So I really hate to do this, but here I am.

Here's your excuse: I read a story that I wrote post-hiatus on this, and I've changed so much both in writing and attitude that I couldn't make a dent in it if I wanted to. I look at this, and my writing style's changed so much that it would be like switching authors. I have a new list of priorities and things that I want to do and write. Long story short, I'm a different person. This story is about as fitting for me now as a shirt from my childhood, and I can't even remember half about it. Rewriting it would make it a completely different story, continuing it would make it feel inconsistent and be more of a chore than anything else.
Here's the reason for your excuse: I'm abandoning this story, and I probably won't be posting anything else on this account or even checking it. I'm going to turn off emails for this account because I barely update my new internet blogs as it is. This will be the last chapter, but I'm not marking it as complete because that's one of my pet peeves. So, this account is now a dead account and this fic is now abandoned.

I'm really sorry if you liked this fic, or if you wanted more of it, or if you're raging and screaming at me. But I'm not one of those writers who says "yes, I'll update this story" and then decides to abandon it without telling everybody. I'd rather give anybody who liked this some closure, so here I am.
I am endlessly grateful for any reviews, follows, favorites - or even salty comments - on this story! You guys helped me through a really tough time in my life. I'm only here because of your reviews. ...that might seem like little consolation to you, as I'm abandoning this account and fic, but it sure as h*ll means a lot to me!

If you desperately want to contact me, you'll find me on Archive of Our Own. The link is in my profile.
I won't be responding to anything asking me to continue this, because this is my final decision. I've weighed it over for the past few months. If I picked this back up, it would be as a completely different story - for one, Merlin would be their teacher, and/or they would all be older. But this iteration of the story is not going to be continued or edited, just left as it is.

Finally, perhaps the most important part: If you want to copy/paste this story somewhere else and continue it, continue it, remix it, write it for yourself, or basically do anything to it, go ahead. Don't ask for permission. Don't listen to anybody who tells you that you're a copycat. Do it! Do what you want. Turn it into something completely unrecognizable. Make it a million times better. Take it and burn it on a pyre if you like. It is now, for all intents and purposes, public domain.
I know it's not too popular, and I doubt that anybody actually wants to do any of that, but there you go. You all have my explicit permission to take this and do whatever you want to it. As such, I will not be held responsible for any of you. You can't blame Sir Thomas Malory for the Merlin TV series, after all.

I will now list off a vague idea of what I knew I was going to do. I'm not going to lie, this story was pretty much me flying by the seat of my pants.

Second year, Ginny Weasley gets the diary, Tom Riddle possesses her, pretty much typical second year. Merlin is there numerous times in adult form. Harry leaves the Dursleys for the Weasleys, and also learns some wandless magic.

Third year, Merlin seeks out Sirius on his own because he thinks him a threat. Merlin then ends up resolving the whole problem of the Prisoner of Azkaban early on. However, darker forces are rising and there's signs of them later in this part. Merlin and Arthur face them together, whether or not Snape approves. Also, dramatic reveal to the trio mid-second-semester.

Book four, Merlin replaces Cedric in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There's a situation in the first task involving the dragons, not really sure what. Finally, Morgana reappears and hijacks the third task. This is where the series derails into something else, which would have been plotted had I ever finished book two. There probably would have been the equivalent of two more books after this part.

And... that's all I got.

Again, thank you all for your support and I'm really sorry that I'm leaving off like this. I wish you all well in your lives and pray that you figure out how to finish the things you start before the dropped ball hits the ground. May you get chapter updates from your favorite stories every weekend and find a 100,000 word-er with all your favorite tropes. Love you all.

Anyway, that's all from me. Happy New Years.