The Legacy of Salazar

Obliviated

The task of informing Florean Fortescue and Silas of Merlin's disappearance into the Chamber of Secrets had not been an easy one. Snape had an appalling bedside manner, and his blunt style did not lend itself well to matters of emotional delicacy. His words had been met with shocked silence and the soft sniffling of worry.

He tried to say, "I have every reason to believe Merlin will stroll in here by morning," but his mind conjured up an image of a bloodied body beneath rubble, and the words became, "I'm sure he's all right," a decidedly less confident statement that did little to stop the fear on Silas's face.

"I'm sure he will be," Florean had agreed, wrapping the young boy in a tight hug.

That had been hours ago. At the moment, Silas dozed on a conjured couch while Florean held a cup of tea. And Snape tried not to tread a channel into the floor of his office with his pacing—try being the operative word.

The office door swung open.

As such a thing had been happening every twenty minutes since the announcement that the school would be closing, Snape barely glanced at his door and then was forced to look again. Because standing there was Merlin Evans, right arm soaked black with ink, in tow with a red-eyed Ginny Weasley.

Merlin saw Florean and Silas there and his eyes widened, but though Florean leapt to his feet and Silas began to stir he did not address them when he spoke. "I will explain what has happened tonight to your heart's content, but first there is a matter that must be addressed immediately."

The formal coldness in the boy's tone sent an uneasy shiver down Snape's spine. This did not bode well.

"Merlin—" came a nervous voice from the couch, and for a brief moment, Snape saw Merlin's frostiness melt. It was back in a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry Silas, but this can't wait."

"What is it?" Snape asked, taking a step toward the two of them. At once Miss Weasley's eyes filled with tears again, and she glanced at Merlin as if asking permission to speak first. She must've seen something there because she turned back to Snape, and took a deep breath.

"It's Professor Lockhart, sir. He found us coming out of the Chamber of Secrets and took us to his office, saying he would fire-call the Headmaster." She gulped another wave of fresh tears and shook her head wordlessly.

"He attacked us," Merlin finished, his eyes far colder than they had a right to be. "Well, attacked me. It seems he just couldn't stand the idea of not getting the credit for defeating the Heir of Slytherin."

"Is he—" Snape asked, in a bare whisper because to speak now would be too much for the utter fury and malcontent coursing through his veins.

"I've locked him in his office."

Snape decided not to question how. "Miss Weasley, please take a seat—I will be back shortly. Florean, if you could fire-call Professor McGonagall and tell her they'd been found, I would appreciate it."

"Of—of course," Florean said.

Ginny gave Merlin another look and Snape watched him nod before she went to take a seat on the couch. Merlin himself, however, turned around and walked back out of the office. Snape did not hesitate in following him.

"Were you injured?" Snape asked, taking in Merlin's ink-stained arm.

"No. I'm fine," Merlin replied in the same clipped tone. "Just a little tired of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors trying to kill me."

"What happened exactly," Snape asked, increasing the speed of his stride.

"Lockhart kept pushing for me to tell him about the chamber. I thought he was just being a nosy git like always, but now I realize he wanted as many details as he could to make the story his. He attacked out of nowhere, disarmed Ginny, and said that he would tell the story of how he had found the Chamber himself, saved Ginny, and defeated the Heir of Slytherin—me." Merlin clenched and unclenched his hands.

Snape had his wand out before they even entered the classroom. "Lockhart!" He roared as he scaled the steps of the soon-to-be-ex-professor's office. He nodded to Merlin to open the door, and the boy didn't even draw his wand. He had seen it before, of course, but watching Merlin coldly blast the door open with nothing more than a wave of his hand was far more unnerving than Snape had expected. But there wasn't time to dwell on that now—Snape strode into the office, wand raised.

"It seems you have some explaining to do."

Lockhart's office was—perfect. No sign at all of the scuffle that had occurred earlier. The man himself was sitting at his desk wearing a befuddled expression.

"Explain?" he repeated, looking blankly from Merlin to Snape. "Explain what?"

At that, Snape lost his temper. "You think you can just pretend it didn't happen?" he snarled, and he jabbed his wand at Lockhart. Ropes sprang from the air and bound him to the chair. Lockhart looked mystified, his mouth falling open.

"I say! I don't have any idea what you're on about, sir," he said, looking nervous now. "But you seem quite upset, so let me help. You don't need these."

If anything that only made Snape angrier. He waved his wand again. "Legilimens!" and suddenly, Snape understood. He dropped the spell and took a step back, a new kind of anger rocking his core.

"What is it?" Merlin asked softly next to him.

"The coward's wiped his own memory," Snape said through gritted teeth. At least Lockhart had the decency to look embarrassed by that. "Let me guess, you don't even know who I am? Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are ways to bring those memories back—" Illegal ones, but he was sure Merlin wouldn't mind—

"Severus," came a mild tone from behind them and Snape and Merlin turned to see Dumbledore standing behind them. If Snape had thought Merlin's blue eyes were severe, it was nothing compared to the cold fury in the Headmaster's. "Florean told me what happened," he said striding into the office and coming to stand in front of Lockhart.

"Ah, you're Dumbledore, aren't you?" Lockhart said, nervously.

"I am. And you don't need to remember what you did for us to pronounce judgment, I'm afraid. Two-eyewitness testimony's and your guilty conscious is enough." He turned to Snape and Merlin. "I've already notified the ministry, they'll be here to collect him shortly. In the meantime, I think it's time we return to Miss Weasley and listen to your tale, Merlin. I'm quite looking forward to it."