Chapter 1: Invitation
Rat was on top of a flagpole, just above the British flag. One of the more
muscular boys was chuckling nastily as he climbed up after Rat. Rat waited until the other boy was an arm length away and jumped off the 10 foot pole. Landing lightly on the ground below, he sprinted away toward the park.
Rat had nothing. He had never met his parents. He didn't have a home, but he didn't particularly want one. The other boys who had homes and food three times a day were all fat and lazy. They complained if they missed a meal, but Rat started getting worried after a week.
He entered the park breathing hard and scampered up his tree. Really it wasn't his because it was in a public park, but that was where he lived. A crow flew down and alighted on Rat's shoulder, feathers glowing orange in the light from the setting sun, and dropped a letter on his chest. Rat never got mail. nobody knew where he lived.
"Alright, Numo. who'd you steal this from?" he looked at the front of the envelope and gasped. The address read:
Rat
the tree in the park
Gravesend
Who would write to him and know exactly where he lived? Rat turned to Numo. "where did you get this?" The crow cocked his head innocently. Rat tore the envelope open and withdrew the letter. Shakily he 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. Rat,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will find a list of all necessary books and equipment. term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
deputy headmistress
It was a trick, it had to be. The other kids playing a trick trying to make him look stupid. But then if it was, why was Numo playing along? Rat trusted Numo. He peeled a chunk of bark off the branch he was laying on and dipped a finger in the sap. Messily he wrote:
i wil kum
He gave the torn parchment to Numo and told him to take it back. Numo took off, loudly scolding a nearby squirrel. Rat read over the list in dismay. He had no money and no idea where to buy all this stuff. Perhaps he couldn't go after all. This disappointed him more than he expected. With a frown on his face, Rat drifted into sleep.
In honor of the new HP book, I present this fanfic. I will try to update more frequently this time and make my chapters longer. :)