Thunder rumbled in the distance. Lightning flashed in the distance, lighting up Katerina's home. She sat at her desk, eyeing the adoption papers her mother had just set in front of her. She remembered what had happened vividly, every detail burning holes in the memory of her perfect life.

"Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something your father and I have wanted to show you for a while,"

"What is it?" she had instantly perked up, wanting to know everything her father never got the chance to show her before the cruel grip of cancer stole his life.

"You, um, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just show you," Mrs. LeGuar threw a sheaf of papers onto the desk. Katerina tore into them eagerly, only to stop in shock.

"I- I'm not your child?" her ten-year-old brain just didn't want to believe it. "I- I'm adopted?"

"Y- yes. But that doesn't change the fact that you're my little Kitty! I love you anyway!"

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

We were waiting for the right time!"

"The right time would have been before dad died, if I can even call him that! Just- just leave me alone, okay?" Then she had stormed up to her bedroom, clutching the adoption papers like they could save the falling world she once knew.

"Happy birthday to me," she whispered, a tear rolling down her freckled cheek. She wiped it off quickly and reached for her pocket tool when a thud came from her window.

A small barn owl sat on her windowsill, shaking it's head. She bolted downstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

"Mom?" No answer. "Mom? Where are you?" Katerina tried a bit louder. She started slowing down on the last few steps. No one was in the house except for her two cats, Spartan and Sparta, and her rescued pet wolf, Fenris. She walked into the kitchen to find blue sticky note on the counter.

"I'm sorry, Kitty, I tried. I tried to protect you from her, but she's coming and I have to stop her. I might not come home. If an owl shows up, let him/her in and make them feel welcome."

Katerina stared at the note as she had stared at the document that told her what had not been said. She turned in a daze and started up the stairs slowly toward her room, where rhythmic tapping could be heard. Ferris bounded up the stairs ahead of her, turning into her bedroom with a wag of his fluffy tail. Surprisingly, he didn't bark at the owl.

She moved to the window and opened the glass, watching as the owl fluttered onto her desk. A small scroll was tied to its right leg. Katerina pulled at the string, releasing the bird of its burden. She ran downstairs, leaving Fenris to watch the bedraggled creature. A loud boom rumbled with the lightning and the wolf dashed back downstairs, tail between his legs. Spartan mewled unhappily as the canine took his place on the couch.

Kitty grabbed the supplied her veterinarian mother always had around and went back to her room to find the soaking wet owl preening his feathers. She draped a fluffy towel around the barn owl's wings and pushed a dish of food to him. He ate hungry as she unrolled the scroll.

"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Ilvermorny, school of witchcraft and wizardry. Enclosed, you will find a list of books and supplies you will need as well as the address to the entrance of New Diagon Alley. Term begins on September 1st. We expect your owl no later than July 31st."

Kat rolled up her scroll and set it down. What is happening? She dug her fingers through her brown hair, green eyes flickering. She said to let the owl in, she must've known this would happen. She must want me to go. Katerina dug through the papers in her desk until she found a blank piece of looseleaf. She picked a pen out of the holder in a corner.

"I am very much confused as to what is happening, but I would be honored to attend Ilvermorny," she checked the spelling a few times on 'Ilvermorny', "and perhaps someone could explain what is going on when I get there? - Sincerely, Katerina LeGuar

Katerina pulled a plastic protecter from the depths of her messy desk drawer, slid the letter in, rolled it up, and tied it to the owl's leg, and sent it off. Only after it had left the distance she could see in the flashes of lightning did she pull out the letter and look at it. Well, I don't know what's going on, but I'm just gonna go with it.