Oliver walked behind the man until they entered the dining room. The sudden scent of bacon and fried eggs made him unconsciously gulp down saliva, his stomach grumbling. 'I didn't realize how hungry I was,' he thought, getting distracted by the delicious smell.
A quiet snicker pulled him out of his daydream. He turned to see a girl with brown hair and green eyes smiling at him.
"Pretty sure the neighbors heard that one," she teased, making him blush.
"Ugh, whatever. I'm just hungry, okay?" he replied, feeling surprisingly comfortable talking with her.
"Come on now, food's getting cold," said Dad, already taking the seat next to her. Oliver awkwardly walked up to the table and sat beside the black haired woman from earlier. She looked at him and noticed he looked unwell.
"Are you feeling okay, Oliver?" she asked with concern in her voice.
"Yes, just a little hungry," he replied, making her nod, turning her attention to the girl, who was already cutting into the bacon on her plate.
"Sophie, use your fork properly and don't rush," she scolded lightly before beginning her own meal.
Oliver picked up his utensils and took a bite of bacon, a small smile appearing on his face. 'Hmm, it's good,' he thought. He finished eating first, having to wait for the rest to finish before he could excuse himself. 'I need to test the Celestial Grimoire some more…'
Lost in thought, he didn't notice the family finishing their meal and the woman starting to gather the empty plates.
"So, honey, anything interesting happen at work?" she asked her husband.
"Not really, besides getting permission for vacation," he replied.
Sophie's eyes lit up. "Vacation!? Where?" she shouted, jumping out of her chair and clutching the man's hand. He laughed.
"Hahaha, it's a secret," he said.
Sophie pouted. "Hmph, you need to tell me!" she whined, making the couple laugh and cutting Oliver's previous train of thought short. 'Vacation? I guess it must be summer then,' he realized.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He heard the thumping coming from the window and turned around to see a large brown owl staring straight at him. The intensity of its gaze made him shiver slightly. 'Why is it looking at me?' he thought, feeling a little creeped out by the creature's calm, unwavering stare.
"Hey, everyone, do you see this owl?" he asked, pointing toward the window.
Sophie stopped mid-sentence, distracted from her thoughts about vacation. "Yes… maybe it's hungry?" she suggested, curiosity in her voice.
"We should let her in," she added, glancing at Dad.
His father considered it for a moment. "Hmm, I guess we could give it some meat," he said, walking up to the window and opening it just enough for the owl to enter. It swooped gracefully into the room, landing in front of him, stretching its claw and dropping a letter at Oliver's feet before hopping aside and beginning to preen its feathers.
Oliver froze, staring at the letter. 'No way… No freaking way…' His heartbeat quickened as he picked it up, and a grin slowly spread across his face when he saw the symbol stamped on the parchment.
"Hogwarts…" he muttered under his breath.
Sophie had apparently heard him, because she stepped closer and asked, "What is written on the letter?"
Without thinking, Oliver's excitement overcame him. "It's a letter from a magic school." he blurted out, forgetting all his previous fears and confusion for a moment. Sophie's eyes widened with a mixture of doubt, hope, and wonder, while his parents exchanged serious glances.
The man looked toward his wife, silently communicating something. She turned to Sophie.
"Sophie, can you help me in the kitchen for a second?" she asked. The girl hesitated, reluctant to leave, but a quick add-on, "I have chocolate in the fridge" was enough to send her running from the dining room, shouting, "Let's go!" The woman shook her head, smiling softly, and followed after her.
Oliver watched them leave, suspicion prickling at his mind. 'Do they know something?'
His father's gaze turned serious as he sat across from him. "Oliver, I didn't expect this day to come," he began, pausing for effect. "Magic is real. And you… you are a wizard."
Oliver had already guessed this from the letter, but hearing it confirmed by his father made the revelation feel more real.
"But… how do you know this? Are you also a wizard?" he asked cautiously, trying to gauge his father's response.
His dad smiled faintly. "I wish. I'm what the wizards call a Squib, a child without magic, born to a magical parent. Your granddad was a wizard," he explained.
Oliver's mind swirled with the new information. 'So my father is a Squib… Are we from a wizard family?' Excitement bubbled up at the thought of magical blood in his veins. 'Maybe I'm a Metamorphmagus…'
"Are we from a wizard family?" He asked, but his father's next words tempered his excitement. "No. Your great-grandparents were non-magical too," he said, leaving Oliver to digest the information.
They stayed in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation lingering in the room. Then his father's eyes shifted to the letter.
"Go on… open it," he said gently.
Oliver nodded, careful with the envelope. He withdrew the parchment inside and began to read, feeling a mixture of awe and disbelief coursing through him.
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. Bennett, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted 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 by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
He turned the page before continuing:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
- The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
- A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
- Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
- A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
- One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
- Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
- The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
- 1 wand
- 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
- 1 set glass or crystal phials
- 1 telescope
- 1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
He finished reading and handed the letter to his father to read for himself. As soon as his father took it, a page of the Celestial Grimoire tore open, and Oliver felt a sudden rush of information flood his mind:
Category - The Druid
Elven Forestry
Cost - 100 Current CP - 200
Origin: LOTR Jumpchain
You are trained, not in the ways of hunting and gathering, but in the mystical arts of the forest. You know how to find and use magical plants such as Athelas, and in times of great hardship can call upon the spirits of nature for aid.
'Hmm… it sounds really useful, but is it worth the cost? I could save CP and maybe get some overpowered ability…' he thought for a moment, then shrugged. 'I'm getting powers at random times, so it's better to take it.'
He accepted the ability, and almost shouted from the pain the enormous rush of information made him experience. Suddenly, he knew where and how to use every plant in the Harry Potter universe. He pressed his hand to his forehead and leaned on the table, dizzy from the sudden influx of knowledge.
"Is something wrong, son?" his father asked, concern in his voice.
"Just… taking everything in," Oliver grunted. His father nodded, understanding, and continued reading the letter.
'Holy hell, why did that hurt so much…' he thought, still reeling from the sudden pain.
When his father finished reading, he looked at Oliver seriously. "Now, I have a question for you, son," he said. Oliver met his gaze. "Do you want to go to Hogwarts? Because if you don't, we can forget this conversation ever took place and register you in a normal school."
Oliver nodded eagerly. "Of course I want to! I want to learn magic," he replied without hesitation. His father smiled and nodded. "Let's write a reply letter, then," he said, standing up and leaving the dining room. A few minutes later, he returned with a pen, paper, and envelope, and together they composed a reply to the school.
Once the letter was sealed, they handed it to the owl, who had been waiting impatiently by the open window. With a powerful flap of its wings, the owl took the letter into its claws and flew out.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, the gentle swish of wind brushing against the window the only sound in the room. Finally, Oliver excused himself, heading back to his room to think about everything that had happened this day.