Professor Pendragon

“Draco.” Merlin called out after the last class of his second week of teaching. The white haired boy happened to be passing by his classroom. “Can you come to my room please? I need to speak with you for a moment.”

He silently detached from the group of Slytherins and crossed into his room silently. Waiting till the door was closed to speak.

“Yes Professor.”

“I wanted to ask about something personal. If you don’t want to talk about it I’ll respect that and not bring it up again, but I’m a little concerned.”

Draco merely lifted his eyebrows, asking a silent question.

“Are you okay?”

The boy looked at him quizzically. “I'm fine, professor.”

Merlin sighed and sat on the corner of his desk. “I don’t know how to ask this without sounding weird so I’m just going to ask. What’s on your arm?”

Draco’s hand flew to his forearm in a split second and he paled considerably. “I have no idea what you're talking about, professor. Nothing is on my arm.”

“Nothing?” Merlin popped a chocolate from his desk into his mouth before offering one to Draco who shook his head in refusal. “Nothing is nothing. Rubbing your arm every time you say something rude or cruel is not nothing. You look regretful every time you rub it, which you do a lot too. Whatever it is, you don’t want it and I want to help.”

“I can’t talk about it professor.” His voice cracked and he was staring at the floor. Merlin knew that he would see tears in his eyes if he was looking up.

“Do you want it?”

There was no response.

“Draco.” Merlin got off the desk to stand in front of the boy. “Do you want whatever it is?”

He looked up and tears streaked his cheeks.

“No professor. I don’t.”

“What is it, Draco?”

He rolled up his cloak sleeve and Merlin found himself looking at a dark mark. He didn’t know much but Minerva and Remus had explained the dark mark and Voldemort thing going on. He knew it was bad and unfair to push that onto a child.

“Can you get rid of it, Merlin?”

Merlin released how serious Draco really was to call him by his first name.

“Do you want to get rid of it? Once it’s gone I can’t put it back.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He looked rather perplexed and sat on the desk behind him. Merlin offered another chocolate and he took it this time.

Merlin moved to sit next to him. “I’m kinda new to the wizarding world but I know about the mark from rumors and other teachers. It seems like it would be a family affair. Getting rid of it would cause a lot of family dissension. If the Malfoys are as strict as other pure blood families you could get disowned at the least.” He’d learned a lot from Remus talking about Sirius.

Draco thought for a moment. “My family made me get the mark,” he looked down again. “maybe I should leave. There’s bound to be some family that would take me in. Nymphadora left, so did Sirius. I can too.”

“Draco.” He looked up. “You can leave. I know some very wonderful people who had to change and turn away from the tradition of their fathers.” Arthur was just the first of many he’d met during his life. “They became great people who did great things. I know it’s hard and scary but know that whatever you do there will be people that will still care about you and protect you.” He knew there would be at least one. He saw much of Arthur in this boy and he would help him in any way he could to make sure he had a good and happy life.

“Merlin?” Draco met his eyes in question. “Do you know where anyone is that would take me in? I want the mark gone but then I couldn’t go home again. My mother would probably want to leave as well. She hates it, but joined the Dark Lord's side to keep me safe.”

Merlin smiled sadly and wrapped his hand around Draco’s forearm. His eyes flared gold and a light surrounded where the hand and arm intersected. When the light faded he moved his hand and Draco stared at the pale, blank skin. “I have a large property that could use a few more people in it. Write to your mother and if she wishes she can join as well she can. No one can get in the house if they have ill intention towards anyone in the building. You can stay for the holidays for as long as you want, alright?”

Draco smiled, “Thank you Merlin. I’ll write to my mother tonight.” He stood and started to walk to the door, pulling his sleeve back down.

“Draco.” Merlin called after him and when he turned he tossed another chocolate his way. He caught it and ate it on the way out after wiping the tear tracks from his face.

Merlin sighed deeply and laid down on the table he was sitting on once Draco had left. He dearly hoped life would start to look up for the boy. He didn’t deserve what he was going through, none of the kids here deserved any of this. This war and everything that came with it was tragic.

“Merlin?” He looked up to see Remus poking his head through the door, double checking he was in here before coming in and sitting down next to where he was laying. “Everything alright? I saw Malfoy leaving here a moment ago.”

Merlin shimmied up the table to put his head on Remus’s lap, “Everything’s good. He needed some help with a few things and I was able to help him out." He pulled another wrapped chocolate from his pocket and handed it to his friend. “How was your day?”

“Good. Today was mostly reading up on the last topic we covered. There’s a quiz tomorrow so I gave them study time. Then I’m getting ready to head into the next section and that’ll take more prep then normal so I’ll be busier for the next few days. Yours?”

“Mine was good, bit long. I need to figure out how to make it more interactive, I’m getting bored of all the reading.”

Remus laughed, “You picked History of Magic and didn’t think you’d get a little bored? Even the great Merlin..ow” He yelped as Merlin whacked his leg at the title, but he carried on anyway. “can’t find a way to make it interesting?”

“We’re in the middle of Giant Wars, that should be interesting yet everything in the textbook and notes is just statistics and blandly written strategy.” he complained as the door opened again yet he didn’t bother to check who had come in.

“What's the saying?” Remus smiled, “You made your bed, now lie in it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Merlin let out an ‘oof’ as a tabby cat jumped onto the table and sat on his chest. “Hello Minerva.”

“It means you picked your class. Now suck it up Merlin. Minerva.” He kindly greeted the cat that simply meowed at them and settled herself better.

“I wanted sympathy, Remus. I should have known that I wouldn’t have gotten it from you.” He knew this wouldn’t go anywhere so he switched topics, “What are you planning for your class? You said it would take some prep.” Remus always had the coolest activities with classes.

“I’m going to find a boggart,” he declared proudly. Merlin only raised an eyebrow at him as he didn’t know what that was. “A boggart shows the greatest fear to the closest viewer. I want to teach them the spell to get rid of it while making it real. I hope it gets the houses to be more vulnerable with each other and form better bonds. Everyone is so guarded all the time.”

Merlin frowned, “That could go very wrong Remus.” he warned lightly.

“Or very right.” he countered. “You should come and watch during an off block. It’ll be fun.”

“I hardly doubt watching children face their greatest fears will be fun.”

“So you’ll come?”

“Maybe.” probably not but you never know.

“Come on Merlin. It’ll be good. Show them that they can face what they’re most afraid of, if they can do that they can do anything. They’re mostly things like clowns and spiders anyway.”

“What day?” if it meant that much to Remus he’d come.

“Next Wednesday. So you’re coming?”

“Fine.”

“Yes!” Remus pumped his arm up in success before calming now that he had gotten what he wanted. “Minerva, how were your classes today?”

The cat twitched before becoming Minerva and Merlin inhaled sharply as she was still sitting on his chest.

“They went well. All my students managed the transformations today. Even Neville and Ron with their wacky wands. They’re great wizards and it’s a pity they’re wands don’t suit them.”

“Minerva.” Merlin gasped out. “Get off me please.”

She looked at him with fake sharpness. “Are you calling me heavy Merlin?”

He paled even as Remus started to laugh above him.

“Course not Nerva, I just happen to not be breathing very well while you're sitting on me. Pure coincidence I’m sure.”

“Coincidence?” She repeated, not moving.

“For the love of the gods, get off me woman.”

She laughed but stood and he inhaled sharply before sitting up. They continued like this for a few hours. Talking back and forth about classes and students while also tossing chocolate to each other.

“Merlin!”

Merlin turned to see Dumbledore walking up to him and waited for him to catch up before matching his pace so they were walking together. “Albus?”

“I was wondering how you were settling into your position. Any trouble with the students?”

Merlin smiled, “Classes are going well and the students are wonderful. No issues at all.”

Albus gave a small ‘hmm’. “I wanted to ask about a particular student. How is Harry Potter doing?”

Merlin fought to keep the smile up. He really hated Harry but he couldn’t really explain that to the headmaster. He couldn’t explain it to anyone, he simply couldn’t stand the boy's magic. “He’s doing fine. Passing with flying colors though that might be more because of Hermione than his own not taking skills.”

Albus laughed at this. “It seems to be like that with the trio. Yes, he’s still learning though so it’s fine.” There was silence when he tried to gather his thoughts. “Keep an eye on him for me. If anything happens let me know right away please.” With his piece said Albus turned down the corridor to the left, leaving Merlin to keep walking on his own.

Merlin frowned to himself, that was rather odd. He had a weird feeling about Albus that he couldn’t shake. Maybe he wasn’t the man everyone cracked him up to be. Something was off about him and Harry.

“I have a question.” Merlin asked as the last of the students filed out of Minerva’s class the next day. “What’s the story of Harry Potter? Everyone seems to know him even if they’ve never actually met him and Albus is being weird.” he didn’t even wait for her to be seated before asking his tirade of questions.

“What?” She asked before sitting down at her desk. “What do you mean Albus is being weird?”

“He’s asking weird questions about Harry and asking about him yet not other students. He’s keeping a close eye on him and it’s weirding me out.”

Minerva frowned. “You’ve never read the wizard paper have you.” It wasn’t a question because they both knew the answer. “Harry is an interesting case. He was just a one year old when his parents were killed by the Dark Lord. He broke into his house before killing both his parents and trying to kill him.” She took a breath. “His mothers magic kept him safe from the spell and it backfired on the Dark Lord, killing him, or so we thought. He had horcruxes that kept him alive.” at a raised eyebrow she explained further. “A horcrux is made when you kill someone, it takes part of your soul and puts it into something else so you have a piece of you alive if you die. He had at least one so he wasn’t dead. There is a prophecy that Albus knows about and he thinks that Harry is part of it. I don’t know the specifics but apparently he’s supposed to kill the Dark Lord permanently.

Albus, upon news of Harry’s parents death, took Harry and put him with his Aunt and Uncle. I heavily disagree with this action as they are truly awful people who hate magic. I watched over him several times and am truly appalled by how they treated him. He goes back every summer and I wish there was something I could do to make it better, yet I can’t. Albus would have me fired in an instant if I messed with the prophecy at all. He might not be the best man, but he is a powerful one.

Harry is important to Albus and that’s why he keeps such a close eye on him. I try to help where I can but I can’t do anything large enough to make a change.” She stumbled a bit through the explanation, not quite sure what to tell the other professor.

“Thank you Minerva.” Merlin stated before turning to leave the room to find the headmaster.

“Merlin. Don’t do anything stupid.” She knew he wouldn’t promise that but she had to try.

He paused and gave her a smile that bordered on scary, “I need to have a few words with the headmaster about prophecies and destiny.”

He stormed out the door and through the halls. Students did double takes as he walked past, he was the nicest professor, never raised his voice or got even slightly frustrated. Yet his eyes held a fury that was unmatched. He walked right to the statue that led to the headmasters office and the statue moved without a password being given.

“Albus.” The headmaster’s head flew to lock eyes with the man who said his name with such venom. “Leave Harry alone.”

“I don’t know where you learned anything about Harry, Merlin.” His voice was irritatingly calm. “But if you know about it then you should know that I can’t do that.”

“You can do whatever the hell you want.” He shot back.

“The prophecy must be fulfilled and Harry will be the one to do it. He must be the one to do it.”

“Prophecies mean nothing, they are simply what is most likely to happen. What has happened most in other timelines." He sat firmly in the chair across from the large desk. “Why did you leave him with his aunt and uncle? Why do you send him there every summer?” he knew the answer, it wasn’t hard to figure out but he wanted the man to say it himself.

“It was the only place he could go.”

Merlin hit the desk with a loud smack, his fury getting the better of him. “That’s a lie and you know it. You sent him to people who hated magic so he would find freedom in it. So he would be confused and in wonder of this world and you could manipulate him to your bidding.”

Merlin knew this is what the plan was. He knew this because this is what happened to Morgana. Morgause had let her be amazed and empowered by her magic only to mold her into a weapon to use because she knew nothing else. Made her believe that no one else was there for her even though she was surrounded by people who would have helped.

“You’re using him.”

“I have to.”

“No you don’t.”

“It’s prophecy!”

“He’s a child!”

“It doesn’t matter!”

Merlin froze, “of course it matters.” his voice went cold and flat. “It matters most. I will never let another person lose themselves because of prophecy. People don’t have to die because of prophecy.”

“He does.” Albus looked guilty and Merlin thought he deserved every bit of it he felt.

“Why.”

“Because, if he doesn’t die, Voldemort never will.”

“What?”

“Harry is a horcrux. Probably an accidental one, but one nonetheless.”

Merlin panicked, Harry was a horcrux. Harry wasn’t using dark magic, he had dark magic in him. Harry was a horcrux and didn’t know it.