"The Letter"
Matilda was just coming downstairs one morning in
late July, when she saw a large, tawny owl rapping at the front window, trying
to get in. She walked over sleepily,
stretched and yawned before opening the window. The owl dropped a letter at her feet and swooped away out the
opened window.
When she picked up the letter she knew immediately what it was. The letter was addressed to her, in emerald
green ink. Matilda was so excited. She had always wanted to go to
Hogwarts. She ran into the Kitchen,
where the smell of sizzling bacon filled the room. Her mother was making breakfast.
"Good morning" said her mother cheerily.
"Hey," said Matilda, not really paying much attention, but very intent
on opening that letter and making sure that it really was what she hoped with
all her heart it was.
When Matilda had opened the letter and seen its contents she smiled and
handed It to her mother, who looked as if she were about to faint. "Go get your father up. Tell him it's time for breakfast."
"Alright" Matilda answered, still smiling. She went upstairs to her parents' room, where her father was
still asleep snoring. "Dad, get up. Its
time for breakfast, and I've got something to show you, you won't believe!"
Matilda added extra enthusiasm to the last part, hoping it would compel her
father to get up. He wasn't much of a
morning person.
Matilda knew that going to Hogwarts would make her parents very
proud. She knew it was the best
Wizarding School in the world, but she didn't understand why her parents had
always made it seem like some un-reachable goal, that she should strive for,
but never expect.
Her father got up, less reluctantly than usual because he wanted to hear
her news. Matilda ran downstairs ahead
of him, took the letter back from her mum, and stood at the bottom of the
stairs, waiting; ready to present it to him.
A few moments later her father came down the stairs, and she handed him
the letter. At first he wondered why
she was making such a big fuss out of a piece of mail arriving, but soon he
realized the reason. "Matilda! I can't believe this! I'm so proud of you!" you could see his
pride from the smile on his face. "Go
into the kitchen and start breakfast. I
need to talk to your mother about when we can bring you up to London to get
your things"
She followed his directions, but reluctantly. Why couldn't she be there when they were only deciding when to
bring her to get her school supplies?
She decided to listen at the keyhole in the kitchen door incase they
talked about anything interesting.
"Won't your brother be surprised when he sees his niece in his
class?" Matilda heard her mother say.
"He always thought that he was superior, ever since he got accepted to
Hogwarts and I didn't. Well, this will
show him. Mattie's bright enough. Just watch, she'll ace his class."
"You two are so competitive, honestly, Drake. You shouldn't put that burden on your daughter." This must have been a controversial topic,
because he quickly changed the subject
"Do you think tomorrow is a good day to go up to London?" Drake said
"Sure. They have some things in
the Diagon Alley apothecary that they just don't have around here. I could stock up while we're there"
Matilda decided that she had listened long enough. She opened the kitchen door and entered the
room where her parents had been speaking.
"So…did you make up your minds yet?" she said as nonchalantly as
possible. She didn't think they could
tell she had been listening. It was
just good timing, that's all. Pure
coincidence.
"Yes, Hun. We're going
tomorrow." Her father said.
"They gave us a list of everything you will need. I Think we can get everything in Daigon
Alley" Her mum added
Mattie looked a bit worried now.
"We don't have to go by floo powder do we? Fireplace travel always makes
me a bit queasy"
"It won't be that bad Mattie, Daigon alley's not that far, and it's the
only stop we have to make"
… … …
Once this conversation had ended, the family went into the kitchen to
eat the bacon that had somehow been forgotten in all the excitement. It was a bit burned, but not all bad. Mattie was overwhelmed with joy. She wouldn't let floo powder, a confusing
conversation, and some "Cajun" bacon spoil this day. It was a day to celebrate because she had just been accepted to
the bet school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.
