Chapter 1
The Spectacled Lady
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any of the characters in Harry Potter, and if you thought I did, you probably need to look up the definition of "fanfiction".
Note: All characters in this story are completely fictional except for the main one who is a self-insert character (although with a few slight differences). Some of them belong to J.K. Rowling, some of them I just made up and they belong to me.
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Peter Hanson was a boy who you'd never expect to be anything extraordinary. He wasn't an ordinary boy certainly, but neither was he too strange. For one, he was oddly mature for his age, he could understand concepts that many children his age couldn't.
That's not to say he was the best of his age, however, his grades weren't particularly outstanding and he had very few friends. He also had very strange things happen around him. For instance, one year when he was visiting an amusement park with his parents, he was on a rollercoaster and he felt quite scared. He closed his eyes, wishing it could be over fast when he suddenly found himself standing on the exit line of the ride. To this day, nobody could explain it.
Peter was a young boy of 11 with dark ginger hair, and a pale face full of freckles. He lived with his mother and father, Bill and Jennifer Hanson He was spending most of his summer break curled up with a good book until his mother would inevitably shoo him outside where he would wander around for a while before coming back in.
One day, Peter was up in his room thumbing through a novel, and his mother was folding laundry. His dad was listening to the news, it was a Sunday, so he didn't have work. Everyone was doing what should be considered completely normal.
When suddenly, there was a sharp rapping on the door, Peter didn't pay this any mind, his mother usually answered the door, and that's what she did now. Peter refocused his attention back towards his book.
A few minutes later, his mother called up to him from downstairs. "Peter," she said, "come down here please, there is someone who wants to talk to you".
Peter closed his book and made his way down the stairs. When he reached the living room, he almost fell over with shock. Sitting on a chair in the room was a thin, sharp looking lady wearing small round spectacles.
She was wearing a tall pointed hat with a wide brim, and a green cloak covering her body. "Am I right to assume that you are Peter Hanson?" she asked. Peter was still filled with shock and found it hard to reply. "Yes ma'am," he finally responded, "that's me".
"My name is Minerva McGonagall," the woman in the chair said, "I am here to tell you something that you may find difficult to believe". Peter's parents looked worried for a split second but regained their composure. Mrs. McGonagall looked around before turning back to Peter's Parents. "Your son is a wizard".
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"A wizard?" exclaimed Peter with surprise, "but how can that be? I've never done anything too special before, how can I suddenly be a wizard?" Ms. McGonagall turned to Peter and smiled "Is that so?" she asked "Are you sure that you haven't done anything strange at some point in your life, anything you couldn't explain?"
Peter went to open his mouth and argue but then he thought back to that time at the amusement park all those years ago and many other times where he did things he could not explain. "Well now that you mention it…" Peter remarked. Ms. McGonagall turned back to his parents. "Peter's name was written down by the quill of acceptance on the book of admittance the day he started showing magical abilities. Now that he has reached the age of 11 years old, he is welcome to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".
"Now hang on a minute," Peter's father said quickly, "how do we know you're really telling the truth?" Ms. McGonagall scoffed and sort of rolled her eyes. She pulled a wooden stick out of her green robes and pointed it at a teacup on the table. In an instant, the teacup transformed into a sparrow. She tapped it again and it transformed back into a teacup. "All right then," his father said, "we'd be fine with our son going to this 'Hogwarts'".
"Now that we have cleared that up," Ms. McGonagall exclaimed, "we must move on to the matter of your school preparations. She reached into her green robes and produced an envelope which she handed to Peter. The envelope had a crest on the front containing a lion, snake, badger, and eagle, with an 'H' in the middle. Below which were the words "DRACO DORMIENS NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS". Peter opened the letter and read what was inside.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Hanson,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Professor McGonagall then added "Oh, you needn't worry about an owl, that's how wizards deliver their post. But as I am here in person, I can simply take your response here and now". "Along with your list of equipment, you will find your ticket for the Hogwarts express." Peter stared at the ticket "But this is for platform 9 ¾, I've never heard of such a place!" "Yes, I would think not," responded Professor McGonagall, "All you have to do to get on it, is to walk straight at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross Station".
"Now," she continued, "to get your school supplies, you must head to the Leaky Cauldron at this address." she gave him a piece of paper with the address on it. "You will find your supplies in a place called Diagon Alley at the back of the shop. You'll need a wand to enter there, but seeing as you don't have one, speak to Tom the Innkeeper and he will gladly help you get there. At Gringotts, the wizard bank, you can exchange your muggle money into wizarding money." She stopped and saw the confused expressions on everyone else's face. "Muggles are what we call people without magic".
Professor McGonagall got up and went to the doorway, "I look forward to seeing you at the start of the school term," and with that, she left the house.
Peter sat there, still clutching his letter. He could hardly believe it, he was a wizard. Little did Peter know that his years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be remembered by wizards all across the continent. For at that moment, who else should be getting his letter? A person who Peter wouldn't talk to much over the course of his years at Hogwarts but would certainly hear about. A person who might have shared an awkward hello or a class or two with Peter. The Boy who Lived, Harry Potter.
This is my first published fanfiction! Reviews and feedback welcome!