The Beginning After The End - Prologue (original) (raw)

A/N: This is a modern-day fic set in the Harry Potter universe. Both Merlin and Harry Potter belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing in a crazy universe. Story title and lyrics on graphic are from The Beginning After The End by Stars.

Summary: The year is 2010 - twelve years since the end of the Second Wizarding War. A new generation of wizards and muggles alike have enjoyed the peace brought on by Harry Potter and all those who fought to defeat the Dark Lord. While most thought that the reign of terror had finally ended, it was merely the end of one chapter as another begun.

There are those who intend to disturb the peace that so many had fought and sacrificed so much to preserve. Dark Magic has slowly begun to reappear, and those who use it plan on succeeding where Voldemort twice failed.

This is the story of the new generation who would bring peace about once more. This is the story of the beginning after the end.

I don't really know what it's like to have parents.

My father, Uther Pendragon, was a Major General of Her Majesty's army. He was devoted to the service long before I was born, and will continue to be until the day he dies.

It's no surprise, then, that my mother left when I was a toddler. She loved an idealized image of who he could be, but she couldn't bear living with who he was. So she left. Father never talks about her, and I can barely remember what she looks like. At least Gaius told me stories of her. From what I could tell, she seemed wonderful.

Maybe I'll find her someday.

But anyway.

Gaius - he's kind of like our Alfred Pennyworth. Since my father was always away, attending to his military duties, Gaius raised me and ran the household in his absence. His sister Hunith Ambrose worked at our estate, too, and she had a son named Merlin, who was my age.

Since we grew up together, the two of us basically became brothers. Leaving the estate and traveling to the city was a rare occasion, especially since we were homeschooled. So as you can probably imagine, the only friends he and I had were each other. Good thing we were best mates, then, eh?

It was okay, though. Really. When we weren't doing schoolwork, there was always some secret corridor or trapdoor in the old house that we still hadn't explored, some tree to climb outside, or a new DVD to watch, or a new game on the PlayStation.

Merlin and I especially like Tekken, but I'm getting sidetracked here.

After what happened during 9/11, I saw my father even less and less. He got assigned to the war in the Middle East, and was one of many who were deployed over there. He'd told me it'd be like Black Hawk Down, but cooler. Like playing Call of Duty, but more real.

I thought it was pretty awesome that he was gonna be a hero like in the movies.

It was over a year before I saw him again. When he arrived at home, I was there to greet him in the foyer, dressed in a shirt that Hunith had ironed and helped me with herself. Father didn't look that different or older. Just tired. Extremely tired.

You know, now that I think about it, I remember when it all started to change. When everything started happening.

It was at that very moment. Seven, maybe eight years ago.

I tilted my head to one side when I realized there was someone behind him. Father brought her forward, and that was the very first time I saw Morgana LeFay. She was really quiet then, and it wasn't until Gaius told me that evening that I understood why.

Because I was so young, and because the idea of war and battle was so glorified to me, the concept of losing my father to war never crossed my mind.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to say the same for her.

The man who had come over to our house and told me that my dad was killed was the same man who took me in afterwards.

I had met him before, when I was younger. Dad would dress me up and take me to some gala or benefit. Because of that, I had the privilege of meeting some of the most powerful people in Britain before I turned ten.

When Uther brought me to their home, I quickly realized how different things would become for me. I was no longer the only child. There were three of us now, all around the same age. Even still, I was the only girl in a house of men. Hunith - Merlin's mother - seemed nice enough, sure, but things weren't the same.

I was removed from my school, and was to be tutored at home with Arthur and Merlin. I barely had enough time to say goodbye to the few friends I had there. Thank God the Pendragons had a dial-up connection. Thank God for email. Uther was even nice enough to give me my own computer. God knows I'd have never had a chance to use the one Arthur and Merlin hogged all day.

As awkward as my new home was at first, at least it was comfortable. Everyone was more or less very welcoming. I'm quite positive Arthur thought I was some silly girl that was going to ruin their fun, so I proved him wrong.

I was climbing the highest trees and kicking both their arses at football before they knew what hit them. Though Arthur will never admit it, I beat the entire StarCraft game before he did - and I didn't use cheats.

Don't worry, though. I let him win some of the time.

At least Merlin had been much kinder to me. I found that we had more things in common. We liked the same kind of music, read the same kinds of books (The Lord of the Rings is a shared favourite), and we both cheered for ManU while Arthur rooted for Arsenal.

There was just something about Merlin that made me feel comfortable whenever I was around him. Around anyone else, I was reminded of the fact that I was a new addition to this house. To this family. They weren't being mean or anything like that. I just felt... a little different. Out of place.

Of course, if I knew then what I know now, I would have understood much better. But I digress.

When little ten-year old me was with little ten-year old Merlin, I felt okay. Happy. Like I belonged.

One evening after dinner, Gaius had taken me to the reading room and, to my surprise, showed me a bunch of photos of my parents. He'd told me that Uther Pendragon and my dad Gordon were very good friends, and then decided to tell me what had actually happened to him in Afghanistan. He said I was mature enough to understand, or something like that.

To this day, I'm not sure if I was ready for what I heard. Or, more correctly, what I had realized with what he told me.

There was some sort of car bomb, followed by a riot, and dad was caught in the crossfire. Uther and his men managed to get him out of the area, but dad was too badly injured. Apparently, he entrusted me to Uther with his dying breaths, knowing that I'd be well cared for.

I nodded politely, and was crying as Gaius hugged me in a very comforting, grandfatherly sort of way.

What I hadn't told him was that I already knew everything he'd just said.

I had seen it myself; I had dreamt of my father's death before it even took place.

To say that my upbringing's been lucky is the understatement of the century.

My family had never been well off, but my uncle Gaius ended up working for one of the most influential men in the British military.

General Pendragon was kind enough to let my mother and I come stay with Uncle Gaius, so I grew up at the estate alongside the general's son, Arthur.

He and I did everything together. Studied. Watched the telly. Ate tons of Turkish Delight before supper (my mum was not pleased with that). Played Tekken on the PlayStation 'til way past our bed time. Inseparable. Mum called us The Wonder Twins, even if we looked nothing alike and really weren't that wonderful.

Arthur never treated me any differently, even though I was just a servant's son. I suppose, since he didn't have much friends to choose from, he made do with what he had. I'm very grateful for that.

The best time we always had was when we explored the estate grounds. Since we were five or six, the standard game was that Arthur was Batman and I was Robin, and we'd run about outside, climbing trees and pretending to scale buildings as we saved the house from imaginary foes.

I was always Robin, by the way. Always. Just once I wanted to be Batman. Just once! But I wanted to spare myself from arguing with my uncle's boss' son and all, so I let it slide.

For six whole years.

When we were in play-mode, Uncle Gaius was no longer Uncle Gaius. We called him Alfred, and while he disliked it immensely, he played along anyway. It was one of his many kindnesses.

When Morgana had come along, we had to start including Batgirl. Now, Arthur and I had discussed for ages how we found Batgirl completely unnecessary, and at first used that excuse so Morgana couldn't play. But then she had quickly argued that she was Wonder Woman instead.

Smart of her, wasn't it?

But anyhow, the three of us got on real well eventually. Morgana was brill, really. She didn't really play with dolls or do extra girly things. And someone was finally better than Arthur on that computer game! That put him in his place.

Some mornings, I had heard mum talking to Morgana because she had nightmares here and there. With what happened to her dad, though, I couldn't exactly blame her.

I took walks with her sometimes, and she would open up to me about what her dad was like. It was cool, really, because I grew up never knowing mine. I appreciated the fact that she trusted me then. She could never really talk to Arthur about things like that, because he just didn't know how to react.

In spite of all our differences, the two of them were family to me, though none of us were blood related. They trusted me both implicitly, and I trusted them!

It was a shame I had a secret that I had to keep from them both.

One night later that summer, the three of us planned to camp outside. Morgana and I had gone ahead to the clearing between the main house and the house that Uncle Gaius, mum and I lived in. Arthur, meanwhile, stayed behind longer to raid the kitchen for supplies. We'd hoped to be making s'mores.

As we were putting the tent up, Morgana and I noticed someone talking to Uncle Gaius by our front steps. Since I hadn't heard anyone enter the gates to get there, I was confused; we weren't anticipating any more guests.

She was a tall, severe-looking older woman with dark hair, and she wore a long, emerald green and black cloak of some kind. Uncle Gaius seemed to know her, since he greeted her with a hug before ushering her inside.

At the time, I didn't have the slightest clue who she was. How was I supposed to know that she was the Headmistress of the school Uncle Gaius told me about?

The next day - Morgana's birthday - Uncle Gaius had informed me that the old lady came to deliver my acceptance letter. I thought it was an awfully long way for her to travel just to hand us a letter, but then he reminded me of apparition, and it made much more sense.

I couldn't wait to be old enough to try that out.

In spite of his pride that I would finally be starting the schooling he'd prepared me for since I was a toddler, there was something bothering Uncle Gaius. When I'd asked him what was wrong, he'd explained that Professor McGonagall's visit was not only to talk to him about me.

Morgana LeFay had received an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, too.

Yeah, it's safe to say that our lives were never the same after that.