One night, Agnes went to the dining room armed with a pen and a notepad. She had a decision to make. She had gotten a letter from not just Hogwarts, but from Walnut Valley Christian Academy (her mother's school) and Providence Christian School (her father's school). The schools were boarding schools like Hogwarts, yet they emphasized the importance of having a Christian education as opposed to learning about magic.
For a while, though, Agnes was certain that she didn't have any magic in her. She also knew that her parents were killed by wizards, which sent her to a house filled with two wizards. (Three if you included Dudley, who she didn't think was a wizard at all.) Agnes was sure that whatever the outcome of her decision, she knew she could find a way to make it work.
After all, Agnes Parker wasn't a person who turned down any challenge, no matter what it was.
She picked up the pen and wrote:
"To Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry,656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSpMnvTBAo
"My name is Agnes Parker, and I am expressing an interest in attending your school. I have received two similar letters from two other schools, and I have already put in a request for those schools. I'm also highly aware that I am what you say is a muggle and I understand that the odds that I will actually attend your school is slim to none.
"Therefore, I have a few requests to make if I'm going to attend your school:
"I wish to be placed in a dorm with the other children instead of my own room.
"I want to know how you were able to find me, even if you didn't know who or where I was for so many years.
"I wish to know the truth about how and why my parents died when I was a small child. I don't know if I'm a witch or not, and to educate a non-magical person would be considered unethical..."
As Agnes was writing her letter, Harry came to her, saying, "What are you doing?"
“I'm writing a letter to the headmistress of Hogwarts,” said Agnes. “I also received two other letters from other schools my parents attended and I’m kind of considering going to one of those schools.”656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHg5VzdXxm
"Maybe you should consider going to those schools instead of Hogwarts," said Harry. Agnes glared at him. "Why would you say that?" she snapped.
"To be honest, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go to Hogwarts," said Harry. "You're not a witch. And who knows if you can use magic..."
"Well, how will I know about who I am if I don't go to Hogwarts?" said Agnes. "When last I remembered, those people who called themselves Christians never bothered to reach out to me after my parents died, so why should I bother with them and their schools?"
"So, you're not going to those schools then?" said Harry.
“Why would I want to go to a Christian school when Christians sent me to stay with an unchristian family that has two wizards living with them,” said Agnes.
Just then, the lights in the room flickered on and off while the cans of food stacked in the pantry fell over. Harry and Agnes jumped at the sound of the falling cans. “I guess you must be a witch after all, as nothing else could have caused this mess,” said Harry as he and Agnes cleaned up the mess in the pantry.
“Don’t say it like that,” said Agnes.
“Like how?” said Harry.
“You say I’m a witch like it’s a bad thing,” said Agnes.
“But what if it is a bad thing?” said Harry. “After all, you said your parents were Christians…”
“And yet, my parents were killed by a wizard for no reason other than existing,” said Agnes. “It doesn’t matter if they were magic or not. All I know is that I received a letter from Hogwarts, which has to mean that I’m magic.”
“Robbie isn’t going to like that,” said Harry as he put the cans away. (Don't forget, Robbie didn't like him, nor did he approve of him being magic, even if he was. You can blame his mother for giving him that toxic opinion about Harry.)
“Robbie will have to learn to grin and bear it,” said Agnes as she straightened up the jars. “He doesn’t understand that the world doesn’t revolve around him and it shouldn’t conform to his backward way of thinking. Plus, I’ve seen and heard him saying all kinds of horrible things about you because of your parents. You want to take that crap from him?"
"Well, he's my cousin," said Harry, but Agnes slapped him across his face. "What's wrong with you?" she yelled. "You don't have to take that kind of abuse from him! He may be your cousin, but right now, he doesn't get the right to treat you like filth."
"Well, I've been treated like filth my whole life, so it doesn't bother me," said Harry.
"And it's going to be an issue when we get to this Hogwarts school and people there start making fun of you for being an orphan," said Agnes. "I'm telling you now, Harry, nothing good is going to come from you tolerating bullying and abuse."
"You should be lucky that you never had to deal with my aunt Mary," said Harry. "She would have forced you to find a normal family and accuse Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia of child abuse."
"Mary sounds like a fiend, " said Agnes. "I'm going to pray that we don't have to deal with her type when we get to Hogwarts."
"So you assume that you're going to Hogwarts?" said Harry. "They might not want you there."
"Those wizards have to pay for killing my family," said Agnes. “I'm sure the magical government isn't too big on murder, so if I'm seen at Hogwarts, someone is going to start asking questions. And when enough people start asking questions, there might be an investigation into who killed my parents. We might find the killer and make sure he goes to jail for the rest of his life if I go to Hogwarts.”
Harry nodded as he put the rest of the cans away and Agnes finished her letter. but he was sure that no matter what the circumstances were, Agnes would somehow find herself going to Hogwarts, where she would rest until she found the answers to the questions about her parents' deaths. And Harry knew that he would be there when that happened.656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xXwzMArPE
At the same time, Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office reading over a list of students who responded to their invitation to attend Hogwarts. So far, only 100 students had said yes, yet over 290 people had declined the invitation.656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjkuiXDaPs
At this, he grew worried, as over the years after Lord Voldemort's defeat, the number of children attending Hogwarts quickly declined, mainly because the fact that Voldemort had attended Hogwarts had caused a large number of pureblood wizarding families to pull their support and their children out of Hogwarts.
"Well I just received word that Harry's uncle Carlyle and his wife Mary were killed in an automobile accident a few weeks ago," said McGonagall as she came into his office. “I hope you didn't have anything to do with that.”
“And what if I did?” Dumbledore snapped. “When last I checked, I said that Harry Potter was to stay with the Dursley family. I didn’t want anyone outside the family to raise him. If that occurred, then they would die. If the Dursleys gave Harry away, they and the adoptive family would die. I wanted the boy to arrive at Hogwarts dependent on me and unhappy with his life.”
“Yet that never happened,” said McGonagall. "As far as I know, Harry Potter appears to be well-adjusted and happy with his life. What are you going to tell him when he finds out that you had a hand in the deaths of his parents and uncle and aunt?"
That question was left up in the air as McGonagall left the room. Dumbledore was sure that whatever magic that surrounded Harry was protecting him from his lies and manipulations. After all, his spy next door had reported seeing Harry being treated decently by the Dursley family.
This would not do.
Yet there was one thing Albus Dumbledore did NOT expect, which was the name AGNES LAUREN PARKER appearing on the list of expected Hogwarts students. He had never heard of the Parker family, and he was sure that the Parkers were Muggles. How did the magic that controlled Hogwarts select a Muggle girl to attend Hogwarts?656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwDBDJFKG3
Dumbledore stood up and left the office. He had an appointment to keep, which was to visit a young boy named Patrick Harvey who lived at the Wyler Children’s Home in South London. Patrick (who was an orphan) was removed from his cruel foster family and taken to the home, where he was recovering from the abuse.656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCwRfOxoH5
Dumbledore smiled, knowing that if he was unable to get Harry to yield, he had a definite backup plan. But little did he know that someone was spying on him, following his every move, knowing his every plan for the magical world...656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡay3G3N1tsf
"Well, it's not as bad as you think," Nicholas said to Harry as he took Harry, Agnes, Jonathan, and Dudley to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies. "Although I could have done without the goblins running amok at Gringotts."656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9vkB9ktSs
“Yeah, who understands those goblins?” said Agnes as she stared at him. “I’d like to know something about the wizarding world’s banking system. Like, who moves the money around? How do wizards make their money?”
“My dad sells power tools,” said Dudley.
“And how do people make the power tools your father sells?” said Agnes.
“I know,” said Harry. “For some reason I don’t understand, the wizarding world doesn’t seem like a nice place to live in. Too many people around here don’t know basic math.”
“And yet, we’re required to know magic,” said Dudley. “That’s dumb.”
“Not to mention the number of wizards who think they’re better than nonmagical people,” said Jonathan. “Now that disturbs me.”
The group soon found itself in the main square. There, they saw Hagrid talking to a boy several feet away. The boy had blond hair, blue eyes, and was almost a foot shorter than Harry. Hagrid noticed Harry and waved to him, saying, “’Ello, ‘Arry!”
“Hagrid?” said Harry. ”Why are you here?“
“I’m here with young master Harvey here,” said Hagrid as he pointed to the boy. “Harry, I want you to meet Patrick Harvey. He’ll be attendin’ Hogwarts with y’eh.”
Harry reached out to shake hands with Patrick, yet the other boy slapped his hand away. He glared at Harry with a look of hatred, which filled him with horror. Patrick also gave that same hateful look to Agnes, Jonathan, Dudley, and Nicholas as well. Hagrid said, “Well, not that that’s settled, I’ll see you at Hogwarts. And before I forget…happy birthday.”
Harry frowned as Hagrid set a huge package by his feet and left. Patrick glared at Harry one more time before he left with Hagrid. “What the hell was that?” Jonathan snapped after a few minutes had passed. “Whose bright idea was this?”
“Dumbledore’s,” Nicholas snapped angrily.
“Who?” said Harry.
“I don’t want to scare you, but Albus Dumbledore is a man without honor,” said Nicholas. “Sure he was blamed for a number of things that happened many years ago, but at the same time, he forced me to leave my father and mother and work for him.”
“Doing what?” said Agnes.
“Spying on Harry,” said Nicholas.
“Why would he do something like that?” said Dudley. “Is he messed up in the head?”
“He is,” said Harry. “For some reason I don’t understand, I bet he might have had something to do with why Uncle Lee and Aunt Mary are dead. Not that I liked them or anything like that, but something has to be done about this.”
“I know,” said Nicholas. “There’s no way we’re going to sit there and let Dumbledore run your life. Remember, Harry, you are who YOU decide to be.”
Harry nodded as he picked up the strange package Hagrid left for him. Inside the package was a snowy white owl in a huge iron cage. “Some people have all the luck!” Dudley said as he stared at the owl in awe.
“Maybe we should all get pets just to spite the rules,” said Jonathan. “We’re not going to let anyone tell us what to do!”
Harry nodded as he picked up the cage and everyone kept going. Little did he know that many people in the place were watching him, and those people were shocked at what they saw. From the murmuring he overheard, Harry was certain that something strange would happen to him soon…656Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYC9SSUzBx
