Chapter 3 – The Letter, the Lies, and the Legacy of Magic
The morning crept in with a damp chill that curled under doors and whispered through the cracks in the windows of Spinner's End. The neighborhood remained grey and still, the only movement being the subtle flicker of potion fumes trailing from Severus Snape's basement lab.
Inside the modest living room, the scent of toast mingled with old parchment and ink. Harry sat cross-legged on the carpet, flipping through an old potions compendium, Brews of the Forbidden Isle, which had more bloodstains than margins.
And then—thump.
Something struck the door. Sharp. Deliberate.
Lily raised her head from the kettle.
Snape didn't look up.
Harry was already moving.
He pulled open the door.
And there it was: a yellowed envelope, the parchment thick and heavy, sealed in deep crimson wax marked by the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The ink glowed faintly in the morning light, green and alive:
> Mr. H. J. Potter
Spinner's End, Second Floor Bedroom, Right Side Window
Lancashire, England
Harry's fingers closed around it with something close to reverence.
> [System Notification:
Main Quest Activated: "Welcome to Hogwarts"
Objectives:
– Read the Letter
– Prepare for Hogwarts
– Select Mask Carefully
Reward: Trait – "Veiled Intent" (Conceals Magical Signature from Active Scans)]
---
The Letter
At the breakfast table, Harry sat down, slit the seal open carefully, and pulled out the thick parchment.
He read aloud, voice smooth and deliberate:
---
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
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 by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
---
Uniform:
First-year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black)
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
Course Books:
All students should have a copy of each of the following: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 also bring an owl, a cat, or a toad.
Parents are reminded that first-year students are not allowed their own broomsticks.
---
Harry folded the letter neatly. He didn't smile, but there was a look in his eye—sharp, decisive.
"Am I expected to send an owl, or will the deputy headmistress accept a magically encrypted system reply?" he said lightly.
Lily rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "We'll send the owl."
---
A Walk Through Diagon Alley – Shadows and Gold
It was two days later when they arrived.
Diagon Alley—hidden behind the brick wall of the Leaky Cauldron—was a wonderland of magic and chaos. Lily and Snape walked slightly ahead, conversing in hushed tones. Harry's green eyes flicked between shops with curious intensity.
> [System Activation: Urban Magical Hub Detected
Region Type: Commercial / Mixed-Class Enclave
Hidden Quest Unlocked: "Foundations of Power"
Objective: Build Influence – 0% Complete]
---
Gringotts: Negotiation with the Sharpest Blades
The marble steps loomed as they approached Gringotts Wizarding Bank, its goblin guards gleaming with armor and suspicion.
A senior goblin named Griphook eyed Harry.
"Name?"
"Harry James Potter. Vault 687," Harry said calmly.
A flicker of surprise crossed the goblin's features as he beckoned them inside.
As the cart thundered through the tunnels, Snape leaned in. "Only request access to the family vault. Don't expose your intent."
Harry merely nodded.
Inside, the Potter family vault glittered with gold and heirlooms. Silver-framed photos of a laughing toddler Harry, magical chess sets, and a shelf of worn journals.
> [System Update: Vault Balance Confirmed – 452,104 Galleons]
[Hidden System Vault Linked: Arcane Treasury - Balance: 0. Unlocked after Foundation Ritual.]
[Skill Check Passed – Goblin Interest: Neutral-Positive]
Harry withdrew a moderate sum. A few thousand galleons—enough to upgrade his school kit... and fund a few side-projects.
"Will there be anything else?" Griphook asked coolly.
"Yes," Harry said, lowering his voice. "I'll need a personal vault key with restricted reporting protocols. Private ledger access. Confidential enchantments."
The goblin raised a bushy brow. "You're ten."
"I'm also a Potter," Harry replied, "and I like my privacy."
The goblin grinned—a sharp, wicked thing. "We can accommodate that."
---
Ollivanders: The Wand Chooses the Legacy
The wand shop was narrow, dusty, and smelled faintly of ozone and ash.
An ancient man appeared from the gloom. "Ah… Mr. Potter. I wondered when I'd be seeing you."
Garrick Ollivander's silver eyes shimmered.
"What is it with Potters and drama?" Harry muttered.
The wand selection began.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen.
Wands rejected him violently—sparks, crackles, one even burst into flames.
"Curious," Ollivander whispered.
Snape folded his arms. Lily looked uneasy.
Then the old wandmaker vanished into the back for several long minutes.
When he returned, his hands held something unlike anything else in the shop: a deep obsidian case, etched with runes from another age.
"This wand… predates me. Predates this shop. Crafted during the time of the Founders themselves," Ollivander said reverently. "It has never chosen a wielder."
Harry stepped forward.
He lifted the lid.
Inside lay a wand of ancient ironwood, dark as night with silvery veins that pulsed like breath. Its handle was wrapped in dragonhide, and the tip glowed with both blue and violet hues.
"The core," Ollivander said softly, "is a dual braid—phoenix feather and thestral hair. Light and dark. Life and death. Harmony through duality."
Harry reached out—and the moment his fingers brushed the handle, the wand flared to life.
Wind roared through the shop. Shelves rattled. A glow surged up Harry's arms. His hair lifted with magic.
Then it settled.
The wand had chosen.
Ollivander's eyes were wide. "This wand… it sings with you. You are not meant to walk only in light or shadow, Mr. Potter. But to balance both. That… is very rare."
---
> [System Notification:
Unique Wand Acquired – "Wand of Arcane Equilibrium"
Passive Bonus: +25% Efficiency with All Magic Types
Hidden Trait Unlocked: "Immunity to White/Black Magic Side Effects"
Trial Completed: "Duality of the Arcane"
Reward: Trait – "Uncorrupted Vessel" (No Magical Backlash)]
---
Acquiring the Arsenal
Time passed.
Hours blurred together.
They visited Flourish and Blotts, where Harry acquired two sets of each course book—one clean, one to annotate.
At Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, he custom-ordered a reinforced potions kit with self-repairing hinges and temperature seals. The shopkeeper, confused by his knowledge, muttered something about "young prodigies" and "precocious chaos."
Harry smiled politely and said nothing.
At Madam Malkin's, he requested robes stitched with subtle charm-threads—resistance to minor spells and heat. The tailor was flustered, but Lily approved.
He even bought a Muggle-tech-modified trunk—with hidden compartments, multiple layers, and a false bottom connected to his system space.
By the time the sun began to sink behind the alley's crooked skyline, Harry stood at the center of Diagon Alley like a general inspecting his fortress.
> [System Status Updated:
Magical Arsenal – 67% Prepared
Social Strategy Tree – Drafting Phase
Arcane Mastery – Level 2.9
Potion Affinity – +12% from Environmental Conditioning
Time Passed in Diagon Alley: 3 hours, 48 minutes]
He glanced toward Lily and Snape. They were talking quietly, waiting for him.
He nodded, satisfied.
The world of magic was strange, wild, and full of schemes.
But Harry?
He was ready to play the long game.