The Untouchable

C2: Through the Looking Glass

It was a normal, warm summer's morning when the universe decided to shift under Boring Harry's feet. Harry had just finished carefully putting away the washed breakfast dishes when he heard mail come through the front door flap.

As per the daily routine, Harry dodged around his large relatives (Cousin Dudley bigger than ever) and collected the mail. As he returned to the kitchen, he sorted through the coupons and bills and was amazed to find that a large letter in strange paper addressed to him. Harry stood stock-still in the hallway for a brief moment, dull green eyes blinking owlishly behind his coke-bottle glasses. Harry didn't know what to do, so he completed the morning routine.

Harry tucked the letter into his baggy jeans pocket (barely just so, as it was so large) and dropped the rest of the mail off on the kitchen table by Uncle Vernon's chubby elbow. Uncle Vernon did not seem to notice him, but he did notice the letters and began to flick through the bills angrily.

Cousin Dudley stared stupidly at the television, a bit of egg stuck to his chin. Aunt Petunia chattered on the telephone to the neighbour across the street, complaining about Mr. Bell's lawn, the long spiral telephone cord coiled at her feet like a garden snake. Once Harry was satisfied that he was being completely ignored and was free for the rest of the day (after all, it was Saturday and he only had the gardening chores left to do), he snuck off to his cupboard.

Once the door was firmly shut, Harry pulled on a string from the rafters. A soft naked bulb flickered to life and Harry stared at the heavy letter with the strange embossed green lettering.

'Mr. H Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey,' it read. Harry mouthed the words slowly, confused. He didn't know anyone who would send him a letter. In fact, Harry didn't know anyone who knew he lived under the stairs, other than Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, Cousin Dudley and perhaps Aunt Marge. Aunt Marge was the only conceivable candidate to send him such a letter, but the woman detested Harry and pretended he was invisible even long before Harry became Not Seen. Perhaps it was advertising mail, which made Harry feel uncomfortable.

It took Harry a few moments of deep breathing before he convinced himself to open the daunting letter. After peeling back the envelope lip (and ogling at the large wax seal), Harry was amazed to see several letters tucked in the packet. He read the contents with slowly widening eyes. It took a couple slow readings before Harry sat back on his cot in the cupboard under the stairs and he gazed unseeingly at the cobwebbed ceiling.

Though it was shocking and a little unbelievable, the letters made sense despite their strange words and confusing terms. Harry knew well from a very early age that he was Special (though if this was bad or good, he did not know), so discovering that he was a wizard was not that surprising. In fact, Harry wouldn't be alarmed if Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon knew too, seeing how much they hated Strange Things. It made a peculiar amount of backwards sense, the kind of logic of which Harry felt most comfortable.

Along with the letter was a map to 'Diagon Alley' via 'Muggle London'. Harry did not know what that meant nor how to return a confirmation of his intent to attend Hogwarts. Harry knew that a few years ago, he would have been too frightened and too worried to believe this letter. In fact, had he believed the letter, he would have been too scared to agree. But since becoming invisible, Harry discovered that it was very easy to do things when no one was watching.

The letter let him know that a professor would be along soon to answer his questions and take him to Diagon Alley for his school shopping, but Harry knew that his relatives did not like strange people coming to and from the house; it was the exact kind of behaviour that made Mr. Bell two doors down the neighbourhood pariah. He imagined that his Aunt and Uncle would be especially unhappy if an invited witch or wizard knocked on their door. So, Harry steeled his nerves, tucked the letter firmly into his pocket, and decided it was time to go exploring.