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Merlin Returns

Chapter 2: Merlin's Beard!

"Professor Dragoon." Said an elderly, but still younger than me, woman who had to be the headmistress McGonagall. "Thank you for coming I know it has been a difficult time for everyone repairing the damage done from the war." She said kindly.

"It is no problem Headmistress McGonagall I'm glad to be of some help. Especially since I was unable to help much during the actual war." But at least I was able to hide some of the muggle bourns and their families from Tom you would think after all this time they would learn. He said with a small frown. "Though the ability to teach again is a pleasure that I am looking forward to having again." At this he had a rather mischievous look on his face. "Although I dare say they have an easier time about it then I did when I was first learning."

"When would that be Professor?" asked McGonagall looking curious. "I know from Albus's notes and letters he has rather fond memories of you and he had in the past approached you with the position but you declined. Why is that?"

"Ahh Minerva, may I call you that?" McGonagall nodded her head, and he continued "that in itself is a rather long and tedious tale, but to be frank it was not yet time for me to come back. Oh and you won't find my school records here I was homeschooled. I don't know if you knew or not."

"yes I did, well I figured that out when I couldn't find them and Albus wrote it down on his notes. Though we do need to catalog your wand while you're here." She said holding her hand out.

"Yes precautions since the war I completely understand." He said digging into his robes attempting to find where he had left it at. Finding it in his left sleeve he pulled it out with a flourish "Here it is! 6 ΒΌ inch Ash with a Dragon heartstring made by me when I was much younger." Try 300 years old! I got bored and decided I wanted to master a different albeit weaker form of magic.

With that one of the suits of armor that line the castle walkway said "Students approaching they will be here in five minutes" and promptly stepped back into place. "We should get going to the great hall. It is this way." She said leading him to the doors that lead to the Hall.

Stepping in he saw the house tables and the enchanted celling along with the staff table. If it wasn't for the magic and death that I can feel one would hardly know of the battle that took place and the deaths that resulted from it. Ohh look Arthur would have loved this, after his initial shock of the celling being enchanted of course! Laughing he shook his head "thinking of what one of my old friends would have said if he was here." He said after noticing McGonagall's and a few other staff members' faces when he had laughed. Shaking her head they made their way to the table and had just sat down when the students had entered.

Looking at the sea of students entering he spotted a group of students making their way in. ahh so that is Harry Potter and his friends Ronald Weasly, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasly, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood I think. He had just looked away when Harry and them looked up and saw the new Professors.

"Hey Hermione any idea on who the new professors are?" asked Ron "Honestly Ronald we just got here how am I supposed to know that. Besides McGonagall didn't put it in the letters so I guess we are going to figure out later when she gives the start of term speech." She said while rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Hurry up so we can get to our spots the first years are going to arrive soon." Said Harry who was walking next to Ginny holding her hand.

Saying bye to Luna who had to go to the Ravenclaw table the gang took their seats about midway up the Griffendor House table. "Wonder what that old guy is teaching." Asked Neville "Probably Potions or Muggle Studies. I heard a rumor that they were sending an aurora to teach DADA." Said Ron. Just then the first years walked in and were promptly sorted.

McGonagall stood up and started her speech "Students those whom are returning and those who are just starting. This year the war with Voldermort is over and we are repeating a year and as such the castle will be fuller then usual and so I expect those who have been here previously to set a good example for those just arriving and not to let past prejudices to cause strife or stress to other students. I have a few announcements to make: the forest is still off limits, no spells in the hallway between classes, there will be security checks at the middle of the year and at the end, and we have two new teacher; Professor Skylar will be teaching Muggle studies and, Professor Dragoon will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year unless he decides to stay on. There will also be no hounding of the students who fought in the battle and no terrorizing the Slytherin. Now time for the feast to begin."

When they started piling food onto their plates Ron said "That guy is going to be teaching Defense? He looks like a strong wind would blow him over!"

Ron is right though he doesn't look like much, but he sort of reminds me of Dumbledor. "Ron honestly if McGonagall hired him he can't be all that bad." Said Ginny "Besides he kind of reminds me of Dumbledor for some reason. Probably the beard." She said laughing.

The next morning they made their way down for breakfast and to get their tables. "I wonder who our new head of house is." Said Hermione.

"Aww Miss. Granger and friends here are your time tables McGonagall hasn't had a chance to appoint a new head of house yet and she asked if I could serve for this year. I'm Professor Dragoon Emrys by the way. You lot are the last to get the tables so I'll see you in class." Said the older professor. "Thank you Professor." Said Harry. It's weird unlike everyone else he almost seems to not know who I am. And he walked a short distance away to talk to Luna who had waved hello.

"Merlin's beard! He's strange. Did you see that it was like he had no idea who Harry is." Said Ron who was shoving some bacon into his mouth. "Of course he knows who Harry is Ron he's a Professor and a Wizard."

"Well looks like we'll get to learn more about him we have Defense Against the Dark Arts right after breakfast." Said Harry. They all stood up to leave Harry giving Ginny a kiss on the cheek when she went to the dungeons for Potions and the students went to the Defense Classroom where they saw the professors standing outside his classroom.

"okay everybody is here in we go!" Dragoon said as he led them in, and everybody sat down: Gryffindor's on one side and Slytherins on the other. "This will not do. I know that there is a prejudice in this school made worse by the recent war but in my class there will be no houses sitting on different halves or snide remarks made. We will be sitting one Slytherin and one Gryffindor to a table. The tables are numbered so you have five minutes to choose a spot or one will be chosen for you."

"What the bloody hell is that about. Even as old as he is he has to know this is not a good idea." Said Ron. "Yeah. After last year how does he think this is going to be." Said Harry. "Honestly you guys there has to be a reason he wouldn't do this to be mean." Said Hermione with a shake of her head "let's just find seats." She finished.

Everybody had found seats by the end of the five minutes allotted by the Professor when he turned around. "Good, Good. These spots are where you will be sitting for the rest of the year while we are in side. How these lessons will work this year is that for each day we are inside we will be reading the chapter on the spell we will be learning and you are each week responsible for a paragraph, which for those who don't know is five sentences, about each spell learned these will be due at the before your NEWTS they are to help you study and to help you learn. The next class will be a practical class where you will practice the spell and at the last class of the month there will be a competition in which the winner will get an out of dentition or past curfew passes your choice. Now are there any questions?"

Everybody raised their hands. "Yes you in the front row with the green bag." "Why are we seated this way?" and at that all of the students leaned forward. "Aww yes Miss Higgs. Well as I have said this school has prejudice, like the real world, here and now the majority of the students do not like Slytherins for the part your house played in the war. Though not all of you fought for Riddle but were raised in houses that you were told one thing from birth and expected you to act that way and then you all came to school where you peers hardly gave you the chance to change though you could have grown in the time away from home most of you did not fight for the other side you did not actively fight against it. And you from the arrogance you were raised with did not see a reason why. I am hoping that this class will at least began the healing process and while it may be too late for the older students it is not so for those younger and it is not to late to teach some tolerance. And also I'm doing this to be a bit mean because I'm old." He finished with a smile and a laugh. "Any other? No, good. Read chapter one for tomorrow. Have a nice day."

Authors Note: Sorry about Merlin's lengthy speech it just seemed like something he'd say after all the prejudice he would have fought against in Camelot.

Reveiws are nice, but please go easy.