For Tom Hardy the long summer holidays were finally over.He had mixed feelings about returning to school.This academic year promised to be tougher,and more demanding than the last,and it would be difficult to settle back into the old routine of things after the lazy,carefree days of summer.

         As Tom slipped on his school uniform that morning,he thought sadly that things would not be the same around Castle Hill High School this year without his best friend,Sean.Sean and he had been friends since primary school,but his parents had just separated,and Sean's mother had taken him with her to live in Ireland.Tom doubted whether he would ever see him again.

         Once he got to school though,he found that nothing had changed from the previous year,everything was pretty much the same.Josh and Nassim,his closest friends apart from Sean,were still there.After the long summer break it was great to catch up with his old friends again,and find out what they had been up to during the holidays.Tom learned that Nassim had spent most of it abroad,and Josh had had a holiday job.Tom for his own part had spent most of his time either at the swimming pool,or in the park.It had been a lovely,relaxing time,but there was a part of him that was glad to be back at school,and glad to see his friends.

         When he looked at his new timetable however,he did notice a few minor changes.The pretty young,graduate who had taught them English the previous term, had been replaced by Miss Smythe,a very frightening woman of indeterminable age,who was extremely tall,and thin.She wore her waxy,straw coloured hair up in a bun,and her round,small glasses perched on the end of her nose.

         Tom also noticed that there was a new science teacher,a Mr Merton.Mr Merton replaced Mr Beardsley,who was probably the worst,and most incompetant teacher in the entire universe.Mr Beardsley had not only been incapable of putting his subject across to his pupils,but he was also very inept at controlling the class.Children just did not listen to him.The new teacher,Mr Merton,could not fail to be a better teacher than his predecessor.Anyway,Tom thought,as he glanced once again at his timetable,they would not have very long to find out.The first lesson of the day was science.

         Tom and his class piled into the science lab.They sat or stood around in small groups talking loudly.But before they had the chance to become restless,a tall man,carrying an armful of books in one hand,and a fat brief case,bursting at the seams with files,and exercise books in the other,came into the classroom.

         "Good morning,class.My name is Mr Merton.I am your new science teacher.I shall be taking your group every Monday,Wednesday,and Friday!"He exclaimed in a very matter-of-fact sort of way.

         Tom stared at Mr Merton,he was shabbily dressed,but even so,he still managed to look quite imposing.This was partly to do with his height,and partly to do with his almost shoulder length,jet black hair,which was greying slightly at the temples,and his green eyes,which were a very intense green,and reminded Tom of the sea.

         As the lesson wore on,it became apparent that their new teacher was not in the least like Mr Beardsley.Here was a man who was a natural teacher.Mr Merton knew his subject matter well,and he imparted his knowledge with great skill.He was the kind of teacher who did not have to raise his voice to command respect.

         As the weeks went by,Mr Merton soon became one of the most popular members of staff.Tom in particular,got on extremely well with Mr Merton.Tom and he shared many of the same interests.They were both interested in science,and technology,and once they got talking,Tom found that they shared an interest in science fiction films.They even had similar tastes in music.

         Tom would quite often stay behind for five or ten minutes after class,and help clear away the scientific experiments they had tried earlier in the lesson.It was during these moments that Mr Merton and he would discuss the great scientific minds of the past,people like Galileo,and Newton.Tom looked forward to his coversations with Mr Merton.Then one day their coversations took a new ,and unexpected turn.

         "Tom,do you believe that there are some things that science could never explain?"Mr Merton asked.

         "Such as what?"Tom replied,not quite fully comprehending the question.

         "Let me show you!"Mr Merton exclaimed,pulling a large book Tom had never seen before out of his briefcase.

         Tom stared at the title in disbelief,it said,'The Book of Spells For Master Wizards & Magicians'.Tom had never seen a book like this one.It was enormous,its huge back and front covers were leather bound,and encrusted with what appeared to be jewels.

         "I can shape shift.Watch!"Mr Merton said putting the book down on a desk.

         In front of Tom's eyes,Mr Merton's shape slowly dissolved,and the shape of an owl,appeared in his place.It flapped its wings and flew across the room,gracefully landing on top of a shelf.Then it flew over the top of Tom's head.It flew so low that Tom felt its talons lightly skim over his hair,landing neatly on a nearby desk.Before Tom had time to come to terms with the beautiful tawny owl being Mr Merton,it slowly dissolved into a cat,a huge black dog,and finally back to Mr Merton.

         "W...who are you?What are you?!"Tom stammered nervously.

         "I am Merlin!"The man who Tom knew as Mr Merton replied,his shabby clothes,melting away to be replaced by a long green velvet robe.

         "But how can you be Merlin?He's just a myth,just a legend.And even if he did live,he died a long,long time ago!"Tom said increduously.

         "Have you never heard the legend,Tom,that says that Merlin will be reborn,and return every nine hundred years?It's not just a legend,you know,it's true!I have returned,and I have chosen you as my apprentice.We have a very important task to perform.One that will require great courage.But we must do it for the sake of England!"Merlin replied.

         "How do you mean?"Tom asked,bewildered.

         "There is another legend that says that Arthur will return to rule England when his country is in its deepest hour of need.That hour is upon us.We must find Arthur's cave,and awaken him from his centuries old slumber.This country needs him now!"Merlin explained.

         "I still don't understand.How is England in its hour of deepest need?There isn't a war on,or anything,is there?"Tom continued,puzzled.

         "There is a man,who I am sure you have heard of,Marcus Huxley.Huxley is not what he seems.He is thought of by most,as a good,and decent politician,and the man most likely to take over as our next Prime Minister.But beneath the surface is a man more ruthless,and evil than Hitler,or Stalin.We must stop him from gaining power!"Merlin exclaimed passionately.

         "But how?"Tom replied.

         "As I said we must find Arthur.He will know what to do.And from now on Tom Hardy,you will be my apprentice!"Merlin smiled kndly.

         Tom did not say anything,instead he simply nodded.A great responsabilty had just been placed on his shoulders.He hoped he would be worthy of it.