Metamorphosis

Chapter 11: The Secret

When Harry opened his eyes, he realized that he was standing among the trees near the same spot where Voldemort had captured him. He couldn't believe it – he had actually escaped Voldemort's clutches! Somehow, it seemed too easy to him. The death eater had brought his wand into the room and then the restraints somehow loosened. They couldn't have planned him to escape, could they? Voldemort certainly didn't want that.

The hairs prickled on his neck and he looked around uncertainly. There was nobody there and yet he felt on edge. Harry realized that he couldn't get safely into Hogwarts while death eaters were trying to get in. He couldn't use Aberforth's secret passage either without the diamond-shaped pendant he used. Any minute they would realize Harry had escaped. Not knowing where else to go, Harry headed across the way to the sanctuary, which was unguarded and deserted now. When he got there, it didn't appear to be anything special. It was a flat open area at least ten feet wide and across in a circular pattern.

Harry's shoulders sagged with disappointment until he walked toward the other side where a bush was and pushed passed it. There was a cavern behind it, hidden from plain view. Harry ducked down into it and noticed there were steps leading underground. He came to a boulder, which would have seemed like a dead end if he hadn't noticed a small crevice in the stone wall. He put his fingers inside. His index finger hit something smooth. Nothing happened. Harry frowned. Perhaps Dumbledore had been protecting this place, but he wondered if Dumbledore had any idea how to get inside or even what was behind it.

Harry shivered as the hairs on his neck stood up again. He rubbed his arms and turned around to look up the small stone steps. No one was there. He was just paranoid. Even if the death eaters apparated to the area, somehow able to track him, they wouldn't easily find the cavern. And so far he hadn't heard a sound. He gazed back at the boulder and adjusted his glasses. There had to be a way in. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he should try going to the Ministry to figure out what secret they were keeping that Voldemort wanted to know. Then he realized it was too dangerous going there also.

Besides, if this is here and Dumbledore was protecting it, there has to be something important inside.

Harry's curiosity grew. He had to know what Voldemort was after – what he wanted so bad that Dumbledore was making sure he'd never find out. There might be a clue to the secret behind the wall. Harry stared at the door. The crevice was there for a reason. Searching all around Harry could find no other crevices in the walls. He raised his wand in an attempt to try to break it by force and an idea struck him. He went over to the crevice and slipped his wand inside. He heard a click as the wand touched the smooth object, but the door didn't open. He tried "alahomora" to no avail. Something was missing.

Sighing in frustration, Harry moved his hands along the boulder. He remembered how he got into the Black Hag's hideout and wondered if there was a hidden mechanism somewhere in the wall. He levitated himself up to the top and noticed a small hole in the top of the boulder, which he would've missed had his pinky not run over it. He tried to fit his finger in but it was too big. So he put the tip of his wand in it. There was another click and suddenly a piece on the center of the boulder moved. He dropped down to see that a circular hole appeared, having been hidden by the piece of the boulder covering it due to a hidden mechanism. Staring at the hole, he realized the shape of it was familiar.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he unclasped his robe. He glanced down and saw to his astonishment that he was still wearing the Shaman's amulet that he got from the Black Hag – the one he used to get a vision of the ring. He had completely forgotten he still had it. Thankfully the death eaters had only taken his wand and didn't think to check the rest of him.

He took the amulet off and reached up toward the hole to set it inside. It fit perfectly, although he wasn't sure if there was a specific amulet that would open it. Still, Harry put his wand in the crevice again and this time as it clicked and boulder moved aside allowing an opening to appear. Harry's excitement rose as he ventured into the cavern. He glanced behind once before he slipped through the opening.

Inside the cave was a lot bigger than it appeared from the outside, probably due to it being underground. The place he came out into was a very large, spacious room that had a table in the center of it and symbols etched into the table. There were no chairs, however. There didn't appear to be anything special to guard at first glance, but attached to the room was a passage that led to another room. This room was smaller, but there were wooden boards with bullseyes painted on them. There were scorch marks as if some of them were burned. There were more symbols drawn into the floor and a shelf in the room.

Harry immediately went over to the shelf and found very old tattered books. A couple of them were history books talking about wars with other nations and political things going on. They didn't interest him much. However on the very top shelf was a old, smaller book that looked like a journal. Upon opening it, Harry realized it was a journal. And not just any journal. Harry stared at the name scrawled on the first page: Merlin. It was Merlin the Great's journal. He could scarcely believe it. It must have been his practice area, or one of them, that he used to teach his students.

Opening it up, Harry read several of the entries. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. And then Harry's eyes stopped on a particular passage. It read:

My battle with a beast turned out grave. I call it the Silverback Tyrant for its horrendously huge form and its silver spikes on its back. I defeated the creature though not without consequences. The creature bit me and the wound looks as though it's poisoned. And I feel it too. It's not painful, but I know that one day it will take my life.

Harry read on until he found something that made his heart nearly stop. The passage read:

Something completely unexpected happened today. I followed the blood trails of the beast that I had wounded greatly. I thought for sure I had killed it, but it must have pretended to be dead while it gained some strength – intelligent creature! However, upon following it I discovered something dangerous…something that no one must know. I will not reveal the location of where this took place for fear it could fall into the wrong hands.

The beast, wounded thought it was, began to glow! The silver spikes on its back were glowing anyway. And as it did, before my very eyes, a portal seemed to open out of thin air! It was the most spectacular magic I have ever witnessed in my life – more powerful than even I could imagine. This portal I believe opened to this beast's world. Though I was scared, I was also intrigued. Knowing that I would eventually die due to the poison, I took a risk. I followed that beast into the portal before it closed. I cannot even express what I have seen.

I think it's been five days, or maybe a week, since I have been in this strange new world. I have seen things that I never knew existed – powers that are far beyond any normal comprehension. I have studied these beasts from afar. The one that I thought was killed healed itself by eating strange blue plants. The plant almost resembled a flower, only it glows in the moonlight and there are two heads on each flower bud. Sometimes I swear it moves as if it has a mind of its own!

But that's not the only thing I've witnessed here. But I cannot say anymore for fear that someone will read this journal and want to explore this world only to harness what powers they can! I fear that if a person finds this place, they could acquire powers beyond their control or beyond anything in our world and potentially become invincible!

Harry stared at the word 'invincible' and suddenly everything was so clear. Dumbledore and the Order had been protecting Merlin's secret – the fact that somehow they found out about Silverback Tyrants, maybe through the Black Hag or one of her fellow sisters from years ago. Somehow Voldemort knew of the Silverback Tyrants and their powers and Harry guessed that Salazar's journal revealed it through his meeting with a Black Hag. Did that mean the Black Hag came from the same world as the Silverback Tyrants? Or perhaps a different world? How many worlds were there around them and how could a person figure out how to get in and out?

Harry's mind was spinning. He turned back to the journal and read on:

I have discovered something here that can potentially increase someone's power! I have seen how it feeds the tyrants and wonder if that is the source of their power! If it is, this surely must stay a secret. These are interesting beasts, but I fear I'm growing weaker. I may not have much time left, but in the course of my studying them – I have no idea how long I've vanished from my world – I have learned that their bite is powerful as well as poisonous! I watched them kill a hairy beast, one smaller than them, and yet they didn't eat it. I went over to the animal and examined it, realizing that their bite caused the blood in the animal to glow strangely for a second. I did a simple spell on the animal – a shield. I waited a few days once the animal was for sure dead, after its heart stopped beating completely. And my shield was still working! That means that I can use my infected blood with my spells and they will last even after my death! This is an unimaginable discovery! For when a wizard dies so does their spell.

Harry stopped reading and remembered about Slughorn telling him of the fish that his mother gave him. And how that fish suddenly vanished after her death. He was so entranced by the book that he just kept reading, not even realizing how much time had passed. He skimmed ahead to the next couple pages:

I have decided to try to get back into the world using a spell I created – it's a locating spell and I will concentrate on my home. By Saturn! My spell worked just as I had hoped! Yes, I could create a portal using my amulet that I thankfully carry with me around my neck at all times for protection. I had to drip a little bit of my infected blood on the amulet to make it work, but it has opened up a portal.

Now that I am back home again – apparently 8 months later; time must move slower or differently in that world – I realize I have a dangerous secret. And with this amulet anybody, even after my death, can access this world. However, I have already decided what I'll do. First, I will go back to every dueling place I had with my students and put a protecting spell around the area, so that they can practice magic without being caught or attacked even when I'm gone. I will have to forge a few other amulets for this, which will take a toll on my weakening body….

I have finished all the amulets and have placed them in all the areas, including the area where I battled the Silverback Tyrant. No doubt there are remnants of the beast's powers there and I must protect that. And now, my final resting place…I have chosen the place where the beast summoned its own portal. It makes me wonder how the beast even came to our world - if it was by accident or not. This place will be the place that I die. And with my death, I will create a protection around this area as well and so long as no one can find my body, which will always have traces of the Silverback Tyrant in it, the portal will remain closed.

I fear other wizards would be able to figure out how to access the portal with my body. My magic is weak and therefore I cannot protect this area as well. My only hope is that no one will find it and that this hidden world will remain a secret forever.

Harry closed the journal in awe. He rubbed the back of his neck to calm the goosebumps that had risen on his skin. That had to be the secret that Dumbledore didn't want Voldemort to know – the world of the Silverback Tyrants. It's where Merlin claimed there were untold powers – powerful beyond their comprehension. Even though it had been generations – hundreds of years – after Merlin's time and evolution took place with more and more wizards, it was possible that this hidden world still harnessed powers that were unmatched in their world.

If Voldemort ever figured out how to get there and gain powers and then come back to their world…he would be unstoppable.

But how do I stop him? This journal didn't say where the location of Merlin's body was. Still…if Voldemort ever gets a hold of this journal, or Dumbledore even, there's still a risk of him finding out. Then again, Merlin said he put a protection spell, so maybe it's protected enough.

Harry bit his lip and looked down at the journal. An idea was forming rapidly in his mind – a very dangerous one. He could use his power of premonition to force a premonition of where the location was that Merlin was protecting. However, there was a risk that Voldemort was having his death eaters trailing him, or trying to find him. What if they spotted him and followed him to the area? The whole secret would be in jeopardy! But then again….Voldemort already knew a lot about the Silverback Tyrants. Maybe he already knew that they came from a different world.

If Harry went to the place, perhaps there was a way he could destroy Merlin's ability to open the portal and close it forever. Merlin wrote in his journal that because he was infected by the tyrant, he was able to enter the world. And the way he could get back had to be with more than just the infection, but rather a burst of power from his amulet as well since the tyrants were obviously much more powerful than him. Still…that meant that in order to destroy the portal, Harry would not only have to break Merlin's protection spell and amulet, but possibly have to destroy his body as well.

It felt wrong to do that to such a great sorcerer, but did he really have a choice? He had to make sure that the tyrant's world was closed off forever, because even if Voldemort couldn't get to it now, maybe in 50 or more years he would find a way. Harry had to destroy any access to the portal once and for all.

That's probably what Merlin would want anyway. And maybe even what Dumbledore would want. I doubt Dumbledore knows where this location of the portal is and so without knowing it, he can't do anything to prevent Voldemort from finding it. And it's possible that Voldemort could learn about it somehow. Maybe Salazar's journal even holds clues as to who Voldemort can get that information from. It's too risky leaving that portal there, wherever it is. Eventually, someone will find it and eventually someone will get in, even if it's hundreds of years from now. I have to stop it!

Harry held the journal close to him and closed his eyes. He concentrated as hard as he could to force a premonition of the location. For several minutes he stood there deep in concentration. Nothing was happening. Harry released the breath he was holding and glanced down at the journal. Maybe he wasn't powerful enough, or maybe…

Harry's eyes widened. He used the talisman to get a premonition of the Silverback Tyrants. Perhaps he could use the talisman while holding the journal to get a premonition. Harry hurried back toward the entrance where he left the talisman. He felt a cold wind sweep over him and case the hairs on his neck to rise again, but he ignored it. He grabbed the talisman and instantly the door to the cavern shut again. Harry put the talisman back around his neck and gripped the journal tightly. He sat down on the cold cement floor, knowing it could take a while to get the premonition. All the while, he ignored the cold chill that swept up his spine.

XXXXXXXX

"Damnit! You'd think those Death Eaters would give up soon!" Mad-Eye Moody growled.

"The protections are still holding," Fudge said. "That's good, right? They can't break in as long as we have the ring."

"Unfortunately, the ring can only do so much. It is a powerful item that increases the powers of the wearer, but it hardly makes one invincible," Dumbledore said, staring down at the ring. "However…with its power, I'll bet I can strength the sanctuaries twice what they were."

"Dumbledore, it isn't safe to leave," McGonagall said, looking concerned.

"Don't worry, Minerva, you're all in good hands. Our protections are holding strong. If I make it to the sanctuary that I was at before where Voldemort came before we could finish the protections on it, then I believe we will strength not only that sanctuary, but all the sanctuaries Merlin had built. In doing so, I believe I can use the ring's ability to tap into the remnants of power there and create a magical fog that will sweep over the land, hopefully for many miles and make it difficult for the Death Eaters to see. Once they are blind, it will be even harder for them to penetrate our walls."

"That's a good idea," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "I'll go with you. I think Fudge should stay here though."

"Yes, that's a good idea," Fudge said, sitting down rather quickly.

"Indeed, Minerva, once that is complete I can use the ring's ability to surround the death eaters and trap them. It will require some assistance, however, and time, but I believe this can be done," Dumbledore said. "Once we have the Death Eaters trapped, it will leave Voldemort more vulnerable.'

Another auror named Bigsby swallowed. "Would the Dark Lord…I mean V-Voldemort come here then to finish the job?"

"Possibly, but that's what we want. I can still use my original plan that we talked about in our first meeting when we found out Harry was trapped in the muggle world. Perhaps I can use the ring's power to enhance my own and trap Voldemort as well. Now what to do with him after is a bit problematic, but as long as he can't attack we have the advantage," Dumbledore explained.

Minerva sighed. "I suppose that is our only option at this point. Do you think…that Harry will be alright?"

Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "I do Minerva. No doubt he's had a great deal of obstacles, but I know he'll make it. Besides, if we trap Voldemort, another team can search out his hideout, perhaps by interrogating a Death Eater with Veritaserum, and rescue Harry if he's still there."

The group of aurors and teachers nodded.

"Now the students who are in this school right now with their families need optimism," Dumbledore said. "Minerva please go help Aberforth and get the students involved as well. The more magic on the protections the better."

"Yes, of course Albus," Minerva said.

"Bigsby, please stay here and help out. Moody, Fiyona, Rutley, Perskey and Gilwed come with me. We must finish what we started if we ever hope to get the advantage," Dumbledore said gravely. "We cannot give Voldemort any room to gain strength."

They all nodded. Dumbledore gazed at them all before turning and heading toward their secret passage – the one that opened in Hogsmeade. It was the only secret passage to Hogwarts left that hadn't been discovered, and it had been carefully protected by Aberforth for years. Now he had to use it one more time to slip past the Death Eaters and get to the sanctuary. It was time to take action.

XXXXXXXX

It was already getting dark out and Harry was still meditating. He gripped the talisman tightly and kept his eyes shut. A premonition just had to come. He was possibly the only hope for figuring out the location to stop anyone from ever finding it, especially Voldemort.

It was getting dark out now and Harry was definitely sure Voldemort was aware he had escaped. He expected to hear sounds of footsteps or Death Eaters apparating to him any minute. Thankfully he was still in the cave. Every now and then Harry still felt the prickle on the back of his neck and he opened his eyes to make sure there wasn't anyone there. It was deathly quiet and his scar was tingling a bit. He wondered if that perhaps Voldemort's fury coming through the bond.

Closing his eyes again, Harry remembered the passages of what Merlin talked about. He tried to picture what had been described. He practically hugged the journal to his chest, making sure it was up against the talisman. Suddenly, his whole body tensed and he felt his eyelids flutter violently. There were flashes before him – blurry at first but growing clearer. There was a train…it was going far, to a different city. He could see it…The Isle of Skye in Scotland…but it was on the other side of Scotland from where Hogwarts sat, protected and invisible to any muggles. And there was a mountain…he saw a sign for Trotternish Ridge – mountains and mountains of cliffs. It was there – there in a hidden location, hidden within the large, twisting and turning granite-made mountain: The Cuillin Mountain.

It was there inside the mountain that he saw Merlin lay down; he could see the man's long, thick, gray beard and his dark blue eyes beneath spectacles. He was balding on the top of his head, but there was still hair in the back of his scalp. And he was wearing a beautifully crafted long velvet, navy-blue robe that tied in the front with a thick silver string. He had no wand, just the amulet lined in topaz – the same gem as in the Ring Voldemort had wanted, hanging around his neck. The amulet appeared to shimmer abnormally as if it was acting like a wand, allowing the power within Merlin to exit through it. Perhaps the amulet even increased his power. Harry was not sure how Merlin had done spells without the use of the wand, but perhaps the amulets were the key. And that's why the amulet around his own neck was so powerful – it could hold magic and even tap into inner magic and release it.

And that was why every location Merlin had taught his students had an amulet there. Harry wondered briefly if any of his pupils had their own amulets. His thoughts were interrupted as he came back to reality. He gasped, feeling his body shake as his eyes focused back on his surroundings. He knew the location of Merlin's burial – the place where the entrance to the Silverback Tyrant's world sat in secret.

Harry jumped up instantly. He had to get the Isle of Skye. There was probably a train that could take him relatively close and then he'd probably have to fly his broom the rest of the way. Harry apparated to the train station, hoping that he could still purchase a ticket. To his dismay, there were no trains going that far until the next day. So Harry grabbed a map and left the train station. He then summoned his broom with his wand and took off to the sky. Thankfully Hermione had taught him a tracking spell so he used his wand to highlight the place he wanted to go and his wand set out a constant jet of light that he followed.

By now the sun was setting and the sky was colored in dark red and purple. Harry wasn't sure how long it would take, but he hoped not long. A cold wind swept over him causing him to shiver. Harry looked around making sure that he was high enough in the air so the light from his wand wouldn't be easily spotted. Hopefully, he was going much farther than the Death Eaters would even think to travel. Harry knew he couldn't use his scar to see what Voldemort was doing because it would risk Voldemort being able to sense where he was.

Time seemed to pass by slow even with his heart hammering every second. Anxiety and excitement traveled through every nerve in his body and ending up in his stomach. He was excited that he had discovered Merlin's resting place and that he would literally be standing next to the famous and powerful Merlin the Great, as he was known in wizard history. In muggle legends even he was known throughout as Merlin the Wizard. Harry wondered how he ended up in muggle legends. Perhaps it was because he had supposed helped King Arthur back hundreds of years ago. King Arthur was supposedly just a muggle, but one who respected and admired Merlin's magic and counted on him for help.

Shaking his head of questions that couldn't be answered by anyone except Merlin, Harry continued on. He was growing tired and his stomach rumbled with hunger every five minutes. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal. Thankfully, and yet ironically, due to the Dursleys having starved him the first 10 years of his life, his body could tolerate going without food for quite a while. He was, however, becoming very thirsty. The wind was becoming colder as the sun lowered below the horizon. If not for his wand pointing the direction and lighting up his way, he would've been completely in the dark.

I can't believe I've lucked out this far. I found the ring first….well, that wasn't so much luck as having this ability of premonition. But then I escaped Voldemort, which I thought would be impossible, and still I haven't seen any Death Eaters at all.

Harry only hoped he could get into Hogwarts eventually. Even if Hogsmeade was safe to go to, he couldn't remember where Aberforth's secret passage was, or what the password was to activate it. He couldn't hide out in the Isle of Skye forever. That meant…that meant after destroying the entrance to the other world, he had to find a way to stop Voldemort. Perhaps Dumbledore would come up with a plan to draw the Death Eaters away from Hogwarts.

Suddenly, Harry's wand quivered and he realized he was coming close to his destination. He sped up, almost crashing into a regular bird that was flying through the clouds. The bird sqauked and narrowly missed him. He heard its high sqauk again but this time when he turned he saw the bird pelting downward as if suddenly losing its ability to fly. It disappeared beneath the clouds and Harry focused on arriving at his destination. He was coming over the large body of water by the Cuillin Mountains. He assumed it was the Atlantic Ocean, according to the map. He saw the large cliffs he had pictured in his premonition. And then, flying passed those Harry saw it – the beautiful mountain. There were lush bushes and life below it and there atop a high range was the tall mountain.

Harry marveled at how large it was up close. It hadn't seemed so large in his vision. He focused on remembering where the hidden entrance was. Circling around the mountain, Harry spotted the two peaks side by side that he recognized from his vision. Slowly he descended toward them. There was a mist forming around the top of the mountains so he had to fly carefully. He hovered in between the peaks searching for something. As he flew forward something happened. He was suddenly back in the upper part of the mountain again. Harry blinked in confusion and realized that Merlin's spell was probably preventing him from getting closer to the opening.

Going back down between the peaks, Harry murmured spells in the area to try and lower the protections. The spell was obviously a powerful one for nothing seemed to be working. Harry frowned. If only he knew what spell Merlin used and how he used it, he would better know how to get inside. Just then, Harry remembered seeing Merlin with his amulet. Glancing down at the amulet around his neck, Harry held it up and murmured "incantonus revelus!" It was a spell used to reveal a hidden passage, but he hoped it worked.

To his shock, the amulet in his hand glowed for a few seconds. Then beneath him, between the two peaks, one of the walls in the side of the mountain opened. Harry flew toward the opening, feeling his heart pounding loudly in his chest. The second he entered, he got off his broom and carried it as he walked through the tunnel. He saw that the mountains definitely had granite rock in it, for it shimmered against the light from his wand.

Every step closer he got, Harry felt a lump in his throat. How was he going to destroy the portal? What if he accidentally activated it? So many thoughts were swirling in his mind that he almost crashed into a dead end. Pointing his wand at it, he murmured "incantonus revelus!" again. The dead end vanished revealing another tunnel and twisted and turned for a long ways, probably heading directly to the center of inside the mountain. As Harry followed it, he realized that the Black Hag's hideout had been inside a mountain as well. Perhaps there was something to mountains – perhaps it helped to enforce any magical spells. Or perhaps certain elements in the earth that the mountains were made up of – such as granite – enforced magic. After all, the topaz gem helped to harness the power in the ring.

There was a light at the end of the passage so Harry stopped the lumos spell on his wand. Harry stepped forward and almost lost his footing. He was standing on a small cliff looking across the vast space of the inside of the mountain. He was shocked to find that the inside of it had rock formations that twisted and turned in various patterns throughout it. And in the very center of all these rock formations that twisted and turned like thick granite spider webs, was a platform, or rather a solid piece of rock. It was being held up by some of the rock formations that lead straight into the strong walls of the mountain's interior.

It was on that solid piece of rock that Harry's breath caught in his throat. There was a figure lying upon that solid piece of rock. He could make out the beautiful velvet material that looked just as bright as it had in his vision. Harry jumped back on his broom, feeling another cold wind sweep over him. He rubbed his scar and then adjusted his glasses as he carefully weaved his way through the air over to the platform. It wasn't that big, but what stood out to him most was that it was practically in the middle of the air. There were some rocky fixtures near the edge of the platform, but all around it was air, besides the structures that held it up from beneath.

Harry set his broom down and approached the body slowly. As he came closer, he couldn't believe his eyes. Merlin's body had not deteriorated. Somehow the blood of the Silverback Tyrant inside of him kept his body alive even in death, which explained how Merlin's spells remained active. Even for a wizard, Harry was certain Merlin lived a very long time; he was probably the oldest wizard in history, dying at around the age of 300, or relatively close to that. Dumbledore was already about 115 and already considered an old man for a wizard.

The skin was deathly pale and the lips were blue, but other than that Merlin appeared to be sleeping. Harry stared down at the amulet around his neck. It definitely glistened and in the center was a topaz gem. His neck prickled with the familiar feeling of being watched. Before Harry could turn his head he suddenly found himself screaming in pain on the ground. He knew the feeling of the Cruiciatus Curse all too well by now.

The searing pain burned through his entire body as if lightning was running through every vein in his body. When the curse was released, Harry was out-of-breath, struggling to lift himself up. He only managed to prop his arms up so he could lift his head and turn to his left. There, standing before him, was Voldemort.

Suddenly, it struck him like a lightning bolt. Voldemort had indeed let him escape. That's why it had been too easy; that's why Harry felt the strange prickling on the back of his neck for hours when he was at the sanctuary and then as he was flying to the location. Voldemort had made him believe he had escaped himself; that the ropes just happened to loosen and the death eater happened to conveniently throw his wand in the fireplace where he could get it and use it to escape. Voldemort wanted to follow Harry to see if he could figure out what Harry had been unable to tell him under Veritaserum.

"I was hoping you would lead me to whoever was protecting you so I could teach them a lesson, but I suppose this is even better," Voldemort said, eyeing Merlin. "So this is the secret that Dumbledore has kept from me. Now why is that, Potter? What's so special about a dead man, despite his legacy?"

Harry clenched his jaw shut as his heart pounded in his chest. There was no way he could let Voldemort find out. Voldemort's eyes seemed to glow as he began to close the distance between them.

"Not going to tell me, Potter? That's fine. I can just kill you and take that book that you discovered in the sanctuary. I'm sure it has all the answers I need."

"It doesn't," Harry said firmly.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and Harry could feel his impatience rising. Harry was subtly trying to get to his wand, but Voldemort sensed it immediately. Harry wasn't prepared when his wand soared away from him toward Voldemort. The spell hadn't even been said out loud; Voldemort had only thought it, which meant he was definitely too close now.

"Not this time, Potter. You will not irk me any longer. I will find out the information I seek, and then I will kill you. Slowly…very slowly," he hissed coldly. It sent shivers up Harry's back but he tried to hold his gaze steady.

Voldemort walked toward him and his red eyes glistened down upon him. His gaze was hungry and murderous.

"Cruico!" Voldemort hissed.

Harry attempted to roll out of the way but Voldemort was close enough now that he stepped down firmly on his foot, which was half turned due to rolling. Harry couldn't help the hiss of pain that he released as Voldemort applied pressure to keep him from moving. He knew if he attempted to escape, Voldemort would apply his whole weight onto Harry's ankle and probably break it. Harry then slowly turned back to lie on his back, but his ankle was still caught beneath Voldemort's foot.

"You will learn some obedience before you die, Potter," Voldemort hissed.

Harry braced himself as the Cruiciatus Curse came at him again. Unfortunately, due to Voldemort still pinning his ankle down, Harry's body writhed uncomfortably. His ankle was straining and Harry felt a sharp pain. He couldn't register it completely until Voldemort released the curse. Harry hadn't even realized he had been screaming until he noticed his throat felt scratchy.

As Harry lay there trying to calm his shallow breathing, Voldemort was staring down at him with such pleasure it made Harry's stomach turn. The victorious glint in his enemy's eyes was enough to make rage bubble inside him. He had every right to live; Voldemort had no right turning his life into a nightmare. Somehow Harry had to distract Voldemort. Maybe there was a way he could close the portal while Voldemort was unaware. However, Harry was soon struck with fear as Voldemort pointed his wand at him again. He was certain the killing curse was coming his way.

To his shock, the journal flew out from inside his robe and Voldemort caught it. Harry jumped up toward Voldemort without thinking, attempting to grab it back, but Voldemort threw him back to the ground roughly with a quick spell. Harry groaned as his shoulder hit the ground hard and started throbbing.

"Let's see what you've been hiding from me, Potter," Voldemort said. "You seem to be very adamant about getting this back," he said, opening the journal. "Could this happen to have information on what Dumbledore has been hiding from me as well?"

Harry clamped his jaw shut. He remained silent even as he felt his pulse increase. Voldemort was going to know about the other world! Thankfully, Merlin didn't mention how to access it, but the fact that they were at Merlin's burial place meant Voldemort might be able to figure it out.

Voldemort hissed a spell that paralyzed Harry to the ground. Voldemort then backed away a bit and began reading the journal. Harry struggled against the spell and he felt the pain in his ankle. It didn't feel broken, or he would be in a lot more pain, so it was probably sprained. Voldemort paced slowly nearby him as his red eyes scanned the contents of the journal. It would take him at least twenty minutes to read the entire journal so that bought Harry a little bit of time.

The paralyzing spell was too strong and he knew he would have to wait for it to wear off. Feeling helpless, Harry couldn't help the stirrings of guilt. If Voldemort discovered how to get into the world, it would be all Harry's fault. Dumbledore and Merlin would be disappointed in him.

I should've known someone was there with me…I felt something strange, but I didn't think Voldemort would be just patiently watching me the whole time. He didn't attack me once. And why wasn't he at Hogwarts? If he thinks he has the real Ring, why didn't he try to get to Dumbledore? Unless…there's no way he could know that he has the fake Ring.

A cold laugh abruptly snapped him out of his troubled thoughts. Voldemort wasn't facing Harry, but he had stopped pacing.

"Those fools! This is what they were hiding? As if I wouldn't find this out someday! I was aware of the rumors during my research of this Ring and the one small mention of the Silverback Tyrants in Salazar's journal…yes, I was aware he thought they were from a different world. Merlin's prodigy had mentioned it and Salazar was the only one to document that. Still…had I known Merlin had actually discovered this world, a way in…"

Voldemort's burning red eyes landed on Harry. He approached Harry until he was standing at his feet.

"Your mentor was a fool Potter to try to keep this from me. Eventually I'm sure I would've found out this information from the Black Hag. She was the keeper of this Ring," Voldemort sneered, holding up his hand. "And Dumbledore I'm sure wanted this Ring as well in order to prevent this world from ever being discovered, but you see Potter…not only do I know that his world is real and that the entrance is here at Merlin's burial site, where you've conveniently led me," his lips curled wider, "but I have the key to get into the world."

Harry's eyes widened. Of course, the Ring could probably act as a key because it had a Silverback Tyrant's heart inside of it. Was that the only to get in? What would happen if Voldemort realized that the Ring was a fake? Harry would surely die as well as the Black Hag. No doubt Voldemort would figure out that the Black Hag was the one protecting him and helping him.

Voldemort scanned the journal again and then shut it. He came closer, but instead of rounding on Harry he knelt by Merlin's body. Harry could feel his fingers move. He couldn't turn his head or Voldemort would realize the spell was wearing off.

"Ah, how simple…Merlin might have been powerful back in his day, but I can easily overcome this spell."

Harry heard him hiss something and then his whole body tingled as warmth spread beneath his body. Voldemort was breaking the spell around the burial site. Voldemort laughed coldly again. "How predictable. Now that the spell is broken, I can open the doorway with this Ring."

Voldemort stood up and Harry tensed as he was in his line of vision. The spell had completely worn off but Harry didn't dare move. Voldemort raised the Ring and his wand and hissed an incantation to reveal the doorway. Harry held his breath. Nothing happened. Harry's heart pounded loudly in his chest. Voldemort must know by now that the Ring was fake! He would kill Harry and then eventually get the Black Hag. If he found out Dumbledore had the Ring he'd do all he could to break down Hogwarts, kill Dumbledore, and then get into the world.

Voldemort hissed with fury and stared down at the Ring. He opened the journal back up.

"Perhaps Merlin's infected blood is needed," Voldemort said.

He summoned a dagger and Harry's eyes widened. Voldemort really wasn't considering hacking up Merlin's body! Slowly, Harry inclined his head to watch as Voldemort made a slice in Merlin's arm and summoned a vial. He then carried the vial with him to the center of the room. He began to pace, probably trying to figure out what was needed. Voldemort then approached a small crevice in the ground near the edge of the platform. His lips curled into a malicious grin and Harry's heartbeat quickened.

There was no way it could work without the real Ring, unless…unless the Ring wasn't part of the key. Merlin hadn't mentioned the Ring in his journal….and it was Merlin's prodigy who had created the ring, having fought with a Silverback Tyrant as well. So there must have been two that were the last ones. The first one Merlin fought and followed into a different world, and then the prodigy probably thought Merlin's disappearance was because the other Silverback Tyrant left behind had killed him. Nobody ever figured out Merlin was in a different world at that time. The Silverback Tyrants probably only destroyed so many towns because they were trying to get back home. And that's why Merlin wanted to protect them and their world, because they didn't belong there.

Harry watched as Voldemort poured the blood into the crevice. It was probably a hole left behind from when the doorway was first opened. As Voldemort raised the Ring again, Harry moved and slowly scooted toward Merlin's body. His fingers brushed against the amulet as he searched for something – any sort of weapon – that he could use against Voldemort.

Suddenly, the floor began shaking violently – so violently that Harry was actually afraid the platform would fall apart. Voldemort's cold laugh echoed around them and Harry realized Voldemort must've thought the Ring worked. But it couldn't have been the Ring…it was a fake! Was Merlin's blood the only thing that was the key? Was the blood all Voldemort needed to open the doorway?

Harry shook his head in disbelief as surges of power, like thick shimmering lightning bolts appeared out of thin air. The air around them began swirling as if a tornado was present. Harry couldn't see the air swirling around him, but he could feel it as the energy disrupted the environment around them. Voldemort's eyes gleaned with victory. His hungry eyes turned back to Harry, who he noticed as sitting up with one of his hands on Merlin's body. Voldemort raised his wand toward him and Harry's eyes widened. He unconsciously gripped Merlin's robe, knowing this was it – Voldemort would send the killing curse his way now that he had access to the world.

Without warning the entire room seemed to burst with power and energy. Voldemort's hiss of fury was drowned out by the crackling sounds. To Harry's utter shock, he realized that there was a strong force pulling at them. At the edge of the platform, where the blood had been poured, something was appearing – like a hole in thin air. The hole was no longer filled with the crackling lightning that had vanished after the mild explosion of energy. But something was forming…something was appearing in the middle of the air and drawing them near it.

Harry realized why Voldemort could not kill him. Voldemort was standing directly in front of the portal and his robe was appearing to be sucked toward the opening, which was growing larger and larger by the second. It was in that split second that Harry realized Voldemort was being forcefully pulled inside of the doorway. He appeared to be taken off guard and was fighting not to go in right away. Harry noticed the journal had fallen to the floor, having been tossed from Voldemort's robes as the portal attempted to suck Voldemort inside. Merlin hadn't described this in his journal! Had the portal sucked him inside when he approached it as well?

As the portal opened fully, at least ten feet tall and more than five feet wide, Harry saw Voldemort's enraged eyes land on him. Voldemort's feet skidded as the portal pulled at him, but as he slid toward it, Voldemort raised his wand toward Harry. Harry let out a sound of terror as his body was suddenly thrown down and pulled harshly. He grabbed at the nearest thing, which was Merlin's body. One of his hands grabbed Merlin's robe and the other one unintentionally grabbed the amulet. Harry shouted in surprise as his body was lifted up off the ground. His slip on Merlin was waning. Voldemort was trying to pull Harry in with him!

All of a sudden, Harry felt his body being slammed backward as Voldemort put more and more force into his spell. His hand on Merlin's robe slipped and he was dangling by one hand – the one grasping the amulet with all his might. Harry fought against the magnetic force pulling him backward, wondering how it was possible Merlin's body didn't budge. He struggled to move his free hand up to the amulet for more support. He could hear Voldemort cursing behind him; his voice was growing softer. Harry's free hand grabbed the amulet so he had both hands around it.

Then the worst thing happened. The chain holding the amulet around Merlin's neck snapped. Harry shouted as his body was sucked backward with such force he nearly lost his glasses in the process. Harry could feel the strong power of the portal as his body was engulfed by it. His whole body tingled violently as if all his nerves were on fire. It was hard to breathe and the energy was so overwhelming. The last thing Harry remembered was seeing the room of Merlin's burial become but a distant vision before everything went black.

XXXXXXXX

"Hermione, look at that!" Ron exclaimed.

They were all sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room huddled by the fireplace. Ginny was sleeping on the couch. Hermione rushed over to the window and stared out at the vast fog that surrounded them.

"This is no ordinary fog," she whispered. "This is definitely a magical fog. I'll bet it's Dumbledore's doing. He's probably at the sanctuary right now making this possible."

Ron squinted. "What does it do?"

"It should create enough of a shield around Hogwarts that will make it impossible for the Death Eaters to even see the school. Hopefully, they'll give up and go away."

"I'm surprised none of them have gotten in yet. I thought…isn't You-Know-Who here?" he asked as his voice cracked.

Hermione glanced at him and then lowered her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe not…not with Harry at his mercy."

She bit her lip and wiped at her eyes. "Poor Harry…I hope he's alright."

"He's always thinking about other people," Ron whispered, looking down. He was obviously fighting tears. "He should've kept that Ring for himself."

Hermione wiped at her eyes again and nodded. "At least Hogwarts is safe for now. That means that the Death Eaters might leave and try to take over the Ministry building."

"They're on lockdown, right? Don't they have enough protections?" Ron exclaimed with wide eyes.

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "Ron, I'm sure your dad's alright, and your mum too. I'm sure many most of the Ministry members and their families have sealed themselves in the Ministry building. And other people are hiding in their homes, or other places considered sanctuaries, like Gringotts, which is protected by dragons….We just have to think positive. There are some people who are vulnerable, but I don't think the Death Eaters or V-Voldemort would care about them. They're after the most important people in the wizard world like Dumbledore and Hogwarts, and the Ministry members."

Ron swallowed. "I hope they're safe in the Ministry."

"I'm sure they are. At least there were some aurors who made it here to aide Dumbledore, including Fudge, but not everybody could fit in this school. I mean…it's a huge school with many secret passageways, but it's still just one place. Be thankful some of our friends made it here."

"Yeah, but that's because some people come early right before the school year starts," Ron said. "The others…they had no idea, they weren't even prepared for this. They were probably all out at Diagon Alley getting stuff for the new year and then suddenly they had to go into hiding. I know Dumbledore said the Ministry sent out a warning to all wizard citizens to take shelter, but some people might not know where to go!"

"I know, Ron. I know that, but I'm sure they'll be ok. V-Voldemort is focused on taking Hogwarts and Dumbledore first. We've got the worst of it right now," Hermione said, leaning up against the wall.

Ron shook his head. "No, Harry's got the worst of it. He's with that monster! That – that disgusting…," he trailed off.

"Harry's strong; he's strong so he'll get out of there," Hermione said quietly. "He will, Ron, we just have to believe in him. And as long as Hogwarts is protected, Harry will find more strength in that. Besides, Dumbledore said Voldemort probably wants to keep Harry alive to see if he knows anything. That will buy him some time."

"But how will he ever escape? He's completely helpless! There's no way You-Know-Who wouldn't take the chance to kill him!" Ron bellowed.

Ginny groaned and shifted on the couch. Ron bit his lip and Hermione's eyes welled up with tears.

"We have to believe that Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry die. He's doing this fog thing to make the Death Eaters back off and to make sure Hogwarts is more protected. Then he'll probably go help Harry. We can't give up hope, Ron. We can't."

The two lapsed into silence.

"Aberforth is still here, right? Let's go see if he knows what's going on!" Hermione exclaimed.

The two of them raced from the common room toward the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was in the Great Hall with Aberforth and a couple other aurors and Fudge. Aberforth turned as they entered.

"Aberforth, is Dumbledore creating this fog?" Hermione asked as she attempted to catch her breath.

Aberforth nodded. "Yes, he is."

"And he's going to save Harry after, right?" Ron burst out.

"I'm sure he will."

Aberforth left the table where the teachers and aurors were staring at them. He then ushered for them to go out into the hallway.

"Dumbledore told me that he believes Harry's being protected by the Black Hag. Voldemort won't be able to kill Harry if he thinks Harry is hiding information from him. He'll want to keep him alive, at least until he discovers what that is," he explained as Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks. "If the Black Hag is protecting him and Voldemort can't get the information out of Harry, he'll most likely abandon Harry for the time being. Or at least keep him prisoner until he finds out what he wants to know. Harry is probably more valuable to him alive at this point."

Ron seemed to visibly relax. Hermione didn't seem as eased.

"What's going to happen to all of us Aberforth? Does Dumbledore have a plan to stop Voldemort?"

"Yes, he's working on it. He brought back the amulet I was holding – the diamond shaped one. It's the amulet that got stolen from that sanctuary site Dumbledore is using at this very moment. I discovered that a person in my pub had it many years back when I saw the dark dealings. You see, lots of dark wizards will disguise themselves in my pub and try to sell people things they shouldn't."

"Like when Hagrid got that dragon egg," Ron interrupted.

Aberforth gave them a puzzled look, but continued. "When I discovered the amulet, knowing at the time that my brother had been enhancing the protections of Merlin's sanctuaries, and realizing one of them was missing an amulet, I alerted him. We set up a trap for this customer by disguising an auror to be very interested in it. Anyway, we got it back and Dumbledore studied it for a couple of years before finally figuring out how to unlock its potential.

"Each of these amulets has Merlin's blood forged into it to keep its protective power even after Merlin's death. So we used that amulet to create a secret passage into Hogwarts from my pub so that if ever I needed to urgently speak to my brother I could. And as emergencies. Dumbledore has now replaced that amulet in its rightful spot and no doubt he's using the power of that protection spell Merlin left behind to create this fog as a distraction.

"Merlin left behind these sanctuaries in order for people to be protected. And Dumbledore's idea is to use the power at each of these sanctuaries to try to protect as much of the wizard world from Voldemort as possible."

"Yes but the sanctuaries can't actually stop Voldemort," Hermione urged.

Aberforth sighed. "No, but it can create enough of a nusance that hopefully Voldemort will focus on Dumbledore instead of Hogwarts and Harry."

"What is Dumbledore going to do with the Ring? I mean…if You-Know-Who wanted it, doesn't that mean it's all-powerful?" Ron asked.

Aberforth shook his head. "Voldemort searched out this Ring for a different purpose. Yes, it does enhance the wearer's ability, but this Ring is the last connection to the Silverback Tyrants. I believe Voldemort originally thought he could use the Silverback Tyrant's heart to search out the Elder Wand."

"What? But that's a myth!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not. Since Dumbledore is the only one to know the location of the Elder Wand, he didn't want Voldemort to find out. And I'm afraid with the Ring, Voldemort could've brought down the protections of Hogwarts in order to get to Dumbledore for the purpose of obtaining this wand. But then he was able to capture Harry and that has distracted him for the time being. However, now Dumbledore's main concern is that Voldemort will discover the Order's secret and realize that there may be something even more coveted than the Elder Wand."

Ron's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "What in the world could be more powerful than the legendary Elder Wand?"

Hermione nodded fervently. "Yes, and what is this secret?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the full answer to what is more powerful than the Elder Wand. I have no idea how Voldemort could really use the secret to his advantage and I doubt Dumbledore knows entirely either. But it's the possibility that this secret holds which is dangerous…it's the possibility of acquiring powers beyond what we have here, beyond everything we know today. I can't tell you anymore than that, but you need to have faith in both Harry and Dumbledore. I'm sure everything will turn out all right in the end. After all, we have the Ring now so Voldemort is more limited in what he can do."

Both Ron and Hermione nodded. For the time being, all they could do was wait and see what would happen.

XXXXXXX

The smell of fresh air was the first thing he noticed. Opening his eyes, Harry panicked when everything was a large blur. His glasses had fallen off. Immediately, Harry jumped up as the memories came flooding back to him. His sore body burned in protest, but Harry scrambled to find his glasses. They had to be here somewhere! If not, he was permanently blind because he didn't even have his wand to do a temporary vision-healing spell. His hands moved around the soft ground. It felt like grass. His hand hit something hard and he clutched it. It was circular and hard.

Merlin's amulet. I must have taken it with me when I…

Harry's heart just about stopped in his chest. When he and Voldemort had been sucked into the portal. That meant…that meant Harry was in the Silverback Tyrant's world. For all he knew he could be standing in a nest of them. Harry slipped the amulet into his pocket and continued crawling around. His whole body relaxed in relief when he found his glasses. To his dismay one lens had a small crack in it, but he could still see fine.

Harry then took in his surroundings. He was lying on the grass nearby a stream – one that had a strange purple tint to it. Otherwise the water seemed perfectly clear. There were strange plants and trees around him. The trees were so tall that they disappeared high into the sky so Harry could barely see the tops. The trunks were large and light tan colored, instead of a dark brown. The leaves on the trees were a light golden-yellow, instead of green. It seemed to be sunny out, for it was very bright, but Harry couldn't see any sun in the sky.

Turning all around, he realized thankfully that he was alone. He and Voldemort probably got sucked in at slightly different times so they didn't end up in the same place.

"But he's got my wand," Harry whispered aloud. "I have to get it back!"

Harry felt panic rising within him. Voldemort might have been very nearby for all he knew. And he had both of their wands. For now, it seemed Voldemort didn't realize the Ring he had was a fake, but now he was inside the Silverback Tyrant's world, probably already learning things that could be useful to him!

My only option is to get back and find a way to close the portal! If I trap him here, then he won't be able to use the knowledge he gains from this world and use it in our world.

The problem he now faced was getting back. Obviously, the portal had been opened and probably was still open in that place, but how to get back there was the real question. They didn't have Merlin's blood, if that was in fact the key.

Harry's eyes widened. He took out the amulet from his pocket and examined it closely. Perhaps…perhaps it was the amulet's doing! After all, Merlin had said in his journal that he fused all of his amulets with his own blood in order to keep the protections up even after his death. That meant that this amulet also had Merlin's blood in it, and it had the blood that had been alive and actively flowing with the Tyrant's infection at the time that it was created. So perhaps it wasn't the blood that Voldemort had used at all! Perhaps it was the amulet the entire time! The amulet might be the key to the portal.

His heart was racing now as he realized what this meant. If the amulet was the key to the portal, then he had a way to get back and Voldemort didn't. On the other hand…Voldemort currently had his wand and Harry had to get that back. He couldn't imagine being without his wand; he didn't want to use anybody else's.

Harry crept as quietly as possible through the strange world. There were plants there with multiple buds that seemed to move and have a life of their own. The air was definitely fresh with a nice cool breeze. He had seen a couple of huge birds with bright golden feathers flying above. They had to be about the size of a baby elephant at least. They also had long tails made of feathers that were a deep golden brown. They seemed to glisten and Harry wondered if their tails held some sort of magic.

As far as he could tell, there appeared to be no human life, besides his own. Voldemort didn't really count as human anymore. Harry relished in the serene feeling of the world. It was nice…nice not to have chaos and death and fear; nice to not have a million people bustling about all the time, or shops and roads taking the place of nature. The grassy landscape seemed to stretch on forever. Harry came to the edge of a cliff and looked down. There, below him was the most amazing sight.

There was a vast river, a much darker blue than the stream he had seen, but still just as clear. Strange creatures with fins swam about and by their shadows, they didn't appear small either. There were tall vines that wrapped around some trees, seeming to enhance their growth and making more and more branches that hung low toward the water. There were some white-colored plants that sent up puffs of sizzling silver and green magic that dispersed into the air.

A strange creature was walking on six legs. It was all black with thick, shiny fur. It had a long nose and bright sky-blue eyes. There was a silver stripe down the middle of its back that extended to its tail, which was a mixture of bronze, silver and black. The tail was at least five feet long and the body…it had to be half the size of one of the Silverbacks. It had fur around its neck, similar to a lion, only the fur seemed to puff out into silver and bronze colors when it was wary, stopping to listen, and then would smooth back down as if it was never there. Its ears also only appeared when it was listening intently.

And then he saw it – the Silverback Tyrant. It was as large as two dragons put together. Its massive body and the silver streak down its back where the spikes appeared like armor. Its large mouth and layers of teeth shone brightly. Its face was a combination of a serpent and a dragon. It had the beady serpent eyes and a long blue tongue, but its facial structure was more similar to that a dragon. It didn't breathe fire, but it seemed to breathe the same silver-blue magic that had sizzled in front of him when the portal opened. It was obviously scrounging around for food and surprisingly it didn't bear its teeth as the strange black creature as it passed. Was the Silverback Tyrant an herbivore? Or perhaps, there was a specific creature it ate.

Harry tore his gaze away, afraid that one of the creatures would notice him. He walked toward his left and followed the grassy area to a hill, which he climbed down. There was a gorgeous and huge rock structure that gleamed in the bright light. There was a mouth to the gigantic stone structure that opened like a cave. What was strange was that the rock-like material it was made out of changed colors – from dark green to magenta and then a dark blue. It wasn't bright colors, but the way it shimmered told him that there was a lot of magic being harbored there.

Suddenly, Harry was struck with the remembrance of reading about a cave in Merlin's journal. Perhaps this was the cave that he thought held the source of the Tyrant's powers. Perhaps there was some element in the world that was in the ground, the plants, the air…something that they fed on to give them that power. Harry's curiosity got the better of him and he approached the cave.

Inside, the floor was smooth – so smooth he almost slipped. He could feel an energy there; something was making his body tingle. It was an odd sensation – one he couldn't place or explain, but it made him more nervous. As he turned, he saw that small vines covered the inside of the cave. He followed the vines, noting that they were a strange purple color and seemed to have an unusual, though not bad, odor. When Harry got to the back of the cave, he was astounded at what he saw. There was a gorgeous, and gigantic, plant sitting in the center of the cave. It was mostly purple, although its roots had tints of silver in it. In fact, the buds themselves that grew from various parts of it were silver, but inside of the silver buds, was a center – a beautiful purple crystal.

"This is that crystal Merlin mentioned," Harry said aloud.

As he approached it, he noticed that indeed it did seem to pulsate as if it had a life of its own. Looking down at the plant, he realized that its roots were deeply seated beneath the cave, through its thick walls and into the ground. For all he knew, there could be a ton of these plants around the vast world that were all rooted in the ground, perhaps leaking something from them – a magical element perhaps – that gave a power like any other to the world and all of the creatures that inhabited it. It would explain why so many of the creatures and plants had the same silver colors to them. The silver apparently came from this plant.

Before he knew what he was doing, Harry reached out to the plant. A part of him didn't want to disturb it, not knowing what could happen in such an unknown world, but the second his fingers touched the crystal Harry felt a jolt of energy course through his body. He wasn't sure if it was just a feeling, or if there was in fact magic flowing into him. Or maybe it wasn't magic like they knew magic…maybe it was something else. Maybe it was a kind of life source that enhanced anything that touched it.

Harry reached out to touch the crystal again and wrapped two fingers around it. He felt it pulsing and the strange jolt hit him again. There was a sound to his left and Harry wheeled around so fast that he pulled on the plant's crystal as well. The crystal came out with a loud hiss as Harry fell backward. He looked down at his hand mortified to see the crystal throbbing in it, but when he looked up at the plant, in place of where the crystal was, a new crystal was already growing. Feeling it pulsate and how warm it was in his hand, Harry couldn't really call it a crystal, although it did seem to shimmer quite a bit.

Harry swallowed thickly, thinking it wasn't his place to mess with anything in the world. He didn't want to just leave the bud there so he slipped it into his pocket. He wasn't sure what else to do with it. A part of him wanted to take it home with him….maybe to see if it could be of use in potions, or healing, or protecting Hogwarts, but at the same time he felt guilty. Wasn't it just as wrong of him to take something back to their world the same as if Voldemort did?

His thoughts were in such turmoil as he left the cave and began walking in a random direction that he barely noticed his scar throbbing at first. Harry stopped suddenly as it began to burn. His whole body tensed instantly. In front of him was a cluster of odd, tall plants and an endless direction of green. On the other side of him were more hills and landscape that spread out amongst the vast land. Harry knew Voldemort was close. He ran toward the trees, hoping to hide behind them if necessary. He followed the burning sensation to a small clearing where there was soft black sand, or what appeared to be sand, instead of grass covering the land.

There was a creature staring at him. It had four eyes, all different colors, and its body was scaley. It was smaller than him and had a long body, but claws on the ends of its feet. Spikes flew up all over its body when it spotted him. But suddenly, it took off and dug into the sand as if frightened.

"Potter," a cold voice hissed.

Harry jumped at the sound and saw Voldemort appearing from a separate cluster of trees a short distance away. Voldemort's eyes were burning and his wand was pointed at him. Harry hadn't noticed him and as he tried backing away Voldemort hissed spells at him. Harry jumped out of the way, but tripped over his own feet. As he scrambled to get back up Voldemort through the Cruiciatus Curse at him. Harry was screaming as his body thrashed upon the ground. His jeans were covered in the black sand.

The curse lifted and Harry struggled to get up. Voldemort was approaching him with such determination.

"You can't escape me, Potter! You are unarmed!" he hissed, smirking widely. "And now that I've gotten into the world, I can find all sorts of powers! Once I do, I can break down Hogwarts and Dumbledore so easily!"

"You can't!" Harry exclaimed. "You'll never be able to get back!" he attempted to scoot away from him by crawling backward, using his legs to move.

Voldemort sneered. "Is that so, Potter? Then you are trapped here as well! And I will kill you before finding my own way out. I know that portal is still open so I know there has to be a way out. But first, I will take care of you."

Voldemort sent another hex at him and Harry screamed as his body felt like he was on fire. When the hex ended, Harry was finding it hard to breathe. Voldemort was coming closer and already his scar was burning. Harry weakly put his hand in his pocket, hoping maybe the amulet would help in some way. But his hand touched the warm, pulsating crystal that he had slipped into his other pocket. His eyes widened as Voldemort approached him with his wand pointed at Harry's heart.

Harry desperately wished he had his wand. A jet of light erupted from his pocket, making Voldemort hiss in surprise. He faltered for a split second and in that second Harry's wand came flying out of his robe and landed at his feet. Harry's scar erupted in pain at sensing Voldemort's fury. Harry released the crystal in his pocket and snatched up his wand. He managed to yell a spell to shield himself as the killing curse came pelting his way. The spells collided and exploded, throwing Harry off his feet. He jumped to his feet in time to see Voldemort rushing toward him with his wand pointed and eyes ablaze with such fury that Harry ran as fast as possible away from him.

Harry zigzagged to avoid being hit by any curses. He shouted spells and pointed his wand behind him without daring to look back.

"You will never escape me Potter! You have no way out of this world and I will get you! And I will spill all your blood until you beg me for death!" Voldemort bellowed behind him.

Harry tripped over a root and fell down, ripping his jeans in the process. Voldemort was closing in and Harry jumped to his feet.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort hissed.

Harry knew he couldn't dodge it and at this range he wouldn't be ale to deflect it, so he pulled out the crystal and held it in front of him. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock, obviously taken aback by the unknown thing in Harry's hand. The Crystal glowed brightly and released another jet of light. It completely dispersed the killing curse and Harry was so overcome with awe that he almost didn't turn and run before Voldemort's shock wore off.

"Accio Crystal!" Voldemort hissed.

"Deflectus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand behind him.

He heard Voldemort curse in Parseltongue and Harry ran despite the burning in his legs. He ran into the nearest cluster of trees, using the trees as a shield as he ran. He could still hear Voldemort not too far behind him. Harry stuck his free hand in his pocket to grab the amulet. He could still feel the warmth of the Cystal in his pocket. Harry clenched the amulet as he headed toward a river. Using an advanced levitation spell, Harry flung himself across the river. He could see Voldemort not too far from the river. His eyes were filled with rage and Harry knew any second he'd be flying across the river.

But Harry was already pulling the amulet in front of him. Crackling sounds echoed and he turned his head around to see Voldemort's entire mouth in a scream of fury. Black jets released from his wand sending the river into a typhoon rage. Harry felt the cold sprinkles of water from the splash it caused, but he didn't stop. He pointed his wand in front of him using a spell that he heard Voldemort say to reveal the hidden portal. Harry stopped long enough to allow the portal to begin to open in front of him.

He wheeled around hearing Voldemort's cry of rage. The Dark Lord was coming through the water, veins showing underneath his pale, inhuman skin were bulging from the amount of rage he was harboring. The portal was a small hole now and Voldemort was closing in fast. Harry whipped out the purple Crystal and pointed it at the hole. It suddenly opened in a split second sucking Harry inside. The harsh wind and strange tingling filled his body, but this time he didn't pass out. He fell harshly onto the floor and he wand rolled away from him. He scrambled to grab the purple crystal out of his pocket and slammed the amulet down on the ground. He struck the amulet with the Crystal and while holding the Crystal on it he bellowed the incantation that breaks things apart.

The Crystal glowed as Harry heard Voldemort's cry of fury: "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME POTTER! I WILL NEVER REST UNTIL YOU ARE—"

The amulet shattered into pieces and Harry turned his head. He saw a jet of green light coming through the portal, but thankfully he wasn't at the angle to be hit by it. Suddenly, with a loud fizzle, the portal vanished and dispersed into the air, leaving no trace behind. Harry couldn't believe it. Voldemort had been so close to the portal—close enough to send a curse through, but not close enough to jump through. If Harry had even hesitated for a second…

Harry stared down at the amulet, feeling bad about having to destroy something that was Merlin's. Glancing up, Harry suddenly realized that Merlin's body was disintegrating. He was turning into ash. In a matter of minutes, there was nothing left; no trance that Merlin had ever been there. The amulet had lost its shine, but Harry had a feeling that was a good thing. Not only was the portal closed, hopefully for good, and the key destroyed, but Merlin's body was finally able to go where it belonged. Maybe he was more at peace now, especially since the world was protected.

However, a terrible thought occurred to him. What if Voldemort reeked havoc in that world? What if he became all-powerful? What if he found another way to get back? Harry felt a bit dizzy with all the questions looming in his mind, but he forced his tired body back up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something. He turned and noticed the journal lying on the floor a short distance away. It had fallen from Voldemort's robe, apparently far enough away to not get sucked in. Harry walked over to it and slipped it into his robe. At least there was something of Merlin's to remember him by, besides his legend.

He summoned his broom to him and took off. Not being able to go back through the passage, Harry soared up the peak of the mountain and blasted a hole through it. When he got out though, he sealed the hole back up.

Harry used his wand to head back toward Hogwarts. Harry had to get to Dumbledore; to tell him what happened. He only hoped the Death Eaters were gone, or that he could get inside somehow. About half way back, Harry changed his mind, thinking it might be too dangerous to go to Hogwarts. He wanted to bring the journal back to its rightful place. Harry noticed, as he neared, that it was incredibly foggy and his broom was having trouble flying straight. He managed to land it rather decently and he fought through the fog to get to the sanctuary.

Suddenly, Harry felt his body levitate into the air. He made a sound of surprise, feeling his body being thrust upside down.

"Hold on Alastor! It's Harry!" he heard a familiar voice respond.

Harry felt his body being lowered gently. Harry moved forward and past a certain point the fog seemed to vanish and he could see clearly. Harry's eyes lit up in astonishment at seeing Dumbledore standing there beside Alastor Moody and a few other aurors Harry didn't recognize.

"Harry, you're alive!" Moody exclaimed gruffly. "How in the blazes did you escape Lord Voldemort's clutches?"

"It's a long, long story," Harry said, suddenly able to feel the exhaustion plaguing him. "Dumbledore…I need to talk to you. I think I may have stopped Voldemort, but I'm not sure."

All the aurors, except Moody, gasped in union. Moody's unusual eye seemed to widen in awe. Dumbledore gestured for Harry to sit down as he transfigured a rock into a chair for him. All the aurors gathered around to listen as well. Harry began by explaining that his mind was being protected by the Black Hag – that Voldemort couldn't get in, but that his escape seemed far too easy. He told them he found the way into the sanctuary.

"Hold on, you actually found a way to get in?" an auror asked. "We've all been trying for years to get inside!"

"There were two mechanisms that had to be activated," Harry replied, as Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I found this," he said pulling out the journal. "It's Merlin's journal where he described the Silverback Tyrant's world, but not its location."

"Holy horntails!" an auror exclaimed. "That's Merlin's journal?"

"It describes a lot of his accomplishments in detail, but especially his encounter with the Silverback Tyrant," Harry said, handing it over to Dumbledore. "I wanted to put it back in its rightful place. Oh, you'll need this to get in," Harry said, taking off the Shaman's talisman that was still around his neck and hidden beneath his shirt.

He gave that to Dumbledore as well. "Dumbledore…Voldemort got into the world," Harry said.

They all gasped and Dumbledore's eyes lost their sparkle. "I got sucked in to, but I had Merlin's amulet, the one on his body, so I came back. And I destroyed the amulet," he said, taking out the pieces. "The portal closed before Voldemort could get back. Does this mean he's trapped there for good, or could he find a way back?"

Harry glanced up uncertainly, expecting Dumbledore to be angry that he had let Voldemort get inside the world. Instead, Dumbledore's eyes seemed to glimmer once again as he beamed at him.

"Harry, please do not be harsh on yourself. I believe that you have in fact found the best solution to our problems. You see, I was wondering how to destroy Voldemort. I know about how he became immortal, and knew that I had a long way to go to destroy him, and so I knew one day he might find out about the world. But truthfully, this might actually turn out to be great. You see, from my studies and my encounters with old wizards who had relatives who lived during Merlin's time and had documented a lot, I am pretty sure that the reason the Silverback Tyrants entered our world was due to an unforeseen consequence of one of Merlin's spells going wrong during the Equinox and when there was an eclipse at the same time. During the Equinox powers are a little bit stronger due to the shifting of the planets, which we all as wizards can sense a little bit here and there. So when this surge of power happened, the Tyrants probably sensed Merlin's magic and were drawn to it, thus creating a way into our world.

"If Merlin hadn't fought with the tyrant, there may be no telling if the portal could ever be closed so nicely. But Merlin found a way by using his infected blood and his power, creating amulets to better protect everybody including that world. So I believe, Harry, that Voldemort could come back if those same events occurred again. And since more magic is practiced nowadays, the Tyrants could probably sense our magic much more easily. However, that bides us a lot of time to figure out what to do should Voldemort return. The Equinox will not fall on an eclipse day for at least another 30-50 years, if I remember correctly."

"But still, the Dark Lord has not been destroyed. He has his wand there and could obtain unknown amounts of powers and abilities," an auror spoke up.

Harry bowed his head, but then suddenly his head shot up. "Wait! Dumbledore, I think I have something that can help!"

All eyes turned to him once more.

"In Merlin's journal he mentioned a plant with a purple Crystal which he thought might be the source of the world's energy, or even the Silverback Tyrant's powers. I believe this is it," Harry said, taking out the Crystal.

Moody's eyebrows rose instantly.

"This Crystal helped me in my fight against Voldemort, at least when I was in the world. I used it to summon my wand to me just by thinking of it! I don't know if it will work well or the same in our world, but perhaps we could use this crystal to create a barrier around that mountain – the one which holds the ability for the portal to open there. I assume that even if those events occurred the portal has to open in the same place, because that's where all its powers gathered before and so it could sense the remnants. What I'm trying to say is, could we create a barrier there to prevent the portal from ever opening?"

"Magnificent idea, Harry," Dumbledore said, beaming. "I have never seen anything like that, but if this Crystal possesses the ability to allow one to use magic without a wand…it may in fact be the answer to sealing off the portal forever."

"So then even if Voldemort remains powerful, or gains numerous other powers, he'll be trapped there forever and unable to come back here," Moody said, smirking. "I like this idea. Well-done, Potter!"

Harry smiled with relief. He handed the Crystal over to Dumbledore who examined it. A small spark came from the Crystal and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "I have always wondered about that other world and how it could be connected to ours, but yet so different. You know, I have a theory that the world the Silverback Tyrants come from are not even of our planet. Perhaps during the Equinox as planets were shifting, perhaps somewhere on one of the planets where their world thrived, it opened a wormhole or vortex into it. I suppose similar to using a portkey only at a much, much greater distance."

"So, I could've actually been transported to another planet!" Harry exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Perhaps. I will have to do lots of research on this Crystal to see how it works. But we have plenty of time to study it and perfect out plan. I am certain we will find a way to seal off the portal permanently, and you have made that possible, Harry," Dumbledore said warmly.

Harry smiled. "I'm glad I didn't screw things up. I thought I did when Voldemort read that journal and opened the portal…Oh, is Hogwarts alright? Have the Death Eaters given up?"

Dumbledore smiled at his abrupt change in subject. "Yes, Harry. Hogwarts if safe and I'm sure by now the Death Eaters will be fleeing, possibly to return to Voldemort's hideout for instructions."

"Only Voldemort won't be there, which means we could set up a trap and capture all his Death Eaters," Moody said.

"Indeed, Moody. Get to the Ministry and alert them of this news. We must band together at once and take advantage before Voldemort's Death Eaters figure out their master is no longer here. They will go into hiding and make it more difficult to find them," Dumbledore said.

Moody nodded and him and the other aurors apparated away. Harry sighed heavily, feeling as though his eyelids were very heavy.

"Come now, Harry, you must need some food and maybe some pumpkin juice," Dumbledore said offering his hand.

Harry took it and allowed him to help him up before Dumbledore apparated to Hogwarts.

When they appeared in the Headmaster's office, Harry was stunned. "I thought apparation wasn't possible in Hogwarts."

"I daresay I can get around my own protection spells, Harry," Dumbledore said as his eyes twinkled. "Now, lets get you something to eat and then you can go see your friends. They've been very anxious for your safety."

Harry nodded, feeling his whole body relax. Harry went down to the Great Hall with Dumbledore, who summoned an entire feast for everybody to celebrate. Professor McGonagall was in tears at seeing Harry, but no one dared to ask him any questions upon Dumbledore's firm gaze. They allowed Harry to eat without asking one question. Even Fudge was staring at Harry in wonder.

It wasn't long until Dumbledore told his friends about his return. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and even Fred and George came rushing into the Great Hall. Not many students and their families had made it to Hogwarts after getting the emergency note; most were probably at home or trying to find a sanctuary. Hermione was sobbing over him and Ron was trying his best not to get emotional. They all hugged him tightly and Harry felt content to know everything was alright.

Finally, after they all ate, Harry explained to them all what happened. Fudge's eyes had practically bugged out of his head at the mention that Voldemort was trapped and possibly never able to return. His friends asked him lots of questions, some of which he couldn't answer. Dumbledore stepped in to tell them that they had a secret weapon that Harry brought back from the other world that may seal off the portal forever, but he didn't tell them what it was for safety. He didn't want word to spread for Death Eaters were still at large. It was a secret to remain between Harry and the Order – yet another secret worth protecting and keeping only among a select few. This time, Harry was a part of it.

Pretty soon, Remus, Molly, Arthur, and many others from the Ministry arrived at Hogwarts after hearing the news about Voldemort. Harry was questioned and congratulated for a long time, but Dumbledore could tell he was tired so he sent him upstairs to get some sleep. Harry slept for about 10 hours before he woke up and remembered he had a promise with the Black Hag to fulfill.

The next day, after speaking with Dumbledore and retrieving the Ring, Harry took off toward the Black Hag's hideout, hoping she was still there. It took him a little while to get there again, but he remembered the incantation to get inside. As he entered, he noticed that everything appeared to be the same as it was when he first arrived.

"You've finally come, Harry Potter."

He wheeled around to see the Black Hag appear.

"I take it this means we are safe from the Dark Lord," she said, a warning in her tone of voice.

Harry nodded. "Yes, I've trapped him in the Silverback Tyrant's world so I doubt he'll ever return. Dumbledore's working on a way to make sure it's permanent."

"You've been to their world?" The Black Hag asked, seemingly jealous.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Here's the Ring I promised you," he said, taking it out.

The Black Hag eyed it and then with a snap of her fingers Harry's invisibility cloak appeared.

"And here is your cloak."

They exchanged items and Harry nodded to her. "Thanks for protecting my mind from Voldemort."

"It was for my own protecting, boy," she said smirking. "Nice doing business with you."

Harry smiled a little and nodded. Hopefully, he wouldn't ever have to ask for her help again. She was one tough "witch" to bargain with.

XXXXXXX

Two weeks later…

Harry felt completely at ease as he walked down to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione. All the students were finally arriving, including the new first years. It was the start of their last year at Hogwarts and Harry had a feeling it would be the best year ever.

Dumbledore made his speech as usual, although he included a testament to Harry's defeat over Voldemort and the Great Hall erupted in cheers. Once again, Harry's fame was worldwide, or becoming that again with the news. Pretty soon Rita Skeeter would be writing another article, or someone…Rita Skeeter was currently still missing and Dumbledore suspected she was probably hiding out in her Animagus form. No doubt someone would write an article about it.

Later that night, after Harry was bombarded with questions from many students, he was able to relax in the Gryffindor Common Room with his friends. Ron and Hermione were there, as well as Dean, Neville and Seamus. Ginny and her friends had come down as well and Luna was there too, just staring off into a daze with a smile on her face.

"Dad told me they found more Death Eaters," Ron said, looking smug. "I'll bet the Malfoys will be arrested soon."

"Maybe so, but they still might let Draco back to school here," Hermione warned. "So don't go causing unnecessary trouble."

Harry smiled. "I really don't care what happens. I just can't believe that I can finally have a year without Voldemort trying to kill me."

"If you miss it, Harry, I can always try to kill you," Seamus joked.

Harry shot him a playful glare as Ron laughed in response.

"I'm sure even the new Slytherins are going to be different without the Pureblood families like Malfoy's," Hermione interjected. "That means that Slytherins will start being normal, instead of doing things Voldemort would want, like hating muggles and muggle-borns and abusing the dark arts. Soon peace will actually be possible between all houses. Of course Quidditch rivalry will never change," she smiled.

"Course not," Ron snorted.

"Poor Harry's going to be stalked for the rest of the year by his new fans though," Dean joked.

Harry groaned. "Just what I need. If it's not one thing, it's another."

"Just be grateful none of them want to kill you," Ginny piped up.

"Oh yes and I forgot to tell you that my father is actually running for Minister since Scrimageour backed down!"

"That's great, Ron," Harry said, smiling.

Suddenly, a letter flew in and floated in front of Harry's face. All of them looked puzzled and Harry smiled when he saw it was a note from Dumbledore asking him to come to his office.

"I'll be right back."

"Ok, but when you get back I want to kick your bum in Wizard's chess!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry just shook his head as he made his way to the Headmaster's office. Using the password give on the letter, Harry entered and saw Dumbledore beaming at him. Fawkes was ruffling his feathers and watching intently.

"I thought you'd like to be the first to know that I believe the Crystal you gave us will do as we hope it will. It's already showing magnificent possibilities."

Harry grinned. "That's wonderful news! Then I won't ever have to worry about Voldemort again!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed, Harry. You can finally have the life you deserve. Also, just because you never know when you'll need it, I want to still train you in Occlumency and Legimency. It might still help you decide whether you want to be an auror or not."

Harry nodded. "Are you going to train me?"

"I will train you in Legimency. However, you will have your old instructor to teach you Occlumency," he said with a glimmer in his eye.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You can't mean Snape!"

"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore corrected. "He is on our side. He's been a spy for quite some time as a double agent. I still have my brother to count on as well. He will keep his eyes open for anything like Death Eater raids. I'm sure that the Death Eaters are furious that they don't know what happened to their master."

"What if they find out?"

"There's nothing they can do, I assure you," Dumbledore said calmly.

Harry nodded. "So…how's Aberforth? Is he ever going to come visit?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I believe he will. In fact, he was thinking about taking up a teaching position here as well as still running the pub. Of course he'll have to find some help at the pub if he teaches, but no doubt you'll be seeing more of him. I think he's quite fond of you now."

Harry smiled.

Dumbledore approached the window and Harry walked beside him. They looked out at the darkening sky as the pinks, purples and oranges of the sunset filled the sky.

"Because of you Harry, there will be brighter days ahead," Dumbledore said, smiling gently.

Smiling, Harry nodded. "I'm glad."

Dumbledore stared at him, smiling a bit strangely. "I didn't realize you had the power of a Metamorphmagus, Harry."

"Yeah, neither did I."

Dumbledore's eyes glistened. "You know, Harry, that a Metamorphmagus is rare. Tonks is the only person in several generations of wizard history to possess it, and now you. There is an old saying that to be a Metamorphmagus is to have the power to conquer anything. Because, life is a constant metamorphosis that we adapt to every day and in every generation. Without that metamorphosis, we would never evolve," Dumbledore explained. "And you, Harry, out of any person I've ever met, seem to be able to adapt to any situation you're in and somehow always come through."

Harry grinned brightly at his mentor. "I'm sure it's all thanks to your teaching."

Chuckling, Dumbledore stared back at the window. Harry stared as well, excited about what the new year would bring. And he knew, no matter happened, or no matter what other obstacles life through at him, he would indeed be able to adapt and come through just fine. After all, he had his whole life ahead of him that he could finally live to the fullest. Nothing was ever going to hold him back, nothing.

THE END

Author's Note: It's finally finished! Yes! I'm so glad I was able to finish this eventually! It did take a while, but I kept my promise! Thank you all for being so patient! And I hope you enjoyed the ending!

To Reviewers:

Xfighter4: Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you enjoyed the ending as much! :-)

Dfch: Thanks! I'm really glad you like this story! I started it a while ago so I'm glad I didn't lose touch with it. It's finally finished! Hope you enjoyed the end!