AN: Hello my patient readers! I don't really have a good enough excuse for not updating for so long, and then suddenly picking it back up, so I won't even try. I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews, criticisms, follows and favorites. Reading over the kind things everyone says to me are part of what motivates me to write more. Also, don't worry about season 5 spoilers, I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. So thank you all and enjoy:

Chapter 17: Panic

Harry rushed through lunch, taking every secret passageway he knew to get to the dorm room faster so he could read the letter.

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this, then Professor McGonagall or I have deemed it a dangerous enough situation that you must know this information, but I cannot tell you it in person. My apologies for that, and hopefully I will come back to discuss it with you later. I must ask you to please burn this messege once you have read and understood it. My messege is as follows:

There is an extremely dark method to gain immortality, one that I think is very likely Lord Voldemort used to postpone his death...

Horcruxes? Soul anchors? Harry's head spun. What could he possibly do to get these objects, and then destroy them, and then destroy Voldemort? Hell, fourteen hours ago he wasn't sure he even believed in the prophesy!

Harry took a few deep, calming breaths. Dumbledore was relying on him to get this done in case he was going to die tonight. What could he possibly be doing? He knew for a fact McGonagall wouldn't - maybe couldn't - tell him anything. He had no one to turn to, no help he could get. Basil chirped at him worriedly, but Harry waved him off. How could a dragon help him now?

Wait. Dragons! Killagarah! He was the only one Harry could rely on at this point, to know of a method to kill someone who's soul was scattered in unknown places around the earth. Was that hazy state he seemed to have met the old dragon in reachable? He knew the old dragon himself was real, for he wouldn't be a Dragonlord without him. The only problem was reaching him. Merlin himself had gone to Killagarah for advice, well Killagarah usually came to him... That's it! He needed to speak like a Dragonlord so the old dragon would hear.

Basil chirped again, this time more worriedly. Apparently having switched from frantic worry to subdued defeat to frenzied excitement in the space of six minutes was worrisome to Harry's little friend. Why the little creature wouldn't speak English was not his concern right now, but but when he had time he would ask Killagarah that too.

"Basil I'm fine. Grand, actually." Harry responded. "Wait, Basil," the warlock's voice raised to a near yell, "Would you know where Killagarah and Athusia are?"

Basil chirped a reply in draconian, he wouldn't know how to get there. Harry paced with a frantic worry and exhilaration. Dumbledore was probably taking on a Horcrux right now. If he went back in time soon enough, he wouldn't have to worry about needing time to save the Headmaster. If only he could just meet Killagarah in the past...

What was keeping him from the past, really? He wasn't allowed in Camelot, sure, but he could easily disguise himself, approach Merlin or Morgana - that was it. Harry grabbed his suitcase - he had barely unpacked anyway. "Basil," he cried, "What do you think of a little time hopping?"

Basil sent him a look that was probably meant to tell Harry how incredibly reckless and annoying he was being, but relented by crawling into Harry's outstretched hand.

With a loud crack, the two were knocked unconscious over a thousand years into the past.

Harry woke with a start. He was in a field, the tiny figure of Basil sleeping peacefully next to him. He scooped the little dragon up and held him for a moment, letting him wake up.

Basil woke with a angry chirp and leapt into the air indignantly. "I can fly on my own, thank you very much." He said in English.

"Basil? You spoke English!" Harry said, astounded.

"You didn't expect me to in a school full of children who couldn't see us, did you? It's much easier to whisper without mutilating my tongue to make your strange sounds." Basil glared, his tiny eyes mere slits of brown."

Harry had the distinct feeling that this wasn't the truth. Now that he thought on it, it could be that Basil couldn't speak English at all until he was back in the past, or hadn't been able to... it was something to think about when he found Killagarah. "Ok, ok, I get it. Sure. Well, we gotta figure out where we landed, I dunno what has happened since I left." Harry said a bit wistfully.

"Uh, Harry, you still look like yourself." Basil pointed his tail at the boy lazily. Basil, finally free from speaking only draconian (blast that Luna girl's spell. He was of the opinion that she did it on purpose. Now that they were free of her influence, he wouldn't have to worry about the nasty side effect.) He sighed, and continued, "Also, you can't wear those clothes. I've never even been to the past and I know that they didn't wear clothes like that."

"Right." Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. Waving a hand over his head, he made himself a tan, light brown haired figure of 6'1. The best part of his disguise was, now that he knew he wouldn't be associated with Harry Potter, he could call himself by his first name.

Digging into his bag, he pulled out his old clothes from his last trip and quickly changed. Frowning, he changed the colors slightly. No need to take unnecessary risks and let some random Camelot citizen notice that they had made his clothes, and that the new owner was effectively exiled.

"Right, Bas. Camelot or Olivanders first?"

Basil blinked steadily. "Why would we go to either of those places?"

"To figure out what's been happening. You know, get the news."

Basil shook his head. "Aren't you in a rush? I'm pretty sure you wanted to kill a certain Dark Lord, not go around chatting with old people."

Harry shrugged. "I guess I panicked a little, but now we're back in time and it doesn't matter much. I mean, we theoretically have all the time in the world. Not that I want to spend all that much time here, but Hermione's still limiting my knowledge, history-wise, and -"

"Harry?" Basil cut in sharply.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up. We're going to see the Dragon. Just because its not a time-sensitive problem right now, its still a problem. You don't need to go to Camelot or Olivanders at all. Probably. Either way, come on, summon the guy!"

Harry blinked rapidly, his face lined with confusion, then understanding. "Well if I must."

Harry opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. After a repeat of around seven times Basil apparently got fed up. "What? Why aren't you calling him?"

"I can't. I don't know, I just can't speak it anymore." Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Basil frowned, an odd look on his draconic face. "I understand. Dragonlord powers are passed through inheritance at death. You might count as Merlin's heir, then."

Harry tilted his head. "Merlin's heir?"

"There's a prophecy. It involves someone with Merlin's powers in the future, who takes over effectively as Merlin's heir. And guess what? You have Merlin's powers. All of them now, even as a Dragonlord." Basil said smugly, settling on Harry's shoulder, contemplating his now-future lord. Harry, while being normally very powerful and intelligent, could be so ignorant that even a two-month-old dragon knew more than him.

"That's ridiculous. How do you even know that? You've never heard any prophecies, or been exposed to any." Harry scowled. Now he just wished that Basil couldn't talk at all, he enjoyed the guy's company more when he wasn't being insulted.

"Dragons instinctively know prophecies. It's a perk of the job. How do you not know of it? I would have thought you'd have learned all you could about Merlin once you got to the future."

Harry muttered something about bossiness and Hermione, then continued, "Well if I were Merlin's 'heir' then I guess I wouldn't have his powers until he died, and he's still alive now. But I already got my powers, because he already died, but he's still alive so I don't, even though I had them..." Harry groaned. "Why did I think time travel was a good idea?"

"You didn't. You swallowed a random potion you found in a random book in a random corner of the library and that's why we're in this mess in the first place."

Harry nodded. "True, but its also why you're alive now. So it looks like we're going to Camelot after all."

"Well get going already." Harry rolled his eyes at the demanding creature, and started walking through the field. "Where are you going?" The small creature asked.

"To Camelot, obviously." Harry replied.

"There are two main problems I see with this picture." Basil started. "Firstly, you have no idea if that's the right direction. Secondly, theres a little thing called magic. It can get you places a lot faster than walking can."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Why did I being you along again?"

"For my sharp wit, smart advice and personable demeanor." Basil deadpanned right into Harry's ear.

Harry paused for a second. "No. And it certainly wasn't to be ridiculed by the dwarf I helped hatch."

"What did you call me?" Basil started.

"A dawrf. An itty bitty dwarf dragon."

"Alright, that's it!" Basil sprung off of his shoulder, looping through the air to head straight at Harry.

Laughing, Harry held his hand out, waited for Basil to land, and apparated.

"That was just plain dirty." Basil said in a whisper.

"Shhh, we don't know if the spell to hide you works here. Get in my pocket." Harry said seriously, but with an evil grin.

Basil muttered to himself about Dragonlords and time travel, "Why don't you say that in draconian, huh?" before settling down in Harry's pocket to wait.

Not five minutes later, when Harry was trudging up the slope towards Camelot, he said randomly, "Basil? Should I take the glamour off to see Merlin?"

Basil crawled up his jacket to perch in the collar of Harry's coat. "Do they have glamours yet?" He asked, louder than necessary into Harry's ear.

"Er, they have the evil dark magic ones." Harry said sheepishly.

Although he couldn't see it, Harry could imagine Basil shaking his head. "Then you probably shouldn't reveal that you're using glamours, unless you want to be the one who came up with them in the first place. You'll just have to ask for their help as a fellow magic user of the time."

Harry shook his head. "Your right, I can't be the creator of another type of magic. Sirius has done enough of that already." Harry felt a sudden pang of regret. Poor Sirius, he hadn't even told the dog that he was leaving. Well, he didn't tell anyone that he was leaving. It was a bit of a rash decision, now that he thought about. The rest of the walk to the castle was deathly silent, and Basil slowly brought himself back to Harry's pocket.

When Harry reached the courtyard, he couldn't for the life of him remember the way to Gaius and Merlin's quarters. Walking up to a guard, he asked timidly, "Er, sorry. Where would I find Gaius, the court physician?"

The guard made a noise in his throat and jammed his thumb behind him. Harry took that as an answer. "Thank you!"

Arriving at the familiar door, Harry paused for a moment. Should he walk in, or knock? Remembering his disguise at the last moment, he knocked four times. "Gaius?" He yelled through the wood.

The old man opened the door quickly, "Yes? Who is it?" He asked.

Harry blinked twice, then cursed himself mentally. He hadn't even thought of a plan, much less made one! He would have to play it by ear. "I was told that Gaius the Court Physician could help me."

Gaius nodded. "Do you have an ailment, then? I suppose you had better come in."

"I have a problem, not precisely an ailment." Harry gave him a meaningful look, which the physician didn't seem to get. "It's less of a physical nature, and more, well, an identity matter?"

"Oh dear. You'd better come in, and close the door." Gaius said. Harry did just that before the man continued. "Draco, Merlin told me you were caught using magic and ran. What could ever make you return now?"

Harry smiled. Good old Gaius. But how did he figure it out?

"How did you figure it out?"

"If you might recall, I was the one who treated that scar of yours. If I don't know what it looks like after stitching your whole arm back together while you bled to death, I wouldn't be much of a physician." He walked away, turning to work on a blue colored potion.

"Alright, at least your the only one who would figure it out, then."

Gaius snorted. "Hardly. When King Arthur sent out a warning about you, that was part of the description. You've gained quite a bit of infamy as a secret evil sorcerer who infiltrated the court, and the alleged kidnapper of Morgana."

"I did not kidnap her!" Harry said indignantly.

"Of course not that time, but once she up and left during the night last year, they had to blame it on someone. You mean you haven't seen her?" Gaius raised an inquisitive brow.

"I haven't seen anyone of pleasant company since I fled. I apparated away, as Merlin might have told you, and landed near an abandoned castle somewhere north of here." Harry added quickly, "Apparation didn't go as well as I had hoped, so I had to find my way back to Camelot by myself. And I'm sorry to say that I brought a problem that needs solving."

Okay, so it's pretty short, but I assume you guys want this before I leave for Thanksgiving, where there's no internet connection. Also, we're coming nearer to the end of the story, so if you guys have any questions that remain unanswered, I don't want to forget anything in the wrap-up.

Thanks for reading!

SH