Professor Merlin Emrys

The Prophecy

The closer they got to the right row the dread steadily crept up in him, he could tell Harry was straining to hear anything that could relate to his godfather but Merlin now knew that they would find nothing, he just hoped it was not a trap and simply a nightmare that had frightened Harry so badly that he believed it was true.

"He might be..." Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the alley next door when they made it to the right row. "Or maybe..." He hurried to look down the one beyond that.

"Harry?" said Hermione again.

"What?" he snarled. Merlin chose then to intervene before Harry spoke of something he would later regret.

"He isn't here, Harry," he spoke gently, but it did nothing to calm the young Potter. He started to rapidly shake his head in disbelief. Harry ran up the space at the end of the rows, staring down them. Empty aisle after empty aisle flickered past and when he made his way back, the defeat was clear to see. So busy with trying to comfort Harry he failed to notice Ron slip away from the group to one of the shelves.

"Harry?" Ron said, getting the other three's attention.

"What?" Harry responded back, feet guiding them in the direction of his friend. The dreadful feeling burst out of Merlin's throat and he had to hold back the nausea he was experiencing.

"It's — it's got your name on," said Ron.

Harry moved a little closer. Ron was pointing at one of the small glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years.

"My name?" said Harry blankly. He stepped forward. Not as tall as Ron, Harry had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S. P. T. to A. P. W. B. D.

Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter

"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved. "What's your name doing down here?" Harry moved to touch it but Merlin snatched his hand back before he could.

"Don't, Harry. Prophecies can only be removed by the people they are about. This must be why your dream led you here, Riddle wanted you here." Merlin reasoned, desperately wishing they could have had any numerous things stop them from coming. He was not afraid for himself, he had much knowledge and experience in fighting with and without magic that he could fight back but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were fifteen with limited studies on fighting.

"Ran to your professor this time did you, Potter?" A voice sounded and they all instinctually froze. Merlin did not recognize the man's voice, his face masked when Merlin turned to face the intruder.

There were more, more than one and more than five as lit wands began to appear out of thin air. Hermione gasped as the leader who spoke swiped his wand over his mask and it vanished to reveal his face. Merlin took a moment to study the man with his platinum blonde hair and dark clothes, clearly expensive, and Merlin knew who it was. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. He walked forward and Merlin used his body as best he could to block his student's bodies. As he moved he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes and was worried when he recognized Draco himself shifting in the shadows.

"What are you going to do against all of us? Even the Great Dumbledore would struggle against us all!" Lucius boasted, his underlings laughing.

Harry chose that moment to speak up, bodily shoving Merlin to the side and inch enough to get back in front, "Where's Sirius?!" he yelled.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

"I want to know where Sirius is !" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Merlin and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Merlin's eyes.

"You've got him," said Harry, "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up frightened and for what it dreamed was too," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice.

Merlin felt Ron stir beside him, his arm reaching to drag Harry back. "Don't do anything," he muttered. "Not yet —"

The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter. "You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," said Harry repeatedly. "I know you've got him!"

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman still laughed loudest of all.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"I wouldn't if I were you!" Harry yelled, glaring menacingly at all who caught his eye.

"Oh...and why is that?" Lucius asked mockingly, drawing out the words as if bored.

"Well, for one," Merlin interrupted. "You just threatened children, children I might add that are your son's own age. And another, you just pissed off a very very old warlock," Merlin muttered to himself. Lucius's face turned thunderous at the mention of his son but Bellatrix laughed. She pointed her wand at him Merlin took that moment to strike. His eyes were gold and his wand flicked out, for precaution's sake, and she was suddenly shrunken and quickly disappeared from view.

" Protego," Hermione yelled, mere seconds before the other death eater's spells could hit them.

" Obscuro!" was spoken and blindfolds wrestled with the death eaters.

"Come on! Run!" Harry yelled. Ron and Hermione followed after and Merlin took the opportunity to steal the prophecy. He slowed time and waited for it to begin speaking.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.... "

It was a lot to unpack and Merlin just did not have time, quickly he smashed the prophecy, glittery blue sparks slamming against the marble floor and he heard, "NO!" being shouted by Lucius Malfoy, who had managed to escape the obscuro almost as soon as it had been cast. Merlin apparated to the trio. Running as soon as his feet hit the ground again. He turned a sharp corner and made a loop to get them going in the right direction.

"Emrys!" Harry shouted over the spells they were trying to dodge. "Get us out of here!"

"I can't with all four of us! I could splinch any of you!"

"Can't you do something?" Hermione asked, huffing as she ran, throwing spells behind her at random, most missing their mark.

"I can call the Order. I cannot risk Riddle finding out about me yet," Merlin admitted regretfully. Hermione though seemed to understand and nodded as best she could. He sent a Patronus messenger and hoped they would get it in time.

While he was distracted a Diffindo ripped through his left shoulder and a cry of hurt left his lips. He pressed his lips thin and ran. He saw the door at the end of the row, they were almost there.

For a second, Merlin felt agonizing pain.

And then there was nothing.