If you haven't read book 1, 'The Druid's Apprentice' you may be a bit lost. please do that first before starting this fic.
Druid's Apprentice: The Philosopher's Stone.
Chapter 1
The forest at midday was quiet; the summer's heat had driven its inhabitants below ground or to hid in the underbrush until the sun fell from its place in the sky. The unearthly silence was shattered by an excited scream as four figures crouching on slim boards burst into view and flew a zigzag course through the trees.
Breaking through the tree line the figures became recognisable to any causal observer as boys no older than ten or eleven. All were barefoot, wearing board shorts, t-shirts and carrying towels in their hands.
As they crested a rise the leader, a brown haired youth with deep blue eyes brightened and yelled to his friends, "Last one in sucks goblin toes!"
The four crouched even further down on their boards, coaxing them to go yet faster as they raced towards a lake at the far end of the valley. Still in the lead, the brown haired youth stripped off his shirt, wrapped it in his towel and dropped it so that it would land safely near the shoreline. When he got over the water he kicked off of his board, did a back flip, and wrapped himself in a ball to make as big a splash as possible when he hit the surface.
The boy had barely surfaced when three more splashes erupted around him. First up was a quiet, black haired boy with striking green eyes. He smiled at the other boy and yelled, "Second place!"
The last two, a blond haired boy with icy-blue eyes and a redhead came up sputtering and both claimed third.
"You're last Weasel," said the blond.
"Was not," replied Ron. "You'll be the one sucking on goblin toes Malfoy!"
"That's not what I've heard you've been sucking on," replied Draco with a wicked grin.
The redhead stared in shock at Malfoy's comment for several moments then with a wordless cry of rage he charged the blond and they began to wrestle and dunk each other in the water. To one side the other two boys watched with bemused expressions. The fights between Ron and Draco had become a constant game that neither seemed to tire of.
Turning to his friend, the brown haired boy asked, "So what do you think, Harry? Should we get in on this before they splash all the water out of the lake?"
The Raven-haired boy broke into a huge smile and answered with an enthusiastic "Yes!" Moments later all four boys were happily attempting to drown each other, unknowingly being watched, however from the shore by two tiny twinkling blue eyes.
Hours later the four exhausted boys lay drying on the bank, their boards all floating nearby and ready to be mounted at a moments notice. Stretching in the sunlight, the raven-haired boy named Harry said wistfully, "I wish this summer would never end." Turning his head to the brown haired boy beside him he asked, "Do we rally have to go?"
Sitting up, Damon stared out onto the lake and said, "You know, we don't. We could stay here and train ourselves in relative safety for years and Neither Dumbledore or Voldemort would be able to find us. When we finally did show up, Moldywart wouldn't stand a chance."
Harry sat up with a guarded look in his green eyes, "But…"
"But," Damon answered, "Dumbledore and the ministry have effectively crippled the wizarding world with this hero mentality. They have become a society of sheep. Without us there to slow him down, Voldemort will return to power and thousands, both muggle and wizard, will die by his hand."
"Can we all not talk about this right now?" asked Draco sleepily from his own patch of sunshine. "Tonight everyone goes home and the next time we meet up it will be us playing this idiotic charade you've dreamed up Damon."
"It's not idiotic," said the young druid. "Besides, it's grandfather's idea, not mine.
If anything could be said about Damon's grandfather, it would be that he was definitely not idiotic. Over two thousand years old, the old man came into Damon's life when he'd been only five. Until that moment the boy had been in the dubious care of his relatives and went by his original name of Harry Potter.
Merrill, as the boy soon learned he was called, explained to him about Voldemort and Dumbledore as well as their individual designs for him. The old man also explained that he was a druid and that Damon, as his blood heir, had the potential to become one as well. Damon accepted the opportunity given him and began to form his own destiny.
From that moment on he lived and trained with his grandfather. The old druid created a changeling who took Harry's place at the Dursleys as not to rouse suspicion. At age nine, Harry's doppelganger was replaced through a complex spell cast by Merrill with a magically created twin named James.
James permanently took Damon's place at the Dursley's and for all intents and purposes became Harry Potter. It was at that point that Damon took his new name and identity as the grandson of Merrill Forester and Heir of a bloodline that could be traced back to before the time of the founders.
Over the next year he'd gathered to him what would one day become the core group of the Knights of the Pendragon. Harry, his own magical twin and the closest thing he would ever have to a real brother. Damon and he shared a single soul and neither felt truly complete without the other. Harry also served as the group's anchor, keeping everyone grounded and balanced.
Next was Ron Weasley, son of Arthur and Molly. A born Gryffindor, he would eventually become the group's strategist as well as their moral compass, though a bit headstrong and blunt for some people's tastes.
Last came Draco Malfoy, Heir to a family name that supported the belief that only those of pureblood descended were entitled to the name of wizard or witch. It was this stance of pureblood superiority that had drawn Draco's father into the ranks of a madman.
As the unknowing but chosen heir of Pendragon was unwittingly being groomed as the next leader of the wizarding world. The boy was extremely intelligent and clever but a bit bigheaded at times. If the boy were ever to gain balance he would need to learn humility.
Damon sat with his back against a tree trunk, idly listening as it whispered its secrets to him through the rustling leaves. He watched his sleeping friends and studied the nearly invisible white scar on his right palm, one they all shared. It was a galleon-sized circle with a rearing dragon within it, a mark older than Hogwarts- older, even, than Merlin himself. The Pendragon was an avatar of the earth herself in all her glory and power. The order, the knights and even the Pendragon heir were soldier's in her service to keep the balance of nature.
For now there was but the four of them but when they got to school the recruiting would begin, first one or two but eventually an army of knights sworn to uphold the code.
As if the mere thought had wakened it, he suddenly felt a familiar tingle in his palm as the normally faint lines of the scar began to glow. Damon quickly rose to his feet and pulled on his shirt as the others, roused by the same sensation, looked to him.
"Grandfather needs us back at the castle, lets go."
Half an hour later the boys entered the library of Forester manor. There they found Merrill sitting in a comfy armchair and watching the flames as they leapt in the fireplace. Seeing his grandson enter he let a quiet smile cross his face and said, "Boys… sit."
He waited for them all to settle down on the couch before continuing. "Tomorrow begins our charade in earnest."
Looking at Harry, the old druid smiled gently and said, "You'll have the roughest time of us all my boy. Tonight it is back with the Dursleys and in a few days you'll receive your first Hogwarts letter. Keep in mind that you are supposed to know nothing of the wizarding world… Oh yes, have a good time at the zoo."
The old man just smiled gleefully at the confused expression on the boy's face as he turned his attention to Ron. "Well Ronald, how are the memory charms I did on your family holding up? They should only remember your friendship with Damon and nothing of Draco or Harry this last year."
"It worked just like you said," replied the redhead. "Though I think Fred and George are suspicious somehow.
Merrill cracked a short laugh, "They're smart boys, I'd consider bringing them into the order but for the trouble they'll bring with them."
Draco spoke up as the old druid turned to him. "Mother and Father suspect nothing. We're lucky at least that we didn't need a memory charm. Outside of the dinner parties you keep throwing each other, father has been rather distracted. I think something must be going on at the ministry that has most of his attention.
Nodding, Merrill murmured, "Thank you Draco, keep your ears open for anything that might be of interest to us."
The old druid let his gaze roam from one boy to the next with a swell of pride and hope growing in his chest. Pausing a moment to give the occasion a bit more of a momentous feeling, he raised his weathered palm up and the glowing outline of a crouching dragon, identical to the ones the boys had, appeared.
"Just under seventeen hundred years ago I pledged my allegiance to Arthur and the ideals for which he stood. Together, we set out to remake the world in such a way that evil would never again hold sway. Arthur had the excuse of youth for not knowing better; I, on the other hand, was simply too proud to heed my calling.
"I was and am a druid, charged with upholding balance with all things. Yet by my hand that balance was unsettled and untold thousands paid the ultimate price.
"Over the centuries since that time I've sought to do better in finding equilibrium, attempting to influence the minds of countless leaders and at times even the people. Yet time after time the pendulum has swung this way and that, good and evil. Each time bringing us all so close to utter disaster that I shudder at the very thought.
"Now it prepares to swing again between the followers of Dumbledore and Voldemort. We can't stop it, in the grand scheme of things I don't think we're meant to. What we will do… what you will do is minimize the damage these two will cause and prepare the people for what comes after."
Merrill turned for a moment and gazed into the fire. By the light of the flames, every line on his face was brought out and they all, except Damon, finally understood how old this man really was. "My time among you is almost at and end. Just a hand-full of years, though that must seem a lifetime to you, are left to me before Damon takes my place and I go to find my peace. It will fall to each of you to find among your peers, those who are worthy and fill the ranks of the knighthood."
Harry, Ron and Draco looked to each other uneasily as the old druid sat down. Damon wasn't surprised at their discomfort; it was rare for a group of eleven year olds to be told that it was up to them to save the world. Somehow, he thought to himself with grim humour, the next bit of news would meet with even less enthusiasm.
"Voldemort is at Hogwarts." Utter silence greeted Damon's announcement. The other three boys looked at him as if he'd grown another, rather hideous head, Merrill on the other hand simply watched in silence.
"W-what do you mean?" squeaked Ron, who was trying desperately not to hyperventilate. "He died when he tried to kill Harry… er, sorry mate." added the redhead glancing over at Harry.
"But he didn't die," said Merrill as he rose to his feet. "Not completely. When the killing curse rebounded from Harry it destroyed Voldemort's physical body but left his weakened spirit free to go in search of some way to regain his power."
"The point is," interrupted Damon as he brought the conversation back to the current topic. "When Grandfather took me to Hogwarts this summer to make sure I'm enrolled, I sensed him hiding in one of the teachers, a chap with a turban. We found out later his name is Professor Quirrell, the Defence Against Dark Arts professor."
At this, Draco snorted. "Now I know you're having us on. You're trying to say that Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard of the last century is our defence teacher?"
"Pretty much."
"So what are we supposed to do about all this?" asked Harry.
"To begin with, we watch." answered Damon. "Something's brought Voldemort to the school and it must be important. Why else would he take the chance of running up against Dumbledore in such a weakened state? Everyone needs to keep their eyes open and watch the other's backs."
Merrill stood up and went to the hearth. He waved his hand over the fire and temporarily connected it to the floo network.
"Right then boys, the time has come. Draco, you'll go first. Ron as Damon and I will be escorting Harry home you will also be returning to the burrow this way."
The four spent several minutes saying their goodbyes until finally Draco separated himself from his friends and stood before the fire. "Father says we'll go school shopping on the thirty-first," said the blond. "Maybe we'll all see each other there."
Damon looked to his grandfather, who nodded while Harry and Ron both shrugged. Harry's relatives both hated magic and the boy had no idea how he'd go about getting his supplies. Ron's family on the other hand didn't have the spare cash to buy his things so he would get hand-me-downs for his first year.
Merrill snapped his fingers and the fire turned a bright green. Draco stepped into the flames and called out his destination, 'Malfoy Manor,' and vanished. Ron then took his turn and disappeared on his way to the burrow.
At last Merrill, Damon and Harry took their place in the hearth and as the old man pulled them close, Harry squinted his eyes shut, his face full of distaste while Damon's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Six Privet Drive!" said the old druid as the fire flared one last time around them and they vanished.
The next morning Damon and his grandfather were sitting at the table eating breakfast when they saw the Dursleys, along with one of the local children, They brought Harry as well, though it though they acted as if he were covered in something distasteful.
The young boy watched them pull out of drive and head off down the street but was distracted by a tapping at the window. Damon got up and let a large brown barn owl enter. He stayed at the window for a moment, hoping to get one last look at his brother as they turned the corner but couldn't see properly for the hedges. Returning to the table he freed the envelope from the owl's leg. "Here we go." he said to himself as he opened the letter.