The Legacy of Salazar

Of Mourning and Teaching

But Merlin did not have time to worry about the building resentment within Salazar, for Morgana returned with a vengeance, Mordred in tow, and laid siege to all he knew and loved. And in Camlann the final battle drenched the earth with blood, and though Mordred fell—Arthur sustained a grievous wound.

At Merlin's anguished roar, the Dragon Kilgharrah picked both him and Arthur from the battlefield. Only those who were there that day know what happened next, and when he returned Merlin saw no need to correct the legends growing and spreading.

But, even with all his magicks, Merlin had not been able to heal his friend. He had laid him to rest by the Sidhe of Avalon, returning Excalibur to the waters from whence it came—safe from his enemies, and unreachable by Morgana and her sorcery. He had returned to Camelot to find the torches lit.

He found Guinevere in the throne room, crown upon her head, and she cast her tear-filled eyes behind him for the shadow of the man she loved. But no one followed him inside, and wet drenched her cheeks.

Merlin's voice caught in his throat. The grief he had held back as he travelled broke against the dam and he threw his arms around her. They held each other in tearful silence, as the court drew back and the mourners filled the air with their cries. Merlin stayed there for the funeral procession, watched the coronation as Guinevere took over the mantle of leadership. But Merlin saw the way their enemies pressed close—Morgana was emboldened by her victory, and he knew it was a matter of time before she came to steal the throne away.

Outside Camelot, the whispers raised their volume. King Arthur had allowed magic and look at what happened to him. Queen Guinevere could see the shift, just as he did and knew the days of Albion were numbered.

"What should we do?" she asked him. She had sent all her advisors away, all her attendants, the court empty save for the two of them illuminated by candlelight. "All he managed to create, all we accomplished—they'll destroy it all."

Merlin held her hands, and she looked up at him.

"I don't want to see you sent back to those dark days of terror and persecution," she whispered. "But Camelot is surrounded by cruel men who do not wish to see my rule. They do not want to see the beauty in what you are, and what you can do."

"I know."

"Then what do I do? How do I protect you, Merlin?"

"You have always been good to me, Gwen," Merlin said with a smile. "You have sheltered druids, and worked so hard to improve the lives of your people. So, allow me to protect you and all of Albion one last time."

This was Merlin's answer to the Pendulum Problem. He inscribed every wall of Camelot with runes, calling upon the Old Religion to imbue magic upon the land. He poured out his heart, his soul, and spoke ancient words that would vanish the castle from this land.

"You will not exist in any realm they can find," he explained to Guinevere, as he stood in the courtyard.

"You're not coming, are you?"

"I have another battle to fight, yet."

Guinevere nodded and brought the golden blade in her hand across her palm to slice a sacrifice to the Old Religion—allowing her blood to splatter over the sigil carved into the centre stone of the courtyard. Then, she passed the blade to the Gaius, and with a soft smile at Merlin he added his blood and passed it to the next person, and they passed it on to the next, for Merlin had explained that every person who wished to reside would need to tie themselves to the earth.

"When King Arthur rises again, and Albion restored—the enchantment will break and Camelot will return."

And Merlin stepped back as Camelot vanished in a wave of thick, pulsing magic. Cobblestones faded, towers melted against the sky, and Merlin watched the sad smile of Guinevere as her lips formed, "Thank you," and then he blinked—and he stood alone. And there, in front of him, towering and ancient, stood a yew tree without leaves.

"I will wait until you blossom again," he whispered, pressing his palm against the bark. And then he turned and strode away.

In the wake of a growing movement that feared magic, Merlin returned to where he thought he might be most useful—Hogwarts. He wanted to share his knowledge, and help a new generation of witches and wizards understand their magic and how best to use it.

Up until that point, the four founders had acted as masters taking on apprentices to learn their particular style of magic. Gryffindor used bold, powerful spells, well suited to combat and defence. He focused on the element of fire. Ravenclaw utilized illusion and dreams, predicting the turn of events to gain the advantage with an emphasis on transformation and conjuring. She focused on the element of air. Hufflepuff had a more practical and pacifist approach, cultivating magical gardens and taming magical beasts, to use their properties to create potions and poisons. For emergency. She corresponded to the element of earth. And Slytherin, he focused on his druidic roots, manipulating the magical essence of the physical and spiritual, reading and imbuing sigils and runes with power, magical traps, and ritualistic magic of blood and bone to speak to the Old Religion.

They occasionally taught each other's selected apprentices. Godric loved to hold duelling tournaments, Rowena would hold open classes twice a week, Helga invited anyone and everyone to her gardens, and Salazar organized celebrations and community rituals tied to the lunar and druidic calendars.

Merlin took no students of his own, and instead held classes open to all. He gave lectures on the history of magic, of Camelot, and the construction of Hogwarts. He made guest appearances at Salazar's request to teach the Old Religion. He commanded the dragons for Helga, allowing students to approach and even ride the creatures. And he held classes on charms and enchantments, which grew so popular among the students and founders alike that he was dubbed 'The Prince of Enchanters.'

Rowena advocated inviting other teachers to the school to allow the students to branch out and expand their skills. Not to mention, she reasoned—they could hardly be expected to teach forever. Godric was the one to suggest the creation of Houses that would continue the spirit of their doctrine after they left. And all agreed.

Godric took his large leather hat and together with the other founders, enchanted it to find those traits they looked for in their pupils and to sort the students accordingly. It took some fine tweaking—Rowena had Merlin inspect the Hat three different times after she made modifications to verify the enchantments would hold—but soon they were using the Sorting Hat on new students. And with more staff to handle education, the number of students more than doubled.