July 1991, Britain.
In this oceanic, temperate broad-leaf climate, England was already past the worst of the heat as August drew near. The air had begun to grow moist; even when it was dry, it was no longer unbearable.
Sunlight poured down across the open land, reaching even the most remote corners and driving back the shadows.
A broad lake lay under that light, its surface rippling and throwing back blinding flecks of glare.
An owl cut abruptly through the scene. The glitter stabbed at its eyes; it paused, gave its head a discontented shake, and only after a moment resumed its flight toward the lakeshore.
Its destination was a timber house—or rather, the plank pier beside it.
The pier jutted out into the lake as if waiting for a boat to draw alongside, standing like a spine over the water.
A boy in a straw hat sat there with fishing tackle in hand, so perfectly at ease with the landscape around him that the whole scene turned quietly beautiful.
He was handsome and fair-skinned. Though young-faced, he didn't look childish; his eyes were gentle, almost speaking on their own, as if smiling. Paired with his fine features, that gentleness lent him a calm, trustworthy air that made people feel safe without knowing why.
"Hm?"
Sensing something, the boy lifted his head toward the horizon—and saw the owl winging straight for him.
"Hoo—hoo."
Fearless of strangers, the owl dropped beside him once it reached its goal and let go of what it had been clutching in its talons.
"A letter?"
He caught it easily. It was made of heavy parchment.
There was no stamp—only an address written in emerald-green ink, and sealing wax impressed with a shield crest.
Around a large capital "H" were a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a serpent.
"…"
He stared at the envelope. He wasn't surprised that "an owl had come to deliver a letter," nor puzzled by how unusual the letter seemed. Instead, he fell quiet for a long time.
At last he broke the seal and drew out the parchment inside.
The words met his eyes.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus (Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards; Order of Merlin, First Class; Grand Sorcerer; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot)
Dear Mr. Ark Byrne,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely, Minerva, Deputy Headmistress
[Uniform]
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name tags.
[Course Books]
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
[Other Equipment] 1 wand; 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2); 1 set of glass or crystal phials; 1 telescope; 1 set of brass scales.
Students may bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
First-years are not allowed their own broomsticks.
As his brain processed the letter's contents, the boy… Ark's expression became distant.
In that daze, he seemed to see another world—one that had long since faded away, a world he had said goodbye to.
In that world, countless children who had just turned eleven had once harbored hopes, both in reality and in their dreams, yearning to see an owl descend from the sky with just such a letter, arriving at their windowsill to open the door to another world.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Founded around 990 A.D., renowned as one of the three great magical schools of Europe, and widely acknowledged as the premier institution of magical education among the eleven known magical schools worldwide.
Only when the acceptance letter from this school, which had captivated the dreams and fantasies of countless young boys and girls, was delivered right into his hands, did Ark finally confirm it.
"I really have entered the Harry Potter world."
He had been here a year, and until this letter arrived, he had never fully believed it. He didn't dare be certain this was truly that world.
After all, until now he had never encountered anything actually tied to "magic."
No—that wasn't quite right.
There had been one time.
It was the day he first arrived.
Without warning he had simply appeared in this world—as if drifting from one dream into the next. One blink, and he was a ten-year-old again, standing in a lonely stretch of wilderness he didn't recognize.
Then, a voice sounded directly in the depths of his mind.
[World transfer complete. Beginning collection of local data… collection successful!]
[To prevent disorder in the fabric of rules, initiating localization.]
[Detected a local power system. Commencing physique adjustment and identity implantation for the host.]
[Adjustment complete. Implantation complete. Welcome to the world of magic—Harry Potter.]
When the voice fell silent, he realized he had not only gotten younger—back to ten—but his looks and bearing had shifted as well. A new name surfaced in his heart, unforced and natural, as if he truly belonged here.
And then the impossible happened around him: stones, grit, grasses, trees—everything nearby rose into the air.
Looking back, that must have been the awakening every magic-born child goes through—the so-called outburst of magic.
Nothing like it had happened again. He didn't awaken any strange powers afterward. Even the little wooden house he lived in, he had built himself, no better off than a castaway on a deserted island. If not for the fish in the lake, he might have starved.
Thinking of the hardships of the past year, Ark felt no triumphant "at last." What came was release.
"Enough. Living alone out here can't go on."
He had come to a world with magic and been given the chance to wield it—he couldn't let it pass.
He packed up his bucket and tackle, returned to the cabin, and wrote back to Hogwarts.
After he fed the patiently waiting owl and tied on the reply, he let it spread its wings and go the way it had come.
Ark stood at the window and watched until the owl vanished from sight. Only then did he hear that voice again.
[Event triggered: First Contact with the Wizarding World.]
[Event details: Upon receiving the Hogwarts acceptance letter, you agreed to enroll.]
[Event reward: Special Talent — Mind Guidance. (Completed)]