," Merlin replied.

"It's the least I can do after the way that you helped me," Ron said cheerfully.

"I'll make some sandwiches for the two of you before we leave," Mrs. Weasley declared.

After the Weasleys left, Ron spent the day with Merlin. They played many games of Wizard Chess, but Merlin could never beat Ron. The closest Merlin came to accomplishing that feat was when Ron tricked Merlin into taking his rook thus leaving Merlin's queen unprotected. Merlin winced every time one of his pieces came to a violent death.

"This game certainly isn't for the faint of heart," Merlin grunted.

"Come on, Merlin," Ron replied. "Do you mean to tell me that you can't play this game after facing down the Malfoys?"

"You're the chess expert, not me!" Merlin exclaimed.

After Ron defeated Merlin several times at Wizard Chess, Merlin suggested that they take a break to eat lunch. As Merlin ate his sandwich, he thought about what he would do when he was finally able to leave The Burrow. Merlin liked the Weasleys very much, but he hated having to hide. Merlin wished that he knew who was attacking him so that he could make that person stop. He also thought happily about Luna. The first thing that Merlin wanted to do when he got aboard the Hogwarts Express was to find her and give her a kiss. After Merlin finished his sandwich, he went upstairs to take a bath. When Merlin went back downstairs, he discovered several letters lying on the table.

"Our Hogwarts letters have come," Ron commented when he saw Merlin.

Merlin took the letter that Ron handed him and read it. The letter stated that their new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher would be named Agatha Moore. The letter also said which books they would need and that all seventh year students needed dress robes because of a ball that was going to be held on Christmas.

"Yes!" Merlin exclaimed.

"What are you so happy about?" Ron asked.

"We're going to have a ball Christmas," Merlin replied with glee. "I know what I'm going to do as soon as I get on the Hogwarts Express!"

"I imagine that it's going to be quite similar to what I'm going to do when I get there," Ron said with a smirk.

"Just make sure that you ask the right girl. I wouldn't be too happy with you if you asked the wrong girl, Merlin joked.

"Don't worry. I know which girl to ask," Ron replied. "If I asked the wrong girl, Hermione would probably slug me like she did Draco Malfoy."

"That reminds me," Merlin mused. "Do you know who's going to be the Slytherin prefect now that Draco is gone?"

"I don't have a clue. However, I have the image of Dumbledore snapping his wand forever etched in my memory," Ron happily commented.

For the rest of their time alone, Ron and Merlin played Exploding Snap. They laughed each time their house of cards exploded in their faces. After Merlin and Ron built several houses together, Ginny apparated next to Merlin.

"Ah!" Merlin exclaimed as he lost his balance and fell down.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ginny replied as she helped Merlin up. "Are you all right?"

"I think so. I take it that you passed your test," Merlin asked.

"Good guess," Ginny replied with a smile.

Merlin was thankful when the remaining Weasleys entered through the front door.

"Mum, guess what! Our letters came today and I'm Head Boy!" Ron exclaimed.

"That's wonderful, dear! I'm so happy for you!" Mrs. Weasley replied. "Merlin, do you want me to get your books for you tomorrow?"

"No, thank you. I would much rather go buy them myself," Merlin answered.

Mrs. Weasley reluctantly agreed to let Merlin accompany the Weasleys to Diagon Alley the next morning. No one thought that someone would attack Merlin in front of a crowd of students. When he arrived at Diagon Alley, Merlin withdrew the money that he would need to buy his books and supplies from Gringotts Bank. He visited Mr. Ollivander to have his wand examined. He then bought his books at Flourish and Botts. After Merlin bought his books, he decided to buy some ice cream at the ice cream parlor, but quickly changed his mind when he saw Ron and Hermione kissing at a table. Merlin was about to buy his potion ingredients when he heard a very familiar voice cry out from a deserted alley.

"Neville, are you crazy? I love Merlin!" the voice screamed.

"That stupid prat doesn't love you! Why don't you dump him and date me?" Neville replied.

"No!" Luna refused.

Merlin received the shock of his life when he saw his best friend Neville Longbottom forcibly kiss Luna on the lips.