After the incident with the boa constrictor, Harry and Adelaide weren't able to leave their cupboard until the summer holidays had started, and while Harry spent a good amount of his time out of the house, Adelaide had gotten the short end of the straw and was stuck doing chores nearly every day. This was a difficult matter in and of itself with Dudley's entire group of friends constantly visiting. 

Both Adelaide and Harry had no disagreements about looking forward to the new school term because, for the first time in their lives, they'd be at school away from Dudley. For you see, while Dudley would be attending some fancy shmancy private school called Smeltings, the twins would be attending the local public school. 

They had absolutely no problems with that. 

Besides, the two got a fair few laughs in at the sight of Dudley's new uniform, which was absolutely horrid in both style and color scheme.

Then again, their uniforms weren't going to be much better. 

They weren't quite sure what it was supposed to look like yet as they had simply walked into the kitchen one morning, and Aunt Petunia had been dyeing some of Dudley's old clothes. It was rather acrid smelling, and they could tell it was grey. However, that was about it. They sat at the table in silence, not even wanting to think about it.

Soon enough, Dudley and Uncle Vernon walked in doing their usual — Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper while Dudley banged his Smelting stick on the table. 

It was all quite the ordinary scene, so, of course, the twins had absolutely no way of knowing that the letters that were just being dropped through the mail slot were about to change their lives.

After a quick back and forth over who would check the mail, Harry ended up being sent to retrieve it after Uncle Vernon told Dudley to hit the boy with his Smelting stick. However, when it took Harry longer than usual to come back, Adelaide nearly stood up herself to see what was wrong.

Her uncle, however, wasn't as kind.

"Hurry up, boy!" the man shouted. "What are you doing, checking for bombs."

Adelaide couldn't help but feel her shoulders relax a little as the man chuckled. If he was chuckling, that meant he wasn't really angry.

She watched in curiosity as Harry strolled into the kitchen a bit absent-mindedly, handing Uncle Vernon a few pieces of mail before dropping a letter in Adelaide's hands that matched a similar letter that he continued to hold and begin to open.

Adelaide looked at the letter that had been dropped into her hands with utter befuddlement.

Who would be writing to them?

Made from a yellowish parchment and written on with an emerald-green ink, the letter was addressed simply:

Ms. A. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

On the other side of the envelope was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms of a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding the letter H.

Instead of opening the letter, however, Adelaide stuffed it down her shirt and into her bra before anyone could notice. 

She glanced around the table and sighed in relief upon noticing that everybody was too caught up in their own thing to see what she'd done. 

"Marge's ill," Uncle Vernon informed Aunt Petunia after looking at a postcard he'd received. "Ate a funny whelk…"

"Dad!" Dudley exclaimed suddenly, and Adelaide's eyes widened upon noticing he had his eyes on Harry's letter that he was on verge of unfolding and reading. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

Immediately, Uncle Vernon ripped the letter out of the boy's hands. 

"That's mine!" Harry made a weak attempt to snatch back the letter. 

"Who'd be writing to you?" The older man sneered before opening the letter and glancing at it. Adelaide would admit, she wasn't sure whether to feel amused or concerned as the man's face went from red to green to a greyish white the shade of old porridge. "P-P-Petunia!"

He held the letter out to the woman with a bit of horror as he tried to keep it away from Dudley who was currently trying to grab it. Petunia grabbed the letter curiously, and the three children watched as her face also paled many shades upon reading only the first sentence. 

"Vernon!" Petunia clutched her shirt around her heart, looking a little faint. "Oh my goodness — Vernon!"

The two adults seemed to share a silent conversation with their eyes, seemingly forgetting that they weren't alone in the room. However, Dudley had no plans on letting that continue. 

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly, giving his father a harsh tap on the head with his Smelting stick. 

"I want to read it," Harry added furiously despite Adelaide's warning glare, "as it's mine."

"Get out, all three of you," Uncle Vernon managed to choke out as he stuffed the letter back in its envelope. 

Adelaide immediately stood up and began making her way out the door, but not before attempting to grab Harry and pull him along with her. 

She failed. 

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

Adelaide stared at him in horror.

She really wished he would have told her he had a death wish earlier.

It would have saved her a lot of trouble.

"Let me see it!" Dudley whined simultaneously, but for once, Uncle Vernon wasn't having it. 

He grabbed both boys by the scruffs of their necks before throwing them out into the hall with Adelaide trying to quickly follow them out. 

"Wait!" Uncle Vernon grabbed Adelaide's shoulder before she could fully exit. "You — where's your letter?"

Adelaide looked up at her uncle in what she could only hope looked like pure, unadultered confusion. 

"What do you mean?" She asked with a tilt of her head and furrowed eyebrows. "Was I also meant to receive a letter?"

Uncle Vernon searched her face for any signs of deceit before he seemed to relax and let go of her shoulder. Apparently, her little act had worked. 

"No," he stated simply, looking a little relieved. "Now go join your brother and cousin."

He shoved her out the door without another word. 

As the door shut behind him, Adelaide shook her head in exasperation as Harry and Dudley fought over who got to eavesdrop from the keyhole. Deciding she didn't want any part of it, Adelaide made her way to the cupboard, her thoughts lying solely on the letter stuffed in her shirt. 

If her aunt and uncle had anything important to say, then she'd just have to ask Harry for the details. 

For now she'd have to hide that letter. 

****

"I can't believe he took my letter," Harry grumbled as he took a seat in the cupboard next to Adelaide. 

Uncle Vernon had finally left for work for the day, Dudley went off to go hang out with friends, and Aunt Petunia was busy stress cleaning. Meanwhile, Harry and Adelaide were left with nothing to do for once, and Adelaide was not going to complain. 

"Did you find out why?" Adelaide asked. 

"No," Harry sighed, leaning his head on his sister's shoulder. "After you left, all they talked about was a load of nonsense."

"I see," said Adelaide. "I'm sorry about your letter, but at least—"

"Me, too!" Harry clenched his eyes and fists shut in frustration. "If it wasn't for me being stupid and opening the letter in front of them, we wouldn't have had them taken from us like eveything else!"

Adelaide blinked and shifted her head to the side to look at her brother. 

Did— Did he think that her letter had been taken, too?

"Well, about that—" Adelaide was cut off once more. 

"It's just not fair!" Harry exclaimed, and Adelaide swore that if he interrupted her one more time, he wasn't even going to get to see her letter. "They were clearly addressed to us! He had no right taking them!"

"Well, yes, but—"

"I'm going to him as soon as he gets back," Harry said as Adelaide withheld a sigh. She loved her brother, but he was often too rash and had no sense of self preservation. So, yeah, she definitely wasn't going to be showing him the letter. It was for his own good. It definitely wasn't because she was feeling a little spiteful that he had interrupted her three times over. "They're our letters. He has to give them back."

"You're forgetting, Harry," Adelaide sighed. "This is Uncle Vernon. He doesn't have to do anything.

Not so long as we're forced to live under his roof."

*****

When evening came and Uncle Vernon arrived home, both Harry and Adelaide found themselves surprised when he actually visited them in their cupboard, something he'd never done before. 

"Where's my letter?" Harry demanded immediately, tempting Adelaide to groan in frustration. While she agreed that Uncle Vernon should not have taken his letter, it was clear that he would not be getting it back. Though, she was grateful that Harry was using singular pronouns instead of plural. She didn't want her deceit to be outed so soon. "Who's writing to me?"

"No one," Uncle Vernon told him shortly. "It was addressed to you by mistake. I've already burned it."

"It was not a mistake," Harry replied hotly, "it had my cupboard on it."

"SILENCE!" Uncle Vernon yelled so loudly that a couple spiders fell from the ceiling. The man took a few deep breaths, and Adelaide couldn't help the grimace that formed on her face as he tried to force a painful smile onto his own. 

While the sight of Uncle Vernon smiling was slightly disturbing, Adelaide couldn't help but be a bit curious.

"Er — yes, Harry — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking… you and your sister are really starting to get a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom while your sister takes the basement."

"Why?" asked Harry.

Adelaide looked between her brother and uncle incredulously. 

Had they forgotten she was there?

"Don't ask questions!" their uncle snapped. "Take your stuff to your new rooms!"

The Dursleys had four bedrooms: one for their aunt and uncle, one for guests, one where Dudley slept, and one where all of Dudley's toys and stuff ended up at. While Harry would be headed to Dudley's room if broken toys upstairs, Adelaide would be heading down into the damp basement. The basement itself was rather large, yes, but it was also dark and cold. 

Adelaide wasn't exactly sure it counted as an upgrade. 

She also wasn't sure about being in a separate room from Harry for the first time in her life. In any case, she grabbed what little belongings she had, including the pillow that she had stuffed her letter inside of, and made her way towards the basement. 

It was just as she'd remembered it from all the times she'd go down there to do laundry because, yes, the washing machine and dryer were in fact in the basement. Other than that, the basement was rather empty. The only change that she noticed was that there was now a creaky, old bed that sat in the corner. 

Adelaide wasn't even sure when they'd had the time to put that down there. Honestly, she was just glad that they'd thought to give her a bed.

With a sigh, she threw her few belongings down and sprawled out onto the bed. 

Things were really starting to change weren't they?

****

The next morning, everybody sat tensely and quietly. While Dudley was in shock from having one of his rooms taken away, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon kept sending each other dark glances up until the mail arrived, and Uncle Vernon actually had Dudley go and fetch it. 

"There's another one!" Dudley shouted from down the hall after retrieving the mail. "There's one for Adelaide, too! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey' and 'Ms. A. Potter, The Basement, 4—"

Uncle Vernon had already leapt up with a strangled cry and was running down the hall with Harry right behind him. Adelaide stayed behind, earning a strange glance from her aunt as she calmly sipped on a cup of tea. Even from her place at the table, she could hear the three-way struggle over the letter. There was plenty of yelling and banging sounds that only caused Adelaide to sigh, especially when she heard Uncle Vernon send both boys away after he apparently won the spat.

Adelaide finished her tea and left to go down to her new room shortly afterwards. 

She had plans to read her letter and figure out exactly what it was about it that made her aunt and uncle so worried about it. 

*****

Adelaide gently brushed her finger over her name on the yellowed parchment as she sat on her rickety bed. It was still strange to think that somebody wanted to send a letter to her of all people. 

Without any second thoughts, she tore open the envelope and took the letter out, making sure to keep an ear out for anybody wandering into her room. It didn't even take two seconds for her brow to raise curiously as she 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'

True to the letter's words, there was indeed an enclosed list of books and equipment, but part of Adelaide was still wondering if it was a joke.

Her, a witch?

Certainly, it explained a great deal, but you'd think they'd at least have someone come out to explain that nothing in the letter was a joke. Unless, they expected their aunt and uncle to explain it to them, which the very idea of that happening was a right laugh. 

Adelaide really wanted to believe the words of this letter. Truly, she did.

However, even if it is real, there was no guarantee that she'd even be allowed to go if her aunt and uncle had anything to say about it. They might be all for the idea of getting rid of her, but if it only stoked her abnormalities, they'd shut it down in an instant, especially if they'd still have to interact with her during the summer holiday. 

Adelaide released a heavy sigh.

For now, at the very least, the letter would simply have to go on being ignored. 

*****

The following days were extremely similar in nature. 

Letter after letter seemed to arrive for the twins. 

At one point, Uncle Vernon ended up nailing shut the mail slot. 

Of course, that didn't help as the letters still appeared, being pushed under the door or through the sides, and they had even shown up in the downstairs bathroom, having been shoved through the room's small window. 

The cracks ended up being nailed shut as well. 

This, also, did not help as the letters began to show up in the most ridiculous of places— one such example being when they were found rolled up and hidden inside of two dozen eggs. (That made Adelaide crack a small smile.)

It was on Sunday, however, that things really escalated. 

For the first time in days, Uncle Vernon actually looked happy. 

"No post on Sundays," he said cheerfully. "No damn letters today—"

Adelaide barely withheld a snort as a letter came flying out of the fireplace and hit him right in the back of the head. One after another, letters came flying out of the fireplace.

If she was having trouble believing in some magical school before, well, this certainly helped. 

"Out! OUT!" shouted Uncle Vernon after a few moments of the Dursleys diving out of the way of rogue letters while Harry tried to catch one — honestly, Adelaide wasn't sure why he didn't just pick one up from the ground. Even if he would eventually think of the idea, Uncle Vernon didn't give him a chance as he grabbed Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall with Aunt Petunia and Dudley running after them.

Adelaide was the only one who had strode out of the room with a strange calmness. Though, that quickly changed as her uncle began to speak once more. 

"That does it," the man stated, trying to appear under the guise of being calm. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"

Everybody looked a little reluctant but still did as the man said as his anger was at a dangerous bristle, and they'd decided against angering him any further. It was a well known fact of the Dursley household that angering Vernon Dursley was something that should only be done with moderation and never taken too far, for it was impossible to tell how he would channel it.

Down in the basement, Adelaide threw a few pairs of clothes into a bag with a stressful sigh. 

It would appear they'd be going on a road trip.