NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter 13:
Chapter 13:
Harry was not accustomed to receiving mail in the mornings. No one outside the castle ever had reason to contact him in the last timeline, aside from the occasional coded message from Sirius.
Which is why he was so perplexed at breakfast the next morning, when no fewer than three owls swooped down towards him and deposited letters and packages in his lap. Ignoring the light teasing from his housemates, Harry started with the largest package, which was from his parents:
Dearest Harry,
We were surprised but thrilled to learn that you had been Sorted into Ravenclaw. We always knew you were a bright student and know you will thrive in such an environment. We now expect straight-O's from your next report card! Just kidding (but only a little).
Inside this care package you will find enough sweets to last you until Christmas (or, if your father's appetite is any indication, the end of the week). It took a bit of charm work to change the frosting from red to blue, as we expected Gryffindor, but it should taste just as delicious.
We miss you terribly already. Dahlia has asked us to send along her love. Well, that and a few other choice words, but we will leave those for her to deliver in person on your next break.
Much love,
Mum and Dad xx
Harry tore open the package to find a row of perfectly-preserved cupcakes, each topped with delicious-looking silver and blue frosting. He immediately grabbed one and took a bite, relishing in the sweetness and surprising warmth. "Oi, you sharing, Potter?" demanded Michael Corner once he saw what Harry had received.
"In your dreams, Corner," Harry smirked, taking another luxurious bite of the pastry. Michael muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like mama's boy, but Harry didn't mind one bit. After a lifetime of being an orphan, he would take no shame in being spoiled by two loving parents.
Harry set aside the package to open the next letter, which was written in Sirius' trademark scrawl:
Harry,
Well done on making Ravenclaw. Your dad and I might call them a bunch of swots, but that's just because we were jealous that the teachers liked them more. Besides, it's better than Hufflepuff, eh?
Some of my favorite girlfriends were from Ravenclaw, you know. The smart girls are the ones you have to look out for. They may seem prim and proper on the surface, but I'm convinced them all have a Gryffindor inside them, roaring to get out. If you need any help wooing the ladies, you know who to write to.
And if you're worried about disappointing your parents for not being in Gryffindor: don't.
I was the first of my family in generations not to be in Slytherin, and it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. Your grandmother Dorea was also a Slytherin, so if James tries to pull any kind of family-heritage guilt card nonsense on you, make sure to set him straight, you hear?
Have a great term. Study hard, but party harder!
-Uncle Sirius
Harry smiled in spite of himself at his godfather's words. He hadn't had time to mourn the old Sirius, the one he'd just lost at the end of his old timeline, but was thrilled to see that his spirit lived on in this alternate version of himself. Harry hoped to do better by him this time around, and vowed to make sure he lived through the end of the coming war – if there indeed was one.
He finally tore open the final letter, which was written in neat cursive that he immediately recognized from his original third year DADA lessons:
Dear Harry,
Congratulations on beginning your Hogwarts journey. Ravenclaw is a fine House to belong to, and you should be proud to be counted among them. The Sorting Hat nearly placed me there before settling on Gryffindor, and I always had a strong admiration for their values and work ethic. You'll make a fine addition to their ranks.
I'm sure you will work hard in your studies, and your peers will no doubt help you along the way. Just don't forget to loosen up once in a while and enjoy yourself! The next seven years will be full of adventure and opportunity – don't squander it! You will look back on your time at Hogwarts fondly, so be sure to make memories and surround yourself with people you enjoy spending time with. Just don't get into TOO much trouble!
Don't hesitate to write if you need anything at all.
Sincerely,
Uncle Remus
P.S. - Do say hello to your Uncle Peter every once in a while. I know it isn't 'cool' to make friends with the school caretaker, but he really is a kind soul who can listen to your problems and help you with anything you might need.
Harry folded all three letters and tucked them away inside his robes. He was filled with a sense of warmth at all the well-wishes, redundant though they might be.
Just knowing that he had so many people caring about him and rooting him on from afar was enough to give him the energy to press on. It was also nice to receive reassurance that Pettigrew was not a traitor in this timeline – perhaps he could get over his trepidations and befriend the man as well.
Ravenclaw's first lesson of the day was Transfiguration, and they filed dutifully into McGonagall's classroom along with the Gryffindors. "My mum says McGonagall's a real hard-ass," said Terry Boot loudly from his seat beside Harry. "Best not to get on her bad side."
"Be quiet," Harry hushed the boy urgently.
"Why? The old bint isn't even here yet," Terry chuckled. Harry merely sighed and settled into his chair for the show, as the tabby cat perched on the desk leapt into the air and transformed into their professor, earning gasps of surprise and fear from his classmates.
"That will be three points from Ravenclaw for being crass, Mr. Boot," McGonagall reprimanded the horrified boy. "Now, who here can tell me what the subject of Transfiguration is about?"
Hermione's hand immediately shot into the air, and after a few seconds of waiting for anyone else to volunteer, McGonagall called on her. "Transfiguration is the field of magical study regarding the transformation of an object from one state to another," Hermione recited – no doubt memorized from one of their beginner-level textbooks.
"Take two points for Ravenclaw, Miss Granger," McGonagall nodded. "Now, can anyone rephrase that in their own words?"
The class sat silently for a moment. When no one else volunteered, Harry reluctantly raised his hand.
"It's changing an object's properties to affect its behavior," he said. "Changing things from solid to liquid, living to non-living, existent to non-existent."
"Very well-put, Mr. Potter; take another two points," McGonagall nodded. "Your father was quite adept in the field of Transfiguration. Perhaps you'd like to join me for a demonstration?"
"Erm...okay," Harry said awkwardly, standing to join the professor at the head of the class.
"Transfiguration is all about intent,"
McGonagall explained. She waved her wand, causing a small toothpick to appear on the desk beside Harry. "You must visualize the object in the state you desire it to achieve. Mr. Potter, could I have you attempt to transfigure this toothpick into a metal pin?"
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