Chapter 6: Letters and Recommendations

CHAPTER 6: LETTERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

"Hogwarts?" Beckett wrinkled his nose, a newly-read letter in his hands. "You're sending us to a school named after pigs with skin problems?"

"Why, no," Angeline told him, "I've never even heard of it!"

"Obviously not, Beck. This is probably just a prank. Not funny, Artemis" Myles grumbled at Artemis the Second. Knowing the former criminal mastermind, he was probably in on this the whole time and just pretended to be shocked.

"I assure you, I had nothing to do with this," Artemis scrutinized the opened envelopes, checking for any sort of device which could have made them fly.

"I know what's going on," Artemis Fowl Senior lifted his face and gathered his composure. "I was hoping, since your brother turned out to be a Squib, you would be, too. You see, Hogwarts was the school I went to when I was your age."

"You went to a school for witchcraft and wizardry?" Angeline's eyes widened. Seeing the turmoil in her husband, she placed a gentle hand on his elbow. "How come you never told me?" she whispered.

"That, my dear, is a long story. For now," he looked at his youngest sons, "give the school we picked out for you a chance. If, after hearing me out and going on a tour, you would rather attend Hogwarts, I promise I will send the owl myself."

Myles and Beckett shared a glance. Should we do this? They both were thinking. Getting the same idea, they nodded. Their father sighed in relief.

"Atta boys," he leaned back and steepled his fingers. "Now, where should I begin?"

"Perhaps start with why you were so worried about the twins attending this…unique learning environment" Artemis II had assumed the same position as his father as soon as magic became the subject of discussion. To Beckett, it was like watching a room full of spy movie villains. He would have elbowed Myles for imitating them, but he was too caught up in the moment for that.

"I'd like to hear that myself," Angeline said in her 'don't hide anything from me' tone of voice, turning her chair to give Artemis Senior her full attention.

"Right. It requires a bit of history, so here it goes…long ago, magic was a well-accepted part of human society. Magical creatures, spells, and people were commonplace; however," here he lowered his voice, "the people with magic—wizards—slowly became at odds with Muggles—those without magic. The conflict between them grew so severe, the wizards created an alternate, invisible world kept secret from the Muggles. Eventually, Muggles forgot all about magic being real, and the existence of two worlds should have solved everything…except for one factor: human nature.

"As far as I know, all too many wizards look down on Muggles—as a matter of fact, wizards of Muggle descent are often treated derisively. One particular group, the Death Eaters, still seeks to enslave and eliminate all Muggles. They even tried to recruit me, when I was just a teenager. Their leader is so feared, his name cannot be spoken, for fear it may summon the Death Eaters. An associate of mine turned to them, and I foolishly maintained contact until I met your mother. Given their ideals, it's no wonder his new circle accused me of betraying my kind by falling in love with a Muggle.

"By staying in the Muggle world, I thought I could lose them. Maybe I did, but I don't think they're as gone as they seem." A stone cold silence fell upon the Fowl family at this grave revelation. What if this former 'friend' was still around? What if the twins came to harm?

"How…how is the school's security system?" the worried mother asked, brushing a strand of brown hair from her face.

"Um…they allow students to carry their own wands, and…they teach a Defense Against the Dark Arts class." Angeline furrowed her brow. Artemis Senior held her hand reassuringly. "If they make the right friends, stay out of trouble, and pay attention in all their classes, they should be fine. It's like…motivation to do well!"

"I'm still not too comfortable with the idea, darling."

"Father," Artemis had a proposal in mind, "what if I go to the school as a member of the staff to monitor their situation?"

"No offense, son, but without magic, the best you could do is become a janitor. Besides, I don't want you in danger, either."

"I have my ways," he stated with conviction. Myles decided he wanted him with them, after all.

"I'd feel better with him there, Dad." Myles wanted to surpass Artemis in every area…so how could he be better at wizarding if Artemis wasn't involved? Besides, he needed someone there to challenge him mentally!

Beckett nodded in agreement, "He can use everyone to stop the bad guys and boss us around!"

"You need not be involved beyond giving me this initial permission," Artemis came as close to begging as the twins had ever seen him. The latter gave their parents their best puppy-dog eyes. No adults could ever resist the puppy-dog eyes.

After thinking for a while, Artemis Senior and Angeline chose to leave their eldest to his own devices, albeit hesitantly. After all, they couldn't very well stop him once his mind was set, and Artemis Senior figured he would only draw more attention if he went himself. The boys all loved each other so dearly, Angeline couldn't help but find her heart melted at their joint begging.

Hopefully, though, they found their intended school more appealing the next day.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Let me know what you think of this story and share your thoughts by reviewing!

By the way, I was looking over my author's notes and wondered if you would like me to put official "Behind the Scenes" sections in some (or all) chapters for those interested in the specifics of my writing process. What do you say? I could also do Q&A by receiving PMs and including answers in the author's notes.

I had Artemis Fowl Sr. go into story-teller mode, and I liked it! He strikes me as the kind to have always had a knack for storytelling, especially with how much of an impact his words had on Artemis's childhood before going missing and being declared dead. Luckily, we don't know much about his life growing up, and his being a wizard introduces some good potential. A long line of wizardry can even tie into Fowl Manor's involvement in magical history!

I own neither Artemis Fowl nor Harry Potter.

P.S. Out of curiosity, would any parents here on Fanfiction let their child(ren) attend Hogwarts? It's so dangerous, but…would the risks outweigh the benefits of mastering unique abilities and gaining life experience? For the sake of objectivity, analyze it as a boarding school, rather than a romanticized place of adventure you would (or wouldn't) go to yourself.