Merlin's Chosen

Rating: T

Summary: Arthur has slept in Avalon, the otherworldly place just beyond the reach of magic for all but Merlin and his chosen, recovering from the injuries sustained in the battle at Camlann. Years have passed and times have changed and Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has taken it's place on the edge of the Lake of Avalon, unknown to modern witches and wizards. The world is in need of the Once and Future King to protect Albion again but to do that the immortal Merlin, the man that has learned to live backwards, must be there and he is nowhere to be found. It is now the job of Merlin's Chosen. Only, Harry Potter thinks he's going mental.

This is based on the mountains that are around the movie version of Hogwarts and the lake that Merlin takes Freya to in season 2 episode 9.

A/N: Shortly after I posted the last chapters I finally came up with how I wanted to end this chapter. It still went longer than I meant it to, to a plot point that is something I did not expect. This chapter does contain the scene that sparked this entire mess of a story. So there's that. I wish I could find the original post/art so I could send you all there. But I've been working on this fic for 8 years so it is long gone to the nether most parts of the internet. Google couldn't even find it (even with reverse image search.). I even did a deep dive of my Tumblr hoping I reblogged it all those years ago and it wasn't there. I must have liked it only. I was a weird one back then.

Chapter 21

It took Harry quite a long time to realize that his eyes were open and he was staring at the sunlight making it slow crawl across the ceiling of his room in Sirius's quarters. He felt like he hadn't even slept and if the sun was any indication - something that Harry had noticed returned with Arthur - it was ridiculously early on New Year's day. He tried to grasp the last remnants of sleep and the actual good dream he was having, but realized that sleep was long gone.

With a groan his sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and hissed at the freezing stones underneath his feet. He pulled on his slippers and a well-worn Weasley jumper to ward off the morning chill and shuffled into the sitting room, where a roaring fire was already warming the room.

In front of it, Remus sat with a tea tray and pile of papers sitting next to his armchair on a table. He was marking papers with a look of deep concentration and with a gentle 'tck,' he crossed out something and made a note in the margin.

"I hope that wasn't one of mine," Harry said.

Remus smiled, seemingly unsurprised that Harry was there. "And if it was?" Remus asked taking a sip of his tea cup and grimacing.

"I wrote a stellar essay, so it can't be," Harry said, warming his hands by the fire. "Any tea left?"

"It's gone cold, so no," Remus said. "What has you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," Harry said walking into the kitchenette. Harry silently thanked the elves for keeping all their their favorites stocked.

Harry didn't even hear the crockery shattering on the floor as a pulse of pure magic raced through his body. Remus popped his head in, but without a word, Harry pushed past him and out the door. He might have heard a shout, but paid it no mind as he resolutely made his way down the hall. Those same halls were silent, eerily so, and Harry almost wished for the hustle and bustle of school time if only to fill the halls with sound.

When Remus didn't immediately follow, Harry figured he went to get Sirius up and they both would be following eventually. It was in that moment that Harry was happy that Professor Dumbledore had been called away the night before, but not before he extracted a promise that Harry not leave school grounds. Yet there had to have been something in the wards that would call the headmaster back before long.

Around him, the portraits were whispering to each other, excitedly darting from scene to scene, spreading the news Harry already knew. He surged forward and rounded the corner to a seldom - to anyone who didn't know the short cut - used hallway. He stopped, his slippers squeaking against the stone beneath his feet, not that he heard him.

The man stood, staring at the large portrait, one that Harry must have passed a hundred times since Sirius told him of the passage, honestly paying no mind to the old, white-bearded man, who was staring down at the young man in front of him with a knowing smile on his face. The man was pale, tall, dark-haired, and young. Far younger than Harry would have thought he would be. He barely seemed out of Hogwarts were it not for the aura of power that rolled off of him despite the muggle jeans and leather jacket that hugged his frame, while a red scarf hung around his neck.

His eyes were tinged gold that faded into a bright blue as he looked away from the mischievous portrait and straight at Harry. For a moment, they just stared at each other, at least until Harry opened his mouth and, with a fair bit of exhaustion and exasperation, said, "Took you long enough."

Merlin through his head back and laughed.

Several things happened then. Another man, also dressed in muggle clothing though this time smart looking trousers and a long wool coat, appeared behind Merlin with a look of wonder plastered on his face. From behind Harry several pairs of feet ran up and Harry suddenly found himself behind a rather panicked looking Sirius with wand drawn and loosely pointed at the new comers, who honestly didn't even notice. Glancing around his god-father's shoulder, Harry watched as Merlin was nearly tackled by Arthur as Morgan shared a rather sedate greeting with the new guy.

"Is that him?" Remus asked from where he appeared at Harry's right gesturing at Merlin.

Harry only nodded.

"How do you know? For sure?"

Harry looked at his mentor confused. "You mean you don't feel it?"

"Feel what?" Sirius asked, almost growled, honestly, without looking away from the other group.

"His power," Harry said. "That man is magic personified."

Merlin seemed to have heard him as he drew away from his reunion to walk over with hand extended to Harry. "Merlin, son of Balinor, called Emrys," he said. "I heard you were looking for me."

Harry snorted and walked around his godfather to take his hand in his strong grip. "Harry, son of James," he copied. "Called the Boy-Who-Lived and more besides. This is Professor Sirius Black and Professor Remus Lupin. Also my god-father and honorary uncle, respectfully," Harry said point to each of his guardians in turn. "I wouldn't have had to almost go and look for you if you had listened to Freya in the first place."

"As if my friends here couldn't find me," Merlin said gesturing in the general direction of Morgan and the new guy.

Both of them looked confused.

"What are you on about?" Morgan demanded sounding utterly frustrated and looked ready to slap him. "I looked everywhere for you! Scrying wasn't even working."

"Yeah, mate," the new comer said much more gently. "You kind of went off the rails and disappeared awhile ago. I wasn't even sure if you were still alive until you called me. I'm Leon, by the way. They don't seem to care that you don't know who I am." He waved and Morgan snorted with laughter. Harry, Remus, and Sirius all smiled and nodded their greeting.

Merlin, on the other hand, looked lost. "I didn't even realize..."

Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder. "It doesn't matter now, because you are here. What does matter is figuring out why we are all here."

Remus stepped forward. "Such a matter should not be discussed out in the open. We don't know who might be listening."

Many of the portraits squawked in indignation, a cacophony of noise that indicated that they were all loyal to Hogwarts, which was part of the problem. But Merlin nodded along with the painted old man behind him.

"Do you still have the key?" Merlin asked Harry.

Harry nodded. "It's in the trunk in my room. Why?" Harry thought for a second. "And on that thought what was it to? I was going to go around and check all the locked doors I could, but with everything else going on I didn't have the chance."

"Not to mention you would have had some curious friends trying to tag along," Sirius said.

"Only one." Harry pointed out. "The other would have taken the whole "family secrets" thing without complaint and not asked."

Merlin motioned for Harry to go ahead of him in leading the rather eclectic group through the halls to Sirius's chambers where Harry dug the trunk from underneath his bed and pulled the key from it.

Merlin took the key with a quiet thanks and turned to leave the room.

"And why can't we talk about things here?" Sirius asked. He looked unmoored and skittish, boarding on manic, looking a lot like he did the night Harry first met him.

"It is probably best that we have this conversation in place that not even the headmasters know about," Merlin said. "The current head and I are not on the best of terms, not that he knew it was me, but that is quite besides the point. But there is nothing to worry about because we won't be even leaving the castle."

Merlin led the way out the door and the rest followed until it was only Harry and Sirius in the room with Remus hovering in the doorway keeping an eye on where the other four went and a worried glance at his best friend and charge.

"I want this all to be over," Sirius said into the quiet. "The war. Destiny. Prophecy. All of it."

Harry sighed. "Honestly," he said. "So do I."

Sirius smiled and snorted.

Harry smiled back. "But at least this time, my task is mostly done. As for Tom, I'm sure Merlin is willing to help out there."

"Considering it all might be linked, he may not have a choice," Remus said. "We better catch up. They've disappeared and if we don't hurry we might lose them."

"As if the castle, and frankly me, would let that happen."

Remus yelped as Merlin appeared next to him, his head peering around the corner of the door way. "Hurry up you lot. Have your panic later." He disappeared back around the door way with Remus looking on with surprise and shock evident in his face.

Harry and Sirius shared a shrug before following Remus down the hall. Merlin met them at the entrance hall before leading them down a corridor that Harry hadn't really thought of since the opening feast his first year. Just at the mouth of the hallway was the room where he waited to be sorted. Further in the corridor went from well taken care of and lit to cold torch brackets and dust and cobwebs.

"What is this place?" Sirius asked.

"You mean you never found it in all your years in the castle wanderings, Professor Black?" Merlin asked with laughter in his voice. "I suppose not, considering the spells I left protecting my rooms."

It took the two Marauders a moment before they sucked in a breath at the implications. Both of them.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"You might say I was the unofficial fifth founder," Merlin said. It answered both questions, sort of. "Though history would rather I be a Slytherin student years after the fact. As if Salazar would have taken me. He didn't trust me as far as he could throw me." The last part was muttered under Merlin's breath and Harry laughed.

Merlin motioned out with his hand and with a muttered spell, one that Harry was itching to learn, the torches around them lit up.

"Show off," Arthur said.

Merlin grinned. "Only for you, sire." He motioned them forward and they continued up a set of stairs and into a wide hall that frankly didn't seem to fit in what they knew to be the castle. He patted the stone nearest him and Harry felt a contented sigh brush by them on a gentle breeze.

"The castle likes you," he said. Remus and Sirius were staring at him with surprise and a little bit of weirdness. Merlin, on the other hand, was beaming at him.

"And you've gotten good," Merlin said. "Morgan has been teaching you well."

"That wasn't me," Morgan said from down the hall. "He figured a lot of it out on his own."

Harry looked bashful. "I'm used to figuring things out on my own. Plus, your journal has helped a lot in understanding what my magic can do."

Merlin nodded along. "A lot of my magic was instinctual as well. Floated toys and things to me to my crib when my mum wasn't listening to my cries." Merlin smiled. Harry thought it might have been memories, based on the wistful quality of the smile. "That was according to Mum anyway."

Even Arthur looked fond, but Merlin shook his head as if to clear it and motioned them forward. "When I helped the rest of the founders build the castle, I asked that my quarters be forgotten after I left. Rowena was the only one that understood."

They stopped in front of a portrait of a woman. She had dark hair and dark eyes, with a gentle smile on her face. On her head sat a diadem with a blue stone and runes along the edge. The portrait was one of the few static ones.

"She was painted before the spell was invented to animate them," Merlin said as he felt around the edge of the frame for the key hole.

"Is that — ?" Remus looked like he wanted to faint at the prospect of it being a painting of Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Yes, and a pretty good likeness, too." Merlin let out a quiet "Yes!" when he found the key hole and slid it in place. There was a click and the door swung toward them out in the hallway. "It might be musty, but the elves still had orders to keep it clean even if they didn't know what for."

The air did smell a bit stale that had Harry's nose curling. Looking around he saw the same expression on other people's faces. The main room was small by the common room standards but was homey in it's feel. The seating area was furnished with a low sitting bench with a think cushion and it was facing a set of chairs that Harry thought he recognized from the photos of the tower of London. Across the seating area were a set of grand windows that looked out on to the Hogwarts grounds and, in the distance, the forbidden forest. Off to the left there was a short staircase that must have led to the sleeping quarters. To the right led to a small kitchenette, which must have updated throughout the years and a closed door.

Merlin wasted no time taking that door into what Harry could see was a library. "Make your selves at home. I have to look for something."

Morgan was muttering darkly as she crossed the room and threw open the windows despite it being January and freezing. She then muttered a spell and the air turned warm and sweet smelling as if it was summer and surrounded by a field of wild flowers.

"What spell was that?" Sirius asked.

"One of my own invention and that is quite difficult for you wand wielders," Morgan said.

Harry snorted, knowing that she meant that only people who were gifted with the Old Ways could use it. Harry plopped down on one of the chairs and coughed at the puff of dust that erupted from the fabric. Across the room, Sirius laughed before waving his wand to clear the air, but it still took Harry a few breaths to clear out the dust.

"Misty?" Morgan called and a small house elf appeared.

"Mistress called for Misty?" she asked.

"Yes," she said. "Could you bring us a full breakfast and ask a few other elves to make sure the kitchenette is stocked?"

"Of course, mistress," Misty said before disappearing with a soft 'pop'.

Morgan hopped up the stairs and took quick look through the three doors. Harry didn't see her reaction but she had a small smile on her face when she returned and plopped herself on the couch across from him draping herself across it with an air of elegance. Arthur snorted from his spot by the window, before he went back to looking out at the grounds. Harry knew he longed to be outside. A vibe he kept getting every time Arthur even looked in the direction of a window. Merlin's journal mentioned he loved being outside.

But at that moment, the king looked like he was settling in for a good brood despite the happiness of their reunion with Merlin. Harry watched as an awkward looking Leon make his way over to Arthur and place his hand on his shoulder and drawing him out of the mood. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, but Arthur smiled and let out a chuckle before he allowed himself to be drawn to the couch.

Morgan acted quite put out at having to move but the two men settled in next to her and they sat in an increasing awkward silence.

Sirius grabbed the other armchair and with a fond smile Remus conjured another to take a seat on Sirius's other side. Surprisingly, the chair was of similar style, but much less ornate.

Misty popped in with another two elves in tow to deliver the breakfast Morgan ordered and placing it on the low table between them. The six of them glanced at each other, seemingly out of sorts with the current situation. Harry sighed and moved first, quietly thanking Misty and her fellow elves for the meal.

He was spooning eggs on his plate in complete silence when he said, "If this gets any more awkward I might have to let Peeves in and tell him your the king of Camelot." Sirius snorted and Morgan stared at him. "You know. Just to see what would happen."

"Would he do anything?" Morgan asked reaching for the food.

Harry smiled but inside was cheering. The rest of them took the cue to also lean forward and dig in.

Harry shrugged. "No idea, but it might be entertaining. Anything is better at this point than this weird silence."

Harry watched as the other five glanced amongst themselves.

"Right you are, Master Harry," Arthur said. "And as much as there is a lot to talk about it is hard to know where to start."

Harry leaned back in his chair, his fork laying loosely in his hand. "Fair point," he conceded. "So I vote for Leon."

Leon looked up startled with his fork half way to his open mouth.

"What's your story?" Harry asked.

Leon took a quick bite, swallowed and allow his hand to fall to his lap where his plate lay. "Merlin didn't write about me?"

"He mentioned you, of course, but not all that much," Harry said. "I guess my question is: how are you here? Still alive?"

Leon laughed. "That is a fair question. I am no legendary king, or mystical magic user. Until I nearly died during a patrol to the boarder of a neighboring kingdom, I was totally and utterly normal."

"For a knight," Morgan said without looking up from her plate.

"For a knight," Leon agreed with a laugh.

"Then what happened?" Remus asked.

"Druids and the Cup of Life," Leon answered.

"The what?" Sirius asked.

"A magical object that can restore life," Leon said.

"And extend it, make people invincible and other things besides," Morgan said. "I heard my sister talk about it all the time. She hated that it was lost."

"It was quite amazing what Merlin could lose when he put his mind to it." Arthur said. There was something behind the comment. An old memory.

Yet, as if the comment summoned him - as if it was that easy - Merlin emerged from the library with scrolls and books piled high in one hand while a book was propped open and he was reading while walking over to them. Harry just stared at him wondering when the man was going to look up in order to not run into anything. It turned out that Harry wouldn't have his answer, because Arthur stood and plucked the offending book out of the outstretched hand. Merlin looked startled for a moment, almost as if he didn't remember that the reason he was back at Hogwarts was standing right in front of him.

There was another awkward silence before Merlin smiled and let out a choked, "Right." Another beat before he conjured another chair, pushed aside some dishes for his books and sat down. "Anyway," he said. "I think I know who is working with this Voldemort character."

Harry moved to tell Merlin their own theories but as glare from Morgan stopped him. He sent her a curious look and her galre turned to a smirk. Harry wasn't even paying attention to what Merlin was saying because he was too busy trying to figure Morgan out.

"I'm pretty sure if we find Aithusa," Merlin was saying and the name of the white dragon broke Harry out of the staring contest with Morgan. He was about to say something but Merlin kept going even standing and starting to pace around the room.

"She would know who is pulling Voldemort's strings," Merlin mused. "He might have even visited her. But since I haven't seen her in ages, she might not even see me much less tell me."

Harry raised a hand, pointer finger up, at shoulder height hoping to get some sort of attention from Merlin. When that didn't work he raised his hand higher and higher, with the rest of them snickering in the background, until it was all the way up. He came up short to waving it like Hermione used to do in her early days at Hogwarts, but it was getting close. When it did nothing Harry dropped his hand with a huff.

"Merlin," he said. "Merlin. Merlin. MERLIN." He kept repeating the man's name in various volumes and tones, none of which actually got his attention in whatever rant he got himself in. Finally, Harry had enough. Standing he got in Merlin's path, waited for him about to walk into him and shouted, "EMYRS!"

The centuries old sorcerer stopped dead and just stared at Harry.

"We already know who is helping Tom," he said. "And I have a message from Aithusa."

"Wait…" Merlin looked confused. "What?"

"Just before Yule, Charlie Weasley, the older brother of my best friend, was at work at the Welsh Dragon Preserve, where his boss was giving a tour to some possible new benefactor. That benefactor wanted to see the rare white dragon they had housed there." Harry took a breath. "It did not go well and the mystery man tried to curse Charlie when he intervened. Aithusa stopped the curse and told him to tell Merlin's Chosen that the 'Warlock once again walks the earth'."

Silence descended and was only broken by a tea cup hitting the wood of the table.

"Was she sure?" Merlin asked quietly.

"Aithusa wouldn't say it if she weren't sure, Merlin," Morgan said gently. "You know that."

Merlin sighed and sat, brushing a hand over his eyes and looking like the world was about to crush him. Harry, knowing he got his point across, sat again.

"Did she happen to say what he looked like?" Merlin asked tired sounding, his hand still covering his face.

Harry and Sirius shared a look. "No," Harry said. "But Sirius asked Charlie what he looked like. Wasn't sure why he did that at the time."

"Just in case we went looking for him," Sirius said. "It was the old Auror training in me.

"What did he say?" Merlin asked.

Harry saw that Morgan and Arthur both looked intrigued.

"Charlie," said Sirius, "said that he looked like me. Just younger and sickly."

Merlin looked up, his brow furrowed. Harry looked at Morgan, Arthur, and Leon in turn and they all looked confused.

"I guess it could be possible," Leon said. "But Mordred didn't…"

"Have your cheekbones and the eyes are all wrong," Morgan finished.

"No." Merlin sounded so sure and Harry felt a growing dread in the pit of his stomach.

"How do you know?" Morgan asked.

"Because I made sure his soul left his body, bound it so he couldn't take it up again, and then burned it," Merlin said.

There was a brutality in the man's voice that forced Harry to remember who Merlin was. Still, it was hard to see the gentle soul kill someone and bind their soul.

Morgan must have agreed with him because her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well, then," she said. "You doomed him to walk the earth as a specter. Thanks for that."

Merlin's mouth was in a hard line at the comment.

"But that doesn't explain how he has a body now," Arthur said.

Something twitched in Merlin's face and Harry figured he never thought he would hear Arthur, King of Camelot, say such a statement. Hell, Harry never thought he would hear such a statement.

"For such a thing to happen he would have had to happen on someone that had magic and was near death in some tragic or traumatizing way and not want to die," Morgan said. "While it seems likely, the odds are not in anyone's favor for him to look like a younger and sickly Sirius."

Sirius shot out of his chair and practically ran to the bathroom. Retching could be heard and Remus looked like he wanted to cry.

Sirius looked dreadful when he joined them back in the sitting room. He didn't take his seat but leaned against it, his head bowed. His reaction told them that he knew who it was that Mordred took over and it was so utterly painful to think about.

"It could be someone else," Remus hedged. "Anyone else, Padfoot."

"We never found the body, Moony," Sirius said, his voice quiet. "It has to be him." He turned to the rest of them. "Given the chances and what we know, we believe that Mordred took my brother, Regulus."

***MC***MC***MC***

Sirius had to know. He had to know what the madman was planning. With shaking hands, fighting for what little control he had, he scratched out a coded note on a scrap bit of paper.

He whistled and an owl appeared on the perch next to the desk. Regulus wasn't even sure of the owl's loyalty but he had to take the chance.

He managed to find enough control to tie the note to the leg of an owl and let it take off before the hijacker woke from his nap regained control. Regulus prayed that Mordred wouldn't remember about the owl so it could get away.

Regulus faded back into the background resting so at some point, when it was needed most, he could get rid of the spirit entirely.