Opportunity
by Liz Barr
written August 2001, posted December 2001

Universe: HP
Rating: [PG-13]
Characters: property of JK Rowling, who deserves them a lot more than I do.
Summary: a Muggle family consider their Hogwarts-attending child, and wonder what's best.
Spoilers: GoF

Email: elizabeth_barr@yahoo.com.au
Website: http://www.geocities.com/elizabeth_barr/
Harry Potter fic: http://www.envy.nu/lizbarr/snape.htm

Notes: This was my first fic set in the HP universe, written before I'd identified my favourite character (Snape) or my area of particular interest (Harry's parents' generation). So this is kind of an aberration, not to mention several months out of date ... ::shrug:: Read it, ignore it ... whatever.



We wanted the best for our children. Always. We saved and sacrificed, sent them to good schools and told them they'd appreciate it one day, that a good start in life was important. We were nothing special -- just a middle class family in England, two parents, three kids, a dog and a mortgage.

We were nothing special, but out son was. They sent us a letter about him. It arrived on our doorstop one morning in July, no return address, no stamp -- just his name and our address.

It was an acceptance letter to a school we'd never heard of, that had certainly never appeared in any good schools guides. None that we'd ever read, anyway.

It was a strange letter, and we'd have ignored it, but Daniel was special. Things happened around him, uncanny things.

His grandmother had always said he was a changeling, and sometimes I wonder if my mother-in-law hadn't been right.

We always wanted the best for our kids, even if it meant this school that didn't exist, the peculiar booklists and the train on the platform between the platforms -- it was new and strange, and exciting.

We told our relatives and friends that Daniel had won a scholarship to a school in Scotland. They believed us. He was always a smart boy. His brother and sister thought it was fun -- they could attend their respective schools knowing that they'd never have to compete with their exciting and strange middle brother. It was ... good.

In the end, we didn't mind that we only saw Daniel for a few months of the year. He was flourishing, and it was an Opportunity. My old grandad, now, he was always one for opportunities. Grew up during the Depression, of course. He worked hard for his family, and in turn, Madeleine and I work hard for ours.

But now ... Daniel has come home telling us about a coming war, and a student who died, and another who lived. He always comes home full of stories, but he's never been afraid before. We watch him, and we wonder, did we do the right thing, sending him to that school? Have we harmed him? Or is this the best protection we can offer?

And should we send him back at the end of summer?

We always wanted the best for our children.


end