1 Neal Slytherin

June 17, 1991

Angels Orphanage, Galway, Ireland.

A young boy of age ten woke up as someone knocked on the door. As he stepped down from the bed, the door was opened and an old man entered.

He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.

His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.

The young boy asked, "who are you? Are you here to adopt me? If so, I'm very sorry that I cannot come with you". The old man replied, "no, I'm not here for that. I have something to talk with you about. Do you have a couple of minutes?".

The young boy nodded and dragged the chair towards him, "please sit down". The old man smiled, "thank you". The young boy then asked, "please tell me what you are here for".

The old man replied, "first, let me introduce myself. My name is Albus Dumbledore". The young boy replied, "pleased to meet you. My name is Neal". Dumbledore nodded, "I know".

Neal then said, "yeah, I forgot about it. You might have already known about me from Ms. Anne before you come here. Ok, I'll be silent. Please continue". Dumbledore replied, "aside from the name, there's something else I need to add to my introduction.

But before that, let me ask you a question". Neal nodded. Dumbledore asked, "are there any strange events that happened in your life that you can't really explain clearly? Like completely unnatural".

Neal's expression didn't even change upon hearing the question, "does it matter very much to you?". As Dumbledore nodded, Neal shook his head, "no. there's nothing like that happened. I'm completely normal like everyone".

Dumbledore looked at him through his half-moon spectacles, "interesting". Then he said, "then it's too bad. My business here is finished. Goodbye". Neal thought that the old man would try to ask one more time as he wasn't the first one to do so in the past year.

A couple of others came looking for him in the same way and asked the same question but unlike the old man, they kept asking him various questions and one even took out a wand and tried to use magic but just in time, Ms. Anne reached in time and saved him from that lunatic.

As the midnight approaches, Neal wasn't able to get sleep. He woke up and looked at the full moon from his closed window. He mumbled, "today is the third one. If something happens, you'll protect me like that right, Isle?".

A sound "hiss" came from under his bed. Slowly a 3 feet pitch-black colored snake crawled up and made its way and sat beside and made sounds, "hiss....hiss..hissss...".

Neal stroked the snake while smiling, "thank you. Happy birthday to you too, Isle. how many years has it been". Isle sounded, "hisss..". Neal nodded, "it's almost been 3 years, huh".

As he looked at the full moon, he spoke, "say, Isle. That old man today. Even though he said the same things. My intuition is telling me that he's different from the other two".

Isle replied, "hiss...hissss...hissssss....". Neal looked at it, "really? then it's fine. If he seems threatening to you, then I don't think I want to have any kind of business with him". Just then, an alarm sounded at midnight in the Orphanage.

The chaos ensued as everything got fire and the Matron is busy helping the children to get out of the building. As Neal felt something wrong, he came out of his room and found fire on all sides.

Neal shouted for help in a fear of death. Suddenly he found himself outside of the Orphanage in the bushes along with Isle who was fixed around his neck. He mumbled in a shock, "did I just teleported myself?".

As he was coming out of the bushes he heard Ms. Anne who cares for him every day spoke with the Matron beside her, "that devil will die today for sure, right?".

Neal turned back and slowly walked away from there without turning back in tears. As he was walking aimlessly on the streets, the lamps in a certain dark street began to lit up suddenly one by one.

At the end of the street, Neal saw the same old man holding something that looks like a standard silver cigarette lighter and looking at him while smiling.

Neal shouted in a rage, "why don't you guys leave me alone. I told you, I'm a normal kid". As he shouted in anger, all the bulbs in the lamps exploded. The old man slowly walked towards him without any hurry. After stopping before him, he said, "because you are a wizard, Neal".

As Neal mumbled, "wizard?", Dumbledore pulled out a letter from his robe and put it on his hand. Neal forgot about his outburst which happened a few seconds ago after he read, "Neal Slytherin, Oxford Street, Galway". It was the exact street in which he was standing, right now.

The thing which surprised him the most is his surname "Slytherin". He looked at Dumbledore, "Is that my real surname?". Dumbledore nodded, "yes. Go on and read the letter".

He tore off the seal and pulled out the letter inside the envelope. He read,

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF

WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorceror, Chief Warlock, etc..).

Dear Mr. Slytherin,

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.

The term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than 31st July.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress.

After reading it whole, he was confused and looked at Dumbledore, "first of all, I never applied to that Hogwarts whatever school to get admitted. I never even heard of it till now. Secondly, An owl, a wand, these unfamiliar books... seriously? this school of yours, why doesn't it seemed reliable to me?".

Dumbledore patiently asked a question, "do you even have a place to live right now? Join Hogwarts. you can learn the magic and can mingle among people like yourself and become friends while living with them. Believe me, you'll see a whole new different world".

Neal looked at him doubtfully, "what kind of magic I can learn. Can I fly like superman? can I walk on the water? Can I teleport willingly like how I did accidentally sometimes?".

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, "Of course, you can even do this". He pulled his wand and point out at the sea near them. A huge chunk of water floated in the air and stopped before him. Dumbledore changed its shape to a round sphere. Neal was amazed to see live magic and almost forgot that night's event. Dumbledore then said, "remember one thing. Magic is like this water. It changes its shape according to the will of the person who was controlling it.

If I decide this to be a sphere, it will be a sphere. If I decide this to be a weapon, then it will be". he changed the shape of the water sphere to a water sword which looked like a solid.

Then he raised his hand and told him to grab it. As Neal grabbed it, he felt like being pressed on all of his directions and went black. The next thing he knew he reappeared before a century-year-old Hotel somewhere in London.

Neal controlled his urge to vomit by a sheer will which surprised Dumbledore as it's his first experience with the apparition. Although it didn't surprise him as much as the snake around his neck was perfectly alright and calmly looking at its surroundings.

Dumbledore then said, "Go inside and show them your letter. Everything will be taken care of. I need to attend some urgent business. I'm running a bit late for that".

Neal nodded and went inside the Hotel. At the reception desk, he showed him his Hogwarts letter. As the receptionist asked his name, he replied, "Neal Slytherin".