A Letter

Dear Mum and Dad:

Though I only just left home, I already miss you. I hope you are both healthy and happy.

Yesterday, we arrived at Hogwarts aboard a dark red steam train. The school is a magnificent castle, surrounded by meadows, forests, and a lake. I have to say, the scenery here in the morning is especially enchanting.

It was already evening when we arrived at the school, and the first thing was the Sorting. I think you know that Hogwarts is divided into four Houses—brave and bold Gryffindor, honest and loyal Hufflepuff, wise and learned Ravenclaw, and ambitious Slytherin...

Wade's pen paused slightly as he wrote this.

He suddenly realized that among the four Houses, the other three all valued a student's character when admitting them, while Ravenclaw alone demanded ability.

So... clever and brave people might go to Gryffindor, such as Dumbledore and Hermione; clever and loyal people were admitted to Hufflepuff, such as Scamander—the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts series—and Cedric; while clever and ambitious people went to Slytherin, such as Voldemort and Snape.

Then what about the "clever people" left in Ravenclaw? Perhaps they were intelligent and quick-witted, but clever people were often better at seeking advantages and avoiding harm. When faced with hardship and danger, they were also more likely to shrink back and choose the easier, more beneficial path.

Yet to achieve anything, besides intelligence, one's spiritual qualities were the core that generated motivation—either courage to press forward, unyielding perseverance, or soaring ambition. Clever people who immersed themselves in their own worlds and did as they pleased often only became oddballs in other people's eyes.

That was why, in the story, Ravenclaw had the least presence among Hogwarts's four Houses. The Ravenclaws who appeared—whether current students or graduates—were all more or less neurotic, except for Cho Chang.

Thinking of how the Sorting Hat had said Ravenclaw suited him best, Wade frowned in displeasure. Then he thought again—who he was could not be decided by a hat. Besides, it was not the first or second time the Sorting Hat had made a mistake, such as placing cowardly Peter Pettigrew in Gryffindor.

Wade paused for a moment, then continued writing—

A talking hat placed me in Ravenclaw, and I think it was the finest recognition of my mind. During my seven years of study, I truly intend to learn as much as I can, because I have heard that nowhere in all of Britain has a richer collection of books than Hogwarts. I have to say, in this regard, the Wizarding World is far less far-sighted than the Muggle government. There are no so-called public libraries here; precious books are either kept in schools or collected in the private studies of certain old families.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is a rather strange man. He has long silver-white hair and a silver-white beard, and his bearing is exactly like the mysterious wizard people imagine—he is practically a living Merlin. Can you imagine it? His opening speech was: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Probably no one knew what it meant. Still, even if we did not understand it, it was much better than one of those long and boring speeches. After he finished speaking, a great deal of food appeared on our tables—yes, it appeared out of nowhere; magic truly is amazing—and by then, we were all very hungry.

Though somewhat eccentric, this professor is also very humorous, kind, and gentle. He is also the greatest wizard of this age. A classmate from a wizarding family told me that, because Dumbledore is here, Hogwarts is recognized as the safest place in the world. So you need not worry that I will encounter any danger at school. The students here will not cast Dark Curses at people for no reason either; they are no different from children at ordinary schools.

Also, my House, Ravenclaw, has its own separate Tower on the western side of the castle. After dinner, the Prefect led us to the Tower. We had to answer the door knocker's question correctly before we could enter the Common Room. The Common Room is a very spacious circular room. Many stars are painted across its dark blue domed ceiling, and the thick carpets are also covered with stars, making it feel tranquil and elegant. There are many arched windows around the room, draped with bronze silk. Through them, one can see the distant mountains and wilderness, as well as the school's Quidditch Pitch.

The dormitories are in a turret beside the Tower—I have to say, getting back to the dormitories really involves climbing a great many stairs. But the older students said that the school's staircases tended to be friendlier to Ravenclaw students. They would not move around and play tricks on us, and sometimes they would even create a shortcut, saving at least half the journey—perhaps because the ever-changing staircases in the castle were designed by Lady Ravenclaw, the House founder.

Ravenclaw has the fewest students of the four Houses. The dormitories are shared by two people, and there happened to be one extra boy, so... you have probably guessed it already. I seized the opportunity and quickly applied, and in the end, I was lucky enough to get a room of my own.

The dormitory has a warm bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a bookshelf, as well as a private washroom. All daily necessities have been prepared. We do not need to do laundry or clean our rooms. There is a group of little helpers in the castle who are nowhere to be seen; after a night's sleep, everything is put in perfect order. They probably brought my suitcase to the dormitory as well. Thank goodness I did not have to carry it up the spiral staircase myself.

The students in my House are all easy to get along with, and Prefect West takes very good care of the new students. Worried that some students might get lost, he was waiting in the Common Room early this morning and led us to the Great Hall for breakfast. At the same time, he handed us this term's timetable—I have to say, the coursework is arranged very lightly, and this is the least worrying part.

After breakfast, Prefect West also led us around the school once, showing us where each class would be held, which places were forbidden, and the shortcuts to the library, Hospital Wing, Quidditch Pitch, and other places.

Soon, we will have Flying Lessons, and I will ride a Flying Broomstick for the first time—isn't that exciting? I never imagined that we humans could soar through the sky like birds. Of course, I will follow the professor's instructions, stay safe, and avoid getting hurt.

Finally, I want to say that Hogwarts truly is a wonderful school! I like it very much here.

With love—

Wade Gray

Having lived two lives, Wade was not as carefree and thoughtless as an ordinary child. He knew very well how deeply loving parents worried when their child left home. So, during the little free time before class, Wade wrote down every detail, large and small, of his arrival at school. He even drew a simple sketch of the school's layout and enclosed it with the letter. After finishing, Wade reviewed it again and changed "ambitious Slytherin" to "shrewd and proud."

It was not that he wanted to praise Slytherin, but that he did not want his parents to notice the possible conflicts between the Houses through his choice of words and begin worrying about his circumstances—Mr. and Mrs. Gray's impression of the Wizarding World was still stuck in the era when the Dark Lord ran rampant. Ever since Wade received his Hogwarts acceptance letter, they had quietly felt guilty and worried about his identity as a Squib.

Wade wanted to tell them—it was all right. The war was over, Bloodline Theory was no longer mainstream, and everything at Hogwarts was fine now. His background was not an obstacle, and his parents were not a burden.

He had always been filled with gratitude that he could be their child.