-- The Letter --
Summary: It's amazing the effect that a single piece of parchment can have...
Disclaimer: It's J.'s world... I'm just playing with it.
Note:Deathly Hallows disregarded
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The yellow parchment was gripped tightly in the boy's hand as he ran a hand through his already untidy black hair, grinning broadly. Hogwarts. He was finally going to Hogwarts!
His smile faltered for a moment, his eyes finding the sentence: PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS! James was an excellent flyer; his father had taught him how to fly from a young age. But as his mind wandered to all the things he could do at Hogwarts, he decided waiting one year wasn't that big of a dilemma.
The quiet murmurings of his parents drifted up to meet his ears. Down below, they were both busily preparing for work, unaware of the silent joy of their eleven-year old son as he reread the letter in his room. James stood tall, pulling his shoulders back with an air of importance, but was unable to wipe the silly grin from his face as he marched excitedly down to the first floor.
"Hey, Mum!" he called out triumphantly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Dad? Guess what I just got!"
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Well?!"
The voice made the boy jump. He looked up through a curtain of handsome black hair to see the leering figure of his mother, staring at him through her cold eyes; so unlike her son's warm grey ones. He flashed the letter in his hand.
"Hogwarts," he mumbled. She gave a curt nod, before spinning on her heel, and leaving him alone in his room.
He watched her as she disappeared into the shadows of the house. It was only then that Sirius Black revealed just how excited he was to receive his Hogwarts letter. He leapt from his bed and did an odd sort of victory lap around his room, giving a silent cheer, so as not to bring his mother back into the room.
Finally, after the years of eager anticipation, it was here. The letter that would take him away from the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sirius snorted at the words - even in his head they sounded pompous - and held the letter tighter. He couldn't wait to get away from this house, and all that it represented. A father whose words could hurt more than the back of his hand; a mother who would scream bloody murder at the slightest insult to their name; a brother who had already lost to the shadows of the curse of Black; and a house-elf who stared longingly at the heads of all their past servants in the hallway.
Yes, Sirius would shed no tears during his absence of the House of Black. His glared down at the parchment; Dear Mr. Black.
"I wonder if it's too late to change my name," he mused, neatly folding the letter and sliding it smoothly into his tightest pocket.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is-
The young boy clenched the letter tightly in his hand, tears of frustration prickling behind his eyes. All around the country, boys and girls, wizards and witches, were receiving this letter. For them, it was a dream come true. For Remus, it was a reminder of what had been taken from him, seven years ago.
His fingers subconsciously found their way to his neck where they rubbed the large distinct scar that hid there, usually covered by the collar of his shirt. The scar that revealed him for what he was - a werewolf. A monster who would never - could never - grace the halls of Hogwarts.
He felt a weight fall beside him on the bed, and leaned against it as a warm arm wrapped around his shoulders. His deep blue eyes were now clenched tight, denying the flow of tears, but he knew it was his mother that sat with him. Wordlessly, she pried the letter from his fingers with her spare hand, smoothing it out against her leg. Moments later, she drew him into a firm hug.
"Don't worry, Remus," she murmured, stroking his hair like she did when he was younger. "We'll sort this out."
The letter was now safely secured in her pocket.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
On the floor lay a disregarded envelope. The small boy was holding the letter close to his face as his watery eyes struggled to read the words that were shaking in his excited hands.
Finally, after months of worrying, he had his letter. Peter Pettigrew was a pure-blood; both his parents had attended Hogwarts. And though his mother assured him he had powers, Peter couldn't help but worry that he might be a Muggle, a Squib!
But he didn't have to worry, now. If Hogwarts had sent him a letter, than he must be worthy of it.
He threw the letter down, no longer interested, and shuffled off to inform his parents of its arrival.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"AAAAAARRRRGGH!!"
Lily sat up quickly, her fiery red hair flying around her face, and the book she had been reading getting thrown across the room.
"Petunia?" she called out, worried. The scream continued. "Petunia?!"
She leapt out of her room and down the stairs, coming to a halt in the lounge room where her sister was crouched on the floor, shielding herself from... an owl?
She gave a small gasp of surprise when the owl flew across the room to her. She wanted to run, but her legs seemed frozen; she watched quietly as the owl soared above her head, dropped an envelope at her feet, and flew out the window in a graceful arc.
Petunia, unaware of the owl's sudden departure, was still screaming as Lily bent down and picked up the envelope, her emerald eyes widening curiously.
She admired the wax seal for a moment, of a lion, snake, eagle and badger, surrounding a large 'H', before quickly ripping it open.
Dear Miss. Evans, she read.
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Her eyes stayed glued to the last three words - Witchcraft and Wizardry - before she looked up and joined her sister's shouts. "MUM?!"
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
If you didn't know he was there, you could assume that the room that Severus sat in was empty.
He sat in silence, his hair hanging limply around his face, as he stared out the window at the darkening sky, not bothering to turn on the light. In his left hand he held an envelope, that he had opened tenderly, careful not to damage the purple seal on the back. In his right, was the letter he had been praying would come soon. The letter that would take him away from here, if only temporarily.
Severus shut his eyes as shouting filled the silent air. His mother and father were fighting again. He couldn't make out the slurred words of his father, but he could hear the sobs of his mother. She was a witch; Snape was a Muggle; why didn't she defend herself?
Severus crept from his bed to the door and shut it softly, though it was not enough to block out the argument that was bound to continue deep into the night.
He lay down on the bed, holding the envelope close to his chest, his fingers smoothing over the seal of the Hogwarts crest on the back. He held the envelope close to his chest, and sighed sadly. Whatever Hogwarts was like, it had to be better than this...
Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. I don't remember where this came from, or when it popped into my head, but I hope you enjoyed it. It was originally planned to be a full-length chaptered story, but I just never had the time, so I modified this chapter and posted it as a one shot.
Thanks for reading! Liked it? Hated it? Please, press that pretty button and leave me a review; I appreciate constructive criticism as much as the one-sentence words of encouragement. Please, no flames.
Thanks again!
Mischief managed.