Disclaimer: not mine

So I realised my looks at the KH world in previous chaps may not have made the interaction between Earth and other worlds clear so I've put in scenes here that will hopefully help show why Merlin learnt time magic and why it's a pain to go home.

Chapter 7

The water rippled in the breeze as the seagulls flew overhead. The ubiquitous windmills of the bright white world turned, their heavy creaking sound sailing on the air. Beneath the water, schools of fish swam in slow currents. High above the water, cable cars traversed over wires in the sunlight, clanging as they moved along. At the world's central point, a grand tower stood.

Inside the tower, the sun shone warmly on a pair of young boys seated at a table. The wall-length curtains rippled as the breeze wafted through the open window. On the table sat a game board with twenty playing pieces, thirteen black and seven white. The two boys were opposites, one dressed in black with white hair and one in white with black hair.

"Have you heard of the ancient Keyblade War?" the boy in black asked as they played.

"Huh? Of course I have."

"Long ago, Keyblade wielders waged a war over the ownership of light." The Boy in Black moved one of his black pieces and took one of the white pieces.

"Yeah, the Master's favourite story." He took a black piece with one of his own white ones.

"I wonder what they planned on doing with Kingdom Hearts after...making it appear."

"Who knows? I don't get why anyone would initiate a war."

"So...you know the "Lost Masters"?"

"Who?" the boy in white asked in puzzlement.

"They're the ones who started the Keyblade War."

"Never heard of 'em. Where'd you hear about that?" he asked curiously.

"Or...they're the ones for whom the war started."

"I'm not following you."

"You can drop the façade," he chuckled.

"Facade?" he hesitated over which piece before making his move.

"'On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire'. A prospective Keyblade Master should know this," the white haired boy chided with a chuckle.

"If you say so," he answered airily.

"The Gazing Eye sees the fate of the World." He looked up to a Keyblade on the wall with an eye set in its teeth. "The future-it's already been written."

"Really? I'm not so sure about that." He picked up a white piece bearing a blank heart token. "Besides, who's to say I can't change it? And maybe light will prevail."

His companion laughed. "Pretty confident." He moved to claim another white piece. "But things aren't in your favour."

"Perhaps. But unlike darkness, there is more to light than meets the eye." He finally looked up from their game, smiling slightly. "You might be surprised."

He smiled, grey eyes peering at the other boy. "Oh, I hope so."

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Merlin sighed, staring at his books. Something was definitely going on back on Earth, a power stirring there that should not exist. It was difficult to keep a grasp on the time stream, to ensure he could observe it in a linear manner. If he was reading things right, it was focused on where Hogwarts was, or would be, had been? He wasn't quite sure of the time period. He did not like not knowing something, especially pertaining to the world of his birth, but getting back there was very complicated. Would this need his involvement? Or would the world sort itself out as it usually did.

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"What are you doing? Come on, let's go back," Sora called as they finally found Pinocchio.

"You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you," Goofy pointed out.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around! This is no time for games!" Sora told him sternly.

"But, Sora, I thought you liked games."

Sora whirled around to see Riku standing there somehow. He was really there!

"Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" Riku sneered, and Sora fought the urge to back away. What was wrong with him?

"Riku! Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Just playing with Pinocchio," he shrugged like it wasn't important.

"You know what I mean! What about Kairi? Did you find her?" Sora demanded, hoping that he had.

"Maybe. Catch us and maybe I'll tell you what I know," Riku smirked and grabbed Pinocchio's hand, leading him further into Monstro.

They searched through the various maze-like innards of the whale, fighting numerous Heartless, though finding no trace of Riku or the puppet.

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History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shrivelled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since.

Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before, Susan put up her hand.

Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed. "Miss - er -?"

"Bones, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," she asked in a clear voice.

Wayne, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Megan's head came up off her arms, and Ernie's elbow slipped off his desk.

Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Bones, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk s!-ping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers…" he stuttered to a halt, Susan's hand was waving in the air again. "Miss Brant?"

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead. "Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Susan as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale -"

But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns' every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.

"Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me see ... the Chamber of Secrets ... You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution." He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school." Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns' classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

This time, Hannah's hand was in the air. "Sir - what exactly do you mean by the `horror within' the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice and the class exchanged nervous looks. "I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."

"But, sir," said Kevin, "if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"

"But, Professor," piped up Sophie, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore -"

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Justin, but Professor Binns had had enough.

"That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.

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"Why do you still care about that boy? He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all," Maleficent pointed out and Riku glared.

"I don't care about him. I was just messing with him a little."

"Oh, really? Of course you were." She smiled at him. "Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it." She summoned a Corridor of Darkness and walked into it.

"Mind your own business," he sneered, watching her leave.

Pinocchio took the chance to run, heading deeper into the beast, and then Sora and his 'friends' arrived.

"Riku! What's the matter with you? What are you thinking? Don't you realize what you're doing?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days. Do you even want to save Kairi?" he glared at Sora who's eyes widened and for a second Riku's confidence wavered. Maybe…Sora did?

"I do," Sora told him, making eye contact.

They were distracted as Pinocchio screamed and they ran into the Bowels. They found him trapped inside a large Parasite Cage Heartless. It swung its appendages when they entered, waiting for them to come near.

"You up for this?" He smirked and suddenly it was like nothing had changed as Sora grinned.

"No problem. Let's do it!"

"Get me out of here!" The puppet pleaded and they moved together.

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"What was the point to all that?" Harry asked as they walked down the hall. "Did we actually learn anything new?"

"Well with all the copies of Hogwarts History out and Hermione having left hers at home, he was the best source," Susan admitted.

"Besides, we got a break from the droning," Hannah giggled.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

She sat in the corner, writing in her diary. He was the only one who understood, who listened to her. Nothing was like how she'd dreamed since she was little. All because He was in the wrong House. How was she meant to get his attention when they were already in different years? He was meant to be a Gryffindor!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please! Give me back my son!" Geppetto pleaded, and Sora followed his eyeline to see Riku on a high ledge, holding Pinocchio under his arm.

"Sorry, old man. I have some unfinished business with this puppet," Riku sneered, back to the coldness that had become his default mode. They had been so in synch during that battle…he had hoped…but he'd been wrong.

"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!"

"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs."

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Kairi?" Sora demanded, horrified by the idea.

"What do you care about her?" he took off for the throat and Sora was on his heels.

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Harry fiddled with his quill, he really hated the things, they were such a pain to write with, next summer hopefully he could duck into the muggle world and pick up a fountain pen or something. It'd look more like writing done by a quill then a normal pen would. If he couldn't then maybe he could at least get pens and books for his own notes, just use parchment for assignments.

He was trying not to think about Halloween, but he couldn't help it. Dumbledore had been so quick to single them out and it hadn't done them any favours, well, him. Rumours were spreading that he was the Heir of Slytherin….despite the lack of evidence and Professor Sprout making it clear to the school that their group had been in the kitchens and then a courtyard during the Feast. He couldn't wait for Christmas break!

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Lucius had the sick feeling that the events his son and Harry had written of were connected to the missing artefact. The words on the wall made it very clear Lord Voldemort was somehow involved. He knew Bones was fighting Dumbledore to gain access to the Castle, but with only a cat being attacked, the Minister wasn't willing to back her against the Headmaster, he probably wouldn't unless a Pureblood or well connect half-blood child was attacked. Cornelius was rather spineless like that, it was what made him so useful.

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Albus had noticed the spiders fleeing the Castle, put that clue with the Chamber of Secrets and the fact that the cat was petrified with water around it, Myrtle's death fifty years earlier….well he now had a very good idea of what lay within the Chamber. That the attacks had happened in the same area likely meant the entrance was nearby. So, how to find it and 'encourage' young Harry to go inside to deal with the threat? Fawkes could not or would not take him into the Chamber, the Hat apparently knew nothing more than the history books. Most likely, a Parselmouth would be needed…he had his theories about Harry's survival and scar, could he have absorbed that from Tom?

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"Hermione what are we doing here?" Harry hissed at her, trying to keep an eye out for any teachers. The hall was now out of bounds! What happened to the girl obsessed with the rules?

"Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."

"It was about here," Draco told her, walking a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door." He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, confused about why he'd stopped.

"We can't go in there," Draco answered. "That's a girls' toilet."

"Oh Draco, there won't be anyone in there," Hermione informed him primly, standing up and joining them. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look," and ignoring the large OUT of ORDER sign, she opened the door.

It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges. He really wished Hogwarts had electric lights, they would at least remove some of the doom and gloom air from the room.

Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off toward the end stall. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"

Harry and Draco exchanged a glance before going to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.

"This is a girls' bathroom," she said, eyeing Draco and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."

"No," Hermione agreed. "I just wanted to show them how er - nice it is in here." She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.

"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Hermione.

"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.

"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask -"

"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead -"

"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," Hermione cut her off. "Harry only -"

"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"

"We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately," Hermione quickly spoke up before Myrtle could say anything else. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."

"Did you see anyone near here that night?" said Harry.

"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself Then, of course, I remembered that I'm…that I'm "

"Already dead," Draco finished for her, even as Harry's elbow met his ribs.

Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.

Harry and Draco stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle ... Come on, let's go."

Harry closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs, sighing in relief as he slouched against the wood.

"Well…that was helpful," Draco offered, and Harry snickered.

They walked away from the hall before they could be caught there, or too close to the girls bathroom for the boys.

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"What's wrong?" Hannah asked as Hermione joined them, looking very irritated.

"Ron Weasley!" she huffed, and Hannah shared a look with Susan.

"What has he done this time?"

"He is torn over who the Heir of Slytherin is – Harry or Draco – and he isn't being shy about spreading that."

"No one with a brain would believe it's Harry for a second," Hannah answered loud enough for those around to hear. "His Mother was muggleborn and so are you, one of his best friends. And let's face it, Draco is a very moderate Slytherin, I'd suspect most of his House before him."

"Very true," Susan agreed. "The whole Heir of Slytherin idea would be almost impossible to determine anyway, all of the old families have intermarried so much that most of us can probably claim at least one of the Founders as an ancestor."

"Very true, I know Gran always claimed we are descended from Hufflepuff and people say the Potter's are linked to at least Gryffindor."

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Harry let his head slam into the table, not seeing Draco's wince at the move.

"That bad?" the blond asked.

"Can someone smother Lockhart with a pillow?" he mumbled into the wood.

"Ah, what did the ponce do now?"

"If he's not reading passages from the trash he writes then he's re-enacting some of the more dramatic bits. And of course he needs someone to play the bad guy. So far I've had to play a simple Transylvanian villager who Lockhart claims he cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, a vampire who could only eat lettuce, and today was a werewolf. Whoever heard of a vampire being able to eat food at all, let alone lettuce?"

"Huh, glad I'm not in your class," Draco commented, getting a glare from his friend. "Relax, only half a year to go and then the Defence curse will take care of him. Maybe next year's teacher will be better."

"Filch could teach Defence better than that overstuffed peacock."

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"Where's Xion?" Axel asked as he sat.

"Haven't seen her today, either," Roxas admitted.

"Oh well."

"Hey, Axel..."

"Huh?"

"Is there anything you couldn't bear to lose?" He asked curiously.

"What? Where'd that come from?"

"I ran into somebody today, and... Well, he had something like that. Something so important to him he couldn't bear to lose it. Why don't I have anything like that?"

"Because you don't have a heart," Axel answered.

"Uhh, I guess... But Demyx doesn't have a heart, and I bet he'd get upset if you took his sitar away."

Axel snorted. "Hmm, true, but...I don't think that's quite the same. I guess the closest thing we Nobodies have got is our past. You know, memories of the stuff we couldn't bear to lose, back when we couldn't bear to lose it."

"Oh... Too bad I don't remember MY past," he grimaced.

"Well, what about your present?"

"Huh?"

"You've got memories from here in the Organization, right?" he pushed, and Roxas nodded slowly.

"Yeah... I do, don't I? I couldn't bear to lose my memories of you or Xion."

"Well, see? There ya go. Everybody's got something they want to hang on to."

"It's scary to think I could lose you guys," he shivered slightly.

"Scary? Scary's a feeling, man," Axel scoffed, looking out at the sunset.

"Yeah, I know I can't feel, but... It's still a scary thought."

"A thought, then. But not a feeling."

"Are you sure?" Sometimes he was so sure he could feel things.

"Maybe you just remember what it's like to feel scared, and think you're feeling it now," Axel suggested.

"I guess…."

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Harry settled into the stands with the rest of the group, sitting together rather than any particular House. They had come to cheer Draco on in his first game. None of them liked the Slytherin teams tactics but the role of Seeker meant Draco didn't have to participate in them. Neville and Hermione were wearing House scarfs but that was the only way they were cheering them on since neither was a Quidditch fan.

The game was good but the Gryffindor Seeker was completely outclassed by Draco. He caught the snitch but the game tied thanks to the Gryffindor Keeper and Chasers. And that was when it all went wrong.

Screams filled the air as a bludger went rogue, heading right for the stands where they were sitting.

"MOVE!" Harry yelled, shoving Susan down.

Neville froze for a second before tacking Hermione and Hannah even as Ernie and Justin scrambled clear, their seats turned to kindling.

"Look out!" the Weasley twins yelled, flying as fast as they could, Beater bats in hand.

"Get clear!" the other yelled, leaning out to smash the Bludger away from the stands but it reversed course once clear of him.

"We need to get out of the stands!" Hermione yelled and the scrambled for the stairs. They could hear teachers and students yelling but ignored it to scramble to get to ground level where they could run and dodge better.

Harry barely managed to miss getting hit, grimacing as his access to the stairs was destroyed.

"Harry!" Justin yelled.

"Keep going!" he told him, ducking the bludger. It was after him…okay then.

He moved deeper into the stand, where he could access the wood that made it up. He took a deep breath and the dropped off the edge, grabbing a support, swinging himself around it to build up momentum before letting go, catching another lower down. Ventus and Vanitas could easily make the drop straight to the ground, he didn't think he was up to that kind of distance yet, even with magic. And moving all over the place made it easier to confuse the rogue ball.

He hit the ground, rolling to absorb the impact, coming to his feet and sprinting for the opening, hearing wood smash behind him. He took a deep breath, gathering his magic, hearing it gaining on him. He twisted around, throwing up a hand. "Reflect," he commanded the magic. He didn't know if it would do anything but it was the only truly defensive spell he could recall. He'd really only seen it deflect magic but he needed any help he could get and the ball was animated by magic.

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Draco landed by the rest of the group. "Where's Harry?"

"He got cut off, he's still in there with that thing!" Justin answered.

Draco drew his wand and began to remount his broom, he'd fly in, grab Harry, and get out. In the open sky they'd have a shot, especially with the Weasley twins as Beaters. His broom could take two.

He'd barely gotten on when Harry flew out, tumbling across the grass, the Bludger right behind him, rising up above his head. They didn't need to say anything, the whole group casting at the Bludger. They may only be second years, but the seven of them were enough to blast it to pieces.

"He's not getting up!" Hermione ran for Harry, the rest of them on her heals.

"I'll get Madam Pomphrey!" Susan took off for the teachers.

Draco dropped to his knees beside Harry, seeing a bloody cut on his face, and his arm…he kind of felt sick.

"Oh Merlin," Neville moaned.

TBC….