"Harry Potter and the Shadows of Merlin"

"Yes," Harry replied, "I am."

Ron's eyes lit up. "Wow, that's amazing!"

… …

Dyna watched the exchange with mild amusement. Everything felt so familiar—just like in the original story: Harry's lightning scar, him buying snacks—like being immersed in a movie. Ron's jealousy flared when he saw Harry casually spend eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. He longed to taste those treats too, but couldn't muster the courage to ask.

"Are you hungry?" Ron finally asked.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Harry said, taking a big bite of a pumpkin pasty as he glanced at Dyna. "I was too excited this morning and forgot breakfast. Hannah didn't bring me any either."

Dyna shook his head. "Harry, you're confused. Hannah's also a first-year."

"Oh, right!" Harry exclaimed.

Ron turned to Dyna and Harry. "Are you guys close?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. We stayed together at the Leaky Cauldron before Hogwarts. We're good friends."

"Wow, that's nice." Ron muttered as he opened a box to reveal four cut sandwiches. "Mum always forgets I don't like corned beef…"

Dyna frowned. What a kid—he doesn't know how good he's got it! He watched as Harry offered to swap sandwiches.

"Ron, why don't you trade sandwiches with me? I want to try your mum's cooking."

"Oh, you might not like it…" Ron hesitated, yet still swapped pasty with Harry.

"Ron, eat whatever you want. Dyna and I don't eat that much anyway. Right, Dyna?"

Dyna nodded. "Yes, I don't like snacks."

Ron shot Dyna a sidelong glance, inwardly thinking: Weirdo! Who doesn't like snacks?

… …

Before long, Harry and Ron became fast friends. In reality, they were schoolmates. But Dyna, counting from his prior life, was already forty.

They opened chocolate frogs, collected trading cards—Dumbledore's card, even Merlins'. Harry gaped at the Merlin card.

"Is this Merlin? The greatest wizard of all time?" he asked.

"Yes," Ron replied confidently, "Merlin's amazing—he could transform into animals and people. But I think Dumbledore is even stronger."

Harry nodded, unsure what to believe. He then squinted at Merlin's portrait—"He looks a lot like Dyna!"

"What?" Ron leaned in. Though he'd collected three Merlins, he'd never scrutinized the card closely. Now, the bald forehead, white goatee, and sharp eyes looked eighty percent like Dyna.

"Yeah, it does," Ron admitted. "Though I don't like Merlin."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because he's said to be from Slytherin."

Dyna paused. Hogwarts was founded around 990 AD; Merlin lived four or five centuries earlier. Salazar Slytherin hadn't even been born! Clearly, a Slytherin spider-weaver had invented the rumor. Only foolish kids would fall for it.

"What is Slytherin? Why hate Merlin just because he's (allegedly) from Slytherin?"

Ron's eyes widened. Isn't this obvious? But realizing Harry was a Muggle-born, he obliged.

"Hogwarts has four houses…" He began explaining.

Just then, the compartment door swung open. An older student appeared.

"Ha! So it's you, Dyna Avery!"

Dyna looked up and recognized him—he'd seen the sneering senior years ago at his grandfather's funeral. This was Dunat Avery, son of Donna Avery's brother.

"Dunat Avery?"

Dunat glanced at Ron and Harry, sneering coldly. "Another Weasley." Then he stepped forward to stand before Dyna.

"Well, well, it's good you remember me, Dyna Avery!"

Dyna shook his head. "My name isn't Avery anymore. It's Dyna Emrys."

A cruel laugh escaped Dunat. "You criminal—traitor! Your family didn't even expel you, but you betrayed them first! As expected—Azkaban inmates are no good!"

Harry bristled to defend Dyna, but a look from Dyna told him: Don't. Let me handle it.

Ron trembled, staring at the white-haired teen. Had he heard correctly? Dyna was in Azkaban?

Dyna rose and calmly withdrew his wand, pointing it at Dunat. "Why was I in Azkaban? You know the answer, Avery. You traded my suffering for Gai Avery's safety. How dare you call me a traitor to my face."

Dunat sneered and pulled out his wand. "You're just a freshman. Who gave you nerve to challenge a senior? Fine! Your parents are dead—but let me teach you manners…" He began an incantation: "Rictusemp—"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Dyna shouted, his spell precise. A vivid blue-white beam struck Dunat, who stiffened, color draining until he resembled stone.

Dyna closed his wand, pushed the stone figure into the hallway, then reentered the compartment, wand back in its holster. His movements were smooth, controlled—powerful. In Ron's mind, this was unmistakably the smoothness of a dark wizard covering his tracks.

"You… you were in Azkaban?" Ron finally dared to ask.

Dyna nodded calmly. "Yes. I was imprisoned for four years. I was released in early August. What's your problem?"

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