Hey people who are reading this. Sorry I didn't update in who knows how long. School started up and I have one word for you: math. Anyways, here is the next installation of this story. This is where Merlin is introduced, and it is a fairly short chapter. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: C'mon, people. Do you really think anyone on this site owns these books/TV shows?
While Sherlock and John began a new, very odd friendship indeed, a boy sat not three compartments away, his nose in a book, effectively tuning out the strange girl who sat across from him.
His name was Mark Edwards, which was a very normal name for a very abnormal person. Mark, as the girl across from him pointed out, had 'an odd sort of aura about him'. He, like John, had a look in his cloudy blue eyes that whispered of untold sadness, but unlike John he did not try to hide this with a smile. Mark was also very tall and skinny, again like John in that aspect, but Mark had a long face that oddly enough was devoid of any baby fat.
His high cheekbones paired with those terribly sad eyes gave Mark a look of wisdom, and he possessed an old-person-like way he held himself. His coal hair swept over the twinkling eyes, but the whole nobility-like look was slightly ruined by his ears; they were almost comically big and stuck out like they had been pushed into place. The girl he shared the compartment with compared them to a mouse (something Mark found both amusing and a bit hurtful, but she'd obviously meant no harm by it).
The compartment girl suddenly gasped, cutting herself off from her lecture about odd, mystical creatures named 'Crumple-Horned Snorkacks'. "I forgot to introduce myself! How rude of me. I'm Luna Lovegood, and you are?" Mark looked up from his book, and, giving Luna a goofy grin, said, "I'm Mark Edwards. It's, ah, nice to finally know your name, I suppose."
Luna smiled, but it quickly morphed into a frown as she gazed at him. "Is something wrong? You seem sad…" "Oh, me? I'm fine. Just a little homesick, I suppose." Mark laughed, though it seemed a bit forced. Luna maintained her frown. Before she could comment, however, a rather plump boy entered their compartment, looking nervous. "Have you seen a toad by chance?" he asked, his face pinching up as if he were about to cry.
Luna smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later," she assured him. "Do you need any help searching?" Mark offered. The boy shook his head, blinking back tears now.
As soon as the boy left, Mark stuffed his face into his book and refused to acknowledge Luna again. It was obvious she suspected something, and despite the dreamy appearance she maintained, she was quite clever. Of course, there was close to no possibility she would guess the truth, but there was no way he was going to risk it.
The rest of the train ride passed without incident. Another girl with very bushy hair came by asking about the boy's toad and they provided her with the same answers they had for the boy. Then, very suddenly, Luna spoke up.
"We're nearing Hogwarts. We might want to change into our school robes," she advised. "After all, we wouldn't want to miss our first view of Hogwarts." She grinned at Mark knowingly. "Or, at least, my first glance. It's okay, Merlin, I won't tell anyone," and with that, she bounced out of the compartment, leaving a dumbstruck Merlin in her wake.