[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
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Seeing the innocent Harry take the initiative, Amanda nodded and said, "Yes."
"Do you know which house you'll be sorted into?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well… I'm not sure, but I think I'll be in Slytherin."
"Slytherin… didn't you say some really bad wizards came from there?" Harry frowned.
If he remembered correctly, Amanda had just told him that many dark wizards came from Slytherin, and that Voldemort, the one who killed his parents, had been in that house.
As if she could see through his thoughts, Amanda said calmly, "It's the people who are truly bad, not the houses. Every house has good people, bad people, and people who are neither. If you develop prejudice against a house because of that, what's the difference between you and Voldemort?"
Harry felt his face flush, ashamed of what he had just thought.
"Sorry… I shouldn't have thought that. You're right."
But he was still a little confused. "Then why do you think you'll be in Slytherin?"
"I think Slytherin is right for people like me, people who are ambitious and want to become powerful."
"I have big ambitions. I want to change Slytherin's current reputation, to end the world's prejudice against it, and to bring Slytherin back to Salazar's original vision for the school." Amanda's eyes sparkled.
She paused. "There's another main reason."
Harry leaned in, listening carefully. "What is it?"
Amanda said seriously, "Because I like Slytherin's green and silver."
"Pfft—"
Amanda had no idea what Harry was muttering, but after he stopped laughing, she grew serious again and said, "Even though I have no idea which house I'll be sorted into, I really hope I end up in the same house as you."
Harry's face turned red as she spoke. He glanced at the darkening sky above Privet Drive, then stood up from the swing in a panic.
"Sorry… I think I should go back. Aunt Petunia will probably ask me to fry some bacon…"
Harry stammered, said goodbye to Amanda, and stumbled toward Number Four, Privet Drive.
"I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow…"
Amanda shouted after him, but she wasn't sure if Harry heard.
Luckily, the next day, when Amanda arrived at Privet Drive, she saw the boy in oversized clothes sitting on the swing once again.
For the following week, Amanda met Harry there every day.
Amanda taught him some basic knowledge about the wizarding world, and Harry would blink his emerald-green eyes, listening intently with curiosity. Sometimes he asked questions that would have seemed rather silly to most wizards.
"Um… you mean all wizards ride broomsticks, but… doesn't that hurt your backside?"
"Is it true that a wizard's camera takes moving pictures?"
"How does an owl know where to deliver the mail?"
Sometimes, Harry's curiosity turned to Amanda herself.
"How did you know you were a witch?"
"Sorry… I mean, since you're an orphan like me, how do you know so much about magic?"
"I read it all in books."
Amanda could lie without blushing or missing a beat.
But the good times didn't last long. On the Tuesday before Harry's birthday, he told Amanda something disheartening.
"Uncle Vernon burned the letter I got from Hogwarts."
Amanda comforted him. "Don't worry, Hogwarts has plenty of solutions."
Her words brightened Harry's gloomy mood. "You're right, they also know I live in the cupboard."
That Friday, for the first time, Amanda didn't see Harry waiting for her in their usual spot.
Amanda sighed and walked along Privet Drive, pretending to pass by casually.
After a few steps, she noticed a blond, heavyset man standing on the doorstep of Number Four, Privet Drive. He was holding a large hammer and trying to board up the door with a wooden plank.
The man looked startled when he heard Amanda's footsteps.
But when he saw it was only a harmless little girl passing by, he continued what he was doing, muttering under his breath.
"Kids these days love running around. Where are their parents? I wouldn't trust a child wandering alone…"
Amanda looked at his flushed, purplish face and said, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm an orphan."
「...」
Uncle Vernon nearly choked on his words. He waved his hand brusquely and said, "Then go back to your orphanage."
Amanda glanced up at the second floor of the house behind him and, just as she expected, saw a boy with messy black hair peering out at her from the window.
Harry's expression was clouded with sadness, but when he noticed Amanda looking at him, he forced a smile.
Amanda gave him a reassuring gesture and walked away.
If she remembered correctly, in the days to come, Harry's Uncle Vernon would be driven to desperation by the hundreds of letters pouring from chimneys and fireplaces, eventually dragging the whole family across England in a frantic attempt to hide.
Finally, on Harry's birthday night, when they were holed up in a shack on a stormy rock in the sea, Hogwarts' half-giant Hagrid would appear in person with Harry's acceptance letter and a homemade cake. He would give the Dursleys a proper scolding, and even conjure a pig's tail on Dudley for good measure.
"What a pity I won't be able to see that scene with my own eyes."
Amanda shook her head regretfully.
It seemed she wouldn't see Harry again until their trip to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies.
Still, after those few days of "brainwashing," Amanda felt somewhat confident she could deceive Harry and lead him toward Slytherin.
The next important point in time appeared to be August 1st, the day to shop for Hogwarts necessities in Diagon Alley.
Amanda was grateful, because by coincidence, everyone happened to go shopping on the same day.
In the original timeline, Harry met the chatty Draco Malfoy while shopping for his school robes. Draco's attempt at small talk had obviously backfired because of his poor emotional intelligence.
That encounter directly stirred Harry's dislike and deepened his resentment toward Slytherin.
Amanda's goal was to stop Draco from blurting out those foolish, low-quality words before he had the chance.
Another stroke of luck came during this period, when her shrewd, experienced old headmistress, Oceana, confirmed to Professor Karina that Hogwarts' letter of admission was indeed genuine.
Headmistress Oceana also explained to Karina that about once every ten years, a child from the orphanage received a Hogwarts letter, so she wasn't surprised anymore.
God only knew how wonderful Karina's expression had been when she relayed this to Amanda.
…
August 1st arrived quickly. That morning, Amanda woke early and waited eagerly at the orphanage gate.
The town was often wrapped in thick mist, yet Amanda's mood at that moment was like sunlight breaking through a dawn window, fresh, bright, and filled with the scent of grass and earth.
Her healthy body often made her feel energetic, a sensation she hadn't experienced in the last ten years.
Around eight or nine o'clock, a subtle ripple stirred the air near the entrance.
Amanda immediately sat upright, her body slightly tense.
With a faint pop, a woman in a purple robe and a tightly pinned bun appeared out of nowhere at the orphanage door before striding inside.
Without hesitation, Amanda rushed to meet her.
"Excuse me, are you Professor McGonagall?"
The stern-looking woman, wearing square spectacles, turned to Amanda with a faintly surprised expression.
"Yes… Ah, I suppose you must be Miss Merlin."
"Professor McGonagall, it's a pleasure to meet you. Are we going to Diagon Alley now?"
Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses, her sharp, penetrating eyes showing clearly through them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Merlin. But before we go to Diagon Alley, I should explain the situation to your headmistress."
Headmistress Oceana was already seated in her office, working. She looked up from a thick stack of papers, removed her glasses, and rubbed the corners of her wrinkled eyes.
"Professor McGonagall, welcome. Let me think… it's been eight years since we last met, hasn't it?"
Professor McGonagall replied politely, "Yes, Jocelyn is a very diligent boy. Thanks to you, he secured a position at the Ministry of Magic last month."
Headmistress Oceana smiled. "That's wonderful."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Professor McGonagall quickly shifted back to her serious, solemn manner.
"I'd like to ask you something important. Could you tell me what happened when Miss Merlin first arrived here?"
Amanda had long been curious. How had the Merlin family, vanished from the wizarding world for generations, quietly passed down its legacy until she, Amanda Merlin, appeared at the orphanage?
She perked her ears and listened intently.
Headmistress Oceana noticed Amanda's steady expression. After a pause, she furrowed her brows and began her story.
"Amanda… how strange it was. That morning, Nurse Mabel went out to collect the milk delivery. When she returned, guess what happened?"
Headmistress Oceana gave a wry smile. "There was no milk in the crate, but instead, a baby was sleeping inside it."
"Speaking of which…" Oceana hesitated, as though recalling something.
She pulled open the second drawer of the left-hand cabinet and retrieved a small black jewelry box from beneath a pile of papers.
She handed it to Amanda, who opened it at her silent prompting.
Inside was a finely crafted silver bracelet. Its surface was slightly rough, resembling the twisted branches of a forest. Nestled among the intricate patterns was a deep green gemstone.
Through the gem, faint words shimmered in English, floating mysteriously within: Merlin.
Nothing else could be seen.
"Amanda, you were far too young back then, so I kept this for you. Now I believe it's time I returned it."
Amanda reached to take the bracelet, but the moment her finger brushed it, something seemed to activate.
The branches trembled, slithering toward her left wrist like tiny serpents. They coiled snugly around her arm, merging with it as though they had always belonged there.
Headmistress Oceana gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh… my God, this is incredible."
Professor McGonagall's stern eyes widened. "By Merlin's beard… if I'm not mistaken, this must be the legendary Sage's Ring of Merlin…"
Her voice trembled slightly. "I suppose I'll have to report this to Professor Dumbledore when I return."
Professor McGonagall extended her arm. "Miss Merlin, I believe it's time for us to head to Diagon Alley. Please take hold of my arm, and hold on tightly. You may feel a bit uncomfortable, but this is the most efficient way to travel."
Apparition truly was one of the most efficient forms of magical travel.
Its function allowed wizards to move instantly to any location they wished. Of course, it was also an advanced spell, one that carried considerable risk.
Amanda felt a little nervous. She trusted Professor McGonagall's ability, yet she remembered that most people did not fare well their first time Apparating.
Before she could think further, her entire body began spinning rapidly. Her vision warped and blurred, and an intense pressure closed in on her from all directions, squeezing her as though she were being forced into the casing of a sausage.
She had no choice but to grip Professor McGonagall's arm with all her strength.
Thankfully, the sensation lasted only a few seconds before everything returned to normal.
Amanda bent down, clutching her stomach as she took deep breaths, needing time to settle the turmoil in her gut.
Fortunately, she hadn't eaten breakfast.
Professor McGonagall regarded her with a hint of admiration. "Miss Merlin, I must admit I was concerned at first… after all, most people vomit their first time Apparating. But it seems you're quite an extraordinary child."
When Amanda gathered herself again, she found she was standing in front of a shabby little pub.
Passersby ignored the place entirely. They walked past Amanda without so much as a glance, their eyes drawn instead to a large bookstore on one side and a record shop on the other.
Above the pub hung a sign: The Leaky Cauldron, without question, one of the entrances to Diagon Alley.
Famous and old though it was, the pub looked gloomy and rather dilapidated. A few elderly witches sat in a corner, puffing on long pipes and sipping sherry from small glasses. A short wizard in a top hat chatted with the bald, wrinkled-faced innkeeper.
The barman, Tom, noticed them enter and raised his glass to Professor McGonagall.
"Ah, Minerva McGonagall, long time no see. Care for a drink?"
Professor McGonagall wrinkled her nose faintly, clearly unaccustomed to the atmosphere. "No, I'm here on Hogwarts business."
Tom wiped a mug with a rag, then peered past McGonagall's shoulder.
"Haha, and is this a new first-year? Hello there, young lady."
Amanda responded politely, though her eyes scanned the room in silence.
Where was Professor Quirrell?
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