The following afternoon, in the Garden Room of Buckingham Palace.
There was an unusual tension in the air.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting bright patches across the polished long table.
The tea service had already been arranged, but today’s tea party was clearly anything but ordinary.
Elizabeth sat at the head of the table, as composed as ever.
Her pearl necklace and earrings gave off a soft, lustrous glow against her neck and ears.
To her right sat Philip, who had rushed back from abroad specifically for this occasion.
The old prince, known for his blunt temper, had his brows slightly furrowed and his arms crossed as he surveyed the room, as though assessing an upcoming military conference.
Charles sat to Elizabeth’s left.
His posture was proper, but his fingertips tapped unconsciously against his knee.
Diana sat beside Charles, wearing a soft champagne-colored suit that made her look elegant yet slightly worried.
Her gaze fell more often on Henry.
Dressed neatly in a small suit, he sat quietly to his grandmother’s left, his back straight but his expression far from nervous.
Come on, what was there to be nervous about when you were going to learn magic?
William and Harry had not been permitted to attend the meeting.
They were not involved in the matter, and they were also too young.
When the clock’s hands pointed steadily to exactly three o’clock, the silent flames in the fireplace suddenly went “whoosh” and transformed into brilliant emerald-green fire.
Prince Philip abruptly straightened in his seat.
Charles’s fingers stopped moving, and Diana drew a soft breath.
The flames began to swirl, yet not a trace of heat spread into the room.
Then a tall, slender figure steadily stepped out of the flames, his manner so calm that it seemed as though he were merely crossing an ordinary doorway.
The flames behind him quickly returned to normal, as though the strange phenomenon had been nothing more than an illusion.
The newcomer was tall, with long silver-white hair and a beard that nearly reached his chest.
Behind his half-moon spectacles, a pair of bright blue eyes shimmered with wisdom and gentleness.
He wore a dark purple robe embroidered with tiny silver patterns resembling stars, along with a pointed wizard’s hat of the same color.
Most striking of all was the peculiar sense of tranquility surrounding him.
It was almost as though he had brought not the shock of magic, but an entirely natural sense of peace.
“Good afternoon.” He gave a slight bow.
“Thank you for your invitation. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts.”
Even Queen Elizabeth, who had seen more than most people in her lifetime, showed the faintest trace of surprise in her eyes.
She immediately composed herself and gave a slight nod.
“Headmaster Dumbledore, welcome to Buckingham Palace. Please, have a seat.”
Paul appeared silently and pulled out a chair for Dumbledore before retreating into the shadows.
His eyes, however, remained fixed on the visitor like those of the most vigilant sentry.
“Very interesting mode of transportation,” Prince Philip said first, his tone direct.
“More environmentally friendly than a helicopter, I presume?”
Dumbledore’s eyes blinked cheerfully behind his spectacles.
“Indeed, Your Royal Highness. The Floo Network is a rather convenient way to travel, provided you do not mind getting a little covered in fireplace ash from time to time.”
His slightly humorous reply eased the tense atmosphere somewhat.
At Elizabeth’s signal, an attendant stepped forward and poured tea for the headmaster.
“Headmaster Dumbledore,” Elizabeth said, getting straight to the point in an even tone, “we received your school’s letter to Henry and were both surprised and compelled to consider the matter very carefully. As you know, Henry’s position is highly unusual.”
Dumbledore folded his hands together and listened attentively.
“I completely understand, Your Majesty. In fact, in Hogwarts’ thousand-year history, admitting a student with such a prominent position in the non-magical world is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Ordinarily, children with magical talent, regardless of their background, are brought into the educational system of the magical world. This is required both by the International Statute of Secrecy and by the development of young witches and wizards themselves.”
“Magical talent?” Charles leaned forward.
“How can you be certain Henry possesses such talent? Our family has never…”
“The manifestation of magical talent can sometimes be subtle, and at other times quite obvious,” Dumbledore explained gently, turning his gaze toward Henry.
“It may manifest as unconsciously causing objects to move, having a particular affinity with certain magical creatures, or triggering small, inexplicable accidents during moments of intense emotion. Hogwarts maintains an extensive magical network covering all of Britain, which records traces of magical fluctuations produced by underage witches and wizards. His Royal Highness Henry’s name appeared on our list quite some time ago. However, according to tradition, we generally send the formal notification around a child’s eleventh birthday.”
He looked at Henry encouragingly.
“Have you ever experienced anything unusual yourself, Your Royal Highness?”
Henry recalled several details.
When he was younger, a portrait of his grandfather that was always hanging crooked had suddenly straightened itself after Henry angrily stared at it one day.
There were the birds in the garden that seemed particularly fond of gathering around him.
And occasionally, whenever he desperately wanted something that was just out of reach, it would somehow appear closer to him without explanation…
He had always assumed they were coincidences, or perhaps some peculiar privilege of royal life.
Now that he thought about it, perhaps they really weren’t.
“There have indeed been a few incidents,” Henry answered cautiously.
Dumbledore nodded, as though that was sufficient.
“As for safety and education,” he said, turning his attention back to the Queen and Charles, “Hogwarts Castle itself possesses extraordinarily powerful ancient protective magic, and the safety of our students during their time at school is our highest priority. The curriculum includes magical theory, practical magic, History of Magic, Potions, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and other subjects. The purpose is to systematically guide young witches and wizards in controlling their own magical power while helping them understand the magical world in which we live.”
Henry complained inwardly.
Safety?
Although it had been a long time since he had read the novels, he still remembered that Harry Potter was indeed the Boy Who Lived—the boy who had to experience life-threatening disasters every single school year.
And at the end of every year, he even received one-on-one tutoring from a master teacher of the highest caliber.
What wonderfully safe education!
Death comes like the wind, always at my side, huh?
“How long does he have to stay there? Every year?” Prince Philip asked practically.
“The school operates on a term system, from September 1 to late June of the following year, with Christmas and Easter holidays in between. In their seventh year, students take their final wizarding examinations and complete their education.”
“Seventh year? He’ll already be eighteen when he comes back!” Charles couldn’t help objecting.
“During that time, his public duties, his public image…”
“Father,” Henry interrupted softly but firmly, “if this is a road I have to take, I believe we can find a suitable solution.”
The meeting continued for more than an hour.
Dumbledore patiently answered every question, from the details of school life to deeper considerations.
He demonstrated several harmless pieces of magic—making a teaspoon stir itself, causing the roses in a vase to bloom instantly before returning to normal, and sending a small cluster of silver sparks from the tip of his wand that formed the image of the Royal lion.
He thereby proved the reality of magic while cleverly easing the tension.
Henry wasn’t sure how everyone else felt, but Prince Philip was genuinely captivated.
He stared at Dumbledore’s magic without blinking, his face practically screaming, “I want to learn this!”
In the end, Queen Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Prince Philip, then quietly discussed the matter with Charles and Diana for a moment.
“We need a little time to make our final decision,” the Queen said, “but in principle, we agree to Henry accepting this invitation, provided that all reasonable safety and transition measures are put in place.”
Dumbledore smiled.
“Thank you for your open-mindedness, Your Majesty. We can continue discussing the specific details through correspondence. Now, regarding preparations for enrollment…”
“Tomorrow,” Diana suddenly spoke, her voice gentle but clear.
“Could we accompany Henry to purchase the things he needs tomorrow morning? I mean, to that place… Diagon Alley?”
Her words were filled with a mother’s concern.
She wanted to see for herself what kind of world her son was about to enter.
Dumbledore looked slightly surprised, but readily agreed.
“Of course, Your Royal Highness. That is entirely in accordance with the regulations. In fact, having family accompany a young wizard on their first visit to the magical world is something we encourage. We can arrange a time to meet outside the Leaky Cauldron—that is the entrance to Diagon Alley.”