Its been almost two years since I got the letter my mother left me and soon I'll be eleven. I cannot believe a few words could make me so emotional, just from that heartfelt letter I have come to like my parents in this life. I hope I could at least know what they were running from. I haven't told anyone what was in that letter even though some of the caretakers were curious.
Sigh….. thinking about all this won't be healthy for me, let's go for dinner now. It will be my 11th birthday tomorrow, it will be celebrated just like previous ones. Having my dinner I think about what to do when someone from Hogwarts comes to me to introduce me to the Wizarding world. Should I just tell the truth? If it's Professor Dumbledore, he would know about my parents, not that he will tell me much from what I know about him, but he will at least tell me something.
Thinking all this I fall asleep. The next day I went through it without much change except the usual birthday dinner and gifts in form of some fantasy books.
It has been more than three month since my birthday, today is 1st of July and I am hoping someone from Hogwarts will come in the coming few days.
Tuck! Tuck!
Comes a voice from my window like a bird pecking it, and indeed it was a bird pecking it and owl to be more accurate. I jump form my bed and move to the window open it and let it inside, it swoops in towards my table drops the letter there and sits back on the window sill looking meaning fully at me, I stare back at it dumbfounded for a bit before it beats me with its wings and hoots at me, I come out from my daze and say mumbled, "wait for me I'll bring you some food." Saying that I run towards the kitchen area and request some bread and water in a bowl, Miss Margret looks weirdly at me but gives me the things I asked for without saying anything.
Taking those I move swiftly to my room, to my relief I see the bird still there waiting for me patiently, I place the bowl of water and some bits and pieces of bread near the window for the owl to eat. It looks at me for a bit and tentatively starts eating and drinking the things I provided it with.
"Please wait for me to write a response for the letter you have brought me." I said, unsure if it would understand me, and surprisingly it stops eating for a bit, nods at me and returns to eating again. I chuckle a bit and take the envelope on my desk and examined it, The envelope was made of thick, high-quality parchment, its texture slightly rough beneath the fingertips and its color a warm, aged ivory. The edges, though neatly cut, bore subtle irregularities, hinting at careful handcrafting rather than mass production. Upon the front, written in dark green ink with elegant, flowing script, was the recipient's name and address:
Master Marcus Starborn
Woolsington House Orphanage
Hawthorne Lane, Little Whittingham
Surrey, England
Yup that's my address. The ink, rich and precise, suggested the use of a fine quill, each letter formed with deliberate care. The envelope was sealed with a deep red wax crest, pressed with the emblem of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—a grand shield bearing the four house mascots encircling the Latin motto: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus. The wax bore a faint shimmer, as though touched by magic, and the parchment itself carried a curious weight, heavier than ordinary post, as if it held something far greater than mere words. Here is what it said.
.
..
…
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Professor Armando Dippet
Dear Master Starborn,
Pray accept our felicitations upon your admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed herewith is a list of books and implements required for your instruction.
The term shall commence on the first day of September, and you are expected to confirm your attendance by owl post no later than the thirty-first of July.
In light of present uncertainties, we entreat all students and their kin to exercise prudence whilst traveling. Rest assured, the castle remains a haven for those under its roof.
Yours with highest regard,
Professor Herbert Beery
Deputy Headmaster
REQUIRED ARTICLES FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
-Attire
•Three sets of plain work robes (black)
•One pointed hat (black) for daily wear
•One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
•One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
-Compulsory Texts
•A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Brunhilda Drakestone
•Fundamentals of Magic by Hesper Blackwood
•The Elementary Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Alberic Grunnion
•Magical Creatures of the British Isles by Montague Worme
•A Concise History of Magic by Cantankerus Nott
•Herbology for Beginners by Daisy Dodderidge
•Essential Potions and Their Uses by Nicolas Flamel
•A Compendium of Common Hexes and Counter-Curses by Gaspard Machan
-Other Necessities
•One wand
•One cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
•One set of glass or crystal phials
•One telescope
•One set of brass scales
First-years are strictly forbidden from possessing their own broomsticks.
…
..
.
Yup too much formal, for sure it is because the current years we live in. Well let's first write the response.
…
..
.
1st July, 1931
Woolsington House Orphanage
Hawthorne Lane, Little Whittingham
Surrey, England.
Professor Herbert Beery
Deputy Headmaster
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Scotland.
Dear Professor Beery,
I am in receipt of your letter and wish to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is an honor I shall not take lightly, and I greatly anticipate the commencement of my education this September.
I shall endeavour to procure the necessary books and supplies with all due haste; however, as I am without family to assist me in these preparations, I would be most obliged if you might advise me on how best to make the necessary arrangements, particularly in regard to Gringotts and Diagon Alley. If there exists any provision for students in my circumstances, I should be most grateful to learn of it.
I remain eager to embark upon this new chapter and shall strive to prove myself a worthy pupil of Hogwarts.
With the utmost respect,
Marcus Starborn.
.
..
…
This looks ok? I don't really know what will be appropriate according this time. Sealing it in the same envelope, While removing Hogwarts seal and replacing it with the blank wax, magic sure helps, huh?
I look at the owl now ready to go back, it reaches out with his leg and I hand him? Leg him? Whatever I let his claws clutch the letter. It takes it and flies out of the window which was open all the time. After that I go on with the rest of my day excited about the next day.
The next day came, I was resting in my room as usual after a practice session, when someone nocked on my door, "Coming!" I said. I opened the door and there was a man with Miss Mary behind him. I looked at her askingly and she said, "Marcus, boy, this is mister Dumbledore, he is here for some arrangement your parents made before your birth regarding your future." She was a bit sceptic about the whole thing. "Normally I would not let him in but he said you would have already received a letter, which you didn't tell me about, so I have brought him here." Towards the end she raised a eye brow at me.
I said back a bit ashamed, "Yes, I wanted to tell you about it, but it slipped my mind." She sighed but let it go and said, "Then I will leave this gentle man with you." And went off to do her duties.
I look at him smirking at me, "I am sorry mister Dumbledore, about the inconvenience." I apologised, for it was I who made the mistake of not informing my caretakers about this.
"No problem, Master Starborn, children are often absent minded and you no doubt being excited about this makes you more susceptible towards making such errors. And please call me professor for that is who I am."
"Thank you for understanding professor Dumbledore. Please come in, I don't have much but I could ask one of our caretakers to provide some tea?" I ask politely.
"None such things are needed, we my little friend are on a limited time, I would like to ask if you know about magic, but reading your response letter and feeling the active magical energy still in this room I guess you do know about it?" he asks probingly.
"Yes Professor, I know about magic, from a young age of 7 at that too. When I was seven, you see, I started to feel the magic around me, not that I knew what it was before my ninth birthday, a letter left by my mother mentioned what it was and what I am. My magic was not controlled and it would be ready to lash around near me. Fearing it would cause others harm I learned to control it. And I heard Miss Mary say you are for the arrangements my parents made, Do you know them by any chance?" I ask hopefully.
"Yes… I do know your parents, they were my juniors at Hogwarts, they were always fighting to each other but not the harmful kind just arguments here and there, their demise was truly saddening. I wish I could tell you more about them Marcus, but we don't have much time you can seek me out inside Hogwarts to hear about them if you want. And good job getting your magic in control, it could have caused some people harm accidentally, it is also the reason the voluntarily done magic done by ourselves at the younger years of our life is called accidental magic." He informed me and praised me at getting my magic in control.
"Thank you professor Dumbledore for the praise and I will definitely take you up on the offer. Now let's not delay anymore and move out for the purchase of the needed items." I urge him as I was excited.
"Yes, let us go. We will go there by the mode of transport most wizards use 'apparition' it will be uncomfortable for you so just be warned and do hold on to my hand as hard as you can but first get ready and while you do that I will go talk to the head caretaker about this." He says. I just nod in return and see him out of the room.
Now let's get ready, I should wear the set of clothes gifted to me in my last birthday.
Dumbledore's pov
What a lovely child you have given birth to jenny and his polite nature is just like Chris. Truly he is your child, I wish I could tell him more about you people but the time is not right.
Nock
I nock on the door of the head caretaker, "Come in." she permits.
"Ah Mister Dumbledore, welcome to our facility, please have a seat. I do hope you could tell me more about the institution you are from and what arrangements our dear Marcus's parents have made for him." She inquires as soon as I enter the room.
"Yes Miss?" I ask how I should call her.
"Miss Sophie will be fine." She says.
"Yes Miss Sophie, so Marcus parents have made it so when he became eleven he could move to the place where they and their own parents have studied and stayed for throughout the history of their family. It is called Hogwarts. Yes I do know it is a weird name but such ancient and closed of facilities do tend to be like that. Everything he needs will be provided for and he will be allowed to visit here for his holidays like winter, summer or Halloween. Do know that his safety will be our responsibility. I would also like to take Marcus to buy the supplies needed for his stay there." I explained with the most details I could give out.
She first stares at me for a while and then sighs and says, "I am of two minds about this whole thing but I do know there are such cases that the parents have thought of such things before hands although it is very rare but I will give you the benefit of doubt. I allow you to go get the supplies, do take care of dear Marcus."
I thank her and move off towards the room to collect Marcus.
Marcus's POV
I got ready and went out of my room to wait for the professor. He was not that intimidating, I would even say he was gentle, I expected to feel pressured in his presence. But no he was very sweet and friendly.
"Marcus, let us go, I have talked to your head caretaker and explained everything to her." It was professor Dumbledore.
We move out of the orphanage and walk for a distance to some less populated place.
When we reach there he says, "Here take my hand and hold it tight." While offering his hand.
I grab it excitedly. He smirks at my excitement and…
BANG
We are whisked away by our a navel, I was turned in every possible direction and pressed from all the sides, it felt like a long time but we were out of it in few seconds.
Blergh!!
I vomit on the ground as soon as we land.
"Take your time Marcus." Professor comforts me and hands me a handkerchief pulled out from thin air, probably transfigured.
I wipe my mouth and stand up, "That was uncomfortable." I complain.
He just chuckles and says, "it generally is for everyone's first time. Now follow me." He says and we move towards the iconic entrance to the magic world, the leaky cauldron.
I follow him And upon entering I am met with loud noises every where, there was a man on the counter serving drinks, he saw us and said, "Another one, huh?" to which professor just nods and the man goes back to his work.
"Come here Marcus." He calls me to the wall of the side near the dustbin. "Now see this pattern and remember it, even if you can't just ask the man from earlier to help you." Saying that he proceeds to tap his wand, which I saw for the first time, a pattern which went like, three bricks right downwards, then three bricks left, two bricks right up, two bricks left up and three bricks right up. And to my amazement, with a grinding voice the wall open ups, providing entry to the Diagon ally.
It was all filled up with everyone going here and there, they wore clothes of Victorian era, cloaks, pointed hats, etc.. All in all, a getup you would expect a wizard to wear.
"Lovely isn't it? But let's look at this later and move to the Gringots to take out some money for you, speaking of which the letter should have mentioned you having a account in the name of Starborn, right?" professor Dumbledore asks me.
"Yes it did mention it, it also said that the Goblins will help me with it." I answered.
"Ah yes they would, do let me accompany you till we meet the manager of your accounts." He suggests. To which I agree and we move towards the bank, it was just like the movies with a bit more lustre here and there and of course the infamous poem.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
It truly is intimating, we move in towards the head teller, and when we reach him professor says, "Head teller, I have brought master Starborn for his claiming of the Starborn accounts." The head teller glanced at us and rings the bell on his table which summons a smaller goblin. They converse for a while in their own tongue.
"They speak in goobledegook, their own language." The professor informs me.
After they finish their conversation the other goblin turn to me and says, "Follow me young one, but beware if you are not mister Starborn it will be difficult for you to get out of here unscathed." He warns me.
I look towards professor Dumbledore, he says, "Go on Marcus, I can't accompany you from here." I nod and move to the goblin as he starts walking off towards one of the side rooms.
"Just curious what will happen if I am not indeed a Starborn?" I ask tentatively.
The goblin smiles at me showing those sharp teeth and says, "Lets hope you don't have to find the hard way."
Let us just say I kept quiet after that. We get in the room, he brings a bowl to me takes my finger pricks it and let's 3 drops of blood drop in the bowl, after that he instructed me to sit on the couch in the room, that I do.
I see him take a parchment and dip it in the bowl now filled with water. After a few minutes he takes it out and now the parchment is filled with few lines.
"Now look at that, welcome master Starborn. It looks you indeed are the spawn of Starborn family. What it entails will be explained to you on your magical maturity, that is at the age of 17, till then you can use the vault made for your expenses." He smiles again at me while explaining and burns the parchment with the candle nearby.
"HAHAHA guess I will never know what would have happened if I was not a Starborn." I joke with him, he found it humorous too giving a full belly laugh.
After that we, including professor Dumbledore this time, went down the rail system, it was a fun ride, to my vault. It was filled to brim with gold Galleon, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts.
I just took a hundred Galleons deposited them in a pouch provided by the goblin and went up again after another joyful ride.
On the steps outside the bank professor Dumbledore said to me, "You go toward that shop." Pointing towards the wand shop named ollivander's, "and purchase your wand while I will go and get the other things for you." He suggested.
I agreed gave him my pouch from which he just took about 60 Galleons and handed me the pouch back.
I went towards the shop and entered it, the bell on the door ringed.
The moment I stepped inside, I felt it. The air in Ollivander's shop was thick with something unseen—something watching. Wands lined the shelves, silent but expectant. It was as if they were waiting for me.
Ollivander himself stepped forward, his silvery eyes scanning me like he was measuring something beyond just my height.
"Ah," he murmured, rubbing his hands together. "Another young wizard come to find his match. Let's begin, shall we?"
"My name is Marcus." I tell him.
He moved swiftly, plucking wands from the shelves with an ease that suggested he already had some ideas.
One by one, I tried them.
An alder wand with a Runespoor fang core fizzled out in my hand, crackling briefly before going still.
A cypress wand with Kelpie mane sent out a weak flicker of sparks but shuddered as if resisting me.
A larch wand with an Occamy feather hummed with potential, but something about it felt… incomplete.
Ollivander hummed in thought as he pulled down another box. "No, no, none of these will do. But perhaps…"
His fingers hesitated over a box that looked older, dustier. He tapped it twice, then carefully slid it forward. There was something different about the way he handled this one.
"Ah," he said softly. "Yes. This one."
He lifted the lid and, for the first time, I felt it—a pull, like an unseen thread tying me to whatever lay inside.
Ollivander lifted the wand, a beautifully carved piece of dark sycamore wood, and handed it to me with an expectant gaze.
"This wand," he said, almost reverently, "is quite the rarity. Sycamore—eager, restless, ever-seeking adventure. It refuses to be wielded by those who fear change."
The moment my fingers wrapped around the handle, a pulse of warmth shot up my arm. A deep hum vibrated through my bones, steady and strong. Then, without warning, a crack of thunder rolled through the shop, followed by a brilliant flash of golden light that shot from the tip of the wand and curled into the air like a living thing.
Ollivander's eyes gleamed. "Oh-ho! Marvelous. Yes, yes, I should have known."
He straightened, smoothing out his robes. "The core, my boy, is what makes this wand truly exceptional. A dual core—extraordinarily rare."
I swallowed, gripping the wand a little tighter. "Dual core?"
"Indeed," he said, clearly pleased. "A Thunderbird's tail feather, capable of summoning storms and sensing danger before it arrives. A wand destined for a traveler, a protector, one whose path is never still." He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "And intertwined with it—a Griffin's claw. The mark of courage, of battle-readiness, of a wizard who stands unshaken in the face
of adversity."
A shiver ran through
me. The wand felt alive in my hand, as if it had always been waiting for me.
Ollivander watched me
carefully before nodding in satisfaction. "A rare combination indeed. This wand
will serve you well—but be warned, Marcus."
I looked up. His sharp
gaze met mine.
"This is not a wand
for the faint of heart. It will challenge you as much as it aids you. But if
you are worthy… well, I daresay there will be few in this world who can stand
against you."
I took a breath,
feeling the weight of his words. Then I tightened my grip, and for the first
time, the wand did not resist.
It had chosen me.
I got out of the shop
still amazed about all that happened in there.
"Done with the wand, Marcus?"
I hear professor Dumbledore say, standing with a trunk in had, probably caring
all the stuff I would need.
"Yes… it was magical."
I say dazed.
"It generally is. Let's
get you back now." He just says that and holds me, initiating the apparition.
With a loud noise we are back near the orphanage. We walk towards
the main doors of orphanage in silence. When we reach there Professor says, "Next time we meet is when you will enter your
first transfiguration class, till then it is a good bye. Here take these
tickets and get to the kings cross station in London on 1st September,
once you reach there go to the third pillar between platform 9 and 10. And just
walk into it, it is a hidden entrance to platform 9¾. From there board the Hogwarts
express. Did you get all what I said?" he explained me what I pretty much knew.
"Yes professor I understood."
I replied none the less. After that he pated me in the back and went off on his
own. While I went towards my room with the trunk, lifted with a bit of help
from magic. On the way to my room I greet everyone who I come across, a good
evening. It was almost the time for dinner.
I leave the trunk in
my room and go to the dining hall to have dinner after which I return to my
room to sleep. Excited about the next few months that I will spend reading the
books I have got. As I fell asleep some the experience in the wand shop came
back to my mind. It was beautiful.