AN: Hey guys! So this is my first story on here, and I hope you like it! I am a huge Potterhead and have been toying around with FanFic ideas for a while, and I finally decided to start with this one-shot. Depending on your responses, more will follow!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters. Also, whatever is written in bold was taken from the books. The beginning can be found in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and I used it to just situate you guys as to where we are in the original story when my fanfic starts. The other parts I took from that book was the text from Harry's Hogwarts letter. And then the end was also taken from one of the books, but I won't give more details so as not to spoil! Anyways, hope you enjoy!
They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.
"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.
"Make Harry get it."
"Get the mail, Harry."
"Make Dudley get it."
"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."
Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry.
Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:
Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.
Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.
"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.
"I'm coming!" Harry stuffed his letter under the door to his cupboard before going back to the kitchen, not wanting his uncle to find out about his strange mail. "A bill and a postcard." He announced, handing them over to Uncle Vernon.
The rest of breakfast went by without further incidents, and as soon as he'd finished washing the dishes Harry retreated to his cupboard to finally read the letter. He ripped open the envelope, revealing three pieces of parchment. He pulled out the first one and read it.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
His eyes stayed glued to the first line. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Was this a prank of some sort? Surely there couldn't be such a thing...could there? It explained a lot about the envelope though. The absence of stamp, and the seal with the big H, for Hogwarts. Still dubious, he read on.
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 September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
He hastily pulled out the second letter, pouring over it eagerly.
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, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope set
1 brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
The possibility of this being a prank seemed hardly possible to Harry anymore. The list was much too elaborate and precise to be made up. The names of teachers and authors, the material…But then again...a Wizardry School didn't sound much more possible. Harry pulled out the last parchment, which stood out from the rest. Its edges were worn out, and it had a yellower tinge to it than the previous two. Curious, he unfolded it and started reading.
Dear Harry,
If you are reading this, you have been smart. Your Aunt and Uncle won't like the thought of you coming to Hogwarts at all, and would have tried to keep this letter from you had they seen it. But evidently, if you are the one reading this, you have thought to hide it from them. Well done.
I understand that the news you have just received will have come as a great shock to you, and you are most likely extremely confused. But Harry, it is true. You are a wizard, and a very famous one at that. But that story will be for some other time. For now, I just wanted to let you know that I will help you.
I know you have a lot of questions for me right about now, but I'm afraid they will have to wait. In case Vernon and Petunia read this (Hello, if you are), I don't want to divulge too much.
If my calculations are correct you should be getting this around the middle of July. Look for a snowy owl. Write your response, attach it to her leg and she will make sure I get it. A response should arrive within a few days
This is all I can write in this letter, but I will be happy to answer any of your questions in further correspondence.
Not a prank, thought Harry. He read through the last letter again, absorbing the details. Owls? How would Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia not find out he would go to Hogwarts? Where was Hogwarts, anyway? And who was this mysterious correspondent? Whoever they were, they hadn't signed, and this disturbed Harry. Did they not want him to know who they were? Harry decided to answer tonight, and scanned his room for a spare piece of paper. His gaze fell on his backpack, and he reached for it, knowing his notebooks were still in there from last year. He took out a blank piece of paper and a pen, and started writing.
Dear Helper,
Seeing as you didn't sign the letter, I cannot refer to you by your name. I wish I could, though. Could you tell me who you are in your next letter?
Thank you very much for sending me the letter. I am obviously still quite confused as to what this is all about though. I mean, I never applied to Hogwarts, nor did I even know it existed or that I am a wizard! At first, I thought this was a prank, but reading the list of essentials and your letter lead me to believe this is true. Who could anyone come up with made up names for books and teachers, or a whole new seal, or the fact that you use owls to deliver your mail? I have many questions for you, Helper, and I would love it if you could answer as many as you can. First, were my parents Wizards as well? And why am I famous? Here, I'm just a kid who gets picked on by his cousin and his gang. Gee, if they only knew I was a wizard! But I imagine this is a secret I must keep to myself, isn't it? Do you know what happened to my parents? Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told me they died in a car crash, but I hardly believe it now. Do they know I'm a wizard? (I still must get used to writing that, it's so strange!)
I guess that's all for now. Please answer as soon as possible, Helper.
Harry Potter
Harry carefully folded the paper and slipped it into the backpack. He didn't want his Aunt or Uncle to find it by accident, even though they rarely paid attention to him, let alone to his cupboard.
The letter occupied Harry's thoughts for the rest of the afternoon as he strolled around the neighborhood. Dudley and the gang were at the house, so Harry had escaped as soon as he had heard them arriving. Seeing them was the last thing he wanted to do.
Long after Uncle Vernon's snores filled the house that night, Harry lay awake in his bed. He had planned to sneak outside and find the owl as soon as everyone was asleep, but noises from the second floor kept him jumpy, always deciding to wait a little longer. Finally, at around 1am, the house was noiseless. He slowly opened his door, half expecting it to creak every time he inched it open a little more. He made it out of his cupboard, and tiptoed to the front door. He slid the chain out of its locked position, and opened the door with as much precaution as with the door to his cupboard. Once outside, he left the door open, not wanting to make any more noise. A loud swoosh made him look up, and a snowy owl perched herself on the garden wall. She gave a low, expectant hoot, calling Harry to attention. He showed her his letter, and she hooted pleasantly in response. "You know who this is for." He whispered as he tied the letter to her leg. She hooted back, and flew away. Harry hurried back inside, suddenly quite tired.
He awoke the next morning unsure whether to believe the night's events. His gaze fell upon the Hogwarts letter peeking out from his backpack, and he beamed. So, it wasn't a dream after all! He picked it up and read through it again, this time acknowledging everything, now that the initial shock had passed. Concern frowned his eyebrows, however, as he thought about how he would acquire all the necessary materials. Surely "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" couldn't be found in a regular bookshop, nor was the wand sold in the convenience store down the street.
As he reread the first letter from Professor McGonagall, one line caught his attention: "We await your owl by no later than July 31." He decided to reply when he got the letter from his Helper back.
"Get up. NOW!" Aunt Petunia's screech pulled him out of his thoughts, and he quickly scrambled off his bed and went out into the hallway.
The day came and went, and that night Harry couldn't help but hope he would receive news from his Helper, although he highly doubted it. Still, he went to sleep disappointed after hours of keeping his ears open for any hooting.
The next day went by the same way, and Harry went to bed yet again with no reply from his Helper.
At 11pm on the third day, when Harry was beginning to lose all hope, his head snapped to the door when he heard a low hoot. He hurried outside, once again not bothering to close the door behind him. The snowy owl was waiting for him, perched once again on the garden wall, a letter tied to her foot. "Take tomorrow to rest. I'll see you again tomorrow night?" He whispered as he untied the piece of parchment. She hooted her accord, and flew up to a tree down the road.
Back in the safety of his room, Harry unfolded the letter.
Dear Harry,
I am very sorry, but I am afraid my identity will remain a secret from you. It is best for everyone, I think.
Now to answer your questions. Your parents were wizards as well, Harry, and that is part of the reason why you were admitted to Hogwarts without having to apply. The other reason is the same one you are famous for. This is a long story, and it will come in a later letter. But it will come, I promise. You are quite right in thinking that you must keep this secret for yourself at home. Muggles, or non-magic folk, must never know that wizards are still alive. However, some of them do know, because some Muggle-born children are wizards as well. In these cases, their immediate family can know. This is the case for you Aunt. Your mother was Muggle-Born, but attended Hogwarts anyway. So, your Aunt does know her sister was a witch. When you were left with them, we left a letter explaining everything to your Aunt and Uncle. So yes, they do know. The story of what happened to your parents goes with the story of why you are famous, so I will explain the whole thing as best I can later.
I think that answers all your questions. Now that we have established a correspondence, I will arrange to have your books sent to you on your birthday. For the cauldron, wand and robes, you will have to go to Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is the wizard shopping street, in London. We will talk about details for that later.
Send your reply with the owl again. She is yours to keep and doesn't have a name yet, so feel free to choose one you like.
Don't forget to confirm your place at Hogwarts.
"So Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia KNOW I'm a wizard?" Harry thought. "And they kept it from me all these years, AND lied about my parents?" He wanted to kick and punch and yell, but he couldn't. When morning came, he would have to act normally, like they hadn't lied to him for 10 years. Harry's blood boiled inside him at the thought, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it if he wished to go to Hogwarts. If they knew he knew, they would never let him out of the house again, just to keep him from going.
He stayed in his cupboard the whole of the next day, feigning a stomach ache. Aunt Petunia wouldn't want her Dinky Duddydums to get sick, so she let him be. Harry read his letter over and over, trying to figure out what to write back. After a few hours, he got another piece of paper from his bag and began writing
To whom it may concern,
I, Harry Potter, hereby accept the place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and will be present on the 1st of September for the beginning of term.
Best regards,
Harry Potter
They hadn't been clear on what was to be written in the reply, so Harry suspected any form of acceptance would suffice. He then thought some more about what to write to his Helper before answering.
Dear Helper,
Thank you for all the answers. I still cannot believe that my Aunt and Uncle would keep such a big secret from me. But then again, it's exactly like them to do something like that. When I read your letter last night, it was all I could do to no kill them on the spot. But if they know I know, I will never leave this house again, so I have to act normal. Whatever normal is.
I am sad that I cannot know who you are, but I understand. Will you tell me when you see me at school? Speaking of school, where is it? And how do I get there?
I attached my reply to Professor McGonagall with this letter. Can you make sure she gets it?
Yours,
Harry Potter
Once again, Harry snuck out that night to attach his letters to the snowy owl's leg and send them on their way to Hogwarts.
Days and days passed without any spotting of the beautiful snowy owl. Harry roamed the neighborhood almost every day, scanning the sky in hopes of seeing his messenger. His messenger, he reminded himself. The owl, after all, was technically his, or so the Helper had said. He hadn't yet thought of a name for her, though, wanting to give her a wizard-y type of name instead of a common name.
On the night between the 30th and the 31st of July, Harry was sleeping soundly when he was pulled out of his slumber by an unknown noise. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, wondering what woke him up. He listened carefully, and there it was again. A low tapping at the door. He jumped out of bed and out of his cupboard, not wanting the noise to wake up the Dursleys. He once again unlocked the door, finding the snowy owl standing in front of him, but this time accompanied. Three more owls were perched on the garden wall, a stack of books between them. He hesitantly stroked the snowy owl's beak, and to his delight she didn't flinch. On the contrary, she seemed to quite appreciate the gesture. He thanked the four owls, took the books and watched them fly away into the night before going back inside and reading the note attached.
Dear Harry,
Sorry for the absence. Your owl needed a little bit of rest before the next trip, and I figured I should wait and send the books at the same time.
These books are your school books, as you will have guessed. I would read over them before term if I were you, but if you are anything like your father you probably won't do that.
To get to Hogwarts you must take the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station, in London. On the morning of the 31st of August, someone from Hogwarts will come you pick you up. You will go shopping for the remainder of you school supplies that afternoon, and sleep in the pub before taking the train with everybody else the next morning. The staff member will take care of your Aunt and Uncle. That's all I know for the moment.
Your letter has been given to Professor McGonagall. The whole staff is thrilled to have famous Harry Potter join them. Speaking of which…I think it is time you knew.
Many years ago, a dark wizard named Lord Voldemort ruled over the magical community. Everyone lived in fear, never knowing who to trust. He had followers called Death Eaters, and they did his every bidding. We were all so scared of him that no one dared speak his name. We simply called him You-Know-Who, and still do to this day. It is important that you not pronounce his name. Anyway. Lily was a good witch, smart and kind, and your father was a good wizard too. We suppose that You-Know-Who wanted to try to get them on his side, or to get rid of them all together. It's a big mystery, really. All that is certain is that he showed up at your house, killed your parents and tried to kill you. We're not sure why he tried killing you though, probably just wanted to do a clean job. He didn't succeed in killing you, obviously. That is why you are famous. When You-Know-Who put his mind to something, nothing stopped him. After he decided to kill someone, they couldn't escape him. But you, only a baby, survived. You survived, with nothing but a lightening-shaped scar on your forehead. Yes, that's where the scar comes from. You, Harry, are the Boy Who Lived.
One last thing. My identity will never be revealed. Sorry, but it has to be that way.
A knock on his office door caused Professor Snape to look up from the letter he was writing.
"Come in." He said coolly.
"Good day, Severus." Dumbledore's bright blue eyes stared at him from under their half-moon protection. He quickly covered his piece of parchment with another, looking up at the Headmaster. "What are you trying to hide from me?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"Nothing, Headmaster. What did you want?"
His answer didn't dissuade Dumbledore, however, and he made his way to Snape's desk to look at the parchment he had hidden.
"Dear Helper," it read "Thank you for all the answers. I still cannot believe that my Aunt and Uncle would keep such a big secret from me. But then again, it's exactly like them to do something like that." He looked up at Severus, who didn't dare lift his eyes from the ground.
"Severus. Even though I haven't seen the signature of this letter, I can easily imagine who it is from. Care to explain?"
"He…he's her son, Albus. He had to know. That family…they'll never let him come. They don't treat him right. He's her son. I couldn't let it happen. But he must never know. Never." Severus explained, his voice threatening to crack.
"Lily? After all this time?"
"Always."