9
The invitation
📜

You rip open the envelope and pull out an ancient looking piece of parchment.

At the top it says Hogsnorts School of Magic.

A school of magic? you think. What the...? Maybe this is junk mail after all. You carry on reading...

.........................................

Dear Arthur,

I am delighted to inform you that you have been selected to attend Hogsnorts School of Magic. You have hidden but powerful magical abilities :-)

As a new student you will need to bring the following items on your first day:

- a magic wand
- a wizard's robe and hat
- a year-1 spellbook

They can be purchased from the magical shops located on the magical street Hippoto Mews, London, just behind Gutter Lane.

Term will start on 1 September. Please come to Leeds Railway Station, from where the Hogsnorts Express will depart at 9.34 precisely.

Yours resplendently,
Zebediah Slumblebore
Headmaster
Hogsnorts School

P.S. Remember the secret code to enter Hippoto Mews is: TAP TAP TAP... TAP.

P.P.S. Note that due to the alarming recent magical disturbances at the school, the parents of all pupils are required to sign a "child's demise liability waiver" before arriving at Hogsnorts.

.........................................

You feel your blood prickle to the surface of your skin. Can this be real? Do you really have hidden powerful magic abilities? Maybe this is some big mistake? Or worse - a joke.

But then... there have been times where strange things have occurred without you knowing why.

Like that time you fell out of the apple tree in your cousin's house, but instead of falling down you floated down like a leaf, and gently landed on the ground.

Or that time you played hide and seek and wished that you could make yourself invisible and no-one could find you even though you were just hiding under the kitchen table and it should have been easy.

And the fact that every now and again you have a conversation with a spider and you can understand what they are saying.

A slow smile spreads across your face. It must be true!

You are going to magic school.