A/N: Ok, here's the next chapter. I got my ACT's back and I got 30 composite! OH YEAH!
Chapter 5: "Choices"
Harry looked back and forth between his parents. "Y-you're not my real parents?" he asked timidly.
"No," his "father" replied. "You're actually my cousin's boy."
"Which one?" Harry asked. "We don't have any: almost all of Great-Gramma Fenton's kids died years ago with no kids, and except for Grammy and crazy Aunt Lou, I hadn't heard of anyone else alive."
Jack faintly smiled. "Harry, what made your great-aunt Louisa crazy?" he asked.
Harry rolled his eyes. Dad was asking him about his pseudo-family when there were other things to be concerned with, like the fact that his family wasn't his family! You know, craziness was probably genetic. That would make all the old family stories make sense.
Sighing, he repeated the old family tale. "Aunt Lou was so exited cause she said her daughter got accepted into a school for…" Harry inhaled sharply. "Great-Aunt Louisa said her daughter had been accepted into a magic school."
"Yes, that was your mother, Minerva McGonagall." Jack clarified. "Almost thirteen years ago, Minnie came by the house. We had just moved here and were setting up Fenton!Works. Ghosts had attacked her and she asked us to take care of you while she went hunting. She probably died because we haven't heard from her since that day."
Harry sat silent as he digested the information. He turned to the man who had brought the news of his magical ability, "If I don't do anything about this magic thing, what's gonna happen?" Harry asked.
"Your magic will continue to increase and eventually it will overwhelm you and release from your control in a destructive wave destroying you and the surrounding area."
"Huh?"
"You'll blow up yourself and the house." The man clarified.
"Oh." Harry said. "Then I guess it's best if I go to one of the magic schools."
The man reached into his briefcase and withdrew several brochures. "There are three in the continental US: two are public, one is private." The brochures showed student happily going to class as they moved and waved at the camera.
They. Moved. The pictures on the brochures moved. Ok...
Harry took the top brochure hesitantly. The Salem Institute of Spellcraft wants you! The brochure showed a stately manor with a large brick fence surrounding it. Harry read through the brochure. The school thought very highly of itself and definitely showed it with the long list of accomplishments on the back.
The man gave some information beyond the brochure. His ex-wife, and several of his co-workers were "SIS-y" and therefore all snobs. Harry looked through the brochure again and, with the new information, set it aside. He'd think about it, but probably wouldn't go there.
The next school, the Mountain Academy, looked interesting. The entire school was inside of a single hollow mountain. "NORAD stole that from us. I don't blame them: it's a good idea. Keeps us from prying eyes," the man said. "With the short distance you should commute as a day student so you can stay at home."
Harry immediately put the Mountain Academy's brochure into the same pile as the Salem Institute of Spellcraft's brochure. After what had just been revealed, Harry wasn't so sure that he wanted to stay at home.
The last brochure showed a school set in a large cypress swamp. "That there is the South Florida Magic Academy," the man said. Average school, really. 'Bout the only thing going for it is it's in the middle of the range of the largest pride of sub-tropical lethifolds, so there's a lot of researchers staying there." At the Fenton's quizzical expression, he elaborated. "Lethifolds are a type of magical creature. They are usually found in the tropics, these aren't."
Harry looked at the brochure again and nodded to himself. No parents, no snobs, SFMA looked like a good choice. "I… I think I'll go here. Yeah, I'll go here." Harry pointed at the SFMA's brochure.
"Good choice." The man said. "I'll send you some information and we can send someone to show you around later."
"That would be good." Maddie said. "If we have any more questions, can we call you?" she asked.
"Oh! Yeah!" the man said. He had completely forgotten. The man rooted through his bag and came up with a slightly battered manila envelope. "Just write it down and shove it in, it will go straight into my inbox."
The man got up to leave. "What's your name?" Harry asked.
"Gid Hawkins."
