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Chapter 26 - Alarms of Merlin, Laughter at Home

Alarms of Merlin, Laughter at Home

"Mum, we've already found all the books we needed," said Harry and Percy as they approached with several volumes stacked in their arms.

Sally glanced quickly over the titles. Some matched what they had come to look for, but others were simple storybooks, proof that the boys had let themselves get distracted for a moment. The sight made her smile faintly as she stepped toward the cashier to pay.

"Listen, Harry, we'll find a way to track down Aunt Mor and go rescue her. Can you imagine her face when she sees us?" said Percy with a mischievous grin.

"Yes," Harry replied, nodding with a small smile that showed he, too, was picturing that moment.

The calm shattered suddenly when a sharp noise echoed through the bookstore, making everyone spin around in alarm.

Then they saw him: Adrien, eyes wide open, holding in one hand the same medallion he had used to enter the Alley, and in the other gripping the hilt of his sword.

Sally also stared at him in confusion, until Adrien lifted his gaze, his face filled with genuine worry and an urgency that could not be hidden. He approached her with determined steps.

"Madam, I apologize… but something very important has just happened. I strongly recommend that you return to your home at once," he said gravely.

"What is it?" Sally asked, frowning.

"I'm sorry. I cannot say," Adrien replied seriously, though it was obvious he was in a hurry to leave.

Sally understood immediately this was not a moment for debate. "Harry, Percy, let's go home."

"All right…" the two answered, confused, but they followed their mother to the exit, with Adrien accompanying them.

At the threshold of the Leaky Cauldron, Adrien stopped Sally. "Madam, it would be best—and wiser—if, for at least a few days, you stay away from the wizarding world. It could become very dangerous."

The warning sent a slight chill through Sally, but she nodded silently before leaving with Harry and Percy.

Adrien watched as the wall closed behind them. Just as it did, two men arrived at his side, wearing the same grim expressions.

"Adrien, we must return immediately," said Luther in a firm voice. "Those fools broke something they never should have touched. Now the world faces something it cannot even comprehend."

"Let's go back," Adrien answered with seriousness. He then pulled out a round object, and the three placed their hands on it before being absorbed in a flash of light.

That same day, in distant corners of the world, an ancient sound disturbed the fragile peace. An alarm that had been silent for centuries rang once more. Many had already forgotten its purpose, dismissing it as mere decoration, but now its mournful, piercing echoes filled the ministries of magic.

Especially those ministries that had once been in contact with Merlin himself trembled at the call. Messenger owls flew off in haste, while the bearers of the Medals of Merlin—awards granted only to those who had achieved great feats or shown extraordinary power—heard the same alarm sounding from their own insignias, as if they were warnings or summons.

In the headquarters of the Council of the Order of Merlin, President Lukefort sat in his office with a somber expression. His white hair, neatly trimmed in a modern cut, contrasted with his well-kept moustache and noble attire. Behind his round, bottle-thick glasses, his eyes were fixed on a first-class Medal with a green ribbon, vibrating on his desk and emitting a persistent shriek.

His secretary, standing before him, looked at him in confusion. "Sir Lukefort, what's happening? What is this alarm?"

The old man did not take his eyes off the medal. "It means that something even Merlin himself could not fully defeat is now free in the world. It's a call to courage, a warning that the unthinkable has happened… and that the wizarding world may be in danger."

He straightened in his chair with resolve. "I must meet with them. Invite them to come, and quickly."

"Yes, sir," the assistant replied before hurrying out.

Lukefort removed his glasses and set them down on the desk. He pressed his brow with one hand, weighed down by the gravity of the situation.

"If that woman has escaped her prison… she will seek vengeance. Avalon was destroyed, and she spent centuries locked away. Merlin was prepared, but magic has grown far weaker since his time. I'm not sure all the wizards in England together could face her. They say she was blessed by the very goddess of magic…" he murmured, lifting the medal once again as it continued to shriek without end.

"Well, with all those books we'll finally find Aunt Mor, and we'll give her a good scolding for leaving," said Harry as they stepped out of the fireplace, appearing amidst the green flash.

Percy came out behind him with a solemn expression, though in truth he was thinking about the snacks they had promised to bring her as an apology. Sally emerged last, still worried—not only because of the confusing events in Diagon Alley, but also because of her children's restless search.

"So, you're going to scold me?" a voice suddenly called from the living room.

All three turned at once to see Mor sitting calmly on one of the sofas, leafing through one of the books the children had previously used for their research.

Harry and Percy's eyes widened first in shock, and then in pure happiness.

"Aunt Mor!" they shouted in unison, running toward her and throwing themselves into her arms.

Mor set the book aside and welcomed them with a warm smile. Sally, however, froze in place—after all, Mor herself had told her she would never be able to return.

The woman let out a soft laugh as she began tickling them mercilessly. The boys pleaded for mercy between their laughter until they ended up on the floor, trying to wriggle away from her reach.

"Ah… I'm so tired," Mor finally said, reclining on the sofa, though her gaze met Sally's, who was still waiting for an explanation.

"Aunt Mor, Mum made snacks and juice. We'll bring them to you," Harry said quickly, standing up at once.

Percy straightened as well, giving her a mock military salute before running off with his brother to the kitchen.

Mor watched them go with affection, then turned back to Sally with a calm smile.

"Looks like they missed me."

"They were very worried. They didn't know where you had gone, or if you would return. They thought they might never see you again," Sally said seriously. "What happened?"

"Mm… nothing important. Just some idiots who awakened something they can't possibly deal with. It will be amusing to see the faces of all those old men trembling in fear over something that, in the end, won't happen. Especially since I'll be far too busy with my punishment… cleaning all of Europe," Mor replied with unsettling calm as she examined her nails.

"Cleaning Europe?" Sally asked, frowning.

"Yes. I did something unnecessary before leaving, to protect my lovely nephews, and since I wasn't supposed to interfere, I was punished. A thousand years of endless work. I won't even have time to think about vengeance or conquest," she said, letting out a weary sigh.

"A thousand years?" Sally's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's right. The good thing is that it means I'll be near you for a very, very long time," Mor answered with a sincere smile.

"Aunt Mor, we brought the snacks and juice!" Harry announced as he came back in carrying a brimming pitcher, followed by Percy with a tray of desserts.

"Can we watch a movie?" Percy added immediately, glancing at his mother hopefully.

Sally still had many questions, but the bright eyes of her children were enough to make her give in with a sigh.

"I suppose we can move movie night up a little," she said softly.

"Yaaay!" they both shouted happily, rushing to the sofa to set everything up for the evening.

"Weren't you planning to study?" Mor asked, pointing with a gesture to the pile of books.

"That doesn't matter now," Percy answered without hesitation, with Harry nodding beside him.

Both women laughed, though Mor's laughter carried a different note: for the first time in centuries, she truly felt part of a home.

Outside, the wizarding world was in chaos. Ministries, councils, and old orders rushed into alarm at the release of Morgana le Fay, convinced that disaster was imminent. Hidden Muggle factions also received confused signals, and even the Death Eaters grew uneasy, forced to hide even deeper under the watch of knights and guardians.

But none of that mattered here. The only thing that truly mattered was that the family was together once again, safe in their own refuge, sharing a movie night while the whole world trembled.

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