Chapter 1 The Owl and The Letter

The snowy white owl leapt from its perch in the owlery of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and began to beat its wings. Exiting through the large glass window the owl left the castle and began to make its journey south. For many hours the owl passed over towns and cities, through hills and countryside but never once slowing down for it had only one destination in mind.

Eventually it began to turn to the west and soon found itself approaching the town of Hawkesbury Upton. The children playing in the streets did not pay any attention to the owl as it made its way up to a large house on the outskirts of the town and dropped a letter in its letterbox. But perhaps they should have paid attention for that letter had just changed the life of Damian Dursley and the fate of the wizarding world forever.

At that moment Damian Dursley was sitting on his bed contemplating life, not something that most 11 year olds do but then Damian had grown accustomed to being different to most of his peers. For one thing he was a lot bigger than most children his age. However much he tried not to have extra chips for tea and tried to run up and down the stairs everyday he seemed to stay, well, a bit fat. It wasn't that he was lazy for he was a fairly active child but the fat just didn't want to shift.

His father said it was in the genes and he had always been told he looked like his father. They had the same blond hair, the same roundly shaped face, in fact apart from the eyes they did look very similar. He couldn't help but dislike his appearance, not only did it make every little task that bit more difficult but it made Damian stand out, and Damian had always hated standing out. His family didn't seem to mind though, his grandmother told him it was just puppy fat he'd grow out of while his grandfather rather oddly told him it was better he was fat as he didn't want Damian looking too much like 'him' anyway. Whoever the mysterious 'him' was, it wasn't a major concern for Damian (well not unless he could magically help him lose two stone) as he seemed destined to be podgy forever. Despite the worries about his appearance he had and the bullying he had to sometimes endure he knew his weight was not the most important thing in the world. And he also knew he had one thing in his favour, when it came down to it he was actually quite tough. Not in the way that Mike Tyson's tough but in the way that when he had to be he could be surprisingly stubborn and determined.

Once, John Costello and his gang had beaten him senseless demanding he apologise for some unknown offence. Damian had held out for a whole hour until the rather unsympathetic headmaster had dragged him away. Despite his parents views Damian still considered it his finest hour. He still couldn't completely see why his parents had told him off but he often couldn't understand why he was being told off, especially when it came to his grandfather. Anything that Damian did in front of his grandfather that could remotely be considered odd earned him a severe telling off. When he'd fallen off the roof at his grandfather's house and emerged miraculously unscathed his grandfather had got so annoyed he'd locked him in the cupboard under the stairs. His Grandmother had quickly rescued him but only on the condition he didn't tell his parents; An offer he was more than happy to agree to, the ten minutes he'd spent entrapped in the gloom had been bad enough and he couldn't imagine wanting to spend a second longer in there.

As much as he disliked his grandfather he couldn't help but agree with him that he was at times rather odd. And it was not just when he was accidently regrowing eyebrows that John Costello had shaved off that he felt odd, it was all the time. It was almost that he didn't seem to fit in here, and it was that thought that Damian was currently contemplating. He was happy enough he had nice parents, a decent house a couple of friends but something just seemed to be missing.

Damian was still thinking about it at the lunch table later that day. You're being silly he told himself, you've got a perfectly fine life, much better than some people in fact, just be grateful with what you've got. But at that moment his trail of thought was interrupted by a shout from his father who had been gathering in the morning post.

"Oh my god."

"OH MY GOD."

This was most unusual, for his father was not someone known to raise his voice, Damian's mother often referred to him as a gentle giant. "Whatever's happened?" His mother tore in from the garden looking as though she expected the house to be on fire.

Whatever had happened Dudley Dursley did not feel like sharing for he merely stared blankly at an envelope he had in his hands, the rest of the post discarded tamely on the floor.

"Dudley speak to me, tell me what happened." His mother shrieked, her expression had gone from one of concern to one of panic.

"I should have known," his father said, seemingly more to himself than anyone else in the room.

"Dudley." His mother had clearly found this comment as unhelpful as Damian had. His father did not, however, seem particularly concerned by this as he suddenly started to mumble incoherently. It sounded as though he was speaking a different language as Damian could only recognise a few of the words he was saying. He thought he made out something about Hogwarts and dementors but it made absolutely no sense to Damian.

"Dudley Dursley snap out of it, I demand you tell me what is going on and who sent you that letter." No one had ever called Sarah Dursley gentle and her voice seemed to bring Dudley to his senses.

"Oh um yes sorry I freaked out a bit there," said Dudley, which Damian considered, must have been the understatement of the century.

"Oh really I hadn't noticed."

"Well basically everything's going to be fine, and the letter is for Damian."

Damian could feel his mother's eyes on him as though it was his fault that his father had started acting like a mad man. "And what is it about this letter to Damian that caused you to freak out a bit?" His mothers glare returned to his father.

"Well it's for Damian and I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Ruin the surprise, ruin the surprise, you cannot be serious." Her tiny body was starting to shake and her face was getting progressively redder. Damian thought that she was doing a rather good John McEnroe impersonation but he decided now would not be the best time to bring that up.

He started to consider the letter, who could possibly have written to him that could bring about such an extraordinary reaction from his father. He couldn't think of anyone who would want to write to him. His only real friend lived only a ten minute walk away and it was currently the summer holidays so he had yet to start his new school, not that that would have stopped his last headmaster from blaming something on him. Deciding there would be only one way to end this he decided to speak up. "Can I have the letter please Dad?"

"Sure son," said Dudley walking over to hand it to him. From his mothers expression it looked like she clearly considered whatever it was Damian was being given nothing worse than a nuclear bomb.

"Look," said Dudley sensing her apprehension "it's nothing bad - I mean there was a time when I was younger when I would have thought it was bad but I definitely don't now, it just shocked me was all, so um yeah open it up," he finished rather lamely.

Not sure how to react to this puzzling statement Damian took the letter cautiously off his father. Examining it he saw that the letter was indeed addressed to him. Opening it up, he read the letter:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Mr. Dursley,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been allocated a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term commences on the First of September. Transportation to Hogwarts will be via the Hogwarts express leaving from platform nine and three-quarters at Kings Cross station on the above date at 11 O'clock.

Yours Sincerely

Professor Garow

Deputy Headmaster

Damian looked up to his father waiting for the punch line, not that Dudley Dursley was known for his sense of humour but surely this had to be a joke nothing this ridiculous could be true. But his father did not appear to be holding in a belly laugh in fact he looked stone cold sober.

"Well what is it? His mother asked expectantly.

"Damian is," began his father before taking a rather unnecessarily long pause "a wizard," he finished, promptly sitting down clearly feeling that such an explanation would suffice.

"He's a what?" His mother exclaimed.

Damian was sure she would soon start pinching herself to check this wasn't a bad dream.

"He's a wizard," his father repeated "And he's just been accepted into Hogwarts."

"What is this nonsense Dudley?"

"How did you know that's what it said Dad?"

"This is not nonsense. I swear on Damian's life that he is a wizard. And the reason Damian that I know what that letter said is because I saw one myself about 25 years ago. I promise you I am not lying to you or teasing you and I have definitely not gone mad."

"That is still up for debate," said his mother.

But Damian could tell from the look in his father's eye he was telling the truth. As crazy and unbelievable as it sounded his father was telling the truth. He really was a wizard.

Despite her outburst even his mother seemed to have reluctantly accepted it. "Please explain," she said. Clearly she was not going to let his father off that easily.

"Okay I'll try but I don't know much about it Harry's going to have explain most of it."

"Who's Harry," Damian only knew two people called Harry, one of whom was his mum's boss and the other was his uncle who had come to visit once when he was younger and had seemed rather peculiar. Well neither of them seemed like they would be a great authority on wizards.

"Your uncle Harry Potter is a wizard and I think it's about time he paid us another visit."