Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

The following afternoon, in the Garden Room of Buckingham Palace.

An unusual tension permeated the air, and sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting bright spots of light on the gleaming long table.

The tea set was already neatly arranged, but today's tea party was clearly far from ordinary.

Elizabeth sat regally in the main seat, as composed as ever, her pearl necklace and earrings shimmering with a warm luster at her neck and ears.

To her right was Philip, who had come all the way from abroad. The old prince, known for his straightforward temper, had his brows slightly furrowed, arms crossed, and was looking around the room as if assessing an upcoming military meeting.

Charles sat to Elizabeth's left, his posture upright, but his fingertips unconsciously tapped his knees; Diana sat next to Charles, wearing a soft champagne-colored suit that made her look elegant but slightly melancholic.

Her gaze lingered more on Henry—who was dressed in a well-fitting suit, sitting quietly to his grandmother's left, his back straight but not particularly tense.

Just kidding, what's so nerve-wracking about learning magic?

William and Harry were not allowed to attend the meeting; they were not involved and were too old.

As the clock hands steadily pointed to three o'clock, the silent flames in the fireplace suddenly burst into a bright emerald green with a "poof."

Prince Philip sat up abruptly, Charles's fingers stopped moving, and Diana took a soft breath.

The flames spun, but not a single drop of heat radiated into the room.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, slender figure stepped steadily out of the flames, his demeanor as composed as if he were merely crossing an ordinary threshold.

The flames behind him quickly returned to normal, as if the strange phenomenon had been just an illusion.

The newcomer was tall, with long, silvery-white hair and a beard that almost reached his chest. Behind his crescent-shaped glasses, a pair of deep blue eyes shone with wisdom and gentleness.

He wore a deep purple robe embroidered with tiny silver patterns like stars, and a pointed wizard's hat of the same color on his head.

What is most impressive is the peculiar tranquility surrounding him, as if he brings not the shock of magic, but a natural peace.

"Good afternoon," he said with a slight bow, "Thank you for your invitation. I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts."

Even the well-traveled Queen Elizabeth's eyes showed a very subtle hint of surprise, but she quickly recovered and nodded slightly.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, welcome to Buckingham Palace. Please have a seat."

Paul appeared silently, pulled out a chair for Dumbledore, and then retreated into the shadows, but his gaze was like that of the most vigilant sentinel, locked onto the visitor.

"A very interesting mode of transportation," Prince Philip said first, his tone straightforward. "More environmentally friendly than a helicopter, I guess?"

Dumbledore's eyes blinked merrily behind his glasses. "Indeed, Your Highness. The Floo Network is a rather convenient way to travel, provided you don't mind getting a little bit of hearth ash on you now and then."

This slightly humorous reply eased the tense atmosphere somewhat, and at Elizabeth's prompting, a waiter stepped forward to pour tea for the headmaster.

“Headmaster Dumbledore,” Elizabeth began, her tone calm, “we were both surprised and required to carefully consider the letter your school sent to Henry. As you know, Henry’s identity is very special.”

Dumbledore clasped his hands together and listened attentively.

"I completely understand, Your Majesty. In fact, in the thousand-year history of Hogwarts, it is extremely rare for a school to admit a student with such a distinguished secular background. Usually, children with magical talent are included in the magical world's education system, regardless of their background. This is a requirement of the International Law of Secrecy and the development of wizards themselves."

"Magical talent?" Charles leaned forward. "How can you be sure Henry possesses such a talent? Our family has never had one..."

"The manifestation of magical talent is sometimes subtle, and sometimes quite obvious," Dumbledore explained gently, turning his gaze to Henry. "It may manifest as an unconscious influence on the movement of objects, a special connection with certain magical creatures, or inexplicable little accidents triggered by intense emotions. Hogwarts has a comprehensive magical network covering all of Britain, recording the traces of magical fluctuations in all underage wizards. His Highness Henry's name has been on our list for a long time, but as is customary, the official notification will be given around his eleventh birthday."

He looked at Henry with encouraging eyes.

"Has Your Highness ever felt any unusual moments?"

Henry recalled some details: when he was a child, a portrait of his grandfather that was always hanging crooked suddenly straightened itself after he stared at it angrily one time; the birds in the garden that seemed to particularly like to gather around him; and occasionally, when he strongly desired something to be within reach, that thing would inexplicably appear closer... He always thought it was just a coincidence, or some kind of privilege of royal life.

Now it seems that's not actually the case.

"There are some, indeed," Henry replied cautiously.

Dumbledore nodded, as if that was enough.

"As for safety and education itself," he looked back at the Queen and Charles, "Hogwarts Castle itself possesses extremely powerful ancient protective magic, and the safety of students while on campus is our primary responsibility. The curriculum includes magical theory, practice, history of magic, potions, herbalism, and defense against the Dark Arts, aiming to systematically guide young wizards to master their own magic and understand the magical world we live in."

Henry thought to himself, "Safety?"

Although he hadn't read the novel in a long time, he still remembered that Harry Potter was indeed the boy who survived every single term—he experienced a near-death experience every semester.

I also receive one-on-one tutoring from top-tier teachers at the end of each semester, which is so safe!

Death is like the wind, always by my side, isn't it?

"How long does he need to stay there? Every year?" Prince Philip asked practically.

"The academic year runs from September 1st to late June of the following year, with holidays for Christmas and Easter. Students take the ultimate wizard exam in seventh grade to complete their studies."

"Seventh grade? Then he was eighteen when he came back!" Charles couldn't help but exclaim. "During that time, his public duties, his image building..."

"Father," Henry interjected softly but firmly, "if this is the path I must take, I believe we can find a suitable solution."

The meeting lasted for more than an hour. Dumbledore patiently answered all the questions, from details of school life to deeper considerations.

He demonstrated a few harmless little spells—making a teaspoon stir automatically, causing roses in a vase to bloom and then revive instantly, and spitting out a small burst of silver sparks from the tip of his wand to form the pattern of a royal lion—both proving the authenticity of the magic and cleverly easing the tension.

I don't know what other people's attitudes are, but Prince Philip was really tempted. He stared at Dumbledore's magic without blinking, his face saying, "I want to learn this."

Finally, Queen Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Prince Philip, and then spoke quietly with Charles and Diana for a moment.

"We need some time to make a final decision," the Queen said, "but in principle, we agree that Henry can accept the invitation, provided that all reasonable security and coordination measures are in place."

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. We can continue to communicate the specific details through correspondence. Now, regarding the preparations for enrollment..."

"Tomorrow," Diana suddenly spoke, her voice soft but clear, "tomorrow morning, could we accompany Henry to buy what he needs? I mean, to that place... Diagon Alley?"

Her words were filled with a mother's concern, wanting to see for herself what kind of world her son was about to enter.

Dumbledore looked slightly surprised, but then readily agreed: "Of course, Your Highness. That's perfectly in accordance with the rules. In fact, it's quite encouraging for young wizards to be accompanied by family members on their first visit to the wizarding world. We can arrange a time to meet in front of the Leaky Cauldron—that's the entrance to Diagon Alley."