Amelia Merlin

Part Sixty Six: The Harcos wolf

"In this class we will learn about the lifestyle and the culture of Muggles." Professor Burbage smiled at the class in front of her. "How many of you have had experience interacting with muggles?"

A few people put up their hands and Oliver whispered to Amelia. "I'e had a little too much experience."

"I still don't understand why you're taking this class. You're muggle born so it's completely pointless!"

"Yeah but I'm guaranteed a great mark!" He winked and ran a hand through his curls. Amelia rolled her eyes and started copying the notes that had appeared on the black board. Muggle studies was interesting enough and Amelia knew a bit about their culture from all the muggle literature that she read.

Hermione was also in their class and she answered every question the teacher asked. Unlike Oliver, Hermione was actually interested in the class and wasn't just there to get an easy mark. Which Amelia thought was weird but respectable.

Amelia was thoroughly enjoying the new subjects. She had art and ancient studies as extra curricula's and she absolutely loved them. Art was fascinating, they started with drawing the human form and Amelia loved working with charcoal and being so expressive with her lines.

But one of the most exciting classes had to be Care of Magical Creature. Before the class started Amelia had an idea and went to go see Hagrid early. She knocked on the door of his hut.

"Merlin! What are ye doin here?"

"I need to ask you something professor." She said quickly. "It's about magical creatures.

Hagrid puffed out his chest and looked proud. "Well yeh've come ter the righ' place!" He ushered her inside and she sat down on the giant armchair where her legs didn't touch the ground. "It's got ter be quick, I got class startin soon."

"Right I'll just get straight to the point. I want to know about wolves."

"Wolves?" He looked strangely at her.

"Yes. Are there any magical wolves or something? Or cool species?"

Hagrid scratched his beard thoughtfully. "The on'y one I can think of are the Harcos wolves. But I think they migh' be extinct. No ones seen 'em fer as long as I know."

"Anything you know could really help me." She tried to keep the eagerness at bay.

"So the Harcos wolves are bred fer individual people. When the pups are born, they chosen fer someone then the breeder trains them fer tha' person. So if yer a farmer and yer lucky enough to get one, the breeder would train it ter do all sorts of farming stuff and it'd be dead useful too." He paused regarding her almost warily before continuing. "These wolves can grow ter be bigger than a horse. Their stronger than a giant and they live until their master dies. Mind you, their wicked smart an' able ter do anythin' their owner needs. An' I mean anythin'"

"What do they look like?" Amelia had to know if the wolf from her dreams was indeed a Harcos wolf.

"Their usually grey." Hagrid shrugged. "But the ones bred fer royalty and such are a sorta gold colour."

"Royalty?" She said shocked. "What would a wolf do for royalty?"

"Protect them. Be more loyal than any person you can imagine. They would carry their person in ter battle and rip apart enemies." He sounded so wistful, Amelia expected Hagrid would quite like a Harcos wolf. But before he could tell her more, he whisked her outside to start the Care for Magical Creatures class.

Amelia could hardly listen. The wolf from her dreams sounded an awful lot like a Harcos wolf. Could it be? But then that meant she was royalty, if only gold wolves were given to royalty. But she wasn't. She was Amelia Merlin, and just that, no princess or queen came before her name. Everything fit except for the royalty part.

Distantly she heard Hagrid explaining how amazing the Hippogriff in front of them was, but Amelia couldn't listen. The Hippogriff was beautiful but the wolf was more important.

Once again Amelia had the strong sensation she was playing a game she didn't know all the rules for. Or building a chair without all the pieces or any of the instructions.

She was so immersed in her own thoughts Amelia didn't even realize Draco Malfoy had just been scratched by the Hippogriff. It wasn't until Lavender waved a hand frantically in front of her face that she actually came around.

She decided that the time had come for her to understand what was going on in her life. To make sense of her dreams and to figure out who Akkedis was and what he wanted. The perfect opportunity came the next day in History of Magic.

"Your project for this term," professor Binns wheezed. "Will be to choose an ancient wizarding family and find out everything you can. There is a list on the blackboard you can choose from."

"Professor?" Amelia raised her hand.

"Yes?" He looked vaguely bewildered.

"Could I do my own family?" It seemed like a good place to start if she was going to figure all this out.

"It has to be and ancient wiz-"

"It is!" She cut him off and the ghost looked perfectly disgruntled. "My family is the Merlin family."

"Very well then." He sighed and went back to his work.

"You're just doing that so you'll get a good mark!" Seamus chastised.

"Am not! I want to learn more about my lineage. What's so wrong about that?" She replied innocently.

That evening Amelia headed to the library and found a book about ancient families. The Merlin's had five chapters all to themselves. She cracked open the spine and started to read.

The Histories and Legends of the Merlin Family

It seemed stranger her heart would be beating so fast but it was. Amelia soaked in the words of the first chapter like gospel.

The Merlin's are a prominent family in wizarding history. Their legends however are much more fascinating. For more information turn to page 439.

So of course, Amelia turned to page 439. And what she read would set the course of her entire life.