What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?
-Rose Kennedy
A Prologue (sort of)
Violet Holmes had great aspirations for her middle child Mycroft.
He was to be the keeper of his, rather unruly, younger brother Sherlock.
He was to take a high rank in the government.
He was to make a great deal of money.
Later he would marry well and bring honer to the Holmes household.
In fact, Violet had mapped out Mycroft's entire life for him, and a mother's word was law.
Mycroft, at the tender age of eleven, was well aware of this fact.
His life would not be his own, but instead a way of bringing his mother the reputation she so desired.
Despite all her plans and interferences in Mycroft's life, Violet Holmes did not know her son.
Her orders had always been sent to him by some maid or other; and, as far as Mycroft was concerned, the may well have been coming from Violet's locked bedroom door rather than the woman herself.
Mycroft rarely ever saw his mother.
His older brother Sherrinford, with his innings and outings of the office of the late Siger Holmes, saw even less of their mother than Mycroft himself did.
In fact even the maids and servants, who had their hands full enough already with the whims of both their mistress and her youngest son Sherlock, barely had time to attend to the eleven year old.
So it was, that on a quiet evening in July, Mycroft found himself alone in the family library.
Mycroft was quite used to being alone.
His father had always taught him that caring about others was a disadvantage. That aloness was the best advantage to be had, and yet, sitting alone amongst the dank and dusty volumes, Mycroft Holmes could not help feeling disappointed.
It was a loud rap on the third story window that caught his attention, and a tawny brown barn owl that kept it.
The young Mr. Holmes flung open the window, not missing that the creature bore with it a letter of a most peculiar sort.
The bird flew in and landed on the wooden arm of the reading chair.
Mycroft approached it, and very carefully removed its package.
Dear Mr. Holmes,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Yours sincerely,
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Albus Dumbuldore
Deputy Headmaster