Philo,

I heard it’s your birthday.
Here’s some advice: use it being your birthday to your advantage. It’s your “special day” so do what you want.
Oh, and you’d better like this- but, if you don’t, tell me and I’ll get something else.

See you when school starts

Alex Carstairs

P.S. Don’t dismantle it- it’s enchanted.

Alex watched the four owls fly away, two holding the main present, and the others with smaller packages grasped firmly in their claws. The main package had taken a while for her to find, but it had been so beautiful she had to buy it- a finely crafted model of the Solar system, each planet rotating slowly around the sun, the moons rotating each planet. She wasn’t entirely sure how the maker had enchanted the orbs to float in exactly the correct path, but that was neither here nor there. The second package, carried by her owl, Alba, contained the instructions for the model’s use and the starcharts to match it. The third and final, the smallest of the three- but, Alex suspected, the one which Philo would like most- was a slim book containing a series of puzzles about the stars and planets. All three were wrapped in thick brown paper, and Alex’s hastily scrawled note was sellotaped to the model of the solar system. She bit her lip, wondering if the young Ravenclaw would actually like her present- she knew that he enjoyed puzzles, so the book would be fine, but the model and the starcharts…

"Now are you all packed for tomorrow?" asked Francine Falkin, cooking breakfast for her youngest kids.

"Yes Mum," Philo sighed. "Was packed three days ago."

"You sure you fit everything? I should check."

"No!" Philo said a little too quickly, "um, everything's arranged the way it needs to be. I've got everything."

August 31st birthdays. Every single one he could remember, half of the focus was on Foster or Felicia going to school. And just when he thought he had a break, now the focus was on him going to school.

"What's 'Ogwarts like?" asked Penny, his five year old sister.

"Complicated," Philo replied. Mum had even forgot to make blueberry scones, his favorite for birthday breakfasts.

That's when four owls arrived. Philo found himself surprised that everything was for him. He opened the first card and read:

Philo,

I heard it’s your birthday.
Here’s some advice: use it being your birthday to your advantage. It’s your “special day” so do what you want.
Oh, and you’d better like this- but, if you don’t, tell me and I’ll get something else.

See you when school starts

Alex Carstairs

P.S. Don’t dismantle it- it’s enchanted.

This was followed by unwrapping the gifts, the scale model, instructions, and puzzle booklet He grinned in an odd way, flipping through the puzzles. In this time Penny had taken the original letter and said "Wose this Alexandra? Your girlfriend?"

"No!" Philo said, snatching the letter. "She's an older student at school..." Kinda like Francine, had she been sorted into Ravenclaw. He selected fresh parchment for a quick thank you note with lots of crossouts.

Dear Alexandra,

Thank you for the present, I hated expected it not that I expected you to or you were expected to I will be sure to keep it safe. It would help for reference in Astronomy as Professor Trishna isn't trusting of my omniocular modifications can be dull (please don't tell him!).

I guess I'll be seeing you around the dorm.

As Philo contemplated starting again, the remaining owl pecked his hand impatiently at the wait. Philo made to shoo him off but noticed that his toddler brother Paul was trying to pick up the model.

"Paul don't--!" He reached across the table to try and catch the model but it disappeared over the edge.

-THUNK!-

The owl went off with the reply anyways.