Harry starred at the letters on the envelope. Surely she was mistaken? She never got mail! Unless these were bad news? With her luck it certainly had to be, but how did the sender know where she slept? This detail had her both intrigued and unsettled at the same time. Harry wondered whether she should take the letter into the cupboard and read it there? But just then she heard a voice from the living room:

“Boy! Where's that mail? Get in here!”

Harry was startled by her uncle's voice. She turned and shuffled down the carpeted hallway towards the door to the living room. The living room was one of the few rooms in the house that Harry had seen little off – true she'd been there multiple times, unlike Vernon and Petunia's bedroom, but she was never there for more than a few minutes and she kept her eyes down. The room was decorated in pale shades of pink and puce. The wallpaper was floral and the cabinets were full of figurines and vases. Although Harry couldn't place a single one of the figurines in it's right place, even if her life depended on it, she knew the pattern of the carpet so well she could draw it in her sleep.

Vernon was seated in the floral couch reading a newspaper. He didn't even look up when Dudley came running into the room and threw himself into one of the armchairs. On his way there he shoved Harry out of the way and she dropped the letters on the floor. She got down on her hands and knees and began to collect them.

“Clumsy freak! Can't you see where you're going?” sneered Uncle Vernon as he lowered the newspaper and saw her.

Dudley snorted happily from the armchair and called for Petunia. Harry panicked slightly and gathered all the letters together into a pile as fast as she could before she rose. She was just about to go through the pile and find her letter again when Vernon snatched the entire pile from her. He grunted as he went through the first few bills.

“Wait,” Harry mumbled and reached for the pile.

“Huh? Are you still here, boy? Get in the kitchen!” Vernon sneered, not bothering to look at her.

Just then he got to Harry's letter and Harry's eyes widened with apprehension. Vernon just starred at the envelope. His mustache was trembling and his cheeks were paling. Harry didn't hear any footsteps behind her as her aunt's arrival was masked by a combination of her fluffy puce slippers and the carpet.

“Vernon, what's that?” she softly inquired, yet it was clear that she had noticed her husband's condition and was nervous for she stepped towards her husband and 'nephew' and completely ignored Dudley's complaining that breakfast hadn't been served yet.

“That's mine,” Harry stated and reached for the letter in her uncle's hand.

She had wanted to sound confident but it came out in a small voice. Vernon snapped out it and moved the letter out of her reach. He growled at her to get her flighty hands off it as Petunia gently pushed her to the side. Vernon handed his wife the letter and as she glanced at it she turned completely white. The two of them looked up at Harry who was incredibly confused at this point.

Dudley was quiet as he sensed something important was going on and that it had something to do with his cousin. Was Harry in trouble? Curious, the boy got up and waddled over to the couch to have a look for himself. The miniature Vernon squinted and tried to read the name and address on the front of the envelope but he only through the name before Vernon lowered the letter. That was still enough and Dudley now looked just as shocked as his parents, though not for the same reason.
To him it was astounding enough that Harry had actually received mail.

“We knew this would happen,” said Petunia in an effort to comfort her husband as he seemed to have momentarily stopped breathing. She put her hands on his shoulders and glared at Harry who was still standing there with her mouth open.

“Can... Can I have it?” Harry tried nervously but her aunt and uncle completely ignored her.

“Well, I'll have my say in this,” Vernon muttered and got up.

He walked out of the living room with Petunia and Harry in hot pursuit. Petunia was offering consolation and Harry was protesting as loudly as she dared. They entered the kitchen where Vernon promptly stopped in front of the bin and ripped the letter to shreds before throwing the pieces away.

“NO!” Harry shrieked and ran towards the bin.

Vernon turned just in time and grabbed her as she ran near him. The child squirmed in his arms and he lifted her off the floor.

“Shut up! Shut up, boy!” he roared as Harry started screaming and crying.

It wasn't fair! She had never gotten a letter before! And here it was just for her! And they ruined it! The fears of the content were long forgotten because Harry was sure that if the Dursleys didn't want her to have it then surely it was something she'd want to have! That's how it always was. If she liked something it was taken from her.

“Vernon! Put her down!” Petunia cried. She didn't realize she had just referred to Harry as a female.

“I'll put the freak down alright!” Vernon hissed as he entered the hallway and pushed Harry into the cupboard.

He fumbled with the lock as Harry kept trying to push the door open, but Vernon used his weight to keep it closed and finally got the padlock to click. In frustration Harry began kicking the inside of the door.

“Bastard! You bastard! That was mine!” Harry sobbed as she felt her strength leaving her.

“Shut up in there!” she heard Vernon growl on the other side.

“Honey, it's over. We got rid of it! Let's not talk about it. I don't want to think about...” Petunia said somewhere out in the hallway.

“Mum! I'm hungry!” cried Dudley inside the living room.

Petunia and Vernon agreed that it was time for breakfast and so they entered the kitchen and left Harry to her misery. Harry curled up on her tiny bed and sobbed loudly into her arm. She didn't know how long she'd be locked up in there and she didn't really care either. Harry couldn't be sure she wouldn't scratch her uncle's eyes out if she was not in the cupboard right now. Of course that was a nice angry fantasy but the truth was she could hardly believe she'd actually yelled at him the way she had because while she might like to imagine doing horrible things to them – especially Dudley, she could never find the courage to stay defiant in the face of Vernon's anger.

This time she hadn't backed down but this time was different. The letter was gone and Harry was sure she'd never see another one like it.

---

Minerva McGonagall sighed and collapsed into her chair. She was completely aware of the dark mass standing in the corner of her office but she chose to ignore Severus for just a few more seconds. She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. It had been a very busy summer indeed and all she longed for was a few days of actual vacation. Of course that came rarely to the deputy headmistress as she was expected to take care of whatever little problem might arise when the other staff was away on holiday.

McGonagall's office was normally a tidy and cosy room decorated in gold and red with pictures of the highlands on the walls but now her desk was flooded with paperwork and there were additional papers and letters filling the armchairs. This was probably the reason why Snape hadn't taken a seat while waiting for her, she mused. Then of course he hardly ever sat down when invited to do so.

“I thought your note said eleven o'clock,” she heard the familiar low voice say.

“Must be my mistake,” Snape continued sarcastically.

He was almost as busy as Minerva as he had to restock the infirmary and she knew it. McGonagall opened her eyes and gave the man an exhausted smile.

“I'm sorry, Severus. I ran into a few problems on the way here. Won't you sit down?” she asked, forgetting that she had no paper-free chair to offer.

The younger professor simply walked over to her desk and looked at her with a strange expression.

“You're overworked, Minerva. Perhaps you should...” he observed, his indifferent expression betrayed by the hint of worry in his voice.

“I'll be fine, Severus! No need to worry about me,” Minerva chuckled and before Snape could open his mouth to protest and argue that he was indeed not worried, she continued:

“Severus, I wanted to ask you to take a look at these – that is if you're not too busy?”

She handed him a stack of papers that had been sitting on her desk. Of course she didn't need him to deal with those. She could have waited for Flitwick's return and asked him, but the truth was she wanted to see Severus. Ever since that meeting in the headmaster's office Snape had been more than usually reclusive. Sure, he wasn't a very social person to start with but he usually shoved up for dinner at least once a week during the summer to discuss with the other remaining professors. After the meeting Minerva hadn't seen him at all except for a short glimpse of him in the corridors and she was beginning to worry.

Perhaps he was overworked? McGonagall knew he was technically always overworked but that was voluntary and Snape never complained. What she really wanted to know was what on earth he had discussed with the headmaster! Had he been given some secret assignment that was now draining him? She'd never admit it but a part of her felt insulted that she wasn't included in this. However, she knew the headmaster usually had a very good reason for everything he did. Usually.

Severus glanced at the stack of essays he'd just been handed. They were all corrected but none of the them were graded which told him that these were likely the ones Minerva suspected cheating had been involved with.

Why would she be shoving these to me? Surely, Flitwick is a far better choice if she is really not sure... No, this can't be why she sent for me! What is the old cat up to now?

Severus looked up from the papers and studied his former professor's face. She looked tired. That was understandable but she also looked worried.

“Are you quite well?”

The words clearly startled the woman and Severus smirked as he realized that these were the very words that had been on her own tongue. She nodded and looked as though she was trying to formulate a sentence with great difficulty. He hadn't realized anyone might think anything of his behavior the last two weeks. He told anyone who dared ask him for something that he was working and much too busy. The truth was that he was actually ahead on his work and spent most of his free time pacing in his quarters and fretting over the impending arrival of one Harry Potter. He wasn't going to discuss this subject under any circumstances. All he wanted to do was forget about it but that had proved easier said than done.

“I'll take a look at it. Was there anything else?” he continued and realizing he had just invited more questions he continued:

“What manner of problem did you encounter?”

McGonagall simply shook her head. She would never understand why she could not simply have a friendly conversation with the potions master. Every time she tried he steered the conversation right back to work. She considered it to his advantage that she knew him to be a man capable of immense kindness and self-sacrifice and that she therefore had never given up on him – unlike those who never made it past the first impression.

Still, he is a bit of a git at times, she mused to herself and smirked.

In all the years she had been employed at the school she had had few colleagues with whom she had disagreed as often.

“It's quite alright, Severus. I'm having some trouble with the acceptance letters, that is all.”

She gave him a weak smile and stood to see him out but the man lingered.

“What manner of trouble?” he inquired.

“Oh, There's a few letters I've had no reply to. One of them hasn't been delivered even though several has been sent and the owls are driving me mad,” McGonagall replied and sighed.

Snape raised an eyebrow at that. Occasionally there would be no reply from the muggleborns if their parents didn't wish them to attend but there was usually a reply of refusal when a second letter came around.

“How many have been sent?”

“Oh, a few hundred.”

“A few hundred!” Severus cried.

The older professor shrugged.

“The pen that writes them is working overtime. I plan to send Hagrid to deliver one personally.”

“Which student is this? One of the muggleborns?” Severus asked.

He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to hear the answer because he was beginning to suspect it was another person entirely. Minerva shook her head.

“No, Harry Potter,” she replied and studied her colleague's face for a reaction.

None came. Snape simply nodded and turned to leave.

---

Tomorrow would be her birthday.

That was all Harry could think about as she lay on the floor of the sorry excuse for a house that the Dursleys had rented. She had been wrong. When she had been locked in the cupboard all she wanted was to get another letter and she was sure that she never would. Neither she nor her relatives were prepared of the storm of letters that began arriving for her. Now she was on some godforsaken rock in the middle of the channel – cold and miserable and she still hadn't had a chance to read a single one. Dudley was snoring on the couch next to her and she could hear the bed creaking violently upstairs every time Vernon turned in his sleep.

Harry wondered what it was they were keeping from her. It had something to do with her being a freak. That was why she was getting all those letters. It was her own fault. She clearly hadn't been good enough at pretending – pretending to be a boy, pretending to be normal. She couldn't help it. Freaky things just kept happening to her. This was why the Dursleys often preferred pretending she wasn't there to pretending she was normal. Harry tried to make herself as small and invisible as possible which wasn't hard.

She had grown terrified of other people. She saw the way they often looked at her – either with disgust or sympathy and she knew it was because she was a worthless freak. And she was terrified that they might discover just how much of a freak she really was. What would they do to her if they knew? Dudley said they would kill her by feeding her to lions but she didn't believe him. It had to be something bad though since her aunt and uncle went to such trouble concealing her freakishness despite not liking her one bit.

Harry drew herself a birthday cake on the dusty floor and glanced at Dudley's watch. Two more minutes. This house was the polar opposite of Privet Drive. It was old and filthy and grey like the skies outside. She knew the Dursleys had to be at their wits end to leave their home behind for such a place. More than ever before she felt trapped. The years would pass just as slowly as the minutes as she waited for midnight and her birthday. If only she could pass as a normal boy then surely she wouldn't have to stay with her relatives? Surely she could be free?

Just then the watch showed midnight. Harry blew out her imaginary candles and made a wish.

If could be happy, I promise to do better! Just give me one chance!

Then fate and a half-giant knocked on the door.

---

“What do you mean, 'a wizard'” Harry asked with a confused expression on her face.

“I'm telling you, get out of this house! We don't want any of your sort here!” cried Vernon but the huge man ignored him.

“Yes, a wizard. Harry, haven't you ever had strange things happen to you? That's magic!”

Harry paused. True, she'd had plenty of strange things happen to her but could that really be magic? She was holding the letter in her hands that the visitor – Hagrid, he said his name was, had brought for her. It was identical to the others. She nodded quietly at the man and looked down at it.

“Go on, open it!” Hagrid encouraged her.

She broke the seal on the back of the envelope and pulled out at letter. Her heart danced as she read. How could this be? Could it really be true? Was this her birthday wish coming true at last? She had a strange warm feeling that hadn't left her since Hagrid had first laid his eyes on her and cheerfully exclaimed:

“Boy, you look so much like your father! Except those eyes! Those are Lily's!”

Finally some things made sense to her. She did look like her father and if she did look like him perhaps she really could pass as a boy if she tried her best. In fact, would she have to? The man who said these words didn't look like any man she'd seen before and Vernon had called him a freak, hadn't he? Perhaps he was like her? Perhaps he'd understand? She was brought back from these thoughts by yelling and she realized the man was no longer in front of her but was having an argument with her aunt and uncle.

“I don't care what that freak says!” shrieked Petunia.

“Don't you dare insult Albus Dumbledore!” Hagrid growled.

“The boy stays here! He isn't going to some freak school!” continued Vernon as his wife had gone pale.

“That's not your decision!” replied Hagrid and gestured towards Harry.

“You left him with us! So you washed your hands! So yes it is!” said Petunia and turned to wrap her arms around Dudley but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

In the silence that followed all three adults and Harry could clearly hear noises coming from the corner where Dudley was loudly eating the cake Hagrid had brought as a present for Harry.

“Lily was my sister! And I promised...” Petunia continued but stopped mid sentence as began screaming as Dudley now had a pigtail sticking out of his pajamas.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. She'd never seen anything like it! This was real magic! If the giant man had spoken the truth about that perhaps his assurances that this school was a wonderful place could also be true?

“Are you coming, Harry?” smiled Hagrid.

Harry paused. She had asked for a chance and she had only asked for one. She nodded.

“Get your things then. I'll be waiting outside.”

The man then opened the door and walked out into the night. Harry turned and ran to grab her bag containing the clothed she'd brought along with her. Vernon was still trying to calm Dudley down and kept telling him that they'd get the tail removed as quickly as possible. Harry picked up her bag and put on her jacket. She didn't need to change as the floor had been too cold to sleep in her pajamas in the first place. As she turned towards the door a hand grabbed her arm.

“You know if they find out they'll send you right back!” whispered Petunia.

Harry looked up at her aunt. Petunia still had tears in her eyes from the shock of what had happened to Dudley. Harry didn't know what to say. She felt like her stomach was filled with ice.

“They only want you there because they don't know what kind of worthless freak you are!” sneered Petunia.

Harry wasn't sure whether Petunia was angry with her or the man but she knew she was right. Tears filled Harry's eyes and she pulled herself free and ran to the door. She didn't turn her head and so didn't she the terrified look on Petunia's face.

She had asked for a chance and she meant to take it.