Gideon Drake and the Fire Within (Harry Potter Sequel/Spinoff)

Chapter Nine: Sweets and Soured

Gideon slept until ten o'clock the next morning. He would have stayed in bed longer if not for Tolly's interruption, 'Master Gideon's letter has arrived!'

Only half awake, for a fleeting moment Gideon thought it had all been a dream. He was no Squib! His Hogwarts letter had arrived! As he lurched up in bed, rubbing his eyes, the truth hit him like a thunderbolt, and the illusion quickly faded. Tolly stood at his bedside, proudly presenting what was surely his Middling Academy acceptance letter.

Gideon opened the envelope and sure enough, it was a letter signed by Malcolm Middling, offering him a place at his school. Overleaf was a second piece of parchment reading:

MIDDLING ACADEMY: FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

Uniform

All students are required to wear:

· Plain work robes (black) with Middling Academy emblem (enclosed)

Book List

All students will be expected to bring a copy of the following books to school with them as needed, depending on the scheduled classes for each day:

· Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

· A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

· Passing: The Guide to Muggle Life (Vol. 1) by Brendan Covert

· The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk

· Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

· Non-Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

· Mapping the Stars by Aurora Sinistra

· Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

· One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

· A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

· The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Equipment

· Quills and ink

All other necessary teaching and learning equipment will be provided. Students are expressly prohibited from bringing other items onto the premises unless pre-approved by a teacher. This includes but is not limited to: Wands; broomsticks; joke products; games and toys; communication devices.

Catering

All students are required to bring a daily packed lunch. Drinking water is available.

It was all here in writing. It was really happening; Gideon would be attending a special school for Squibs. His dream of attending Hogwarts was officially over. He felt numb. As he tipped the envelope upside down, deep in thought, an embroidered Middling Academy logo fell to the floor.

Tolly picked it up for him and asked, 'What's wrong, Sir?'

'Nothing really, Tolly,' said Gideon, 'I was just remembering how I imagined this summer going. I've thought about it for years. Now that everything has turned out so different, I feel a little lost.'

The elf tilted his head to the side as he considered this and replied, 'But you are not lost, Sir. You are here, and you have your family with you, and you have me and mother with you.'