The Acceptance Letter
4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey were filled with noise on that particular morning. One, because it is Dudley's 12th birthday, which means a special customary birthday breakfast for its residents. Including, one Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, not that he's aware of that title, nor his other titles.
Harry has been living with his aunt's family for as long as he's aware and told. "Since he was a wee 15 months" his aunt would say whenever a new acquaintance would ask. Harry knows of what happened to his parents (kind of) but not of any other details because "it's gruesome, no child should be aware of that." But that's okay, his aunt and uncle treat him like they would Dudley, strict and with no room for error in education.
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His uncle would often say, "Come on, lads! Make sure both of you are the best in your year and no cheating! Be upstanding civilians!" No cheating it is, considering how both Dudley and Harry are in different years, with Dudley being older, which also means a headstart for Harry to study a year ahead with Dudley's book. Not to mention, the CCTV in their study room, from where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon like to check on them from time to time on their study time, not that either of them ever slacks off, or whatever.
What Harry likes about "birthday breakfast" is the fact the menu is according to the birthday person's favourite food. For Dudley? it's waffles with all the sweetness that hurts your teeth and makes you feel groggy for the next few hours until lunch hours. And with Dudley's, it means a few weeks until his birthday at the end of July.
Harry might be young, well, he is young, he is ten years old, but that doesn't mean he's not ambitious nor smart, because his favourite pass time is to sit propped up next to his uncle, watching him work on numbers his laptop, or watching medical documentaries on telly when it was his time, or just watching attentively to whatever Dudley was watching when all the homework and assignments completed. This is what Harry was doing when his aunt called all of them to the dinner table, with a thick-looking envelope in front of her.
"I want all of you to sit down, now."
once sat, Harry notices how tense his aunt is, her eyes flicking down towards the letter and to the rest of their family.
"The letter comes then, Pet?" Uncle Vernon sighs loudly from the head table.
"Yes. Now, I want all of you to listen to me carefully, especially you, Harry. But first, do you know what happened to your parents?" Aunt Petunia asked him, without really looking at Harry, but wringing her hands.
"Yes, they were murdered by a robber, at my old house, right?" Harry nodded, slowly not knowing why they were talking about this when his relatives always avoided talking about it if they could.
"Surely not, Petunia! He doesn't need to know. He is nothing but a child!"
"I wouldn't if I could, but it's not safe for Harry to enter a new world ignorant of whatever happened to his parent. I could not let my nephew be used as a pawn or child soldier by that old coot. Like his mother was." his aunt looked so tired, and grief clouded her face.
"So, Harry, we might have lied and twisted the fact a little bit but since soon, you'd go to that world, I'd like to tell you the truth and paint a picture so you'd understand why we never tell you the exact reason."
Harry and Dudley listened attentively to Aunt Petunia, telling them the awful reason why his parents [for Harry] and his Aunt and Uncle [for Dudley] left the world and left Harry orphaned. Not to mention the fact that they were magical. What it means to be a Wixen and a Squib. For the latter? not much different from being a muggle, so there's no lost love since both of them academically succeed in their year.
"Now, here's your acceptance letter, Harry. Your parents have already paid all of your educational fees since you were a month old, but we didn't want to tell you earlier in case you'd ended up a squib like Dudley and I." Aunt Petunia motioned towards Harry to pick up his letter.
slowly, Harry took out the parchments and read them, one paper at a time. The first letter read,
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
and comes the second,
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black);
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear;
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar);
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings).
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
1. The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
2. A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
3. Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
4. A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
5. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
6. Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
8. The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1. wand
2. 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
3. 1 set of glass or crystal phials
4. 1 telescope
5. 1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl, a cat, OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
Handing the papers back to Aunt Petunia, Harry asked the one million questions that he had since learning everything.
"um, but Aunt Petunia, what about my schooling here? Uncle Vernon already signed me up at Smeltings for the Year 7. How do we even buy all of these things on the list? Where is this school located? can I even go home for the holidays?"
"Well, Harry, since this is a boarding school, want it or not, we had to rescind your application to Smeltings because this is important to you. You'd learned how to control your magic. As for the school, I believe it's in Scotland, but only Wixen and Squib can see them. We'll go shopping for your necessities as soon as you want, so you can read up on all the supplementary books. Dudley and I can accompany you if you want, but not Uncle Vernon, do you know why?" Aunt Petunia asked him.
"Because Uncle Vernon can't see them. But what would he do if we left? and my schooling, can I go to online school, IB ones? For my Year 7?" Harry looks at his uncle morosely.
Gruffly, Uncle Vernon answered, "Then I'll look up an online IB School, if it's what you want. Let me search up for information. Then, once I gather sufficient data, we can go to London together."
"Thank you, Uncle Vernon." Harry nodded excitedly.
"Go write your letter, Harry. Outside, you'd see an owl. Give your reply to it, say, 'send to Professor McGonagall'." Aunt Petunia dismissed him from the dining table. Once Harry's in their shared study room, Dudley asked his parents, "is Harry going to to be okay, mum?" concerned about his cousin, especially after hearing tales about Harry's parents.
"We can only hope, Duddikins." Petunia sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose, early sign of stress.