Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the surrounding world are owned by JK Rowling and various publishers. I am making no money from this story.
Chapter One: The Visit
David Bishop stared at the little black and white squares, he couldn't see anything he could do. He reached out and pushed over his king. His sister smiled at him and they shook hands with mock formality.
"I thought I had you that time. Where did I go wrong?"
"You tried to do too much, keep it simpler next time and you might win. That was a lot closer. Another game?"
He nodded and they started gathering the pieces and putting them back into place. As they did this he thought about his sister. They had always been very close despite the seven year age gap. He remembered them learning to skim stones on the beach and her happily chatting away about her day at school while he listened with wide eyed admiration. Claire had always been the first to do things, but he didn't mind. He was proud of his clever older sister. This year he would start the secondary school she had just finished and he felt he already knew everyone there. The headmistress, prim and petite Ms Anderson, who started assembly every week by teaching the school a new word which they would write down in little lined books. He sometimes looked through his sister's and couldn't wait to start one of his own. What would his first word be he wondered. His sister's was Ebullient. He could imagine it in her book in her precise straightforward handwriting.
Ebullient (E-bul-lient) [adjective]-
overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited: I'm in an ebullient mood today.
bubbling up like a boiling liquid.
Origin: 1590s Latin ebullire "to boil over"
Then there was Alfred, the maths teacher who taught outside whenever he could get away with it, insisting that the fresh air stimulated his pupils minds. The history teacher who was called simply Sir but who told stories in a way that kept his students on the edge of their seats. David broke out of his musings to hear a sharp knock at the door, probably someone selling something. While Claire went to get the door he looked down at the board and pondered his first move, keep it simple he thought, before advancing a pawn two spaces. He stared at the simplicity and structure of the board for a moment before going to see what was keeping Claire, to his surprise saw her talking to a tiny man in a bright green cloak. The man, looking very animated, was protesting in a high pitched voice that he needed to come in and talk to them. His curious appearance aside he did look like he was selling something. He was gesturing to something David couldn't see in a big red folder he was showing Claire.
"But I have talked to the families of all the other children on the list." the man was saying to Claire, his voice becoming increasingly worried and high pitched.
"I understand but our parents are at work and they told me not to let anyone in until they got back, maybe if you could leave a message or come back in an hour or so. Dad should be home by then."
Dad works on the editorial team of a magazine which combines book reviews and essays themed around current affairs, it is one of his quiet weeks before the rush of the next issue. Mum on the other hand is a GP and is usually home late. As David watched the little man seemed encouraged by this, nodding to himself before shaking Claire's hand before bustling off around the corner, obviously in a hurry.
"What was that about?" David called.
"He wanted to talk to us about something, he said it was very important. It was very peculiar, he was showing me a list of names with yours on it. Why would he want to talk to us all about you? It was very frustrating, all he would say was that his name was Professor Flitwick and that he needed to talk to all of us. I suppose we will find out later, he did say he would come back."
Claire wasn't very good at not knowing things. She usually found out what she was getting for her birthday and Christmas despite her families' best attempts to keep it secret. She wanted to understand everything and bounced from topic to topic with her customary energy finding it very hard to narrow down what she wanted to do at university before finally settling on History which she was starting at Oxford in October. David remembered the families exasperation as she announced something new every week or so and he knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on anything else until she had found out what this Professor wanted. Sure enough, she began pacing the corridor and muttering to herself – proposing and discarding theories, repeating his words with various inflections. It was no good trying to talk to her when she was like this so David went back into the living room and opened the book he was reading. Forty minutes later he heard a key in the door and his dad calling out a greeting before pulling the door closed behind him.
Looking at their father Charles it was easy to see where Claire got her need to know. He was a small, wiry and slightly balding man whose eyes darted around as if trying to look a everything at once. As he came into the room and sat down in a comfortable armchair by the fire he put down his laptop case and looked around.
"I thought you would be playing Chess again? You always seem to be when I come home lately."
"A man came to visit" David replied, "Claire is trying to work out what he wanted to tell us, something about me that he needed to tell the whole family. He said he would be back in a bit but you know her."
"Let's make a cup of tea and then go and see if she has made any progress" Charles said while getting to his feet. 5 minutes later they were climbing the stairs to Claire's room in the attic. She was sprawled out on the floor staring at a large piece of paper with very little on it. She barely looked up when Charles and David came in, continuing to stare at the paper as if it had offended her in some way. David leaned closer to see what she had written. There were a few circles on the paper with words inside them: Professor, Cloak, David, and most curious of all – Calligraphy. A few more words came off these: Teacher?, Drama?, Research?, Joke?.
"Calligraphy?" David asked.
Without looking up Claire distractedly replied "The list of names he showed me looked like it was written in some kind of calligraphy, definitely not typed anyway and it looked a bit like parchment. Maybe he is just a bit eccentric, his cloak does seem to back that up..." She trailed off and scribbled it down on the piece of paper.
"Research seems the most likely to me" Charles commented "Professor is much more likely to be a researcher than a secondary school teacher, although it is a little strange him coming door to door himself. We will have to see what he says when he gets back."
"Oh, Hi Dad, I didn't know you were back" Claire said getting up and stretching. "But what is he researching do you think?"
A ring at the doorbell sounded, "That should be him now, lets go and find out."
Five minutes latter they were sitting in the living room, the kettle had been re-boiled and they
were all looking at the diminutive professor with eager expectation. He, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease, looking round the room with happy curiosity. It was an interesting room, cluttered and expressing the energy of the family that lived there. Books were overflowing the book shelves and stacked in small piles by each chair around the room. Several games and puzzles were left out in various states of completion. The furniture was an eclectic mix of old and new, with some things like the settee looking to have come with the house while others like the cabinet full of tiny little drawers had probably come from an antiques shop.
Professor Flitwick enjoyed this job, being a part of such a life changing event felt so empowering. Of course families weren't always pleased with the news and that could be very unpleasant. Looking around the house he felt confidant that wouldn't be the case here, and judging from the books David might be a potential Ravenclaw. So it was with a sense of kinship and optimism that he began.
"David, I have with me a letter to invite you to to take up a place at a special school where I am a professor in the coming term. This school has a very different curriculum from other schools in the country and only people with certain talents can attend. What I am going to say next will be hard for you to believe but I promise it is the truth and will provide a demonstration if you wish. Hogwarts is a school of magic and you are a wizard David."
In the room you could hear a pin drop. The Bishop family sat staring at the professor as if he had just declared that two and two were equal to five.
Claire couldn't see how this could be true, surely if magic was real people would know about it, it would be in books, and not just fiction. History and science should be full of it, but then, and this thought had been nudging her brain since the professor had said magic, history was full of people who believed in magic – could they be right? But David, he was so normal, she loved him but there wasn't anything magical about him.
David was confused, why him? If magic was real why didn't Claire have it or mum, or dad? He felt like a character in one of his books, singled out and forced to move away from home. The very thought made him panic slightly, what would he do without his family, what about his little book of words. It was odd how when threatened with such dramatic changes in your life little things like a book of words can feel the most important, but it did. Maybe it wasn't real, maybe his life could stay like it was, but the professor looked so confident. For a moment he wanted to lash out at the professor, how dare he look so satisfied when he was turning David's life upside down. He looked beseechingly at his father, maybe he wouldn't have to go, maybe he could just forget all about it, maybe he could learn magic at home, with his family.
Charles was staring, transported to a hospital bed, five years earlier. They had thought David was going to die, been told it would only be a couple of hours now. The whole family had been there, his partner Alice, holding Claire as she cried. And then the impossible had happened, David had opened his eyes, he had got better. The Doctors couldn't explain it, they had gone into the hospital every week for months afterwards but the cancer had never seemed to be coming back. Maybe this explained it. Magic, it had crossed his mind, but only in the way things do, a flicker of an idea instantly to be dismissed as ridiculous. It didn't seem ridiculous now. Maybe he shouldn't have dismissed it so easily.
Professor Flitwick smiled, the news always took a little while to process. He took out his wand and waved it in a few quick patterns. The curtains closed, a soft music began to play, and a doll began to dance. The Bishops had seen puppets before but nothing like this, the grace and elegance of the dance transformed the doll, made it seem really alive. They sat there stunned once more, this time no thoughts were racing through their minds and they looked on in wonder. He flicked his wand once more and as the music faded as the doll curtseyed to the Bishops.
"What else can magic do?" Claire asked, looking at the doll with something akin to wonderment.
"Almost anything you can imagine, within certain limitations. What I did was charm the doll and the music to act in a way they would not normally do. You can also turn one thing into something else, make potions with all sorts of effects, heal, fly on broomsticks, duel, take care of magical plants, travel great distances. It all depends on the caster, you can do most things if you put your mind to them."
"Well David can." The moment the words came out of her mouth she wished they hadn't, David was looking at her with a hurt expression on his face. Sorry she mouthed, she meant it too, David had always been so happy for her successes and then someone came along with some flashy magic and she had forgotten all of that. It wasn't David's fault he had magic and she didn't, that a whole field of knowledge was there for him to explore where she could never go. She was starting to get angry again, a long calming breath later she looked up to find dad had changed the subject, he was good like that. Time to talk later.
"So where is this School anyway?" he was asking.
"It is in a castle in Scotland, there are charms on it meaning it will not appear on any map and wards around it to make sure Muggles who come across it think of something they meant to do and leave."
"Is it boarding or is there some sort of magical school bus?" At this David leans forward, maybe he won't have to leave his family.
"It is a boarding school, we don't have the resources to transport 500 children and it is important to have trained witches and wizards on hand in case something goes wrong while practising. That is why children can't do magic during the holidays. There is less chance of something being let slip in front of the Muggles this way too."
"What about when things do happen in front of Muggles, surely every time you have to swear another person to secrecy it gets a bit less secure. I am surprised we hadn't heard about magic before now."
Professor Flitwick nodded gravely "Indeed, this is why we have to modify their memories. Any Muggle who comes across magic will have their memory wiped and replaced with something innocuous..."
"YOU WHAT? Modify Their Memories? Memories are what makes someone who they are! You're killing them, replacing them with a version of themselves you like better, a version that lets you keep your little secrets. No matter that there are millions of human beings, not muggles human beings, dying all over the world. People who could be saved if you weren't so selfish as to think that anything was worth it as long as you were left alone, as long as you could keep playing your games with other peoples lives! How are Wizards supposed to make friends with muggles, if they have to lie to them at every stage about what they do?" Charles had stood up and was pacing the room. David had never seen his father this angry, but he could certainly understand why. From a very young age friendship and family had been very important to him. Friendships were built on memories you shared together, the thought that someone could take that away, that he might never be able to tell his friends why he wasn't going to school with them. The thought horrified him.
Professor Flitwick looked a little taken aback by the outburst. "I know it must be a great shock to you" he began "but this has been the law in every country in the world for more than a thousand years. There is simply too much potential for conflict and jealousy if Muggles were allowed to find out about wizards. The misunderstanding and persecution in the dark ages was terrible and most fear this would return if Muggles knew magic was real."
"That is an argument for greater understanding not less, people fear what they do not understand. The more wizards know of Muggles and the more Muggles know of wizards the more they can work together and show they are not as different as they might think. Society has moved a long way in a thousand years."
"There is probably something in what you say, although there are always those who will jump at any difference as a reason to hate. However, the idea will get nowhere, those at the top of society, both mine and yours, have far too much invested in the way society is structured now to consider changing it. This will always be the case, all we can do is reduce the need for memory charms by being careful. Those who do not wish to live and let live will always be too dangerous, Wizards understand this and you will come to too. What we can do is promote a good understanding of Muggles from Wizards and make sure they are protected from abuses of power. But it is getting late and I should be leaving, are there any more questions you have of me before I give David his letter?"
"I need to know exactly who I can tell. If I will endanger someone by telling them when I am not allowed I need to make sure that doesn't happen. So, who am I allowed to tell? My sister? My parents? My best friend? David's friends? Who?"
"I can provide a copy of the law for you to study, but the key points, you may tell a relative with at most 2 degrees of separation from a wizard. So for instance you could tell David's grandparents but not any siblings they may have. Any boyfriend his sister might have could not be told until engagement and if that was broken off we would have to modify his memory. Friends can't be told. It will be difficult at first but you will get used to it."
David was stunned, none of his friends could know the truth about what was happening to him, he would have to lie to them whenever he talked to them. He would have to be on his guard all the time, there would be no more sitting by the lake talking about whatever came into his head. Every encounter with someone outside his immediate family would be dangerous, every conversation would be filled with pitfalls, he would be lucky to have any friends at all by this time next year.
It was so unfair, Claire didn't have a boyfriend at the moment and didn't particularly care to, but she looked at her parents sometimes and wanted that in her future. But how could you build a long term relationship when you had to lie about your family? She wasn't even sure she wanted to get married, it was such an old fashioned concept. But it seemed if she ever wanted a partner she could share all aspects of her life with then marriage was essential. She saw no hope of that now, any dream of a family of her own was crushed by the inability to share her worries and concerns with anyone outside her family. She knew she was being unfair but she couldn't help but blame David, if he hadn't had magic they would have been fine, she would be able to talk to people without being scared they would have their memories wiped and it would be her fault.
Charles sighed, it was about as bad as he had expected, the Wizarding World didn't seem to particularly care about Muggles other than to make sure they didn't find out about magic. So why would they care about the discomfort they would cause to those caught up around the edges of their society, never able to live comfortably in the Muggle world again, pulled into the Wizarding World as a default, all choice and the opportunity to exist in both taken from them.
Professor Flitwick reached into his pocket and drew out an envelope before handing it to David. "This contains your official invitation to Hogwarts and a list of supplies you will need for the first year as well as instructions on where to find them. It wont be as hard as you think, you will make friends in the Wizarding World and Hogwarts is a wonderful place to live."
Alice Bishop lay in bed thinking about the evening they had just had. She had come home from work to see David and Charles in earnest conversation while Claire was lost in a book with several more spread across the floor next to her. There was nothing unusual in this but when they saw her they had all jumped as if they had forgotten she would be coming home. She had started to make a joke out of it when Charles had said "Sit down Alice, we have some news" and proceeded to usher her towards a chair. It was then that she started to get worried, he knew that she didn't need coddling and for him to be so solicitous the news must be serious indeed. They had then proceeded to tell an almost unbelievable tale, magic and secrecy, her old doll dancing, and David, David a Wizard and needing to go to boarding school. Claire it seemed had been searching her history books for any reference that could have suggested magic, she wasn't having much luck, either Wizards were very good at keeping magic a secret or she just didn't know what to look for.
After that they had all talked for quite some time, only briefly pausing to make some sandwiches, they had discussed a lot of things but the only real decisions had been that they needed to know more about the Magical World and that David should go to Hogwarts. It seemed that magic was a part of him and he would need to learn to control and use it, they didn't have the money for private tutors and besides David would need friends around who he could talk freely to. The lack of decisions didn't mean the discussion had lacked purpose though. They were a family who took an interest in things and fought to change them. Their engagement with the Wizarding World would be no different, she rolled over and smiled at her partner, she had no idea how they would do it but between them they would make things better.