The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 3

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

"Make Delilah get it."

"Get the mail, Delilah."

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke her with your Smelting stick, Dudley."

Delilah dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Four things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - 2 letters for Delilah and Harry.

Delilah picked them up and stared at them, her heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in her whole life, had written to them. Who would? She had no friends, no other relatives - she didn't even belong to the library, so she'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Ms. D. Potter
The Smallest Bedroom
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

Harry's was the exact same, just with his name.
The envelopes were thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, Delilah saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

"Hurry up, girl!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.

Delilah went back to the kitchen, shoving the letters in her pocket. She didn't think the Dursleys would like the letters. She handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly continued eating.

Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk -"

Delilah finished eating. "May I be excused to my bedroom? I'm full."

Uncle Vernon grunted, the closest to a yes she'd get, and shot Harry a meaningful look.

"I'm full too," Harry said and stood up and they quickly walked to their bedroom.

"What is it?" he asked the second they entered.

Delilah closed the door before answering. "We got mail. I didn't think the Dursleys would like that so I put them in my pocket."

She pulled the 2 letters from her pockets and quickly opened hers. It read:

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

Questions exploded in Delilah's head like fireworks. She looked at the other papers and found a list of stuff she'd need and a ticket to King's Cross Station Platform 9 ¾.

She put the ticket and list back into the envelope and under a loose floorboard.

"We need to ask them," Delilah told Harry.

"When?"

"Well, hand me everything else but your letter from thiz Minerva McGonagall. I'll hide our tickets and lists under that loose floorboard. Then we ask them about Hogwarts, but we'll still have the list and tickets no matter what they do."