70 ch 70 The man in purple...
5:47 pm, Witcherly Residence
"I'm home!" I yelled out as I come in the house and took off my jacket.
"Hooo!" "🔔Ting!Ting!🔔" "Croaak!" "Neighhh!"
My four little ones greeted me without even looking at me. They were too focus on the TV.
"Really!? You four are unbelievable!" Rolling my eyes, I just let them be.
I then looked over the kitchen, where I saw Nana taking out something from the oven. Curious, I asked, "What's that Nana?"
When she put down the tray, I then approached her and gave a la bise on her cheek. She answered, "Pigeon Pie, Dear."
"Eh? Ain't that a bit…" I was weirded out and wanting to comment on the dish.
"Medieval?.." She laughed, "It surely is, Dear. I'm preparing a Medieval feast for a Medieval guest."
There was a pot that is blowing a bit of steam on the stove and I removed the lid and saw, "Eh? Isn't this Pottage stew?"
"Indeed. Back in the days, it goes well with horsebread so I also made a few loaves." Nana points at the hard crusted breads on the counter top.
😨😨😨
I asked, "At least tell me we will have cheese or some ham with that?"
Nana was having fun, "I did have a slice of Marroilles that Penny made."
"Marroilles?...!... The 'old-stinker'! The one that smell as strong as a soaked sock that has marinated for several days in a damp shoe?!" Now I'm panicking.
Old people love those kinds of cheeses, but I can't get over the smell.
Looking around, I asked, "Wait… Where is Jolly?"
"He's in your suitcase roasting some pheasants, veal, and rabbits." Nana tapped her shoes and I looked down to see my suitcase under the kitchen table.
"Ookkayy… At least there's meat dishes. Nana, Merlin has been living in the modern world. Won't he take it as us making fun of him, if we serve him such... rustic food?" I cautiously asked.
While reaching for a jar of pickled root vegetables, she turned around and said, "Don't worry, Dear. The man loves making jokes himself. Now quit your worrying and clean yourself up before the guest arrive."
"Fine... But I'm serving him my wine…. Wait?… what drink were you thinking of giving him?" I asked as I walked out of the kitchen.
Nana waved her hand and mumbled, "I'll still offer the mead I made a few centuries ago..."
I almost tripped hearing that.
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As I freshened up and changed clothes, I then sat on the sofa and joint my pets as I waited for Merlin's arrival.
*sqeech*
A few moments layer, a bird started screeching outside the window.
I walked towards it and was surprised that the bird turned out to be a falcon with silver wings.
From the kitchen, Nana called out, "Dear, let Ayden in. He is Merlin's familiar."
'Oh?' Quickly, I opened the window and the falcon flew in and circled the leaving room.
"Screech!"
Ayden, the falcon, then landed on the dining table and screeched and gave a bow to Nana, who was starting to set the table.
Nana, stopped for a while and scratched the falcon's chin, "Nice seeing you again, Ayden. How's Merlin been treating you these days?"
"SSCreech!!!"
"Well that's good... I thought he'll just have you hover around where he lives. You can try to visit the zoo up in Wildwood, I think there is a female falcon there." Nana said lightly. "Anyway, where's the old man?"
"Screech!!!"
Even with her shades on, I can see Nana rolling her eyes, "So now he's collecting cars? Let me guess, the one he's driving is colored purple."
"Screech!!" The bird nodded vigorously, then it noticed my approach and turned towards me and eyed me up and down.
Nana smiled and introduced me, "This is my grandson, Marshall, and the young ones in the living room are his pets."
The falcon took two hops and got near me to take a closer look, and flew to my shoulder. I greeted him, "Hello Ayden."
I then walked to the sofa and let it meet my pets, who… were still watching TV! I yelled, "You guys! Where are your manners?! Greet the guest!"
"Hoo!" "🔔Ting!🔔" "Croak!" "Neighh!"
The four quickly reacted, lined up and greeted the falcon. They know that if I really get mad, I'll turn off the TV.
Shaking my head, and I'm starting to question if I spoiled these guys too much.
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a sound of a loud engine outside.
"Screech!!"
"Oh?" Ayden said it was Merlin's car, so I quickly walked and opened the front door to see a shiny purple Ferrari 512 TR parking up front.
The car door opened and a man in a well-fitted purple three-piece tweed suit and purple tweed flat cap got out. He paused and looked at me with the falcon on my shoulder, and tipped his cap a bit in my direction.
He then reached inside his car and took out some purple paper bags before closing the car door and walking towards the house.
As the man got closed, I was shocked again when I recognized his face. It was the face of Magneto and Gandalf (minus the beard). He really looks like the actor, IAN MCKELLEN!
He came up to me and said, "Well.. Aren't you going to invite me in, Lad?"
I got jitters when he spoke... I almost said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PASS!'
*Cough*
Composing myself, I step aside and apologize, "Sorry about that. Please come in, Sir. Nice car, by the way."
"Hoho… Why thank you, lad. I'm guessing you're, Marshall? Just address me as Uncle." Merlin said as he came in and extended the purple bags in front of me to take.
"Oh. Yes Uncle Merlin. I am." I took the bags, and said, "Thank you. You shouldn't have troubled yourself."
Waving a hand, he laughed, "Hoho... No trouble at all. It's just a few dried fruits, roasted pine nuts and some cheeses I, personally, made."
"Eh?… uhm… Thank you, nonetheless, Sir." I said, but in my head, I was thinking, 'He has the same dry humor as Nana.'
I closed the front door and found Merlin looking around, he noticed the four young ones who were lined up and called out their greetings.
From his face, I can tell that he's amused but not that surprised seeing the magical creatures.
Then he noticed, Jolly approaching the dinner table with a tray of wild games.
He snorted and leaned towards me a bit and said, "Let me guess. Medieval feast for a Medieval guest?"
With an apologetic look, I just nodded.
Nana then walked into view and said, "Well your wardrobe didn't seem to change much."
"Hello to you too, Zephaniah. Or right, you're using Dora nowadays." Merlin greeted as he took his cap and jacket off.
"Yes, and what prompt you to use such a silly name as Merriman? Won't your students laugh when you introduce yourself?" rebutted Nana.
Feeling the tension in the air, I quickly said, "Jolly, can you bring some of my wine."
My elf nodded and ran to my suitcase.
Nana said, "Don't worry, Dear. It might seem we hate each other, but we're really good friends."
Merlin nodded, "She's right, Lad. We just banter like this. Don't take it so seriously."
"Yes, we never got angry at each other and taken things too far. " Nana smiled.
But our guest raised an eyebrow, "Never got angry? Never taken things too far?"
"Oh? Let me rephrase that. Never got angry for no reason. I seem to remember, a young wizard who tampered with my Agency's enslavement spell and added a silly singing and dancing portion. Now all my prisoners are acting like deranged lunatics." Nana playfully said.
Merlin protested, "See! You were still angry about that. Do you remember what you did as my punishment!? You cast a spell to the whole of Europe that made all the wizards and witches say my name when yelling profanities!"
"... It started with my name….Then my clothes...Then with my beard…. Then by balls!"
Hearing their conversation, I now learned where the trend came from.
Nana chuckled, "Ah? That was fun times."
I slap my faces and was stressed out how tonight's dinner would be like.
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6:20 pm Hogwarts , Headmaster's office
-Third-person POV-
"Why did you summon us, Albus?" asked by the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw.
Beside her, the other three house ghosts hover and wait for the Headmaster to speak.
Dumbledore sighed and asked, "It is possible that Merlin is still alive?"
...?... Silence~
Fat Fryer, while tucking in his hands inside his sleeve and straightening his posture, asked, "Why do you ask such a question?"
The atmosphere in the room drop as the ghosts landed on the floor and lined up side by side and stared at Dumbledore.
"Today, Marshall Witcherly said that he will be having dinner with The Merlin to ask him to be his lawyer." The headmaster said.
...?!...
The ghosts looked at one another as if they're having a silent conversation.
The Bloody Baron broke the silent and said, "Whether Merlin is indeed still alive or not, and his relation with that Witcherly lad.... What does it concern you, Albus?"
"Hmmm..?" Dumbledore was surprised by the reply.
Seeing the expression on Dumbledore's face, the Bloody Baron laughed, "Hahahaha... I think you're forgetting what position you have in Hogwarts, Headmaster. Hahahahaha... I'm leaving…"
The Baron descent and passed through the floor.
"Does it not concern you four, that such a young wizard with unknown background has connections to powerful and possibly immortal wizards?" Dumbledore asked in a solemn tone.
"""No!"""
Sir Nicholas commented, "From our perspective, you're just curious and don't know the answers, so you're acting like a paranoid headless chicken."
Helena said, "You might be confusing your role as the school's Headmaster to the other titles you have under your name. As a school, Hogwarts is a place built so that young wizards and witches learn magic. It never concerns itself of other aspects of its students lives."
"If you're concerned about Witcherly, I have been listening in on the talks from the students, the elves, and the rest of the faculties regarding that particular Puff, Marshall. I don't see anything he has done to be under your constant scrutiny, Headmaster." said Fat Fryer.
Dumbledore tried to defend himself, "I'm just watching out for possible potential danger."
Whoosh ~
The ghost of Helena immediate flew closer to Dumbledore and yelled, "POSSIBLE POTENTIAL DANGER?! What about the CERTAIN DANGERS you let in the school, Dumbledore?!"
"... Are you really overlooking that wretched thing that's roaming around the castle?!! Every day, it masquerades as a frail, incompetent teacher!"
" ...Don't forget what he did last Halloween?! If it weren't for Witcherly's actions, someone could have been hurt! Specially that poor Potter kid you are so fond of!"
"... And let's not forget that 'Trial' that you're setting up for the kid! One misstep and a student will certainly get hurt... or worse!! Hmhp!"
After her outburst, Helena flew away and exits the room.
Fat Fryer, while giving a bow, said, "Among the traits that the Hufflepuff house are known for, ... having a strong moral code, and a sense of right and wrong …are often forgotten by the masses. Goodnight, Headmaster." Then he vanished as well.
When it was only Dumbledore and Sir Nicholas in the office, the ghost warned, "Albus, don't be distracted now that you had let dangers in the castle. You promised us, that no one will be hurt by those things, so we let you do as you want."
"... Don't make us regret trusting your words…."
The ghost was going to leave but turned around and said, "And regarding that Witcherly kid, if he is really related to Merlin, it's best to not meddle with his affairs…."
"... Keep in mind the school's motto, DORMIENS NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS"
Sir Nicholas reminded Dumbledore before leaving.
Dumbledore, alone in his office, leaned back on his seat and mumbled what Sir Nicholas said, "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus .... Never tickle a sleeping dragon…."
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7:11 pm, Witcherly Residence
"I have to say, Zephaniah, …I know you cooked these dishes as a joke, but I'm rather glad to be reminded of how we eat back in the olden days," said Merlin as he leans back on his chair and raised his wine glass to Nana.
Nana smiled and looked at me, "See, Dear. He liked the Medieval feasts... For us, who have lived for a long time, reminiscing about the old days is a favorite pastime. Though life was less… hmm... convenient back then, it still has a certain charm that modern living today is missing."
"Indeed…" Merlin agreed, sipped some wine, and continued, "Back then, people just needed enough food to eat and survive, a roof over their heads and interact with families, friends and the close neighbors and townsfolk."
".... Life is hard…. Yes… but also simple…"
I smiled listening to their conversation and agreed to what they're saying.
As someone who has lived two lives and has knowledge of the future, I'm fully aware of the negative and stressful side that modern living brought to everyone.
My thoughts were interrupted when Merlin said, "Well, enough about the past. Let us talk about the present and why you invited me for dinner, Marshall."
Straightening my posture, I paused and didn't actually know what to say.
I scratched my head and said, "Actually, I don't know what to ask you, Uncle Merlin. Uhm… The man with the hooked hand, just gave me your name and the card said you're a lawyer…"
Unlike the Flamels, Merlin seems to be aware of everything so theres no need to avert any topic. He even know that I came from another world and the powers I wield.
"... To be honest, I'm still apprehensive and even embarrassed to involve you in my troubles."
I then looked at Nana, expecting for some clarification.
She chuckled, "You never got rid of your aversion to wielding too much power in your hand, Dear. Others will be overjoyed if they knew that such powerful wizards become their backer."
"Well, I guess that's why HE and the world itself were comfortable entrusting things with you, Lad." Merlin said. "They know that you won't abuse such powers. Or, in regards to being related with powerhouses, abuse your connection with US."
Tap* tap* tap*
Merlin is rhythmically tapping the table while being in deep thoughts. He smiled wryly, "To be honest, I would rather not deal with today's wizards as well, Lad. Especially those leading the current Ministry."
Hearing Merlin's words, I nodded and also expected that he will deny being my legal council.
The man is someone who had been living peacefully among the muggles. This just shows that he didn't want anything to do with the messy wizardry world.
I have to respect his decision and let him live in peace.
"But…" It seems though that Merlin has another thought, "... How about accepting my inheritance and becoming my heir?"
Silence~
Flustered, I asked," What?"
The old wizard started to plan, "Yes. If everyone knows that you are my heir, it will solve your problems, Lad. Those old fogeys will think twice before troubling you. I just need to make an appearance and sign some documents in Gringotts. The goblins can take care of the announcements."
Turning to Nana, I looked at her with a face that said, 'HELP!'
~end chapter ~
