Herb called his father, who grew excited upon hearing the news and promised to visit his grandson soon.
Daisy remained furious. Only Albert's soothing words prevented her from arguing with her husband. The lawyer couldn't understand how her usually intelligent husband could suddenly act so foolishly, falling for such a silly prank and even considering jeopardizing their precious son's future.
In truth, everyone found the situation amusing. After all, magic only existed in legends.
Nia even pestered Albert to perform magic for her.
"I can't," Albert said helplessly, spreading his hands.
Actually, Albert did know a few spells, like the simplest Lumos charm. But without a wand, he doubted he could cast it, so he didn't attempt it. At least, not in front of others. How would he explain it?
"Nia, there's no such thing as magic in this world. It's all just tricks," Daisy said earnestly. She didn't want her daughter filling her head with such fanciful notions.
"Albert, the letter says we can bring a pet to school. Are you planning to take Tom with you?" Nia asked, ignoring her mother's words as she picked up the short-haired cat and sat down beside Albert.
"I won't consider that until I'm certain magic exists," Albert replied solemnly.
Of course, this was mainly to reassure his mother, Daisy, who looked like a ticking time bomb about to explode.
An owl flew into the living room through the window and dropped a piece of parchment on the table.
The parchment read:
I will arrive before 3:20 PM. - Professor McGonagall.
"3:20 PM?" Albert took the parchment, glanced at the clock, and muttered, "Just one minute left."
"Excellent. I'll expose those charlatans' tricks for good."
At precisely 3:20 PM, the doorbell rang.
The Anderson family exchanged glances. Herb Anderson, the head of the household, went to open the door, with Nia trailing behind him.
When Herb opened the door, he found an elderly woman standing on their doorstep.
"Professor McGonagall?" Herb eyed the woman suspiciously. "Oh, alright, come in. Albert's in the living room, if you can prove magic exists."
"You can do magic?" Nia leaned forward, her eyes wide.
"That's precisely why I'm here!" Professor McGonagall handled such situations with practiced ease, having encountered similar skepticism many times before. "Families from Muggle backgrounds often have these questions."
"Muggle? What's a Muggle?" Anderson's expression stiffened as he repeated the unfamiliar word.
She called me a Muggle?
"Muggles are ordinary people who can't use magic," McGonagall explained as she entered the living room, her gaze immediately settling on the sole boy in the room. "Hello, Mr. Anderson."
"Hello, Ms. McGonagall." Albert studied the witch before him. Professor McGonagall's appearance differed from the movie portrayals, though his memories of those films were hazy.
"We hope you can demonstrate... the existence of magic," Daisy said as she served McGonagall a cup of unsweetened black tea.
"Of course. Watch!" McGonagall drew her wand and tapped the teacup lightly. To their astonishment, the teacup transformed into a small, gray mouse.
This was Albert's first time witnessing magic. Curious, he picked up the gray mouse and exclaimed, "Amazing!"
"So this is magic?" Daisy demanded, adopting her lawyer's demeanor. "I absolutely refuse to let Albert waste his time on such trivial tricks. Do you expect him to become a magician? Frankly, I'm deeply concerned about his future. A Hogwarts graduation certificate would be as worthless as scrap paper in the Muggle world—assuming you even issue them."
"Every qualified Hogwarts graduate finds a respectable job in the magical world," Professor McGonagall assured her. "You needn't worry about that."
Having witnessed magic firsthand, Daisy knew she couldn't deny its existence. But she still made one last plea: "Albert, I believe Eton College is a far better choice. You earned that place through your own hard work. If you want to pursue finance, you'd be better off avoiding Hogwarts. It would stifle your talents."
Herb looked at his wife, sighing inwardly. He knew Daisy desperately didn't want Albert to go to Hogwarts.
"Son, it's your decision. We'll respect whatever you choose."
"If I may speak frankly," McGonagall cleared her throat, explaining, "Hogwarts teaches young wizards how to control and use magic. And when magic goes out of control, it can lead to... unfortunate consequences."
"Well, it seems I have no choice!" Albert raised an eyebrow, though he had already made up his mind.
"But, Albert..." Daisy tried to interject, but Nia cut her off.
"Madam, can I go to Hogwarts too?"
"Only children who are eleven years old and have received an invitation from Hogwarts can study there," McGonagall replied tactfully.
"Nia, you're not eleven yet," Albert said, patting his sister's head. He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Where should I go to buy my supplies? And what about the train ticket? Where do I catch the train?"
Was this his way of agreeing?
Professor McGonagall couldn't help but sigh with relief. She gave Albert rough directions to the Leaky Cauldron. "You'll definitely see it, even though the Muggles around you won't... Muggles are ordinary people who don't understand magic. By the way, the pub owner is named Tom. You can ask him for directions to Diagon Alley; he'll be happy to guide you."
"As for Platform 9¾, it's located between Platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross Station. Just walk through the barrier between them, and you'll be there."
"Taking a train to a wizarding school? How ridiculous! Have all your magic carpets broken down?" Daisy sneered sharply.
"Daisy," Herb said with a light cough, handing the notes he'd just taken to Professor McGonagall to ensure nothing crucial was missed.
"Then I'll see you at Hogwarts on September 1st, Mr. Anderson," Professor McGonagall said, preparing to leave.
"Professor, could you change it back?" Albert pointed to the rat that had been a teacup.
"Oh, of course!" Professor McGonagall flicked her wand, and the rat transformed back into a teacup.
After Albert saw Professor McGonagall out, she vanished with a pop.
"Did she just disappear?" Herb stared in disbelief at the spot where she had stood moments before.
"Dad, are we going to London tomorrow?" Albert asked.
"Oh, oh, yes, we're going to London to buy things tomorrow," Herb replied absently.
"I want to go too!" Nia tugged at her father's hand, pleading.
"Not this time," Albert said, shaking his head. "I need to familiarize myself with the place first. We'll take you and Mom next time. I'll bring you back a gift."
"Ugh, Albert's so mean!" Nia stomped away in a huff.
Albert shrugged helplessly at Herb before turning back into the living room. He still had two people—one big, one small—to appease.