Merlin Keeperoliver Chapter 1

He was using his sensors to view what was going on inside the little hut where his owner and a small but powerful creature were talking. His owner sat by the small creature who appeared to be dieing. He was lying on his bed and spoke softly to his owner.

"I have taught you all I can young Skywalker. It is now time for me to leave you."

"So, I have become a Jedi Knight. But, Master, there is much more I need to know. You can't leave me like me this. You are still so strong and full of energy. You can't die yet."

"Strong am I with the Force, but not that strong. Do not think you are a knight. Strong you may be, but weak is your training. Not yet are you ready to face Vader, if this is what you think you must do. He will try to bring you to the dark side and follow the path of the Emperor."

"I can't face my own father Yoda. I can save him and bring him back. I know it."

"Then you have already lost. Our only hope now is for the other to recognize her power."

"The other? Who is this other? And why is it you never told me of her?"

"Because if you knew too early, then Vader would have learned of your sister's identity."

"My sister. OH NO, LEIA. Leia is my sister."

"Yes, and with the right training, strong will she be with the force, whether it be on the side of the light or with the dark. That young Skywalker, is up to you. Now it is time for me to leave you. Remember that in order to win, you must face Vader and save your sister. Good bye young Jedi, and may the force be with you and your sister."

With that, the small Jedi Master began his trip back to his home planet of Valkyron (Valkeeron). It is there where he will receive his new assignment from the Director. His planet was hidden from the many travelers of space by the Glamor surrounding it, put there by its inhabitants. All were strong with the power of thought manipulation. He often wondered why it was called so many different things through out the universe. The place he just left called it the Force. Another he visited called it the Glimmer. And yet another called it The Power of the Gods. He wondered what it would be called on his next assignment.

He arrived on his home planet moments later and returned to his home where he would rest for a time before he approached the Director. He would need his strength before he began another long journey to who knows where. He also wanted to know what form he would take once he arrived to his new assignment. In every assignment he has had to take, it was always the same beginning. The one he was to teach had lost his or her parents to the dark side of the fight. This would most likely be the same. If only he could find one where he could save the parents and guide them as well as the one chosen to fight the dark side.

Well, that would be for later, as now he needed to rest and visit friends he had not seen in many cycles.

Merlin}

He rested and visited his friends for a quarter of a cycle. He filled out his report of what transpired during his last mission, and was hoping in that time the conflict was finished and his student had prevailed over the dark forces. He would know soon enough as it was time to receive his next assignment.

He approached the structure of the Director and entered the massive doors that took him to the assignment room. The Director was seated behind a large table that was cluttered with visi-disks. He looked up from his mess and greeted Yoda. "Bizz Alma, welcome home. You look refreshed. Are you ready for work already?"

"You said you needed me right away Director. Is this incorrect?"

"No, you are correct, but with you showing up early, I may have another direction you may wish to take. It is up to you."

"Before we begin with this new assignment, may I know the outcome of my last one?"

The Director searched his desk for the correct Visi-Disc and found it. He handed it to Bizz, who then placed it in a slot to see what happened to Luke. He saw two different battles taking place. On on a small planet where Han Solo and Leia Organa fought, he saw Solo use his imagination to get into a locked structure and defeat the ground forces which allowed the fight in space take a different turn when the shield protecting the Death Star was dropped and the light ships began its attack on it. Inside the star, he saw his young Jedi being beaten by the Emperor when Vader could not take the torture endured by his son anymore and picked up the Emperor and threw him into the plasma drive of the Death Star. The rest was his escape from the destroyed Star and his return to the small moon of Endor to meet with his sister and his friends. Bizz saw what the Director had done by allowing Luke to see Yoda, Anakin, and Kenobi. He thanked the Director for his final move.

Now it was time to find out where he was going next.

"Bizz, we have been following actions on another small planet called Earth. Right now it is centered on a small country called England, but it could spread to cover the entire planet. It is a large source of evil that is being held in check by a small force of protectors. However, the protectors are losing because of an old fool who is afraid to kill. It is also thought that the only way to end the evil is by the death of a young child who does not even know he is meant to fight. If you had been any later, his parents would have died and he would have had something done to him that would have assured his death. Now you can change all this. It is my wish that you go there and take up the body of an old legend in their time called Merlin. Their name for the power is called Magic. They use sticks they call wands to direct the magic at their opponents. They are primitive, but they are some of the strongest in thought manipulation I have ever seen. From birth they can do it. It is so strong that it has to be controlled by a governing system called a Ministry. Your mission is to provide this young human and if you think they should live, his parents, the training needed to defeat the dark forces before they can take over."

"You always make it sound so easy Director. You should go on a mission and see how easy it is."

"Don't you think I have. I know what it takes to be a hero maker. It is tough to see your student fail and die because he or she could not complete the training. Or to see one you trained turn bad because of the attention placed on him. Or worse yet to see one do exactly what he was supposed to do and become the hero you were training him for. These are always the hardest to leave because they came so far. Yes, I have been in your position. I have seen the disappointments and the victories. I have seen it all, and now it is your turn. Soon it is you who will be sitting here sending someone off to a far away land to train a hero and you will be answering the very same questions you are asking me right now. Enjoy what you have for now Bizz as the time will soon come where you have to be the Director."

"What happens when you leave being the Director?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Bizz thought a moment, "Do I?"

"It may disappoint you to know too early. Have fun while you can. Enjoy what you are doing for now and worry about your future when it arrives. Oh, and just to let you know, You will be an old man once again. It seems all cultures look to the old for wisdom."

"I thought you said it was an old man that was the cause of the protectors to lose numbers?"

"They are following the wrong old man. They will follow you once you prove to them who you are. This Merlin was a strong leader, but failed because of treachery. You must not fall into this same trap."

"How far before the child is born will I arrive?"

"If you leave now, then it will be before his parents are even together. Make friends with them and you will be able to show them the treachery before it takes place. Or you can wait a tenth of a cycle and be there after they die. This way you can take the child without any obstructions and train him. Your choice."

"Then I will be leaving you now as I finally have a chance to meet the parents and possibly be able to save them. I dislike having to see the heartbreak that is a child without parents."

"Then I wish you luck Bizz, and like you said to Luke, may the Force be with you, or in this case, may the magic be with you."

"I'm happy I don't have to talk like I did as Yoda. You don't know how hard that was. It gave me a headache trying to talk backwards all the time. Very confusing as well."

"Believe that I can. To never have to do that, Lucky I was." and they both had a good laugh before Bizz had to leave for the planet Earth. He took the background notes of the assignment and left the structure of the Director and went to the launch control pad. It was necessary to use the control pad for extremely long distances. It saved on their manipulation powers.

He gave the coordinates to the controller and he fed them into the projector. Bizz stepped on the pad and soon he was on his way to the planet Earth, home to his next assignment.

Merlin-}

Bizz landed in a cave that was on the side of a small mountain overlooking a village. The village was a short distance from a very large building with a large tower on each corner and a tower in the center of each side except the front.

At the front of the great building a short distance away was a small body of water. Off to the right was a vast stand of trees that was thick and very dark. The light from the sun found it difficult to make it to the floor of the trees.

To the left of the building was an arena of some sort. It's use escaped his knowledge.

Bizz made his way down the side of the mountain after he changed his form to the old man the director told him about. It was supposed to be this Myrrdyn Emrys, but he could not call himself that. Instead he would call himself Ben, after his friend from his last adventure.

He entered the village and looked for a place where many people gathered. He found a place called The Boarshead Tavern that was filled with many people that looked to be of the type found in a tavern in Mos Eiesley. Ruffians and drunks. He entered it and found a seat off to the side and quiet. He called for the innkeeper and asked what was good to eat. The Innkeeper left and returned with a bowl filled with something that had a thick gravy and chunks of brown and white in it. He was also handed some bread and a glass of water. He didn't think too much of it, but ate it all. He then drank the water, and looked around to see what everyone else was drinking. He listened to hear what the others ordered and decided upon something they called butter beer. He was glad he did. It tasted good and had no affect on him. He saw what that drink they called fire whiskey had on the others.

By sitting and listening to the talk around him he learned a great deal. The large building was a place called Hogwarts and it was a school for witches and wizards. It was the place he was looking for. He also learned that it would be starting up in one week and the train bringing the students would arrive by 6PM on the first of September, one week away. The train would leave London at 11AM from a platform 9 3/4. He would have to be there by that time if he wished to board the train.

However, before he did that, he would have to make his presence known to the school by enrolling his name as a sixth year student. He started his walk as Ben, but half way to the castle he left the road and entered a stand of bushes and changed to his sixteen year old form. In this form he would be known as Merl Alma. If anyone asked, he would say that his dad wished to call him Merlin, but his mum said no and agreed to Merl, a shortened version.

He went back to the road and continued his trip to the school to speak to the person in charge. He got to a set of gates that blocked him from entering the grounds of the school and looked to see if there was anything to use to alert the staff he was there seeking entry. It became unnecessary when a large man walked up to the gates, "How kin I help ya?"

"Yes sir, I am here to enroll in the school."

"Your name should already be on the list held by Professor McGonagall. If you haven't received your letter by now then maybe you should see her. Hold on a minute while I check with her."

Five minutes later, an elderly lady walked up to the gates, "Can I help you?"

"Yes Madam, you can. I am here to enroll in your school so that I may attend classes in the upcoming year. It would be my sixth year."

"Why haven't you enrolled before this. You are starting awfully late in your schooling?"

"I was schooled at home until my mum died last year. It came as quite a shock to me."

"I imagine it would. I am sorry to hear about your loss. Now where was this schooling done and to what extent was your training?"

Bizz wasn't expecting this. He didn't know any of the area names. He threw out the first thing that came to mind, "Alderron, and I was trained to my fifth year."

"I never heard of Alderron. Where is it?"

"In the States."

"OH, no wonder I never heard of it. You will have to be tested to see if you are up to standards with your other classmates before I can register you, A simple test is all that is needed. Please follow me." and she opened the gates for him to follow her up to the school.

Now, Bizz had seen many wonders during his travels, but he had never seen such use of thought manipulation. It was everywhere he looked. In the ceiling of the hall they entered, in the paintings where the figures moved around and talked and in the people themselves, as they moved things around.

He was led to a classroom where he was asked to take a seat. Professor McGonagall then brought him some sort of a test that was written on some sort of material that felt flimsy and weathered, like it would break if you bent it too much. But it was stronger than it looked and he sat down and read the test. He laughed at the test in his mind. It was too easy he thought. It took twenty minutes to take it and he returned it to the Professor.

"Do you have a question Mr. Alma?"

"No Madam, I am finished."

"Finished so soon. Please let me see it so that I can mark it."

Minerva read the answers and could not believe what she was seeing. Not only were they correct, but they were reworded so that they made more sense the way he put it. "I didn't think the States were that far advanced Mr. Alma. You made a perfect score and changed some answers that bettered the answer I was looking for. Excellent work. I will add your name to the registration and you will join your classmates on the first. We will have to sort you to a house and it will be done first so that you will not have to wait for the first years to be sorted. Good luck to you while you are here, and I look forward to seeing you soon. Good day Mr. Alma. Oh, here is your letter you will need to board the train."

"Thank you Professor and I will see you next week."

Bizz left the school and the grounds and went back to the village outside the school grounds. He asked where he might pick up the things he needed for school, and found out about Diagon Alley. It was in a town named London, and he was in luck when he was told of the floo network and how to use it.

The floo took him to a place called the Leaky Cauldron that was more presentable than the Boarshead. He asked the person behind the bar how to enter the Alley. Instead of being told, the bartender took him to the rear entry that led to a wall made of rocks. The tender tapped his wand on certain rocks which moved out of the way and made an opening large enough to walk through. Merl thanked the tender and stepped into the alley.

It was like a step back in time. He had studied this small planet and it's history during his trip here, using implanted thoughts. It looked like this world in the late eighteen hundreds to the early nineteen hundreds. Primitive but attractive.

Then his attention was diverted by a brawl taking place down the road. It seemed like four wizards were facing each other, calling each other derogatory remarks. He watched as up to now, all it was, was words. However, it could change at anytime with one wrong comment.

"Look Malfoy, I don't like the way you hang around my cousin and my brother. They are beginning to to believe this crap you are telling them about pure blood superiority. It's bull and you know it. There is no such thing. A baby with different parents is a child that is with magic is no different than a child being born by two magical parents and is with magic. Their blood is the same color. So what makes them different?"

"You call yourself a Black, but think like a Weasley. You're both pureblood families that think all wizards and witches are equal. There is no way a mudblood could hold a position that a pureblood holds. We are superior in our magical abilities and our intelligence. To think someone like Evans could be equal to us is absurd. Why do you even care about her, Potter? She is nothing."

"Look, I don't know why you brought her into the argument, but since you did, let me tell you something about her. She is tops in class in every subject. She is a stronger person than many males when it comes to magic. Ask you friend Snivellus. He'll tell you the same thing. So, if you want to talk ethics, then you better pick on someone you could actually beat."

There must be something about us purebloods that ther Blacks feel strong about, when all of them but you see the same way we do. As for you Potter, your family has always supported the lower class of people, like the Longbottoms and Weasleys. Now you are even sticking up for the lowest class, like they are worth something. By the way, how is your campaign going to win over the slut? Why else do you think Severus dropped her like he did. She isn't worth the time or the effort."

Sirius had to pull James off to the side to get him to calm down. He wished Remus was here to help as James was so pissed off, he was more than Sirius could handle. Then he got help from a stranger.

Bizz saw where if he didn't help the long black haired man with his friend, there was going to be a fight. He helped him pull the other man off to the side.

Sirius watched as the other two walked off when the new guy waved them away. He turned to the new guy, "Who are you, and why did you help me?"

Bizz smiled to him, "My name is Merl, and it looked like your friend was becoming more than you could handle. Sorry it it was unwanted, I'll stay away next time."

He was about to walk away when Sirius called him back, "I didn't say it was unwanted. My name is Sirius by the way and my friend's name is James. Sorry if I sounded rough, but I was just thinking about wishing my friend was here with me to help, when you walked in."

"Judging by the talk you all shared, I take it your last name is Black and your friends last name is Potter. Your opposition was Malfoy, but I never got his friends name."

"That would be Rockwood."

"What was this thing you were arguing about, Pureblood, Mudblood and mixed blood?"

"You don't know about blood status?"

"No, I don't. Is it important to know these things?"

"Where are you from, Merl? You don't sound like us, and not knowing about blood status tells me you not from here."

"I'm from the States."

"Where in the States and what is you last name, if it is no bother?"

"OK, I didn't know if you help someone out, you would get questioned like this. My last name is Alma and I'm from Alderron."

"Never heard of it. Of course I don't know all the villages in the States. I'm sorry to be asking all these questions, but these are trying times and one can't be too careful."

"No problem. Now, could you tell me where I could get a good Butterbeer around here?"

"Butterbeer? What you need is a good stiff drink. How about some Firewhiskey?"

"I think I'll pass on that thank you. I saw the effects it has on people, and I like to keep control of my faculties."

"OK, a Butterbeer it is. Come James, let's get us a drink with our new friend here."

James didn't want to speak before, because he was so upset. No one talked about Lily like Malfoy did, and get away with it. She never hurt anyone and didn't deserve to be insulted like he did to her.

"I'm sorry for not talking before. It's good to meet you Merl. I don't like to see people insulted when they are not here to defend themselves. Malfoy went too far this time, and I will pay him back my way, when we are back at school. Now, you said something about a drink, Pads?"

The three made their way back to the Cauldron and sat in a corner to talk where they would not be disturbed.

Bizz ordered his Butterbeer, as did James, but Sirius went with his Fire Whiskey. Bizz watched as Sirius downed the drink and didn't even flinch as h e drank it. Then he saw him smack his lips and order another. James told him that was enough as he didn't need to get drunk. Sirius laughed at his friend but agreed to make it his last. The three of them talked about the upcoming school year and asked Merl what house he wished to be in.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't given it much thought Which do you think I should be in?"

Together James and Sirius said "Gryffindor, definitely."

"Well, I can't go against the majority, so Gryffindor it is."

"Let's hope the hat thinks the same way."

"The Hat?"

"The Sorting Hat choses where a new student goes."

"How?"

"By reading your mind for specific traits you have. It has been this way since the Founders. It doesn't hurt or anything like that, and it usually takes about thirty seconds. Sometimes longer, like it did for Lily. I think they talked for like seventeen minutes, Wasn't Sirius?"

"Seemed like hours if you ask me. I didn't think she was ever going to get sorted. Wonder what they were talking about?"

"I don't think it was the weather. Probably something to do with how she felt about changes needing to take place in the school."

Bizz was beginning to form a picture of this Lily the two were talking about. She has to be good looking for James to like her, but she also has to be a strict one for the rules for Sirius to feel different about her.

Then they talked about the last two members of their group, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

After this talk, Bizz didn't understand why Peter was still a member of their group as he hadn't helped them out on any way, and in fact needed help to get through school. Remus sounded like a good enough fellow, but there was something the two were keeping from him about Remus.

This was when they had to part ways as James had to go home and prepare it for the nine months he was going to be away. He did it every year since his parents died. He was looking for a smaller place as the Manor was too large for him and Sirius. They asked Remus to join them, but he refused for some reason they didn't explain.

Bizz left them outside the Inn, and made it look like he headed in the other direction. He then went back in the Inn and went to his room. There were still things he needed to do, before school started. The first thing was to have a talk with this Old Man the Director told him about that refused to kill someone that just killed one of his friends.

He would be making this meeting as Merlin, to put his point across to the idiot.