The Flames of Hatred and Love

Three- Letters

Wednesday: July 24, 1991

It started off like any normal morning.

Harry and Tom were woken up early. They prepared breakfast. Dudley threw a fit about Harry sitting too close to him. (How that was possible when he was sitting opposite Petunia who was two seats down from Dudley, Harry didn't have a clue.) And then Harry was sent to fetch the mail.

Harry picked up the mail, and looked through it.

Bills.
A letter from Aunt Marge.
A magazine.
And two letters addressed to Harry and Tom?
This was the first not normal thing that happened that day.

"Boy! What's taking you so long?" Vernon demanded from the kitchen.

"Coming, Uncle Vernon!" Harry called. He slid his and Tom's letters through the vent in their door, on his way back to the kitchen.

Vernon took the mail from Harry. He passed the bills to Petunia, while he opened the letter from Marge.

"Oh dear. It looks like Marge has broken her ankle," Vernon told the table. "Says she won't be able to make it for Christmas because there's no one to take care of her dogs."

"That's too bad," Petunia said, not sounding sorry at all. She did not like Marge, nor her dogs.

Harry looked at Tom and thinking hard about the letters. Tom raised an eyebrow, and Harry said, "Yes."

"What's that?" Petunia asked.

"I was just agreeing that it's a shame Aunt Marge won't be able to come for Christmas," Harry lied.

"Hurry up and eat your breakfast."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

And Harry ate his porridge quickly.

The second abnormal thing that morning, was Harry and Tom being sent to their room. Without doing their chores.

Harry and Tom took advantage of this, and read their letters.

To Tom Marvolo Riddle
Number 4 Privet Drive, Surrey
The Cupboard Under The Stairs

Tom opened his letter, and read it.

Dear Tom Marvolo Riddle,

I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
You will find a list of school supplies and a key to your vault in this envelope.
The start of term is September 1. You will board the train at King's Cross Station. The train leaves at 11:00 AM sharp! (Your ticket is included in the envelope.)

A representative from Hogwarts will be by soon to explain things to your relatives.

Please owl your response back as soon as possible.

Deputy Headmistress,
Minerva McGonagall.

Harry was already reading their school list.

"Doesn't this seem strange to you?" Tom asked Harry. "What if this is a trick from Vernon and Petunia?"

"Tom, this is our out! Don't ruin it with your pessimistic thinking."

Tom wasn't convinced.

"I have an idea," Harry said. "At dinner time, we'll show these letters to Aunt Petunia, and if she says mocks us, then we'll know it's made up. Okay?"