Harold and Jamie Porter were as normal as anyone else in the city. They
lived in a nice house, and had a ten-year-old son named Charles. Nice
people that were pleasing to be with, no one thought that they could have a
secret so big.
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"Happy Birthday, Charlie!" exclaimed his parents.
A huge smile spread across his face. "Thanks!" he exclaimed
"Why don't you go check the mail, and then tonight we will give your presents and have some cake?" Jamie suggested.
"Ok!" Charlie replied. He bounced out to the mailbox, his bright red hair blowing as the wind picked up speed outside. He walked into the house, and his bright green eyes shown magnificently. As he came into the Kitchen, he held up four letters. He opened the top one and looked down at it.
" It's from Grandpa and Grandpa!" he exclaimed. Harold and Jamie looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief. They were still unharmed. Charlie had already taken out their present, which was a gift certificate, and started opening the next one. "It's from uncle Sid!" Harold again felt relieved. "Hey, what's this?" Charlie asked, as many strange coins came out of the envelope.
"Galleons!" Jamie squealed, before she realized what she was doing.
"Sickles!" Harold exclaimed, again, before he realized that Charlie was still in the room.
Charlie's bright green eyes darted back between the two, looking very confused. "Hey- dad, there's a note for you in here too!"
Harold cautiously took the note and read:
Dear Harold and Jamie, Sorry about his present being in the "old" kind of money, but I am still in that world, and it is very hard to convert it now. I'm very sorry, but since it is his eleventh Birthday, I thought he might need it. He is going, isn't he? Sorry I cannot write more, but the current circumstances and getting out of control. Please write back. Love, Snuffles.
"What does it say, Dad?" Charlie asked curiously.
"It says that that he was visiting another country, and could not convert the money back."
"Oh, ok." Charlie replied," Can you change it back?"
"Sure" Harry smiled weakly, looking at Jamie. She rolled her eyes, since she knew that they could not possible change those back.
"Ok good!" Charlie said and started on the next envelope. The green writing and the familiar seal that was on the envelope caught both Jamie's and Harold's attention. Jamie mouthed the words "what are we going to do?" but Harold just shrugged.
Jamie slipped by and handed Charlie the other letter. "Here, honey, I'm pretty sure that this is from Uncle Bill." She said.
"Ok!" Bill had sent him money, only this time no conversions had to be made. Harold glanced at Jamie, and behind her back was the letter with the green ink.
Nightfall came, and as said earlier, presents were given and cake was eaten. After the last piece of cake had been devoured, it was time for Charlie to go to bed.
"Come on, now, up to bed." Jamie said. Charlie slowly climbed to stairs and went into his room. When they were sure he was asleep, the argument began.
"Harry! We cannot keep this up forever!" Jamie exclaimed
"But Ginny! We cannot let him go! It is much too dangerous now! You read Sirius's letter!"
"Yes, I know" Ginny replied, her face falling. "But I am more worried about letters that we didn't receive then the ones we did." Harry didn't respond so she continued, "What about Fred and George? We had heard from them last year. What do you think happened to them?"
Harry just shook his head, " I think they're alright. Knowing Fred and George, they'd probably hex away any dark wizard that came near them."
A smile surfaced on Ginny's face but quickly receded. "And what about Remus?" Ginny questioned again.
"Well, you know that he is an animagus. He is probably out in the forests of Romania, with other wolves."
Ginny continued to ask the questions they never dared to ask before. "Ron and Hermione. How long has it been? Three years I think? And Percy- what happened to him?" Her eyes had started to tear.
"Ginny, it will be alright. Ron and Hermione- they have three kids, don't they? They're probably very busy.but I'm sure we'll get back in with them soon. And Percy- well, you know Percy as well as I do. He's probably working so hard that he doesn't even know what year it is."
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Your probably right."
"So, are we going to send him?" Harry asked.
"Harry." Ginny started. She had a twinkle in her eye that made Harry think that he wasn't going to like this. "We can't keep this up forever. He will eventually know. And if we don't send him now, when he finds out it will be too late. I know that sending him there will be a great risk, but think about it- its an even bigger one not sending him."
"And how is that?" Harry asked. He knew the answer the question, but didn't want to face up the facts.
"Harry Potter! I know you know the answer to that question." Harry finally gave in, and Charlie Potter was going to Hogwarts.
A huge smile spread across his face. "Thanks!" he exclaimed
"Why don't you go check the mail, and then tonight we will give your presents and have some cake?" Jamie suggested.
"Ok!" Charlie replied. He bounced out to the mailbox, his bright red hair blowing as the wind picked up speed outside. He walked into the house, and his bright green eyes shown magnificently. As he came into the Kitchen, he held up four letters. He opened the top one and looked down at it.
" It's from Grandpa and Grandpa!" he exclaimed. Harold and Jamie looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief. They were still unharmed. Charlie had already taken out their present, which was a gift certificate, and started opening the next one. "It's from uncle Sid!" Harold again felt relieved. "Hey, what's this?" Charlie asked, as many strange coins came out of the envelope.
"Galleons!" Jamie squealed, before she realized what she was doing.
"Sickles!" Harold exclaimed, again, before he realized that Charlie was still in the room.
Charlie's bright green eyes darted back between the two, looking very confused. "Hey- dad, there's a note for you in here too!"
Harold cautiously took the note and read:
Dear Harold and Jamie, Sorry about his present being in the "old" kind of money, but I am still in that world, and it is very hard to convert it now. I'm very sorry, but since it is his eleventh Birthday, I thought he might need it. He is going, isn't he? Sorry I cannot write more, but the current circumstances and getting out of control. Please write back. Love, Snuffles.
"What does it say, Dad?" Charlie asked curiously.
"It says that that he was visiting another country, and could not convert the money back."
"Oh, ok." Charlie replied," Can you change it back?"
"Sure" Harry smiled weakly, looking at Jamie. She rolled her eyes, since she knew that they could not possible change those back.
"Ok good!" Charlie said and started on the next envelope. The green writing and the familiar seal that was on the envelope caught both Jamie's and Harold's attention. Jamie mouthed the words "what are we going to do?" but Harold just shrugged.
Jamie slipped by and handed Charlie the other letter. "Here, honey, I'm pretty sure that this is from Uncle Bill." She said.
"Ok!" Bill had sent him money, only this time no conversions had to be made. Harold glanced at Jamie, and behind her back was the letter with the green ink.
Nightfall came, and as said earlier, presents were given and cake was eaten. After the last piece of cake had been devoured, it was time for Charlie to go to bed.
"Come on, now, up to bed." Jamie said. Charlie slowly climbed to stairs and went into his room. When they were sure he was asleep, the argument began.
"Harry! We cannot keep this up forever!" Jamie exclaimed
"But Ginny! We cannot let him go! It is much too dangerous now! You read Sirius's letter!"
"Yes, I know" Ginny replied, her face falling. "But I am more worried about letters that we didn't receive then the ones we did." Harry didn't respond so she continued, "What about Fred and George? We had heard from them last year. What do you think happened to them?"
Harry just shook his head, " I think they're alright. Knowing Fred and George, they'd probably hex away any dark wizard that came near them."
A smile surfaced on Ginny's face but quickly receded. "And what about Remus?" Ginny questioned again.
"Well, you know that he is an animagus. He is probably out in the forests of Romania, with other wolves."
Ginny continued to ask the questions they never dared to ask before. "Ron and Hermione. How long has it been? Three years I think? And Percy- what happened to him?" Her eyes had started to tear.
"Ginny, it will be alright. Ron and Hermione- they have three kids, don't they? They're probably very busy.but I'm sure we'll get back in with them soon. And Percy- well, you know Percy as well as I do. He's probably working so hard that he doesn't even know what year it is."
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Your probably right."
"So, are we going to send him?" Harry asked.
"Harry." Ginny started. She had a twinkle in her eye that made Harry think that he wasn't going to like this. "We can't keep this up forever. He will eventually know. And if we don't send him now, when he finds out it will be too late. I know that sending him there will be a great risk, but think about it- its an even bigger one not sending him."
"And how is that?" Harry asked. He knew the answer the question, but didn't want to face up the facts.
"Harry Potter! I know you know the answer to that question." Harry finally gave in, and Charlie Potter was going to Hogwarts.