Cas and Harry Write a Letter
Harry and Cas wake up on the 20th of December, 1990 and go about their normal routine of cooking breakfast for the Dursley’s. Luckily getting to eat small bits of what was deemed “unworthy to be eaten by her precious Dudders and Vernon” according to their Aunt Petunia. The two of them ate in silence as Dudley whined about wanting to open a present early and the two adults tried to placate the impending tantrum. Just then there was a knock at the door and a chink of the metal mail slot opening and closing, their uncle snapped for one of them to get the mail getting visibly annoyed that Dudley is refusing to listen to him. Cas being the closest to the entryway and therefore the door bolts over to get away from all the noise Dudley’s making, even if it's only for a minute. Picking up the letters and small package, she swiftly made her way up the stairs to place the package on her aunt's dresser as both her and Harry had been told to do for anything they got around christmas time so Dudley wouldn't immediately rip it open.
Looking at the letters as she walks away from their bedroom she’s a bit puzzled by the thick envelope with the strange feel, she flips it over and freezes dead in her tracks as she reads, “Cassiopeia Evanthe Black, left bed, smallest bedroom of Number 4 Privet Drive, Surrey, England”. She stares at it in confusion and shock, as she had been told all her life her last name was Potter and she was of the mind to completely deny it was for her. There wasn’t likely to be many ‘Cassiopeia Evanthe’s’ about, not to mention it had her exact address down to which bed she slept in which was mildly concerning and very creepy. Before the letter could be dwelled on more a scream from Dudley broke her from the staring contest she was having with her name and eerily detailed address, quickly shoving the letter under her pants to be held at her hip as it was one of the few items of clothing that fit and were bought for her rather than a cast off. Hurrying downstairs in order to not seem suspicious by lingering upstairs she hands her uncle the other mail that had arrived, he’d taken it with a huff saying, “Well it took you long enough, did it girl? Go make me and Dudders some more bacon, barely made enough to have a taste.” Dudley who was having a now full blown tantrum over wanting to open a present early suddenly switched to yelling about wanting more bacon. She looked towards Aunt Petunia who sternly said, “Off you go, you and the boy can cook the rest of the pack and start on some of the dishes while you're in there.” At this Harry grabbed both his and Cas’s plates as he stood, both now walking to the kitchen to do as told. They quickly finished any food that had been on their plates before starting more bacon and the dishes as told. After that they proceeded with their chores as usual, Cas unable to stop thinking about the letter, theories and possibilities cycling around her mind as Harry looked at her curiously and a little concerned as he could tell something was up.
Once they had both gone through their nightly routine of showering in cold water as quick as possible and brushing their teeth under Aunt Petunia’s watchful gaze. Thankfully Cas had been able to hide the letter under her pillow when she went to grab the night clothes she had gotten from the thrift store. The clothes may have been second hand but they were still far better than Dudley's cast offs and they would still be wearing those if it wasn’t for the grade 1 teacher who threatened to call cps for them dressing her in ratty boys clothes. Neither sibling liked her much as she was very religious and strict, but it had definitely worked in their favor at the time as she wouldn’t hear a word of Petunia’s usual “They refuse normal clothes and are absolute terrors” spiel.
They settled in bed and read a book as they waited for the Dursley’s to have definitely fallen asleep before Harry carefully got out of his bed and made his way over to hers without making a sound. He tilts his head in question and she sighed as she pulled the covers back and scooted to the wall to give him enough room to sit by her. “So, what’s up?” he whispers, Cas replies, “I got a letter.” and pulls it out from under the pillow she hid it under earlier. “It's really weird that it has what bed and room you sleep in. Do you think it's a prank or something?” he asks after he reads the address. “I don’t think so, the only one who might do something like this is Dudley and he would never write this good, not to mention this isn’t even a regular envelope and I think it's sealed with real wax.” Cas tells him pointing at the crimson red seal that has an H and what looks like some animals surrounding it in a rather fancy way. “Fair enough. Are you going to open it?” he asks, noting her hesitance. She takes a deep breath and breathes out “yeah, I think I thought about it too much today and I'm just really nervous. I mean it doesn’t make sense, who would send me such a letter and why?” Harry just smiles at her, slightly amused and says, “maybe if you open it, it’ll tell you.” she scoffs and lightly kicks him with her foot. She takes one final look at the seal before breaking it, turning it upside down to let the contents fall out onto her bed. She picks up the really strange paper to unfold and read it.
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 Ms Black,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The list of all necessary books and equipment for your first year will be sent by owl During the first-second week of July.
Term will begin on the first of September. We await your confirmation of attendance owl no later than the first of August.
Yours Sincerely,
Deputy Headmistress,
Minerva McGonagall
Frozen in disbelief and mind racing trying to figure out an explanation, Harry suddenly asks, “Hey, what kind of paper do you think that is?” She hands him the letter seeing the barely restrained curiosity in his eyes. “I think it’s parchment, do you remember last year when Mrs. Becks had us all write our letters on parchment as a fun activity?” Harry responds, “Oh yeah I remember that. Do you think this letter is real? And why was it addressed Black on it? Our last name is Potter but it can’t be talking about anyone else but you, the address is too specific.” he asks, confused and a little worried about what it all means. “I don’t know. I mean we already figured out that what we could do is probably magic, there was just no other explanation. A school that apparently teaches magic for witches and wizards? That i was somehow accepted too despite not applying and it's not even with my real last name? I honestly don't know.” They sit in silence for a little while processing everything. “What do you want to do?” asks Harry. “I don’t know.” replies worriedly. “We could send a letter to this McGonagall and ask? If it’s fake I doubt it would hurt anything and if it is real then we can get some answers.” Harry suggests.
“Okay. Yeah, that sounds good. What should I write? I think sending it through the mail should work, that's how it was delivered.” Cas says taking a deep breath and focusing on writing the letter instead of worrying. She carefully walks over to the broken writing desk in their room and grabs a notebook and a pencil, carefully making her way back to the bed. “Okay so what should i say?” She asks, flipping the notebook open to a clean page. “Umm definitely put her name.” Harry says. “I know that I meant like, if I should use the Deputy Headmistress thing or just her name. I don’t want to seem rude or something.” She says twirling the pencil around her finger nervously. “Well maybe put the Deputy Headmistress thing just to be safe, it’s probably better to maybe be too formal than maybe be rude.” He says thinking about what they should write. “Okay, what should I ask about? I don’t know if I want to ask about my name over a letter.” She says trying to think of what she wants to know.
After about 2 hours they have the finished result and a decent handful of discarded drafts. “Okay, now it’s done. We can snag an envelope tomorrow from the library and figure out from there how to address it and send it?” Cas asks her brother. “Yeah that sounds like a good idea, I'm getting kinda tired.” Harry says, yawning. They both had been yawning for the last thirty minutes. It's definitely a relief to be done. “Yeah, sounds good.” She carefully takes the finished letter out of the notebook and folds it before going over and putting it in a bag she had picked up from the lost and found. The finished letter went carefully into the hidden pocket she had made, and the discarded drafts stuffed into the bottom under the books she had read and needed to return as well as the other things she kept in her bag. When she turns to her bed, she sees Harry had fallen asleep there instead of heading to his own bed. She smiles fondly with a little exasperation before walking over and taking his glasses off to sit them on his pillow to find tomorrow before crawling beside him and under the covers, falling to sleep.