The world of Wizards, ch 1

Summary: Merlin has lived for centuries. He is one of the ancient founders of the wizarding world known by Harry Potter. His magic has kept him alive, and he has watched over the wizarding world for eons. He has not interfered or made himself known to the wizarding community in a long time and does not intend to do so anytime soon. However, as the strength of the dark wizards grow, Merlin can no longer simply watch. Perhaps his destiny didn't end with Arthur.

This is a Harry Potter cross over BUT! It is MAINLY about MERLIN!!!

I love Arthur, but I'm afraid there's not a whole lot of him in this yet. BUT WAIT! There will be Arthur goodness in chapters to come!

This is a prologue to give a bit of background, its short but I hope it gets your attention. Please enjoy, and ask questions if it's confusing, I'll do my best to fix any mistakes!

Merlin was sitting peacefully in the shade of Madame Penelope's Rose and tea shop, which was found at the center of a lively market place. Sipping his herbal drink contently, he watched the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. The perfect example of the modern wizarding world, something he had watched develop and refine over the many centuries.

After all that time, one would expect that someone of Merlin's age would look like a frail creature, wrinkled and with no strength left. However, that was not the case with this sage.

Merlin only looked to be a gangly young man of 20. He had rich dark hair, and a healthy or somewhat unatural glow about him, but in reality he was an ancient being, frozen in his youth by a raw and old magic. The kind of power that dwelt in the very pit of the earth.

He had grown in times of ancient sorcery and myth, as the legendary sorcerer of the great King Arthur. When the land had been united under Arthur's rule, Merlin had stood beside him, and had created the foundations of the wizarding world.

He drew the people of magical talent to the realm of Camelot, and built upon the rudimentary magic of the ancestors to better control the magic they were destined to inherit. His power was immense, stronger than any other warlock at the time. It was like a well of old magic from deep within the earth, it seemed to be simply endless. Together with King Arthur, he transformed the land of Albion into a united kingdom of men and magic.

During Arthur's life span, Merlin had grown old, though it was something he had to force upon his body, allowing him to live as his king did. He had looked wizened, weak and sported a long white beard that touched the ground as was expected. However, upon Arthur's death, his youth returned, and the bonds of the kingdom waned. Soon without its king, the mortal realm of Albion faded and dissolved into separate kingdoms once again. The wizarding world, however, did not.

Merlin was still alive, and guided the magical world as it grew and changed. It was never the same for the mortal men, there would never be a true heir to the Albion. Their worlds grew apart before Merlin even realized it.

As time went by, Merlin withdrew from the wizarding community, allowing the young to inherit the new society, and for many centuries Merlin simply watched over his people.

A radio from inside Madame Penelope's shop was playing the Weird Sisters latest hit, a snappy song that Merlin enjoyed. Tapping his fingers to the beat of the drums, Merlin hummed in contentment. This was a perfect sort of day for him. Sunny and relaxing. He had no appointments to keep, and he could sit and watch his people with absolutely no worry of being discovered.

For he did have to fear discovery.

The modern world was not a place for ancient sorcerers. It had grown into its own industrious and incredibly large community, both the magical world and the mortal world. There was not a time when Merlin was not impressed by every single innovation or new invention.

He would not halt the progression and allow the world to settle in one place because of him.

This, Merlin would admit, sounded conceited, no matter how it was said. However it was his belief that should the world once again rely on the ancient ways that he carried, it would no longer advance to the future. An old man's fear maybe, or perhaps a young one. Merlin was indeed old, but he was still the same whimsical manservant that once served a prat of a prince many centuries ago.

However, there was one thing that Merlin would change if he could. It would be the removal of the literal and metaphorical wall between wizard and man kind. It was something he had always dreamed of.

A harmonious and symbiotic world, how could he not wish for this? When the people he had built his world around, loved, were of mortal men. He had attained it once, and that was only ever possible because of Arthur. But he understood that while it was still a possibility, the world was not ready and he could not be the one to make that bridge.

Ordering another tea, "This one with more pumpkin extract please!" Merlin adjusted his scarlet scarf and propped his feet on the adjacent stool. Tipping his face towards the sun, and inhaling the earthy sent of the tea house around him.

Across from the Rose and Tea was a plethora of stores. A broom store which sold the latest Quidditch equipment, Garden Barrels and Knobs, Timothy's Sweets, and Strings n' Bottle Stoppers ,to name a few.

Tall wizards and short wizards were milling about. Haggling for the best price or trading old cauldrons for Long Lasting Kindling. They were dressed in robes of dark velvets and neon coloured cottons, or simple muggle attire. A cultural utopia in Merlin's mind.

As his blue gaze drifted from face to face, Merlin found his focus returning again and again to a small figure within the crowd. A small boy, looking perfectly dashing with his platinum blonde hair, combed back smooth against his skull, robes a clean black trimmed in silver that hung closely around his regal posture.

He was standing perfectly straight with his chin held high and arms crossed elegantly over his chest. He looked to be about 5 or 6. Yet he gave off a very proud and aristocratic air. He was obviously well off, but something was wrong with the image.

In a moment Merlin discovered it. He was alone.

The small boy stood as a stone in a river, as the shoppers swept past him not giving him a second glance. Peering into the nearby stores, Merlin could not see any woman or man who matched the boy's profile.

The child did not bother to look for a familiar face, seemingly perfectly at ease in a crowd of strangers. But Merlin could see, or really, anyone who looked would have seen the faintest tremor running along the boy's frame.

Puffing out a sigh Merlin felt resolved to help the boy. In his youth Merlin would have jumped to the child's aid, but he needed to be discreet now, even in such matters as helping a lost boy. So in a very Merlin like fashion, he helped.

Meaning that he sat in his cafe chair and contentedly sipped his tea.

This was in fact helping. He had reached out with his magical core and tied a very loose string to the child. It was an effective and secretive method that would allow him to assist the child without causing a scene.

Firstly, he would wait for the parents a while longer, as eventually they would notice they were short an infant, or so Merlin hoped. Outwardly, the sage looked like a young man who was thoroughly enjoying his tea. But really, he was searching the sea of shoppers for magical signatures that matched the little aristocrat.

He eventually found a silver green trail of magic, extremely similar to the little blonde boy's, and pushed the image of the small child down the line to its source. There was a jolt and a pull on the other end, and the string of magic grew closer.

Satisfied that the parent was indeed returning and had not left the child on purpose, Merlin once again focused on the boy.

Only to find that someone else was doing the same.

A figure in scruffy green robes casually leaned on a small kiosk, fiddling with a puzzle in a bored fashion, apparently finding no interest in his surroundings.

The dark eyes were fixed on the child. Only moving away to quickly glance at the milling wizards and witches. He stood and circled closer from his perch, moving slowly and browsing the wares of the shops, before casually strolling around behind the boy.

Merlin narrowed his eyes as he felt the man's clouded magic drift closer.

The man drew out of his pockets a chocolate frog, and began to approach the unaware child. Before he got within two meters of him though, he suddenly found himself face to face with flashing golden eyes.

A deep shock ran through the man's center and he gasped as though he had been struck in the pit of his stomach.

The next moment the terrible eyes were gone. And the man stood disoriented in a crowd of people, wondering what he was doing there and why he had melting chocolate in his hand. Dazed, he trotted off in the opposite direction, feeling a sudden urge to visit his mother, and give up on chocolate for good.

From the same direction the man had ambled off to, came another man. A tall and handsome with pristine white blonde hair and dark emerald robes. His gaze was cold and serrious as he effeciently searched the crowd before locking onto his target. Rushing forward in the most respectable manner possible, he seized the child's hand and began to scold in a very soft and refined voice.

"Draco! You do not wander off in a place full of disreputable people, who knows what kind of ill-mannered person would approach you!"

The boy, who looked quite startled at first, simply nodded his head with a 'yes fathr' and gripped said parents hand tightly.

'Are those tears welling in his eyes?' Merlin thought 'No, must have been mistaken'.

Drawing the boy closer, the older man quickly pulled the child away down the alley and out of Merlin's sight. Merlin continued to gaze at the place where the small family once stood, his eyes looking at much more than just that particular spot.

"How touching. An arrogant father and son duo" Merlin chuckled to himself, momentarily lost in his past. "Well! My good deed for the day done, and still time for me to look in the shops" Merlin said with a nod of his head.

Rising from his seat, Merlin Quickly paid Penelope, and walked over to the racing broom store, the morning incident passing from his mind not as quickly as he would have liked when his eyes found the new Swift Sweep model broom.

`~`~`~`~`Wow short, but it's just the prologue...

The main story will take place in some 9 years from this incident, about 4th or 5th year just so you know. I don't expect many reviews, as there's no action yet but please keep reading! I'll update soon.

Next chapter is probably gonna be from Merlin's perspective next time.

I'm sorry if Merlin is confusing right now. He'll make more sense once we get the story rolling! Please review, tell me what you think!