Herb called his father, and after hearing the news, the old man became emotional and promised to visit his grandson soon.
Daisy, however, was still upset. Only after much coaxing from Herb did she refrain from further arguing with him. The sharp-minded lawyer couldn't understand why her usually rational husband believed such a ridiculous letter—enough to gamble with their son's future over what must be a prank.
To most people, the idea was simply amusing. After all, magic only existed in legends.
Even Nia wouldn't stop pestering Albert, insisting he perform some magic tricks for her.
"I can't," Albert replied, spreading his hands helplessly.
The truth was, Albert did know some basic spells like Lumos, but without a wand, he couldn't cast them properly—at least not in front of others. Otherwise, how could he possibly explain it?
"Nia, there's no such thing as magic. Those are just illusions," Daisy said sternly. She didn't want her daughter filling her head with nonsense.
"Albert, the letter says you can bring a pet. Will you take Tom to school?" Nia asked, lifting the short-haired cat into her arms and sitting beside Albert, paying no mind to their mother's words.
"Until magic is 100% proven to be real, I won't even consider that." Albert spoke solemnly.
Truthfully, he was just trying to calm Daisy down. She was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
Just then, an owl flew in through the window and dropped a piece of parchment onto the table.
On it were the words:
I will arrive before 3:20 PM — Professor McGonagall
"3:20 PM?" Albert glanced at the clock. "One minute left."
"Good, I can't wait to expose those scammers," Daisy muttered coldly.
At exactly 3:20, the doorbell rang.
The Andersons exchanged glances before Herb, as the head of the family, went to open the door—with Nia close behind him.
When he opened it, he found an elderly witch standing at the door.
"Professor McGonagall?" Herb asked uncertainly. "Ah… please come in. Albert is in the living room—if you can prove that magic actually exists."
"You can do magic?" Nia asked, poking her head forward eagerly.
"That's why I'm here," Professor McGonagall said with a faint smile. She was clearly used to such situations. "Families from non-magical backgrounds often have similar doubts."
"Non-magical… Muggles?" Herb repeated, stiffening. She'd just called him a Muggle?
"Muggles are ordinary people who cannot use magic." Professor McGonagall stepped into the living room, her gaze settling on the only boy in the room. "Hello, Mr. Anderson."
"Hello, Professor McGonagall." Albert studied her carefully. She looked slightly different from how he remembered from the films, but his memories from more than a decade ago were hazy.
"We hope you can… prove magic exists," Daisy said as she placed a cup of unsweetened black tea before the professor.
"Of course. Please watch closely." McGonagall drew her wand, tapped it lightly against the teacup—and it transformed into a small gray mouse.
It was the first time Albert had seen real magic. He picked up the little mouse curiously. "Incredible."
"This is magic? I won't allow Albert to waste his time learning such childish tricks," Daisy said sharply. "Do you expect him to become some sort of stage magician? No offense, but what value does a diploma from a magic school have in the Muggle world—if you even issue diplomas?"
"Every qualified Hogwarts graduate can find a respectable position in the wizarding world," McGonagall replied calmly.
Although Daisy now knew magic was real, she made one last effort. "Albert, I think Eton College is a far better choice. You earned that offer through your own hard work. If you want a future in finance, Hogwarts won't help you at all."
Herb sighed softly. He understood—Daisy simply didn't want their son to choose the unknown.
"Son, it's your decision. We'll respect whatever you choose," he said gently.
"With all due respect," Professor McGonagall added, clearing her throat, "Hogwarts teaches young witches and wizards to safely control their magic. If left unchecked, magic can cause… unfortunate incidents."
"Well, I guess I don't really have a choice," Albert said with a shrug. In truth, he had already made his decision.
"But Albert—" Daisy began, only to be cut off by Nia.
"Ma'am, can I go to Hogwarts too?" she asked eagerly.
"Only children who are eleven and have received an acceptance letter may attend," McGonagall answered kindly.
"Nia, you're not eleven yet," Albert said, ruffling her hair. Then he turned to the professor. "Where do I buy my school supplies? And the ticket? Which platform?"
So he's agreeing? McGonagall exhaled quietly with relief before explaining the route to the Leaky Cauldron. "You'll see it, even though Muggles cannot. The owner is named Tom—he will help you enter Diagon Alley."
"As for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, it's located between Platforms Nine and Ten at King's Cross Station. Simply walk through the barrier."
"Take a train to a magic school? What, are all your flying carpets out of service?" Daisy scoffed.
"Daisy…" Herb coughed lightly to stop her. He then took some notes to avoid missing any details.
"Well then, Mr. Anderson, we'll see you at Hogwarts on September 1st." Professor McGonagall stood to leave.
"Professor, could you change it back?" Albert asked, pointing to the mouse that used to be a teacup.
"Oh, of course." She waved her wand, and the mouse turned back into a teacup.
Albert walked her to the door; moments later, she Apparated with a soft pop and vanished.
"She disappeared?" Herb stared, stunned.
"Dad, are we going to London tomorrow?" Albert asked.
"Yes—yes, we'll go buy your things tomorrow," Herb replied absentmindedly.
"I want to go too!" Nia said, clutching his hand.
"Next time," Albert said, shaking his head. "I'll go first to familiarize myself with everything. After that, I'll take you and Mom. I'll bring you a gift, okay?"
"Hmph! Albert is so annoying!" Nia pouted and stormed off.
Albert glanced helplessly at his father, then turned back toward the living room—where both mother and sister now needed comforting.