Harry opened the letter with trembling hands. Who on earth would be sending a letter to him? And one so specifically addressed? And by owl no less!
The opened envelope revealed several bits of parchment, the first one addressed in green ink. It read:
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 Potter,
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 no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall Deputy HeadmistressHarry stared incredulously at the letter for a full ten minute until he reacted. He glanced at the supplies list. Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1? 1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi? It had to be a joke but… it seemed so serious. Who the hell would go to this much effort for a joke? That owl would have had to be trained. And who would have bothered to prank him anyway? It just wasn't worth it!
Harry wanted so much for it to be true. He always knew he was special! He was different! Magic! Wow! He could be someone, and do something! Perhaps his parents were magical? Maybe these people would know something about them?
He remembered the first time he had used magic, or what he knew magic was now. He had been 4 years old…
Some older kids, about 13 years old, were pushing him around.
"What's the matter? Is ickle Bolt fwightened?" taunted the eldest one, an ugly boy by the name of Fingers. "Come on, boys! Let's show Bolt what fear is!"
He walked up to Harry and clenched his fist menacingly and took a swing at Harry. His fist never connected though. It seemed to hit an invisible barrier of sorts and there was a nasty crunching sound as what seemed like several of the bones in Fingers' hand seemed to break. He let out a yell and fell to the ground.
The other kids seemed hesitant to approach Harry and stared with a glint of fear in their eyes at Harry, then their fallen leader, then back to Harry…
Little Harry spoke up, using all the courage he possessed, "Anyone else want to try?"
The older boys looked shifty and, picking up their comrade, left without a backward glance.
Little Harry let out a sigh of relief, and slid down the wall. Those particular bullies would leave him alone from then on.
There had been other times, he remembered. Like that time he had fallen out of a tree from 15 feet and been miraculously uninjured. Or that time Mr Grant had come in a drunken rage but walked past Harry without laying a finger on him, seemingly not seeing him. He also healed quickly, going to sleep with broken bones and waking up mostly fine. There had been other times but he had dismissed them. Now he knew… now he knew.
He would go to Hogwarts and learn and study hard and become a great wizard. He'd show all the kids at the orphanage! He'd show them he wasn't weak, and he wasn't stupid.
He picked a piece of paper that told him how to find Diagon Alley…
# Hoped you liked it! Thanks for the reviews! I didn't think I'd get any. I'll try to post at least once a week. Sorry my chapters are so short but I'm working it.