Chapter 8: A Letter
Chapter 8: A Letter
"Dear Mom and Dad,
Even though I've only just left home, I already miss you both. I hope you are both well and in good spirits.
Yesterday, we arrived at Hogwarts in a deep red steam train. The school is a majestic castle surrounded by grasslands, forests, and lakes. I must say, the scenery here at dawn is simply enchanting.
By the time we reached the school, it was already evening, and the first-years were sorted into houses. As you may know, Hogwarts is divided into four houses—Gryffindor, the brave and chivalrous; Hufflepuff, the honest and loyal; Ravenclaw, the wise and learned; and Slytherin, the ambitious and cunning..."
Vider paused in his writing.
He suddenly realized that among the four houses, the selection criteria for all but Ravenclaw focused on students' qualities rather than their abilities.
So, it stood to reason that those who were smart and brave might end up in Gryffindor, like Dumbledore and Hermione; the smart and loyal in Hufflepuff, such as Newt Scamander (the protagonist of the 'Fantastic Beasts' series) and Cedric Diggory; and the smart and ambitious in Slytherin, including Voldemort and Snape.
What, then, of the "smart" ones left in Ravenclaw? Perhaps they were quick-witted and intelligent, but smart people often excelled at advancing their interests and avoiding harm. They were also more likely to shrink from challenges and dangers, opting for easier paths that benefited themselves.
To achieve greatness, one needed more than just a sharp mind; it was the strength of one's character that provided the driving force—a relentless pursuit, unwavering resilience, or burning ambition. Those who were smart but content to remain in their own world, marching to the beat of their drum, often ended up as oddities in the eyes of others.
Hence, in the story, Ravenclaw was the least prominent of the four houses at Hogwarts. The Ravenclaws who appeared in the narrative, whether current or graduated students, displayed varying degrees of eccentricity, with the exception of Cho Chang.
Vider frowned slightly as he recalled the Sorting Hat declaring him a perfect fit for Ravenclaw. He quickly dismissed this thought, reminding himself that he was his own person and couldn't be defined by a hat, especially one with a less-than-perfect track record. After all, it had sorted the cowardly Peter Pettigrew into Gryffindor.
Vider paused before continuing his letter:
"A talking hat sorted me into Ravenclaw, which I suppose is a compliment to my intellect. Indeed, I intend to make the most of my seven years here and absorb as much knowledge as possible, for I've heard there's no place in all of Britain with a richer collection of books than Hogwarts. It must be said that the wizarding world lags far behind Muggle governments in this regard, lacking public libraries. Precious books are either locked away in schools or hidden in the private studies of certain aristocratic families.
The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is a rather peculiar man. With his silvery white hair and beard, he embodies the very image of a mysterious wizard, like a living Merlin. Can you imagine? His opening speech at the start-of-term feast consisted of the words: 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' Hardly anyone knew what it meant, but it was certainly better than those long and boring speeches. Because as soon as he finished speaking, our tables were suddenly laden with delicious food (yes, it just appeared out of thin air—magic is truly amazing), and we were all famished by then.
This professor is a bit eccentric, but he's also humorous, kind, and gentle, and he's considered the greatest wizard of our time. A classmate from a wizarding family told me that because of Dumbledore, Hogwarts is also recognized as the safest place in the world. So, you don't have to worry about me encountering any dangers at school. Students here don't cast nasty spells on others without cause; they're really no different from children in ordinary schools.
In addition, my house, Ravenclaw, has its own tower, located on the west side of the castle. After dinner, the prefect, West, led us to the tower. We had to answer the door knocker's riddle correctly to enter the common room. The common room is a very spacious circular room with a deep blue dome adorned with stars, and thick carpets patterned with stars, creating a peaceful and elegant atmosphere. Arch-shaped windows line the walls, with bronze-colored silk drapes hanging down. Through the windows, one can see the distant mountains and fields, as well as the Quidditch pitch within the school grounds.
The dormitories are in the corner tower next to the tower—I have to say, getting to the dorms does involve climbing quite a few stairs. But the upperclassmen said that the stairs in the school are often kinder to Ravenclaws and won't move around to prank us. Sometimes, they even create shortcuts, at least cutting the distance by half. Perhaps it's because the ever-changing stairs in the castle were designed by the founder of the house, Rowena Ravenclaw.
Ravenclaw has the fewest students among the four houses, and the dormitories are double rooms. But since there was one extra boy, well, you can probably guess... I seized the opportunity and quickly applied for it, and luckily, I got a single room.
The dormitory has a warm bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and bookshelves, as well as an en-suite bathroom, and all the necessities are provided. We don't need to wash our clothes or clean the room; there's an invisible group of little helpers in the castle. When I woke up, everything was neatly arranged. They must have delivered my suitcase to the dorm, too. Thank goodness I didn't have to carry it up the spiral staircase myself.
The students in the house get along well, and Prefect West takes good care of the first years. Worried that some students might get lost, he waited for us in the common room early in the morning and took us to the Great Hall for breakfast. He also gave us our class schedule for the term—I have to say, the workload seems very manageable, so that's one less thing to worry about.
After breakfast, Prefect West also took us on a tour of the school, telling us where to go for each class, which areas are prohibited, and shortcuts to places like the library, the infirmary, and the Quidditch pitch.
Soon, we'll also have our first Flying lesson, where I'll ride a broom for the first time—exciting, isn't it? I never imagined that humans could fly like birds—of course, I'll follow the professor's instructions and pay attention to safety to avoid injuries.
Lastly, I want to say that Hogwarts is truly a fantastic school! I really like it here.
Love,
Vider Grey
Having lived two lives, Vider is not as carefree as an ordinary child. He is well aware of how much parents worry about their children when they leave home. So, Vider took some time before class to write down everything that had happened since he arrived at school, even drawing a simple map of the school grounds to include with the letter. After rereading his letter, he changed the phrase "ambitious" to describe Slytherin to "proud and cunning."
It wasn't to praise Slytherin House, but to avoid making his parents worry about possible conflicts between the houses and, by extension, his situation—because the Greys' impression of the wizarding world was still stuck in the era of the Dark Lord's reign, and they had been secretly feeling guilty and worried about Vider being a Squib ever since he received his Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Vider wanted to tell them, "It's okay. The war is over, pure-blood supremacy is no longer mainstream, and everything is fine at Hogwarts now. My background isn't a hindrance, and neither are you a burden."
He would always be grateful for being their child.
(End of Chapter)
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