Sarah sat in her room staring aimlessly at the wall. She had confined herself to the room a day earlier, when her parents had lashed out at her.
Sarah had gone outside to watch the sunset when an owl had swooped down, and dropped a letter onto her lap. She had nearly shrieked in fright. "Goodness!" she had said allowed.
"What is that?" Her mother had said exiting the back door.
"I am not sure. It literally fell from the sky seconds ago." my initial surprise had gone away. It was replaced with curiosity.
I picked up the envelope up from my lap and pulled it open. A voice came forth from the letter. "Dear Sarah Blackwell, you have been accepted to Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Sarah sat there, speechless. She read it to herself again, and again. Her mother finally snatched it from her, as she herself was curious of what the small paper contained.
Reading it again, to be sure what she just read, Sarah's mother's jaw dropped. "George, could you come in here?" she shouted down the hallway, in shock.
"Coming Selene, what was it you wanted me to see?" he asked, as he entered the room. Sarah's mother shoved the note at her father, and he too read the letter to himself. Once he put the letter down, Sarah could see the anger in his face.
Sarah didn't take notice, for she was too busy thinking of this "magical" place... she felt special, and wanted to know more. But things soon changed, for Sarah's father started bellowing loudly at her, "No, no absolutely not. We will not have our daughter, be a witch. We will not allow this." Sarah's parents were Christian, so they were automatically offended deeply by this letter, and that their daughter was supposedly a "witch."
Sarah got up from where she sat, and went back into her room. She sat there, on her bed. Crying, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. "The one thing that makes me special... they take it away from me." Her parents seemed to have there mind set. They wouldn't let her go, maybe she wouldn't have to tell them... Maybe she could go on her own. As much of a stupid idea it seemed, the more she thought about it she wanted to go.
Late at night, the day later, Sarah went to find the letter that her parents had set down outside. She wanted to know more about this, "wizardry", and she wasn't going to find out anything here. She read the letter again, it listed her basic essentials she needed for school. She stuffed the paper in her pocket, went into her room and packed her bags. Within an hour she set off.
Soon, Sarah realized she was alone. She had no directions to get to the place she had to get these things on her list. If she went to a simple General Store, they'd think she was absolutely bonkers. But as she looked into the darkness, she heard noise behind her. Once she turned around there was a giant, black bus that stood there, blowing off steam from the back.
The bus sat there. It seemed ominous. Now what type of bus would be out at this time of night? Sarah wondered. Her thought was soon answered when The doors opened. A man stood inside.
"Hello, Missy! My name is Stan Shunpike. And this is the Knight bus!" The man, whose name was Stan Shunpike said.
"H-Hello, My name is Sarah. But I am not going to say my last name. I was taught not to talk to strangers." The man looked at Sarah.
"But I can assure you, Missy. I am a stranger to you but really. Your not a stranger to the wizard world." Sarah gasped. This man was a wizard?
"You're a wizard?" Sarah said quizzically.
"I am not sure?" Sarah stared at the man dumbfounded.
"How could you not be sure about if your a wizard or not?" Sarah said.
"I did not attend Hogwarts if that's what ya mean?" Sarah looked into to bus studying it.
She sighed deeply and said, "Mr. Shunpike, do you know of a place where I can get the items on this list?" she pulled the letter from her pant pocket and showed The man.
"Why of course I know where you can get this stuff. I can take you there!" Stan said happily. She looked at the man, studying him. She finally came to the conclusion that he must have been dropped on the head when he was younger.
"Where would there be?" Sarah asked.
"Well, Daigon Alley, of course!" he said this like she should know this.
"And you can take me to this, Diagon Alley?" Sarah asked inquisitively.
"Isn't that what I just said, what a minute ago?" Stan Said. "You must suffer from slight memory loss. Hey what did you say your name was?"
"I wouldn't be the only one." she mumbled under her breath. "My name is Sarah."
"Well it is mighty nice to me ya Sarah." Stan was quite something.
"Come on. Don't stand there out in the cold where murderers will grab you."
Sarah Stepped into the bus quickly. Murderers were not common in this area. But when someone mentioned a murderer, you always took caution.
"I am sorry. I cannot pay you." Sarah said as politely as she could.
"Don't get yer knickers in a bunch. This ride is free of charge. I can tell that you are not accustomed the wizard world, yet."
"Thank you, sir." Sarah sighed loudly.
"Don't mention it." Stan said in a nice way. "No really do not mention it."
"I will not, though I am not sure who I would tell. Anyone I would tell would have me committed to the loony bin."
"At ten years old? They would most likely say 'Go play Witches and Wizards somewhere else.'" Stan said Matter of factly. "I would sit down. And hold on tight." Sarah looked at Stan. A little man seemed to come from nowhere. Or maybe he had been there the whole time, and she was just now noticing him. "Oh this is Ernie, the driver."
"Hello Ernie," Sarah said. Ernie didn't acknowledge her in anyway. He only put his toe to the pedal. The bus shot forwards. "Oh gosh!" Sarah exclaimed.
The bus moved quicker than lightning can strike a metal pole. Sarah was stuck against her seat. She held onto the pole that sat erect in front of her. If she had not been holding onto it, she may have gone flying about.
"Sarah!" Stan yelled.
"What?" I shrieked.
"Whoa there is no need for shrieking." Stan said loudly. "You can let go now. We're at the entrance to Diagon Alley."
"What? So quick?" Sarah said, though the bus had been speeding so fast it was no wonder that they had made it so quickly.
"Yep!" Sarah could tell Stan was proud of the Knight Bus.
"I have not actually figured out what to do."
"Sarah, you should just stay in the Inn. You can't even go into Diagon Alley at night anyways." Stan said.
"But I don't even have any money." Stan fished around in his pocket for a second. His hand came out, holding a little bag, emblazoned with a Griffith.
"Here. Take this, it's some money for you to use." Stan said.
"No I couldn't possibly."
"I insist. It's not like I need it. So many people ride the Knight Bus that I could make this salary within a day or two."
"I really can't."
"Take it!" Stan said forcefully.
Sarah reached forward and took the bag. "Thank You, Stanley. You have been most kind to me. I hope I get to see you again sometime."
"It was nice to meet such a nice girl." Stan said nicely. He opened the door for her to step outside. So she did.
"Oh Stan—" but her voice trailed off when she noticed the Knight Bus had disappeared. Sarah turned around and walked into a building.
When the door closed behind her every eye in the building, which wasn't many turned to look at her. Her face turned bright red. "Excuse me. Is this the inn?" She said to get the eyes of her, but that only made them stare more.
"Yes, Missy, but I'm not sure what a child like you would need here." a man who looked like a giant covered in hair, said
"Well, Stan Shunpike from the Knight Bus said this is where I am supposed to go." Sarah said shakily. "Is that right?"
"Yeah." The same man said. "Yer a little young to be here, aren't ya?"
"I guess. But I ran away from home, because my parents said that I couldn't go to Hogwarts." When she said Hogwarts every eye turned back to her, and conversation seized.
"Did you just say Hogwarts?" The man said.
"Y-yes?" Sarah said quietly.
"You do not seem to sure about that." the man said.
"Yes I said Hogwarts." Sarah had found her confidence.
"Now that's better. My name is Hagrid." That was a peculiar name. "What is your name?"
"My name is Sarah." she said.
Looking at Hagrid, she was easily frightened. He was tall, she only went to about mid arms length to him at the most. He looked like he could crush her. " Oh don' worry ma'am. I wouln't hur' yer, i wouln' even hur' a fly. Now, ye was sayin that ye need to get ter Diagon Alley? I can take ye there tomorrow if ye'd like." Sarah nodded her head as the giant spoke.