Harry was sitting inside one of the Hogwarts Express's many compartments, staring out the window with a confused expression.
"Excuse me, Professor, couldn't we have just teleported back to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion.
"We could have, but I haven't ridden the train before and wanted to experience it myself," Merlin said lightly, reclining in her seat and enjoying herself.
"There you are, Harry. We've been looking all over for you… oh, Professor, you're here too," Hermione said excitedly as she entered the compartment and quickly took a seat across from Merlin, her eyes sparkling with awe.
"It's wonderful to see you as well, apprentice. Did you do the homework I assigned you?" Merlin asked with a warm smile.
"Yes, Professor. I was able to learn them all. Elemental and illusion magic were no issue, but I still have a bit of problems with Exterminate Ray. I can't quite control the output," Hermione said, her brow furrowing in mild frustration.
"Wait, you're doing magic outside of school? Aren't you worried about being suspended?" Harry said, eyes wide in shock.
"Oh, Harry, the Ministry can't prove I was using magic if I never used my wand," Hermione replied with a smug smirk.
"You can cast without a wand?" Harry said, astonished.
"Yes, Professor showed me. It was actually pretty easy once I got the hang of it," Hermione said with a hint of pride.
"Good. Now, as far as output for Exterminate Ray goes, I'll have to help you personally to see what you're doing incorrectly. After that, we'll move on to something a little more advanced," Merlin said with a thoughtful nod.
"There you guys are! I've been looking for you for ages," Ron said breathlessly as he stumbled into the compartment.
"Welcome, Mr. Weasley. Did you keep up with your studies?" Merlin asked with a playful giggle.
"Oh, uh, yes, Professor. I made sure to read that book you gave us all," Ron said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
"And what happened?" Merlin asked, intrigued.
"I unlocked my unique magic, but I don't understand it," Ron said, sounding a little disappointed.
"What do you mean?" Merlin asked with curiosity.
"Well, like the other day, I tried using it against my brother Fred when he was going to throw a dungbomb at me, and all it did was show Fred coming at me a bunch of different ways a minute or two before he did it," Ron said with a frown.
"Oh my God, Ron, that's incredible!" Hermione said, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Mr. Weasley, your magic seems to be a form of precognition. You can see possible versions of the future," Merlin said with a pleased smile.
"I can see the future?" Ron said, breaking into a goofy grin.
"That's great, Ron. All my unique magic lets me do is walk through walls," Harry said with a shrug and a smile.
"And I have no idea what mine is. It doesn't do anything, but I haven't been tired since I unlocked it, so that's nice, I suppose," Hermione added with slight disappointment.
"Really? Not tired at all, apprentice? What about your spellcasting? The mana drain?" Merlin asked, her interest piqued.
"I don't feel it anymore, Professor. It's almost like I'm not losing mana at all anymore. I also haven't slept in months," Hermione explained.
"Oh. Well, we will discuss this more later, apprentice. I may know what your magic is," Merlin said with an excited smile.
The four continued to engage in small talk for a while, the gentle rhythm of the train filling the gaps in conversation, until suddenly the train lurched and came to a halt for some unknown reason. The lights flickered and went out, and an unnatural cold seeped into the compartment.
Down the corridor, a shadowy figure glided silently toward them.
It stopped at their compartment, and the door slid open on its own.
Floating in the doorway was a dark, tattered cloak, its form shifting unnaturally as it drifted closer to Harry. Just as it reached for him, it froze, locking eyes with Merlin.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her aura flared.
The creature shrieked in terror and fled down the corridor as fast as it could.
"You three stay here. I'm going to go see who was stupid enough to allow those things onto a train full of students," Merlin said coldly as she rose to her feet and stormed out of the compartment.
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At the opening feast in the Great Hall, the low roar of student chatter slowly faded as Dumbledore rose from his seat at the staff table. He smiled warmly before speaking.
"Welcome back, students, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. Before we feast, I have a couple of announcements," Dumbledore said happily, his voice echoing through the enchanted hall.
"First of all, thanks to the help of Professor Ambrosius, Professor Binns has finally passed on properly, so this year's History of Magic professor shall be Professor Remus Lupin," Dumbledore said.
At that, Remus stood up, and took a modest bow as polite applause rippled through the hall.
"Secondly, everyone congratulate our gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, for being promoted to our newest Care for Magical Creatures professor," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Hagrid flushed beet red, beaming as he awkwardly waved, a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
"Thirdly, as much as I hate to say it, and despite some very, um… stern words from our own Professor Ambrosius to the Ministry, Hogwarts will play host to the Dementors of Azkaban," Dumbledore said, his tone darkening. "Do not approach them under any circumstances. They are forbidden from entering school grounds. If you see one come near the school, inform a staff member immediately," he finished, his displeasure unmistakable.
"What did you say to them?" McGonagall asked quietly, her eyes shifting toward Merlin.
"I simply expressed my displeasure and concerns about soul-sucking monsters being near children," Merlin replied calmly. "It didn't go the way I hoped, and let's just say the Ministry is now on my bad side. And may God help them if any children get harmed this year from their actions," she added with a smile that never reached her eyes.(Authors Note: Look forward to what I have in store for umbridge.)
"I see. Keep up the good work, Professor," McGonagall said dryly, giving a small nod of approval.
The tension lingered in the air for a moment longer before Dumbledore clapped his hands together, ready to usher the hall into celebration.
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After her first class of the year, Merlin was a bit surprised when Malfoy lingered behind as the other students filtered out. He hesitated near her desk before finally stepping forward.
"Um, Professor, can I speak to you for a moment?" Malfoy asked, his voice quiet and a bit nervous.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. What seems to be the issue?" Merlin replied professionally, giving him her full attention.
"I read your book, and I was able to unlock a unique magic. It lets me see words above people's heads. After a while, I figured out it was what people see me as or think of me," Malfoy said, trembling slightly as he spoke.
At this point, Merlin noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes and the faint, still-wet streaks running down his face.
"I see. And this bothers you?" Merlin asked gently.
"Above my father, I saw words like 'tool' or 'work in progress.' Above the servants, it just says 'pest.' Above half of Slytherin House, it says 'bank' or 'sucker,' and above the other half it says 'enemy' or 'annoyance.' Not even Crabbe or Goyle actually like me. They only pretend to," Malfoy said, his voice wavering as he struggled to hold back tears.
"I see. Does anyone think positively of you?" Merlin asked kindly, her tone soft but steady.
"So far, you and most of the other professors see me as a student. That's good, I guess. My mom sees me as her baby, so that's comforting. And Professor Snape sees me as his godson, but also as someone to watch over," Malfoy said, swallowing hard.
"I see, Draco. Come on, let's go see Professor Snape and talk to him about this," Merlin said, rising from her seat and offering him a reassuring look as she gestured toward the door.
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A short while later, in the potions classroom, the air was thick with the familiar scent of herbs and brewed mixtures as Snape regarded Draco carefully.
"I see, Draco. Have you told anyone else about this?" Snape asked delicately, his voice low and measured.
"Only you two," Malfoy said quietly, his shoulders slightly hunched.
"I see. Well, Draco, this might actually be a blessing in disguise. You see, now you know for sure who your real loved ones are, and instead of continuing to nurture false relationships, you can now focus on making genuine connections," Snape said, his tone unexpectedly positive, which caused Merlin to blink in faint surprise.
"I thank you for bringing this to me, Professor, but I will handle it from here. I do not blame you for Draco getting this ability. I read your book and understand how unique magic works. In fact, I'm thankful for this. Now Draco has a chance at a better future. If you ever need anything from me, feel free to ask," Snape said politely, giving Merlin a respectful nod.
Merlin inclined her head in return before quietly leaving the two of them to talk, closing the classroom door behind her.
(Authors Note: I'm more interested in years four and five I won't completely cut prisoner of Azkaban down to nothing but it will be short compared to upcoming years feel free to ask any questions in the comments)