I'm hoping this chapter will be a little bit of a surprise for everyone. It's changed from it's original incarnation, but I think I like it better.

I'll admit I wasn't expecting it to actually be up given that I almost completely rewrote it in two hours, but that's what deadlines will do for you I suppose.

Chapter 40: Voldemort's Retort

Harry had his head resting on the table beside his dinner plate. His entire body felt like a bruise, he could barely bend any of his joints let alone lift a fork to eat. Beside him Hermione and Ron were eating, having given up on trying to get him to eat. Harry was too tired.

Arthur, it turned out, was a sadist. He had woken Harry before dawn to go for a run, and then they had spent hours going over sword fighting.

Harry had thought this was going to be easy, after all how hard was it to swing a sword around. However after a full day of training with the King, Harry was sure he would never be good enough. Compared to the immense physical power of Arthur, Harry felt very uncoordinated.

The only times Harry ever managed to block a sword blow was when Arthur was demonstrating how he was going to move and showing Harry how to move back.

After lunch had been better, that had involved attacking someone wielding a wand, represented by either Ron or Neville. Harry had felt slightly better about that, after all he wasn't planning on getting into a sword fight with Voldemort. According to Merlin all he had to do was to stab Voldemort in the heart or cut off his head.

Harry was really hoping for the first option, because despite his feelings towards Voldemort the idea of beheading someone was off putting. He hadn't mentioned that to Arthur, he got the feeling that Arthur's feelings on beheading in battle were more along the lines of…the more the merrier.

Finally finding the strength to sit up and poke his dinner with one aching finger Harry realised that Arthur and Merlin had arrived. As soon as Arthur had declared their lesson ended for the day the King had headed off to find Merlin.

The two were discussing something up at the teachers table. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were discussing battle plans. Arthur looked intense and kept motioning to the map spread out between them, while Merlin was shaking his head and pointing at different points on the map.

The rest of the hall was filled with noisy chatter. Merlin's two day deadline had been passed around the school and people were starting to look worried. Even with the legendary King Arthur and Merlin on their side people were inherently frightened of Voldemort. People here either remembered the last Reign of Terror or they had been brought up on stories of how bad it had been. With only one day of safety left people were starting to get worried again.

Harry could feel the eyes of many on him, the desperate hope of all these people was resting on him. He tried to straighten his shoulders, but it only made his back hurt more so after a single bite of stew he laid his head back down.

Just as Harry was starting to drift off to sleep a loud cry and a crash silenced the room.

Harry sat bolt upright despite his complaining muscles. Merlin was on his feet, eyes wide. Even from here Harry could see the sorcerer was shaking and he looked terrified. "NO!" He yelled, his head swung to the left, his eyes focused on something above their heads. "No, no no no." He repeated, shoving his chair back and bolting around the table.

"Merlin, where are you going?" Arthur called, leaping to his feet and following his friends desperate dash.

Merlin wasn't paying any attention, he was running full pelt down the centre isle towards the doors to the Great Hall. Then, as he passed Harry, Merlinlifted his chin and yelled. "O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!" Harry had no idea what it meant, but it sounded like the same language Merlin's spells were always spoken in. So he urged his aching body to its feet and ran, along with the rest of the school, after Merlin and Arthur.

The school's population poured out onto the moonlit lawns and stopped dead to watch Merlin turn his face towards the sky. "Come on, come on, hurry." Merlin was muttering to himself.

Arthur grabbed his friend by the shoulder and was nearly thrown backwards by a flash of golden lightning. "Merlin…what are you doing?" Arthur snapped, rubbing his fingers.

Merlin rounded on Arthur. "I'm sorry Arthur, but I have to go. He's there, Voldemort. He's gone there and he can't go there." Merlin's blue eyes were terrified. Harry swallowed, his heart racing as he tried to imagine something that could frighten the Merlin that much.

"Where?" Arthur asked.

Merlin was prevented from answering by a familiar screaming cry from the sky.

Arthur drew his sword. "Dragon!" He roared as the wizards around them grabbed for their wands.

Suddenly an immense pressure forced them all to their knees. The sleek green dragon dropped to the ground in front of Merlin, who had one hand extended towards the humans. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll be back. I promise." With that he leapt onto the dragons back, and the creature unfurled its wings and leapt for the sky. Within moments it had vanished from sight behind the clouds.

As everyone rose unsteadily to their feet, they started to exchange looks. In one foul swoop Voldemort had attacked and drawn away their greatest asset. Harry and Arthur exchanged grim looks.

What were they going to do now?

The alarm was still sounding in Merlin's head, he forced himself not to listen to the sound, instead he tried to concentrate on clinging to the dragon's back. It was freezing cold this high up, and the dragon was flying fast urged on by Merlin's desperate command.

How had Voldemort gotten in? Merlin's own magic prevented apparition and he had been sure that he was the only one who knew where the entrance was anyway. How had he found the cave?

If Voldemort made his way deep into the cave and found…Merlin shook the thought from his head. It was too horrible a prospect to consider.

Huddling closer to the dragon's cool scales Merlin locked his fingers in place before be completely lost all feeling in them. At this speed it wouldn't take long to reach their destination, but it may still be too late.

Too late…or too early, Merlin had rushed off so quickly he had barely thought about the fact that he was leaving Arthur alone in a school full of witches and wizards who he didn't trust.

Gritting his teeth as the dragon began to descend, Merlin hoped no one did anything stupid while he away. Although if Merlin was too late then it wouldn't matter anyway.

It had been a long time since Merlin had ridden a dragon, and he didn't remember the landing being so rough last time. Wincing as he slid out from between the dragon's shoulder blades Merlin patted her neck and whispered a few words of thanks.

They had landed on a little ledge a short walk from the cave entrance. Picking his way carefully in the dark Merlin listened intently for any signs of movement. Not even daring to form a light Merlin edged into the cave entrance and peered around. He began to walk faster, which turned out to be a mistake because as he rounded a bend he ran directly into the back of a cloaked and masked Death Eater.

The Death Eater grabbed for him and Merlin threw himself backwards into the cave's stone wall. Eight wands swung to point at him and a cold voice spoke in the wandlight. "Well now…Merlin. Too late." Voldemort had stepped out between his Death Eaters and pointed his wand point-blank at Merlin's chest. "Avada Kedavra." Merlin threw himself sideways and threw out a stunning blast of magic at the same moment. The killing curse hit the stone where he had been only a moment before.

As Merlin rolled to his feet, more spells exploding around him, he threw more magic. The first blast had hit one Death Eater's shoulder, spinning him into a second. The second blast hit a third head on, but now Voldemort and his followers were attacking in earnest.

So Merlin did the only thing left to him.

He ran.

A third blast of raw magic knocked two Death Eaters aside and then Merlin was in full flight.

Contrary to Arthur's belief, Merlin was fast. He had long legs and he knew the ground, even in the pitch black. The Death Eaters were right behind him and Voldemort was with them.

Merlin couldn't let them get to the centre of the cave, he had to stop them before it was too late.

About to turn as he ran, eyes slightly blurred with tears of worry and frustration, he was almost hit by another spell.

Gasping for air Merlin cursed silently. He had no other choice.

Rounding the last corner towards the gleam of light in the depths of the deepest cave, still desperately dodging spells, Merlin screamed his own.

Oh creature of air and fire,
One whose heart is as mine brother,

A star is born,
A king arises,

By your name awaken,
KILGHARRAH!

Oh yeah, cliff hanger. This random bit of spell at the end came to me in the shower, as I find all good things do. Of all the things in this story I think I may be most proud of that one tiny detail.

Next chapter update will possibly be Easter.