Another World

1-Present

A few years pass,

Harry rolled around in his raggedy bed, his stomach was twisting with hunger. Aunt Petunia had locked the cupboard door, but it was better than being beat up by Dudley and uncle Vernon. He peeked out the slit on the door, Christmas decorations line the hallway, decorations that he polished for days. He can smell the scent of roasted turkey and his stomach let out a soft gurgle. He was still waiting for the parcel to arrive as it always had, at exactly 10 o'clock every Christmas.

From the moment Harry turned 3, he started to receive presents on his birthday and Christmas. He never knew who it was from, but the presents are always signed Moony. The strange thing was, the presents refused to be opened by anybody but him. He knew because his cousin, Dudley, would always try to steal them. But somehow he would be pushed back harshly and the presents would fly straight back to Harry.

The Dursleys had quite a shock whenever the presents arrive, the owls always peck at the kitchen window all day until someone takes the parcel at its feet. Harry's aunt hated it and so, whenever he receives one, they would lock him in his cupboard for the rest of the day. But it wasn't like they don't already do that, so Harry was quite thankful for the privacy to open the present and read the letter with it.

Just then, he could hear the familiar pecking on the kitchen window. His heart swelled a little from the excitement. He could tell by the flickering light that aunt Petunia is going to the kitchen to retrieve the parcel. She tugged open the cupboard door harshly and threw the package at him like it was dirtying her hands.

"This was addressed to you. Don't make a single sound, I don't want you ruining our Christmas dinner," she said venomously to him. "You people and your kind, disgusting." Harry heard her whisper as she locked the door once again and left hastily back to the dining room.

Harry waited and waited, even though his stomach growled each time he heard the clinking of forks and the smell of roasted turkey and hot apple pie. He waited until he was sure they were all asleep. And when the house was finally quiet, he bent over a loose floorboard and pulled out a flashlight he had stolen.

He opened the box eagerly and reached for the letter first. As always it was addressed, from Moony to Harry. The letter had said:

Dearest Harry,

I hope your aunt and uncle are treating you kindly. I do apologize that I can't visit but I will get in contact with Minnie to check on you as soon as possible. I can only imagine how those muggles will react if they ever knew you had magic. Don't ever stop believing because you do Harry. You are very special. This book was my personal favorite as a child. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. There's also some sweets that I think you might like. I would always recommend the chocolate though. I wish you a happy Christmas.

With love,

Moony

Harry didn't know who Moony was, but he recognized the name. He smiled gently, wishing he could meet Moony soon, whowever he was. He felt like it was someone he was supposed to know. Nonetheless, he reached in the box for the chocolate and ate it happily. Moony was right, this chocolate was the best he had, but maybe it was because he was so hungry. Moony had always sent chocolate to him anyways.

After he wiped his mouth on his over-large shirt, he reached for the book.

A Fundamental Guide to Magic, Comprehension, and Fun by Mercy A. Jenkins. Harry thought it was a weird name since the Dursleys detested magic with every fiber of their being. He concluded that he should hide the book from their sight to avoid trouble. He opened the book slowly, observing every detail. There were rips on some pages, and other pages were wrinkled, worn out. Moony must have really liked this book. He can see the faded words: This book belongs the RML on the first page. He continued to read the table of contents.

1 - Focus and Self-Control: how to center your magic and find your calm

2 - Critical Thinking and Multiple Perspectives: learning to solve problems

3 - Self-Engaged: taking notes, basic math theorems, and essay structures

4 - Wand-work: focusing on the flow of your magic

5 - Simple spells and charms for beginners

6 - Cauldron-works: potions and serums

7 - Common ingredients for potions- knowing which is which

8 - Animagus and werewolves: the differences

9 - Survival guide: what to do if you're stranded

10 - Pranks and jokes to play on your friends

Harry flipped to the first chapter and started reading. He wanted to know as much about magic as possible. He knew Moony will get him out of this place one day. He promised. And so Harry read through the night, the sound of fluttering of pages filling the cold dusty cupboard.