A/N

Hello all

Thank you to all my reviewers. There seems to be something of a theme of people asking me not to abandon this story. I assure you that I will endeavour to update as regularly as I can and if I should ever feel the need to abandon this (which I have no intention of doing btw) I would give due notice. If I don't update for too long without notice then just message me telling me to get my arse in gear, 'cause I'm probably just being lazy…

And on that cheerful note, on with the story! :)

At the end of his first day of teaching Merlin felt pretty good about himself. He hadn't revealed anything that might give away his true identity and nearly all of his student were receptive to his lessons. He had a few students who couldn't get over the perceived lack of an age gap, but he reminded them that Dumbledore had seen fit to hire him so that should be enough for them.

Merlin had particularly enjoyed a seventh-year class which had two red haired boys (obviously twins) who he could tell were trouble makers. They had put him through his paces, firing questions at him like lightning and switching seats when he turned to the blackboard. He managed to keep up with their questions though, and caught them out on their seat switching (he had always been good at telling twin apart) so they settled down a little after that. Only a little mind you, Merlin could tell that he would have a lot more to put up with throughout the year.

That evening as he didn't have any homework to mark yet, Merlin decided to go and explore the grounds a little to see what had changed since he was last at Hogwarts. He put on a cloak and left his room, making his way through the stone corridors to the entrance hall. From there he left the castle and walked through the grounds, past the lake where the giant squid was making ripples on the surface of the frigid water, and down to the Forbidden Forest.

The forest was just as he remembered, the tall, dark trees casting thick shadows on the ground, the rustle of creatures through leaves and the silence that fell as you went deeper and deeper into the forest, where only the quietest or most dangerous beings lived.

Merlin only went a short way into the forest, not wanting to find trouble on his first day there. He soon came across a clearing where skeletal black horses were grazing quietly. Some of the thestrals raised their heads and looked curiously at the intruder. Deciding he was no threat they let him be, and some of the more curious approached him. He stoked their necks absently, feeling a certain kinship with the animals. He had been surprised when he first met some thestrals years ago; he had known thestrals were related to dragons but he thought it was so distant that he wouldn't have been able to feel the connection. The link to his past soothed him, and brought a smile to his face as he remembered the adventures he had had with the knights, Arthur, Gwen, Gaius and Kilgharrah.

Enough time had passed that he could look back on those memories without the debilitating grief that had come the first few decades after they had all died. Kilgharrah lived much longer than the others, but had been distant as always, only coming to say goodbye when he was dying, and to give Merlin his last piece of obscure advice.

"Many years have passed since the fall of Camelot, and though the world may not have need of you yet, young warlock, they surely will in the future. And even if it takes thousands of years, know that Arthur will one day return. However, be aware the world may have need of your power before that day comes; do not cut yourself off. The dragons are not what they once were. They are slowly losing the ability of speech in your tongue, remember what I have taught you so that you might continue to guide them, and they will continue to listen. Good luck, young Warlock, and have faith in the future, for although there is darkness, there is also great light."

Merlin had been almost two hundred years old at this point and resented being called 'young warlock' but the dragon had stubbornly refused to call him anything else, reminding Merlin that he was far older, and so had the right to call Merlin whatever the hell he wanted to.

After a while, Merlin realized it was getting quite dark and so decided to head back up to castle, deciding to himself that he would come and visit the thestrals more often.

By the next morning, rumours had spread like wildfire about the inscription on Snape's robes. He was absolutely livid and swore to put whoever was responsible in detention for at least a week. Suspicion naturally fell on the Weasley twins, who were usually the root of any mischief or mayhem that occurred in the castle, but Professor Snape had nothing to tie them to the crime and so they didn't receive any detentions.

The twins themselves were stumped. They knew that they hadn't done it, so that meant somebody else had, and anybody daring enough to go after Snape was worthy of their respect. They vowed to find out who had pulled this masterful prank and praise them endlessly for it.

Harry had written to Sirius about it, thinking that his godfather would find the situation highly amusing, and told him to tell Lupin too. Harry could practically hear his godfather's barking laughter as he sent the letter off with Hedwig, his snowy owl.

Merlin, for his part, was feeling slightly guilty for all the blame automatically falling on Fred and George, so the first chance he got that week, he asked them to stay behind after one of his lessons with the seventh year Gryffindors. They looked a little wary, and were shooting each other looks in a silent conversation, each asking what they might have done to get in trouble this time.

The corners of Merlin's mouth twitched upwards "Don't worry, boys. You're not in trouble. Quite the opposite in fact. And I must beg your forgiveness."

The twins glanced at each other, confused, before looking up at their professor questioningly. "What do you mean sir?"

"Well, you remember that incident with Professor Snape and his robe?"

The twins nodded, disbelieving comprehension dawning slowly on their faces.

"Umm, you see, I was a little bored during Ms Umbridge's speech at the welcome feast, which I'm sure was most illuminating, and so…" He trailed off at the end of his sentence, waving his hands in a 'you know what happened next' kind of way.

The twins were gobsmacked. They were lost for words, which didn't happen often, and they just stared with dumbstruck looks on their faces, eyebrows raised, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, at their Professor.

"I just thought I owed you an apology and an explanation as you seem to be the ones that everyone is blaming. As I knew it wasn't you, I just thought you ought to know."

They sat there for a second in silence. Fred and George then slowly turned to face each other and nodded grimly. Merlin waited for their reaction nervously.

"Wow."

"Amazing."

"Don't know why we've never thought of it!"

"We should have done that years ago!"

"Got any other ideas?"

"Plans?"

"Evil schemes that you need help pulling off?"

"Not that one as great as yourself would ever need help of course."

"But the offer still stands."

Merlin held up his hand, "Woah, boys, slow down! I must say you're taking this remarkably well. And I would appreciate it if this stayed between us, I don't want to be on Professor Snape's bad side from the first week. Also, if you boys ever need help, with anything at all, don't hesitate to come to me."

Fred and George nodded, looks of awe on their faces.

"All right then, off you pop."

"Thanks sir!" They said together.

The twins got up to leave, bowing extravagantly on their way from the classroom and shouting proclamations of Professor Gray's greatness, and deciding that he was their new favourite teacher. Although thinking about it, they didn't know who their favourite teacher had been before.

They resolved to not play too many pranks on him in any case, and certainly none that would disrupt his lessons in too grievous a manner, and returned to the Gryffindor common room in high spirits

A/N

That's it for now folks. Let me know if you enjoyed this, and if you have any ideas you really want to see then let me know and I'll see if I can work them into the story somehow.

Until next time :)