Wade Gray was sprawled by the window when he saw a grey owl perched on the fence outside. It stared at him sternly with brown-yellow eyes, then suddenly dipped its head, flapped its wings, and hooted.
Wade's face held a peculiar expression.
If he hadn't seen wrong just now, did that owl just drop a letter into their mailbox?
But...
This was 1991. The Harry Potter series of novels hadn't been released yet, had they?
He had been reborn into this world for eleven years, growing from a babbling infant to an eleven-year-old. He had always thought he'd simply been reborn into his original world's Britain, and had even planned out his life accordingly...
He had never imagined... he would actually receive a letter from an owl.
Wasn't this a materialistic world?
But... if people could be reborn, then if magic existed... it seemed... quite reasonable...
—Right?
—Or perhaps it was just a nasty prank.
With a hint of uncertainty, Wade pushed open the door and stepped out. He subconsciously watched the owl, whose gaze followed him, its head tilting slightly.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but Wade felt that its eyes were full of spiritual intelligence.
He held his breath, opened the mailbox, and pulled out the mysterious letter. When he saw the envelope clearly, his pupils constricted sharply, and his heart leaped.
The envelope clearly bore the detailed address and "Mr. Wade Gray." The parchment felt unusually thick, and the emerald green ink was an uncommon colour.
He flipped the envelope over to reveal a deep red wax seal and a shield crest on the back. A large "H" was surrounded by four animals: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
No stamp.
—Ah, right! With an owl as a messenger, of course, no stamp was needed.
Wade took a deep breath and tore open the envelope with slightly trembling fingers.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
Wade eagerly skipped over the long list of titles that followed, looking directly at the next line:
Dear Mr. Gray,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall (Deputy Headmistress)
Wade read the letter repeatedly, still finding it hard to believe—this was actually the world of Harry Potter?
He unconsciously murmured, "Is this real? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
The owl stared at him with intelligent eyes, waited for a moment, then lowered its head to preen its feathers, tucked one leg, and turned its head 180 degrees to look at the scenery behind it.
Wade was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned and rushed back into the house. He dashed into his father's study, found the best embossed, gold-dusted stationery, a rather classic quill, and fragrant ink. With utmost solemnity, he wrote:
"Dear Madam Minerva McGonagall:
It is a great honour to receive your letter. If this is not a prank, then I would be delighted to attend your esteemed school. However, I am unsure how to purchase the listed school supplies and look forward to your guidance...
With my sincerest regards and best wishes,
Wade Gray"
The ink soaked into the paper and dried quickly. Wade folded it and slipped it into the envelope, writing "Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall" on the cover.
When he went outside, he saw the owl still patiently waiting on the fence.
Wade approached, holding up the letter. "Um... this is my reply. Please deliver it to Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall."
The owl extended a claw, took the letter, then cocked its head, looking at him expectantly.
"Anything else... oh, please wait!"
A thought flashed through Wade's mind. He went back inside, grabbed a handful of nuts, and offered them to the owl. It merely glanced down, then disdainfully swept them away with a wing, spread its wings, and flew off.
Wade: "..."
Didn't it eat them?
Luckily, it didn't drop the letter.
Back inside, Wade sat at the table and reread the acceptance letter, his heart pounding.
Only then did he feel a semblance of reality about being accepted into Hogwarts.
But...
In the eleven years since he was reborn into this world, he had never discovered any extraordinary abilities within himself—
He hadn't inexplicably flown up a tree, nor had he bent spoons with his mind or made pens levitate.
Did his body truly contain magical energy?
Or was it—because his adult mind was too rational and objective, it unconsciously suppressed the innate power within him?
Wade clenched his fist, then opened it, still not feeling anything akin to "invisible magic flowing through my body."
He fixed his gaze on a teacup in front of him, concentrating completely and imagining.
Clang!
The teacup suddenly rattled in mid-air without any external force, then tipped over, rolled once on the table, and slowly wobbled to a stop.
Magic... it was real...
Wade stared at his palms, dumbfounded.
After his emotions gradually settled, he dialled a familiar phone number.
"Mom... do you believe... that magic exists?"
Less than half an hour later, a car screeched to a halt outside. The Grays, husband and wife, forgot to even take out the car keys and rushed out.
Wade stepped out to greet them, but before he could say hello, he was pulled into a suffocating hug that almost choked him.
"Oh my god! Oh, my god! Wade, dear, you've actually been accepted into Hogwarts—I'm so happy! Really... I've been waiting for this day for so long—I thought—I thought you were like us, without—without that opportunity—"
His mother, Fiona, sobbed, her tears smudging her makeup, but she didn't care. Wade's father, Ferdinand, embraced them both; though he said nothing, his eyes were also moist.
The more Wade listened, the more something felt off. "Wait, what do you mean? You—" He struggled free from his parents' suffocating embrace. "You both know about Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Fiona said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. "My mother, and your grandparents, were all wizards. I've always longed to go to Hogwarts since I was little. It's just..."
Ferdinand put his arms around his wife and son's shoulders, ushering them inside. "Let's talk inside—to avoid being seen by Muggles."
After an explanation, Wade finally understood the situation.
It turned out that his paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother were all wizards, and the two families were close. However, due to the war, Fiona and Ferdinand, born amidst the upheaval, were both Squibs—meaning they possessed magical genes but lacked the ability to perform magic.
During the war, wizards themselves struggled to survive, let alone two Squibs. After confirming they had no magical abilities, both were sent to be raised by Muggle families.
Years passed, and they had completely adapted to Muggle life, though they secretly harbored a yearning for the magical world.
However, since Wade's birth, he had never displayed any magical abilities. They assumed he was also a Squib. To prevent their child from experiencing the same pain of expectation followed by disappointment, they concealed the existence of magic from him.
"I never—I never thought you were actually a wizard... I mean—I've actually been waiting all this time, but it's already July 30th, and you hadn't received a letter... I thought..."
Fiona cried and laughed, finally pacified by her husband and son, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Once things quieted down, Ferdinand looked at his eleven-year-old son, his eyes filled with unconcealed worry:
"Hogwarts... sigh, Wade... I truly don't know if your going to that school, given your circumstances... is truly a good thing..."
[email protected]/DaoistWujinzi