Chapter 11: Power

Flashback

After only a week of training with Dumbledore, it seemed that the man's (ghost's) patience had run out. The normally ocean deep patience for which he was so well known seemed to be reduced to a drop that was about to evaporate.

"Oh for the love of the Founders Harry, will you focus for a goddamn minute? I am sick of this, you have made no progress at all, I mean really, is that how you're gonna beat Moldieshorts? He IS the greatest Dark wizard in a century you know."

"Erm… Sorry?"

"Screw this, if you don't have it in you, I'm gonna make sure you get it in, even if I have to put my foot in your mouth to help you hold it in."

"You do realise you aren't corporeal and all, so that quite impossible."

"Wanna bet?"

"…"

"Exactly. Now, prepare for boot camp boy, 'cuz I'm gonna get you whipped, and whipped good."

Harry managed to utter a sarcastic 'Right…' before he felt the telltale signs of a forced Apparition.

"TEEEEEEEEN SHUN!!!!"

"Aww Hell NO" Harry moaned. It had been two months since he had been dropped of at the feet of the local drill sergeant and the speed course discipline was reaching it's climax it seemed.

"PRIVATE POTTER, GET YOUR ARSE OUT OF THAT BUNK AND YOU CAN START YOUR DAY BY DROPPING AND GIVING ME A HUNDRED!!!!"

While doing his 'morning exercise" Harry wondered what his sergeant took to keep that same screaming voice without going hoarse every other day.

"TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF YOUR TRAINING? PRIVATES AND YOU WILL ALL BECOME SOLDIERS IN THE U.S. ARMY OR DROP OUT LIKE THE BUNCH OF SISSIES YOU ARE!!!!"

'Always the little sunshine around aren't you sergeant?' Harry asked the screaming man mentally.

"Now that I have your attention, I'd like to tell you all you were the best batch of recruits I had in a long, long while. I hope to see a lot of yall up in the ranks in a few years.

'Course, that'll be without Potter, 'cuz he's leaving us to get some nice hard training by a few of our specialists in Free Fight. As a favour to you all, you're gonna have the rest of the day off, until yall get your ranks."

Amidst the cheering of his fellow privates, Harry thought about what the hell Free Fight might be, and silently 'thanking' the sergeant for informing him of his next course of action.

Free Fight turned out to be a mixture of Martial Arts. For example, the World Champion (some Japanese guy) could kill a man with a Muggle lighter. That took about a month of training and he soon had a real grasp of his own body's limits and possibilities.

It would prove advantageous later in his training as Elemental Master.

Six months into his training, Harry's temper was giving him problems again, it seemed his Fire Elemental abilities were his strongest at the moment, and that reflected in his emotions.

During a training session, he was giving it his all, but Dumbledore didn't waver. Harry saw red and let out a magic blast in the general direction of his mentor.

Just before the blast connected, Dumbledore just ceased all movement and rendered incorporeal. Harry's eyes widened, not wanting to believe his own stupidity for forgetting Dumbledore's status as ghost, enraging him even further. As he tried to push more behind the blast, he felt like some false bottom fell away from under his magic, making way to another unbelievable amount of power. He was so shocked; he just stopped the beam and dropped his arms to his sides. Dumbledore was looking on amused and relieved.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Ah, Harry, I see you finally tapped into Merlin's power."

"What now?"

"Well you see, that power you just used, came right down from Merlin himself."

"Right, and just how could that be?"

"Well, most people don't know this, but Merlin was Godric Gryffindor's and Helga Hufflepuff's father."

"What? But that can't be can it? They don't have the same last names."

"Harry, in those days, last names weren't inherited, they were just based on appearances or abilities of the person in question. For example, Godric's first ever Animagus form was a Golden Griffin. Gold in French is 'Or'. A Griffin Of Gold, Griffin d'Or. Anyways, we're drifting away from the matter at hand. Before Merlin was to be captured, he gave away most of his powers to his son, so that he could give it to his heir. In times of need, Merlin's heir can use them to his likings."

"But my father…"

"Yes, there is a condition to use the power. An heir must discover the power before he can use it. At the time your father fought Voldemort, he didn't know of it's existence, so he couldn't use it either."

"Why didn't you tell him then? You obviously knew about it."

"It was not my place to do so, only an heir can tell another about it, and then only when it is transferred onto the next heir. When your father died, it transferred onto you. I believe it may have been a component to the rebounding of the Killing Curse."

"Whoop-de-frickin-doo"

A/N: Whew, two chaps on one night, sorry for waiting to write so long, I was a tad preoccupied and I was dealing with a twenty ton weighing writer's block. Reviews are welcome and I still need Beta-readers ( don't be shy, I won't bite…yet )

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