p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I remember it like it was yesterday: getting my letter. I always knew that I was a witch, and that I would go to school, but it seemed so much more real now! As soon as the mail was delivered into the slot in the door, and I saw my name on the front, I screamed. My mother rushed to make sure I was okay, of course./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Arielle!" She yelled back. "Don't do that! You scared the living daylights out of me!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Sorry, Mum." I replied. "It's just… I've received my letter!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh, Ari!" She exclaimed, then she hurried out of the room unexpectedly. Curious, I followed her. She was on the phone with my grandmother when I found her in the kitchen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""I know, Meryl – it's just – you need to come over here – now – IT'S URGENT!" My mother screamed to the phone. My grandmother liked to talk a lot, so I was impressed that she got any words in at all./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Can I open it—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""No." My mother cut me off. "Your grandmother will kill you if you open it before she gets here./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Those were the longest five minutes of my life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"While we wait for my grandmother to arrive, I should probably tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Arielle White (Ari for short) and I live with my mother, Sandra Collins, in England. My father died before I was born./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I have long blonde hair and bright green eyes. I've always been pale and thin. I look just like my mother./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My father was a wizard, but my mother is a muggle. My parents were never married, and only knew each other for a short period of time, but I knew that they loved each other. My mother's parents passed away long ago, so when she found out she was pregnant, the only person she could go to was my father's parents./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"That was when she found out about my father being a wizard. My grandmother wasn't magical and neither was my grandfather, but she did know a little something about it by watching her son. She warned my mother that I may be 'magically inclined,' and sure enough when I turned six, things started to happen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Even though my grandmother wasn't a witch, she sure wished she were one./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Speaking of my grandmother… it was about that time that she came through the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Arielle!" She yelled through the house. "Where's that letter?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I ran up to my grandmother with my letter to show her – along with a huge smile on my face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh honey! I'm just so proud of you! I remember when your father got his letter. Oh, I was proud of him too. Two parents, no magic. I mean, you are slightly less impressive. At least you had one parent who knew magic, but I guess you couldn't help that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"The three of us sat on the couch in the living room to read the letter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Hello, Sandy. Have you put on some weight?" Grandma White asked my mother./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My mother smiled politely at the woman, though I know she wanted to snap her neck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I opened the letter and read it to my mother and grandmother. My grandmother hugged me tightly after I had finished./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh! We should have a party. Hogwarts is a very prestigious school, you know. That's where your father, Patrick, went. They don't just let anyone in there. Of course you would be accepted there though. You do have his genes in you! Oh! Look at the time… I must go. Good luck at school! I'll see you both at Christmas! Bye!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"And with that Grandma White was out the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"What happened next was what happened to every new student after they received their letter, and I'm sure you don't want to know every last detail, so I'll make it short./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My mother and I were informed of where to go for books and such and we went to Diagon Alley. I was excited and eventually we made our way to King's Cross. My mother said a tearful goodbye and I boarded the train./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"On the train I met a girl named Lily Evans and a boy named Severus Snape. They were both nice, but kind of in their own little world. Soon, we got to Hogwarts and I got off the train. The sorting ceremony started, and I was put into Gryffindor house with Lily and a few other children. Severus was put into Slytherin. Lily was very sad about this, but I reminded her that she would see him around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I sat down at the table with the other Gryffindors and I met James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. That was when my life truly began./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Arielle!" She yelled back. "Don't do that! You scared the living daylights out of me!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Sorry, Mum." I replied. "It's just… I've received my letter!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh, Ari!" She exclaimed, then she hurried out of the room unexpectedly. Curious, I followed her. She was on the phone with my grandmother when I found her in the kitchen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""I know, Meryl – it's just – you need to come over here – now – IT'S URGENT!" My mother screamed to the phone. My grandmother liked to talk a lot, so I was impressed that she got any words in at all./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Can I open it—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""No." My mother cut me off. "Your grandmother will kill you if you open it before she gets here./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Those were the longest five minutes of my life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"While we wait for my grandmother to arrive, I should probably tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Arielle White (Ari for short) and I live with my mother, Sandra Collins, in England. My father died before I was born./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I have long blonde hair and bright green eyes. I've always been pale and thin. I look just like my mother./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My father was a wizard, but my mother is a muggle. My parents were never married, and only knew each other for a short period of time, but I knew that they loved each other. My mother's parents passed away long ago, so when she found out she was pregnant, the only person she could go to was my father's parents./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"That was when she found out about my father being a wizard. My grandmother wasn't magical and neither was my grandfather, but she did know a little something about it by watching her son. She warned my mother that I may be 'magically inclined,' and sure enough when I turned six, things started to happen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Even though my grandmother wasn't a witch, she sure wished she were one./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"Speaking of my grandmother… it was about that time that she came through the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Arielle!" She yelled through the house. "Where's that letter?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I ran up to my grandmother with my letter to show her – along with a huge smile on my face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh honey! I'm just so proud of you! I remember when your father got his letter. Oh, I was proud of him too. Two parents, no magic. I mean, you are slightly less impressive. At least you had one parent who knew magic, but I guess you couldn't help that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"The three of us sat on the couch in the living room to read the letter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Hello, Sandy. Have you put on some weight?" Grandma White asked my mother./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My mother smiled politely at the woman, though I know she wanted to snap her neck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I opened the letter and read it to my mother and grandmother. My grandmother hugged me tightly after I had finished./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;""Oh! We should have a party. Hogwarts is a very prestigious school, you know. That's where your father, Patrick, went. They don't just let anyone in there. Of course you would be accepted there though. You do have his genes in you! Oh! Look at the time… I must go. Good luck at school! I'll see you both at Christmas! Bye!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"And with that Grandma White was out the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"What happened next was what happened to every new student after they received their letter, and I'm sure you don't want to know every last detail, so I'll make it short./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"My mother and I were informed of where to go for books and such and we went to Diagon Alley. I was excited and eventually we made our way to King's Cross. My mother said a tearful goodbye and I boarded the train./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"On the train I met a girl named Lily Evans and a boy named Severus Snape. They were both nice, but kind of in their own little world. Soon, we got to Hogwarts and I got off the train. The sorting ceremony started, and I was put into Gryffindor house with Lily and a few other children. Severus was put into Slytherin. Lily was very sad about this, but I reminded her that she would see him around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"I sat down at the table with the other Gryffindors and I met James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. That was when my life truly began./span/p