Merlin's Chosen

Summary: Arthur has slept in Avalon, the otherworldly place just beyond the reach of magic for all but Merlin and his chosen, recovering from the injuries sustained in the battle at Camlann. Years have passed and times have changed and Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has taken its place on the edge of the Lake of Avalon, unknown to modern witches and wizards. The world is in need of the Once and Future King to protect Albion again but to do that the immortal Merlin, the man that has learned to live backwards, must be there and he is nowhere to be found. It is now the job of Merlin's Chosen. Only, Harry Potter thinks he's going mental. This is based on the mountains that are around the movie version of Hogwarts and the lake that Merlin takes Freya to in season 2 episode 9.

A/N: I am actually really proud of myself. Less than three months and I finally got to the next major plot point! I've been fighting to get there for a few chapters. Now I pretty much wrote this entire chapter while listening to "Chess in Concert" on repeat. I don't know how that affected my writing, but I just thought it was an interesting insight into my writer mind, plus I love Josh Groban.

Chapter XI:

Morgana kept her hood up and low as she made her way through a marketplace in a small town on the edge of the boarder in a neighboring kingdom to Camelot. She tried to keep her smile natural and inviting as she caught sight of Morgause amongst the stalls.

"Sister," Morgause greeted. "I am glad you are alright. I heard rumors you had been captured by Camelot's soldiers.

Morgana smirked as she hid her flinch. "As if Camelot's knights are a match for a Priestess of the Old Religion."

Morgause smiled. "Of course. But come! We must prepare. We can still stick to the plan and there is an old friend that is eager to see you again."

Morgause trailed her hand down Morgana's arm and she was thankful that Merlin remembered to give the bracelet back to her.

"You don't have to worry, My lady," Merlin said, placing the bracelet into her hands. "We've managed to break the more nefarious enchantments." Morgana could see the dark circles under his eyes as he held up his hand. "Don't ask how. However, Morgause will notice. Be prepared. Don't let her have it. No doubt the new spells will be worse."

"The spells are wearing off, sister," Morgause said as her hand brushed against the metal. "Would you like me to reapply them for you?"

"Have they? I hadn't noticed." Morgana deflected. "I've been sleeping quite peacefully that I haven't really needed it."

Morgana did see a slight change in her sister's smile. "If you are sure, but let me know if that changes. I would be glad to reapply them."

"Of course, sister." Morgana hoped Morgause didn't hear the slight pause before the honorific.

Morgause led them away from the marketplace and closer to the edge of town where the closely stacked home started to thin. "Where are we heading?"

"Our friend has a house at the edge of the woods. He's waiting for us there." Several faces rushed through Morgana's head, most of them dead, so she couldn't figure out who was waiting for them.

Nothing could have prepared her for the grown up face of Mordred.

"My lady," the now young man said. Morgana tried not to seem too surprised. "It's good to see you after all these years."

"Mordred," Morgana said, her voice a little breathless. She swallowed trying to find the right words. "You've grown."

He glanced down as if suddenly bashful. "That's… what happens, I guess."

"Of course." Morgana watched as Morgause entered the small one room home. Mordred motioned her to follow and Morgana felt the warmth of the fire before anything else. The home itself was welcoming and lived in. A steaming pot of stew and a fresh loaf of bread sat waiting for them on the table.

"Have you heard from anyone else?" Morgause asked as Mordred took her cloak. He wordless asked for Morgana's and she handed it to him with some trepidation. He gave a small smile, which she tried to return, and hung the cloaks near the door.

"I have received word that the rest are ready at your command, Morgause."

"Very good, Mordred," she praised. "We should solidify plans and strike while Arthur has no idea."

Mordred smirked "Then let us eat and do just that."

… … …

"This is never going to work," Arthur said. His hood was pulled up low over his face even if it wasn't likely he would be recognized in the small border town, but they didn't want to risk it.

"You're only saying that because it was Merlin's plan," Gwaine said.

The rest of the knights sat around them in various rough garb, hoping to blend in. Merlin was the only one that seemed to, Elyan a close second.

"That's not the reason." Gwaine snorted and then grinned at Arthur's glare. "I just don't trust that Morgause won't see right through Morgana's ruse."

"So you just underestimate your sister?" Merlin shot back and sucked in a breath when he realized what he said. Arthur merely shook his head with a small smile at Merlin's sputtered apologies.

"They know, Merlin."

"That would have been good to know five minutes ago."

Arthur shushed him as Morgana came into view. "Elyan, you're up."

The knight pushed off the wall and carefully approached Morgana. The rest of them couldn't hear the hurried conversation. When Morgana laughed and Elyan offered her a flower with a bow, Arthur let out a held breath. "Told you it would work," Merlin muttered as Elyan returned.

"There's been a complication even if the plan hadn't changed," Elyan reported as he received smiles and pats on the back as if receiving congratulations for charming the beautiful lady.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"She said to tell you: Mordred's involved. She said that you would know who that was."

Merlin paled and swore, something that raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the knights.

"But we helped him!" Arthur said. "Why would he be working with Morgause?"

"Morgana said it was almost like he was working against Morgause, but she couldn't really be sure."

Arthur sighed and tried not to slump against the post he stood near. "Then we go ahead with the plan."

Morgana was facing them across the market seemingly looking at some brightly colored fabric that seemed out of place among the furs and dull browns around them. She caught Arthur's eye. He nodded and she disappeared into the crowd.

... ... ...

Morgan stood in the doorway to the ward, a look of nervousness that was alien on her face. Harry kept glancing between his tutor and the matron wondering who was going to win the impromptu staring contest. "I'm sorry I eavesdropped. I was coming to check on my student and his progress on the work I gave him."

"So you may know what's going on with me?" Harry asked avoiding the comment because he forgot about the assignment.

"I had a friend that when he went through his magical inheritance it made his magic incompatible with his wand."

"Magical inheritance?" Harry asked. "Is there such a thing?"

"It's rare and becoming rarer each year," Madame Pomfrey explained. "We haven't figured out why and some say it has to do with introducing muggleborn bloodlines into the old magic bloodlines while others say it has to do with the inbreeding of the pureblood families."

"You can probably guess which group held to which belief," Morgan added. Harry nodded, smiling.

"So I could have gone through my magical inheritance and that's why my wand doesn't work?"

"It makes sense to me," Morgan said shrugging, a motion that made her seem far younger than she was.

"Then I need a new wand?"

Morgan looked uncertain. "Maybe, or you may not need one at all. I've heard of that happening as well."

"The last I've heard of that happening was Merlin himself," Madame Pomfrey pointed out.

"Family magic, Madame," Morgan countered. "I'm sure over the years, families have figured out how to hide it."

"So I may need a new wand or not and the only way to find out would be to go to Ollivander's and test it."

"There are other wand makers, Mr. Potter," Morgan said.

Harry shrugged. "Ollivander's is the easiest to get to right now."

"What's this about to Ollivander's?" Sirius asked as he and Remus walked in with books and papers. Classes just have ended and dinner was soon. Morgan for some reason said a hasty goodbye and left a bewildered group behind her.

"Uh, my wand doesn't work. Morgan was talking about magical inheritances and that maybe why my wand doesn't work with me." A strange look passed Sirius' face that was a cross between surprise and 'you're just getting this now?' and Harry realized the obvious. "Ah. Yeah…"

"Is Harry able to leave the hospital wing yet?" Sirius asked and the change in subject seemed to startle the matron as the two men settled in with their grading next Harry's bed.

"Well I had hoped to assess his reserves before leaving but that may be impossible now. I would like him to stay one more night to get some quiet rest before returning to the tower. However, if anything happens, and I mean anything, I want you to return to get checked out."

"Fair enough," Sirius answered for him with a look that said there would be no argument from Harry. Harry didn't know how to take the mixture of emotions going through him, between annoyance at being spoken for and surprise that someone cared enough to, and a wave of affection for his God-father.

Instead he just said, "Finally," before slumping onto his bed the matron smiled and entered her office no doubt to get the paper work done.

Sirius snorted and Remus smiled at the reaction. "So what's this thing about your wand not working?"

Harry glanced up. "Madame Pomfrey was testing my limits with the levitation spell and it just wasn't working. In my frustration I tossed my wand on the bed and complained that I just wanted the feather to float only to have in float right up in my face," Harry explained.

"So you didn't even say the spell before the feather started to float?" Remus asked setting the grading aside. Harry could tell the researcher was coming out and shrugged.

"I guess not." He thought about it. "No, I definitely didn't say the spell. What does that mean?"

"Intent, Harry," Remus answered. "All you used was intent." The two men exchanged looks. "Did you feel tired after the feather stopped floating?"

Harry once again had to think. "Yes, a little bit, but nothing like I felt like after waking up two weeks ago."

"It sounds like you did go through your inheritance and something that James never told us was the Potter's had the potential for wandless magic." Sirius explained, but there was an undercurrent of the vague secrets shared between God-son and God-father.

"Now it just a matter of training you to use it," Remus said. "Of course it is only slightly different than the magic you are already taught so it is just modifying what you are learning to fit you." Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of only modified work and not more work.

The rest of the evening was passed in near silence as the trio tried to get work done. Ron and Hermione stopped by just before curfew and were thrilled to know that Harry would be rejoining the student body the next morning. Harry left out the wandless magic part in hopes of avoiding the issue for as long as possible so they could figure out a way to hide it from people. Remus and Sirius left shortly after Ron and Hermione so that Harry could get that last night of peaceful sleep.

As he settled in that night, alone in the hospital wing, a part of Harry was grateful for the quiet, other times he missed the sounds of his dorm and he was happy that the next night he will hear them. A small smile lingered on his face as he drifted to sleep.

"Dod o hyd iddo. Mae'n rhaid i chi ddod o hyd iddo."

Harry shot up in bed as the last toll of the clock struck five. The sky was dark outside his windows and he wasn't sure what woke him.

"Dod o hyd iddo."

Harry pulled back the blankets and slipped on his shoes as he followed the whispers.

"Mae'n rhaid i chi ddod o hyd iddo."

It occurred to him as he reached the entrance hall that it was a bad idea to follow disembodied voices especially when he didn't even know what they were saying, but as he caught sight of his tutor leaving through the oak doors, he felt compelled to follow. The morning was foggy, but thankfully not raining, even if it was cold and Harry shivered wishing he had brought his cloak and was surprised when he wasn't cold anymore.

"I really need to learn how to control that…" he whispered.

He spied Morgan standing on the shore of the Black Lake and he thought she was merely watching the mist roll across the lake until he saw someone standing on top of the water and Morgan seemed to be talking to them. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but Morgan seemed tense and a little sad. She nodded and moved away from shore. Harry hid between a bolder and a tree as his tutor walked by and he breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see him.

He moved closer to shore, periodically glancing behind him keeping an eye out for Morgan.

"Hello, Mr Potter," a voice said and Harry jumped and reeled around almost slipping on the slick shoreline. When he finally righted himself he realized he was facing a human woman and she was standing on top of the water.

"What? Who —? Merlin's Pants!" Harry gaped at her musical laughter.

"Arthur would be so amused by that!" At Harry's blank look she continued, "Magic users swearing by Merlin's name."

Harry still didn't know what was going on. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. "My name is Freya, but history has given me a different name." Her smiled turned mischievous. "I'm the Lady of the Lake."

"Of Arthurian Legend?" Harry always enjoyed the stories in Primary school.

"We are more than legends, Mr. Potter."

"But what are you?" Harry blurted. He could feel his face grow warm. "I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright. If I were in your shoes, I would ask the same." Her gentle smile turned sad. "To put it simply, I am a spirit of a long dead girl gifted with the opportunity to protect the gate of Avalon." Harry felt a strange combination of guilt and grief over a woman he barely met. "When I was alive, I was cursed until I met the wizard Merlin and his soon-to-be-king Arthur. They freed me even if it cost me my life."

"But why did you come to me? Are you who I am hearing around the castle? What does this have to do with me?"

"When Merlin left Arthur in my care over a millennia ago, he vowed never to return to the shores of Avalon until Arthur woke. But Albion is in need of the Once and Future King and Emrys is not answering my call."

Harry suddenly felt heavy and let his chin fall to his chest. "Ddewiswyd o Myrddin. Merlin's Chosen." He looked up. "You need me to find him."

Freya nodded. "Merlin has a vial of water from the Lake of Avalon, this lake. He need only break it and I can talk to him. Can you find him and get him to do that?"

"I have no idea where to start looking?"

"You have the journal and the key, do you not?"

"Well, yes." Harry didn't even wonder how she knew that.

"Then you already have the first step." Freya sighed and Harry thought she was beginning to look a bit transparent. "Arthur has not yet woken, but he will soon, and your world really needs him and Merlin. Please, find him."

"I will," Harry said, just as she disappeared into the mist.