This is for Round 5 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. My prompt was to write about when Dorcas Meadowes got her Hogwarts Acceptance Letter. The additional prompts used were sealing and galloping.
'...or your letter won't come.' It was a common threat among wizarding families. similar to the threat of Santa not coming to fill a child's stocking at Christmas. Of course, this one was a lot more worrisome as Dumbledore was real, unlike his fictional twin Mr Claus.
Dorcas Meadowes would do anything under this threat. Her room, once so messy that you could not see the carpet, would become spotless. The dishes would be cleaned without magic. The plants would be watered. Her wild nature could be tamed only with the threat of not being accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was clear from the start that she was destined for Gryffindor, just like her father.
"Dorcas, your room is filthy!" Dorcas inwardly groaned from her spot on the bed and looked up from her book - Hogwarts: A History - to see her incredulous mother in the door way. "You need to tidy it!" This time Dorcas didn't bother suppressing her groan of boredom at the prospect of tidying her room. "You won't get your letter otherwise - Dumbledore doesn't like-"
"Messy students." Dorcas finished the sentence with her mother, adding a tired sigh as she got up out of bed, leaving the open book page side down so she wouldn't lose her place. "I know mum. I'll tidy it." Her mum smiled triumphantly before walking away again, leaving the door wide open. Dorcas rolled her eyes before going to close the door - her mother knew she hated having it wide open.
She looked around the room, her high spirits plummeting as she surveyed it from her mother's point of view. It really was a mess. Her clothes were strewn about the floor and her drawers were overflowing. It was lucky that the door to her wardrobe had been closed - she didn't even want to think about the mess it was in there.
Dutifully, she began to pick up the clothes off the floor and moved them onto her bed. 'I can't wait to be able to use magic - cleaning spells will save so much time' she thought wistfully as she started to sort through the clothes, creating two piles on her bed - one of clean clothes, the other of clothes she would have to take down to be washed. She started to softly hum a wizarding song, not caring that she was terribly off key. It wasn't like anyone was there to hear her anyway - although it probably would not stop her if there was.
She finished folding all of the clean clothes and turned to look at her wardrobe. Maybe she could leave that till last...reorganise her drawers and find room for her clothes in there...She glared at the wardrobe as she warily approached it, as if it were an angry hippogriff. Her hands fluttered uncertainly around the door knobs before she grabbed onto them, determined that she was going to tidy out the wardrobe even if an avalanche of clothes did fall onto her.
Just as she was about to pull the door open, bracing herself for what was going to fall out, her mum's voice floated up the stairs. "Dorcas! Can you come down here please?" She sighed, both with relief and exasperation as she took a step back from the door. Her mum was probably going to give her another chore to do, but at least she could prolong having to open the cupboard for a little while longer.
Dorcas galloped out of her room and ran down the stairs, wondering what her mum wanted her to do now. "Yeah mum?" She asked as she walked into the room. She heard a flutter of wings and glanced at the window, looking just in time to catch the owl taking off and flying away. She turned her gaze back to her mum, unable to hide the curiosity in her eyes.
Her mother smirked knowingly, "The post came." She said simply, putting the letters down on the table.
Cautiously, Dorcas moved forward, her heart starting to pound in her chest. 'Please be there, please be there, please be there.' She chanted repeatedly in her head. It must be there - her mum wouldn't be looking at her the way she was if it wasn't there. She could feel her heart pounding as she looked down at the small pile of letters. Her hands trembling slightly with excitement and apprehension, she started looking through the letters, stopping when she reached the last one.
In swirling green ink was her name and address. Slowly, she turned it over, grinning as he suspicions were confirmed by the sealing wax keeping the envelope close. Clear to see in the red wax, was the crest for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Without another second of hesitation, she opened the envelope, pulling out her letter. The swirling green ink that had been on the envelope continued: 'Dear Miss Meadowes. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...' Once she had finished reading, she read the letter again to make sure she had read them right. She had been accepted! She quickly glanced at the list of things she would need for school before putting everything down on the table, running over to excitedly hug her mum.
The older witch let out a quiet 'oof' as the excited 11 year old practically tackled her into a hug. She laughed softly, hugging Dorcas back.