Harry gazed out of the window, watching his father amuse himself with his younger brother. This time, they wanted to fly for a while and play Quidditch, a common pastime in his family, though it seemed no one could remember it. He sighed despondently; his brother had done it again. Brian had taken advantage of his (Harry's) birthday to monopolise their parents' attention, ensuring once more that Harry would be forgotten.
He should be used to it. After all, his parents had never remembered his birthday. He only knew when it was because Remus always celebrated it and gave him a book. If anyone were to ask him, Remus was the only person who truly cared about him.
Thinking of Remus, Harry knew he would be arriving soon. Remus always came around ten o'clock in the morning, and it was almost that time now. He was sure Remus would be arriving via the Floo network very shortly, so it would be best to wait for him in the drawing-room to save time. Harry was about to leave his room when a tap on the windowpane made him spin around. There, waiting to be let inside, was a brown owl clutching a letter.
Believing the letter was likely for one of his parents, Harry allowed the owl to enter. He was very surprised when it landed on his desk and held out its leg so he could untie the letter.
—For me?
At the owl's affirmative hoot, the boy approached and detached the missive. It was indeed addressed to him in emerald green ink; after all, only he answered to H.J. Potter. When he turned the letter over to see the sender, his breath caught in his throat: that sealing wax was instantly recognisable to any child of British wizards... it was the seal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! And it was for him! He was so excited. His parents and his brother had always told him he couldn't go, that he would never be accepted. Although Remus had repeated countless times that he would be accepted, Harry had always harboured the uncertainty that his parents might be right, and he would never get to learn magic.
With trembling hands, he slowly opened the letter and unfolded both parchments. The second was a list of the equipment he would need, and the other was an invitation addressed to him, inviting him to attend!
—Harry? Are you in your room?
—Uncle Remus!—the boy exclaimed, rushing towards him.—Uncle Remus, look!
The man took the letter with a smile and began to read it happily, pulling Harry into a hug at the same time.
—Your admission letter... "Well done, Harry," the cheerful werewolf said. "I told you there'd be no problem with your admission, didn't I?"
—Yes, I know... but Dad and Mum said...
—Your parents based their opinion on erroneous information, that's why they couldn't say anything more than that. I already warned them they were mistaken. They don't know you the way I do.
Remus hugged him gently, then reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a small parcel wrapped in rough brown paper. With a slight wave of his wand, he shrunk it to the size of a book.
—I hope you like it...—He chuckled.—It's getting harder and harder to find interesting books for you.
Harry smiled happily. Before taking the parcel, and with his usual slow, careful movements, he began to unwrap it, already knowing its contents. Partly because it was what Remus usually gave him, and partly because Remus himself had confirmed it. With a slight feeling of anticipation, he finished pushing aside the wrapper, revealing the book's title: Occlumency: The Art of Protection.
—Oh, Uncle Remus! It's fantastic! Thank you so much!—the boy burst out.
—I'm glad you like it.—The man laughed.—Do you think we should go and find your parents to tell them about your letter and send a reply?
At the question, the child's expression turned sad.
—They won't let me go.
—Why not?
—'Cause Brian won't want me to go, and Daddy and Mum will do anything Brian wants.
—Ah, but this time, Brian won't be able to say anything about it,—Remus chuckled.—Your parents must let you go... they're required by law. So... Shall we go?
—Okay.
They both left the room and crossed the silent house. Once outside, they observed the scene unfolding before them. Lily Potter remained on the ground, her eyes barely leaving her husband and son, while she herself enjoyed the picnic arrangements. James Potter, for his part, was enjoying his favourite hobby after his varied pranks: he was flying, and best of all, he was doing it with his son. From his point of view, there was no better way to spend his free time. They were all so engrossed in their own ideal world that none of them noticed the presence of the other two until Remus made his presence known.
—Hi, Lily.
—Oh, Remus! Oh, and Harry... Remus, what are you doing here?
—What you're clearly incapable of doing, you see,—the man said with anger.—Celebrating your child's birthday.
—But... There are still two weeks until Brian's birthday.
—Your other son's birthday.
—My other son?—The woman looked genuinely confused.—Oh, Harry! But today isn't Harry's birthday. Remus, Harry's birthday is...
—Today,—Remus cut in.—But that hardly matters; you haven't celebrated his birthday for ten years, so I don't think it'll make much difference now.
Remus was furious. He had always had friction with his friends because of the way they treated their eldest son. He had always been very fond of the boy, even though Sirius was his godfather. This affection had grown since Harry was eight years old, when Remus discovered that the fourth member of their group, Peter, was a Death Eater and was preparing to harm Harry. Since then, and after realising that Harry's parents didn't care in the least that their son was in potential danger, Remus had grown deeply fond of the sweet child.
—Well, that's not what I meant,—Remus cut off the conversation.—Look.
The man handed the letter to his friend's wife and watched as her face filled with surprise while reading its contents, alternating between the parchment and her eldest son. Once she finished, she looked up and shouted,
—James! Come here!
Her husband looked at her in surprise, and when he saw his eldest son and his friend, his expression turned angry. He quickly descended and shot Harry an angry glance before softening his expression, turning to his wife and Remus.
—Yes, Lily? What have you done now, Harry?
—Nothing, James...—Remus cut him off.—I don't understand why you always think the worst of him and never doubt Brian's word.
—Brian never...!
—It doesn't matter, we haven't come here for that.
—Then what?
—Look what just arrived,—his wife replied, handing him the letter so he could read it.
The man read the letter and cast a stupefied glance at his eldest son. It was clear this was not what he had been expecting; a Hogwarts letter was the last thing that had crossed his mind.
—Well... I always thought he was nothing more than a Squib,—the surprised man murmured.—Life is full of surprises. Have you answered yet?
—No, not yet,—the boy murmured shyly.—I didn't want to without your permission.
—Well...—his father began to say, but Brian, who had been listening, grew angrier and angrier.
—NO! He can't go! I don't want him to!
—Brian, honey...—Lily began.
—No! I don't want him to go to Hogwarts! I'll go to Hogwarts!
His parents looked at him helplessly. They had always given Brian everything he wanted; they had done anything that made him happy, for he was a special child, and who were they to deny him anything? But now he was asking for something that couldn't be.
—Brian, love... Harry must go to Hogwarts,—his mother began to explain.—He's a wizard and must learn to use his power. Besides, every magical child must go to school by law.
—But...
—Just because Harry goes to Hogwarts doesn't mean you can't go. You understand, don't you?
The child adopted an expression of fury before turning and slamming the door as he entered the house. The others looked at the boy, a mix of astonishment and indifference on their faces; his parents were stupefied by their son's behaviour, while Remus and Harry showed no signs of surprise. Of course, they both knew Brian much better than James and Lily Potter. Not two seconds later, his mother ran to comfort him, while James remained outside, looking at his eldest son with displeasure.
—Not bad... Since you haven't answered yet, you should reply. You can tell me what day I can take you to buy your things,—James said, about to turn around and go back inside the house.
—I'd thought about taking him myself, James,—Remus interjected.
—You'd be doing me a favour. Just tell me when you can take him.
—I'd thought about taking him today.
James stopped and turned to look at his friend, surprised, not understanding why Remus would want to spend that day with Harry, a boy he had never shown any interest in. Compared to his younger brother, Harry was less than a zero to the left.
—Why?
—Because I already intended to take him today, James. The arrival of his letter simply means we can have fun and do something useful.
—Well, if it's no bother... Come on, I'll give you the key to Gringotts so you can get some money and buy his equipment.
Harry looked at his father and his uncle before smiling, happy with how things had developed. He knew that when he returned later, his brother would make his life impossible, but for now, he would enjoy the moment.
Without leaving his uncle's side, he followed his father into the house and entered the study, a place that had always been forbidden to him; only Brian and his mother were allowed inside. Despite having imagined it countless times, he found it didn't resemble his mental image at all. This seemed more like a quiet place to relax than a serious workplace. His father reached into a drawer and pulled out a small key, which Harry recognised from all the times his parents had used it to buy things for his younger brother.
—Here, Remus, I hope you'll keep him in check and not indulge his whims... You'll go for his school supplies and nothing else,—the serious man said.
The other adult shot James an angry look before nodding unwillingly and turning to leave, followed closely by the child.
—"Well, Harry, do you want to grab anything before we go?"—Remus asked.
—No, Uncle Remus.
—Right, let's go.
The two of them went to the fireplace, where, after throwing in the Floo powder, they both vanished from the Potter house to reappear in The Leaky Cauldron.
—You know, Uncle Remus? It's my first time using the Floo network.
—Really?
—Yes... Daddy and Mum don't usually take me anywhere.
—So, you've never been to Diagon Alley either, have you?
—Never... when they go with Brian, they leave me at home.
Remus didn't reply, but Harry clearly saw his uncle clench his hands in anger. Then, placing a hand on his shoulder, Remus guided him to the entrance to the Alley, which was at the back of the premises, a small, dead-end courtyard. The boy watched in amazement as Remus took out his wand and tapped on certain bricks, just before an entrance opened to a street that screamed "Magic!" everywhere. For a few moments, Harry felt an urge to run out and see everything, but he knew well that he would then get lost and it would be very difficult to find Remus again, so he remained by his side. However, he moved his head from side to side and wished he had eight more eyes to see it all. A laugh behind him made him spin around, startled, where he saw Remus laughing at him.
—I'm sorry, Harry, but your reaction was very amusing,—the man said.—Do you like it?
—A lot!
—I imagined as much. Shall we go to Gringotts to get your money?
—Yes, let's go.
As they passed through the shops, Harry wished he could be in several places at the same time, so he could see everything. Of all the shops, it was the bookshop that made him summon the most willpower not to run off, because being surrounded by so many books was truly tempting. Still, he didn't stray from Remus's side.
—Is that Gringotts, Uncle Remus?—Harry asked when he saw a grand building built of white marble.
—Yes. Watch out for the goblins... they can be really dangerous.
—Why?
—They don't like wizards... and if they feel cheated, they won't hesitate to act against us. You can count on the fingers of one hand the people they respect and treat with respect,—Remus explained as they entered and headed for a counter.—Now, be quiet for a moment while I speak to them...
Then, turning to an unoccupied goblin, he said, "Excuse me, I'd like to make a withdrawal from the Potter vault."
—Key, please?—the goblin said.
—Here.
The goblin took the key and gave both Remus and Harry a penetrating look before scrutinising the key intently. After a few minutes, the goblin seemed pleased and looked at Remus again.
—Everything in order. Would you like to go down to the vault, or would you prefer us to provide you with the desired amount here?—the goblin asked.
—Better to give it to us right here,—Remus said.—We need about thirty Galleons... no, better forty.
—Very well.
They waited for a few moments while the goblin withdrew the money and placed it in a leather pouch, handing it to the werewolf, who didn't hesitate before taking it and depositing it in one of his inner pockets. After saying goodbye to the goblin who had attended them, they left the bank, ready to begin their school purchases.
After their stop at the apothecary and purchasing a cauldron, they decided to get Harry's wand before his books. Harry didn't know why, but the act of acquiring his wand made him nervous; he had a feeling something unusual was about to happen. The shop itself wasn't extraordinary, but to a trained eye like his, the whole place screamed "MAGIC!" everywhere. Thousands of wands sat in their respective boxes, placed all over the shelves, and the boy felt drawn to a shelf at the very back. A slight movement behind him and a buzz of magic made him aware of the presence of an elderly man, who was slightly hidden as he approached them.
—Good afternoon,—a low, soft voice said.—I'm glad to see you, Mr. Potter. I was expecting you... I remember when your parents came to buy their first wands... By the way, where are they? I thought they would accompany you.
—They were busy, and I've come in their place,—Remus said.
—Remus Lupin! Walnut and dragon heartstring... Good for Defence Against the Dark Arts, twenty-two centimetres. Am I wrong?
—No, you're not wrong.
—Not bad... Let's see if we can find the perfect match for Mr. Potter. Let's see... Wand arm?
—Right.
—Not bad... let's see...
A tape measure appeared out of nowhere and began to measure every imaginable part of the child's body, then fell to the ground, lifeless.
—Alright, try this one. Maple and phoenix feather...—Before Harry could say anything, Ollivander snatched it from his hands.—No, no... that won't do. Oak and unicorn hair... Neither... Walnut and unicorn wood... Oh, no...
Mr. Ollivander, the shop owner, was handing him wand after wand to try, but it seemed none of them were compatible with the boy. But instead of getting angry, sulking, or frustrated, the man grew happier and more excited. With every wand Ollivander put in his hands, his enthusiasm increased until finally, he practically bounced.
—Good, good, good... What a difficult customer! I wonder if... Wait a minute.—The man disappeared into the back room, only to return with a wand he placed uncertainly in Harry's hands.—Holly and phoenix feather... Try it.—Nothing happened.—Curious... I was convinced that this would be his wand... Well, we'll keep trying. Right, Mr. Potter?
The boy nodded, and while the shopkeeper returned the wand to the same place from where he had taken it, Harry headed towards where he had felt drawn earlier; a place where there was also a magic wand, though somewhat isolated. Trembling, he picked it up, and before Remus could stop him, he gave it a shake, causing a sea of white sparks to erupt from the wand. Behind him, the sound of several boxes falling to the ground made the child spin around in surprise. There, the shop owner was watching him as if Harry had transformed into Voldemort himself.
—Incredible... truly incredible. Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to wave your wand again?—Harry did as he was asked, and again, a sea of sparks appeared.—I never thought I would see the day that wand would find a partner...—Then he smiled.—You must be very proud, Mr. Potter. That wand has been in this shop since the day my first ancestor opened it... It is a very powerful wand, one that many would kill for... The Unmentionable included.
—What is its core?—the boy asked, always drawn to anything magical.
—It is made with wood from a century-old cherry tree... That's what it was in its day; now it will be millennial... Nineteen and a half centimetres... its core is the feather of a very special phoenix...
—How special?
—It is a mythological phoenix... very few have been seen, and the most credulous believe it to be extinct; others think it never existed... It is the feather of a white phoenix, Mr. Potter... the only feather that has ever been obtained throughout history.—There was a gasp just behind Harry, where Remus stood, and after a stunned look, he asked,
—A white phoenix?
—Yes, white,—Ollivander said.
—Mr. Ollivander,—the werewolf said after a few moments of silence.—I would appreciate it if the wand's core remained secret... No one except the three of us should know exactly what the core is.—Then, after a hard look, he continued,—When you write to Dumbledore, you must tell him that it's just any phoenix feather... It is very important that no one else knows.
—I do not quite understand your motives, Mr. Lupin, but I see that it is something truly important. All right, anyone who asks me, I will say that it has a phoenix feather, not what kind... After all, only Dumbledore would ever get me to believe otherwise.
After that, they left the shop in order to buy the only thing they were missing: the textbooks, something Harry was going to enjoy buying and Remus encouraged.