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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 95: The Battle in the Lake, Part 2
Everyone present could do nothing but watch in shock as the water entity ripped the last two men into several bloody pieces that then fell onto the waters, to serve as food for the creatures living in it.
"Merlin! He really didn't need our help, huh?" commented Tonks, earning a strange look from Dumbledore, who now had a high certainty that this person may indeed be Merlin, making that expression a bit awkward to use in front of him.
"What is that water creature?" Moody turned to the Headmaster. "Did you know there's something like that living in the lake?"
"I did not," Dumbledore simply responded.
The Dark Mark disappeared from the sky as Harry was brought back to the platform.
"Those Death Eaters…I recognized some of them," said Mister Crouch. "They should have been locked in Azkaban."
"They were all wearing the same rags used by the inmates." Ludo Bagman added. "I…I think I should contact the Minister about this."
The champions, who were still half recovering after being forcefully brought outside of the water, saw Harry approaching on top of the water construct and land on the platform.
"What…is that?" Cedric mumbled while struggling to get away.
"Don't be rude," Harry told him. "This is the spirit of the Black Lake, and today he had saved you all."
One of the water limbs got closer to Harry, and he touched it gently with the palm of his hand.
"Thank you for your help, Great Spirit. Mmm?...ok, I will tell them."
The creature's body began to lose its shape and soon went back to being just water, merging with the rest of the lake.
The waters returned to a tranquil state.
"What did he say?" Dumbledore asked.
"He said he was glad to have been able to protect the school. This spirit had been here for far longer than Hogwarts, but it appears that he has grown attached to the humans living here," Harry explained.
Usually, forces of nature didn't care for humans, as long as they respected the balance, but sometimes they can become attached to people and try to protect them from danger.
"Be grateful. It is a very rare thing for a spirit wanting to act in the defense of others," Harry added.
"Of course…" Dumbledore hurried to say. His eyes kept moving to the calm waters. "We are very grateful."
"Yes, very grateful indeed," McGonagall was making a troubled expression.
The Headmaster brought the platform to shore, and people immediately began to descend.
McGonagall went on to speak with the audience and try to explain what had just happened to the confused students.
Only Dumbledore and Harry remained on top.
"So, I take it that the task is complete," said Harry.
"Yes…I suppose it is." Dumbledore glanced at the other three champions as they were taken to the nurse's tent for a check-up. "Although you were the only one who managed to complete the task. Im not sure what we are going to do about the points yet."
Harry shrugged. "I already told you. I have no intention of taking the prize away from one of those children. It would not be fair for them. I'm merely participating out of an obligation because a certain someone…made me."
Dumbledore scratched his beard. "I believe I already apologized for that, Mister Potter. At that moment, I felt like I had no other choice. No other way to locate you."
"You thought you were doing the right thing. And perhaps you were." Harry had to admit that if it weren't for Dumbledore forcing him into the tournament, he would never have learned about the return of the Dark Lord until it was too late to save the country from him.
"Anyway…I shall take my leave for now. Let me know if more of those Death Eaters begin to show, or if there is any clue about the location of the Dark Lord. The sooner we are done with this, the better for me. I don't like having too many things on my plate at the same time."
"Wait, Mister Potter." Dumbledore called for him as he prepared to apparate away.
"Yes?"
"There is something I have been meaning to ask you."
"Is it about what you have witnessed today?" Harry asked. "I cannot tell you much about the spirits. Some things I'm only willing to pass on to a proper apprentice."
Dumbledore shook his head. He had already figured that Harry was not going to reveal his secrets to him. "It's about the name you used during the chant to contact the lake's spirit. You said you were…Myrddin. Is that who you truly are?"
Harry smiled. "You once asked me that same question. And I answered it truthfully. I am Harry Potter."
"And before that?" Dumbledore said.
"That…is a more interesting question." Harry moved his staff, and the runes along its surface began to emanate a potent light. "What do you think, Mister Dumbledore?"
Before the Headmaster could answer, Harry had disappeared.
"What do I think?" Dumbledore stood there, looking at the empty space left behind and the traces of his magic. It felt powerful, ancient, and unrestrained.
Harry never confirmed it, but Dumbledore knew the answer already. His mind had already been made up, and there was no longer any doubt in his heart.
This person…this young wizard is truly carrying the legacy of the legendary Merlin on his shoulders.
He did not know if he was the reincarnation of Camelot's Sorcerer or merely a distant descendant who had acquired some of his ancestor's lost knowledge.
"I suppose that the 'how' matters a bit less than the 'who'," Dumbledore said to himself.
"Regardless of how it happened…Merlin has returned to us."
He could not help but feel a bit sorry for Voldemort, who could not have chosen a worse time to make his return, having no idea of what he was dealing with.
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