Chapter Two
It was a gray and drizzly day as Harry gazed out the attic window. It was ten years since Dumbledore had left him with his adoptive family, and those ten years were some of the happiest Harry had ever known. The Addamses welcomed Harry into their home as if he were born there. Gomez and Morticia loved Harry as much as their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Despite being cousins, Harry considered Gomez and Morticia his mother and father. He had fleeting memories of his old life; his birth parents visited him often in his dreams, though many of those dreams turned to nightmares of a green flash of light and a cold, evil voice laughing.
He discussed these dreams with his adoptive parents, and they told him of that miraculous and terrible night, how Voldemort had come to kill Harry's parents and himself, and how Harry had survived the vicious attack. Gomez and Morticia felt Harry deserved to know the truth of that dreadful night, why he was targeted, and how he had come to be with them. It did amuse himself, Wednesday, and Pugsley that the man whose name meant to 'Flee from Death' had caused his own destruction.
Harry had grown into a strong and handsome boy; he wore a dark red shirt, black waistcoat, black trousers, and shiny black boots. On his face, a pair of silver spectacles framed his bright green eyes. His hair was swept back in a messy wave, prominently displaying the lightning bolt-shaped scar that rested just above his right eye. Morticia thought his scar was his most attractive feature, so Harry showed it off proudly.
Harry gazed out at the brewing storm and sighed contentedly at the pleasant sight of the rain and wind. As he watched the gray, swirling skies, he noticed something strange. A dark object was coming closer to the house. As it approached, Harry saw it was an owl fighting to fly against the gale of wind. Harry opened the window and let the ruffled and damp bird fly into the house.
The owl shook, and a cloud of water blew from its feathers. Tied to the owl's leg was an envelope. The owl looked up at Harry somewhat impatiently and raised its leg. Harry took the envelope from the owl's leg and thanked it. The owl seemed to give a look that said it didn't care if Harry was thankful, considering what it went through to deliver the letter. The owl then flew into the air and nestled in the attic's rafters to dry and wait out the storm.
The envelope was made of yellow parchment and closed by a purple wax seal. The seal displayed a coat of arms, a shield split into four quadrants, each emblazoned with an animal: a lion, a serpent, a bird, and a badger. The front of the letter was addressed to Harry in green ink. Harry had been told to expect such a letter and what it would entail. Standing, Harry took the letter and went to find his brother and sister.
When Harry had first been taken into the Addams home, Wednesday didn't like him at all; in fact, she had tried to kill him. She'd tried the same with Pugsley before, but his Addams genes easily let him survive her attempts. Wednesday had picked Harry out of his crib, carried him to the manor's top, and dropped him. However, Harry disapparated before he hit the ground and was found nestled safely in the coils of Morticia's African Strangler plant, Cleopatra. Wednesday found herself covered in painful, itchy hives the following morning that kept her scratching like mad all night. From then on, Wednesday considered Harry a true Addams, and the pair became nearly inseparable.
Pugsley wasn't as bright as his siblings, but he had his talents and followed Harry and Wednesday faithfully like a dutiful dog. Wednesday often amused herself by torturing Pugsley in various ways. Harry was fairer to Pugsley, involving him in some pranks and jokes against Wednesday. The three siblings kept themselves sharp by trying to stay one step ahead of each other and their tricks.
Wednesday and Pugsley were in the playroom; Wednesday was feeding flies to her pet spider, Homer, while Pugsley was busy chopping off the heads of Wednesday's dolls. They both looked up at Harry and noticed his grim expression.
"What's wrong, Harry? You look like a vulture who's lost his prey." Harry produced the letter to his siblings.
"It's arrived, the letter we've been dreading." Harry handed the letter to Wednesday, who looked at it thoughtfully. Morticia had told them that Harry's name had been on the list for Hogwarts ever since he was born and that they should expect a letter when he turned eleven. Harry, Wednesday, and Pugsley hated going to public school with all the weird kids who played games like jacks and hide and seek, but they were thankful to be together. The thought of them going to a different school separated from each other was terrible to think about.
"What's so bad about a letter," Pugsley asked, chopping another doll's head and chucking its skull into a basket with the rest of them.
"Mother and Father get letters daily; nothing bad ever seems to come from them."
"It's Harry's school letter, dunderhead; it means he's going away." Wednesday snapped at her youngest brother, annoyed at his inattentiveness. Pugsley looked up with worry.
"Harry wouldn't leave us, would you, Harry?" Harry shook his head.
"I don't want to, but Mother and Father warned us this would happen and what it would entail." Wednesday handed the envelope back to Harry.
"We'd better take this to Mother and Father; they'll know what to do about it." The three siblings stood and walked upstairs to the lounge. Gomez was reading the newspaper, standing on his head; Morticia was knitting a sweater for Cousin Clott, making sure each of the three sleeves was the same length; Fester was playing checkers with Thing and seemed to be losing; Lurch was at his harpsichord, playing a lovely dirge that gave the room a nice, homey feeling. Harry took it all in and shook his head; how could he be expected to leave all this blissful peace behind? Morticia looked up from her knitting and smiled at her children.
"Ah, my darlings, why so glum?" she set aside her knitting.
"The storm isn't letting up, is it?" Harry shook his head and handed Morticia the letter. She took it with slight confusion.
"Strange, I didn't hear the siren this morning. Did Thing bring you this?" Each time the mail was delivered to the house, a siren Uncle Fester wired up to the mailbox would sound, and Thing, their ever-dutiful hand-servant, would provide it to the family.
"It was delivered by an owl, Mother. It's my Hogwarts letter." Gomez hopped up from his headstand and stood beside his darling wife.
"Bully! Well done, my boy, you'll dazzle them all with your looks, talents, and Addams charm!" As Gomez cheered for Harry, Morticia noticed Harry's apprehensive look.
"Harry dear, why so sad?" She held out her hand to her darling boy. Harry walked forward and took her hand.
"I'm not sure I want to go, Mother; I'd have to leave our beautiful home, Wednesday, and Pugsley; I wouldn't get to blow up the trains with Father or bomb the neighbor's birdhouse with Uncle Fester." Fester stood up from his game and approached them.
"He's right, Morticia. Schools have all sorts of rules and preconceptions that detract from the simple pleasures in life. Look at me; I never attended school, and look how well I turned out!" Morticia shook her head.
"Not everyone can get by on looks and charm alone, Fester. Besides, it would be good for Harry to interact with other young Wizards and Witches and learn to harness his powers properly." Harry shook his head.
"Why can't Grandmama keep teaching me?" Harry asked. He and Wednesday had been learning the mystic arts from their beloved grandmother, Eudora, for years. Eudora came from a long line of Witches from the Black Forests of Germany. A Grimoire detailing all sorts of spells and potions had been passed down from Mother to eldest daughter for over a hundred years. Harry and Wednesday had learned much from her and Morticia's lessons. Pugsley had no magical talent, taking more after Gomez and Fester.
"Now, now, a proper school education can be beneficial to mastering your magical prowess. I attended the Nightshade Academy for Young Witches when I was your age. I not only learned to harness my craft, but I made so many dear friends as well. It would be wrong to deny that for yourself."
"Exactly, my boy, you must face the unknown head-on, like an Addams!" Gomez said. Morticia opened the letter and began to read aloud. The letter welcomed Harry to Hogwarts and detailed a list of items he would have to purchase, including, to Harry's excitement, a Wand. He'd always been fascinated by Grandmama's wand; it was pitch black, gnarled like a claw, and made a crackling snap with every spell she cast.
"Oh, it says here a representative can be sent to speak with us if we desire; perhaps we should invite this, Prof. McGonagall, for dinner, Gomez, and she can allay some of Harry's apprehensions." Gomez applauded his wife's ingenuity and called for Thing to pen a letter. Morticia handed the letter to Harry to look over.
Perhaps his parents were right, and this Hogwarts could be good for him to attend. Harry, Wednesday, and Pugsley attended the No-Maj public school since that nice Mr. Hilliard, the local attendance officer, had insisted they attend by order of local law. Mr. Hilliard made a favorable impression on Gomez and Morticia. However, he always seemed a bundle of nerves whenever he visited the house and had even rushed away without getting his hat back from Lurch a few times.
Harry, Wednesday, and Pugsley always seemed to get in trouble at school for the strangest reasons. Pugsley was forbidden from bringing dynamite caps ever since he blew up the jungle gym; Wednesday was banned from bringing her pet spider ever since the day Homer got loose during show and tell and ate the classroom's hamster; Harry was forbidden from sharing his lunch with others, ever since the entire class got stomach cramps from some of Morticia's homemade hemlock fudge.
Harry hoped that a school of Wizards and Witches would be more liberating than the public school he and his siblings were forced to attend. Thing finished writing the letter and gave it to Harry, who returned to the attic where the grey owl was drying off. He held up the letter, and the owl flew down and landed on his shoulder.
"Please take this to Prof. Minerva McGonagall at Hogwarts." Harry tied the letter to the owl's leg and opened the window. With a sharp little hoot, the owl flew into the storm. Harry wondered about the future, if he could be happy going away to this school, and if he might find out more about his birth parents. Harry loved Gomez and Morticia more than anything, but there was still a part of himself that their love couldn't fill. Hogwarts might have his answers so that he could fill that hole in his heart.