With a nervous shiver, Mr. Purrey wiped his hands on his prim and stiff robes. Checking to make sure nothing was out of place. With one last adjustment of his collar he hesitantly raised his fist and knocked. 3 series of 3 knocks, short and proper, as he did most things. After waiting a minute with no answer he tried again. When again there was no answer he stepped back off the porch to take a better look at one of the house's many windows.
The house was quite large, but old pureblood homes tended to be. Designed to be overly ornate, with wizard enchanted wood carved into once graceful walls, most likely to impress other pureblood families. But it had been decades since this house impressed anyone, now the wood look decayed and grey, with fungus growing along the bottom where the walls met the ground. The paint was peeling in bunches like grass, sticking out of the side of the house. As magical paint was to do over time without proper care. The windows looked slightly off center and the glass grimy and in need of endless scourgify charms. The grounds as well showed neglect and overgrowth. The stone path from the front gate barely visible, under tall grass and weeds.
The window grime proved too thick for Mr. Purrey to see through. He stood for a moment hesitantly. He was not a take charge kind of man. He tended to be extremely nervous around other people and suffered from anxiety in public. Yet he was now forced to deliver Ministry papers to the homes of wizards for his new job in the School Regulatory Commission of the Ministry. A promotion from a desk clerk job, which he had preferred. Of course with his anxiety he was unable to say no to his boss's face when he was offered the position.
And today he had to visit this old house in disrepair. Just the walk to the front door had driven his panic up. Magical weeds had infested the lawn and tried to tangle his legs as he walked by. And he was sure he had seen gnomes running around too. That along with the creepy visage of the old house had caused him to shake in his shoes.
Gathering up his courage he knocked on the door more forcefully, and promptly squeaked when it was thrown open violently.
"The drunk isn't here, if he owes you money, too bad. He's dead!" a young male voice shouted out.
"Mr, Mr, Mr. Wolcott I presume?" Mr. Purrey stuttered out. Get a hold of yourself Edward, It's just a child, the man said to himself.
Indeed, the angry door opener was a young teenager, around 15 or 16. He had slightly long black hair swept to one side and brown eyes. His face showed noble features of a handsome young man, despite the tiredness clearly apparent in the bags under his eyes. He was still dressed in sleepwear, a simple pair of shorts. The boy hadn't even taken the time to put on a shirt, showing his slim yet slightly defined torso.
"You don't look like a debt collector." The boy remarked as he stared at Mr. Purrey. Taking in his prim robes and white collared shirt and tie underneath.
Mr. Purrey was unsure of how to take that statement and decided to go forth with his practiced lines. Taking courage from the young age of the boy.
"I am Mr. Purrey from the School Regulatory Commission of the Department of Education of the Ministry of Magic"
The boy dragged a hand through his face, clearly annoyed. "It's too early for this shit. What do you want?
Mr. Purrey felt rising panic but pushed it back down.
"I, I, I am here to deliver your-my-our congratulations for winning the Metter Transfer Scholarship competition for Hogwarts School. As well as your Hog-Hogwarts letter."
The boy's face changed, becoming startlingly blank. The change was scary in its speed. It only furthered Mr. Purreys need to go home and be alone.
"I didn't enter any competition. And I'm already enrolled at Arton's"
Mr. Purrey pulled out his parchments and looked through. Dropping a few parchments in the process.
"You were en-entered by a, um, Mr. Gordon Wolcott three months ago. You transfer has already been pr-processed." Mr. Purrey handed over the transfer papers and records as well as the Hogwarts letter, his hands shaking the entire time.
The boy, wide awake now, turned all his attention to the papers, starring with intensity as if he could intimidate the parchments into disappearing.
"What the fuck did that drunk do!" The boy growled as he shuffled through the papers. He got to the acceptance letter and stared blankly at the parchment.
"Bloody fucking hell. When did you say th-" the boy looked up only to see the Ministry's employees back as he ran out of the overgrown property and then apparated away.
"Fuck"