A/N: This is a C/O of Criminal Minds and Harry Potter. Even though it's a tad A/U, I'm trying to incorporate aspects of the Canons into this story. However, it is, ultimately, A/U, so please don't be too upset if I take creative license. Also, I don't know how much of this story I will explore, but I doubt this will remain the only chapter!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds or Harry Potter, much to my chagrin. If I did, this story would so be canon.

Oct. 9, 1993

The alarm went off at exactly 6:27 AM, but it didn't really matter because Spencer Reid was already awake. Truthfully, he hadn't really gone to sleep. Today was his 11th birthday. More specifically, he would have existed on this earth outside of the womb for exactly 11 years when his satellite-set clock reached precisely 6:37 AM, standard deviation of 0.2. His dad had started the tradition of waking him up about 10 minutes before his birthday actually officially began. His dad said that he should use those 10 minutes to reflect on the past year, plan for the next year, and just enjoy the moment. His dad had left for the second time 4 years ago and Spencer wasn't sure why, after all the hurt his dad had caused, he still felt compelled to perform the traditions his father had taught him. This ritual, however, Spencer found very practical, even useful.

As he lay on his side watching the clock, he thought about how he had skipped another grade in school and was now an 8th grader. He thought about how he would start high school before his 12th birthday. He thought about his mom – how she kept telling him that the 11th birthday was the most important one in anyone's life. She'd been saying that for as long as he could remember. He'd asked her once why that birthday was so special. She'd said that she couldn't remember. Which figured – his mom was always spouting absurd things. He remembered as a kid being fascinated by her nearly incoherent ramblings of a magical world which existed parallel to our own. But he was a man, well, boy, of science and he knew there was no such thing as magic. He'd also read every psychology textbook he could find, even taking a bus to the University of Nevada's library. He knew his mother suffered under some extreme delusions. He knew her ramblings were about her hallucinations. He knew she was a schizophrenic. He also knew schizophrenia was genetic. He wondered if this year was the year he'd go crazy.

As Spencer reflected, planned, and wondered, he watched the clock slowly tick by the minutes. Finally, it was 6:36 and Spencer began slowly counting the seconds. One... two... three... When he reached 60, the digital clock-face changed to read 6:37.

He was officially 11.

He tucked his legs underneath him and shifted his body weight so that he was kneeling at the head of his bed, facing the window his bed was positioned under. His mom had started the tradition of watching the sunrise on his birthday. Four years ago, when his dad had left for good, she'd stopped joining him in watching the sunrise. He'd forgiven her – she'd been too depressed. He liked to tell himself that he kept doing this tradition because he appreciated the poetry of it, but he knew the truth. The truth was he kept doing it because it made his life feel less topsy-turvy to do something he'd always done. Spencer Reid did not like change.

He unlatched the window and opened it wide. Breathing the cool morning air, Spencer began to relax. He had 5 minutes before the sun was supposed to rise at 6:43 and he wanted to enjoy them. He leaned his elbows on the window ledge and sighed.

Suddenly, he heard an owl hoot and, before he realized what was happening, an owl had flown through his opened window and landed on his bedpost. Spencer was shocked. Owls just didn't fly into people's bedrooms. It was highly improbable! He pulled his head back into his room and stared at the bird. His mind was going a thousand miles per hour.

The Great Grey Owl, also known as the Lapland Owl, scientific name Strix nebulosa, have large facial disks, also known as "ruffs", which focus sound, and asymmetrical placement of their ears, which assists them in locating prey. These adaptations are useful because of the lack of light during the late and early hours in which they hunt. An interesting fact about the Great Grey Owl is that they are sometimes referred to as the "Great Gray Ghost," the" Phantom of the North", and the "Spectral Owl." Furthermore… (1)

Wait – is it holding a letter?

Sure enough, the anomaly did have an envelope in its tiny beak. Spencer didn't know why, but his hand reached out to the bird. I shouldn't be doing this! It's a wild animal! But… if its delivering mail, somebody must have tamed it, right? Like a carrier pigeon… only more eccentric. That was logical. The owl dropped the envelope into Spencer's hand. Then, with a hoot, it flew off into the morning sky, leaving Spencer contemplating the envelope which, curiously, was addressed to him.

Curiosity soon got the better of Spencer Reid. He opened the letter carefully, making certain to not destroy the envelope. It only took him a second to read the contents of the letter.

"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. Spencer Reid,

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,

Minevra McGonagall" (2)

Spencer read the letter twice. Only one thought rang in his mind.

I guess this is the year I officially go crazy…

A/N:

References:
1 http:/en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl

2 http:/harrypotter . wikia . com/wiki/Hogwarts_letter

also referred to: http:/en . wikipedia . org/wiki/Dr._Spencer_Reid and . com/worldclock/astronomy . html?n=127&month=10&year=1993&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1