“Would anyone really eat an owl?” Dumbledore asked with a slight tremor, seeing that Professor McGonagall didn’t smile back.

Thankfully, she quickly denied any such idea.

“You got it wrong, Dumbledore. The mistake is indeed with our Hogwarts! Just moments ago, the Quill of Acceptance wrote another name in the Book of Admittance, and that child is a newborn this year!”

Dumbledore sighed in relief and replied casually, “That’s right, Professor McGonagall. It’s still early before the school starts, and I’ll send an owl to the students. There’s still time; at most, we’ll just give the owl a spell to speed up its flight. It won’t delay anything!”

As he spoke, Dumbledore felt that the iced lemon juice in his hand lacked sweetness.

He produced honey from thin air and added it to the drink.

He gestured to Professor McGonagall, asking if she wanted some as well.

Professor McGonagall declined the offer and stared at Dumbledore with meaningful eyes. “Dumbledore, the problem is not time; it’s the people. You know this child’s elders too!”

Dumbledore smiled and replied nonchalantly, “Ah, Professor McGonagall, you know the longer one lives, the more people one meets. I wonder, which old friend’s child is this?”

“It must have been quite a shock for their family to not receive the owl. Poor boy, when he arrives at Hogwarts, I must compensate for the delay!”

Dumbledore stirred the iced lemon juice before him and was about to take a sip.

“The boy’s name is Wentworth, Wentworth Grindelwald!”

Dumbledore’s hand froze mid-air, and his eyes stared blankly.

The glass of iced lemon juice floated before Professor McGonagall; had she not reacted quickly, it would have spilled.

Seeing Dumbledore’s shocked expression, Professor McGonagall felt a bit relieved.

She raised her own glass of iced lemon juice and savored it carefully.

“Grindelwald? When did he have children?” Dumbledore said in disbelief.

Misunderstanding Dumbledore’s response, Professor McGonagall quickly clarified, “No, these are descendants of Grindelwald’s younger brother, not Grindelwald himself.” Professor McGonagall explained.

“But they are still from the Grindelwald family, aren’t they? If people find out we accepted his descendants into Hogwarts…”

But before Professor McGonagall could express her concerns fully, Dumbledore interrupted, “Write a letter, Professor McGonagall. Regardless of who the child is related to, if they are recorded in the Book of Admittance, we will send them an acceptance letter.”

“It’s been this way for thousands of years, and we won’t change it based on their relatives.” Professor Dumbledore asked.

“Their family can choose to let the child give up studying at Hogwarts, but we have to inform them!”

Upon hearing Dumbledore’s words, Professor McGonagall hesitated momentarily and then nodded thoughtfully. “Alright, Dumbledore. I’ll have the owl send the letter immediately and cast a fast-flying spell on it to ensure we get a reply as soon as possible.”

After Professor McGonagall left, only Dumbledore and countless former Headmasters hanging on the wall remained in the Headmaster’s room at Hogwarts.

The portrait Headmasters had overheard Professor McGonagall’s discussion with Dumbledore and were engaged in spirited debates.

But in the end, they all agreed with Dumbledore’s decision.

They believed that Hogwarts should not change its tradition based on the identity and background of its students—the pride of Hogwarts.

Ignoring the talking portraits, Dumbledore stood alone in front of the Pensieve in his office. Lost in thought, he murmured, “Gellert, did you foresee this day?”

Meanwhile, the owl had flown out of Wentworth’s window, and its sudden arrival surprised everyone in the room.

They all speculated on what the owl’s arrival meant, and excitement filled the air.

Wentworth was about to run over to ecstatically receive the owl and open the window for it when he saw the glass of his window shatter, and the owl flew into the room.

Rosier quickly caught it.

Rosier snatched the letter from the owl, ignoring its grace, and threw the owl out.

The old people behind her read the letter carefully, and the room was filled with tension.

Left alone in the room, Wentworth stood pitifully and bewildered, unsure of what to do.

The owl was still waiting for Wentworth’s reply, but the sight of corpses scattered around, victims of the Avada Kedavra, frightened it.

The boy and the owl looked at each other, the cold night wind blowing in from the broken window, ruffling their hair and feathers, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Rosier quickly scanned the letter and confirmed that it was indeed an admission letter from Hogwarts.

But upon seeing Dumbledore’s name and the Grindelwald family name on the letter, her eyes showed disdain.

“This admission letter is so dull and lifeless, just like Dumbledore himself. It won’t be long before Durmstrang takes over as the number-one wizarding school!

“Hey, you should know that, in fact, the best magic school in the world is called Ilvermorny!”

Ignoring the dispute among the others, Rosier called Wentworth over and handed him the Hogwarts acceptance letter.

Though dissatisfied with Dumbledore’s involvement, Rosier spoke gently to Wentworth, “Take a good look, Wentworth. This letter represents a new world opening up for you. It’s a day to remember, isn’t it?”

With trembling hands, Wentworth received the admission letter from Rosier.

He was already familiar with its content, but when he saw the coat of arms featuring a lion, an eagle, a snake, and a badger on the envelope, his excitement was indescribable!

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Chief Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Grindelwald,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A list of required books and items is enclosed with this letter.

The semester begins on September 1st. We will be awaiting a reply from your owl by July 31st.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Read up to 40 Chapters ahead on my Patreon page!

Published On: August 15, 2023

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