Ethan moved to his desk, spreading the parchment flat under the lamp. He forced himself to slow down.
Think. Process.
This was information, and information was power.
The letter was written in emerald green ink on thick, yellowish parchment. The seal had been burgundy wax, stamped with a coat of arms—a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a serpent surrounding a large letter 'H'.
Interesting. Four animals. Four of something?
He read methodically:
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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. Drake, 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
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Ethan's eyes lingered on the headmaster's credentials.
"Order of Merlin"—like King Arthur's knights? "Grand Sorcerer"? "Supreme Mugwump"?
The titles sounded absurd but they were listed matter-of-factly. This Dumbledore person clearly held significant authority.
Mental note: find out who he is and what he controls.
"We await your owl." So the owl wasn't just delivering a letter—it was expected to carry his response back. Two-way communication via bird.
Inefficient compared to phones, but there was probably a reason. Maybe magic interfered with technology?
The term started September 1st. Six weeks away.
That was his timeline to prepare.
He flipped to the supply list:
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UNIFORM
First-year students will require:1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
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Robes. Pointed hats. They were leaning hard into the medieval aesthetic.
Dragon hide gloves?
Dragons existed. Ethan filed that away.
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COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda GoshawkA History of Magic by Bathilda BagshotMagical Theory by Adalbert WafflingA Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric SwitchOne Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida SporeMagical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius JiggerFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt ScamanderThe Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
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He studied the titles carefully.
Transfiguration—changing one thing into another? That was powerful if it was what it sounded like.
Magical Drafts and Potions—chemistry but with supernatural results.
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection—there were dangerous things in this world that first-years needed to learn to defend against immediately.
The threat level was higher than a normal school.
Fantastic Beasts—a whole book dedicated to magical creatures. Dragons, definitely. What else?
Eight required textbooks for eleven-year-olds. The curriculum was comprehensive. First year was foundational. He'd be learning multiple disciplines simultaneously.
Good.
With his accelerated learning, he'd master this faster than anyone else.
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OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)1 set glass or crystal phials1 telescope1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
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A wand. The letter made it sound like something you just bought, like a pencil.
But his father's wand was sitting in the Gringotts vault. Could he use that? Or did everyone need their own?
Cauldron, phials, scales—potion-making equipment. Telescope—astronomy? Magic and celestial observation connected somehow?
The pet options were oddly specific. Only three types allowed.
There was structure here. Rules. Probably for good reasons.
He flipped to the final page:
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INFORMATION FOR MUGGLE-BORN STUDENTS
Students from non-magical families may find the transition to our world unfamiliar. Diagon Alley, accessible through The Leaky Cauldron public house in London (Charing Cross Road), contains all necessary suppliers for school equipment.
If you require assistance reaching Diagon Alley, please indicate in your return letter and arrangements will be made.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank can exchange Muggle currency for wizarding money.
CURRENCY: The wizarding economy uses Galleons (gold), Sickles (silver), and Knuts (bronze).Conversion: 17 Sickles = 1 Galleon, 29 Knuts = 1 Sickle
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station, London, departs at 11 a.m. on September 1st. Instructions for accessing the platform will be provided with your supply purchases.
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Ethan's mind immediately did the math. Seventeen times twenty-nine equaled four hundred ninety-three Knuts per Galleon.
Odd denominations. Medieval currency systems had been similarly bizarre.
This society was technologically backward—still using coins, still using quills and parchment, still using owls for communication.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters." Not Platform Nine, not Platform Ten. Something hidden between them.
The magical world existed alongside the mundane world but separate from it. Parallel infrastructure.
He sat back, fingers drumming on the desk.
What he'd learned:
The magical world was organized, structured, with formal institutions. Hogwarts wasn't some underground operation—it was an established school with a prestigious headmaster.
There was a government ("International Confederation of Wizards"), an economy, infrastructure.
But it was separate. Hidden.
The word "muggle" was used casually, which meant the separation between magical and non-magical was fundamental to their society.
There might be prejudice there. Definitely politics.
They taught defense against "dark forces" to children. This world was dangerous. Combat-ready education from age eleven.
He had six weeks to prepare. He had money in Gringotts—his father's vault. He had a grimoire there, his father's wand, artifacts.
Those were advantages, but he needed to access them without revealing how unusual he was.
His mother knew about the magical world but didn't engage with it. His stepfather thought it was fantasy.
Ethan was caught between two worlds with knowledge of both but belonging fully to neither.
Perfect position for someone who planned to exploit every advantage.
The owl hooted, shifting impatiently on the windowsill.