The Dementors came.
Dana smiled—those creatures were still as sensitive as ever.
However, this confirmed one crucial fact: the transformation brought on by Merlin's bloodline was fundamentally different from that of an Animagus. While the Animagus transformation turned one into an animal from the inside out, Merlin's transformation—no matter how drastic—always retained a human essence at its core.
Dana no longer feared the Dementors, who once terrified him.
Elsewhere, Donna Avery was still struggling to push away the Inferi controlled by John Flint, completely unaware of the faint flash of blue light outside her cell. Even more so, she didn't notice that among the countless Dementors, one had suddenly appeared—a new presence that swiftly synchronized the Dementors' simple, chaotic consciousness.
Dana the Dementor spoke:
"Hoo—"
[You all come and accompany this woman every day, but be careful not to kill her.]
"Hoo—"
[Difficult.]
"Hoo—"
[As long as you're not greedy, it's not difficult at all!]
"Hoo—"
[Try your best.]
Dana the Dementor floated away, satisfied with the arrangement.
With John Flint's Inferi and the Dementors keeping her company, Donna Avery would certainly not feel lonely during the month ahead—right?
Just one day before the young wizards were to return to Hogwarts, the new city was officially launched.
The richest man in the wizarding world, Count Dak de Dantes, named it Merlin City, in honor of the great magical pioneer—the immortal Merlin.
The European wizarding community had no objections. After all, not only British wizards but also magic users across Europe acknowledged Merlin's status in magical history. The city was located in Britain, so naming it after Merlin felt appropriate.
On that day, Merlin City buzzed with excitement.
The British Ministry of Magic specially set up an international entry channel in Merlin City, allowing wizards from different countries to apparate there directly from their respective Ministries of Magic.
Draco Malfoy had never seen so many wizards in his life—not even when his father took him to the Quidditch World Cup years ago.
Wizards from all over the world packed into the city. This was, after all, the only city in the world completely dedicated to magic. Shopping and entertainment were readily available. Here, one could experience exotic customs and even find stores offering Muggle products adapted for the wizarding lifestyle.
The entire city was a commercial marvel. Rumors had circulated for months that several major European families were planning to move their core industries to Merlin City, which only increased the influx of people.
And where there were people, there were business opportunities.
Major families and trade guilds arrived in droves, following the scent of profit. Property values soared—homes in Merlin City had already reached sky-high prices even before completion.
In the 1990s, the Muggle world was just beginning to see the rise of the internet economy. But in the Wizarding World—which seemed unlikely to embrace that change even in the 2020s—a city combining all commercial channels into one place was truly a revolutionary concept.
Merlin City was not only a commercial hub, but a cultural and entertainment center—a melting pot for all things magical.
Count Dantes's vision of a "complex"—a multi-functional city decades ahead of its time—had truly shocked the secluded magical world.
Draco followed closely behind Lucius Malfoy, apparating to the tallest tower in Merlin City for the grand opening ceremony.
A pillar less than three meters in diameter but sixty meters high supported a massive circular platform—three hundred meters in radius. In the Muggle world, such a design would've driven any architect into depression, but in the Wizarding World, impossible structures were the norm.
From the platform's summit, the entire urban sprawl of Merlin City could be seen.
Lucius Malfoy went off to greet acquaintances while young Draco ran to the edge, gazing down in awe at the breathtaking view.
It was magnificent.
Neatly arranged green rooftops formed square grids across the city, with wizards from every corner of the world weaving between them like ants.
"Look, Count Dantes is here!"
All eyes turned to the elegant figure who apparated onto the platform.
Count Dantes smiled warmly and greeted the crowd before stepping up to a central podium.
"Everyone here is my friend. Thank you for attending the inauguration ceremony of Merlin City—"
"Hmph! Friends? I wouldn't dare associate myself with such a person."
A discordant voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to see Bernard Juliars.
He was the patriarch of the Juliars family. Although not part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the family was well-off due to their long-standing business breeding Flobberworms—earning them the nickname "Worm Family."
Count Dantes met Bernard's glare with a faint smile.
Bernard continued indignantly, "Am I wrong? You promised me that land, but instead you gave it to Sharad Bluefield! Someone like you has no integrity. I won't call you a friend, lest I get stabbed in the back."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Sharad Bluefield? Wasn't he the owner of the Chudley Cannons?"
"Yeah, I heard something about this—the Count exchanged the land for ownership of the Cannons."
"Wow, trading a plot of land for a whole Quidditch team? That's a deal. We paid two million Galleons for our shop!"
Despite the disruption, the Count remained unshaken. Smiling calmly, he looked at Bernard Juliars.
"Mr. Juliars, did we ever sign a contract, letter of intent, or any formal agreement regarding that plot?"
"If we did, then I sincerely apologize—it must've been an oversight by my subordinates. But if not—then I must remind you, sir, that you are slandering a Count without a shred of evidence."
Almost everyone present had vested interests in Merlin City, hoping to curry favor with the Count. Even without the politics, everyone knew that verbal promises meant nothing without official documentation.
Bernard knew this too.
But seeing the enormous profits others had already made, jealousy consumed him. Even as the words left his mouth, regret struck—but it was too late to apologize now. Instead, he huffed, flicked his robes, and stormed off.
The interruption did little to disturb Count Dantes. He clapped his hands cheerfully.
"Well then, everyone—let us continue!"
He pointed out beyond the city limits.
"To celebrate Merlin City's completion, I originally prepared magical cannons. But then I thought—how dull!
So instead, I've arranged five hundred trebuchets to mark the occasion!"
Trebuchets?
The crowd looked at him in confusion.
The Count signaled to a servant nearby.
"Begin."
Before anyone could process what was happening, Draco Malfoy's terrified voice rang out:
"LOOK! What's THAT?!"
Everyone rushed to the platform's edge.
Their blood ran cold.
In the distance, countless glowing dots were flying rapidly toward Merlin City.
These weren't just any lights.
They were magic bombs—the kind powerful enough to level a quarter of Diagon Alley in one strike.
Had the Count gone mad?
Was he about to destroy his own city?
Panic erupted. Wizards scrambled toward the exit portal.
Cornelius Fudge collapsed in fear. If even one high-profile guest died here today, his time as Minister of Magic would be over. He could already imagine the flood of accountability letters arriving like a snowstorm.
"Everyone—please remain calm!"
The Count's voice rang out, steady and reassuring.
"Merlin City's defense system is the most advanced in the Wizarding World. This attack level? It's no more than fireworks before our city's protection array."
As he spoke, the first magic bomb reached the city—and exploded harmlessly in mid-air.
In its wake, glowing runes shimmered faintly above the city.
The defensive enchantments had been activated from the start.
One after another, the bombs burst into dazzling explosions—harmless, beautiful.
People's fear faded, replaced by wonder. They leaned on the railings, watching the sky light up with bursts of magical color.
Perhaps, starting today…
The safest place in the Wizarding World would no longer be Hogwarts—
But Merlin City.
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