Inspired by "Meant to Live" The Beautiful Letdown. Switchfoot but unable to put song on site because of the stupid rules. Thanks to ShivaniBlue for saving this story from deletion!
Meant to Live
Prologue
by V. C. (Velvet Curtain)
Words: approx. 6500
Microsoft Word Web Pages: 11
Rating: PG (according to me, not the site)
Reasons: Harry's kind of ticked, there's light romance, and a few things I don't think would be appropriate for very young children. It's my personal feeling, but feel free to disagree.
Relationships: Harry/multi, Ron/Hermione, OC/OC
Summary: Harry gets ticked at having no control over his own life, so decides to take a bit of a trip to regain that control. On the way, he makes some pretty amazing discoveries. Some tragedy, lots of drama (a lot like a soap opera, I think), light romance (for now...), slight OOC (no one can be completely IC, I don't think), etc. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned this, I would not be writing this.
A/N: Honestly, I don't know how far I'll take this, so enjoy it while it lasts! I got two lovely reviewers in response to Sample (thank you!) who decided on this. One voted all for this, and the other voted for the first (The Professor to Top All Professors, which I still might post, just for you, babe ;D) but the "third is a close second." So: here you go! To anyone who's reading this who has read Twisted, I'm really sorry. I'm not very into that, but if you really want me to continue, please e-mail me and tell me that, otherwise it'll just sit there and be there for whoever feels like reading four chapters of an incomplete story. :D Anyway, have fun and remember to tell me what you think!
Meant to Live
It wasn't such a confusing statement, but it certainly packed a punch. Were people really meant to live? If they were, then why did people kill each other? After all, if everyone is meant to live, then wouldn't people never die? Or maybe people were meant to live, but it was just a given that they would so they didn't? What did it really mean to live? Did they mean physically breathing, or really living? That was what was on the mind of fifteen-year-old Harry James Potter, who was currently hidden away in his small bedroom at number four, Privet Drive on a particularly muggy day in mid-late June of the year 1996.
Harry didn't really think he would ever live, really. It was his head or Voldemort's, no in-between. How long could they "live while the other survives"? Harry wasn't really living anyways. He was trapped in a miserable household with Order members watching his every move. There was no escape. How long could Dumbledore keep him locked away before he went insane? Harry didn't want to find out, honestly.
He was sick of everyone controlling him, moving him around like a chess piece. It was as though Dumbledore controlled all of Britain as a chessboard, moving everyone around to fit his needs, sacrificing where he saw fit, and playing mind games with Voldemort, his opponent. Harry didn't want to be a chess piece (his were particularly violent), and he wanted to be in control of his own life. Yeah, yeah, the fate of the world was on his shoulders. But if he was supposed to defeat Voldiewart, shouldn't he get to have some fun before he did? It seemed reasonable to Harry. After all, if he died, at least he should have a life before he joined his parents and Sirius in whatever there was after life. Sirius lived his life. His parents lived their lives. Why shouldn't he?
In all honesty, Harry didn't even want to go back to Hogwarts the next year. He hated having everyone staring at him and whispering things behind his back, believing every rumor ever printed about him and looking to him as some sort of idol. Their hero. Harry still didn't know why people thought he was some hero. What had he done? Survived. Survived when others should have but didn't. Survived at times he didn't even want to survive. How did that make him a hero?
Where could he go? Where could he run to escape from himself? Where would people appreciate him for being Harry? Just Harry. Of course, he could turn Muggle. Give up everything to do with wizardry. Yeah. Right. Even if he wanted to, which he didn't, he wouldn't be able to. Dumbledore would have some say.
Did the world revolve around Dumbledore? It sure seemed like it. People lived their lives by what he said. Pretty pathetic, really. Yeah, he's pretty smart- wise old guy, really. But what right did he have to rule everybody else's lives?
Maybe he should go to China. Dumbledore didn't have any influence there. But, then again, the politics over there weren't exactly favorable at the moment. Australia was an option, where he could fit in fairly easily. Then again, that's the first place they'd look. He'd spoken to his friends a while ago about Australia, and they would tell Dumbledore. Africa? No, too weird. Too hot, as well. That meant South America was out of the option, too. North America? Harry's mind spun. The United States. America. There was no way they could find him there! There were so many people in America; no one would know where to begin looking for him! Of course, he couldn't be along the ocean. Too close. An inner state. He didn't want the South- that sounded far too country for his liking. But he didn't want too far north either- that would be far too cold. Where would they never expect him to go? One of the inner states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois. Michigan was too near the sea- they would guess. Harry always had a distinct liking for the sea, though he'd never been there. Illinois was supposedly very windy- it might be nice. Ohio seemed to be pretty temperate, and Indiana was neutral. He didn't know much about the states, really.
But how would he escape? He had to find some way to get to the airport, not to mention he'd have to go to Diagon Alley and get quite a bit of money. He'd need a passport, and he'd need to enroll in a school over there. Under alias? No, that was probably illegal. The last thing Harry needed was to be on the bad side of the law. Besides, it wouldn't make much of a difference. People would recognize him by his scar miles away. He'd just have to enroll privately. Were there any good wizarding schools in Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio? Would they accept him? He should be getting his O.W.L. results back soon. Would they even have the same classes? He would need to make a transfer to a wizarding bank over there so he could access his vault in America. But, again … how was he supposed to do all this? Who would help him? No one would understand- they'd report him to Dumbledore. Except perhaps….
Harry rolled off his bed and dashed to his desk, pulling out a quill and parchment with hands trembling in excitement and anticipation.
Dear Ginny,
I know this will seem odd, but I need your help and you seemed to be the only one who could help me. Please, even if you don't help me, don't tell anybody about this.
I was thinking lately, and I need to get away from everybody here. Well, mostly Dumbledore. I'm tired of him controlling my life. It's like Voldemort controls one half and Dumbledore controls the other half. I can't tell you exactly why this is so important to me, but that's pretty much the gist of it. I need to get away, and I need you to help me. I want to go to the States, preferably somewhere in Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio. Do you know of any boarding schools in that area that would accept me? Also, I need some way to escape this place and get over there. I'll need a passport and plane ticket, and I'll need to get a lot of money from my vault. I'll probably need to arrange some sort of account in America, too. I don't know all about the wizarding laws here or in America. Can you help me out? I really can't stand living like this anymore.
Write back as soon as you can.
Sincerely,
Harry
Harry folded and sealed the letter and added it to the stack that would be delivered tomorrow by one of the Order members. He wasn't allowed to send anything by Hedwig, so a member always came by every three days to play postman.
Harry went back to his bed and relaxed in the summer warmth, rather suddenly appreciating the heat. Everything seemed a lot better than it had before. Maybe Harry had a hope now. Maybe he really was meant to live.
Four days later, Harry found himself holding Ginny's reply to his letter in his hands. The anticipation was dreadful. Taking a deep breath, Harry opened the letter quickly and read.
Dear Harry,
Well, I was certainly surprised to hear from you, much less like that. Don't worry; I won't tell anybody. I understand better than anyone what it's like to be controlled against your will.
I looked into it a bit (discreetly, of course), and I found that the only wizarding schools in America are in Arizona and Ohio. Lucky, isn't it? The school in Ohio is called McKinley's House of Magic, a boarding school. (If you can believe it, they're actually located in the middle of a city! Muggles think it's an abandoned antique store, but it has all kinds of diversions on it. In the middle of a town!) I can't promise they'll accept you, since I know you don't have your O.W.L. results back yet, but they seem pretty open to foreign students. Enrollment is 700 galleons a year, and then there's your books and uniform. Speaking of which, you can mail order those or go to a place in New York similar to Diagon Alley called Central Park Avenue. It's very interesting: you step through a tree in Central Park to get there! A tree! Anyway, I can't help much for the passport or the trip to the airport. Wouldn't your aunt and uncle do that? I mean, I know they hate you and all, but since it would be getting you out of their way for quite a while, wouldn't they be glad to do it? If not … we'll figure something out. I'll see what I can do about getting you to Diagon Alley. What do you need that you would only want me along to get with you? Something that would be embarrassing enough to convince the Order members to give us some space, but not so embarrassing that you wouldn't want me with you? Think on it. I haven't found anything in the law that says you couldn't do this. Of course, in America you aren't of age until you're eighteen, and the school system is sort of different, too, but there isn't anything too major. I'll keep looking, just in case.
Don't let Dumbledore get you down! Keep dreaming of America, and hopefully we'll have you out of here by the end of the summer. How long do you intend to stay there, anyway?
Best wishes,
Ginny
Harry grinned at the letter, excitement coursing through him. He knew she would understand! After her experience in the Chamber of Secrets, there was no way that she could deny him. He didn't want to take advantage of her, but it really was ideal. There was a reason for everything.
Harry quickly pulled out a piece of parchment, eager to reply quickly. It really was too bad that he had to wait another three days until he could get it to her. He wished he could just use Hedwig. At least they weren't scanning his letters. That would be disastrous.
Dear Ginny,
Thanks a lot. I trust you, Harry paused when he wrote this, hesitating, which is more than I can say to Ron and Hermione.
That sounds incredible! I can hardly wait to get there and see things for myself! I'll be sure to write you about it, since I can tell you're as interested in it as I am. I'm fairly certain that you're the only one I'll write to once I'm over there, and I would prefer that you not tell anyone about it. I want to last at least a year over there, preferably two. I'll probably come back when I graduate. Come to think of it, I probably could convince my aunt or uncle to help with my passport and transportation. They'll be happy enough to be rid of me (hopefully, for good). As for Diagon Alley … well, I'd say … er, new clothes? I desperately need some, so no one would have a hard time believing it. Anybody else would be too embarrassing, but I could say that you … have fashion sense and are more comfortable with this sort of thing? Would that work? We need to arrange this as soon as possible. I don't really care if I have to wait another year to be legal over there- I'll have more freedom than I do here, anyway. I'll send you my O.W.L. results as soon as I get them. Would you mind seeing if I'd get in? I would probably need you to send in my application as well. I'm very dependent on you, aren't I?
Well, get back to me soon. I'm getting incredibly restless here. Voldemort's been having a lovely time torturing my sleep lately. Nothing too important, but always about Sirius. Over and over again. Taunting. Eurgh. But I'll keep my thoughts on America. Thanks again, Ginny.
Sincerely,
Harry
Harry folded up the letter, not sealing it yet in case he needed to add something later, and laid it on his desk. With a heavy sigh, Harry stood and went to his door. If he had to ask his relatives for help with a passport and transportation, he may as well get it over with. He trudged down the stairs to the kitchen, where Aunt Petunia was preparing dinner and chatting with Uncle Vernon. They fell silent when he entered.
"I want to leave," he told them flatly, leaning against the threshold. "For good. But I'll need your help. The Order wants to keep me here."
Uncle Vernon looked over at him suspiciously.
"What kind of help do you need, exactly?"
"I'm not allowed to leave the house without supervision. I can take care of everything but my passport and transportation to the airport."
"Where are you going?" questioned Aunt Petunia, eyes widening at the word "passport."
"America. If everything goes as planned, I'll be there from late this summer until I'm of age. I'll never darken your doorstep again."
"So they have your kind of schools over there?" asked Uncle Vernon huffily, though he sounded very interested in getting Harry out of their home for good.
"Two of them that I know of. One of my friends is going to send in my application for me as soon as I get my O.- exam results back. Even if I don't get in, I'm going. I'd rather live as a Mug- I mean, as a normal person than stay here."
Oh Holy Merlin, this was leaning in his direction! Harry prayed fervently that his tables were turning. He could practically see his uncle's brain gearing around in his head, and his aunt looked incredibly thoughtful as well. She looked at Uncle Vernon thoughtfully.
"Vernon?"
"It could be managed," said Uncle Vernon gruffly, his beady eyes sparkling. "Give me your passport information and I'll take it to the office to get it verified. As for the airport … I'll book you a flight in advance for whatever date we can manage and we'll sneak you in. Marge should be returning from Majorca in August sometime. If the dates coincide … yes, yes, we can manage. How exactly are you paying for this, boy?"
"I have plenty of money in my world," Harry bit back a smirk at their shocked expressions. "My parents happened to be very wealthy, and they left everything to me. It's all in- er, our kind of money, though, so I have to get some exchanged for, er, your kind of money when I go to the bank next under the pretense of going shopping for clothes." Harry took specific care not to make any mention of his "abnormality" when he spoke, knowing that was a sure-fire way to lose everything that he had just gained. His aunt's and uncle's dumbfounded expressions were very gratifying. He saw his uncle swallow thickly.
"How much money are we talking about here?" he asked, his voice cracking a bit.
"Enough that I could retire very comfortably after a few holidays in Majorca," grinned Harry. He had no doubt that he had much more than that (probably enough to retire in Majorca in a large mansion with 100 acres of manicured grounds and dozens of hired hands), but didn't feel it would be to his advantage to state that in front of his greedy aunt and uncle. They were both gaping, anyway, so he had said enough. Uncle Vernon's face was very interesting to watch- rather like an ever-changing thermometer: ash, puce, purple, green, ooh, cherry, that was new, puce, ash, purple, etc.
"Very-" Vernon cleared his throat- "Very well then. Get me your, erm, passport information and I'll, er, I'll get right on it."
"All right. Thanks." That said, Harry departed the kitchen and nearly flew up to his room, collapsing on his bed in gales of laughter and disturbing Hedwig, who ruffled her feathers indignantly.
"Sorry, Hedwig," he choked through his laughter. Still trying to control his hysterical amusement, Harry unfolded his letter to Ginny to add a quick postscript:
Ginny, you're a genius!
When Harry finally received a reply from Ginny, he noticed that she chose not to comment on his lack of trust in his best friends (he had no doubt that she completely understood his reservations), but she requested a letter written in a format that she could show to her parents and the Order in which he asked for a trip to Diagon Alley with Ginny for new clothing (he still blushed at the thought) and added a few encouraging words at the end in response to his casual mention of his dreams.
Who knows? Maybe you can find a decent Occlumency teacher in America (Dumbledore was being dense when he assigned Snape to something so important) and you'll never have anymore Moldy Cheese dreams again! It's worth looking into, anyway. Just remember, if you start feeling horrible about Sirius, just of all the good times you had with him. Remember Christmas, when he was singing so much we were all ready to lock him in Buckbeak's room for the rest of the holidays; or remember all the times he made shots at Kreacher and his (previous) family (which I have no doubt they fully deserved). Just hang in there, scar-head. (Teasing, by the way. )
Sweet dreams,
Ginny
P.S. You're welcome.
Harry had never been more up-lifted by any words in his entire life. Well, perhaps he had, but he couldn't recall. That paragraph had cracked a smile on his face that only Ginny's letters could bring out. "Moldy Cheese"? Well, it was better than You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, anyway. He had found that remembering Sirius during the holidays, thrilled to have Harry with him, did help to pacify the recurring nightmares, whether Voldemort-induced or otherwise. The obvious Malfoy joke ("scar-head") had surprisingly also elicited a grin. He probably would've been concerned if it had been Ron or Hermione, but for some reason he knew that Ginny had no alternate intentions other than just … a joke.
Is that why I trust her so much? Harry wondered, looking out his window at the dull, cloudy blue sky. Because she's always up-front and honest?
Well, not always, a little voice in his head reminded him of dung bombs, Crookshanks (poor cat), and Imperturbable Charms. Harry smirked to himself. She could lie like a pro when it came down to it. Probably even better than Dumbledore. So why did he trust her?
Because she wouldn't betray you, came the first thought in his head. She understands what it's like to be lied to and wouldn't put you through that all over again.
Even the second voice in his head couldn't find any fault in that reasoning. Ginny could be trusted. Now it was all a matter of getting to Diagon Alley and back again safely without drawing the suspicion of the Order. Would they insist on following him into Gringotts? It would be hard to disguise his transactions in changing for Muggle money (in such large amounts, no less) and setting up an account in America with an Order member breathing down his neck. What a delightful prospect.
Harry quickly wrote a rather embarrassing letter to Ginny about the shopping spree and left it on his desk with the other letters, his anticipation growing with every second. This had to work out for good. It just had to. That night, Harry found himself praying to every deity he'd ever heard of that this would all work out the way he wanted it to-- begging, really.
When Tonks came to deliver his letters a few days later, Ginny was with her. Harry's heart soared. That had to mean….
"Come on, Harry," Tonks grinned at him as she barged into his room with Ginny hot on her heels. Ginny smiled at him and winked. "We're going to Diagon Alley!"
Ten minutes later found Harry in front of Gringotts wizarding bank with Ginny.
"We can't follow you to your vault," Tonks whispered. "We'll just be waiting outside while you take care of your business. This is one of the most secure wizarding buildings in Britain- you'll be fine."
Harry caught another wink from Ginny as they entered the building. Harry could hardly believe their luck!
While at Gringotts, Harry: discovered that he had approximately 2,748,926,365,532 galleons (Holy Merlin!) not including the Potter family vault that he couldn't access until he was of age (Harry was speechless); opened a vault in the New York branch of Gringotts; withdrew enough money for a plane ticket, passport, and clothing (remembering to exchange some for Muggle money); and covertly transferred two thousand galleons to the Weasley family vault (snickering to himself as he made sure they couldn't return it to him). Ginny helped him transport the money by offering the money pouches she had brought from home so that it wouldn't look too conspicuous.
After they finally left Gringotts (meeting up with a rather disgruntled Tonks), they went to Madam Malkin's and various other clothing stores in Diagon Alley before they went into the Muggle world to buy Harry some Muggle clothes, which he needed desperately. Ginny, it turned out, had impeccable fashion sense. She led him from store to store at a quick pace, picking out stylish, form-fitting clothes, making him try them all on, and then rushing through the check-out line. Ginny was so incredibly no-nonsense that it took only two hours for Harry to have an entirely new wardrobe, plus contacts so he wouldn't be so recognizable in America (though they told Tonks it was for better flying visibility). Even Tonks had a difficult time keeping up with them.
"You made a very good choice in asking Ginny, Harry," she had said quietly to Harry after a particularly heated argument with a sales clerk about the bargain discount on a pair of jeans. "I've never seen such a shopper!"
By the time they returned to Privet Drive, Harry was exhausted and hungry (it being nearly five o'clock), but Ginny and Tonks were complimenting each other on jobs well done. Ginny helped Harry store his new clothes in his wardrobe and hide the money where Tonks wouldn't see it. She shot him another grin and wink, squeezing his shoulder in a friendly gesture as she left with Tonks. After they were gone, Harry grabbed what remained of his Muggle money and went down to the kitchen.
"How much?" he questioned, no emotion in his voice. His aunt motioned for him to sit down and set a plate in front of him, shocking Harry.
"Eat," she ordered coolly. Uncle Vernon then looked up from his own plate at Harry and named an amount. Harry quickly counted it out, somewhat surprised that he still had a good deal of Muggle money left, but he supposed he'd need that once he got to New York. Uncle Vernon's eyes bulged at the money pouch, but he kept his mouth thankfully shut.
Harry ate quickly, thanked them both quietly, and returned to his room to mull over the day's events in his bed.
The next week, Harry received his O.W.L. results. He waited until the Order member had left before he ripped open the letter excitedly and scanned it quickly.
These are the Ordinary Wizarding Level results for Harry James Potter.
(OO Over Outstanding (worth three and one half O.W.L.s), O Outstanding (worth three O.W.L.s), EE Extra Excellent (worth two and one half O.W.L.s), E Excellent (worth two O.W.L.s), AA Above Acceptable (worth one and one half O.W.L.s), A Acceptable (worth one O.W.L.), P Poor (worth ½ O.W.L.s), D Dreadful (worth no O.W.L.s))
Astronomy: A
Care of Magical Creatures: O
Charms: EE
Defense Against Dark Arts: OO
Divination: EE
Herbology: AA
History of Magic: P
Potions: E
Transfiguration: E
Total O.W.L.s: 18 ½
Congratulation, Mr. Potter, on receiving eighteen and one half Ordinary Wizarding Levels. The N.E.W.T.s you may take are as follows: Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against Dark Arts, Divination, and Transfiguration. Over all, the top ten results stand as follows:
Hermione J. Granger
Terry R. Boot
Lisa M. Turpin
Harry J. Potter
Anthony B. Goldstein
Padma A. Patil
Draco S. Malfoy
Mandy T. Brocklehurst
Justin L. Finch-Fletchly
Hannah E. Abbot
In Gryffindor, the results stand as follows:
Hermione J. Granger
Harry J. Potter
Parvati A. Patil
Neville C. Longbottom
Dean M. Thomas
Ronald B. Weasley
Lavender K. Brown
Seamus F. Finnigan
In Hufflepuff, the results stand as follows:
Justin L. Finch-Fletchly
Hannah E. Abbot
Susan A. Bones
Ernie T. Macmillan
Morag D. MacDougal
Sally-Anne V. Perks
Eric N. Hummer
In Ravenclaw, the results stand as follows:
Terry R. Boot
Lisa M. Turpin
Anthony B. Goldstein
Padma A. Patil
Mandy T. Brocklehurst
Michael H. Corner
Cassandra G. Moon
William P. Cromer
In Slytherin, the results stand as follows:
Draco S. Malfoy
Theodore V. Nott
Blaise T. Zabini
Millicent M. Bulstrode
Pansy O. Parkinson
Vincent R. Crabbe
Gregory G. Goyle
Congratulations again, Mr. Potter, and the best of wishes as you pursue your choice of careers.
Sincerely,
The Examiners:
Professor L. Tofty
Professor G. Marchbanks
Professor J. Flannery
Professor S. Carmichael
Professor M. Lennox
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and reread the letter, pleased to note that there were only a few DA members who had been beaten by non-DA members. He quickly wrote to Ginny with his results, along with the application Ginny had sent him a while ago for him to fill out. (Harry still couldn't figure out why they wanted to know if he had ever attempted an Animagi transfiguration.)
It was with great anticipation that Harry sent said letter to Ginny, and it was with great relief that he received a reply to his application six days later, via Ginny's abnormally thick letter. Harry slit open the red wax seal with trembling fingers, took a deep, calming breath, and finally looked down to read the letter.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We at McKinley's House of Magic have reviewed your application to our school with great consideration, and have taken into account your unique position and requests.
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted. We will be delighted to include you in our functions and enhance your magical learning. However, due to your situation, we have included some details that you may find helpful and some restrictions on your part.
McKinley's House of Magic was founded by President McKinley during the earlier years of his presidency, along with Haven Academy of Wizarding Skills in Arizona. McKinley's is located in Ohio, President McKinley's home state, and is thought by Muggles to be a dilapidated, abandoned antique store on a street corner. Ohio is one of the most wizard-populated states in all of the United States, many being mistaken for Amish folk or farmers. Our school is very focused on polishing our own skills and pushing to the best of our ability, as well as interacting and learning about and with the Muggles around us. As there is little room for any magical field games or sports, students at McKinley's take part in the Muggle hobbies of: music, dance, gymnastics, basketball, indoor soccer, swimming, indoor track, art, drama, and design. Also available are several clubs, a few of which include: creative writing, chess, scrap-booking, technology, film, foreign studies, yearbook, etc. Students are encouraged to spend their free time in an activity of such sort or exploring the city we live in. Field trips to Muggle museums, lectures, parks, and other Muggle forms of entertainment or education are not rare at McKinley's. We pride ourselves on our American freedom and curiosity, and no one at our school is close-minded. We hope that you will keep an open mind while attending McKinley's. Though it is indubitably of interest to you, there are also a number of student exchange programs to wizarding schools across the globe, among which are included China, Canada, the Netherlands, Africa, Germany, Spain, Cuba, Australia, Russia, and France.
We do not have uniforms at McKinley's, but there are dress code restrictions. The men's codes are:
Tops and bottoms are to be worn at all times, and must be of appropriate manner. Clothes are to be in good condition (no rips, stains, etc.) and presentable. Sleeveless shirts are not appropriate for the classroom.
Modest attire is required. Any clothes that are too tight or baggy, show more skin than permitted, or display a sexual/morally wrong message are not to be worn. Also, chains or any other large accessories are not acceptable.
Robes must be worn at all times in the classroom. Color and style may be varied, but all robes must fit and be presentable, with nothing attached and/or pinned to them, unless a club or activity badge, pass, or other approved memento.
No hats or other hair accessories are to be worn in the classrooms. This includes bandanas, headbands, sweatbands, beads, etc. Hair must be of a natural tone (red, black, brown, blonde) and may be styled however you choose in accordance with above guidelines.
Piercings are highly disproved but not against the rules, though the administrators urge you to abandon all such body adornments during the school term. Tattoos that are visible when in summer attire (shorts, sleeveless T-shirt, sandals) are not permitted. If you do have one, it is to be covered in some way (clothing or make-up) at all times.
Jackets, sweaters, shirts, and other school spirited items are available for sale and may be worn at any time within the school or in wizarding company. You may not wear school-related items, robes, or other wizarding items in Muggle company unless said Muggle is aware of the wizarding community.
Any disobedience to these guidelines results in a dress code warning. Three dress code warnings result in a warning slip. Three warning slips result in a detention. After a detention, only two warning slips are needed for another detention. Four detentions result in an in-school suspension and notification of your legal guardians. If you receive two more detentions following an in-school suspension, a meeting with your legal guardians is required and further discipline could include out of school suspension, physical labor, fine, or expulsion. Gum is not allowed in the classroom, and you will be charged with a fine of five sickles should you be found to have any on your person. Food is likewise not permitted in class and a fine of three sickles if you are found with any on your person. Teachers may give out warning slips for interruptions or disturbances in class or hold you for a lunch detention, in which you spend your lunch hour with the teacher that gave you the lunch detention doing whatever he/she deems necessary to properly scold you. Also, teachers may hand out detentions on hand should a student or class become uncontrollable. Teachers are also allowed to regulate their strictness on tardiness and classroom rules. Three tardies are a warning slip, and being found out of the classroom without a pass or note from a teacher, student teacher, or other authority will also result in a warning slip or, if deemed reasonable, detention.
The classes available at McKinley's House of Magic are, in alphabetical order: Advanced Ancient Runes, Advanced Astronomy, Advanced Charms, Advanced Defense, Advanced Defensive Magic, Advanced Divination, Advanced History, Advanced Muggle Studies, Advanced Potions, Advanced Magical Creatures, Advanced Magical Plants, Advanced Transformulation, Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Charms, Defense, Defensive Magic, Divination, Historical Magic, Muggle Agriculture, Muggle History, Muggle Politics, Potions, Study of Magical Creatures, Study of Magical Plants, Transformulation, and, of course, the extra-curricular clubs, groups, and activities. Determined by your grades (we grade on the same level), you are recommended to take Advanced Charms, Advanced Defensive Magic, Advanced Divination, Advanced Potions, Advanced Magical Creatures, and Advanced Transformulation. Also, we would like to recommend Defense, Astronomy, and Study of Magical Plants. Classes transpire for one and one half hours every other day, with four subjects per day, giving you a choice of eight classes. Should you wish, you may choose one study period to be spent in the library during which you may do your class work and research without taking time out of whatever after-class activities you may participate in. For an extra fee, some students choose to learn the Muggle studies of Literature, Grammar, Math, Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Science, World History, Cultures, or Languages, which includes Spanish, French, German, Latin, as well as some Gaelic, Chinese, Japanese, and a few African tribal languages as well. If you wish to be a part of these extra classes, please notify us ahead of time so that we may prepare accordingly and give you more details.
Term begins on August twentieth, 1996. Due to your age and grades, you will be placed in the eleventh grade as opposed to your sixth year. Enclosed is a list of school supplies you may need for the subjects available to you as well as a copy of the McKinley's House of Magic Code of Conduct and Regulation Handbook. You will be expected to meet our standards accordingly. You may purchase any school supplies in Central Park Avenue. A tree in the center of Central Park in New York, New York is marked with an owl insignia. Place your thumb on the sign and step forward into the tree and you will find yourself in Central Park Avenue. Please be aware of Muggles. If you need further assistance, you may seek instruction at the hot dog stand at the entrance to Central Park from the Presidential Dogs hot dog company. The vendor will direct you. If you need any more help, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. The only way to reach McKinley's House of Magic is via the Floo Network, or, should you prefer Muggle traveling, get to Xenia, Ohio, and meet the McKinley's representative in front of AutoZone at precisely four o'clock P.M. on the twentieth of August. New students must be gathered in Lincoln Hall by half past four for the introduction and initiation, during which you will be introduced to McKinley's House of Magic's population (particularly you, as you are the first foreign student to house with us for over a decade) and shown to your dormitory. You will also be given a quick tour of the House to familiarize yourself with the location of classrooms and dormitories, as well as places such as Lincoln Hall, the kitchen, swimming pool, sports arena, dormitories, etc. We dine at five o'clock, when the other students arrive, and classes begin the next morning at nine o'clock.
In accordance with your particular circumstances, we have spoken with our government, administrators, staff, and will speak with our students. No one aware of your presence at McKinley's is permitted to speak of you to family or friends outside of our House unless they have gained specific permission. If they do, they are to refer to you as Harry Patterson rather than Harry Potter. Unfortunately, to secure your secrecy, you will not be permitted to spend vacations outside of McKinley's without a thorough interview of whomever you wish to spend them with. They must be approved by the Headmaster, Dr. Keatley, and be sworn to secrecy on your whereabouts. If a person looks for you at our House, you will take the name Harry Patterson and do your best to appear to be anyone other than yourself. You must be very cautious. Should you require extra protection during your traveling, please notify us and we will send assistance immediately. I am afraid that there is no possible way for us to protect you from the questions and attentions of our students short of threatening detentions and warnings, which we hope we will not have to resort to in light of the circumstances. Please be patient with your fans, but should you encounter any problems, please feel free to speak to one of your teachers, myself, or Dr. Keatley. If necessary, classes and dormitories can be rearranged.
I am aware that you wish to retain one contact in your homeland. Correspondence will be slow, limited to perhaps one letter per week due to traveling and other details. If you would submit all of your letters to my office, I will see to it that it is delivered to your contact discreetly. Your letters will remain private. I will in no way violate your property in this exchange, so you may rest assured that no one is reading your mail but you and your contact.
As of this moment, you are a part of McKinley's House of Magic. You may pay your tuition when you arrive. If you have any concerns, questions, inconveniences, or comments, feel free to owl us. We realize the difficult situation you are in, and we are willing to work with you in order to insure your safety and secrecy. We wish you the best of luck and look forward to welcoming you to our school.
Highest Regards,
Jocelyn Davis
Overseer
Harry stared at the letter in amazement, reading it over and over again. It was real. He was really going to attend an American wizarding school. It was amazing! This was all coming to life before his eyes. Harry could hardly breathe with the anticipation. He could hardly remember ever feeling this elated before now.
Harry closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer of thanks to whichever god had answered his pleadings and collapsed on his bed, grinning up at his ceiling. He may have been leaving the place he had called home for such a long time, but he felt that it was going to be worth it. Confusing at first, very different, rather awkward, and probably nerve-wrecking, but definitely worth it.
Beyond excited, Harry rolled off his bed to scratch off a letter to Ginny. She was going to be excited for him. He knew it, and he couldn't wait for her reply. He had an odd feeling that he would have trouble sleeping that night.
A/N: First chappie! I hope my grammar is okay and I didn't confuse you too much (I have a reputation of doing so). I think it went a bit too quickly (I really could have drawn that out), but I was in a fast mood, I guess. I'm sure some of you will recognize some parts of this from the sample. I did try not to change it too much, but I corrected wherever I saw mistakes that I missed before. I follow my own rules, I might add. I know very well that the highest score you can get is twelve for the O.W.L.s (or was it N.E.W.T.s?), but I needed to change it to suit my purposes. Please don't kill me! This will be AU as of July 16th, 2005 (YES! I can't wait!), so bear with me. I'm having my fun. Please, give me whatever criticism or compliments you have floating around in that head of yours. Reread the chapter if you have to, but I do enjoy being corrected. (Which everyone thinks is odd except me.) Hope you enjoyed it!
Love,
V.C.