The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

All is well. Or is it?

"A band of idiots," Jack murmured quietly, careful to not wake Colin.

He paced across the dorm and felt like pulling hair out of his head. This wait was killing him.

Judging by how many hours had passed, they didn't let the adults handle the monster but went in on their own. Why take a risk like that? An army of wizards should've attacked the Basilisk, not four kids. Why didn't anyone listen to reason?

What if Merlin needed him right now? He could help. He was sure he could. He was tempted to run to Myrtle's bathroom and the more he thought about it, the least reasons he could find why he shouldn't.

"Colin is safe," he reasoned with himself, reluctant to leave his sleeping friend. "Merlin is not."

But it felt wrong to leave the boy when he spent months alone. Jack hesitated and continued pacing until Merlin came through the door, sparing him the decision.

Seeing him safe and sound felt as if a heavy boulder was lifted off of his chest and he was able to breathe again, but then, he shook his head at the state of Merlin, whose robes were quite filthy. His suspicions were correct.

"Let me guess, you fought the monster, not the adults."

Merlin couldn't hide a smirk. "What matters is that the monster is dead. And I wasn't alone - Harry had my back."

Jack felt a sting somewhere deep inside him. While he was glad that Potter was useful for a change, he wished he had been there to help. Why didn't Merlin trust that he could handle it? Did he also think him useless? How could he change that?

The next day, he fully expected the Harry Potter Fun Club to be given a celebratory feast, but instead, they were all sworn to secrecy by the Headmaster in an effort to not tip off the Heir of Slytherin of what they had done.

At least Colin knew about the monster and so he didn't have to be scared of anymore.

Merlin had something to discuss with Dumbledore and ditched their Charms class - it was becoming a habit of his.

While before he was attacked, everyone ignored Colin, he was now very popular. Random students kept walking up to him to congratulate him on being back. Jack wondered if any of them visited him or that other petrified boy in the Hospital Wing. Slytherins, on the other hand, glared in the boy's direction and so Jack accompanied him everywhere, determined that no one bothered his friend.

Filch was strutting in their direction, holding Mrs. Norris like a prize and whistling off-tune. Jack didn't like him but he was glad that the cat was okay. She was a victim just like Colin was.

She hissed at him as they passed and he resisted the urge to throw a frostball at Filch.

"Are you okay?" Colin was looking at him sideways. "You're like an overinflated balloon that's about to pop."

"I look like a balloon?"

"You're acting like one."

"What?"

Before they walked into the classroom, Elsa ran up to them.

"Jack, did you hear from Reed or... you know?"

Was she looking for news of their father? He got no more fairy visits and didn't expect any. He caused quite a winter out there, and even though he stopped calling in the snow, it would take a long time to melt. No fairy would come to him now.

"Nothing yet."

"Why is it taking so long?" she groaned.

Colin stood quietly and didn't comment on the Sylph conversation he didn't quite get and it struck Jack as uncharacteristic. Before, he was always so chatty. Jack wondered if it was a leftover of being stuck petrified for so long.