The paramedics decided Peter didn't need to go to the hospital, but advised him to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Once they finished running their preliminary tests, they packed up and left, leaving Peter alone in his room. When they were gone, he pulled the envelope back out and flipped through the other pieces of paper in it. The next sheet of paper was a longer letter that was printed out rather than hand-written, and Peter read it.
Dear Muggleborn Witch/Wizard,
We know that this might be a lot to take in, so consider this a detailed explanation. Witches and wizards have lived side by side with humans since the beginning of time. Witches and wizards can utilize magic that is focused through the use of a wand or similarly structured object, though some certain powers (such as animal communications, shape shifting, and Accidental Wandless Magic) do not require a wand to use them. You may have experienced certain instances of Accidental Wandless Magic in your life up until this point, particularly in times of great emotional duress. Things have probably happened to you that might not be easy to explain, like things disappearing, spontaneously catching fire, and more.
Various magical academies across the globe are available to train witches and wizards to hone these magical abilities. There are three such schools for Canadian and American students: Salem Witches' Institute, an all girl's school in Salem, Massachusetts; Ensorcellenaux, an all boy's school in Quebec, Canada; Ardenaire School of Magic and Magical Studies, for both boys and girls, in the Middle of Nowhere, Oregon. You have been referred to Ardenaire because it is the closest school to you.
Ardenaire prides itself on being one of only two magical schools world-wide that accepts students in a nondiscriminatory fashion, accepting students of all blood-lines, genders, races, and other orientations. The only other such school is Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland. We will accept you with open arms into our wizarding community, and do our best to get you up to date with other students currently enrolled at our academy.
Because of your muggleborn status, you are no doubt unaware of the circumstances that plagued the international wizarding community over the last half a century. A dark wizard came to power with a band of followers who sought and tormented the world until their eventual defeat on May 2nd, 1998 at the Battle of Hogwarts. They were defeated through the heroic actions of a student by the name of Harry Potter. Voldemort's power peaked in 1997 and 1998, where he took control of the British Ministry of Magic and even the International Confederation of Wizards. During his power, every magical record for a new muggleborn witch or wizard was destroyed. It took a decade to fully recover from the damage inflicted, and only then did we start searching for the lost muggleborn wizards - which led us to the discovery of you.
You might be wondering why you are a witch or a wizard when, no doubt, you have never thought witches or wizards existed before this point in time. Occasionally, a witch and a wizard will have a child with no magical abilities. Sometimes, those children will marry a muggle and pass on a trace of magical potential even though the trait does not manifest. After generations, the family can forget entirely about witches and wizards, but eventually the gene will resurface. You are the product of just one such case.
As such, we welcome you to Ardenaire School of Magic and Magical Studies, and the Ardenaire Summer Camp for Recently Discovered Muggleborns. Camp will begin June 10th. Enclosed is a list of supplies, a short explanation of what the camp will entail, and a list of important dates which you will be able to find in the magical communities in and around campus. A bus will arrive at your place of residence on the morning of June 10th, at the time printed on your bus ticket.
Looking forward to seeing you shortly,
Alexandryne Skyfaller, Summer Camp Coordinator.
Peter read the letter a second time, absorbing the information with wide eyes. His heart was hammering in his chest, but it wasn't anger or fear - it was excitement. Somehow, deep down in the pit of his stomach, he knew that they were right. All the times strange things had happened to him flashed across his eyes: the time he touched an electrical outlet and suddenly there was a blackout across three blocks; the first time he was shoved in a locker, when the locker's door suddenly broke and he could get out; the last time the resident bullies tried to throw him in a trashcan, where their shoelaces somehow ended up tied together and they fell flat on their face, and every time they tried to get at him they fell in a huge pile.
Peter wasn't sure what to think, but he knew this was somehow right. He shook his packet and an ordinary bus ticket fell out of it, but upon closer inspection it wasn't a normal bus ticket at all.
Bus 3 9/10 traveling from Austin, Texas to Belfront Village Bus Station - several stops along the way.
Arrives at 201, Leeside Way at 9:32 AM, June 10. Departure from 201, Leeside Way at 9:34 AM, June 10.
Three stops before final destination.
Arrival at Belfront Village Bus Station: 1:30 PM.
Peter tucked his ticket back into the envelope for safe keeping. He flipped to the next page in the set of papers, eagerly taking in the type.
Hello Camper,
Ardenaire Summer Camp is meant to teach you the basics in magic and magic studies. You will be given a preliminary test and then put into a cabin with other campers that are best suited to your environment. From that point on, you will learn the basics of spell casting, magical history, and other magical studies. By the end of the camp, you will be ready to be immersed into the school for your last or second-to-last year with us. Most students go through General Education for their first five years with us, they are given their OWL exams, and then they are placed into a House for their last two years. Their House is determined by the career path the student intends on pursuing, and the curriculum is shaped accordingly. For you, your OWL exams will be administered at the end of the camp and then you will be put into your House for the remainder of your schooling.
When you arrive at Belfront Village Bus Station, which is the bus station in the nearby wizarding village, you will be accompanied by camp administrators or your counselor to retrieve the items on the attatched list from the shops in Belfront. You are expected to bring American or Canadian dollars with you, which we will translate into wizarding currency upon your arrival. After collecting all the items you need from Belfront, we will continue to Ardenaire and the summer camp will begin.
The summer camp will be educationally oriented, but it will also be a fun experience that will help you bond with your new classmates and fellow witches/wizards. Every day, your schedule will be as follows:
8:00: Breakfast
8:45: Cabin Enhancement Activity
9:30: Class One
11:00: Camp Interaction Activity 1
11:30: Class Two
1:00:Lunch
2:00: Class Three
3:30: Afternoon Break
4:30: Class Four
6:00: Evening Cabin Development
7:00: Dinner
8:00: Camp Interaction Activity 2
9:30: Campers are released for the evening.
12:00: Lights Out
You will not have the same classes every day; they will alternate, particularly as you gain the skills of a developing witch/wizard. It may seem overwhelming, but we will fully introduce you to the wizarding world.
We are looking forward to meeting you.
Peter found a smile spreading across his face. This sounded like a lot of fun, actually. More fun than his summer job, anyway. And besides, who would turn down an option to become a freaking wizard?! He had spent WAY too many hours playing video games to turn down an opportunity like this. His excitement was building as he glanced at the last page. It was a list of materials to buy at Belfront, with nothing else on the page.
"Peter, we've got the Chinese food!" Jessica called, knocking on his door. He jumped and quickly shoved the papers under the sheets, feeling a sudden sense of guilt. He hadn't even thought about how something like this would affect Jessica or Nathan; he would have to leave them, and he wouldn't see them all summer... Or next year... He'd be abandoning them. He might never see them again.
When Jessica and Nathan pushed open the door, he greeted them with a smile, but his smile felt like a lie. He felt ill to his stomach, uncertain of what to do or say, but he knew that if this wizarding thing was a legitimate thing, he would do it in a heartbeat.
When Malinda Thorn returned at midnight, he knew what he was going to say.