A Letter from Hogwarts

"You sent me a greeting card!" Harry stopped what he was doing, looking at Allen with a look of profound shock. One had to understand that in all his years, no one had ever written a letter to Harry.

Allen was equally surprised by Harry's excitement; he had merely sent a card on a whim to get it over with.

Setting aside how the three of them ran wild through the neighborhood and celebrated Harry's birthday, and skipping over how Harry battled wits with the Dursleys to get his mail and met Hagrid, only to be shocked and delighted to learn he was a young wizard, let us look at what happened when Allen returned home to receive his own letter.

"Congratulations, Allen!" As Allen pushed open the door, he was greeted by a spray of streamers. The room was decorated in a riot of color, and the sparks from wands and the constant stream of colorful bubbles made the room look brilliant and dreamlike. Allen's family stood behind the door with wide smiles to welcome him, while Mrs. Harris and Daisy emerged from the kitchen pushing a massive cake. The scene filled Allen with immense warmth and happiness. His eyes seemed moistened by tears of joy, shining brightly and reflecting the wonderful sight, making him look even more spirited.

Emily took Allen's bag and put it away. Mr. Harris walked over and handed Allen a letter. The envelope was made of heavy parchment, the address written in emerald green ink, with no stamp. Allen flipped the envelope over to find a wax seal—a coat of arms featuring a shield surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake, all encircling a large letter "H."

"Congratulations, Allen! You've received your acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Open it and take a look," Mrs. Harris said lovingly.

The letter informed the young wizard of the supplies needed for school and other important notes. After reading it, Allen handed the parchment to Mrs. Harris. Even though they had all seen such letters many times before, they couldn't help but pass it around to read it again. Mr. Harris even immediately declared he would have the letter laminated to preserve it forever.

The family sat happily at the dining table, eating the roasted mushrooms, fried sausages, and butter cake meticulously prepared by Mrs. Harris and Daisy, while discussing the various wonders and anecdotes of Hogwarts.

"I wonder which house my brother will be sorted into?" Emily asked, her face full of anticipation.

"Whichever house it is, it will be worth your effort to experience and learn from. You should know that being sorted into one house doesn't mean you only possess the virtues of that house. I was once reluctantly sorted into Slytherin, known for ambition and a thirst for power, but don't I now possess the bravery of Gryffindor, the perseverance and honesty of Hufflepuff, and the wisdom and erudition of Ravenclaw?" Listening to Mr. Harris's wild boasting, Allen felt his nervousness about the Sorting Ceremony dissipate significantly.

"But how do they decide which house you go to?" little sister Emily asked curiously.

Everyone in the family who had already been through it looked at her with a smile. Mrs. Harris stroked her young daughter's soft blonde hair and said, "You'll know when the time comes."

Growth is always accompanied by many expectations and blessings. Under the witness of his entire family, Allen, filled with hope for his new life, sent his reply to Hogwarts via the family owl, Edward.

"Allen, don't forget to send a letter to Harry. He doesn't know you're a wizard yet, does he? Don't let a small oversight like that ruin all our previous efforts," Mr. Harris cautioned afterward.

Meanwhile, Harry had also received the birthday cake Hagrid had given him and learned of his true heritage. Wrapped in Hagrid's coat, eating the fragrant, oily sausages, he felt as if he were in a dream. He was a young wizard, and he was going to a top-tier school for wizards, not some Stonewall High School! He could finally leave this home that made him feel so stifled! While filled with joy, he also thought of his good friends, Allen and Flag. He would be separated from them; they wouldn't be at the same school, nor even in the same city. They would make new friends. Yes, Allen was so outstanding, and Flag was so cheerful—they were like beacons in a crowd, so lovable... Thinking of this, Harry couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Just then, a "tap-tap" sound came from the window of the dilapidated hut standing on the reef. Harry looked over to see an owl. Having been bombarded by magical letters throughout the day, Harry already knew this creature was a lovely messenger. He rolled out of bed, ran over, and pulled the window open. A strong sea breeze immediately rushed in, causing the owl to stumble, but it stubbornly struggled to fly onto the arm of the broken sofa. It tilted its head and looked at Harry, as if asking why he hadn't come over to take the letter.

It was a very sturdy owl, soaked to the bone. Given the terrible weather, it was easy to imagine how many storms it had battled to deliver the mail. Even though it was exhausted, it stubbornly held its body upright until its mission was complete, its sharp eyes fixed on Harry.

"Go on, take the letter off its leg. It's no easy feat to fly in weather like this. What a loyal messenger!" Hagrid exclaimed in admiration, urging Harry to hurry and open the letter.

Harry walked over quickly. The owl extended its left leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied with a red cloth string. Miraculously, despite the wind and rain, the string and the parchment were completely dry, without a single drop of water on them!

Whose letter was this? And who was it for?