Aldric froze. His shack was crude, but he'd done a decent job securing it. For someone to slip a letter onto his pillow without him noticing meant they could just as easily come for him quietly in the night.
Thinking quickly, Aldric grabbed the envelope and tore it open. If someone took the trouble to deliver a letter, they probably weren't here to hurt him, if they were, they'd have struck while he slept.
After reading through the letter, Aldric sat dumbfounded on his mattress. "Hogwarts… isn't that my son Jimmy's favorite novel? Harry Potter?"
Because of Jimmy, Aldric had been forced to read the entire Harry Potter series multiple times and watch all the films. For a children's story, he was surprisingly familiar with it.
Now it all made sense: what he thought were superpowers were actually magical abilities surging uncontrollably. Magic surges were dangerous; many young wizards had died from them.
Aldric had been treating his powers like a mere superpower, even trying to trigger and control them himself. Lady Luck had truly been on his side, otherwise, he'd have been dead a long time ago.
Suddenly, a piece of parchment slipped out from the Hogwarts acceptance letter in Aldric's hand.
"Dear Mr Thistlewaite,
In light of your particular circumstances, a representative of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be dispatched to your place of residence to answer any questions you may have and to provide any assistance you might require.
Please be advised that our staff member will will arrive at your residence on 16 July 1991 at half past eight in the morning."
Aldric glanced at the electronic watch beside his pillow, its strap was missing, and saw the time: 8:31. "Mr. Aldric Thistlewaite, it seems you've already read the letter we sent you."
Aldric looked up at the voice. The shack's door had opened silently, and standing there was a white-bearded old man, smiling warmly. 'My God… is that… Dumbledore?!'
Aldric hadn't even noticed the envelope before; otherwise, he would have seen the clear address written on it, "To Mr. Aldric Thistlewaite, mattress in the trash shack, small woods on the west side of Richmond, London."
"Mr. Aldric Thistlewaite, it appears you've already read the letter we sent you," said Dumbledore, standing just outside the door.
The soft sunlight wrapped around him, making him seem almost glowing, especially with his spotless white beard. His appearance is just exactly the same like the one he watch on the movie.
Aldric stared at him, completely stunned, his eyes flicking nervously between Dumbledore and the letter in his hand, unsure how to respond.
Noticing Aldric's confusion, Dumbledore added, "I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I'm Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I've come to help young wizards with special situations, like yours."
"Headmaster…?" Aldric still couldn't fully grasp what he was hearing.
"Mr. Thistlewaite, when a guest arrives, shouldn't you invite them in first?" Dumbledore said with a playful wink, his eyes sparkling like a mischievous old sprite.
Surprised, Aldric shook off his daze and quickly stepped aside to let Dumbledore in. He motioned toward the only intact sofa in the cluttered shack. "Headmaster, is everything in the letter true? Am I really accepted into a school of magic?"
Dumbledore settled into the sofa without hesitation, taking in the surprisingly neat interior of the shack. "Absolutely, Mr. Thistlewaite.
Hogwarts is a school rich in history and magic. I must say, I'm impressed by how tidy you've kept this place."
Aldric's thoughts were racing. Dumbledore's sudden visit was overwhelming, but thanks to his past experiences, he was used to thinking quickly on his feet.
"Uh… Headmaster, why did you come here yourself? Wouldn't it have been easier to send someone else? I'm not doubting you, it's just… this all feels so sudden."
Dumbledore smiled gently. "There's no need to be nervous, Mr. Aldric. We've confirmed your magical ability, you meet our admission requirements. As you may have noticed, some unusual things have been happening around you lately."
He paused for a moment. "As for why I came personally, it's because the Ministry detected that you might be causing magical surges deliberately, which can be quite dangerous. Given your unique situation, I thought it best to come myself."
"Oh, and by 'magical surges,' I mean those strange things happening around you," Dumbledore said casually.
Aldric's eyes flicked to the large slab of meat hanging from the shack's steel frame. He steadied himself, feeling the calm brought on by his recent emotional control training.
Noticing Dumbledore's glance at the leftover meat and remembering what had been said earlier, Aldric realized someone had been watching him all along. Those unusual events weren't just about magic surges, they included what he'd done the night before.
"Headmaster, I haven't eaten meat in a long time. I didn't mean to, honestly, I just couldn't help myself," he admitted, putting on a pitiful look.
Dumbledore seemed a little surprised by the boy's sharp awareness. It made sense, though; as a wandering orphan, being observant was a matter of survival.
"Mr. Aldric, I'm not here to scold you. In fact, I've met many children like you, one in particular who was very much like you: talented but carrying heavy burdens from a young age."
He smiled warmly. "I believe you're a good-hearted boy, and I promise Hogwarts won't let you down. And please, just call me Dumbledore, no need for formal titles."
Aldric felt a chill run down his spine at those words. Deep down, he suspected the child Dumbledore mentioned was probably Voldemort.
"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore. May I ask, how much does Hogwarts charge? I really want to attend, but… I'm not sure I have enough money."
Dumbledore feigned surprise. "Oh, Mr. Thistlewaite, I think you may be mistaken.
Hogwarts offers support for students with special circumstances like yours. You just need to wait for our staff to get in touch, there are no fees."
Aldric let out a shaky breath, pretending to relax as tears welled in his eyes. "Thank you! Thank you! I've always dreamed of going to school… thank you!" His voice broke as he started to cry.
"Such a poor child," Dumbledore said gently, placing a large hand on Aldric's golden hair. "Don't worry, as I said, Hogwarts won't let you down."
Aldric shivered at the touch, remembering the stories about Dumbledore's strange powers and the way he always seemed to know everything about everyone. But he forced himself to keep up his grateful front.
They talked a little longer before Dumbledore finally excused himself. Aldric, eyes red-rimmed, walked him to the door.
"See you at Hogwarts, Aldric," Dumbledore said with a nod before disappearing in a flash of his cloak.