Chapter 1: Acceptance Letter
Chapter 1: Acceptance Letter
Ved Gore gazed out the window, spotting a gray owl perched on the fence outside. With brownish-yellow eyes, the owl stared at him solemnly, then lowered its head, flapped its wings, and hooted softly.
Ved's expression turned peculiar.
If he hadn't mistaken, the owl seemed to have dropped a letter into their mailbox?
But...
It's still 1991, and the Harry Potter series hasn't been published yet, has it?
Having been reborn in this world for eleven years, Ved had believed he was reincarnated into the original world of the United Kingdom. He had even planned out his life accordingly...
He never imagined... that he would receive an owl post.
Isn't this a materialistic world? But... since people can be reborn, then it would be somewhat... reasonable if magic existed...
—Wouldn't it?
—Or perhaps this is just a cruel prank.
With a hint of uncertainty, Ved opened the door and stepped out, instinctively looking at the owl. The owl's gaze followed him, its head turning slightly.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Ved felt that the owl's eyes were filled with intelligence.
Holding his breath, he opened the mailbox and took out the mysterious letter. As he read the address clearly, his pupils dilated, and his heart skipped a beat.
On the envelope was his detailed address and the name, "Mr. Ved Gore," written clearly. The parchment paper felt unusually thick, and the emerald green ink was not a common color.
Turning over the envelope, he saw a deep red wax seal on the back, embossed with a shield bearing a large "H" surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
There was no postage stamp.
—Of course, an owl post needs no stamp!
Ved took a deep breath and carefully opened the envelope with slightly trembling fingers.
[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore]
Ved eagerly skipped the long list of titles that followed and continued reading: [Dear Mr. Gore, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall]
Ved read the letter over and over, still finding it hard to believe—Could this really be the world of Harry Potter?
Unconsciously, he murmured, "Is this for real? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
The owl fixed him with a wise gaze, waiting for a moment before lowering its head to preen its feathers. It tucked one foot in and turned its head a full one-eighty degrees to look at the scenery behind it.
Ved stood stunned for a moment before rushing back inside the house and bursting into his father's study. He retrieved the best envelope, along with embossed and gold-dusted stationery. With a quill that exuded classical beauty and ink that smelled delightful, he wrote solemnly:
"Respected Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, It is an 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 procure the school supplies mentioned in your letter, and I would greatly appreciate your guidance in this matter...
With my most sincere regards, and wishing you all the best,
Ved Gore"
The ink soaked into the paper, quickly drying. Ved folded the letter, tucked it into the envelope, and wrote on the front, "Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall."
Upon stepping outside, he saw that the owl was still patiently waiting on the fence.
Ved approached it and held out the letter. "This is my reply, please deliver it to Deputy Headmistress McGonagall."
The owl extended a claw to take the letter, then cocked its head, looking at him expectantly.
"Anything else... Oh, please wait!"
Ved had a sudden idea. He went back inside and grabbed a handful of nuts, which he offered to the owl. The owl glanced at the nuts and then dismissively swept them away with its wing before taking flight.
Ved: "...'
It didn't eat anything? Luckily, it didn't drop the letter.
Back inside, Ved sat at the table, poring over the acceptance letter again and again, his heart pounding.
Only now did he truly feel the reality of his acceptance to Hogwarts.
But...
In the eleven years since he was reborn in this world, he had never discovered any extraordinary abilities within himself -
He hadn't suddenly found himself perched atop a tree, nor had he bent spoons or made pens fly with his thoughts.
Did his body truly possess magical energy?
Or was it that—an adult's thoughts were too rational and objective, inadvertently suppressing the innate power within his body?
Ved clenched his fist and opened it again, still not feeling the flow of 'invisible magic' within him.
He stared intently at a teacup in front of him, focusing all his imagination on it.
"Clang!"
The teacup suddenly wobbled and fell over without any apparent force, rolling in a circle on the table before slowly coming to a stop.
Magic... it was actually real...
Ved stared at his palm, dumbfounded.
After his emotions gradually calmed down, he dialed a number he knew by heart.
"Mom... do you believe... that magic exists?"
...
In less than half an hour, a car screeched to a halt outside. The Grey couple was so hurried that they forgot to remove the key from the ignition as they rushed out.
Ved went to greet them, but before he could even say hello, he was enveloped in a suffocating hug.
"Oh my goodness! Oh, my dear Ved, you've really been accepted to Hogwarts—I'm so happy! Really... I've waited so long for this day—I thought—I thought you were like us, without—without that opportunity—"
Fiona, his mother, sobbed, her makeup smudged by her tears. Ved's father, Ferdinand, held them close, his eyes glistening with unshed tears despite his silence.
The more Ved listened, the more confused he became. "Wait, what do you mean? You two—" He wriggled free from his parents' suffocating embrace. "Do you know about Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Fiona said, dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief. "My mother, your grandparents, they were all wizards. I've always dreamed of going to Hogwarts since I was little. It's just..."
Ferdinand wrapped his arms around his wife and son, ushering them into the house. "Let's talk inside—we don't want Muggles to see us."
After some explanation, Ved finally understood the situation.
Turns out, his grandparents and maternal grandmother were all wizards, and the two families had a good relationship. However, due to the turmoil of war, Fiona and Ferdinand, who were born in the midst of displacement, were both Squibs - possessing the wizarding gene but lacking the ability to perform magic.
In the midst of the war, wizards struggled to protect themselves, let alone two Squibs? After confirming their lack of magical abilities, they were sent to Muggle families to be raised.
Over the years, they had fully adapted to the Muggle lifestyle but always harbored a secret longing for the magical world.
However, since Ved's birth, he had never displayed any magical abilities, and they assumed he was also a Squib. To spare him the pain of expectation followed by disappointment, they had kept the existence of magic a secret.
"I never thought—I never imagined you were actually a wizard... I mean—I've been waiting, but it's already July 30th, and you hadn't received a letter... I thought..."
Fiona alternated between laughter and tears, and it took a while for the father and son to soothe her. She eventually calmed down and went to freshen up in the bathroom.
Once the room was quiet, Ferdinand looked at his eleven-year-old son, his eyes filled with undeniable worry:
"Hogwarts... sigh, Ved... I really don't know if it's a good thing for you to go to that school with your identity..."
(End of Chapter)
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