merlin did... go to school for his sort of magic. then he got kicked out within a few years without even graduating, for the murder thing, see.

i recall seeing you had a prompt for the library? probably good for a first meeting; merlin's a bookworm himself and was still considered a prodigy in magic even if he got kicked out. they likely won't have the same magic system but, given half a chance, he'd definitely like to help adam, and in particular i think would be good for encouraging him? (he's got a bit of a guilty conscience.)