Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. This includes all related things except those come up with by me.

Merlin's Beard

Summary: Strange things begin happening at Hogwarts. Magic older than the Founders begins to reappear.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Kakashi x Naruto

Harry Potter was a special boy. He had known that since he was told he was a famous wizard. The fame was sometimes nice. For example, he probably would not have met his best friend, Ron Weasley, had he not been famous even on the Hogwarts Express. However, there was no denying that the fame could also be a real pain in the ass.

For example, the cause of the fame was also somehow tied to why the darkest wizard in history was hell-bent on killing him. It also didn't help that other weird and often dangerous things seemed to happen around him. On October 10th of his sixth year at Hogwarts, the most unusual thing of all happened.

The day started out as any other. Harry walked down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast. Halfway through the meal, Professor McGonagall walked up to Professor Dumbledore and whispered to him urgently. A strange look dawned on Dumbledore's face: a mixture of anticipation, confusion, and wariness. He thought for a moment, said something back to his deputy headmistress, and resumed eating. With a small look of disapproval on her face, Minerva McGonagall walked out of the hall. Ron, Harry, and their friend Hermione Granger shared a bemused look before shrugging it off and returning to their meal.

The tenth of October was a tough day for the three friends: after Transfiguration, they had Potions with Professor Slughorn. Although they were grateful that Severus Snape was no longer teaching Potions, Slughorn was a harsh taskmaster most of the time. Then, worst of all, they also had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape. It was promising to be a long day. Little did they know how much of an understatement that would turn out to be.

Transfiguration passed unusually quickly. This was possibly partly due to the fact that Professor McGonagall seemed preoccupied and worried. When Hermione asked what was wrong, McGonagall merely said, "An ancient ward is unraveling. It has nothing to do with you." Unsatisfied and curious, all the Gryffindors speculated on the ward. Unfortunately, as wards were an esoteric, advanced topic in magical studies, they realized that McGonagall was right: there was absolutely nothing they could do.

Potions passed without incident, other than Neville's cauldron emitting a toxic gas that was quickly banished by Slughorn. Defense Against the Dark Arts was fairly normal as well, up until the very end of class. With only a few minutes remaining, the Bloody Baron burst through the wall of the classroom. "The ward is breaking!" he said in a shaking voice. "Even Dumbledore can't stop it! Severus, we need you in the dungeons!" Without a word, Snape swept out the door, followed by the ghost.

"Blimey," said Ron. "What do you suppose is behind the ward?"

"What do you mean, Ron?" Hermione asked. "Why would something be behind the ward?"

Ron looked at her as though she were insane. "Everyone knows that wards are designed keep things in or out," he said. At the confused glance of Harry, he amended, "At least, anyone from a wizard family knows that." Dropping his voice to a whisper, he suggested, "How about we go get the Cloak?"

Oddly enough, there were no complaints from Hermione about sneaking down to the dungeons. In truth, she was excited at the prospect of seeing magic on a scale too great for even Dumbledore to control. When the three were safely under Harry's Invisibility Cloak, they headed down to the dungeons.

As they quietly approached the gathering of teachers, their eyes were drawn to a carving on the wall. They had passed the carving countless times and never really paid attention to it. Now, however, they examined it closely. The style of the carving was simple, but not crude. It depicted a giant nine-tailed fox towering over a town hidden in a forest. Opposing the fox and defending the village was an equally huge toad with a man standing on its head. The man was drawn too small to be seen distinctly, but his cross-armed stance delineated power, confidence, and oddly enough, sorrow.

Usually, the carving was ignored by all who passed, earning curious looks only due to the fact that it was completely motionless. Today, however, it looked completely different: the eyes of the figures were glowing with vibrant colors. The fox had evil-looking red eyes, the toad's eyes were yellow, and the man had bright blue eyes.

Dumbledore and the rest of his staff seemed to have given up their efforts to maintain the ward. Instead, they were huddled together. Drawing closer, the three cloaked students heard Dumbledore speaking.

"It is one of the most ancient stories, said to be set before the Founders created Hogwarts. In fact, it is said that the Founders discovered this stone and built Hogwarts around the nexus of energy it created. The legend tells of a great creature contained within the vault behind this stone. Generations of headmasters and headmistresses have tried to decipher the riddle, but all have failed. All attempts of breaking into the vault have similarly been unsuccessful."

"Riddle? What riddle do you mean, Albus?" asked Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. If anyone knew about wards, it would be the tiny professor.

"Headmaster, may I?" A dreamy voice caused the three students to almost fall over as they spun around to see Professor Trelawney, the Divination professor, approaching. "I felt a large disturbance in the celestial realm and came to investigate. Imagine my surprise to find the Prophecy of Ancients unfolding." At a gesture from Dumbledore, she continued.

"The Prophecy of Ancients is a source of great interest and controversy in the ranks of the Seers. It is said to foretell the return of the greatest magic user in history. Who that might be, none can say." Here, Professor McGonagall made an impatient noise. With a glance at the Prophecy stone, Trelawney seemed to decide to hurry her story. "The Prophecy was created shortly after the fall of King Arthur and has faded into the mists of history. All true Seers, however, can recite it from memory."

Trelawney took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and intoned,

"Betrayed by a friend from his past, the sleeper waits

Lonely as the wolf howling at the moon, he waits for his partner

When the long-awaited visitor arrives, the stone shall crack

The two shall return and the world will see them no more."

"Sounds like a load of gibberish to me," whispered Ron. "If the two return, how will they never be seen again?" Harry and Hermione just shook their heads. If generations of the brightest wizards and witches could not decipher the riddle, what were their chances?

Suddenly, as though triggered by the recital of the Prophecy of Ancients, the carving glowed brighter, then began to fade. Nothing happened for a few moments, then the stone cracked down the center with a loud noise. An eerie blue glow appeared through the crack and the teachers all readied their wands. Whatever was on the other side of the door would not escape into the school as long as they were alive.

Something moved within the chamber, getting close to the stone. It stopped, and all was again silent. Without warning, the two halves of the stone flew to the sides as though flung like pebbles. Blue light flooded the hall of the castle and its inhabitants. Forgetting he was currently invisible, Ron yelped, "Merlin's beard!"

Possibly the last thing anyone was expecting was a deep, masculine voice coming from within the light. The voice said, amusedly, "Now, whatever gave you the idea I ever had a beard?!" The light died down slightly and the silhouette of a short man became visible. The man stepped forward, then turned back to the now-empty chamber. With a quick sign of one of his hands, the entrance of the cavern sealed itself off with a crash.

By the light of the torches and professors' wands, the man was examined. At about 5'4", he was the shortest male in the hallway with the exception of Flitwick. He had vibrant golden hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a dark green cloak reminiscent of medieval times and dark blue pants and shirt. The pants went down to his calves, where they were then caught in white bandages that covered his lower legs. Similar bandages were wrapped around his upper right arm, but his left was bare. His feet were covered by green sandals that matched his cloak, and he carried himself with confidence. A touch of arrogance adorned his features, but only the arrogance of someone, such as a master craftsman, who knows his skills are valuable.

The man's face was handsome and all the female professors blushed a little when they saw it. Even McGonagall turned pink when she saw his chiseled features. The aristocratic nose seemed to connect the slightly-slanted blue eyes, pale mouth, and strange whisker-like marks on his face together perfectly. The golden hair finished the picture as it fell around his face in gentle spikes. Two longer spikes lay in front of his ears, framing his face in gold.

The man turned toward the Invisibility Cloak and asked again, "Why would you think I ever had a beard?" Most of the teachers were confused, but Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye and Snape looked outraged. When the cloak was removed, most of the teachers got this peculiar, resigned look on their faces. Then they ignored the nosy students and turned back to this potential threat.

McGonagall was the first to catch what the man had just said. "Y-you mean…" she stuttered. "You're Merlin?"

The strange man inclined his head graciously in her direction. "I have been known by many names throughout the centuries, including 'Merlin'." There was only one thought running through the minds of the onlookers: 'Centuries?' At that moment, the man's stomach growled fiercely and he grinned sheepishly. His right arm rose to the back of his head to muss his rear spikes of hair.

The atmosphere was suddenly broken and Dumbledore smiled. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Merlin," he said. "Would you like something to eat?"

Dumbledore escorted Merlin up to the great hall. Despite being one of the most renowned magicians in history, Harry noticed that he seemed impressed by the moving portraits and armor. Oh well, he figured, things had probably changed a bit since the days of King Arthur. Indeed, when he thought about it, none of the stories of Merlin ever included a magic wand. Interesting. Perhaps there was more to Merlin than met the eye.

When Merlin joined the school for dinner, he sat next to Dumbledore at the staff table. Whispers crisscrossed the room as the students speculated about his identity. It was not normal for handsome blond men to suddenly appear during the middle of the school year. As Dumbledore rose to his feet, the hall eventually quieted in anticipation.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he surveyed the hall, but his mind was working very quickly. Even he could not presume to predict the repercussions of the appearance of a centuries-old legend. He cleared his throat, but was interrupted by a soft cough from Merlin himself. He nodded to the blond man and returned to his seat. Merlin stood gracefully and smiled at the students below. He chuckled inwardly as half the population suddenly reached for their glasses in which to bury their burning faces.

"Good evening," he said in his deep baritone voice. "I recently arrived at this school and intend to remain until I meet someone. I expect this will take no longer than two months, but I hope to get along well with all of you. It is my pleasure to introduce myself to you. Some of you may have heard of me, but I must warn you that most of what you learned is probably false. I have had many names, but I believe the one you will most readily recognize is 'Merlin'."

The hall dissolved into an uproar. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were interested, the Ravenclaws were excited at the prospect of meeting a very renowned wizard, and the Slytherins were skeptical. So skeptical, in fact, that they started to chant, "Prove it!".

Merlin raised his hands for silence. Even Dumbledore felt a stab of jealousy at the speed at which the room quieted. Certainly, this man had both charisma and a flair for the dramatic in spades. He had caught the unwavering attention of each and every one of the students in the entire school with a few well-placed sentences. Merlin frowned at his audience and asked, "Prove it? How in the world would I prove such a thing?"

After a quick conference, the Slytherins decided on a method of determining the validity of his claims. "We heard that Merlin can transform himself into a dragon without a wand," said Draco Malfoy. "Let's see in then." He sneered at the blond man.

Merlin looked thoughtful. "Hmm," he mused. "I didn't think anyone saw me when I did that. It seems I must have been careless last time." He shook his head. "No matter, it's in the past. A dragon, you say? My dear boy, that's like asking a fish whether he can swim." He raised his left hand in front of his chest and made a strange symbol. With a puff of smoke, Merlin disappeared. The students rose as one to peer at the dissipating smoke. Once it was gone, they saw a small, snake-sized dragon peering back at them. Before any of them could say anything, Merlin regained his natural form in another puff of smoke.

"Is that convincing enough for you?" he asked Malfoy.

The Slytherins were slightly shocked, but covered it up with heavy sneering. "What kind of dragon was that?" jeered Malfoy. "It wasn't even as big as a lizard!"

Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes skyward as though asking the heavens for patience. Suddenly, his eyes snapped back to the Slytherin table and focused directly on the Slytherins. They drew back collectively from his sharp glare. It became difficult to breathe as Merlin began emitting a terrifying aura. Hate, anger, and the desire to kill emanated from the short man and he again formed the one-handed handsign.

This time, an enormous plume of smoke appeared. The students did not have to wait for it to dissipate, because an ear-splitting roar burst through the Great Hall, shaking the foundation. With a mighty flap of wings, the dragon dispersed the smoke, allowing his observers to see him fully. A magnificent, golden-horned black dragon crouched rampant behind the staff table, looking down at the student body. As Harry stared, dumbfounded, he thought he was lucky to have only faced a Hungarian Horntail two years before. Had he faced this towering beast, he would have surely failed. Not only was Merlin a larger dragon than the Horntail, but his eyes showed that he retained his intelligence.

The killing aura began to dissipate and Merlin once more returned to his usual form. He seemed curiously depressed as he looked wearily across the stunned audience. Even the teachers were staring at him in shock and disbelief. "Now look at what you made me do," he accused. "You really should have believed me the first time and I wouldn't have had to go to such lengths. After all, does it really matter who I am? I will be leaving shortly, and I guarantee that you will never see me again."

Dumbledore regained some of his composure. "Well, Mr. Merlin, I would like to hear your story. However, I think it is too late tonight. Unlike you, the rest of us have not been sleeping for centuries. Therefore, you must excuse us as we head off to bed. Would you like a room as well?" Merlin accepted his offer graciously and was led to a small, unused room. Dumbledore conjured the necessary bed and other furniture, bade Merlin a good night, and ushered the curious students away.

During the next few weeks, the students rarely saw Merlin. He would wander the castle, waiting impatiently for his partner to arrive. He had explained his situation to Dumbledore, who in turn allowed him full freedom of the castle and its grounds. Merlin sometimes stopped by and observed some of the higher-level classes taught to the sixth- and seventh-years, but never said anything. Rumor had it that he had discussed magical theory with some Ravenclaws, but no substantial evidence concurred with the story.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Merlin, at least in Harry's opinion, was that he always treated the Boy Who Lived as a regular human. Maybe Merlin didn't know Harry's story, but he found that unlikely as the ancient legend was reading a different book every time Harry saw him. By the time Merlin's partner arrived, he must have read over half the library. Hermione was jealous of his opportunity to learn outside classes, but held a high respect for his dedication to knowledge. Finally, after a month and a half, Merlin's studies were cut short by the arrival he was expecting.

On the 7th of December, just before the holidays began, Merlin walked into the Great Hall during lunchtime. He seemed distracted, and kept closing his eyes, tilting his head, and looked to be listening intently. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together in a strange symbol, similar to the one-handed sign he made on his first night, and slammed his palms to the ground. With a sudden rush, the floor heaved and flung the tables and benches to the walls.

The reason behind this act became clear as a blue light appeared in the middle of the hall. Harry, his friends, and the professors all noticed that the light was very similar to the one emitted by the cavern in which Merlin was sealed. Merlin's face lit up with pleasure as the light grew brighter. Everyone else was forced to look away before the light suddenly winked out. After the students and professors had opened their eyes and blinked away the afterimages, they noticed a new figure standing where the light had been.

Merlin glided up to greet the new arrival in a warm embrace. The silver-haired man looked extremely tense and confused at first, but relaxed once he saw Merlin. The new man was dressed similarly to his friend, but without the green cloak. His face was covered up to the eyes by a blue cloth mask and his left eye was covered by his headband. As he hugged Merlin, he whispered urgently into his ear. Merlin broke away to look him in the eye and responded in the same language. Satisfied, the man turned to observe the Great Hall.

Merlin addressed the students. "This is my friend, Kakashi. I have been waiting for him for centuries, but now that he is here, my long night is over. I'm afraid it is time for us to return to where we belong." He turned to Dumbledore and bowed deeply. "I thank you, Albus, for the kindness and hospitality you have shown me. I wish we could stay longer, but our presence will be sorely missed. I have left you a letter in my room which you will only be able to open after I have gone. Again, thank you for everything."

Merlin turned to Kakashi. He asked in his native language, "Are you ready, koibito?"

Kakashi smiled tenderly beneath his mask and replied, "Yes, Naruto-koi. It is time the Rokudaime returned to his village." The two lovers bowed to Dumbledore, grasped hands firmly, and formed complementing one-handed seals. As their hands meshed, a brilliant blue light began to emanate from their bodies and they disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Dumbledore fetched the letter Merlin had left him. He perused it in his study, and smiled.

Dear Albus,

If you are reading this, it means I will never again have the pleasure of a theoretical chat with you. However, it must happen this way. I never truly belonged here, so it is all for the best.

My truest name is Namikaze Naruto, the Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. This means I am the sixth leader of my village, and the son of the great Fourth. I was shunned as a child due to a burden that was forced upon me at birth. My best friend as a young man was the treasure of the village, a boy named Uchiha Sasuke. Your own Harry Potter reminded me of Sasuke because they have many things in common: when Sasuke was a small child, his parents were murdered by his older brother. He became the baby of the village, but never sought the attention.

Having pointed out the similarities between Harry and Sasuke, I feel I must both reassure and warn you. Harry has not exhibited any of the self-destructive qualities that Sasuke displayed later in life. Instead, he has dealt with his grief in an exceptionally mature way. However, due to this maturity, I must caution you: do not treat him as a child. Although he is only sixteen, he will settle for no less than equality.

Returning to my personal story, I must tell you about Sasuke's fate. Sasuke devoted his life to revenge, eventually betraying his home and risking the lives of his friends. He eventually obtained his life's goal and murdered his brother without giving him a chance to explain. As Itachi could have told him, the Uchihas had been plotting a coup and betrayed the village's trust. Be careful with your secrets, Albus, for they can create monsters greater than those you see now.

I finally found Sasuke, and defeated him in combat. He had never admitted that I was his equal, so he used a suicide technique to deny it to the end. Fortunately, Kakashi, my lover, was standing near me. Instead of forcing my soul out of life altogether, Sasuke's technique merely flung us through time and space. I soon discovered that the celestial rivers would eventually bring Kakashi to me, but the currents of time were not so kind. After surviving without a familiar face for centuries, I fell into despair. Four young wizards derived a way for me to continue this pointless existence.

I was enchanted. Rowena Ravenclaw, sometimes known as Nimue, performed the enchantment. I was to sleep eternally until I could sense Kakashi's presence. Obviously, the spell worked, and I have been reunited with my beloved. Once we are together once more, we will return to our own world. I have learned many things here, but Konoha is always first and foremost in my heart. Good luck with your endeavors, my friend, and farewell.

Namikaze Naruto, the Merlin

Author's note: This may seem like a random one-shot, and it is. I was just thinking of the peculiar expression that Ms. Rowling uses in her books: 'Merlin's beard!' This idea just popped into my head. It seemed so wild, yet plausible, that I jotted it down. Kakanaru is one of my favorite Naruto pairings (I have no idea why!), but this is my first real attempt at the pairing. I hope you all enjoyed this quickie!