The walk down to the forest was actually quite nice. Amelia loved being outside and feeling everything. The stone walls of the castle were alright, but she adored the grass and trees and wind and sky. She literally skipped down to where she saw Dumbledore waiting for her.
Amelia didn't know why but she gave Dumbledore a little salute when she reached him. Dumbledore returned one and they started to walk into the forest. Amelia felt like she should apologize about the salute because it was super weird but she decided against that.
"So what exactly are we doing here?"Amelia kicked a pine cone out of her way.
"We are going for a walk," the old man replied simply.
"Right," she didn't know if that was really a good enough answer. "And why is that?"
"Miss Merlin, you always want to know why, don't you?" He chuckled.
"If no one ever asked why, then we would still be cavemen. The fact I am far enough evolved to ask that question, should be celebrated," she said with a shrug.
"I suppose you are right! So, do you know the story of your family?" He changed the subject.
"Yeah my brother told me,"
"Did he tell you everything?" Dumbledore's voice was amiable but Amelia didn't like him questioning Jeremy.
"Of course!" She defended her brother.
"Even about the war? When the men tried to take back their power?" He said softly.
"Yes," Amelia knew nothing about any war but she didn't want to give Dumbledore the satisfaction about Jeremy. Her brother was the only member of her family she actually liked (and of course, Glapp their house elf) and she wasn't about to start doubting him over a stupid story.
"Glad to hear it," they walked in silence for a bit until Amelia's curiosity couldn't take it any longer.
"Alright! Jeremy didn't tell me anything about a war!" She huffed. Dumbledore was obviously trying to keep a straight face as he accepted her resignation and Amelia tried not to be irritated.
"Then I shall have to tell you myself." And the headmaster began the story.
"After years of the Merlin women running the family and the land they possessed, the men grew tired. It was shameful for them to allow their women to have power over them. In society they were shunned and they say the men were through with being dishonoured in such a way. So they plotted against their wives, mothers, daughters and sisters, to get their power back. They say the men met every night for three years. When they had finished, the Merlin men had an army so large, all the kings in all the lands combined could not have fought them. The Merlin family was wealthy so a war was easily handled for them.
In the month of June, they marched on the women. In an open field the armies gathered and all the Merlin women walked out to meet them. It was quite a sight, about twenty women, walking up to face an army. There was no fear in their hearts, only sadness, from the betrayal of their loved ones.
The leader of the Merlin's, Majka, stepped in front to face the betrayers. She was met with Zradit, the man who had once been her brother. Zradit put a sword to her belly and threatened to rip her from navel to neck if she didn't give them back what was theirs. Majka pleaded with her brother but he could not be shaken.
So Majka raised her arms, and the trees along the edge of the field were uprooted. They sprung to life, like giant soldiers. The tree grabbed Zradit and ripped his head off, then offered it to Majka. The trees squashed any men who tried to fight, although most fled. The women let the men go, and with heavy hearts, returned to their land. Majka took her brothers head and buried it deep in the earth. From Zradit's head, a great arbutus tree grew and it remains to this day, a reminder to the Merlin men, never to take what is not theirs."
Amelia and Dumbledore walked in silence. She tried to process everything she heard, and Amelia could understand why Jeremy had not wanted to tell her.
"What happened to Majka?" She asked, looking up at Dumbledore.
"She married a man who lived in the same village as her."
"Was she happy?" Amelia's voice was softer than expected and she was quite unsure why she was so attached to Majka.
"She was very happy yes," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled familiarly.
"And what happened to the rest of the men? The ones who fled?"
"They married women, and had children of their own,"
"So am I descended from Majka? Or from the Merlin men? The betrayers?" She needed to know this. Amelia wanted to be part of the badass legacy of women not the festering turds of men.
"I do not know, and it would be very difficult to find out." His tone almost warned her to stay away.
"I suppose that's true." And she paused before asking what was really on her mind. "Why did you tell me this professor?"
"It is important to know where we come from. Your lineage is a very large part of who you are. And you would do well to remember everything I've told you," Amelia knew he was speaking the truth. She had sensed the same thing herself.
They walked in silence as they made their way back up to the castle. "Will all our lessons be about history?" Amelia inquired, trying not to sound ungrateful. But a book could have told her what Dumbledore just did, and she was sure he was more useful than some dusty pages. Or she hoped at least, he did look quite old.....
"No Miss Merlin, they will be more interesting in the future." He promised.
"You can call me Amelia, sir." She blurted out. "Sorry, but it's so weird to be called miss all the time." Her eyes darted to the stone steps they had now reached.
"Very well, Amelia! I presume this is goodnight!" His voice sounded like it was smiling and the headmaster and student went their separate ways to bed. When Amelia got to her dormitory she wrote a letter to Jeremy and delivered it the next day. She didn't mention the past war, only that she was having lessons with Dumbledore.
Her dreams that night were full of walking trees, she dreamed she was Majka. And when the tree handed her the head, it was not Zradits face, but Dumbledore's that looked at her with cold dead eyes. And instead of a great arbutus tree growing out of it, a giant serpent was born.