Chapitre 52: The Letter
That June, right after Draco's birthday, the entire family relocated to the chateau. It was a bit more crowded that the boys were accustomed to see it during their summer holiday, but the house was very large, and there was more than enough room for all.
Granny seemed utterly delighted to have so many guests to care for, and the entire house was filled with a spirit of good cheer and family fun. The fact that most of the family considered it good fun to discuss the best way to poison one's enemies or smuggle potion-quality human blood past the Ministry was entirely beside the point.
About a week before Harry's eleventh birthday, he was awoken by an owl tapping on his window. A letter dangled from its leg. Harry opened the window and retrieved the letter. It bore the Hogwarts crest and was addressed in green ink:
Mr A. Black
The Largest Bedroom
The East Wing
Chateau Noir
Provence, France
Harry threw on his bathrobe and slippers and ran down the corridor to Sirius's room, the letter clutched in his hand.
'Dad!' he shouted, jumping on Sirius's bed. 'It came!'
'Second rule,' Sirius growled.
'The sun's up,' Harry answered back. 'You're fair game.'
Sirius groaned and sat up in bed. 'What came?' he asked.
'My Hogwarts letter!' Harry said eagerly.
His dad yawned and stretched. 'Let's see it.'
Harry barely managed to open the envelope before the door to Sirius's room burst open and Draco came running in.
'You weren't in your room,' he told Harry. 'I thought I'd find you here.'
'Good morning, Draco,' Sirius said wryly.
'Good morning, Uncle Sirius,' Draco replied quickly before turning back to Harry. 'So you got yours too?'
Harry nodded and held up his envelope.
'For Merlin's sake, just read them already,' Sirius said.
The boys yanked their letters out and began to read them aloud at the same time.
'Dear Mr Black,' Harry began.
'Dear Mr Malfoy,' Draco corrected.
'We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!' both boys shouted in unison.
'You sound so excited.' Sirius smiled fondly. 'Were you worried you wouldn't get in?'
'No, but it's still a bit thrilling to see it written down,' Draco replied.
'There's a long list of supplies,' Harry observed.
Draco nodded. 'We'll have to go to Diagon Alley.'
Sirius chuckled. 'Somehow I don't think that will be a problem. May I see your letters?'
Both boys thrust their letters into his hands. Sirius looked them over.
'I think I'll get you both your animals,' he said thoughtfully. 'Do you want an owl, a cat or a toad?'
'An owl,' both boys said together.
'Well, if I buy you owls, I'll expect lots of letters from both of you,' Sirius teased. A mischievous gleam appeared in his eye. 'Now go show your letters to Aunt Cassie.'
A week before they were set to leave for Hogwarts, the family bade farewell to Granny and came home to England. Sirius took the boys to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies and bought them two magnificent eagle owls. Harry named his owl 'Pollux', so Draco decided to name his 'Castor'.
The night before Harry went off to school, Sirius came into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
'Are you nervous?' he asked.
'A bit,' Harry admitted. 'But mostly I'm excited.'
Sirius grinned. 'You'll have a great time. With you and Draco there together I have no doubt it will be like the Marauders reborn. Just try not to burn down the castle your first year.'
'I have that planned for third year,' Harry replied cheekily.
Sirius chuckled. 'By the way, I've placed a couple of special items in your trunk. One of them is a mirror. I have its twin. If you want to talk to me, just say my name. It's a bit easier than waiting on owl post.'
'That's wicked!' Harry exclaimed.
'James and I used them when we were in separate detentions,' Sirius explained.
'Thanks, Dad,' Harry said.
'The other surprise is even better,' Sirius went on. 'It's very special, so I've buried it under your clothes. You have to promise to take good care of it, not to lose it and never to let anyone but Draco know you have it.'
'What is it?' Harry asked curiously.
'An Invisibility Cloak,' Sirius told him.
Harry's eyes went wide. 'Brilliant!'
'It belonged to James,' Sirius said. 'It was the key to much of our success. Use it well, but make sure you keep it secret. Dumbledore gave it to Moony, and we don't want the old man to figure out that he passed it on to you.'
Harry nodded. 'No need to make him suspicious.'
'There's one more thing,' Sirius said. 'We lost it, but if you can find it, it will make your time at Hogwarts ever so much more fun. It's called the Marauder's Map.'
'A map?'
'It's a special map of Hogwarts that shows the layout of the whole school,' Sirius explained. 'Moreover, it shows the identity and current location of everyone in the castle. It cannot be fooled or tricked. It was confiscated by Filch in our last year. It's probably still in his office.'
'What does it look like?' Harry asked.
'Just a spare bit of old parchment. Tap it with your wand and say the words, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Then the map will appear. When you're done, tap your wand and say, "Mischief managed." It's very important not to forget that bit, otherwise anyone who finds it will be able to use it.'
Harry smiled at his dad. 'Do you have any other tips?'
'Just keep yourself busy,' Sirius replied, ruffling Harry's hair. 'Try new spells and experiment a bit. Remember, you'll learn more magic by doing it than by reading about it in books.' He roughly kissed the top of boy's head. 'Now get to sleep. You want to be well rested for tomorrow.'
'Good night, Dad,' Harry said.
'Good night, Harry.'
.....
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