The Letter at the Orphanage

"Headmaster Dumbledore, here is this year's list of new students."

"Thank you for your hard work, Professor McGonagall," said the tall, slender old man with snow-white hair.

"Harry is on this year's list too..."

"Don't worry, Professor McGonagall. I've spoken to Hagrid. He'll fetch Harry. Would you like a Cockroach Cluster?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head and turned to leave the headmaster's office.

"Wait, Professor McGonagall..."

Dumbledore stopped her, picked up the list, and said with some hesitation, "I'll visit this child myself..."

London, England, 1991.

Inside Elizabeth Orphanage on Winstanley Road, a boy sat frowning on a chair in the courtyard.

Jerry Green was in a rather foul mood. Recently, an older boy at the orphanage named John had been throwing his weight around, constantly trying to pick fights with him.

"Hmph. Here we go again." Jerry sneered at the large figure approaching him, then got up and headed for the little grove behind the orphanage.

"Hey, kid, is this where you've chosen to get beaten up? Or did you come here because nobody's around, so you can get on your knees and beg?" John burst out laughing.

Jerry didn't bother answering. He pulled out the strip of bamboo hidden behind his back and, before John could react, lashed it hard across his right leg.

"Ah, fuck!" Clearly, John hadn't expected the gentle-looking Jerry to launch such a vicious sneak attack.

John clutched his right leg with both hands, wailing on the ground.

Good. Now he won't be able to run away. Jerry watched him coldly.

"Fuck, what are you going to do?" A flicker of terror appeared in John's eyes as he looked up at Jerry beside him.

"Don't be scared. I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to talk some sense into you." Jerry gave him a warm smile, crouched down, and delivered a hard smack across his face.

Watching Jerry smile as he hit him, John lowered his head in fear. He didn't dare say a word and was beginning to regret provoking him.

Jerry grabbed a fistful of John's hair and yanked it back, forcing him to raise his head and meet his eyes. "I'm curious. There are so many people in the orphanage. Why did you single me out?"

"I... I was just bragging to the others. I said I was the boss and could push anyone around."

Jerry knew at once that he was lying. He released him and stood up.

Just as John thought he was off the hook, a foot stamped hard on the back of his right hand.

"My patience is limited. Think carefully before you answer."

"Ah! I'm telling the truth! Please believe me!"

Jerry pressed down harder and ground his foot back and forth over John's hand. The pain drained all color from John's face.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! I just couldn't stand you and wanted to teach you a lesson!"

Whether it was true or false didn't matter to Jerry. What mattered was that John feared him.

Jerry looked down at the suffering boy and asked, "Then how was today's lesson?" His voice was so warm and friendly.

"Jerry, I was wrong. Please let me go."

From John's expression, Jerry knew he had achieved his goal. John was afraid. There was no helping it. In a place like an orphanage, you had to be tough to hold your ground!

Of course Jerry would forgive him. He was only a child, after all!

He lifted his foot off John's right hand, then drove it hard into his stomach.

"Urrgh..." John curled up on the ground in agony.

Jerry rubbed his sole against John's clothes to wipe off the blood, then smiled and said goodbye.

What Jerry didn't know was that an elderly-looking man with a full head of white hair had been standing in a corner, watching everything.

"Jerry, are you hurt