HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

(Main: West, Secondary: Hard! West and Harry are number 1! Don't get them mixed up, babies!)

West had just gotten up. His younger brother Harry was still fast asleep as he dressed.

West sat neatly dressed on the edge of the bed, staring at a worn-out clock on the wall, silently counting down—

Three, two, one.

"Get up! You two!" Harry was startled awake, but was quickly soothed by West patting his back.

Their aunt was banging on their door again.

Harry jumped up and hurriedly dressed, while West opened the door first and went down the hallway to the kitchen.

The dining table was piled high with gifts from Cousin Dudley, but Aunt Penny was nowhere to be seen.

Uncle Vernon was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper when he heard the noise. He glanced up at West, then silently lowered his head.

This was how he treated West. He might dare to yell at Harry and scold him for his messy hair, but with West—after a few pranks, he almost never yelled at West anymore, and most of the time he chose to ignore him.

West could say with certainty that Aunt Penny was trying to wake her chubby son, who looked like a little pig.

He skillfully picked up the spatula and started frying eggs, preparing breakfast. Harry walked in with his hair all messy.

Although they are twin brothers, apart from their bright green eyes, their facial features are not very similar. The biggest difference between West and Harry is that one has red hair and the other has black hair.

Aunt Petunia always looked at West with resentment and panic, and at Harry with disgust and annoyance—but it was obvious that neither of them was welcomed by the Dursleys.

Harry walked over to West. "West, let me do it. You just made breakfast yesterday."

West scooped out the fried eggs and said softly, "Okay, you fry the bacon."

Dudley and Aunt Petunia didn't come downstairs until West and Harry had placed the fried eggs and bacon on the table.

While Dudley was fussing with his mother over the fact that he received fewer gifts than last year, Harry was enviously watching the various game discs and toys Dudley had unpacked. Meanwhile, West, eating breakfast, whispered to Harry, "I'll buy you all of these from now on."

Harry rolled his eyes at West helplessly. Although they were born only a short time apart, West really enjoyed being the older brother.

After dinner, the Dursleys planned to take Dudley's friends to the zoo to celebrate Dudley's birthday.

Although they were worried about leaving the Potter brothers home alone, after experiencing a series of bizarre events, such as the car floating into the air on its own and nearly crashing into a tree trunk, the Dursleys dared not let the two brothers go out with them again.

Vistra led Harry back to their room on the second floor.

After he told his teacher that his aunt and uncle's family had only allowed him and his brother to live in the cupboard, the Dursleys received several official home visits and investigations, and he and Harry were given a bright room—not as big as Dudley's room, but big enough for the two of them.

"Harry, your hair has grown long again. Let me trim it for you." West brought out the scissors and began to comb Harry's messy hair. In just one week, his hair had grown to shoulder length again.

This was unusual. Eleven-year-old West and Harry knew it very well.

No other little boy's hair grew to waist length after a month without a cut—a reasonable guess by West based on the rate at which their hair grew.

Before their hair even grew to their waists, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Penny would absolutely scream and call them monsters, then cut their hair short with scissors or shave them bald.

Tired of the way his aunt and uncle looked at them like they were monsters, West taught himself hairdressing and took over their hair styling.

But they weren't normal kids. West often thought. He'd never seen any other kids with the ability to levitate a car.

He even overheard Harry talking to a snake that had wandered into the school, and Harry said he could understand Parseltongue.

When Harry communicates with the snake, he no longer speaks human language, but rather the hissing sounds of a snake.

West was used to the strange things that happened to them, but he demanded that Harry not tell anyone he could talk to snakes, or they would definitely be captured and dissected for research.

However, West couldn't resist doing something naughty. He had Harry command the snake to crawl into Dudley's drawer.

After scaring Dudley so much that he lay on the ground crying and wet his pants, he whispered in Dudley's ear with a smile, "If you bully me and Harry again, there won't be just one next time."

As expected, Dudley was indeed a coward; he didn't even dare tell his parents about it, and he never dared to harm him or Harry again.

The Dursleys were even more secretive about their strangeness, as if the existence of the brothers was a great disgrace to their family.

That's good, West thought; at least he doesn't have to worry about the Dursleys telling anyone else about their affair.

Days passed uneventfully, and then summer vacation arrived.

Aside from preparing meals and doing chores, West and Harry spent the rest of their time either reading in their room or wandering aimlessly outside.

There was no other reason; they just didn't want to face Dudley and his big, goofy friends—who came to Dudley's house every day to play and make a ruckus, filling the place with their screams.

Even after being pranked by West multiple times, they no longer dared to chase and beat the Potter brothers, but the ear-piercing noise of their playful antics still kept the Potter brothers from having a moment's peace.

One day in July, Aunt Penny was dyeing Dudley's old clothes for the Potter brothers, while Dudley, dressed in a brand-new burgundy tailcoat, walked around the living room, looking quite smug.

"Look at him, doesn't he look like a pig wearing a wig?" Harry and West whispered to each other.

West couldn't help but chuckle, and as he turned his head, he caught sight of two owls perched on the railing outside the window.

Taking advantage of the Dursleys' inattention, he pulled Harry out the door.

"What's wrong, West?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Shh. Come with me." Vistra led Harry to the two owls. The owls tilted their heads and looked at them, with two letters at their feet.

West picked up the two letters and clearly saw the address written on them:

Surrey County

Xiaohuijin District

No. 4, Privet Road

Rooms on the second floor

West Potter/Harry Potter collection

West's hands trembled slightly as he handed one of the letters to Harry.

"Good heavens! Who would write to us? West?" Harry looked closely and was taken aback.

The two brothers opened the letter almost simultaneously and began to read it carefully:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(President of the International Wizarding Federation, First-Class Archmage of the Order of Merlin, Chief Wizard of Wizengamo)

Dear Mr. Potter:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.

The semester is scheduled to begin on September 1st. We will be waiting for your reply by July 30th.

Vice-Chancellor

Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? We've never heard of that school." Harry looked up, his bright green eyes shining with anticipation.

Yes, never heard of it, but magic. West and Harry almost simultaneously recalled the various strange things that had happened to them, and the inexplicable scars on their bodies.

Harry has a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, while West has a crescent-shaped scar on his arm.

Aunt Petunia said it was a birthmark, a mark of shame they were born with, but she and Harry could sometimes sense something else through the scar, something they couldn't quite put their finger on.

He and Harry exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other's thoughts.

"Wait here, Harry."

West sneaked upstairs to the second floor. In the living room on the first floor, Dudley was still showing off his school uniform like a peacock, while the Dursleys clapped and praised him, completely unaware of West.

He took down a pen and a roll of paper, and together with Harry, they pondered how to write a reply:

Dear Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall (Harry originally intended to only write about Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, but West suggested he add Headmaster Dumbledore as well)

We are delighted to have been accepted into your esteemed institution. However, we regret that we do not know where to purchase these books and equipment (Harry: Dragonskin gloves? Good heavens, West! That's so strange, they can even carry toads!). Our aunt and uncle will not allow us to attend your school. We are at a loss and hope that your institution can provide us with guidance and assistance. Best regards.

West Potter/Harry Potter

After writing his reply, West put the letter in a handmade envelope he had just folded out of paper and tentatively handed it to the owl.

The owl carried the letter in its beak, flapped its wings, and flew away.

Two pairs of emerald green eyes watched the owl rise and then gradually disappear into the distant horizon.

They hoped the owl would bring back good news. The two prayed silently.