41 Meeting

My lessons today were pretty dull as most of it was theory based instead of practical. After all, it was near the end of the year and tests were right around the corner. I spent most of my time just thinking over things letting the words of the teachers flow in one ear and out the other. Most of the 'theory' side of magic had already been retained in my mind as early as the beginning of the year, it was the practical side I constantly needed to refine.

The teachers I had in the day didn't even bat an eye at my aloof attitude. As a matter of fact, they looked at me with layers of guilt much like Snape had this morning. Unlike Snape though they all held back questions in regards to my new looks, then again, I could guess that Snape might have informed them or knowledge had spread from the Slytherin dungeons already. Even though Dumbledore was the headmaster and had the teachers under his 'thumb', they all still had a conscience in regards to this matter, knowing that I had been wrongfully left alone despite the bullying I was receiving. The fact that they let me be bullied for a year just to allow the headmaster some time to satiate his curiosity was weighing on them, whether they wanted to admit it on the surface or not.

As break came around for the day, I ventured towards the library, as it was the one place in the school that would be calm and quiet for me right now. Heading into the library I spotted Irma, the librarian, sat at the desk with a book in hand. She noticed me instantly as I walked in and showed me a culpable smile, putting her book down and beckoning me over.

"Hello Oz… Seems the rumours about your new 'look' weren't false… what book are you looking for today?"

Irma seemed to be different today compared to the other days I visited. There was a layer of guilt in her expression as well and even some hints of anger. Noting this, I realised that out of all the teachers I had seen today she was probably one of the ones most upset with the recent events. I gave a warm smile and spoke;

"Let's see… Have you got any books on 'Ancient Language' at all?"

Irma stared of me blankly for a while before stammering over her words.

"A-Ancient Language? I've never heard of such a thing… There's the old languages and even remnants of lost elven language in this library, 'Ancient Language' though is a concept I've never heard of…"

I clicked my tongue and sighed heavily. I had a small amount of hope placed on Hogwarts ancient collection of books; however, 'Ancient Language' was something that even evaded the shelves at this old school. If I wanted to gain knowledge on 'Ancient Language', like I had heard from the purple eyes, I'd have to seek out more of Merlin's legacy. I was only able to identify what the words had said due to reading a lot in my last life, I couldn't assume that the ancient language referred to in my previous worlds novels and books was the exact same as this one.

"Don't worry about that then… I'll just take some books on dragons and such for today… Also throw in the book on lost elven language"

Irma had long grown used to my random book requests, nodding and flicking her wand causing some books in the library to fly over to me. As they landed on the desk in front of me, I picked them up with a smile;

"Thank you"

I sat down not too far away from Irma's desk and began to read. The books surrounding dragons in the Harry Potter world were diverse. Some explained dragons in a fantastical sense whilst others saw dragons as strictly beings to be used by wizards and witches, cores for wands and materials for artifacts. Fairy tales and myth weren't uncommon even in the Wizarding World. Stories including dragons in myth were explained more towards 'truth' as a matter of fact, rather than 'fiction' due to the wizarding world having the aspect of magic within it. From reading the books in front of me though, there always seemed to be a fine line between a dragon with ridiculous strength and one that was slain by a wizard, showing in an encyclopaedia and seen as 'materials'.

I couldn't piece together what that line was at the moment but I felt as though there was something missing. So far from my experience with dragons, I had gained all these abilities due to some sort of draconic force within my body, that of which most certainly stemmed from Merlin and his bloodline. Paired with the dragon heart in Merlin's vault, it made me think that dragons are more diverse beasts than originally displayed in the canon of Harry Potter. Reading these stories made me feel more solidified on that fact, it was as if the dragons of today weren't as strong as the dragons of the past... I guess in some sense the previous eras 'dragons' would be seen as 'true dragons' compared to the dragons still alive today, more dominant beasts with far superior power. This was all speculation though as it wasn't actually explained in any book, I was surmising based on the content in front of me and my own experiences.

After all, the heart in that vault was anything but normal and my metamorphosis last night showcased the deep power that dragons held. Merlin and his connection to dragons, I felt as though if I could learn more about this 'connection' I could progress with this new ability I had gained. The books of Hogwarts weren't enough though, I would need to seek Merlin's legacy to find out more. All that was left to me now to go off of was a key and no sign of where to put it, I'd have to research more on Merlin himself in the hopes of discovering where the key is used...

Taking a break from the dragon research, I started to read the fragmented passages about ancient elven language within another book. Again, much like the fantastical stories of ancient dragons, there seemed to be similar stories in regards to elves. Ancient elves were more powerful and far more visually appealing than the house elves of today, however, theories stemming from myths about them suggested that they either died out, got wiped out or some other cause/effect led to the house elves of today.

Leaning back in my chair I felt my mind swim with wonder. Myth playing a part in the wizarding world was different to Myth in my previous life. Magic reigned here meaning this so called 'Myth' actually had the ability to be real. With what I had seen of dragons so far, I had no reason not to believe that ancient elves lived as well. If that was the case, would that mean other ancient magical beings could have also existed? What about ancient creatures? Demons even? If all of these things did exist within the cracks of the wizarding world then that meant this world had far more to offer than I originally thought.

Just reading about all of this made me feel as though my world view had expanded tenfold, outwards from Hogwarts and the 'canon' happening. After all, I live in this world now. It's not like after Voldemort dies and Harry's story ends, I'm going to suddenly vanish. I need to think ahead and beyond this little anecdote of my life.

It was an enjoyable session of reading, allowing my mind to detach itself and see the bigger picture for a moment was important for my future goals. Taking the books, I left them in front of Irma who casted a spell, sending them back to their locations. As I was about to turn and leave, I sighed and decided to ease Irma at least a little bit;

"What happened is not your fault Madam Irma. It's only the fault of a man with too much curiosity. I wouldn't blame you or any of the other teachers for not stepping in…"

Irma looked at me with surprise as the guilt and anger in her gaze subsided, replaced with a warm smile. I walked out of the library leaving her behind after speaking my mind. Irma had helped me a lot this year with research and books, I only felt it right to return the favour by easing her conflicted mind…

.

The lessons after lunch came and went as quickly as the lessons before lunch. I spent a lot of my time thinking about what I had read in the library. Reading those books had birthed in me a desire to explore this Wizarding World instead of staying put. I didn't know when I would be able to fulfil this desire, however, I wanted to travel into the wizarding world as soon as possible after reading those books, even if it meant ditching Hogwarts sooner rather than later.

As my final lesson of the day ended, I sighed realising that I had to now go talk to Dumbledore. I collected myself and my thoughts, steeling my mind for the upcoming talk, as I headed towards the headmaster's office, taking my time walking through the hallowed halls.

Eventually I found myself at a familiar sight, a griffin stairwell. As I approached, the staircase shifted as if beckoning me up. I headed on up the stairs and found myself in front of the door to Dumbledore's office. Looking inside with my eyes, the 'glows' I would see dotted around the school nowadays were incredibly dense within. Thinking on this right now, Dumbledore earlier today showed no sign of immense magic when in front of the students in the great hall, as if he was able to restrain his magic perfectly. I guess that wouldn't be surprising though, considering Dumbledore's prowess…

Knocking on the door, a brief silence filled the air before I heard a word drift into my ears;

"Enter"

Opening the door, I walked into the headmaster's office. Taking in the sights all around my eyes eventually landed on the old headmaster sat at his desk in front of me. His eyes were friendly and his smile was amicable. He showed a playful curiosity within his gaze and also a layer of expectance. His magic compared to all the students and teacher's I had seen today was miles different, it was purer and seemed much more cohesive.

"Thank you for coming Oz, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while"

Dumbledore raised his wand in the air and with a swish he closed the door I had entered through from his desk. I walked into the centre of his office as he stared at me for a while longer;

"I had heard from the other teachers but… you truly do have purple eyes and even that streak in your hair now. Didn't you mention that had occurred due to 'transfiguration'"

I silently acknowledged his words whilst Dumbledore stroked his beard, a calculating gaze in his eyes.

"Well let's be glad it only resulted in your eyes and hair changing colour. Transfiguration is a tricky school of magic and can end up leaving the caster with disastrous results if done wrong"

Dumbledore finally stood up from his desk as he went over towards Fawkes. My gaze stayed on him as I watched him move over to the fiery phoenix. Looking at Fawkes, a thought crossed my mind momentarily about the Ambrosius ritual mentioned in Merlin's notes...

"Now Oz, for starters allow me to apologise. The events of yesterday, you being besieged by those Slytherins, was something that could have been avoided had it not been for my words to the teachers of the school. I just wanted to confirm something with my own eyes and that curiosity led to my own clouded judgement…"

I was surprised by how Dumbledore seemed to be approaching the situation thus far. It seemed he wanted to keep an amicable relationship with me and it was showcased by how he was almost subservient in his forgiveness. He could have lied, pretended that it was all under control however he outright admitted to me that he had manipulated the events. He was trying to show utmost honesty to save himself. I could only guess that me being 11 years old right now made him believe that such honeyed words would instantly make me forgive him, sadly though that was not going to be the case.

"Something you wanted to confirm with your own eyes… what could that have been?"

Dumbledore's originally sorrowful face changed quickly into one of understanding. He smiled as he began to speak again;

"Oz. You are an orphan Slytherin with no apparent connection to any sort of bloodline. That in its own right is suspicious, enough to warrant attention from others. The most suspicious part though was you appearing soon after the events in Gringotts those years back"

"I couldn't guess at your identity though throughout this year as you didn't give any clear sign of your prowess, but yesterday when the events unfolded as they did you finally showcased that immense talent latent within you, handling those other Slytherins like a champ"

"An orphan Slytherin, the events of Gringotts those years back, being able to dispatch those older Slytherins with ease and finally…"

Dumbledore looked behind him and up the stairs, as if to signal someone to come out.

"Hagrid, can you come down now?"

Hagrid appeared and came down the stairs with a big grin after Dumbledore called out to him. He started to speak to Dumbledore as he walked on down;

"Ah! Sorry Dumbledore I wa' looking at somethin' up- So, it was you! When Dumbledore mentioned you the other day, I recalled how I met an' Oz the day after the descendant was discovered! Although your eyes an' hair are a bit different an' your face a bit more… aged… I can definitely tell you are the same boy I met them' years back"

I stared blankly at Hagrid before showing him a calm smile. Before I could speak though, Dumbledore cut back in;

"With Hagrid also confirming this fact in front of me now, I can only assume one thing… You, Oz, are the Descendant of Merlin the Wizarding World is searching for"

The headmaster's office filled with silence as Dumbledore made his grand reveal. I didn't know what he expected from me, whether a shocked and confused face or a look of awe and wonder as I basked in his deductions. I showed him neither though, only a cold stare and a slight smile. I brought my hands together, giving him a slow clap, before giving my response to all this exposition;

"…and?"

"…and?"

"That's right Dumbledore… and? And what did you hope to gain from this? Figuring out my identity that is…"

Dumbledore looked towards Hagrid with a bewildered expression before looking back at me;

"I thought you had hidden your identity for a deep reason… I called you here today to confirm if you were the descendant so I could shield you from the oncoming storm brought about by your lineage-"

I found myself laughing at Dumbledore's 'sound reasoning'. He played his cards as if he wanted to shield me when in reality, he wanted to keep me at arm's length, ready to be used as a literal shield, if need be, in the upcoming events.

"Let me tell you what I think your real 'goal' is with meeting me today dumbledore…"

Taking a few steps forward I approached Dumbledore at his desk, Hagrid stood behind him to the right watching on incredulously as I started to speak;

"I believe that, in your minds eye, you see the current events of the wizarding world as a chess game of sorts. You have your pieces all lined up, a 'king' set to appear next year, the kings' pawns placed around ripe for sacrifice and the odd few other pieces setup to help that 'king'…"

"When you took notice of me, when you first found out that the Descendant of Merlin was discovered, you sent Hagrid in order to seek me out. To figure out my identity as soon as possible…"

"When that didn't work, you waited until a suspicious student joined the school… In enters me, a Slytherin orphan, with no plottable background, a perfect suspect but not enough to go off of and assume straight away. So instead, you decided to wait it out all year, wait for me to show my talent and prowess. Finally, the day comes around that I show this prowess, you also confirm via Hagrid now that I am indeed the same Oz that he met in the Leaky Cauldron just after the descendant was discovered the day before…"

"You confirmed all of this for one reason, to put me, Merlin's descendant, on that chessboard you are playing on. Whether making me into another pawn to sacrifice or another piece altogether, you wanted to get me on 'your' side before I could be captured by whomever you are 'playing' against"

Dumbledore was dumbfounded as I continued on with my cold-calling of the situation. Hagrid to the right of Dumbledore also showed a bewildered face, as I continued with my words;

"Let me tell you now 'headmaster', I have no intention of being on anyone's side or under anyone's coattails. I have a higher goal in mind for my life instead of playing lacky in a game commanded by others…"

"If you continue though, continue to try and reel me in. Continue to pull stunts like you did recently, allowing me to be literally bullied to satiate your own curiosity and whims, stopping any of the teachers interfering just to find out a bit of information…"

"I won't just join that chess board of yours, I'll flip the whole damn thing on its head"