24th SEPTEMBER 1994 - 7:00 PM

"Wait, I'm sorry, did you just forget to mention that you are Merlin, the greatest sorcerer to have walked...no, to be walking the Earth over the past couple of years we've been friends?" Meera asked waving her hands rather aggressively.

"Well...I couldn't tell anyone...not unless it was necessary. I accidentally blurted it to Evie. I guess that was kinda fate...sometimes we have a choice at others we don't. It's the same for all of us." the Slytherin boy responded.

"And what kind of things do I not get a choice in? Being a seer? Well that's easy because I am not a seer." Meera exclaimed. "I mean...it doesn't make any sense my father has no magical blood in him whatsoever and my mother...well she seems to absolutely despise magic and doesn't want me to have anything to do with it considering she hid my first two Hogwarts letters." 

"Well has she ever talked to you about magic...told you any stories?" Har-Merlin asked. Meera shook her head. "Well sometimes our destiny doesn't always make sense Meera, these kind of things seem to be random but make sense once you gain more perspective. Just because your mother has never talked to you about magic doesn't mean there wasn't any in her line. Either way you're supposed to have divining capabilities which rival Morgana's"

"Kinda difficult considering you killed her." Meera said. Merlin paused at that looking rather uncomfortable. "Sorry, that was a bit crass...anyway, if I am the seer who is this other individual you are looking for? Evie?" Meera asked. "I mean logically speaking we are friends and she is the first person you revealed your true identity to..."

"I don't think so. I'm not sure why I trusted Evie with this information...she's just...very open minded you know..." Merlin replied.

"And I'm not?" Meera asked.

"Considering you are trying to rationalise fate like something in that ridiculous maths elective you do...no." Evie replied.

"Touché." Meera nodded, she turned to Har-Merlin. "Merlin...how do you know I am who you say I am?"

"Well, because of what you saw. There are other seers who have tried ot claim the title, yes, but the timing and conditions were never really right. Furthermore, many people in the divination community study prophecies written out by ancestors and in order to gain fame and attention they make claims that they are the seer. It's rather interesting and amusing, but quite easy to filter through. However, with you I never really saw it coming, I suppose Evie's right...fate does make the oddest choices at times." Merlin responded. 

"Trelawney says that Cassandra had this vision too...and wrote it down...how come she isn't the seer?" Meera asked. 

"Well as I said Meera the conditions weren't always right. Your question is valid, but you are the only one that Morgana has tried to manipulate..." 

"But I thought she's dead." Meera interrupted. "I saw it..."

"Yes, but the only reason the prophecy exists is because this seer is supposed to help fight against dark forces which will arise. I strongly believe that these dark forces are supposed to be Morgana considering she was my rival just as Mordred was to Arthur." Merlin explained. "I don't know how, but I strongly believe that she's back...and that she's gaining power. I think you actually saw her at the world cup. I also think Morgana is trying to distort the vision in order to manipulate you into believing I'm evil. However, you can hear everything being said, so you are clearly resisting it."

Meera opened her mouth to say something, but was at a loss for words. Currently, the three of them were discussing them in a corner of the courtyard. She pulled her cloak around her more tightly as she shivered. "Merlin..." She began uncertainly...the name still felt foreign and strange to use. "I don't know why, but I think the Quidditch World Cup wasn't where I had my first vision...it was actually before it. "

"Wait what? When? Why didn't you tell me?" Evie asked.

"It wasn't too long before it, in fact it was literally just the night before it...I mean...I always thought this dream was a bit strange, but I don't remember very much about it except..." Meera paused as she recalled the dream she'd had on the morning of the eighteenth. She remembered waking up rather abruptly.

"Except what?" Merlin asked

"Pain." Meera said finally. "The only thing I can remember about it vividly now is pain. I don't know who, what, where, when or why...I just know that someone was in terrible pain somewhere..." 

Meera noticed Evie and Merlin exchange glances. The Hufflepuff girl looked a little sceptical but Merlin looked worried. "Do you remember anything else? Any clues about where it might have been?" Merlin asked.

Meera shrugged. "There were trees and a lake maybe. And there were two different kinds of pain...one was from a man and the other was different...definitely from a woman."

"How can you tell?" Evie asked.

"The screams were different, the second one I heard was certainly more terrifying its the reason I woke up. The pain it carried was just...I don't know maybe that was just my overactive imagination." Meera shrugged.

"Maybe not." Merlin said. "I mean Morgana may have somehow made a connection with you recently...the connection doesn't have to be at the Quidditch world cup...do you think that's possible?"

"Well, Trelawney says she can sense the power oozing out of me or something." Meera shrugged. "Perhaps seers can sense other seers. Its the only thing that make any sense. Maybe just like Morgana reached out to me I accidentally reached out to her?"

"Maybe." Merlin nodded. "So over these two weeks, Evie and I have been reading several pieces of information...prophecies, seers etc."

"We wanted to be able to gather as much evidence and advice we could before confronting you." Evie said. Merlin nodded.

"That was quite considerate." Meera nodded. 

"It was Evie's idea." Merlin said. "She's been very helpful. Sometimes I wish, I'd told her sooner."

"Really?" Evie asked. Merlin nodded smiling. Evie looked away, focusing her attention on the bag by her foot.

"Perhaps we should discuss this tomorrow morning..." Meera suggested. "I know we don't have time to fool around, but you guys should have told me two weeks ago, if you were trying to save time."

Merlin nodded. She noticed Evie and Merlin stalling, taking a while to gather their things. Merlin 'accidentally' dropped his quill three times. 

"Well I'm going to go now...because I'm cold and I am hungry. You guys join whenever you feel like it." Meera said jogging back to the Great Hall. By the time she reached the Great Hall however, she ate sparsely, feeling that her appetite had depleted as what she had just heard began to sink in. Meera exhaled before prodding a fork into her food reluctantly. She wished she could be in the younger years again, where the work was less stressful and pressure free when life seemed to have a semblance of normality.

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25TH SEPTEMBER 1994 - 9:00 AM

Meera awoke in the Ravenclaw common room the next morning, dozing on the floor by the fireplace. She had several large books sprawled out around her each open in various pages. She noticed a Ravenclaw girl tip toeing around them to ensure she didn't damage the pages as everyone knew how particular Madam Pince was about her library books. "Sorry!" Meera called after the girl giving her a thumbs up as she managed to navigate around her work. 

She gathered as many books as she could and placed them in her bag, struggling to heave it up with the half dozen divination books. After skimming through some of these small volumes Meera had found absolutely nothing of use. The only thing she had gained was back pain from carrying these around. 

She hurried down the staircase, holding onto the railing tightly to ensure she didn't trip to her death as she weaved through the swarm of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors who were making their way to breakfast. 

"Meera!" she heard a voice call in the background,  but ignored it, eager to drop these books of at the library. "Hey wait up! You dropped one."

She paused and turned to see Cedric hurrying down the staircase holding up one of the books from her backpack. 

"Here let me take two, your bag looks like its going to burst." He said as he struggled to replace the book. "The Art of Divining...Unfogging the Future...I thought you dropped Divination."

"They were for one of the girls in my dorm." Meera lied. "She knew that I got an extra book allowance as a librarian."

She said nothing more as she continued her pace again. Madam Pince surveyed her rather critically as she ran into the library and slammed her backpack into a chair. Cedric was close behind her and placed the book on Madam Pince's desk. 

"I'm glad you finally got round to returning these Miss Ranga." She said dryly. "But you didn't have to put yourself under physical duress to do so." Meera nodded absently as she went through her pockets searching for the  note signed by Professor Trelawney to gain access to the Restricted Section.

Trelawney suggested that there would be more books there about the art of seeing that would be more suitable for someone as 'powerful' as herself.

"What do you want from the Restricted Section, Meera? I thought you didn't like the books there." Madam Pince said. Cedric chuckled causing the Ravenclaw girl to glare at him.

"I was 13 the last time I went there...I think I'll be fine now." Meera replied cringing internally at her self acclaimed 'PTSD'. "Anyway, thanks for your help Diggory. See you sometime later."

He was about to protest and follow her but Madam Pince stopped him. "You do not have an access pass to the Restricted Section, Mr Diggory. Any conversation you wish to have with Miss Ranga, must be conducted elsewhere. 

Meera made her way to the ribboned of section of the library scanning the slightly dusty books and picking out as many books as she could carry before making her way to one of the her favourite corners of the library. It was usually secluded and quiet allowing her to focus.

She placed the books on the little desk surrounded by the three armchairs before sitting down. She rested her head back on the armchair and stared up at nothing in particular.

It was a lovely day with clear skies and sunshine accompanied by a chilly breeze. Meera's seat was under a ray of sunshine providing a comforting warmth on her face that reminded her that she's safe and not dropping down in some bottomless pit in the middle of nowhere. She smiled to herself, closing her eyes to appreciate the moment.

Unfortunately, the universe seems to hate her these days and a familiar drawling voice rudely interrupted the peace she was trying to appreciate. "What are you doing in the library on a weekend morning, with books from the Restricted Section?"

"Since when did you even know the library existed?" Meera asked, moving her head so that she was no longer looking up, but looking directly at Malfoy.

The pale faced fourth year sat opposite her and regarded the books on the table in front of him.

"I didn't welcome you to sit with me." Meera said dryly, as she lazily draped her scarf over her legs. She then straightened in her seat and got one of the larger books and rested it in her lap. She began to scan the contents page, thoroughly ignoring the insufferable weasel of a boy in front of her.

"I have important information about your friend Harris. He's not who you think he is." Malfoy said finally. "He's an ancient sorcerer."

Meera looked and rose her eyebrows at him. She maintained a facade of cool scepticism and looked back down at her book. However, as soon she'd heard what he said, her grip on her book tightened ever so slightly. As she realised he wasn't leaving she rolled her eyes and scoffed exasperatedly.

"Right! And I'm the Queen of India and the Goddess of Fish who was raised by a dolphin who found me floating on a lily pad in the middle of the Indian Ocean." She retorted sarcastically.

"No! I'm serious! He is Merlin the painting of Sir Cadogan knows him. Your friend Evie knows! Ask her!" He said. "You have to help me expose him! Who knows what his motives are..."

Malfoy wasn't wrong about the last point. Meera didn't know much about what Merlin actually wanted to do.

What if Morgana isn't actually evil?

But the dream contradicts that. She wanted to watch her brother die.

"What are you gonna say next Malfoy? That I'm planning to play Quidditch for England?" Meera asked sarcastically.

"Hey..." Evie said cheerily as she arrived with Merlin. She then realised Malfoy was there and exchanged glances with Merlin and frowned quizzically at Meera. Malfoy noticed the looks they exchanged. A few minutes later his eyes widened with realisation.

"You know, don't you?! You know who he is! You know he's an ancient sorcerer!" He exclaimed accusingly. "You're plotting together! My father will hear of this!"

Malfoy got up to storm out, but Evie grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and pushed him back into the armchair. "You spread a word of any of this. Harris will..."

"Evie..." Meera raised her hand to stop the Hufflepuff girl's tirade. She placed the book in her lap on the table and rested back into the arm chair. Evie looked at her to protest but she noticed the deadpan look on her friend's face indicating her impatience and stepped aside, letting go of the Slytherin boy.

"Malfoy what you are saying is preposterous and if you say such things then you're going to get a drastically different kind of drama to the one you're hoping for." Meera said calmly.  "The kind which ruins your father's reputation as his son becomes perceived as Hogwarts next madman. Do you really think your father will be such absurd accusations?" 

She rearranged her scarf whilst Malfoy struggled to respond to her composed demeanour.

"I...I mean...oh shut up! My father would trust me!" Malfoy responded, but his eyes would no longer meet Meera's. "I am his blood after all!"

"You want to believe that but we both know you can't. So why don't you quit making a scene and mind your own business?" Meera suggested coolly. Malfoy looked between the three of them and then left without a word. As Evie and Merlin took his place Meera replaced the book in her lap.

"Do I still have to meet with Trelawney?" she asked.

"Yep. She's the best you've got for understanding your dreams...sometimes they could be symbolic." Merlin replied. He chuckled at her dejected expression and she glared at him throwing a small bit of wrapper that she had from her pocket.

"Did you have breakfast?" Evie asked. "More importantly, did you sleep?"

"Uh...yeah. I was doing some homework last night and then I fell asleep at some point, can't remember when." Meera replied.

"You didn't sleep in the common room again did you?" Evie asked disapprovingly. 

"No! Of course not!" Meera lied. "Don't be silly."

"Yes you did! You're even wearing the same clothes! Come on we need to get you looking presentable." Evie said, dragging the Ravenclaw out of her armchair. 

"But we have to go all the way up again!" Meera complained.

"No we don't I'll lend you some of my clothes, Hufflepuff's common room isn't that far." Evie said. Meera relented and followed her friend out of the library. "We're then getting you something to eat and then going back to reading, got it?" 

"Yes mother." Meera replied, pushing her glasses up her face and pulling her hair out. Evie glared at her and Meera laughed. 

Despite the fact that her entire perspective on normality had been skewed by this week, she was glad that she and Evie could still enjoy these kind of moments.  Honestly, she hopes they never will as it seemed rather unfair to her that just because one woman didn't get what she wanted everyone else's life gets messed up.