A/N: Ok here is three…oh I haven't wrote this yet I don't own Harry Potter nor The Wardstone Chronicles.

Chapter 3

It was a crisp morning with a light mist covering the grounds as Harry made is way up to the castle. He had brought along Claw, the oldest of the three wolfhounds, who was following him happily. On his right hip was the Destiny Blade and in his left hand was his staff made of rowan with the silver alloy blade in a recess at the top of the staff. As Harry approached the castle he noticed a large ship in the lake and a very large carriage on the grounds.

When Harry finally made it to the castle doors and as he was about to knock the door the doors opened and reveled an old man, the same old man who had put him with abusive relatives, the same old man that made him look like a carbon copy of one of his lackeys, and the same old man who was a powerful dark mage. Harry had done research on Dumbledore so when he finally ran into him he could take him down and hard.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and all of his major titles were all a smoke screen as with all mages he is the power behind the power. When he saw the young man in a dark cloak with the hood covering his face and with a staff in his left hand and a large menacing wolfhound, the elder mage got nervous though years of experience gave him a cool demeanor. "May I ask why a young spook is here?" he used his best grandfatherly voice. The young man shifted his weight and let the cloak move to show the hilt of a silver blade.

Harry looked at the man and decided to throw him a bone; if he attacked first he would have grounds to eradicate him. "My name is Harold, I am seeking permission enter the forest in search of an item that can be used to assist me in my trade." He had used his most polite and innocent voice in hope of making the old man think he didn't know he was a mage. Dumbledore considered his options, if he allowed a spook around he could be found out and that silver blade looked pretty menacing, but if he refused and it got out that he turned away a spook that could save the lives of the children then his power would be gone. He looked at the young man in the cloak and had a strange feeling. "Young man would you please lower your cowl so I know who I'm working with?" Dumbledore looked over his spectacles as the young man lowered his cowl which revealed shaggy dark hair and sharp green eyes. Something stirred in the memory but he couldn't place it just yet, but he will. "Alright young man, you hunt the forest, but you must tell me, what is your last name?" Harry turned and started walking, turning his head he called back "Gregory, Harry Gregory" and with that set off at a fast pace with Claw following behind, leaving Dumbledore shocked at that revelation.

Harry entered the forest and felt that cold chill go up his spine that signified that there were indeed dark things in the forest. After realizing that the entire area was being blocked by magic, he used the map that he had made and was able to pinpoint exactly where the only mage, who knows how to harness the power of a dragon, rests. He also felt an old, ancient power one that was not malevolent but not quite benign either. He knew it was Merlin and he was bound and determined to release the elder mage, so he proceeded into the depths of the forest. Claw following close behind, ready to jump out and strike at any enemy that threatened him. And so they trudged deeper and deeper, anything that got in their path ran off at the scent of a seventh son of a seventh son. And so it went till they reached a set of five stones set in a pentacle formation. They had arrived at the resting place of Merlin, the very center of the forest. It was time to start the releasing of the powerful mage.

The Headmaster sat behind his desk in shock and anger. Harold Gregory should not exist he should be Harry Potter! Dumbledore had set up everything, the fake prophecy, the stealing of the baby from the Lamia, even Riddle getting the leaked prophecy so he'd attack the Potters, everything! And it had all been ruined in one night, the night that brat was taken from the Dursley's that was the end of his plans.

He had chosen Harold because wizard's magic, even the darkest of it, will not affect a seventh son of a seventh son. He planned it all and it all worked out the way he had planned Voldemort had used the killing curse and it bounced back, which as it would with all those who have ability of a spook. That was supposed to take out his biggest competition for the strongest of the mages and even that failed because of some deal that Riddle made with a powerful demon his soul had been preserved and is finding a way to come back. Dumbledore also knew that whoever won this tournament would be a pawn in resurrecting Voldemort, and he couldn't stop it.

It was then that the old mage had an epiphany, if he couldn't stop Voldemort and that damn brat was a spook now maybe he could be entered in the tournament and manipulated to win and then Voldemort would have to deal with a spook before his resurrection. Dumbledore started scheming and sent off a letter to the young spook inviting him to join the school at the feast the next evening. Oh yes this plan was brilliant.

Harry sat on a fallen tree, Claw sat next to him alert as ever, he sat there and stared at the circle of stones, he was pretty sure how to release the old mage from his slumber, but he wasn't sure if the mage would still be benign or not. He was just about to start when a burst of flame erupted in front of him, leaving behind a letter, Harry assumed it was from the Headmaster and he was right. Harry opened the letter and read

Dear Mister Gregory,

I would like to invite you to the Halloween feast tomorrow evening as my personal guest. If you cannot make it I understand just please come see me before you leave.

Sincerely,

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

Harry knew it was a trap some kind but he also knew that he couldn't afford to not ignore a chance to gain more information on the old man. He decided he would go and maybe get the chance to take him down.

The young spook stood and walked to the middle of the stones and kneeled in the middle of them. He started to chant in the Old Tongue, a series of sounds to normal people but to those of the dark and those who combat the dark it was a summoning. He was summoning Merlin in the place that he was sealed, which is the strongest place he could be to do it. There was a rush of cold and the stones started to crack, Harry increased his volume and the crack started to spread and soon the rocks crumble. And when they did that Harry felt the cold spike and then felt a pressure in his head which caused him to fall unconscious.

The light came through the trees and lighting up the clearing where Harry woke up, but he wasn't alone as he was before, standing before him was an old man with long white hair and a bushy white beard with a tired smile on his face. Merlin oozed power and Harry felt every bit of it. "Why have you summoned me?" his voice was deep and strong. "I think your help could be insurmountable in fighting the dark, so I summoned you in hope of your aid" Harry replied standing before the being that could obliterate him. A sad look came over Merlin's face, "Alas I cannot take a corporeal form so I can be of no help to you" Harry was disappointed at that statement and hung his head, it was all for not. "But for releasing me and allowing me to finally pass on I will give you my power" Harry's head popped up quickly with a shocked look on his face.

"Kneel young man" and when Harry did, Merlin placed a hand on his head and after a few phrases of the Old Tongue and Harry felt a huge rush of power and as soon as it started it stopped and Harry only heard Merlin's voice, before passing out at the amount of power, "You now are as strong as I was along with the power connected to the dragon in which I was trapped. Use it well" the last bit was hardly a whisper as Merlin faded and Harry fell into darkness.

Feeling licking on his face Harry opened his eyes only to have Claw's tongue pass over his eyes "Bleh Claw stop. I'm up…I'm up." Harry rose up and stood and collected his previously discarded weapons. He called Claw, who had stared sniffing the ruble that was the sealing stones, and the two headed back to the castle to face who knows what.

A/N: ok please review people I appreciate being on so many alert lists but please review it your reviews help bring in other readers…anyway if you have a questions please just ask.

Richard Penn