Dear Francis

Dear father,

You may not remember me, mother says you left when I was but three years old. She says you only returned once when she killed herself. She wants me to tell you that she loves you, and I have done so. But I want to tell you that I want to see you again. You are an old man now, and I desire the chance to see my own father again.

Please respond to this letter, because I want to tell you all about myself. Mother says that you would be proud of me, for I have been sorted into your own house, Slytherin. I have taken your surname. Kayla Slytherin is my name.

Love, Kayla.

Dear Kayla,

This is not your father but your brother speaking. When your mother died, our father took upon himself another wife who, I am sad to say, had been his mistress for several years. I am their son. My name is Francis and I am eight years of age. Our father has left my mother, one Thomasine Potter, and I have taken my mother's name.

Please do not think badly of me, and I hope you will accept me as a brother. How do you know what your mother is thinking when she is dead? Please tell me more of your life at the school. I have no idea why your letter came to me and not our father.

Francis Potter

Dear Francis,

Had our father ever, before he left, told you about why my mother killed herself, if he explained any of it at all? My mother killed herself because our father would not make his peace with the other male founder of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor. According to my mother, he would never admit himself to be in the wrong. She also killed herself because her son had been stillborn. He would have been the same age as you are, and named Salazar.

I have told my mother of you, and she would like to ask if you would come to Hogwarts when you are old enough, that is, eleven years old. I shall explain about my mother. She had decided that after she had died she would remain as a ghost and stay at Hogwarts. She wants to have the whole history of Hogwarts written down by her descendants, therefore me. I really do not want to have to do it though. My mother has even thought of a title: "Hogwarts, A History." It's a very boring title, don't you think?

Kayla Slytherin.

Dear Kayla,

My mother and I would both like to accept your offer of a place in three years time at Hogwarts. My mother did not go there, she learnt magic from my grandfather. However she agrees that going to Hogwarts will allow me to learn better than her. Can you tell me about Hogwarts and what it is about?

The book sounds very strange, who would want to write a history of a school? Only your mother I suppose. She is very famous where I live. It is a good idea though, since it would be very useful years from now. Have you heard about that new religion, Christianity? One of the people going around and trying to covert everyone is in our village. He's been telling people about it in the market as they work, and sounds very convincing. However, I'd like to ask what you think.

F. P.

Dear Frank (can I call you that?),

It'll take a long time to describe the place I live. I am writing this during the time when I have no lessons, on Friday morning, with my best friend, Hannah Gryffindor, reading over my shoulder. She says 'hello'. Hannah is Godric Gryffindor's daughter. I am sending you a mini-portrait with a picture of our father and my mother before my father left. It has been charmed by Hannah's mother to move. Clever, right?

Ok, so there are four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor was founded by Hannah's dad and is for brave and courageous people. Ravenclaw is my mother's house, and is for intelligent people, not like me. Hufflepuff is for hardworking people who are loyal to others, and was founded by Hannah's mum. Finally is my house, Slytherin. We Slytherins are 'cunning' and ambitious, future world leaders according to my mother. Our father founded this house. It's a small school at the moment, but it's expected to get larger in the future.

There are heads for all the houses, Prof. Malfoy the Potions Master is head of Slytherin. Gregor Flitwick is head of Ravenclaw and he teaches Charms. Hannah's parents are heads of their houses.

K. S.

:Three years later:

Dear Kayla,

I'm coming to Hogwarts this year! My mother will be Apparating me to the school. She wants to meet you and your mother, as well as to see the school. I am looking forward to finally meeting you, and I want to see if you really do look like our father. I'm so nervous, and I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get my wand and potions ingredients. It'll be good to be able to talk and not have to wait for several days to get a reply. Mum says that owls will still be in use by wizards hundreds of years from now. I think that they'll have moved on to something faster.

I've just been de-gnoming the garden with my best friend Thomas Weasley. It was great fun; I threw one over one hundred and fifty spans! It was really exhausting and it is getting late, so goodbye, and reply soon.

F.P.

Dear Frank,

I'm looking forward to seeing you here; it'll be great fun. I'm writing this during my free time on Wednesdays, and have got Astronomy tonight with Hannah's mum. Is Thomas coming to Hogwarts? I hope so! I've got Potions homework, it's quite difficult and it has to be three feet long! I've never really liked work, but the Potions Master is Prof. Malfoy. He's really friendly and kind. The first to third years have lessons together, as do the fourth and fifth years. In sixth and seventh years you can choose the subjects you like and only do them! You normally share classes with one of the other houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Sometimes you have lessons just your own house, such as Charms with Flitwick.

Mum says that you can't Apparate to Hogwarts but you can go to the village. She could get Prof. Flitwick to make a Portkey for you (that's a new type of transport, it's an Apparition spell placed into an inanimate object, basically). All you have to do is touch it and it will transport you here at a set time. See you soon,

Kay.

Dear Kay,

Thanks for your letter. Yes, Tom is coming too and so is my other friend Carla Bones. I hope that I am in Gryffindor or Slytherin, Tom wants to be in those houses too! Carla would prefer to be in Ravenclaw like your mother.

F.P

Dear Frank,

Well done for being sorted into Gryffindor, and Tom too! We have Potions first thing tomorrow so see you outside the dungeon in the morning! I noticed Tom instantly, his hair! Carla looks a nice girl. It is really weird to write to you when you are just up a few floors from me but I am glad I know who you are now. This will be my last letter.

Kay.

Dear Kay,

See you tomorrow.

Frank