Dudley Dursley and the Knights of Walpurgis

Monday, July 23, 2018

Dear Ginny,

Thank you for your assistance with Saturday's tour; the work of you, your family and your brother's family made it the success that it was.

If you haven't yet heard, two acceptance letters have already been received for the coming year's Muggleborn students.

In the interest of easing their way into the Wizarding world, Draco would like to host several activities through the rest of the summer, including a Quidditch match, a shopping trip to Diagon Alley, and a tour of a Wizarding home. After the tour, I think your assistance would be not only helpful, but perhaps essential for its success.

In addition, Scorpius had been asking that your Albus be allowed to visit this summer. I thought that the weekend of August 3-5 would be a good one; please let me know if this would be acceptable.

Again, thank you for being involved with Saturday's tour, and Draco and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Tori

Astoria Malfoy

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Dear Headmaster Higginbotham,

We are accepting your invitation for our daughter, Daphne, to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry beginning 1 September of this year. Please add her name to your rolls and send any necessary documentation and forms to us so that her entry may go smoothly. Please ensure that, included in those forms, is the form for Madam Pomfrey to contact us if Daphne should need any medical treatment while at Hogwarts.

We are very excited that this opportunity is being extended to Daphne, but we understand that the world she is entering will be very different from the one in which we currently live. Please also forward any information on any programs designed to make that transition as smooth as possible.

Finally, is there anyone at your school who is willing to answer a new student's questions before the school year begins? Daphne has quite a few questions and we'd like to see them answered by someone in authority, instead of fellow students who may not always know the correct answers. Or, to be honest, who may get tired of her enthusiasm.

Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters.

Sincerely yours,

Dudley and Sophie Dursley

Sophie looked over the letter one more time before she sealed it. She really hoped there was someone who could answer all of Daphne's questions. The Potters had been doing their best, but Daphne was coming up with ones that were stumping them. And driving her parents mad in the process.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Dear Rose,

I GET TO GO!!!!!!!!!!! I GET TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GET TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to bring my laptop with me, and I want to get on the net. I may not be able to manage it all this year, but I'm not giving up. So, can you please send me everything you know about how electronics and magic don't work together.

Is there anything the professors don't tell you about that you should bring? You know, am I going to be hopelessly behind if I don't have makeup (which Mum and Dad won't let me have, but, you know) or certain clothes or anything. Should I bring biscuits or something for the first night? That kind of thing?

How can Mum and Dad send letters to me? I know I can send them owls, but can they send them back?

I'm so excited! I can't think of anything else! I get to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daphne

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,

Thank you for your timely response to our letter. The initial acceptance letter lists all necessary equipment for your daughter's first year at Hogwarts; if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact either myself, the Assistant Headmistress, Professor Aurora Sinistra, or the Hogwarts Muggleborn Family Liaison, Mr. Draco Malfoy.

Mr. Malfoy will be contacting you within the next week or two with some additional activities designed to help your daughter and your family understand the Wizarding world and what you can expect. Please contact him if you have any questions or suggestions about these activities.

Again, thank you for allowing your daughter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We look forward to seeing her on September 1.

Sincerely yours,

Pernell Higginbotham, Headmaster

Friday, July 27, 2018

Sophie was grateful that Harry had warned her that the telephone number Draco Malfoy had given her might not be picked up quickly. She waited through fifteen rings before she heard Mr. Malfoy's voice. With a wince, she pulled her phone away from her ear and said, "Mr. Malfoy, please, I can hear you perfectly well at a normal volume. You're going to burst my eardrums if you keep shouting that way." She warily returned the phone to her ear.

His voice was still a little louder than necessary, but at least it didn't hurt. "Are you certain? It seems impossible that you could hear me on this. It's not like I can see you."

Sophie sighed. Apparently she was first person the poor man had ever spoken to on the phone. "Yes, I can hear you perfectly well. This is Sophie Dursley; usually I would have started out with that. Dudley and I were planning on having my family over and explaining about Hogwarts, but Harry said something about the Official Secrets Act. He wasn't sure how it would apply. What can I say to them?"

"Official Secrets Act?" Mr. Malfoy sounded confused, but then he said, "Do you mean the Statute of Secrecy? Since they're family, you can tell them about Daphne's going to Hogwarts, although we recommend you consider carefully who you tell. The Statute is to prevent Muggles in the general population knowing about the Wizarding world; you're welcome to tell your family. Did I hear that Daphne will be going to Hogwarts?"

"I'm surprised the whole world hasn't heard," Sophie said dryly. It was all Daphne had talked about since they'd sent in the acceptance.

Mr. Malfoy chuckled. "It's great to hear how excited the kids get. We're trying to arrange a Diagon Alley shopping trip, probably next weekend. I know you've been with the Potters, but you're more than welcome to make a second trip."

"I'll think about it," Sophie said. "Can you send me a copy of this Statute? I'd like to know what we're getting into here."

"Of course," Mr. Malfoy said. "I'll just have to find a copy; it may take me a couple of days."

"Thanks," Sophie said and hung up. Thank heavens Hogwarts had a liaison; she had no idea how parents like herself had managed in the past.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Dear Mrs. Dursley,

After our discussion of yesterday, I did some research on the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, which went into effect in 1692, and I've attached a copy of it for reading 'pleasure'. Good luck with that.

In general, the Statute was laid down in 1692 to protect and hide wizards from Muggles. You may or may not be aware of it, but at that point in history, wizards were burned. I haven't heard of any burnings, but none of us are too confident that that means they've stopped permanently. (It doesn't appear to be very common, since no Muggle or Muggleborn I have spoken with has ever heard of a contemporary example.)

Today, the Ministry generally tells those who ask that the Statute is in place so that Muggles don't come to us asking for magic to solve every little thing. Personally, I believe that the Ministry is simply preventing panic in our population.

Although you are asked to not mention magic to anyone who isn't a wizard or closely related to one, I have never heard of, nor found any examples, of anyone being prosecuted for simply telling someone they shouldn't. Every example I have found of the Statute's enforcement has been when magic has been performed or magical beasts have been witnessed.

Finally, the wizarding world places the highest emphasis on the sanctity of the family. You most certainly have the legal and moral right to tell your family what you wish, with the full protection of the law behind you.

Enjoy your family get-together and let me know if any questions come up.

Sincerely yours,

Draco Malfoy

Hogwarts Muggleborn Family Liaison

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Dudley turned the burgers he was grilling over, more than ready for the day to be over. Sophie's brother and his family were over and, as usual, her sister-in-law was driving him mad. It started when she gave Tom that stupid religious book she expected Tom to be happy about. It wasn't that Dudley and Sophie weren't raising their kids to be good Christians, but there was no reason to get silly about it.

When Steve came out to help, Dudley gave him a side-long look. "You do know that Tom will never read that book. I mean, it's a nice idea and all, but . . ."

Steve grinned. "I have to admit; I'm impressed. I'm not sure any of mine could have been that polite about getting a book."

With a shrug, Dudley said, "Tom likes books for the most part."

"So," Steve said, pulling out the cheese, "one day when he gets really bored, he'll read some. That's Denise's thing anyway."

Without looking at his brother-in-law, Dudley asked, "Why is she so determined to be godly? I mean--"

"Actually," Steve said interrupting, "it's both of us, and it's just being good people. Y'know, 'As you do to the least of them, so you do to me.' The rest is . . . important, but taking care of others comes first. Hey, did you see that game last night?"

Dudley settled down for an enjoyable argument about the football game.

When he carried the burgers into the house, Sophie gave him "The Look"; she was going to tell them about Daphne. Dudley reminded himself that there had been more going on with Harry than he'd realized at the time, and gave her a smile. He suspected it was rather sickly.

"You will never guess what we've been going through this month," Sophie said as she passed a bowl of fruit salad to her sister-in-law, Denise. "Daphne got an offer to attend this school we'd never heard of. When everything was said and done, we found out she's a witch."

Steve frowned. "If you've never heard of the school, why would you believe them? I mean, magic isn't real, is it."

Sighing, Dudley said, "It is. And I'd heard of the school. My cousin, Harry, went there when he was Daphne's age. I just didn't expect any of my kids to be like him."

Denise squealed. "So, go on and show us, Daphne. Let's see some magic."

"Don't you dare!" Sophie said. Turning to Denise, she said, "Sorry, but Daphne's underage; she'd be breaking the law to do any magic."

"Doesn't the Bible say 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live'?" asked their oldest son, Arthur, grinning at Daphne.

To Dudley's pleasure, Rich started to stand to defend his little sister, but Denise beat him to it. "You behave yourself, young man," she said, staring at him until he'd ducked his head and muttered an apology. "That's the King James translation, anyway," she said to Daphne with a kind smile. "Gorgeous poetry, but as a translation it has a lot of problems. The word they translate as 'witch' really means something else. Poisoner, I think, or something else horrible. As long as you don't try poisoning anyone, you're fine. It's not like you're selling your soul to the Devil or anything." She suddenly frowned. "You're not, are you? It hadn't occurred to me, but you're sure that there's no evil component to it? You haven't signed any contracts or . . . done anything odd?"

"The only thing's any of us have signed are the admittance forms," Sophie said calmly, "which are actually less involved than they were for Rich, and the millions of letters that have been flying between our house and the Potters."

"They have evil," Dudley admitted slowly, "just like we do. But they fight it as well. My cousin . . . If it worries you, we can have him talk to you. He's a . . . I forget the name, but it's something like a police detective. Head of them, in fact."

Steve said, "Sounds like it's genetic or something. Anyone else in your family, Dudley, other than Daphne and this cousin of yours?"

"His mother, my aunt Lily," Dudley said, "and her husband, of course."

"For the genetics, he wouldn't count," Steve said, looking thoughtful. "Probably a recessive. Hey," his face lit up, "that means one of ours might have it, too."

"Not Arthur," Daphne said primly. "You'd have heard already; they send out the letters when you're eleven."

When Dudley shuddered, Denise noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just remembering when Harry got his letter. Well, letters. I thought Dad was going mad there for a bit."

"What was the story behind that?" Sophie asked. "You never told us."

Dudley told them the story of Harry's letters and found that, now that he understood what was really happening, the story was actually pretty funny. By the time he got to the description of the giant knocking over the door, he was acting it out, to the giggles of his three and Steve and Denise's four boys.

When he was finished, Denise sniffed. "I'm sorry, Dudley, but it seems to me your mother needs to remember her parables." Dudley didn't pay enough attention to know what she was talking about; a fact Denise well knew. "The parables of the talents, of course. I'd have to look it up to get it just right, but basically it tells us that God expects us to use the gifts he's given us, not just store them away for a rainy day. So, you pay attention in your classes, sweetheart, so you can use all your God-given gifts." Daphne proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon telling anyone who would hold still everything she'd already learned.

When they left, Dudley heard Denise tell Daphne, "I'll send you my copies of the Narnia books. They're good Christian books about magic; they should stand you in good stead."