The family was gathered around the solid wooden round table in the living room.
Two yellowed parchment envelopes rested on the table.
The envelopes were addressed:
“Mr. Fel Hefis, 3 Cherry Road, Harrow, West London.”
On the front was a complex black crest composed of a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
A large capital “H” sat in the center, with the word “Hogwarts” written across the top.
The other envelope looked exactly the same.
The envelopes had been sealed with dark red wax, but the seals had already been broken.
Mr.
Granger and Mrs.
Granger frowned as they each held one letter and read it carefully.
The letter read: “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Order of Merlin, First Class). Dear Mr. Fel Hefis. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of the required books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.”
It was signed, “Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.”
The two letters were almost identical, except that Hermione’s letter was addressed to “Dear Miss Hermione Jean Granger.”
Hermione looked excited, her little feet swinging constantly inside her slippers as she stared at Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger.
Meanwhile, Fel smiled as he teased the owl standing on the table.
Its beak curved downward like a small hook, and its round, plump appearance made it look rather adorable.
It had to be said that an owl’s plumpness came from its feathers, because there was actually very little meat on its body.
As an important companion that carried wizards’ emotions and worked tirelessly for them, it was neither tasty nor meant to be eaten.
The owl’s dark brown eyes were bright and lively as they stared at the little bear shaped biscuit in Fel’s palm.
Fel somehow detected a trace of disdain in its gaze.
“Oh, I almost forgot, owls like meat.”
Fel slapped his forehead and stood up to walk toward the refrigerator.
“Children, I think this might be some kind of prank.”
Mr.
Granger put down the letter and spoke to Hermione.
“A magic school and all that sounds a little too ridiculous.”
“Well, I used to tell you bedtime stories about magic all the time, but they really were just stories.”
Mrs.
Granger also frowned as she spoke.
Hearing that, Hermione’s excitement immediately faded, and her rosy little lips pouted.
“I think we should at least give it a try. No one would play this kind of prank on us, and this owl really is very clever.”
Fel walked back carrying a small piece of chicken breast and placed it in front of the owl.
Only then did the owl nod its head in satisfaction before lowering it to peck at the meat.
“What do you mean by giving it a try?” Mr.
Granger asked with a smile.
“We write them a reply and ask a wizard to come explain everything to us.”
Fel took out a sheet of writing paper and a fountain pen, then lowered his head and began writing as though he had prepared for this in advance.
“Dear Professor McGonagall. We have received your letter, but we cannot tell whether what it says is true, and we know absolutely nothing about enrollment or purchasing the required supplies. If possible, please send a teacher to answer our questions. Fel Hefis.”
After showing the letter to the other three, Mr.
Granger did not object and simply smiled.
“Very well, then let’s see whether a real wizard who can use magic actually comes.”
He did not really believe it, but he did not mind playing along with the children.
Hermione snatched the letter, wrapped it up properly, tied it to the owl’s leg, and gently patted its head.
Its feathers felt wonderfully soft.
The owl quickly flew away.
Mr.
Granger clapped his hands.
“Alright, children, let’s get ready to head out and visit the zoo.”
“Even if all of this is real, we won’t receive a reply that quickly.”
…
By the time the family drove home, it was already two o’clock in the afternoon.
Fel and Hermione still wore happy smiles on their faces, because even with an extra lifetime of memories, Fel was still a child after all.
Hermione’s little mouth worked like a typewriter as she endlessly shared animal facts she had learned from encyclopedias.
“Alright, Hermione, I know you’ve learned a lot, but you’ve been talking for an entire hour. Aren’t you tired?”
Fel asked helplessly.
“Hmph, then don’t listen. You’ve never liked studying anyway.”
Hermione tossed her head aside and pouted.
“Actually, your talent for learning isn’t any worse than mine, but you just prefer sports and fighting.”
“I only study knowledge that’s actually useful instead of absorbing everything like a sponge just to come first in the grade.”
“And besides, fighting is a man’s romance!”
While Mr.
Granger headed toward the garage, Mrs.
Granger had already opened the front door as the two children continued bickering.
The moment she opened the door, she saw a letter lying on the floor that had been pushed through the mail slot.
Hermione excitedly picked up the letter, quickly tore it open, and began reading.
Soon she looked up, her big eyes sparkling brightly, and said to Mr.
Granger, “The letter says Professor McGonagall will come tomorrow morning at eight.”
…
Early the next morning, the family sat neatly dressed on the living room sofa while waiting for their visitor.
Fel stared at the clock, and when it reached 7:50, calm and measured knocking came from outside the door.
Hermione immediately jumped to her feet, ran to the entrance, and opened the front door.
Mr.
Granger, Mrs.
Granger, and Fel also stood up.
“H, hello.”
Hermione, who had been full of excitement just moments earlier, now looked rather timid as she welcomed the visitor inside.
Fel took a careful look, let out a deep breath, relaxed his tense body, and smiled.
Only at that moment did he finally become certain that it had not been a joke and that the memories from his dream were real.
This truly was a world of magic.
The visitor was an elderly lady with high cheekbones, hollow cheeks, and a prominent nose.
It was easy to imagine that she must have been quite beautiful when she was young.
She wore a pointed witch’s hat and a long black robe that reached the floor.
Her overall demeanor was rather stern, but she had clearly come in friendship, so she wore a warm smile.
Most importantly, she looked remarkably similar to the Professor McGonagall from Fel’s memories.
“You must be Professor McGonagall?”
Fel asked with a smile.
“Yes. Hello, Fel, Hermione, Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger.”
Professor McGonagall spoke in a refined old London accent with a clear voice as she greeted each of them.
However, she deliberately gave Fel a slight nod, her deep gaze leaving him rather puzzled.
The atmosphere gradually became more relaxed as everyone sat down on the sofa and began chatting.
“Professor McGonagall, please forgive me, but I still find it difficult to believe that magic really exists.”
“If magic truly exists, could you please demonstrate it for us?”
After chatting for a while and becoming more comfortable, Mr.
Granger made his request.
“Of course, sir.”
“In fact, this is something we do almost every year for Muggle born students.”
Professor McGonagall was clearly accustomed to this as she drew a slender wooden wand from her sleeve, its handle decorated with several rounded knobs while the shaft itself was smooth.
Fel knew that it was a wand.
Even so, he still asked Professor McGonagall about it.
After all, everyone else present did not know, so it was a good opportunity to ask.
“Professor, what is that? Is it a tool used to cast magic?”
Professor McGonagall nodded with satisfaction.
This child, he really was very intelligent like his mother.
[Translator: The original sentence was “her child”. I dont know what it is. i will be looking into future chapter and fix this]
She hoped Harry and Neville would be as perceptive as Fel.
“Yes, every wizard has one. It is an essential tool for casting magic.”
“In a little while, I’ll take you to buy your own wand, and you can ask Mr. Ollivander at the wand shop for the details.”
After saying that, she gently waved her wand toward the glass on the table, and Fel vaguely sensed a mysterious ripple.
Then something happened that Mr.
and Mrs.
Granger would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Another world was completely unveiled before their eyes.