A chill ran down Sirius's spine, but he ignored it. Roof walking was too dangerous to allow himself to be distracted by trifles. It was perfect weather for theft, with no wind, rain, snow, or ice, but a rather cold temperature all the same. England was suffering one of it's rare summer cold spells, and Sirius planned to use it to his advantage. On cold days, everyone tended to stay huddled around the fire, trusting to the burglar alarms to warn them of intruders. There was no wind to shove him off window sills, no ice to make his grip slip, no rain to obscure his vision. In other words, perfect.
This house was peculiar, but lavish none the less. It appeared no different, but the owners had never installed a burglar alarm. Why, Sirius didn't know, but it worked to his benefit. This was a family of three, a boy about his own age and two parents. They never seemed to expect anything bad to happen to them, because their windows and doors were almost always unlocked.
Or so Sirius had thought, until now. But here he was, perched securely on the thin windowsill, braced by the gryphonic statues on either side of the stone frame, trying in vain to open a window that seemed to be unlocked.
Come on! Open, open, open, OPEN! And surprisingly, it was. The youth stared for a moment at the window that had seemed securely closed without being locked. Finally, he shrugged and slid in, carefully closing the window behind him. If he left it open, a draft might blow in and knock something over. That would certainly bring someone.
This was the kid's room, by the posters and bedspreads. A broomstick sat in the corner, which seemed a bit odd, but that was when he noticed the posters moved. Blinking in astonishment, he decided to ignore the oddity. Must be one of those holograph thingies. He headed straight for the fireplace, which held silver candlesticks, which by the weight of them, were solid. He was reaching for a funny looking ball in an open case with a rubber balls and two moving ones (Electronics can do anything these days) when he heard the creak of the door opening. Whirling, he stared at the son with wide eyes, astonished at his lack of vigilance in the face of such fascinating things.
The two youths froze, brilliant blue meeting rich brown. Then, the thief whipped his sack with the candlesticks in it up over his shoulder and dashed to the window. It went up almost before he even touched it and he'd scurried halfway down the trellis before the other boy managed to work up a shout. By then of course, it was too late, and Sirius managed to get back to his small shelter in the slums with no further mishaps.
The tiny shack the youth resided in had once been a garden shed for a wealthier family, before they had moved away from the growing poverty. Now, Sirius had command of it, though he was surprised the landlord of the manor had never noticed before this. It didn't really matter though. As long as he was left alone, he was happy enough.
Inside the tiny room, a threadbare blanket provided Sirius's only warmth. In the winter, he tended to hide in attics and lofts of the rich to sleep, still cold, but at least offering more protection from the elements than the rotting walls of his home. Still, in the summer this place was pretty nice. In one corner was a bar of soap and a plastic tub, cracked on the bottom, but it leaked slowly enough that it would hold water for a while. Enough to wash his spare change of black clothes and at least sponge himself down. A dirty thief was a discovered thief. All of his clothes were black, better for night jobs. Nothing to do with his last name, of course.
The eleven year old sat down, brushing a strand of obsidian hair that had escaped the loose ponytail back from his face. Setting his loot bag in front of him, the slender, careful hands reached into the canvas and lifted out, carefully, the pair of silver candlesticks.
They were good quality, obviously old, but untarnished, arguing for its purity. They would easily be melted down. A pretty good haul, even if he hadn't managed to get anything else. The youth was reaching for his blanket, to polish them and remove any fingerprints when his door rattled loudly.
Alarmed, he cautiously pulled it open. There, in the weeds in front of him, lay a letter. A letter! Sirius snatched it up eagerly. He had never gotten mail before. The boy could read and figure easily, after Beck had pounded the alphabet into his head, but an actual letter! Carefull he read the address, written in green ink, to make sure it was to him.
Mr. S. Black
The Shack Behind the Manor
Dickens Street
London
Assured of its addressee, Sirius ripped it open, eagerly devouring its contents.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump)
Dear Mr. Black,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all neccessary books and equipment. To purchase these items, simply go to the Leaky Cauldron, at the corner of 31st and Main, and ask the man at the bar for help.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
The boy's hands shook with surprise as he turned to the following sheet.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
UNIFORM
First -year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magicby Bathilda Bagshot
The Theory Behind the Magic by Saridar Tactimon
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
Sirius could hardly believe his eyes. This was the perfect opportunity! He could finally go somewhere where he wouldn't have to worry about what he was going to eat the next day, finally not be cold every night, finally be more than a thief! Some quick calculations in his head said he would have to do some major thieving in the next week, but it could be done. With luck, he wouldn't even have to buy anything second hand.
A soft hooting reminded him that the note had said something about responding by owl. Glancing around, the boy saw a tawny owl sitting on a branch a few yards away, waiting a bit impatiently. He hastily grabbed a bit of charcoal from a previous fire and scribbled on the back of the acceptance letter, lacking anything else.
I'm coming.
Committing the address to the Leaky Cauldron to memory, Sirius handed the owl the paper, who snatched it and immediately flew off. With a sigh, he watched it go, a symbol of his departing poverty.
