Hi everyone! It's been a ridiculously long time since I've been on this site, let alone published anything. However I've been re-watching and re-reading the Harry Potter series and also finally joined Pottermore and this story came to me. I'm super excited about it so please let me know what you think! It's set in the new generation's time, so although all our usual pals will make appearances you'll be seeing more of the new kids.

Disclaimer: The world I'm using is sadly not my own, it's all the marvellous work of a J.K. Rowling whose brain I wish I could steal (or at the very least whose world I'd like to enter).

Chapter 1: A Letter Arrives

Miranda Jones didn't know what had happened. Everything had been going so wonderfully until then: the eggs were getting stiff, the colouring looked nice, the sprinkles were organized by shape and size. But she had to have calculated wrong, and she was usually so good at that!

Her happy Friday evening at home was ruined by a cake. She didn't really need the cake, she supposed, but it was going to be such a confectionary creation that it saddened her to see it sliding into the trash. How on earth had her pretty vanilla sponge gone pepper-flavoured? Mirabella just had to walk in right as she was taking it out, it was necessary for her to be so infuriating, it was destiny for Miranda to snap, and the cake had been the victim.

"I hate you!" she yelled, "you ruin everything!". She raced upstairs, slamming the periwinkle blue door as she entered fast as lightning into her room and immediately calming down when she sighted the fluffy clouds painted on her ceiling. She lay down on her fluffy down comforter and promptly floated into sleep.

Tap, tap, tap. Tappity tap tap. CRACK!

She shot up, abruptly awoken by the glass shattering onto her bed. The sunlight was just starting to crest the hill, silhouetting the winged figure at her window. The girl shrunk back; resting against the wall as she braced herself for attack, mind whirring with ideas for escape or defence.

"Hoot, hoot". It was an owl! The stupid thing was a bird! But what was in its mouth? The shadowy night-time visitor dropped the white envelope in her lap and peered curiously at her, clearly waiting for something in return. Cautiously, she patted the feathered creature, which cooed and flew out. Her attention returned to the missive.

The bird had brought a thick and creamy envelope sealed the old-fashioned way with wax and addressed in brilliant violet ink:

Miranda A. Jones

Hortense Lane, 7

Whittower, England

Where had it come from? There was no return address and no postage stamp, logically, as it had not arrived in the ordinary mail. She turned it over in her hands until finally there was nothing left to do but open it.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Dear Miss Jones,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

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

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE 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 Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic 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 glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Miranda gaped at the letter, there were so many unfamiliar terms and new ideas within it, what was Hogwarts? Witchcraft, wizardry? She needed a wand? So many questions spitting out and no one to answer them. She was just normal Miranda Jones, Mirabella Jones' younger, weirder sister, daughter of two teachers, Albert and Louise.

It had to be a joke, some creative idea of Mirabella's, though she was slightly surprised by the amount of thought her sister must have put into the joke, coming up with names like Hogwarts and McGonagall. Did she even know what a phial was? Resolutely Miranda put the note down on her bedside table, determined to pretend it had never arrived so as to not give her sibling the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed.

Suddenly a thought struck, where and how had her sister found an owl to give her the letter? That was far too complicated a stunt. Right at that moment there was a knock at the front door.