11 Merlin's Gauntlet

Upon Tom's request, Borgin brought Merlin's gauntlet down from the shelf. He placed it on the wooden counter before his guests.

The gauntlet was like a thin metallic glove. It would be indistinguishable from one at night. At worst, the wielder may be dismissed as being medieval in fashion. The back was raised with five metal rivulets running down each finger.

Tom Riddle did not need any surreal dream to tell him he had been looking for the very object. He stared at it longingly, licked his lips, and broke into a thin smile. "This is fascinating."

***

"Merlin?" Harry whispered to Hermione. "Don't we hear the name all the time?" They were still spying on Draco and Tom through cracks in the neighboring shop.

Hermione eyed him from the corner of her eyes. "Don't you pay attention during History of Magic classes?" she whispered back sternly. "There's a stain glass window of Merlin in the classroom. Even if we overlook that, don't you frequently hear about the Order of Merlin awarded by the Wizengamot? Dumbledore is a first-class awardee. What about the expressions that we use? 'Merlin's Beard' and Merlin's pants'? Remember?"

Harry shook his head. "Oh, right! Sorry, my mind is a little fuddled at the moment. But tell me… why is he famous?"

Hermione scowled. "Merlin is not just famous. He is the most renowned wizard of all time! Often known as the Prince of Enchanters. He attended Hogwarts during the medieval era, was sorted into Slytherin, and was rumored to be the favorite of Salazar Slytherin himself! Sometimes you really disappoint me with your ignorance, Harry."

The boy sighed. "That's a bit harsh. I do remember now. He was a champion of muggle rights and rejected the pure-blood theory…"

The little witch smiled. "You're not so bad after all. I forgive you."

***

"What abilities does Merlin's Gauntlet bring to its wielder?" Tom asked Borgin, eyeing the magical object closely. A visible crack ran down its palm from top to bottom. He figured common repair spells would not fix the damage. Neither would advanced spells, for that matter, or Dumbledore would have already mended it.

Borgin produced a brush from the bottom drawer and began dusting the gauntlet carefully. "Well… as we all know, Merlin was one of the few greats capable of wandless magic. However, very few are aware that he completely shed his wand and could perform the most complex spells without the aid of one. Imagine if he wielded a magical tool with much higher amplification capabilities than a wand."

Malfoy and Tom exchanged glances. So did Harry and Hermione.

"I don't understand… This gauntlet works like a wand?"

Borgin smiled and wrung his hands. His sales tactics were working. "You see, Merlin's gauntlet was his most prized creation, an idea that took decades to turn into something tangible. This object is the final and polished product of years of hard work by a magical genius…."

Tom felt annoyed. Why was Borgin not getting to the point? "Go on-"

The shopkeeper held out his hand. "Could I have a look at your wand, Mr. Riddle?"

"Err… sure." The boy retrieved his wand from his robe and handed it to Borgin.

The owner's eyes lit up. He sniffed the wood. "Ah! Yew with a phoenix's feather core. Interesting."

Borgin paused for a few moments admiring the boy's wand. "A wand's purpose is to channel and focus magical energy, isn't it, Mr. Riddle? The wand core determines the mood and caliber of the magical output. But you see… the core places limits on its wielder's powers. Many a wizard and witch have tried to install multiple cores or use multiple wands to cast spells, but it just wouldn't take. The basic wand design is so universal that there is no replacement. Until Merlin found a loophole."