Second Birthday (Part 1)

Today was most likely going to be Draco and my last quiet birthday. It was customary in the magical world to have and attend birthday parties once you have had proof that you are magical. This process was originally created so that a family didn't have to go through the dishonor of having a squib. Discrimination against squibs is still something that the more old-fashioned wizarding community goes through, but they usually don't just release the children into the muggle world at age 11 anymore, usually. I someday want to see if it's possible to cure being a squib; it may be a genetic deformity or a problem with the way their body uses magic. There is also a chance that they can't release magic but have it inside them, or maybe they are just the same as a muggle.

Squibs play important roles that are often overlooked in the magic community. They are perfectly able to act as liaisons between the muggle and magical communities; they have spent time in both worlds in ways that few others have. They are important as assistants and groundskeepers; many wizards see such basic jobs as below them, and without squibs to take these jobs, it would be much harder to fill these positions. The scariest thing is what a trained squib might be able to accomplish; their lack of strong magical presence allows them to go unnoticed by wizards looking for magical threats, and they can still use some magical items that rely on pre-stored magic. This makes them a deadly surprise threat that most wizards wouldn't think twice about.

Draco and I are both not squibs. Draco apparently had an extremely early magical riot about six months ago. I, of course, have been intentionally using magic since the womb, but my parents have placed mine with the magical eyes fiasco. With that in mind, by tradition, we would have a birthday party where we would invite the other children to come play, but we were too early; practically none of the other children had some form of magical riot. Maybe my parents would have invited the mysterious Harry Potter if we had any idea where he currently was. Dumbledore was apparently caring for the boy, and my father would rather die than send him anything, even if it was just to brag about his children. This has led to the common rule that large parties can start at three; you can say that your child is magical earlier on—nothing stops wizards from bragging—but you start inviting other known magical children at that number.

Much like last year, Snape showed up for our party. Roughly a month ago, he had quickly figured out the whole "Nyx" ruse when he came and found me working on the library magical system. He had been trying to talk my father into getting me involved in lessons with a master artificer ever since, or at least starting contact through letters. The only artificer that my father was really good friends with were the owners of Borgin & Burkes, who he met through his service to Voldemort. Having your budding talent learning from the same people who employed the last Dark Lord is a PR nightmare, so that was scrapped pretty quickly with the help of my uncle. Snape wanted me to learn from Dumbledore himself; he tried to convince my father that pulling a fast one on the old wizard would be easily possible, which Lucius vehemently denied. It was eventually decided that I would send one letter to Dumbledore and one letter to Evelyn Thorne, an American pureblood fanatic and extraordinary alchemist, asking each for advice on a few things. Through this, I got my first contact with the greatest wizard in Britain. I wonder how much of what my father told me about the man was true. I also expanded my social circle overseas, even though it was someone who may be crazy and will most likely never respond after my first letter. I had asked the two in my first letter to each if there were any notes in history of someone trying to create artifacts that could increase the number of wizard children born from muggle populations.

Mrs. Thorne had replied so fast that I thought she could be an owl animagus and had personally flown all the way here. She stated that even if there were studies done on this, they would all be wasting their time because why would we want more of those "dirtborn mudblooded thestral worshippers" and some slurs for muggleborns that even Snape had been shocked to hear. I occasionally send her some really simple technical notes on certain runes that could be useful for certain processes, and she would often reply with long-winded monologues about how her way is better and the proof is that she was Evelyn Thorne and that I was "Nyx." This has now motivated me to start writing a "Introduction to Runes and Artifacts: Circuits", if she won't listen because she is more credible in the field, i'll just have to become the leader in it.

Dumbledore's reply was more shocking, but for a different reason. The full letter read:

Dear Miss Malfoy,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to address a matter of significant importance that you recently inquired about: the studies concerning the birth rates of Muggle-born witches and wizards.

First and foremost, allow me to commend your curiosity and dedication to understanding the intricacies of our magical world. It is through such inquisitiveness that we advance our knowledge and foster a deeper appreciation for the mysteries that surround us.

To address your question, it is true that there has been a noticeable absence of comprehensive studies dedicated to increasing the birth rates of Muggle-born witches and wizards.

That being said, your interest in this topic is both admirable and timely. The magical world is constantly evolving, and it is through the efforts of bright young minds like yours that we can hope to explore new avenues of understanding. If you are keen to pursue this line of inquiry further, I would be more than willing to provide guidance and support. Your perspective as a young witch with a fresh outlook could prove invaluable in shedding light on this complex issue.

I encourage you to continue your studies with vigor and to never shy away from asking the difficult questions. The pursuit of knowledge is a noble endeavor, and it is through such endeavors that we can hope to create a brighter future for all. We can converse in person on this topic when you return to Hogwarts for the lessons with your godfather.

I enclosed a few of my favorite candies as an early birthday present for you to enjoy.

Warmest regards,

Albus Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The original letter had been written under my pseudonym, yet he instantly was able to discover who I was. He also seemed to have written knowing that my father would have Snape check the letter to make sure he wasn't corrupting my mind. From this first letter, I knew that Dumbledore was a smart man. I think he saw the need for what I had said to him and arranged a time for us to meet in person. I would have to have something prepared on the matter before our first meeting; if we could somehow find the difference in magical genetics between muggle-born wizards, squibs, and muggles, we may be able to increase the wizarding population, which benefits everybody.

The correspondence with Dumbledore was much more fruitful. Though he and I had different frameworks for the creation of artifacts, his advice was always easily incorporated into my designs, and he would mention the value of the things I provided and what he would try to do to improve them. He had especially loved the library system I had come up with and was willing to follow suit with indexing books following a similar system if I started to do it once I published. Snape must have also shown him the citations I had placed onto the homework I gave, and he saw the value in it as well. The so-called "Nyx Citation System" or NCS style was going to be passed around to the professors, who could choose whether or not they wanted students to follow it. If Dumbledore was trying to win me onto his side in a battle with my father, he was doing all the right things to do so.