o'clock this afternoon. Prescott's crew will arrive and they will get their tour. There is hardly any way to prevent it, after all, considering Mr. Prescott's very ingenious fail-safes. You may accompany us, but please do not attempt to interfere. It would not go well for you. But I am sure I do not need to tell you that, do I?'
'Did you have a nice snooze down there by the front doors?' Zane said lightly as Sacarhina turned away. She stopped, and then very slowly turned back toward Zane.
'Whatever could you mean, young man?' she asked. Harry was looking at Zane with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
Zane went on, 'You two were both down there to meet Merlin when he made his grand entrance last night, but he was apparently looking for bigger fish than you, wasn't he? He gave you both the old evil eye and froze you on the spot. Come on, now, that's gotta hurt.'
Sacarhina's smile eased back onto her face, as if it was the default expression at times when her brain was working hard on something else. Her eyes moved back to Harry. 'I simply don't know what you've been filling these poor children's heads with, Mr. Potter, but it really doesn't do for Ministry officials to tell such stories. Merlin, of all things.' She shook her head vaguely, then turned and walked through the archway with Mr. Recreant following nervously.
'You sure have a way with people, Zane,' Harry said, grinning and ruffling the boy's hair.
'My dad says it's a gift,' Zane agreed. 'My mom says it's a curse. Who can tell?'
'It looked like Miss Sacarhina was more confused than angry,' Ralph mused as they walked through the archway, leaving the Sylvven Tower.
'Could be,' Harry replied. 'It might be that everyone Merlin put to sleep forgot about him as well. She may have no recollection of his coming last night.'
'So she still expects him to show up when she takes Prescott and his crew on the grand tour?'
'Perhaps. Although it won't trip her up for long when he doesn't show. Merlin's probably halfway across the Forbidden Forest by now, getting directions from the tree sprites, now that they're apparently awakened.'
James stopped in the middle of the corridor. A few paces later, Harry stopped as well and turned to look back at his son. James' face was wide-eyed and thoughtful. Suddenly, he blinked and looked at his dad.
'I need to go to the Forbidden Forest,' he said. 'It's not too late. Dad, will you come with me? Zane, Ralph, you too?'
Harry didn't ask his son any questions. He studied James' face for several seconds, and then glanced down at Zane and Ralph. 'What do you two think? You up for playing a little hooky?'
James walked purposefully into the forest, followed at a short distance by Harry, Zane, and Ralph. He threaded through the smaller trees at the perimeter, heading into the deeper heart of the forest, where the trees were huge and ancient and the sun was all but blocked out by rafters of dense foliage. For several minutes, the foursome walked in silence, and then, finally, James stopped. He turned on the spot, looking up into the shushing leaves and gently creaking branches. There were no other sounds. Harry, Zane, and Ralph stood twenty feet away, watching quietly. James closed his eyes for a moment, thinking, and then opened them again and spoke.
'I know a lot of you aren't awake,' he began, looking up into the looming heights of the trees, 'and I know that some of you who are awake aren't on our side. But the ones who are will hear me, and I hope you'll help. Merlin is out there somewhere. He may be far, far away by now, but even so, I think you know where he is. He talks to you, and I am betting you talk to him, too. I know tree sprites can talk, because we've already met one of you. I have a message for Merlin.'
James stopped and took another deep breath, not entirely sure what he meant to say. It had simply occurred to him that he should try. He had been used by Delacroix to help bring Merlin into the world, despite the best efforts of those who'd wished to prevent it. The knowledge that he'd allowed himself to be manipulated was horrible to him. All this time, he'd believed he was doing good, saving the world from evil, walking in the steps of his hero father. And yet his best intentions had been warped against him, against the world he'd hoped to protect. He'd tried to do it alone, like his dad had done, but he'd failed. He'd aided evil. And now evil expected him to give up. James didn't intend to give up, though. Maybe now he could try to help in a different way. It was probably a long shot, probably utterly hopeless, but he had to try. Maybe this was his way, after all.
'Merlin,' James said uncertainly, 'you said that Austramaddux made a mistake in bringing you to our time. You said he was selfish, that he just wanted to get out of the duty he swore to you. But Headmistress McGonagall thinks that you're wrong. She thinks that this is the very time you were meant to return to, because this world needs your help to stop a war that might destroy us all. Well… I know I'm just a kid, but I think you're both wrong.'
James glanced back at his dad. Harry gave a small shrug and nodded.
'I listened to everything you said, and what everybody said after you left, and I think you were brought to this time because you need something. You don't know for sure if you've really ever done right or wrong. You don't know if you controlled your powers or if they controlled you. I think the truth is that the world does need you now, but that you need this world, too. This is your chance--maybe your last chance--to prove that you are a good wizard after all. People have wondered for centuries whether you were good or bad, but who cares what the rest of history says about you? If you know in your own heart that you did the right thing when it really mattered, then it doesn't matter what anybody else says. I don't say this because I understand it myself yet, but at least I'm trying to learn it. You're in this time no matter what, Merlin. Whoever brought you here means for you to rescue the world, but… I think you're also here to be rescued from yourself.'
James finished and sighed. He looked up, craning his neck and squinting, searching the trees for some sign that his message had been heard, and that it might be delivered. The leaves simply continued to skirl and shush in the breeze. The branches creaked quietly to themselves. After a minute, James stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked disconsolately back to his dad, Ralph, and Zane.
Zane clapped James on the shoulder as they turned to leave. 'That was the hokiest pile of salami I've ever heard,' he said jovially. 'But I think you meant it. I liked it, even if it never does get to Merlin's ears.'
'Did you come up with that all by yourself?' Ralph asked. James shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
Harry didn't say anything as they walked, but he put his arm around James' shoulder and kept it there the whole way back. James thought it meant his dad approved, even if it wasn't the way he himself would have done it. And then James realized, with some contentment, that his dad approved because it wasn't the way he'd have done it. James smiled and enjoyed that moment of quiet revelation. Maybe learning this truth--the sort of truth that one has to learn on his own, despite all the people who'd tried to teach it with mere words--was worth everything that had happened so far. He only hoped that it was worth more than what might still be to come.
Harry joined James, Zane, and Ralph for a very late breakfast in the house-elf kitchens below the Great Hall. James noticed that the house-elf operating the enormous stove bellows was the grumpy house-elf who'd told the three boys they were on probation. He eyed them with unguarded suspicion, but didn't say anything. They
