Merlin's Descendant 2

Happy Birthday

Y/N was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. His heart beating very fast, Y/N stood listening to the chill silence. 

He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, he thought he saw one stir.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Y/N had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above. It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.

***

"Oi, wake up."

Y/N opened his eyes. He was lying on the camp bed in Ron's dingy bedroom. The sun had not yet risen and the room was still shadowy. P/N was asleep in a loaf position.

"You were muttering in your sleep." 

"Was I?"

"Yeah. 'Ginny.' You kept saying 'Ginny'."

Y/N sat up, now wide awake. He tried to remember exactly what he had seen in the dream but all that came back was a very long, dimly lit chamber.

"I think it's abroad."

"Who or what?"

"The Location. I think it's somewhere abroad. It didn't look like anywhere in Britain."

"You reckon you were seeing danger?"

Ron sounded worried.

"Do me a favour and don't tell anybody," Y/N said.

He gazed up at P/N's cage, thinking. Why was Ginny in his dream?

"I think she's got something to do with the danger. I think Hogwarts is in danger again." He said slowly.

"Danger? Is Ginny in danger?" Ron asked.

"No, I hope not," Y/N said.

"I try not to either. Well, happy birthday anyway." Ron said.

"Wow- that's right, I forgot! I'm 12!"

"Here's your present. Unwrap it up here, it's not for my mother's eyes."

"A book? Bit of a departure from tradition, isn't it?" Y/N asked as he took the rectangular parcel.

"This isn't your average book. It's pure gold: Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches. Explains everything you need to know about girls. Well, Fred and George gave me a copy and I've learned a lot. You'd be surprised, it's not all about wandwork, either." Ron said.

***

When they arrived in the kitchen they found a pile of presents waiting on the table. Mrs Weasley stood chatting to Ginny while cooking.

"Arthur told me to wish you a Happy Birthday, Y/N. He had to leave early for work but he'll be back for dinner. That's our present on top." Mrs Weasley said, beaming at him.