Chapter 1

Hello Ducklings! So here we are at the beginning of a new adventure! I apologize for the utterly terrible summary for this story, I am really awful at writing those. As I have planned ahead the first few chapters have already been written so expect regular updates for a short while. I was planning on writing the entire story first but because I started writing these over a year ago I figured I had edited it enough to be presentable. I would really appreciate someone who could read through chapters before I publish them and help me with any edits so if anyone is interested in doing that just message me! Sorry this intro has been so long but I had to make sure all my bases were covered. Please enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Merlin do not belong to me, neither does the sorting hat song. The only thing I own is the plot. Anything in stars is quoted directly from the book and belongs to J.K. Rowling.

The scenery rushed by. The dull shades of green blurred together mixed with small weavings of grays and blues. Harry looked out the fogged window of the train. His head rested limply in his hand, oblivious of any conversation around him. The poor boy was tired, as he honestly hadn't gotten much sleep at Sirius's house. Although he knew he had no right to complain; they had all treated him well in the short time he was there.

"Harry!" a voice yelled at him, sounding rather annoyed. His head shot up and he looked around frantically. His eyes finally settled on Hermione, who was rolling her eyes. "We're here" she sighed, and the three of them stood up. Ron smiled weakly at Harry and he felt a pang of guilt at making his best friend suffer through Hermione's chatter alone the entire trip. He would have to make that up to his best friend later, most likely though food. Harry stuffed the few pastries he had left into his pocket and followed his friends from the train.

The three chatted happily and Harry found himself smiling more than he had the entire summer. It was good to be alone with his two best friends again and just mindlessly chatting. In fact, he was so involved in the useless conversation he was having about the new type of chocolate frog that had come out, that he didn't even notice the man who had stopped in front of him.

Harry walked full speed into the stranger's back. He staggered back a few steps and felt himself being caught by Ron's hands. The man turned around and smiled widely at the surprised look on Harry's face.

"I'm sorry" Harry said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

The man laughed and Harry felt a dull pang of confusion. He looked too young to be any sort of staff, but too old to be a student. He was rather handsome, but the young innocence of his face was almost unnoticeable due to the electric blue of his eyes. He was immediately reminded of Dumbledore. He saw the same kindness and wisdom, but also the pain.

"That's alright" he said, still smiling widely. He stared over Harry's shoulder absently for a few moments before his blank facial expression quickly morphed into one of slight panic.

"Oh my! I'm going to be late!" he exclaimed, abruptly rushing off. The three fifth years exchanged looks as they watched the strange man rush towards the castle.

"Who the bloody hell was that" muttered Ron, earning a sharp look from Hermione. Harry simply shrugged, but stayed silent.

The three teenagers walked the short distance to the carriages that were meant to take them to the school.

"What're those things pulling the carriages?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"What do you mean mate?" replied Ron giving Harry a strange look, "they're pulling themselves like always."

Harry fell silent. The strange skeletal horses attached to the carriages pawed the wet ground and waited for them to board the carriage. Harry climbed on rather reluctantly and found himself sitting next to an elfish looking girl with white-blonde hair.

"You must be Harry Potter," she said bluntly, staring at him with large blue eyes.

"Uh, yeah. And you are...?" he replied shifting under her intense gaze.

"I'm Luna, Luna Lovegood" she answered.

"Looney Lovegood?" asked Ron tactlessly, wincing as Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

"He meant that we're happy to meet you Luna" Hermione corrected, glaring at Ron. Luna gave her a smile and the four rode in silence until they reached the castle and climbed down from the carriage. Harry stole one last glance at the strange horses that only he could see and followed his friends into Hogwarts.

Soon the golden trio entered the great hall and Harry couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. He missed Hogwarts; especially after the less than wonderful treatment he had received over the summer. As he thought of the less than unfortunate things that had occurred over the summer he subconsciously winced, drawing a strange look from Hermione.

Although he may not have to, there was always Sirus...

Harry shook himself from his thoughts as he went to have a seat at the Gryffindor table with the rest of the fifth years. He couldn't go getting his hopes up like that; it never did him any good.

They scanned the staff table and it was obvious that their giant friend was missing.

"Where is he?" muttered Ron in confusion. Harry noticed that many Gryffindors seemed to all be muttering the same question to one and other.

Harry felt a sharp tap on his arm as Hermione pointed to the new chairs filled at the table. As he scanned the faces he felt his stomach drop as he saw a pudgy woman dressed in the pinkest clothing he had ever seen.

"It's that Umbridge woman" he commented quietly, drawing confused looks from some of the people nearest to him.

"She was at my hearing" he explained, "she works for Fudge."

Hermione pointed to the other filled chair at the table and the three recognized the young man Harry had bumped into earlier.

"Oh!" they heard Ginny exclaim, "Neville, Luna and I sat with him on the train, wonderful man, and he's the new..." The doors opening and a long line of first years walking through cut her off. Professor McGonagall walked to the front, stool and hat in hand and the school waited for the traditional song to come. The sorting hat opened its mouth like rip and began to sing:

*In times of old when I was new

And Hogwarts barely started

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted:

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning...*

Harry found himself listening more intently than ever before to the sorting hat's song. It seemed different this year and looking up he saw the teachers looked surprised too. He sat completely engaged as the hat finished:

*For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within.

I have told you, I have warned you...

Let the sorting now begin. *

Harry raised his hands to clap with the rest of the room, but felt that the cheery clapping was rather forced. The poor first years looked absolutely terrified. He glanced at the staff table; only to see disgust on Umbridge's face, a horrid understanding on the other new teacher's face, and surprise on the rest.

They watched as the first years were sorted and the line slowly thinned down to the last few. Harry felt a small smile play at his lips as he watched Ron glance at the empty plates with anticipation. Anyone could make the mistake that Ron had been starved by the way he ate and acted around food. He knew Hermione found it rather pig like and disgusting, but it was one of the things Harry loved about Ron. Finally the last first year was sorted into their house and the entire hall turned to look at Dumbledore.

"Welcome all!" he said with a small smile, his half moon spectacles slightly askew, "there is a time for speech making, but that time is later. Tuck in!" Ron turned to the plates and savagely started ripping the chicken apart. Hermione seemed even more disgusted than usual. Harry smiled as she whacked him on the head with her book. He then glanced up at the staff table at their new teachers. It seemed it would be another interesting year.

Merlin sat at the staff table, happily talking to Professor Sprout. She was a likeable woman and he enjoyed sharing his knowledge of world herbology with her. The pink lady-toad next to him kept glaring over at him, although he had no idea why.

Merlin had been residing with a secluded magical tribe in the Himalayas when he felt it. He was rather annoyed as he was having a wonderful time with the Monks, but he knew he would have to return to Hogwarts. He smiled a bit as he glanced around the room. It had been a few hundred odd years since he had actually visited the castle, although he had always kept tabs on the particularly brilliant students who passed through. The last time he had honestly paid attention to what was happening in the mainstream wizarding world was when little baby Harry had defeated Voldemort, although that had been 14 years ago. Merlin had bided his time, learning more than he ever needed to about magic and non-magic folk. He felt rather lonely after so long without a family or home, but knew that Arthur would return eventually. He was excited to show him how much the world had changed. Although he didn't know how well the poor man would take it.

He looked up to the sound of the headmaster talking again and listened, interested.

"Now that we are all watered and fed I must take a few moments if your attention for some quick announcements. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students- although I think this may extend to some of our older students too." Merlin watched as

a number of students in the Gryffindor house exchanged amused looks, immediately recognizing three of them as the students he had bumped into earlier.

"Also Mr. Filch the caretaker has added singing whip-norins to the list of band objects at school. I believe this is number four hundred and thirty seven on the list. If you wish to view it, you may find it posted outside of Mr. Filch's office. As you may have noticed, we have three changes in staff this year. I am pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be in charge of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons. We are all delighted to welcome Professor Emrys, who will now be in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons; also Professor Umbridge, who will now be appointed as Manager of all Staff and Lessons."

Merlin smiled widely at all the students and watched as a few of the younger ones smiled tentatively back. Dumbledore continued on with announcements about rules and quidditch before he heard a small "Hem, Hem" from professor Umbridge. The headmaster seemed rather surprised for a moment, but nodded graciously to the woman and allowed her to step up to where he had been.

*"Thank you headmaster" she said, her voice dripping sweetly, "for those kind words of welcome."*

Merlin noted how high and girly her voice sounded, rather annoying really.

"I'm honored to meet all of you and I'm sure we will all be wonderful friends" she smiled widely, although it became a bit more forced as some of the students barely suppressed snickers.

"I am here from the Ministry out of a worry for your teaching and some of the staff's teaching methods." Merlin frowned as she glanced at Dumbledore. He noticed the same reaction from some of the students, mainly Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.

"I will be making changes in lessons as I see fit" she finished, before shuffling back to her seat, quite a feat in Merlin's mind, as her skirt was quite tight.

Merlin looked around at the faces in the room. He saw two twins at the Gryffindor table that he immediately pegged as troublemakers, although he didn't get the impression that they were bad kids. As he glanced at the Hufflepuff table he smiled; it had always been his favorite house. They were all good kids with their hearts in the right places. Helga had always been a wonderful person to talk to and he saw a bit of her in each person sitting at the table. Each table had a special place in his heart. The Gryffindors had always reminded him of Arthur and the knights, they were all so lively and fun but always the brave ones; always the ones to risk their lives. The Ravenclaws were the most driven. A bit too focused on one thing for his liking, but he was sure there was a bit of that in everyone. In the past hundred years the Slytherins had gotten a rather bad rap. He knew that most of them had grown up into families who taught them the wrong things, and it would be a while before that changed. Being a Slytherin himself he knew that all they were willing to do anything to succeed, a feeling he knew well.

"Well I think it's time we all head off to bed and prepare our brains for tomorrow!" Everyone began to shuffle out of the great hall and Merlin headed to his room. He was excited; he would get to learn more about the modern wizarding world and the people in it.

He reached his quarters and smiled at the room. It had a four-poster bed, a desk and dozens of bookshelves. He waved his hand and lazily watched as the contents of each suitcase began to fly around the room and into their place. A small black box with the Pendragon emblem placed itself on the table beside him and Merlin willed it to become invisible. That was not something he needed any of the other inhabitants of this school seeing. Books piled themselves in the corners once the shelves became full. It was not long until his room looked more like a library than a bedroom. A banner flew from one of his bags and attached itself to the wall. Merlin felt a pang of nostalgia as he found himself staring at one of Camelot's many flags once again. He watched as a gleaming gold and silver sword carefully attached itself on the wall opposite the flag.

"Excalibur, old friend" he found himself muttering with a small smile. It had been so long since he had actually done inventory on his possessions that he found himself surprised at many of the items placing themselves around his room. Many of them were from his days in Camelot and evoked very strong memories.

He lie back on his bed and sighed. This was going to be a strange year.

I'm excited about this crossover and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you soon!