Hadrian wakes up to the bangs of uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley as they hustle around the house. Aunt Marge, uncle Vernon's sister, had invited the two of them, excluding aunt Petunia, to her house. A famous circus was coming to her town, and cousin Dudley had ordered uncle Vernon to take him. His reason was that none of his friends had ever been to the circus before, and he wanted to be the first one.

Aunt Petunia, when she found out that she wasn't invited, had thinly smiled and told them to have fun. Later that night, she had told Hadrian she would take him to the Wizarding World when they, uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley, were gone.

Hadrian hears the voice of aunt Petunia as she bids them goodbye before the door closes.

After a few minutes, a soft knock sounds on his door. "B-Hadrian, are you awake?"

"Y-yes aunt Petunia." He shifts on the floor, gently moving the sleeping bunny onto his blanket as he gets up.

The door opens slowly, and aunt Petunia's face appears in the doorway. "Go to the living room, I need to bring something down before we head out." Aunt Petunia leaves the door open as she makes her way up the stairs, pausing with her foot on a step. "Oh, and Hadrian you can sit on the couch."

Wait. What. Me?! Sit on the couch?

Hadrian gets up, making his way to the living room after he closes his cupboard door. Pausing, he stands in the doorway of the living room. I've never sat on the couch before, do you just… how are you supposed to sit on a couch? He feels a bit silly, asking himself that, but it's a real, honest question. Is there something you should do before you sit on a couch? He thinks back to all the times he's watched the Dursley family sit on the couch, remembering that they each had different ways to sit.

Uncle Vernon kinda flumped onto the couch and then bounced a little. Cousin Dudley all but collapsed onto the couch, his arms flopping and his head hitting his chest. However, aunt Petunia always looked down at the couch, brushing her hands along the back of her dress before she sat down; sitting with her spine straight, and her shoulders pushed back.

Slowly, as if he's about to be attacked, he inched his way over to the couch. Stopping to look back at the doorway a few times before he came to a stop in front of the couch. Swallowing his nerves, he carefully sat down on the couch, sitting on the very edge of the cushion and placing his hands in his lap.

Is this, is this okay? Am I doing this right?

He hunches over, considering sliding down to the floor. However, he looks up when a thump reaches his ear. Jumping slightly when he sees aunt Petunia in the doorway.

Slightly out of breath, aunt Petunia rests her hand on the doorframe. "I don't know what she has in here, but this is much too heavy." She gestures towards the trunk resting at her feet. A pretty, cursive L.E. carved onto the name tag.

"Th-at-...?" Hadrian starts, staring in broken hope at the trunk.

Aunt Petunia flinches slightly at his gaze, before breathing in a deep breath and nodding. "Yes Hadrian, this was your mother's school trunk when she went to Hogwarts. It got sent to me a week after you were left here. The tag said it was sent by a McGonagall, who if I remember is now the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts." Aunt Petunia heaves the trunk towards the couch; settling it down in front of him. "I went with her during the first trip to Diagon Alley, and she had this trunk locked with her blood. Wanted to see how strong it was, and if anyone else could get in it. She read up on it later, and I remember her saying how only the person and their children could open a blood ward. With that knowledge, you should be able to access this trunk. I thought there might be some supplies you could use in here."

"Th-how?" Hadrian looks up from the trunk into aunt Petunias' eyes for a few seconds before looking at her forehead.

Aunt Petunia humms, her fingers tapping softly under her eyes were dark circles are faintly visible underneath her makeup.

"Let me get a needle."

Aunt Petunia hurries out of the room, he hears the dull thud of a door being opened in the kitchen before she comes back into the room holding a sharp needle.

"Prick the pad of your finger, then place it onto the name tag." Aunt Petunia hands him the needle, stepping back to sit on the chair across from him. "I remember Lily carried around a small needle with her. It was a bracelet, one of the charms pulled off to show a needle."

I just, prick my finger? Hadrian look down, quickly pressing the needle into the pad of his left pointer finger. Feeling a sharp pain before it numbs. Getting up, he reaches towards the trunk, hesitating an inch away from the name tag.

What if this ruins it? What if something goes wrong? What if I-

"The name tag b-Hadrian. She always touched the name tag." Aunt Petunia jarres him from his rambling.

Shaking his head, he takes a sharp inhale before pressing his finger onto the nametag.

For the first few seconds, which seems like hours to him, nothing happens. Oh god, what if this was all a joke, what if- a click sounds from the trunk.

Hadrian kneels in front of the trunk, awkwardly looking at his hand and the trunk behind. It… worked? It. It worked!

He whips his head to stare at Aunt Petunia, letting out a beaming smile.

She answers with a small, painful, one of her own. "Now," She coughs, clenching a fist. "I have your school list right here." She picks up the Hogwarts letter from the stand on her right. "Let's see if anything is the same, and in good condition."

"Do you want to read it?" She gestured towards him. "Or me?"

"Y-you aunt Petunia." Hadrian answers, sitting down on the floor in front of the unlocked trunk. The floor is so much more comfortable than the couch.

Her eyes tightens, hands shaking slightly. "Very well." Opening the envelope she pulls out two pieces of parchment paper. Clearing her throat softly aunt Petunia begins to read.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Aunt Petunia glares down at the page, clenching her teeth in rage. "Any questions Hadrian?" She manages to say.
"Owls?" Hadrian tilts his head to the side.
"The magical folks uses different means of communication and travel, one of the ways to communicate if through owls. Like how birds were used to carry messages in the muggle world." Aunt Petunia looks up from the pages, sighing. "Of course, I'm sure there are more ways. Everything I know is from listening to Lily talk to Father and Mother, so I'm sure I've forgotten quite a few things."
"Th-at's all," Hadrian shifts on the floor, running his fingertips over the carved initials,"Th-thank y-you."
Aunt Petunia lets out a slight cough, "Y-yes, well let's continue." She shuffles to the next page.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

It's silent for a few minutes, both of them absorbing the influx of information. Hadrian furrows his eyebrows suddenly. Wait a second.
"D-dragons?!" His eyes wide, he whips his head to stare at aunt Petunia. Who startles at the sudden noise, causing the parchment in her hands to flutter to the ground. He flushes a bright red in embarrassment, ducking his head and pulling at his fringe. He doesn't know why he's so shocked, if Magic was real then it's safe to say magical creatures are real as well.
Aunt Petunia stares at the red-faced boy for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Oh my goodness!" Her shoulders shaking, she cradles her head in her palms. "You've never done that before!"
Hadrian hides his flushed face against the trunk. "S-st-ap!" Aunt Petunia laughs for a few more minutes, before shaking herself out of it.
"Alright, let's look and see if there's anything we can use in Lily's trunk. Well have to invest in new clothing for both casual and formal wear though." Aunt Petunia picks the parchment back up, standing to walk over. "In the Wizarding World, appearance is nearly everything to the Purebloods." She joins him on the floor, smoothing down her skirt.
"H-how do y-you know ssso much?" Hadrian stares in awe.
Aunt Petunia scratches her cheek, smiling softly. "Lily loved to talk about the Wizarding World during the summers she was here. Even if I ridiculed her when she was here, I always listened to what she said to Father and Mother." Her eyes glaze over, staring at the L. E. "She was always angry about what wasn't taught. According to Lily, so much knowledge was thought of as common knowledge that the people who grew up in the Wizarding World never thought to teach the newcomers. She thought that's were most of the discourse originates from."
Hadrian blinks, looking down at the L. E. He breathes in deeply, his cheeks puffing up before deflating as he sighs. I guess I have a lot to learn before school starts.
Hadrian reaches out, opening the trunk to reveal medium sized cubes, each with a different number engraved within the wooden structure. After a moment's hesitation, and a nod from aunt Petunia, he grabs the one etched with a cursive one. Right when he touched the cube, intending to pick it up, the cube grows leaving his hand resting against a book titled The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). A yelp leaves his lips, and he quickly pulls his hand away.

"I've never seen Lily in the trunk during winter or summer break, I didn't know that's what happens!" Aunt Petunia exclaims from his side. "Well, anyway, it seems that one book is already crossed off the list. No need to get a new one when you already one a perfectly good one. I know for a fact that Lily wrote in the margins of all her books, said it helped her learn the information better if she wrote about it."

Hadrian nobs, taking out the gently worn book, and placing it on the floor between them. He proceeds to take out A History of Magic, Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Each of the books being placed by The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). He also finds additional books in the cube, The Mage's Guide to Etiquette, So You're A Mage... What Now?, How to not Offend the Richies, The Branches of Magic Explained, Magical Laws and Regulations, and Magical Societies around the World, which he pulls out as well.

Aunt Petunia picks up The Mage's Guide to Etiquette, opening it up to a random page and reading the first part out loud.

Courtship: The Two Types and What They Mean

Within the Wizarding World there are two types of courtship, Free Courtship and Contract Courtship. Both types have Four Stages, the final in which the participants become bonded.

Note: Within the Wizarding World, all Legal Partnerships must be bonded. Marriage, as known by Muggles is not acknowledged by the laws of the Wizarding World.

Within the first type, Free Courtship, the participants in the partnership chose to court one another by their own free will, without the initial input of the Lord or Lady of the house. On the other hand, Contract Courtship is where the participants in the partnership met as a child (under the age of Twelve), and once their Magic is seen as compatible entered into a Courtship via Contract.

Note: If you are descended from a Pureblood family, it is likely there is a dormant contract in place. This is commonly done to ensure the continued bloodline of the family and its gifts. This is the only way an adult can be entered into a Contract Courtship, if there is more than one Contract Courtship in place, the participant may void all but one.

After reading the last part, she closes the book placing it back down on the floor. "Interesting, I should have known the Wizarding World still did Courtships," She shuffles the books, placing them in a neat stack off to the side. "What I'm curious about is how Lily married your father, apparently he was from a noble Pureblood family, I would expect him to have been in a contract already."

"F...ree?" Hadrian answers, looking down into the trunk and picking up a small phial filled with green liquid.

Aunt Petunia looks up, her fingers drumming against the stack of books. "I suppose that's the only logical conclusion." She picks up the parchment containing the list of school. "Now, let's get done looking through this years'... cube. Hopefully we don't have to buy too many new supplies, as the clothing will probably be quite a bit of money."

Hadrian nods in agreement, before lifting up the phial in his hands to show her.

She squints as it, looking down to the parchment to scan the list. "Perhaps we should buy new phails then. No need to mess with something when you don't know what it does." She makes a mark with a pencil, adding a before 1 set glass or crystal phials.

I wonder if there is a difference between glass or crystal phials? I suppose I can take a look at Magical Drafts and Potions when we buy it. Hadrian sets the phail down on the floor, taking out four more phials filled with the same green liquid. I wonder what this liquid does… Hadrian resists the temptation to just drink one of them, placing the four with the other one on the floor. Taking out black robes, a hat, and gently worn gloves he fiddles with them before pulling on a glove. Oh, they fit. He shows his hand to aunt Petunia, before he pulls it off.

"You are rather… delicate." A complicated expression appears on her face as she looks at his thin wrists. "You would probably fit into the robes as well." She reaches over, picking up the pile of clothing and placing it on her other side, opposite from the books. "Is there a set of brass scales in there?"

Hadrian shuffles through the cube, pushing aside letters, homework assignments, class notes, and other nicknacks before shaking his head.

Aunt Petunia sighs, scanning the list in her hands. "So it seems we'll be buying at least full wardrobe, Magical Drafts and Potions, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, a wand, a cauldron, a set of glass or crystal phials, a telescope, and a set of brass scales. Of course, we'll take a look around for anything that's important for someone from Nobility." She pauses, reading something on the parchment. "You'll also be getting an owl, useful things I hear."

An owl, how do I care for an owl? I already have the bunny! He furrowed his eyebrows at the thought. He's not mine, as soon as I get out of here, and he's healed he'll probably run away and disappear. He feels an unexplainable pain in his chest, a sharp and sudden feeling that leaves as quickly as it had appeared. Rubbing at his chest in confusion, he begins to put the various objects back into the trunk.

"Oth-er y-yearssss?" Hadrian looks up after he finished gesturing, though not touching, the cubes engraved with 2.

Aunt Petunia pauses, having been in the process of standing up. A dark look enters her eyes before she looks towards the doorway. "I think not, that will have to be something you do on your own. It'll take up time between now and school."

Oh… oh I forgot… I'm not going to live here anymore, am I? Hadrian deflats, his shoulders curling in. This was really fun… aunt Petunia and I seemed like a real family.

"Te-ll th-em?" Hadrian questions, pointing towards the parchment in her hands to get it vague wording across.

Aunt Petunia follows his hand, glancing over the parchment once again. "Let them assume you're staying here still. They don't need to know anymore than that." Her eyes rises to look at a picture frame on the wall, inside it is a photograph of uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. "I'll tell Vernon and Dudley you ran away, maybe even say you're dead. The less they think of you, the better."

Margaret… Jaden… John… Hadrian stares at the stained wood of his mother's trunk in shock. I can't believe I forgot about them, if aunt Petunia says I'm dead… they'll think I am too.

"Aunt Petunia?"

"Yes… Hadrian?"

"Give mess-ssage to friend?"

Aunt Petunia takes a deep breath, sighing as her gaze continues to rest of the photograph. "Yes, I will give them to your friends. It's your study group… Margaret Taylor and John Pemberton correct?

"J-aid-en Brown too."

"Brown, is he Lesley's child? The one with OCD?"

"Y-yes."

"Alright, I can do that. We have to leave in a few hours, take that time to write your letters." Aunt Petunia takes a few steps towards the doorway, before pausing. "Hadrian?"

"Y-yes?"

She looks back, meeting his eyes head on. "Just because you have to leave them behind, doesn't mean you'll never see them again. When you are safe, and not in danger of being followed I'm sure you will see them again." Aunt Petunia turns around facing around from him. "I'll place some paper and a pen on the table, write them your letters and leave them there. After that, get packed we leave at 3."

Without waiting for a sign, or noise of agreement aunt Petunia leaves the room, and he can hear the rustle of papers, before the sound of footsteps on the stairway reach his ears.

Okay...okay I can do this. He begins to tremble as he makes his way to the kitchen. I can leave everything I've ever known behind. Against his will, tears began to fall. I'm leaving it all behind, I won't know anything… what am I going to do?

He cautiously sits down at the table, resting his head in the palm of his hands. What am I going to do? What do I even say?