Chapter 1, The Letter

"Hannah, Hannah. Wake up! It's your birthday!" The girl groaned as her mother shook her awake. She glanced at the clock; it was 7 o'clock, in the morning, she was on holiday!
"Why'd you wake me up so early?" she said still half asleep.
"Because I want to see the look on your face when you open your presents before I take Luke to his football. So hurry up."

The covers where thrown back to reveal a short girl with short hazel brown hair and the same colour eyes. Hannah climbed out of bed, she didn't bother to change out of her PJs she just went down-stairs. Lining the stairs were pictures of a happy family in various places. Hannah's favourite photo was when they were in Scotland for the summer. All five of them were in it, here older brother Steve, a splitting image of Duncan, their dad who was standing just behind him, with their dark brown hair and grey-green eyes. She was in the middle, standing next to her in the photo was her mum and younger brother Luke, those two had dirty blonde hair and the same brown eyes. Steve met her on the stairs "Happy birthday Han" he said with a smile on his face. "I'm glad your finally up, mums been going mental waiting for you. I swear she gets more excited than we do."

"That's for sure." Luke her younger brother yelled upstairs. "Happy birthday Han. Now hurry up I don't want to be late for football."

As the brother and sister made their way down stairs Hannah got a glimpse at the banner hung across the wall of the sitting room: 'HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY!'

Hannah opened cards from her friends and family that had come in the post. From her brothers and mum she had gotten; a bike, a couple of games and some CDs. As she opened her gifts her mum was fidgeting with excitement that far outweighed her own. Hannah in turn had gotten Luke the new FIFA game and Steve the shirt he had been looking at last time they went to Fatface together. This may seem like a strange thing to do to you. But giving the two siblings a present on their birthday was a tradition that had started years ago. Hannah and Luke both had a birthday at the begining of August both within a week of each other, and Steve's birthday was on the 1st of January. Naturally he felt left out when August came round, so their mum and dad gave him a present to make him feel better. Luke being the spoilt youngest, kicked up a fuss that they didn't get gifts on Steve's birthday so the tradition started. Even now when they were 13, 11 and 9 they still got gifts on each other's birthday.

After breakfast Liz, Hannah's mum, took Luke to his football game and Hannah settled down to watch Saturday kitchen. It was only then that she realised her dad wasn't at home she guessed he had gone out to get the newspaper like he always did on a Saturday. Her dad as if reading her mind then strode through the door newspaper in hand, before she had realised he had it in his hand, Duncan had flung a wrapped present towards her across the living room with a grunted "Happy birthday." Hannah tore of the paper to find the new book she had wanted to read. When Liz returned home things took a turn for the confusing.

"Steve do you think you could go to your room for a bit we need to have a privet convocation with Hannah?"
"Okay" Steve glanced at Hannah as he left the room; she looked really confused, she had no idea what this was about. "Hannah" Duncan started. "You are now 11 and old enough to understand what we are going to tell you. But please this is hard to explain so just listen." Hannah just nodded she was too scared to say anything she had never seen her dad act so seriously before.

"Almost ten years ago we were approached by a stranger. His partner had just died in a terrible accident, he had a little baby daughter, just one year old. He told us that he couldn't look after her; he had no means of income. He asked if we would look after his little girl as our own seeing as we had a son already. We agreed and took her in. That little girl was you."

Hannah didn't know what she had been expecting but it defiantly hadn't been that. "He stayed just long enough to tell us your name Hannah Catherine, and your birthday was the eighteenth of August. After that he disappeared and we haven't heard anything of him since." She sat there in shock. Then suddenly she hugged the man she knew as her dad, he smiled down at her in relief. "Aren't you mad with us" this was the first time Liz had spoken since Duncan had started telling the tale. "How could I be, you choose to love me when you didn't need to." Hannah had always been fairly mature for her age. And this moment was no exception Duncan had expected her to be mad with rage. But she wasn't.

She wanted to go think about everything, but she didn't get the chance. Steve was sitting on the stairs looking confused. "What's wrong?"
"You're not my sister. I liked having a little sister. I got to play the big brother when people upset you."
"You still can if you want. I don't feel any different than before. I still want you to be my big brother." Steve stood up and pulled her into a bear hug. They jumped apart at a loud rapping at the door. Duncan opened the door Hannah right behind him.

An extraordinary man stood on the door step. He was wearing a purple pinstriped suit and a large flowing purple cloak. He had long silver hair, beard and moustache. And out of his jacket pocket stuck a long thin stick of wood. "Good morning. I am Albus Dumbledore; I am here to talk to Miss Hannah Green and her parents."
"That's me." Hannah didn't know why but even though this man looked very strange, he looked friendly and not at all scary. His piercing blue eyes had a twinkle in them and his smile made it seem like he was over joyed to meet them. They invited him in to the sitting room and Liz offered him a brew. "That would be delightful, thank you."

"Umm sir, if you don't mind my asking, who are you?"
"As I have already said my name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the head teacher of a school called Hogwarts. A school that I wish you to attend, although of course if you don't want to know one will force you to.
"Why should we send her to this school?" asked Liz as she came back into the room with a mug of tea for the guest. "She already has a place at the local secondary school. It's one of the best in this area of the country"
"Yes it is. But the school I am offering is different. It is not school as you know it. At Hogwarts we teach our students to control and use their magical abilities." There was utter silence.
"M…m…magic?" stuttered Steve.
"Yes there is a relatively small, hidden society of witches and wizards all over the world. Watch." He pulled the thin stick of wood out and waved it. Out of the end of his wand flew a small flock of little blue birds. With another wave of his wand they disappeared. The family was awestruck. None of them had ever seen anything like that ever before. "You said you teach people to use their magical abilities, why are you offering to teach me I don't have any magical abilities."
"You will have only used uncontrolled magic. This is likely to have only appeared when experiencing extreme emotions. Think, has nothing strange and unbelievable ever happened around you?" Hannah thought back true weird things had often happened to her. There was that time when they had been playing hide and seek and she was seeking, she had been so scared that Steve would jump out at her, somehow the wardrobe he had been hiding in had flung open and tipped Steve out. And more than once at school the homework had simply wiped itself of the black board.

She smiled widely and she could see Steve with an identical grin on his face, clearly he had remembered the wardrobe incident as well. "You see." Just then a thought struck Hannah, it had only been this morning she had found out. "Sir, does this have anything to do with my real parents?"
"Yes, they were a witch and wizard; in fact I knew them both well." And then after a pause added. "You look a lot like your mother." At this Hannah was about to launch into a million questions about them. But Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "Please do not ask me about your parents, that is not a tale for me to tell."

He paused then as though she had not mentioned her parents he carried on. "Now here is your list of equipment you will need to purchase, that is if you wish to accept the place at Hogwarts?" he looked at her pointedly. "Of course I want to." She replied eagerly. He then looked at her mum and dad. "Of course she'll be going" her dad stated. "Good, good" was Dumbledore's reply as he handed her a letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOLOF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Green,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

The next piece of parchment read;

UNIFORM

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

SET BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 Wand

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 Set of glass of crystal phials

1 Telescope

1 Set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Hannah thought for a moment "Sir I've never seen a shop that sells any of this stuff?"
"That is because you have never been to Diagon ally."