Dan bounced on his toes next to Phil, his school bag swinging wildly from his shoulders. "Phiiiil. Guess what tomorrow is?"

Phil pretended to think, furrowing his brows in mock-concentration. "Hmm, I don't know. Is it Christmas? Are we going to see the queen?" Dan nudged the older boy with his shoulder, a little too enthusiastically. "Wait, it's not your birthday, by any chance?"

"Yeah!" Dan gave him a toothy grin. "What kind of best friend even are you, you think we're going to see the queen instead of remembering my birthday!" Phil loved the way Dan finished every sentence with a non-verbal exclamation mark; it was a little dash of hyperactive ten year old in his too-cool teenage life. "You better have got me a really cool present, okay." He said it as a statement, rather than a question, because he never doubted Phil. Phil never forgot anything. He was his best friend forever and everyone knew it.

"Of course I have, idiot," he wrapped his arm around Dan shoulders, tousling his hair, not quite big-brother like, just… constant. Phil was Dan's constant, in a life full of changeable parents and fair-weather bullies. People had been surprised, how quickly an nine year old Phil had befriended five year old Dan, shielding him from people in the playground, but it was anything but surprising to them. Phil was cool and dark-haired and got good computer games, and Dan was a sugar-hyped primary school kid, and they loved each other more than most siblings did. Best friends. Constants.

And now Dan was turning eleven and Phil felt old. But he'd got him the best birthday present- a bright red Gryffindor scarf, long enough to wrap his whole body. "Are you excited?" he asked, grinning, and Dan nodded, a little subdued.

"Yeah… but I'm a bit nervous, too."

"Why?" Phil's voice filled with concern, pulling his arm gently so they could sit on a half ruined brick wall. "Is it about high school? Because you'll be with me and it's really not that bad-"

Dan shook his head. "No, it's not that. Well, kind of. It's just… my Hogwarts letter."

Phil froze. "What about it?"

"Well, what if it doesn't come? What if I'm not magic enough? You didn't get yours because they were still rebuilding after the battle when you were eleven, but I'll get accepted, right?" His eyes were so wide, so hopeful, that Phil didn't have the heart to ruin it for him. Instead, he forced a smile on his face, pulling Dan into a hug.

"Of course you'll get your letter! You're not a muggle. Are you a muggle, Dan?"

"Your mum's a muggle," he murmured, but hugged Phil back, relaxing. After a few seconds, he fell back into his normal energy. "It's gonna be so great! I can learn potions and get an owl and ride a broomstick- hey, maybe they'll even give you a place now, if you're magic enough!" Phil went through smiling and nodding motions, but his mind was working frantically. Dan would be upset for weeks if he didn't get this letter, and it was always terrible to have a birthday ruined. There has to be some way of doing this.

So sneakily, in the back of his mind, Phil hatched a plan.

Phil held the torch out in front of him, desperately wishing that Dan lived in a better-lit neighbourhood. Like, would it really kill them to have a streetlamp? He almost tripped over a tree root on the pavement, and had to wave his arms wildly to steady himself.

The light flashed off the door numbers, the brass stark against the darkness. 231, 233, 235...

237. Phil put the torch between his teeth, digging a heavy envelope out of his satchel. He gave the curling green address and tiny owl stamp a last once-over, smiled proudly, and pushed it through Dan's letterbox- he heard the dull thump on the other side. Rubbing bleary eyes, he closed his bag, and set off, back to his own house which was about a mile the other way. Two thousand, one hundred and thirty steps, not that he counted, or anything.

Slowly, a smile spread over his face. He was tired and his hand hurt and the sun was about to rise, but this was worth it. This was going to be awesome.

Dan glared at Phil as he opened the door. "You look like hell." Phil didn't doubt it- he could feel his hair still sticking up, knew there were dark bruises underneath his eyes. He yawned, and stuck his tongue out at Dan.

"You're not much of a looker yourself, old man. How old are you today, like, ninety?"

Dan wrinkled his nose. "You're evil." Phil could feel a laugh bubbling in his chest, but refused to yield, staring at Dan with expressionless features until the younger boy smiled. "Hate you, Phil."

"Hate you too." Phil hugged Dan tightly, only separating to do their secret handshake (for kool katz only). "Happy birthday, pooface." He cleared his throat. "Hey, have you checked your mail this morning?"

Dan shook his head, starting to bounce excitedly. "I wanted to wait until you were here. My mum put it in the kitchen, come read it with me." He darted into the other room and Phil laughed, following him. He admired his handiwork again as Dan held up the envelope; the yellowish heavy parchment, the perfectly traced Hogwarts crest, he'd even used an old candle to make a wax seal on the back, with a stamp he'd bought in a charity shop.

"Well, open it, then." Dan didn't answer, preceding to tear the envelope away with equal parts excitement and nerves. He read the letter once, twice, a third time, and now it was Phil getting anxious. Please like it. I did not give myself carpal tunnel for you to not like it. "Is it good news?"

Dan nodded, speechless, and held it out to Phil. "Read it yourself."

"Alright." Phil read over the green ink he'd used to write the letter, half regretting the hasty blots but then deciding they made it seem more authentic. At least his handwriting wasn't recognisable- his usual scrawl was a million miles away from this beautiful calligraphy.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Headmistress: Minerva G McGonagall

(Order of Merlin, First Class)

Dear Mr Howell,

We regret to inform you that at the current time, we are unable to offer you a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before you appeal this matter with the educational sector of the Ministry of Magic, I wish to inform you that this choice was not based on lack of magical ability.

The muggle world lies in even greater disorder than our own, and each year succeeding the Battle of Hogwarts, we have requested that a small number of possible wizards with natural ability remain in this world, in order to help muggles in need of unapparent magical assistance; for example, your acquaintance Mr Lester. Those at Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic have selected you to be part of this programme. We may be able to offer you the opportunity to take your Ordinary Wizarding Levels and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, but until that point, we ask you to maintain the level of magic you have wielded in the muggle world. Rather than an owl, we await your letter of acceptance into this programme by no later than July 31st.

Continue to weave your magic, Mr Howell. The world has need of you.

Yours sincerely,

Pomona Sprout

Deputy Headmistress.

Dan bounced in his seat, almost knocking over his cereal. "Isn't it great?"

"So you're okay with not going to Hogwarts?" Phil raised an eyebrow (just one, a trick he totally didn't learn to annoy Dan) and smiled as Dan nodded vigorously.

"Of course I am! They want me to do the magic I already do and keep stupid muggles like you safe! That's, like, even cooler." He paused for a second, staring levelly at Phil. "Hey, nerd. Thanks."

Phil looked at him fondly. "It's fine. Happy birthday." Of course Dan knew the books weren't real. Of course he knew that Phil had written him the letter. Of course he did, but that didn't mean it all had to come crashing down on his birthday. Eleven. We're… growing up.

As Dan chattered on about his presents, Phil leaned on his hand to hide a smile, and was glad that for today there was that extra bit of magic in the world.

Thank you for reading!

This has been my first Phan in ages omg :) I'm not sure I even like this so feedback would be appreciated (reviews are love reviews are life) xxx Also if anyone is interested I nailed my exams yeeeee