44 Merlin's Tome

After observing the various expressions on the faces of the other Slytherins, especially Zach's, who looked as if he had just consumed two jugs of Polyjuice potion, I walked towards my dorm without a word. I didn't pay much attention to their bullying throughout the year, in fact, to me it was like a fun little game. Finding charms to block them from entering my room and hearing the results, evading them at every turn when they tried to ambush me, it was all enjoyable to me and also allowed me to test my skills from time to time. Part of me wanted to thank Zach for giving me the opportunity to finally test my strength against actual wizards instead of training dummies in the Room of Requirement, but that gratitude was outweighed by how foolish the entire house of Slytherin appeared to me in this moment.

I understand that to them, bloodline is everything, but limiting themselves to that was hindering their progress. The pride they built on top of their bloodlines was so extreme that it almost completely blocked their advancement. If you don't put in the effort to improve, then the bloodline that is so highly valued by this house becomes useless.

I was evidence of this fact. In the original canon, the character I had become didn't even make it into the main plot despite having a purer bloodline than all the students in this house combined. Not only was it pure, but it was also powerful and linked to one of the greatest wizards to ever live. If I hadn't put in the effort to practice magic, to learn magic, and to progress, I wouldn't be as powerful as I am now.

That's why these Slytherins always seemed so silly to me. Their bloodline is their goal, and they believe they will only ever be as strong as their blood allows. I didn't hold that same belief. Despite the immense power of my bloodline, I didn't want to let it bind me. This bloodline was just another tool in my arsenal to progress in this world.

While titles may bind me and heritage may guide me, I am not a copy of Merlin. I am Oz, and I want my name to be known for my own exploits, not as a second fiddle to my ancestor.

Upon returning to my dorm, I locked the door behind me. I headed over to my desk and sat down, placing the three items I had gained from Dumbledore in front of me and allowing a small grin to appear on my face. The feather and tear were both things I would need eventually, but they had no use for me at the moment. After examining them and inspecting the magic within them as best I could, I put them away in my extension pouch.

This left Merlin's tome on the table in front of me. I took a close look at the tome, examining the binding, cover, back, and the seemingly brand-new pages, which was surprising considering the age of the tome. The cover of the tome was a deep dark purple, with no fancy text or anything. The only thing in the centre was a symbol.

The symbol on the front was synonymous with Merlin, even in my previous world. It was three swirls that all met in the middle. The symbol was only slightly different in color from the actual book itself, so unless you looked closely, you might not even notice that the symbol was there. I hadn't even properly noticed it until now, despite Dumbledore presenting me with the tome in his office. The right bottom corner of the cover displayed the text I had seen in Dumbledore's office: "Myrddin Emrys," Merlin's name imprinted on the cover. The text wasn't flashy or anything, it was simple and in block letters. Part of me thought that the simplicity of it gave it a far more powerful appearance compared to a fancy signature that most people would try to imprint on their work.

As I grabbed the tome and attempted to open it, I was met with resistance. The pages seemed to be stuck and refused to budge. It was as if the tome had been glued shut. I examined the tome more closely, using my enhanced magical senses to try and understand the cause of the problem. That's when I noticed the runes covering the cover and binding of the tome.

Each one was intricately drawn and placed with precision, indicating that Dumbledore's words were not simply random. He had said himself how the number of runes made even his head spin and I was finding myself relate to his statement as I stared at the sheer number of runes scattered across the tome.

I became absorbed in studying the tome, completely blocking out all external distractions. For an hour, I examined the runes, trying to make sense of their purpose. Finally, I had a breakthrough. The runes were all congregating around the symbol in the middle of the cover, and a sense of familiarity arose within me. It was as if I had seen something similar before, although it was rough and crude in comparison to the precise runes on the tome. I realized that these runes were similar to the ones I had seen at Gringotts during my bloodline test, in a room specifically designed for such tests.

I reached into my extension pouch and retrieved a small, sharp knife that I often used to prepare ingredients for potions. Using the knife, I pricked my finger and let the blood drip onto the symbol in the middle of the cover. The three drops of blood followed the paths of the three swirls on the symbol, and as the last drop reached the end of its path, the symbol began to glow a soft, lavender purple. The glow spread out from the symbol, enveloping the entire tome. As the tome was bathed in the soft, lavender purple glow, it stopped. I tentatively grabbed the tome and tried to open it again. This time, it opened smoothly, and a smile of excitement spread across my face as I was finally able to access the contents of the tome.

As I turned the cover of the tome, I couldn't help but think that Dumbledore probably had an idea of how it worked, especially considering how long he had probably had it in his office. However, the sly old man decided not to give me any hints, almost as if he was testing me. This nature of his could be really troublesome at times.

As I turned the page and looked at the first page in the book, I felt my heart that was filled with excitement cool down as quickly as it had sped up. The first page, second page, third page - all of them were blank. There was literally nothing written in the book.

"You've got to be kidding me," I exclaimed aloud.

I had a feeling that Merlin was an intricate man, especially after seeing the contents of his vault, but this seemed to be going a bit too far. I had already unlocked the book with my blood, showcasing that I was of his bloodline, and now there was another layer of security.

I felt exasperated as I looked at the tome. Taking a closer look at all the pages, I saw that not one of them was filled in at all. There wasn't even a hint of what to do here.

It was at that point that a ludicrous idea formed in my mind. What if this tome was similar to Tom Riddle's diary? I didn't think it was a horcrux or anything like that, but what if the book could respond to what I wrote within it?

Grabbing a quill, I quickly jotted down the question, "What do I do," on the first page of the tome. It almost felt as if I were venting my frustrations on the page itself at that point.

As time passed, the words "what do I do" remained on the page. I grew increasingly impatient and eventually let out a massive sigh, realizing that this attempt was also a bust.

"Not only was this a bust, I also basically graffitied a legendary wizard's work... I don't know whether to laugh or cry," I muttered to myself.

It was getting late and I was exhausted after all this excitement and crushed hope had taken me on an emotional rollercoaster. I leaned forward to grab the tome and, as my hand touched the first page where I had written "what do I do," I felt something within me boil. My blood heated and my eyes started to glow purple, as if awoken by something.

The words "what do I do" started to get absorbed by the page, replaced by an old drawing that seemed scorched onto the page.

The map looked like old England, due to the names of the cities being so dated. On the map, there was a circle highlighting a specific area. I took a long, deep look at the area that was marked and tried to think about what was there.

"Salisbury... what's near Sali-"

At that point, it hit me. Merlin and an area north of Salisbury, seemingly stranded in the middle of nowhere. It could only be that place.

I closed the tome with a smile on my face. My destination after this year was decided.