MEGHAN

I got my letter two months before school started. Despite having a wizard father- and a famous one at that- I had absolutely no idea about the magical world AT ALL.

On that fateful morning, we – that is, Dad, Mum and I – were sitting having breakfast as normal, cereal with two slices of toast afterwards. Except it wasn't completely normal. Dad was fidgeting, looking tense about something, or perhaps expectant. Mum seemed excited too- she kept on glancing through the hallway towards the front door, as if expecting Santa to walk right through it.

Eventually I heard the letter-box open, and a letter pushed through it.

At once it was obvious that this was what they had both been waiting for. They almost leaped out of their seats, but seemed to restrain themselves and settle back into their chairs, exchanging delighted looks.

"Will you get that, Meghan?" Dad asked, far too casually.

I stood up, mystified, and walked towards the front door. It can't be a birthday card, I thought. My birthday was ages ago – well, May, anyway. So what is it?

By that time I'd reached the door. I saw a small envelope, made of some sort of yellowish, handmade paper, with my name on it:

Miss M. Viridian

The Warmest Bedroom

4 Sycamore Grove

Elgin

Morayshire

SCOTLAND

I noticed that it didn't have a stamp. That meant that it was from one of Dad's work-colleagues, as he called them, who seemed to have a special permit to forget stamps. And a strange tendency to address letters very… precisely. He always said it was a joke. They also usually had some sort of seal…

Sure enough, when I turned it over, there was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.

"Bring it through, Meg," called Mum from the kitchen.

I walked back through and sat down. Both my parents looked at me expectantly.

"Well?" asked Dad. "Are you going to open it or not?"

I slid my finger underneath the fold of the envelope, enjoying the feel of the handmade parchment, breaking the seal. I pulled out two sheets of paper and read the upper one first.

I finished it and looked across at Dad. "Is this a joke?" I said suspiciously.

"Read it aloud!" urged Mum.

I did so:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

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

Dear Miss Viridian,

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

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

I looked from Dad to Mum several times. "Is this a trick?" I demanded again. "A school of witchcraft and wizardry? Is this some prank you two thought up?"

Dad smiled. "Nope. I can prove it to you. Watch."

From his sleeve, he took out a long thin stick. I watched without any particular surprise. The stick had been around for as long as I could remember- no, wait, there was that time he broke it and sent off to some shop for another one. I could never tell whether he was doing something to confuse me or because it somehow mattered.

He waved the stick around, with a sort of swish and flick. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he commanded.

His teacup started levitating.

I stared.

He smirked at me. "Still think I'm making this up?"

I found my voice. "How did you do that?" I exclaimed.

"By magic," he answered simply.

"You're a wizard? How come you never told me?"

Mum stepped in here. "We both thought you would benefit growing up in the Muggle world-"

"Muggle?"

"Non-magic people, like me," she explained. "Anyway, the world of magic is a bit… weird. I entered it about a year after I met your father, right after he proposed."

She sighed. "Some wizards are so out of touch with Muggle life, with electricity and computers and everything. Even your dad, and he was from a half-wizard, half-Muggle family. So, when we married and had you, we both agreed that it would probably be better for you if you didn't know about our world- at least until you were old enough to go to Hogwarts." Her eyes sparkled. "We also thought it would be much more exciting for you. Oh, Meg, it's fantastic the stuff they do! There's a whole group of magical streets in London, only open to wizards and their families, with loads of shops selling all kind of things- broomsticks, cauldrons, owls, spell books-"

Dad smiled. "I've never really found it that exhilarating. Your mother is far too excitable."

Mum gave him a mock-angry glare and raised a newspaper threateningly. He put his hands up in a gesture of peace and turned back to me. "Beside, we were worried that the fame would go to your head," he said casually.

My ears pricked up. "Fame?"

Mum rolled her eyes as Dad leaned forwards, obviously bursting to tell me about this fame. "You know how I'm a writer?" he said. I nodded and he continued. "Well, I don't actually write for science magazines, as I told you. I actually write books. Spell-books, to be exact. I go by the pen name of Professor Vindictus Viridian, and my best-selling book is Curses and Counter-Curses." He winked at me. "Well, perhaps 'curses' is too strong a word. They're not exactly curses. They're more like hexes. Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, that sort of thing. And I always include the reversal charms for them."

"Only because I make you," Mum snorted.

"Anyway, my book is really quite famous. Younger witches and wizards use them the most, which means your generation. So you'll be quite a celebrity." He coughed. "One thing, though- don't tell anyone my real name, unless they're a good friend and won't blab. It wouldn't do for everyone to know Professor Vindictus Viridian was actually Professor Daniel Viridian, would it? That makes me sound too old and wise."

I grinned at him. "So I'm magic?"

"Yup," he said happily.

"How come I've not done anything before?"

"Oh, you have," said Mum wryly. "Remember that time with the spoon puppet? Well then."

My eyes widened. "You're not saying it actually did come alive? I thought it was just one of Dad's tricks!"

"Nope. Not me."

And that's how it began. A whole new world opened up to me, a whole new adventure started, just by something as simple as opening a letter.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd not been magical. What would life have been like? Not half as exciting, that's for sure. I'd never have met Alys or the Weasley brothers, though the last could be counted as more of a curse than a blessing. I wouldn't have seen dragons or any other of the many magical creatures I've become acquainted with. I wouldn't have ridden a broomstick, one of the best things ever if you ask me, nor received one of the best wizarding jobs possible. I wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts. In fact, life would have been really boring.

No point worrying about it. I am magical. And that's the best thing ever.

ALYS

As usual I woke up early. As usual I reached under my pillow and grabbed the knife underneath. As usual when I opened my eyes I barely refrained from screaming. I guess this is where I should explain myself. You see my dad is an Auror, a dark wizard catcher. He got it into his head that I needed to be able to defend myself so from an early age has trained me. This involves waking up to find he's left some monster in your room.

This time it was pixies. As soon as they saw my eyes open they immediately swarmed down on me, pulling at my blonde hair and snapping at my fingers. I swiped at one with my knife and it disappeared with a puff of blue smoke. I quickly got dressed and ignored the pixies. They couldn't do me any lasting damage, unlike that blast-ended screwt a month ago. I simple ran out the door. Our house-elf, Woody, would take care of them.

As I made my way down to the kitchen I realised a pixie still followed me, I lunged at it and it disappeared with a giggle. I entered the kitchen and smiled at my mother who was eating a slice of toast and listening to the radio. She was already dressed in her Healer robes. I sat down and looked suspiciously at my porridge. I sniffed it and caught the faint smell of a sleeping draught.

"Mum, can I have some food that dad didn't poison?"

My mother smiled and handed me some toast just as my father walked in. I quickly pushed the bowl in front of him hoping to catch him out. It didn't work. He just looked at it and laughed as he ruffled my hair, "You'll have to do better than that Alys, though well done in spotting it." That was when the owl flew in and landed in the porridge.

I grabbed the letter and was about to pass it to my dad when I realised it was addressed to me in bright green ink. I turned it over and saw the seal. It was what I'd been expecting. I opened it and quickly scanned the page before letting out a shriek and flinging my arms around mum. She picked up the letter and shrieked as well, crushing my ribs as she hugged me.

Finally my dad picked up the letter. He beamed and walked over to the fireplace. He stuck his head in and dropped the floo powder. We could hear him telling his boss, "I'm not going to make it into today Arnold, I've got to go help my daughter buy her stuff from school. She's going to Hogwarts!"