One Day They'll Know Your Name

What's your name, man?

Harry was cramped in his cupboard. It had been at least two days since he had been out, after the zoo incident and Vernon's subsequent belt usage. He shot upright, nearly hitting his head on the staircase above him when his door was nearly knocked down with the force of what he assumed was Vernon banging on it. He heard the door unlock and saw it open with a slam as Vernon reached in and grabbed him bodily by the shirt and threw him into the kitchen.

"Get up and make breakfast, you lazy freak," Vernon spat. Harry quickly complied and pulled himself out of the cramped space, giving himself only a few seconds to stretch his legs, even if he had barely outgrown the length of the cupboard with how small he was from the malnutrition. As he was cooking the bacon, the mail slot opened and the muffled sound of paper dropping on carpet was heard.

"Go get the mail, you ungrateful boy," Petunia hissed from the table where she sat supervising his cooking. Harry quickly plated the just done bacon and put it on the table for the Dursleys to eat. He then hurried to the door and shuffled quickly through the mail, catching sight of a strange letter addressed to him. He quickly threw it into his cupboard on his way past and gave the rest of the mail to Vernon. He then began cleaning up after himself, working his way through the kitchen, knowing it would be one of the first things on Petunia's list.

After his chores were done and he had his three minutes to use the bathroom, he was shoved back into his cupboard for the rest of the night. He waited until he heard the earthshattering snores from Vernon before he turned on his flickering light to read the letter.

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 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

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 pupils' 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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Harry sat in his cot for a few minutes, just staring at the wall in front of him. What was this? An elaborate prank? What did this 'Minerva McGonagall' mean "we await your owl?" Owl? What was going on? He decided to write a reply and see if there were any owls hanging around in the morning. If there were, and they seemed like they would take a letter, which seemed so weird, he would assume it was a real thing. If there were no owls, he would assume it was a Dudley prank or something and not worry about it. He double checked the Dursleys were asleep, then picked the lock on his door and slipped out, headed to where the paper and pens were kept. He quickly penned a reply, asking for confirmation and a professor to help him get the supplies, sending it to the professor who signed the letter. He then looked out the window and saw an owl watching him. He held up the letter, and the owl hopped closer to the window. Harry triple checked for the sound of snoring from upstairs and cracked the window just enough to get his hand through. The owl nuzzled at his hand and held out its foot. Harry carefully wrapped the letter around the owl's foot and found a little bit of string connected to its foot, which he used to tie the letter with.

The owl flew off and Harry sat back after closing the window. He went back to his cupboard and made sure to lock it behind him. He fell asleep shortly afterwards and didn't wake until he heard a knock on the door.

Harry heard Petunia open the door. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The woman spoke with a gentle voice. "Yes. I am Professor Sprout. I am looking for Harry Potter. Is he here?"

Petunia scowled. "Now what has that good for nothing brat done now?"

Professor Sprout paused. "He hasn't done anything except reply to our letter. May I speak with him?"

"Letter? What letter? We haven't gotten any letter," Petunia said. "Come in, I suppose. I'll go get the boy."

Professor Sprout's footsteps faded away into the living room while Petunia's went upstairs and then back down, stopping for only a moment outside his cupboard, and the lock was opened. Knowing to be discrete or he would face the consequences, Harry opened the door and slipped out, running quickly to the bathroom to wash his face at least. When he got back to the living room, Petunia and Professor Sprout were talking mostly amiably, especially on the professor's part, although she seemed to be underwhelmed with Petunia's hospitality. He grabbed a kitchen chair to sit on, knowing that Petunia would not be happy with him if he sat on one of the comfortable sofas in the living room. He waited until a lull in the conversation before announcing his presence to the professor, knowing Petunia had known the moment he entered the room. She had a sense for when Harry wasn't doing work. He watched Professor Sprout for a moment, wondering what she taught at the school, 'Hogwarts,' he reminded himself.
"Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Pomona Sprout. I am the Head of Hufflepuff House and the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts! How dare you speak of that vile school in my house!" Petunia burst out. "We were told to keep the boy from hearing of that world that killed my freak sister and her freak of a husband! Now you burst in here without a by your leave and just tell him everything?"

Harry had never seen Petunia this angry. But what was that about being told to keep information about... what world? What was Petunia talking about now?
Professor Sprout looked almost as angry as Petunia, although it seemed a strange look on her. She seemed like a woman who was never angry, which meant that when she was angry it would be worse even than when Vernon was mad. He did not want to see that. He quickly caught her attention.

"You said you were the Herbology teacher? Is that like plants? Aunt Petunia has a garden that she likes to tend. I help her out." His voice was hoarse from disuse, but it successfully distracted the professor. He sighed in relief as she began answering his questions. He began leading her towards the door as she continued to explain. He waved to Petunia to keep up appearances, and the walked out the front door.