Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews all. They really help, and sometimes give me ideas that I use in the story. Take Sacri for example; I wasn't planning on a snake as one of the animal friends, but someone suggested it in a review. I want to answer some of you reviewers' questions, so here it goes.

To critic unknown: Well, I know Avalon is really a Welsh place, but keeping mind the disclaimer I said in Chapter One. It said, I do not own Harry Potter, Merlin, and friends. These characters belong to J.K. Rowling and T.A. Barrone. (In the context that I'm using them, anyway.) Well, nobody can claim Merlin for their own. It is a series of speculation on his history, as it's impossible to say Merlin did THIS then and went THERE after. He may not even have existed. (But what fun would that be? I mean, come on!) T.A. Barrone says Merlin went to a place called Fincayra, later named Avalon. (See the Lost Years of Merlin Series.) And true, the Lady of the Lake had Excalibur. Well, let's say Merlin gave it to her, knowing what role it would play.

To a random guy: Would Merlin call Domnu a friend? Let's think that one over, shall we?

To Dragon Sword Master: Well, have you ever heard that laughter is contagious? Good point, though. I'll have to think about how to work that out.

Well, I think that's everything. Hope you all enjoy the story, and also hope you review. Ferretfriend

"To visit a friend."

Merlin had said these words with a mysterious smile, and then begun to trek through the muck of the marsh. Harry hated marshes. They were too smelly, dark, damp, and overall depressing. Rhia looked equally unsettled. Merlin seemed perfectly fine though, and hummed a tune as he walked, using his staff to push himself out of the mud.

Although Merlin seemed to be enjoying the hike, Harry's animal friends were not quite as happy. (With the exception of Sacri, who enjoyed slithering through the mud and muck, hissing happily.) Silver, in his pride, had taken all measures possible to ensure he didn't get any mud on his white fur. He had conjured a path of ice, and was constantly lengthening it as he walked/slid.

Mira was flying, dodging the trees, Godric alongside her. Hohn was flying about Harry's shoulders, trilling a gentle lullaby. As Harry's boot sunk into the mud with a splatter, flecks of mud landed on Silver's elegant tail. Silver surveyed his tail, trying to tell how much damage had been done. When he looked up, he shot Harry a look that said, quite plainly, you'll pay for that. Harry laughed, and performed the cleaning spell on Silver.

They kept trekking through the thick mud, thoroughly wishing to be back in the nice, grassy hills. Harry, who was surveying the horizon, desperate for some sort of sign that heralded the marsh's end, spotted what looked like a bright orange light. Judging by its flickering quality, it was a fire. Merlin seemed to have spotted it too, and his smile widened. Harry guessed this was their destination, and felt a tug of hope. Almost there. In the next second, several things happened at once.

Strange, ghost-like beings appeared all around them. The instant they did, Rhia drew her longbow, training it on one of them, pulling the string back as far as it could go without breaking. Harry, who was about to draw Excalibur, stopped himself. Physical weapons would do nothing against ghosts, or whatever they were. Rhia's arrows must be enchanted by Merlin. Yes, that would be it.

Mira had shot a great jet of blue flame into the air, eyes blazing. That was a warning shot, Harry supposed. Godric had taken to the air, letting out a shrill war cry. Hohn was flapping above all of them, prepared to perform a defense spell. (Phoenixes are very good at protecting their masters.) Silver had formed what appeared to be a shield of ice, a veritable wall standing in between them and the ghost creatures. Sacri had swelled to the size of a train, his tongue flickering threateningly. Merlin placed a hand on Rhia's bow, giving her a look. He stepped forward, and said, "Why, hello there, Marsh Ghouls."

So that's what those things are. Marsh Ghouls. The Marsh Ghouls did not say anything. Looking from one to the next, Harry saw that they all carried a bow. These were just ordinary bows, but the arrows caught Harry's attention immediately. Their magical auras were screaming, and were a dark black. Those arrows were full of dark magic, and Harry wasn't keen on being caught on the wrong end.

Every ghoul had an arrow out and drawn, pointed at the party. Harry was sure that a wall of ice would do little against them. As one, the ghouls lowered their bows, and parted. The party was obviously allowed to pass, and as they did, the ghouls vanished. As they continued toward the flickering light, Harry interrogated Merlin.

"What were those things, those Marsh Ghouls trying to attack us for? We didn't do anything!" Merlin sighed, and explained.

"You see the light up ahead? Well, there's a cave just ahead, and it's the Ghouls' job to guard it. They have a perimeter set up, and guard it constantly. It's quite impossible to cross without their knowing. As soon as anyone crosses, they appear to investigate. The worst thing anyone can do is to attack. Did you see those arrows?"

Harry nodded, and could tell that everyone was listening closely. Silver's ears were sticking up, more so than usual. Sacri's hissing had dropped in its volume. Hohn was leaning toward Merlin, still perched on Harry's shoulder. Mira and Godric both didn't show any signs, but some uncanny sense told Harry they were listening. Rhia was obviously listening, as she shoes that moment to say, "Well, go on."

Merlin chuckled at his sister's inquisitive nature, and continued. "Well, those arrows are powerfully magical. They rip the very fabric of reality, creating a void anywhere they travel. Not fun to be shot by. But enough of this! We're almost to the cave, look!" He pointed at the light.

Harry followed the path of his finger, and saw what looked like the entrance to a cave. There was a torch hanging next to the entrance, throwing a golden light about the area. Harry could see some stairs, and a white light coming from the bottom of them. He was a bit apprehensive, but followed Merlin as he cheerfully strode down the stairs. Merlin was a bit like Dumbledore.

At the headmaster's name, Harry always felt slightly angry. True, he was getting better, and the feeling had lessened of late, but it had not gone away entirely. It was still there, plaguing him like an exceptionally annoying fly. Harry silenced the thought using his recently acquired skills in closing his mind, and brought his focus back to the task at hand.

By now, they had reached the bottom of the stairs, and Harry saw what had been creating that white light. It was a mirror; a magnificent mirror, unlike any Harry had ever seen, including the Mirror of Erised. Behind the glass, what looked like mist swirled, and Harry could see a vague figure.

Merlin stepped forward, but turned back to Harry. "I'm sorry, but this may be too dangerous for your friends. It would be better if they stayed here." Godric didn't like this one bit, and voiced his opinion. Merlin couldn't understand the animals, so Harry had to translate. "Well, Godric says he's not going anywhere. No offense, Merlin, but have you ever argued with a griffin? Not easy to convince them."

Merlin replied with a nod. "Very well, if the griffin is willing to risk it, then he can come." Mira, who apparently didn't want to be outdone, let out a growl. Again, Harry was forced to translate. It was very annoying. "Mira says if Godric's going, then she is too. She says, well, I believe her exact words were I'm not about to be outdone by a feathery feline! If the griffin goes, then so do I! Well, it looks like Mira's coming too. Believe me Merlin, you DON' T want to argue with a dragon."

Merlin nodded again, looking a bit apprehensively at the smoke that Mira had snorted out of her nose. Hohn, Silver, and Sacri immediately voiced their objections too, and Harry was caught in a whirlwind of voices. When he managed to clear his head, he said, "This is going nowhere fast. Let's just bring the lot. It's their skin, not ours." Merlin sighed, but Harry could have sworn he had seen the young mage's mouth twitch upward.

Merlin turned back to the mirror, and readied himself. With a smile that was reflected back at him, he stepped through the mirror. Harry gasped. Merlin had disappeared, gone into the mirror. There was no other option, so Harry plunged in after him, the others following suit.

When he passed the mirror's surface, (which was rather cold, as it in a deep cavern) he found himself in a world of fog and mist. All of a sudden, he was surrounded by familiar faces! They were all shouting different bits of advice at him, thoroughly poor Harry.

The first was Ron. "C'mon, mate! Let's go play some Quidditch!"

The next was Hermione. "Don't listen to him, Harry! Let's go study together. There's so much for us to do!"

The next was Remus Lupin, one of his parents' best friends. "Harry, listen to me! Lily and James would want you to trust me!"

The next, and most painful, was Sirius. "Come with me, Harry. We can live away from all the reporters and cameras. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Harry had started toward Sirius, when he heard another, more recent voice.

"No, Harry! Don't follow him! Follow me, and I'll lead you through the mirror. Come with me Harry…" It was Rhia. She looked desperate, almost to the point of tears. She was begging him to come with her, and her voice blended with the others'.

Harry was confused beyond the sense of the word. Who should he trust? Who should he follow? He didn't know, and tried to suppress the ache that had begun in his head. When he could stand it no more, he shouted, "STOP!"

All it did. Everything stopped at once, and the people disappeared. All, that is, except Rhia. She was still there, smiling at him. She hadn't been frozen, and began to talk again.

"You did the right thing. You were supposed to choose one of the visions, and if it was the right one, you would be okay. If it wasn't, you would die." Harry felt a wave of relief fly over him, but it was at once replaced by worry.

"What about my friends? Did they make it?" Rhia nodded, pointing at the animals, who all looked quite surprised. But past experiences had proved to Harry that Godric never stayed quite for long. He growled at Harry, determined to make his opinion known. Yeah, why don't we not do that again? Harry knew better than to respond, and Godric's bait went untaken.

Harry turned his attention back to Rhia, and asked, "Where are we?" Rhia flashed him her smile again, and smirked. "Ah, well, it looks like the tables have turned." Harry tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Rhia's bell-like laughter filled the area, which was a cave. "Oh, this is too good! Okay then, I'll say this: Not where. When." Harry raised an eyebrow. "You mean…" Rhia nodded, and said, "Yeah, we've gone through time. This time, we traveled to the future."

Harry looked around the cave. His friends were all okay, and Merlin was in conversation with someone. A certain someone with long, silver hair. In fact, the old man looked much like Merlin, though Harry could tell his magical aura was several times stronger than the younger Merlin and himself. Merlin was truly powerful, and seemed to radiate wisdom.

He leaned upon a staff, a staff that looked much more like the one Harry clutched than the staff the younger Merlin held. His eyebrows were raised, and he shot a glance in Harry's direction. Well, it was now painfully obvious just what they had been talking about.

The old Merlin turned away from the conversation, and looked Harry up and down. When he was done, he said, "So, you're Harry Potter, are you? I have heard much about you, even before now."

Harry raised his eyebrows at that. Turning to the younger Merlin, he said, "Uh, Merlin?" Both turned to him with a Hmm? His lips twitched, and he said, "The younger one, I mean. Uh, how far exactly did we go into the future? Is this my time?"

The young Merlin said, "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know. You'll have to ask the old man over here." The old Merlin huffed indignantly. "I am not that old, you impudent young pup! Honestly! No respect for elders these days. You would think…"

Harry chose to cut off the rant before it gathered speed, saying, "Well, do you know what time where in? What year is it?" Merlin surveyed him, replying somewhat lazily. "Oh, I think it's about 1342. July, if memory serves me. But before you ask, I have been to the future. I've even watched you. You've accomplished a lot."

Harry sincerely hoped he wouldn't go into further detail. He didn't feel like getting stares from Rhia and Merlin. He had begun to go red, but quickly harnessed his emotions, banishing the embarrassment. As he looked at the older Merlin, he saw his face turn slightly graver.

"So, you were bitten by a werewolf? Unfortunate, but not as bad as people think. There is a cure, and I know how to brew it. Yes, it's a potion. I can brew it, but it will take me at least a day." He was about to continue when he saw Rhia.

"Rhia! It's been So long since I've seen you! How are you doing? How is mother?" He would have continued, but was interrupted again by something he saw. He stared at her waist, and asked in a shaky voice, "R-Rhia? I that? Is that the Orb of Fire?" Rhia took the glowing green sphere off of her belt, and gave it to the older version of her brother.

He studied it, and asked, still in a shaky voice, "How?" Rhia smiled at Harry, who knew what was coming. "Harry fixed it." Merlin did a slight double-take, staring at Harry. It took him a while to find his voice, and said, "Is this true?" Harry sighed in resignation, and nodded.

Merlin just shook his head, still surprised. When he had recovered, he said, "Well, I'd better get cracking on that potion." As he turned to leave, Harry called out. "Wait! I have something for you, sir." As Merlin turned, Harry tossed him the Key. Merlin caught it, and studied it. Harry watched as his eyes grew wide as dinner plates, staring at the key in his hands.

Waves of emotion battered Harry's empathy sense, revealing several emotions. He felt surprise, doubt, recognition, and, above all, hope. At last! I had though it was gone forever, but I can finally leave this place. Harry smiled. "Why do you want to leave this place? If you really wanted to leave, why didn't you?"

Merlin was still staring at the glorious Key as he replied. "Well, I couldn't. This place is like my prison. I- Wait a minute… How did you know I wanted to leave? I never said that." From his left, Hohn gave a triumphant trill. Harry wondered why, when his conversation on empathy and mind reading. He must have read Merlin's mind!

Merlin looked amused, and said, "You are certainly full of surprises, aren't you?" Harry grinned cheekily at him, and shrugged. Merlin looked at the Key, and Harry could see the happiness radiating off of the old man. Merlin looked at him, continuing were they left off.

"Well, you see, I was trapped here by a sorceress. She gained my trust, and begged me to teach her in the ways of magic. I could see no harm in it at the time, so I complied. That, I realize now, was a big mistake."

Harry knew parts of this from the legends he had heard. He tried to lighten the mood a bit. "This sorceress sounds like quite the person." Merlin grunted. "Miserable old hag. Oh, when I get out, I'm going to have a few words with Nimue."

Merlin stopped his rant before it could begin, and continued along with the tragic tale. "Once I taught her the basics, she flew along. Like a sponge, she was. Soaked up all the information I had to give. However, one day, one fateful day, I made the mistake of teaching her a spell more powerful than myself. I had only recently learned it, and didn't know the counter curse. By the time I learned it, it was too late. The spell had set in permanently. "He broke off, a pained look on his face.

The pained expression stayed in place for a minute before vanishing, and the old man's mouth quirked up. "But now, thanks to this key, I can escape! I don't know if you know this, but this key can break any spell. Once the spell is broken, it can never be cast on that person again. Unfortunately, the Key can only be used once before its power fades. I don't know how, but you somehow managed to restore the faded power. Incredible!"

He shot a glance at Harry, and said, "Do you think I could test it before starting on the potion? It's just, I've been in this prison all my life. I can finally leave!" Harry smiled, and said, "Of course you can use the Key first. In return, do you think you could brew extra potion? Or, better yet, could you teach me how to brew it?"

Merlin looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Well, it's a very complex potion. It would take you several days, perhaps weeks to learn. Well, this is a dilemma." A sudden smile lit up the old man's face, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. He was, Harry decided, uncannily like Albus Dumbledore. Maybe there's some sort of relation…

Merlin was still smiling, and looked very smug. Harry just sat there for about a minute, before his curiosity overwhelmed him. "What is it? Why are you smiling like that?" Merlin chuckled softly to himself.

"Oh, don't you see, my dear boy? I could help you." Harry waved that off irritably, saying, ""Yes, I know that! I know you can help me with the potion, but that's no reason to look smug." By now, Merlin had tears of mirth in his eyes, which made the twinkle shimmer.

When Merlin stopped chuckling, he said, "Not just with the potion, lad, but with everything! I could become your mentor, like I was for young Arthur!" Harry's eyes narrowed somewhat at a new name, one who must be powerful if he or she was tutored by Merlin. "And who exactly is this Arthur?"

Merlin really started laughing at that. It took him a good five minutes before he could speak again. "Oh, don't you go telling me you've never heard of Arthur? You know, King Arthur? That's his sword you're wearing."

Harry's eyes widened somewhat. He knew Merlin had served on King Arthur's court, but he never knew Merlin had actually tutored him. The history books were always very vague one what happened to Merlin. No one really knew where he had gone. No one, that is, until now. Harry smirked. Oh, Hermione's going to be so jealous when I tell her! He caught himself at that. He would have to make so pretty tough decisions on what he told his friends. He would have to ponder that later. His attention snapped back to Merlin as he began to describe the sort of things he could teach him.

"Oh, just you wait! I'll teach you everything I know! Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and basic dueling are just the small stuff. We'll start with those, just so I can get an idea of what we have to work with. And after that, that's when the real fun begins! We'll study the deeper aspects of magic. I'll teach you the great secrets of magic, secrets like the Forgotten Arts."

Harry tilted his head in curiosity. He supposed he must have looked quite ridiculous. "What do you mean, 'Forgotten Arts'? What like paintings, and stuff?" Merlin smiled, eyes ever-twinkling, before explaining.

"Well, there's some truth to that. You see, everything has magic in it. Yes, everything. Art work is alive with magic, though it is not noticeable, even with your second sight."

Yet again, Harry was confused. Merlin explained quickly before going on. "Oh, your second sight is your ability to sense the magical aura of everything around you. Music too is magical, even more so than art. Music carries a certain magical signature, and affects everyone around, though they may not realize it. Different songs have different magical signatures. Also, some songs' signatures are stronger than others. I believe the best example would be phoenix song. You can see the aura because the magical signature is so strong."

Harry nodded slowly, his mind trying to absorb all of this. He waited patiently for Merlin to continue. "But what I mean when I say the Forgotten Arts is magic. The Arts are the higher levels of magic." At Harry's look, he said, "Right now, you're at the medium level of magic. You can do what most wizards can, more than some. You have been given great power, but you have not yet reached your potential. You have incredible power within you, but you must learn to harness it before attempting to release it."

Harry nodded again, and said, "What are the higher levels of magic?"

Merlin stared of into space, ticking them off on his fingers. "Well, there are mesmerizing, illusions, necromancy, sorcery, monk and druid teachings, elementals, and thievery. Each is a magic unto itself, and each has its own distinct signature. Using any of the magic from these branches is extremely dangerous, and can have disastrous results when not controlled. I mean, can you imagine the results of an element spell gone awry? It would be catastrophic!"

Harry fingered the staff in his hand absentmindedly, deep in thought. When he looked up, his eyes shone with a determination that had not been there earlier. "Teach me, Merlin. Teach me the ways of the mage." Merlin nodded, and so began their training.