July 30, 1980

My Dearest Son,

As you sit reading this you will likely be wondering why, at the birth of your first son, I have gifted you the accompanied pocket watch. While there may not be anything spectacular about the filigree, rubbed down to a mere shadow of its once unpretentious self, let it be a constant reminder of the most powerful element in all of existence:

Time.

There is no way to store it, and, save a Timeturner that may bring you back a few hours, no way to get it back. You can neither borrow from your future, nor lend your remaining days to another. Time is not a commodity; you cannot assign a value to it. As such, it is priceless and not something you should give away freely.

Your grandfather sent me this very same pocket watch when I became a father all those years ago, along with a similar letter welcoming me into the ranks of fatherhood. Unfortunately, I did not heed his warnings. Please, my son, do not make the mistakes I have. The time I spent growing the family fortune in the vault at Gringotts, instead of watching you grow, was gone forever the second I squandered it away. You have learned so much by standing at my side, but please also remember the lesson learned by my absence.

As I am now barreling headlong into the sunset of my life I am offering you the most precious of gifts: an opportunity to be a better father than I. Please, Francis, carry this pocket watch with you as a reminder to spend your time wisely. If you are not careful, it will slip through your fingers like grains of sand. Cherish this time you have, for before you know it, Neville will be a man himself, holding his own progeny in his arms.

There are many ways to measure time, my son. Please do not keep track by the minutes missed, but instead by the memories made.

Your loving father,

Silas Longbottom

Showtime - Lizzy - Prompt #46 - Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story - (word) Time

Houses Challenge - Hufflepuff - Year 2 - Drabble - Prompt #2 - [Object] Pocket Watch

WC per Google Docs - 340