Hello everyone…and thanks for still reading my story after the long long long break I took. I haven't been able to update since my mom didn't pay the internet bill so….yeah anyway enjoy and I actually have some of the others to put up steadily ^_^

Chapter 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~Staff Part One~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In another time, a young man was thinking the same thing. At the moment though he was slightly busy, so he pushed these thoughts away.

Merlin and he were doing a duel of sorts, anything goes, though both were too honor bound to try anything underhand (a/n coughcough).

Harry had just ducked a stunning spell while firing a blast of wind. Merlin had taught him now to handle the elements.

::Flashback:: Harry was just moving a small lake from its current location to a small crater, when Merlin jumped at him from behind a tree.

It shocked Harry so much that he dropped the hovering water onto himself and Merlin.

Merlin just burst out laughing, while Harry was mad, but still holding back a smile as well.

"Guess we have to work on your concentration a little more, don't we harry?" he said with a smirk.

"Can it old man, not my fault you like to hug trees" he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Merlin let out a strangled gasp and feigned horror.

"Me? Hugging tress? Never!" The two burst into laughter and began training again. ::EndFlashback::

Merlin decided to step it up and used a higher level spell that sent your opponent into a state of false security. Harry, caught off guard was hit.

'Damn shouldn't let myself daydream so much. I'm sure everyone back home is fine. Speaking of which here come Luna' he thought happily, completely forgetting the fact that he was supposed to bound under a spell.

"Hey" yelled Merlin "your not supposed to break free from spells, especially without me being told" he pouted. He soon gave ups seeing him immersed in his letter.

"Any news from home?" he asked

"Well yes but it seems like Voldemort has been fairly inactive. At least the ministry has recognized that he is back"

"Well that's all well and good but can we get back to what we were doing?" Merlin whined.

Harry chuckled "I never thought I'd get the chance to see Merlin pouting like a child"

Merlin just glared then started laughing with him.

"Well now that we're stopped why don't we just take a break?" asked Harry.

Merlin just nodded and walked off towards a living room in the castle, going straight to one with a fireplace since it was February.

"So " asked Harry "how much longer do you think I will be here?"

"Well all I can say is that after one event that will take place here, you will of course be fully trained, return. I will warn you that your return will be rather abrupt." He said this very gravely, but Harry pushed it out of his mind.

Merlin had promised that today he would learn how to make his staff. A staff was something that every mage carries with him, always. The staff itself had a power, each one different, but all reflecting their owner.

The material of the staff, the core and the focus point on top all varied to distinguish them. However, that wasn't generally a problem since there weren't that many mages to confuse with each other.

They were going to start with choosing a material for the staff.

"Merlin when are we going to start making my staff?" he asked

"Soon very soon, follow me." and he turned and left.

He walked until he was in the forest that surrounded the castle.

He stopped and turned around to face Harry.

"Don't go looking for your staff, it will find you. Now go and don't come back until you have something to crate your staff from." With that said he spun on his heels and left. Harry set off at a brisk pace and just decided to enjoy himself while he was out here.

As he was walking he had a sudden urge to go east. Walking by instinct alone he spotted a wounded unicorn, and something was leaning over it.

Without a moments hesitation he want to see what it was. It looked for all the world like a large black dog, except its eyes were red.

Immediately trying to think of a course of action, her reached out with his mind and noticed an ebony tree, very common in Medieval England. (a/n I know I know, don't ask or flame) He broke off a limb and thanked his stars that hell hounds, as this is what the beast was, were warded off by ebony, a dark wood that was pure.

Waving it at the beast it began to slink away, warily watching the branch. When Harry reached the unicorn, he hoped he could heal it before it bled to death.

With his (in his mind) limited healing h knowledge he began to repair the animal as well as he could.

After a few moments of this, the animal stood up, almost as good as new. It shook its mane out and bowed on its front legs. It turned around and allowed harry to take a few strands or two of its tail before trotting off.

Puzzling over what just happened, Harry put the hairs into a pouch he was carrying and walked off.

Without thinking he picked up the ebony branch and looked down at it. He realized that this must be the material for his staff. He pulled off the smaller branches and used a charm to smooth it out.

He left the top with a small grouping of twigs, almost like a claw.

Harry began his way back to the castle wondering what the next step in crating his staff wold be and wondering what sort of power it would hold, because after it was finished, it would show to the maker/owner and the helper a vision of its true power and after that the tow (staff and owner) wold be bound together so as to have a better control and understanding of the staff.

With this in mind he stepped onto the castle's threshold and went to Merlin's study.

A/n: so what did you think? Review, id apreciate it and well if I actually get 60 reviews ill put up the next chapters even if I have already ^_^ and for this chapter I'll be giving out Snickers©