Author's Note: I'm not sure this qualifies as a crossover as there are no HP characters but I figure there's enough HP references in it, that it's only fair to list it as a crossover. Let me know if you disagree. As always all helpful comments are welcome. No beta reader so all mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: If you recognise something or someone they either belong to J.K. Rowling or BBC and I've only borrowed them.

The Secret Origins of Magic

The young King looked down in confusion at the box. His newly appointed Court Magician had promised him a surprise for his coronation – something wondrous and magical. He'd secretly been hoping for some enchanted armour to go with his enchanted sword. (His old armour was getting rather dingy and quite smelly – his new manservant didn't seem to have quite the knack for cleaning it that Merlin had shown.) However, instead of self-cleaning enchanted armour, all that was in the box was a stick. Granted it was a stick with carvings on it but still a bit of a let down….

" Thank you Merlin, it's exactly what I've always wanted – a stick to poke my lazy former servants with…."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "It's not a stick sire. I call it a fifmaegen won þwearm!" Merlin looked quite proud of himself, but Arthur just stared at him in confusion.

"Excuse me - what? A five maiden wondworm?" Arthur asked.

"A fifmaegen won þwearm sire. It's a branch taken from the top of the Elder Tree on the Isle of the blessed.."

"Aha! So it is a stick!"

Merlin rolled his eyes again. Maybe Gaius had been right and he should have just enchanted Arthur's helmet after all.

"It is not a stick! Alright fine – it's made from a stick but I enchanted it and added some of the hair you pulled off of that Thestral a while back."

Arthur looked at the object in his hand with the deepest suspicion. "D'you mean that creepy flying horse thing? You kept the hair? Why would you want to do such a thing?"

"Because sire, thestral hair is incredibly magical. Made into a fifmaegen won þwearm it should allow even a muddle-brained prat - like your royal self - to use magic." Merlin finished with a grin of satisfaction as Arthur's expression changed from one of disdain to a look of pure joy. It was worth all the hard work just to see that look on his friend's face.

"So you're saying this fifma won- 'wand' thingy will make me into a sorcerer like you?"

"Fine" Merlin sighed. "Fine, we'll call it a wand. And it won't make you exactly like me –"

"Thank goodness"

"- but it'll let you do basic stuff." Merlin shrugged as if creating incredibly powerful enchanted obects was nothing "You did say you wished you could do magic, and well, with this, even a dollophead like you should be able to manage something simple."

Arthur picked up the newly christened 'wand' and gave it an experimental wave. "So now what do I do? Just point it and make up words like you do?" Arthur looked around for something to enchant. All the times he'd seen Merlin make objects fly around the room with a mere word or a glance – he'd always wondered what it would be like to have that sort of power. He couldn't wait to try it out on some unsuspecting inanimate object. And possibly a few annoyingly animate ones as well once he got the hang of it…

"I do not just make things up!" Merlin protested with a glare. "Magic takes a lot of studying and hard work!"

"Please Merlin, how hard can it be if you can do it?" Arthur grinned as he spied a pile of his old armour and had a sudden flash of insight and took aim. "For example – Hex Smelly Armour!" Nothing happened, but Arthur was never one to give up easily. He waved his arms round and tried again

"HexSmellyArmour. HexSmellyArmours - HEXSPELLYARMOURS!"

The pile of armour went flying across the room and made a terrific thunderous crash against the wall. Merlin's eyes were wide in shock but Arthur was grinning with satisfaction and looking at his 'wand' like it was his new favourite toy - after his enchanted sword of course.

Merlin sighed – Arthur was sure to be insufferable now. Gaius was right, he really shouldn't have added that extra enchantment to enhance the inherent powers of the Elder wood if this was the result – the wand was probably a little too powerful. After all - it wasn't like 'Expelliarmus' was even a real spell...