The checklist at the end of the letter itemized everything Jemini would need for school. It was unmistakably a formal acceptance letter from Hogwarts. On such a calm morning, the whole situation felt strangely undramatic.
Slipping the letter back into its envelope, Jemini lay back on the lawn, appearing relaxed.
From this point on, he figured, he just had to wait. Surely, Hogwarts wouldn't just send an owl as a notification. Typically, they would also send an older, cat-loving woman.
As for attending Hogwarts, there was no reason to pretend otherwise. He was going, regardless of his own personal wishes.
"Hey, Jemini, still have that slingshot?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Turning, Jemini spotted a familiar figure looking down at him. The boy, named Filet – an unusual name, akin to 'Steak' – was a constant in Jemini's life, though not necessarily a welcome one.
"Yeah, I still have the slingshot. A pound and twenty pence sound fair?" Jemini asked without bothering to sit up.
"I've made a new friend. He's pretty great, and he'll be attending Smeding Middle School. You're going there too, right? It'll be our territory soon." Filet's tone was threatening.
Jemini sat up, regarding Filet calmly. "So, you're not planning to pay?"
Filet smirked, crossing his arms. "Seems you're getting the picture."
Jemini sighed, then beckoned Filet to follow him. They arrived at a secluded garden, overgrown from neglect.
Filet's eyes gleamed with greed. "This where you stash your stuff?"
"Not exactly. I found this place recently. The owner seems to be away often. I come here to relax." As he spoke, Jemini revealed a metal baseball bat. "Ever wonder why no one tries to take my stuff?"
Filet's face paled. "What are you implying?"
Jemini, still smiling, approached Filet menacingly with the bat.
After a few minutes, with Filet now cowering on the ground, Jemini cheerfully counted the money he'd taken from him.
Suddenly, a voice demanded, "What are you doing here?"
Jemini turned to see a young girl, about his age, with unruly brown hair and prominent front teeth. Despite her fierce posture, she was undeniably pretty.
"I was just... handling a situation. Do you need something?" Jemini inquired.
"This is my garden. What you did was illegal," she retorted confidently.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll leave," Jemini replied, pulling Filet to his feet.
"You can't just leave. You should apologize to him," the girl insisted.
Jemini smiled. "My name's Lyle. Yours?"
"Hermione Granger."
Jemini recognized the name but chose not to mention it. Instead, he promised, "In Lyle's name, I swear I won't flee this place."
She hesitated for a moment but eventually left, looking for her parents. As soon as she was gone, Jemini and Filet made their exit.
Back at the Holy Cross Orphanage, the head priest was in a heated conversation with a black-haired woman in an emerald green coat.
"Professor McGonagall, you want to train a wizard in a religious orphanage?" The priest was incredulous.
Professor McGonagall calmly argued that Jemini's magical powers, if left untrained, could become a danger. She proved her point with a deft display of magic, producing bottles of whiskey from the priest's cabinet.
The priest looked at the bottles on his desk and fell silent.
"If possible, I'd like to meet the child now," Professor McGonagall said.