Wade Grey leaned against the window and saw a gray owl perched on the fence outside. It stared at him with solemn amber eyes, then suddenly bowed its head, spread its wings, and let out a soft hoot.
Wade's expression turned slightly odd.
If he hadn't been seeing things… that owl seemed to have dropped a letter into his mailbox?
But…
This was only 1991. The Harry Potter series hadn't even been published yet, had it?
He had been reborn into this world for eleven years now—growing from a babbling infant to an eleven-year-old boy—and had always believed he'd simply been reincarnated into a version of the United Kingdom from his original world. He'd even planned his life around that assumption...
Never had he imagined he would actually receive a letter delivered by an owl.
Wasn't this a materialist world?
Then again… if someone like him could be reborn, wouldn't it make sense for magic to exist too?
—Right?
—Or maybe… it was just an elaborate prank.
Uncertain, Wade pushed open the door and stepped outside. He glanced at the owl, and the owl, in turn, never took its eyes off him, its head tilting slightly with each movement.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Wade felt like those eyes were filled with intelligence.
He held his breath and opened the mailbox. As he pulled out the mysterious letter and got a good look at the envelope, his pupils shrank and his heart jumped.
The envelope clearly displayed a full address and read: "To Mr. Wade Grey." The parchment was unusually thick, and the ink was a striking emerald green—not a color used for ordinary correspondence.
On the back was a deep red wax seal bearing a coat of arms, a capital "H" surrounded by four animals: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
No postage.
—Well, of course. Owl post doesn't need stamps.
Taking a deep breath, Wade used trembling fingers to tear open the envelope.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
Wade skipped over the long string of titles following the name and went straight to the letter:
"Dear Mr. Grey,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"
Signed: Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall
He read the letter again and again, still unable to believe it—was this really the Harry Potter world?
He muttered under his breath, "Is this real? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
The owl gazed at him with wise eyes, waited a moment, then began grooming its feathers, tucked one foot beneath its body, and rotated its head 180 degrees to look at the scenery behind it.
Wade stared for a while, then dashed back into the house, ran to his father's study, pulled out the best stationery—engraved paper dusted with gold, a feather quill with classical flair, and scented ink—and solemnly wrote:
"Dear Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall,
It is a great honor to receive your letter. If this is not a prank, I would be delighted to attend your esteemed school. However, I am unsure how to acquire the items listed for school use, and would greatly appreciate your guidance.
With my sincerest regards and best wishes,
Wade Grey"
The ink soaked into the paper and dried quickly. Wade folded the letter, placed it in an envelope, and addressed it: "To Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall."
When he stepped outside, the owl was still patiently waiting on the fence.
Wade approached and held out the letter. "Um… this is my reply. Please deliver it to Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall."
The owl extended one claw and gripped the letter, then tilted its head and looked at him with expectant eyes.
"…Is there something else? Oh! Wait a moment!"
A sudden thought struck Wade, and he rushed back inside to grab a handful of nuts. But when he offered them to the owl, it only glanced at them before disdainfully sweeping them aside with a wing. Then it took flight.
Wade: "…"
Not hungry?
Good thing it didn't drop the letter.
Back inside, Wade sat at the table and spread the acceptance letter open again, rereading it with his heart pounding.
Only now did the reality of being accepted into Hogwarts start to sink in.
But…
In all the eleven years since his rebirth, he'd never shown any unusual abilities—
He'd never flown up a tree for no reason, or bent spoons with his mind, or levitated pens.
Was there really magical energy flowing within him?
Or had the rational thinking of adulthood subconsciously suppressed the innate powers he was born with?
Wade clenched his fist, then opened it again—still no sensation of "invisible magic coursing through his body."
He stared intently at a teacup on the table, pouring all his focus into his imagination.
Clatter!
The teacup suddenly shuddered on its own, tumbled over, rolled across the table, and finally wobbled to a stop.
Magic… it was real…
Wade stared at his own hand in a daze.
After calming down a bit, he dialed a number he knew by heart.
"…Mom, do you believe… magic is real?"
——
Less than half an hour later, a car screeched to a halt in front of the house. The Greys forgot to even pull out the key before rushing out of the car.
Wade went to greet them, but before he could say a word, his mother threw her arms around him in a suffocating hug.
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Wade, sweetie, you actually got accepted into Hogwarts—I'm so happy! Really, I've waited so long for this day—I thought—I thought you were just like us, that you'd never have the chance—"
His mother, Fiona, was sobbing and laughing all at once, tears streaming down and ruining her makeup. Wade's father, Ferdinand, held them both in a tight hug, his eyes glistening even though he said nothing.
But the more Wade listened, the more confused he became. "Wait a second, what do you mean? You guys—" He wriggled out of their stifling embrace. "You know about Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Fiona said as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "My mother, and your grandparents—they were all wizards! I've dreamed of going to Hogwarts ever since I was little. But…"
Ferdinand put an arm around his wife and son and ushered them inside. "Let's talk indoors—don't want the Muggles seeing."
Once inside, the full story came out.
It turned out that both his maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents had been wizards, and the two families were close. But during the war, Fiona and Ferdinand were both born amidst chaos—and both turned out to be Squibs: born with magical lineage but no magical abilities.
With the wizarding world itself in turmoil, there was little protection for Squibs. Once it was confirmed they had no magic, the two were sent to be raised by Muggle families.
Over the years, they had fully adapted to Muggle life—but deep inside, they had always yearned for the magical world they never got to be part of.
And when Wade was born, he'd never shown any signs of magic, either. They assumed he was a Squib too. Not wanting their son to suffer the same bitter disappointment they had, they chose to keep the magical world a secret.
"I never thought—you're really a wizard…" Fiona said, tears and laughter tangled together. "I mean—I've been waiting all this time—but it's already July 30th, and your letter hadn't arrived yet—I thought…"
After finally being calmed down by father and son, Fiona went to freshen up.
Once things were quiet again, Ferdinand looked at his eleven-year-old son, worry plain in his eyes.
"…Hogwarts… Wade, I really don't know. With your background… going to that school… is it truly a good thing?"
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