Chapter 28: Merlin and Sebastian's song 

"Eight things," Lucy whispered to herself. "Eight little things I promised dad I would do." 

It was a terribly cold day at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardy, everyone had kept themselves inside to avoid getting hypothermia. Lucy had decided to keep herself indoors all day (apart from when she had to go to her next lesson) to avoid the horrible weather. Yet, everywhere she went now she felt she was being an unsociable person...it was as though she was detaching herself from the world and becoming a shadow. 

Seeing as Shona had been put in a permanant detention, Snape had been fired, the old WA and DA members wouldn't even dare look at her, Harry didn't seem in a talkative mood and as for Fred...he seemed to not be around anymore...

Well, she had Jessica who was more than willing than she knew to help...but it didn't feel right to share her problem's with her father's ex-girlfriend who was head of the so called 'Resistance.' Even if Snape had encouraged her to talk to her if she needed help. 

So, as Lucy had no one to engage conversation with today she had decided to venture off into one of the empty classrooms of Hogwarts...there were few objects in the room, a fake knight and a chair in the middle of the room in which Lucy was sitting on with Merlin's sword rested on her lap. 

"Eight things," Lucy prepared to herself once again. "Count them," she hissed the words through gritted teeth as though she was biting into each word, showing her frustration. "One, be brave. Two don't cry. Three, speak with Jessica. Four, carry out any duties related to Zuc. Five, study for the O.W.L.S. Six, write to dad every day. Seven, stay with Shona and eight...practice sword fighting." 

Lucy stared at the knight stationed directly opposite her and held Merlin's sword tightly in her pale hand. She stood up and approached the knight and then without warning, swung her sword. The sword made contact with the metal and a massive 'clang' rang around the room and rattled her eardrums. 

She stared at the knight's shoulder and it had received a scratch from the sword she was using. It seemed like a pretty impressive scratch but would it really finish off a real knight when the time came? Obviously not. 

Lucy became suddenly frozen. 

When the time came. 

No, she couldn't fool herself any longer. 

Zuc would one day be able to get over to England and hunt her down and snatch her. He would drag her to the medieval islands and demand the whereabouts of the orb. If he didn't do that, he'd bring all his troops and kill every last man and woman until he had the orb...it was that simple. Zuc couldn't care less if he walked out the entire population of England. All he needed was the orb. 

"Calm down," Lucy told herself flatly and clutched the sword tightly, as though showing it her frustration. "It's not going to happen, it's just your imagination." 

"You wish," a voice in the back of her head said. 

Lucy sighed and then her sword made contact with the knight's helmet, it didn't knock it off instead it made a dull and hollow clanging sound. She attacked the knight several times, the same clanging sound filled the room. It seemed to get louder over the short period of time. Lucy's expression turned from sadness and frustration to anger and hate as she chopped off the knight's arm and it fell to the floor. 

And that's when she heard voices. 

She halted with the sword above her head. Her heart pounded loudly and she knew that now she was really done for. Umbridge must have heard her sword fighting and was about to enter the classroom and put her in a permanent detention with Shona and confiscate Merlin's sword for good. 

But...this voice didn't sound like Umbridge's. It was definitely a male's voice. She listened more closely and for a moment she thought it was Dumbledore's voice...but that was impossible. Dumbledore had left Hogwarts...and now Lucy could identify two male voices. 

They were both harmonising together not in celebration nor in gloom. It was a neutral tone the two were using as they sung some old song that they had presumably heard or made themselves...

She could now hear the words clearly and it was as though she was there with the two people. They were sitting opposite each other in a small homely cottage, it was obvious they were great friends...Lucy could not make any more observations as she was hypnotised by their words: 

Far over the medieval islands lay 

And our battle we cannot delay 

The bravest will venture 

On a dangerous adventure 

They will not survive it 

Unless they learn to fight it 

Our bravest descendants 

Will do it right

The man on the far right looked up and seemed to stare straight at Lucy. He didn't say anything but his face was full of shock and just as Lucy was pulled away from the vision, the other man followed his gaze and was just about to look when it ended. 

Lucy shook herself mentally as she took in what had happened. She couldn't quite comprehend it and was quite certain who the two men were. Especially the one who had stared at her first. 

The man who had followed the first man's gaze was Sebastian. 

And the first man was Merlin. 

*      *      * 

"Heading back to your prison cell?" Lucy asked miserably to Shona after another potions lesson taught by Lucy herself.

"We've got the group detention today, remember?" Shona half smiled and steered her in the direction of the great hall. 

"Oh, I forgot," Lucy mumbled something else to herself as people stared at her and Shona as they made their way towards the great hall where other people were already stood. 

Lucy saw Harry and waved but he turned away, the other old DA and WA members turned away from her wearing looks of disgust. Lucy bowed her head and a small part of her hoped that a letter from Snape was waiting for her in her room, something to look forward to. 

"Don't worry about it," Shona whispered in her ear and she nodded miserably as the great hall doors opened and Umbridge stood there happily. 

"Come in, children," Umbridge smiled sweetly like she was the child catcher. Lucy shivered unintentionally. 

The group of students slouched into the great hall and sat in a desk each. Lucy, Shona and Harry were forced to take desks at the front as all the desks at the back were the first to go; this obviously pleased Umbridge as she sat on her throne at the front of the room. 

"You'll be writing lines for me today," Umbridge whispered. "I'm sure Miss Snape and Mr. Potter are very familiar with this method. So, I would like you all to write 'I will not form secret organisations behind the ministries back.'" Umbridge announced and Hermione raised her hand. "No ink will be recquired." Hermione's hand fell. "Now...begin." 

Lucy glared at the piece of parchment in front of her which would be soon full of lines. Her left hand fell next to the paper; this would be the hand that received the sentence 'I will not form secret organisations behind the ministries back.' Another scar to add to the others. 

"Miss Snape," Umbridge called from the front of the room. Lucy looked up miserably. "I said you could begin." 

Lucy nodded and picked up the quill in her right hand and pressed it against the parchment. She began writing the line which would soon be etched into her brain as much as it was on her hand. 

She had got to three lines when the sentence Umbridge had told them to write was on her hand, it was faint but it was there. She winced but carried on going. 

She had reached ten lines when the pain really started getting to her, she began biting her lip to try and distract herself but that only made her lip bleed. When she looked down, her hand left hand was bleeding too. 

She turned to right and saw Harry was having a hard time too. She looked back down at her paper and continued. 

When she had got to twenty-five lines she placed her left hand over her mouth and the blood ran down her hand and onto her school shirt. She had now closed her eyes to prevent herself from crying, it was completely and utterly agonising. 

'Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry...it's what Umbridge wants and what dad told you not to do...don't cry, don't cry, don't cry...' She repeated this to herself over and over until Umbridge's annoying cough echoed through the room. 

"Thank you, students, you may leave." 

There was suddenly a mad rush towards the exit. Lucy, however was right at the front. She barged past everyone and ran to the dungeons. She knew Snape would have written back to her now, she just knew it and even if he hadn't, she would be writing to him. 

"Lucy!" Jessica called as she ran towards the stairs. "Lucy, wait!" 

"What is it?" Lucy asked quickly, edging towards her ever so slightly now that she had stopped running towards the stairs. 

"Your father wrote to you." Jessica handed her a letter. 

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness, I'm going to my room." 

Before Jessica could protest, Lucy ran to her room. She flung her school bag on the floor (startling Angus), ripped off her school tie and sat down on her bed and clasped Snape's letter. She tore it open without hesitation and began to read:

Dear Lucy 

Jessicca is teaching potions? Well, at least you get to stay where you are. But it's not good that you're not being taught anything. I think I'm needed back at Hogwarts...but I can't come back. I'm sure Umbridge will need me back soon though, she enjoyed using veritserum on students who needed punishing. 

McGuire has a permanent detention? Oh what a pity...I think I already had her in one of those. Professor Umbridge still won't stand a chance at the amount of detentions I give out.

Lucy, you must study. Your O.W.L.S are not long away! I suggest you pick up a textbook immediately, young lady! I will not have my own daughter fail her O.W.L.S from lack of studying and not trying! Your O.W.L.S are the key to your future so get studying. 

Wishing you well

Love, dad

Lucy placed down Snape's letter and grabbed herself a fresh piece of parchment and began writing a reply as quick as she could, despite the pain in her left hand: 

To Dad 

Please come back to Hogwarts, dad! I really miss you! I know you can't but I really wish for you to be here. I'm so lonely with all Shona's free time gone and I've already told you about Jessica. Plus, all the old Dumbledore's and Wizarding Army members won't talk to me! They look at me like I'm some sort of criminal! As well as that we had a group detention today, my hand is bleeding worse than ever...

I am going to study, I promise...but I really want you to come back, just to have you here would make everything better. I'd have someone to talk to, I'm so lonely now and I want you here more than ever. 

Please, find a way to come back. 

Lucy x 

She sealed the envelope with her letter inside and put it in the beak of the owl that was perched on her windowsill. It took it happily and then flew off to Spinners end without instructions. It obviously knew where this letter had to go. 

As she watched the owl fly away she laid down on her bed and thought about what had happened earlier while she had been sword fighting. She was certain she had seen Merlin and Sebastian and Merlin had seen her. Surely not. 

Well, the part about Merlin seeing her didn't seem true. How could he have seen her? He was most definitely dead. He had died centuries ago and would never be seen again, it was simple. 

But the song he and Sebastian sung had a great tune — no, the tune didn't matter. A fool would focus on the tune, a smart person would focus on the meaning. The meaning...what was the meaning? 

Far over the medieval islands lay — The medieval islands were far away and the line made them almost sound like a myth (which most thought they were.) 

And our battle we cannot delay — Merlin and Sebastian's battle? Surely there was some fighting between Lord Vasil and Merlin and Sebastian. They couldn't delay the battle because the Wizarding world was in peril.

The bravest will venture — Who are the bravest? Was the line referring to 'only' the bravest would set out on this mad journey? Or was it Merlin and Sebastian referring to themselves that they were the bravest and there were none braver?

On a dangerous adventure — Obviously meaning that it was one of the most terrifying things to do in your life...but you had to be chosen to go on this said adventure. 

They will not survive it, unless they learn to fight it — Obviously not, it was such a dangerous journey and if they didn't learn to fight it they'd be dead.

Our bravest descendants — That was most certainly referring to Lucy, Snape and Shona. If not, Lucy didn't know who. 

Will do it right — Will do what right? What was up ahead for the gifted? That was the question...

What was really ahead for the gifted? 

Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.