"Get the paper, boy. And be quick about it."
Uncle Vernon barked his typical morning greeting as Harry clattered down the
stairs. Harry doubted that even if his uncle knew today was his fifteenth
birthday that his greeting would have changed a bit. Harry looked longingly at
the plate of hot bacon Aunt Petunia was setting on the table, then gave a sigh
and headed out the door. As he walked down the driveway, he looked across the
street and saw two of the neighbor's children huddled together by their driveway,
holding a letter and whispering to each other. This Harry wouldn't have paid
much attention to, but as one of the children shifted, he caught a glimpse of
one of the letters the other was holding. It was in a brown parchment envelope,
and even from where he was standing, Harry could see the red wax seal holding it
closed.
There was no doubting it that it was a letter from Hogwarts. He'd received his
own this morning, containing a list of books he needed for his 5th year. The
children, a boy and a girl and twins by the looks of it, appeared about the
right age to be accepted into Hogwarts. But Harry could tell they weren't
expecting this. Both of them looked nervous as they read the letter, and the boy
gave a shaky laugh when he was done. Harry hesitated, and then started across
the street towards him. The girl looked up at him as he neared, and blinked in
surprise. Both of them had orange-red hair and bright blue eyes, as well as fair
skin and slightly over-sized noses.
"Can I help you?" The boy asked, also looked up. Abruptly, Harry realized he
didn't know exactly why he had come over to them.
"Um... I couldn't help but notice you've both gotten letters from Hogwarts." He
stammered, pointing to the two letters the girl was holding. She gave him a
slightly accusing stare.
"Is this some kind of joke? School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Not very amusing,
if you ask me." She sniffed condescendingly and made as though to rip the
letters in half. Hastily, Harry reached out and took hold of her wrist to stop
her.
"Wait," He said sincerely. "It's not a joke. It's real."
"Of course it isn't!" The boy jumped in, pulling his sister's arm out of Harry's
grip. "Who are you, anyways? Did you send us these letters?"
"I'm... I'm Harry Potter." He replied, realizing he was going to need more than
words to convince these kids. If only his wand weren't locked beneath the stairs
with the rest of his school supplies. "I live across the street." But, Harry
realized, the two children weren't even listening to him anymore. They were
engaged in a heated, quiet argument with each other. After a moment, they
quieted, and then the girl spoke up.
"Okay, supposing this 'Hogwarts' you're telling us about is real." She
brandished the list of supplies under Harry's nose. "Where are we supposed to
get all this stuff? I don't know a place in the entire city that sells
cauldrons." The girl finished smugly.
"In Diagon Alley." Harry's response was met with skeptical looks from both the
children.
"In Diag-what?" The boy exclaimed. "There's no such place!"
"Yes, there is." He said feeling slightly aggravated now. "Listen, I'll be going
there to pick up my supplies on Saturday. If you want, you can come and I'll
prove to you this isn't a hoax. Meet me at the Bookstar in the London Mall at noon."
For a moment, both of them were silent, and then the boy nodded.
"All right, then. But this better not be some kind of joke." The girl opened her
mouth to add something to that, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon's harsh bellow
floated through the door Harry had left open.
"What are you waiting for, boy? Get the paper and come back inside!"
"Sorry, I've got to go. Goodbye."
"All right. Goodbye, Harry Potter!" The girl called over her shoulder, and the
two of them turned around and scampered up the driveway and through the front
door.
Uncle Vernon barked his typical morning greeting as Harry clattered down the
stairs. Harry doubted that even if his uncle knew today was his fifteenth
birthday that his greeting would have changed a bit. Harry looked longingly at
the plate of hot bacon Aunt Petunia was setting on the table, then gave a sigh
and headed out the door. As he walked down the driveway, he looked across the
street and saw two of the neighbor's children huddled together by their driveway,
holding a letter and whispering to each other. This Harry wouldn't have paid
much attention to, but as one of the children shifted, he caught a glimpse of
one of the letters the other was holding. It was in a brown parchment envelope,
and even from where he was standing, Harry could see the red wax seal holding it
closed.
There was no doubting it that it was a letter from Hogwarts. He'd received his
own this morning, containing a list of books he needed for his 5th year. The
children, a boy and a girl and twins by the looks of it, appeared about the
right age to be accepted into Hogwarts. But Harry could tell they weren't
expecting this. Both of them looked nervous as they read the letter, and the boy
gave a shaky laugh when he was done. Harry hesitated, and then started across
the street towards him. The girl looked up at him as he neared, and blinked in
surprise. Both of them had orange-red hair and bright blue eyes, as well as fair
skin and slightly over-sized noses.
"Can I help you?" The boy asked, also looked up. Abruptly, Harry realized he
didn't know exactly why he had come over to them.
"Um... I couldn't help but notice you've both gotten letters from Hogwarts." He
stammered, pointing to the two letters the girl was holding. She gave him a
slightly accusing stare.
"Is this some kind of joke? School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Not very amusing,
if you ask me." She sniffed condescendingly and made as though to rip the
letters in half. Hastily, Harry reached out and took hold of her wrist to stop
her.
"Wait," He said sincerely. "It's not a joke. It's real."
"Of course it isn't!" The boy jumped in, pulling his sister's arm out of Harry's
grip. "Who are you, anyways? Did you send us these letters?"
"I'm... I'm Harry Potter." He replied, realizing he was going to need more than
words to convince these kids. If only his wand weren't locked beneath the stairs
with the rest of his school supplies. "I live across the street." But, Harry
realized, the two children weren't even listening to him anymore. They were
engaged in a heated, quiet argument with each other. After a moment, they
quieted, and then the girl spoke up.
"Okay, supposing this 'Hogwarts' you're telling us about is real." She
brandished the list of supplies under Harry's nose. "Where are we supposed to
get all this stuff? I don't know a place in the entire city that sells
cauldrons." The girl finished smugly.
"In Diagon Alley." Harry's response was met with skeptical looks from both the
children.
"In Diag-what?" The boy exclaimed. "There's no such place!"
"Yes, there is." He said feeling slightly aggravated now. "Listen, I'll be going
there to pick up my supplies on Saturday. If you want, you can come and I'll
prove to you this isn't a hoax. Meet me at the Bookstar in the London Mall at noon."
For a moment, both of them were silent, and then the boy nodded.
"All right, then. But this better not be some kind of joke." The girl opened her
mouth to add something to that, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon's harsh bellow
floated through the door Harry had left open.
"What are you waiting for, boy? Get the paper and come back inside!"
"Sorry, I've got to go. Goodbye."
"All right. Goodbye, Harry Potter!" The girl called over her shoulder, and the
two of them turned around and scampered up the driveway and through the front
door.