Kate got on her bay warmblood mare and started warming up to get ready for her competition. She looked at her hands noticing she forgot her gloves.
"Oh mom. . ." she stopped her gloves were now on her hands.
"Yes dear?" Her mom asked coming over to the fence.
"Oh um never mind" Kate said looking at her now gloved hands.
She shook her head and continued to warm up. She was thinking so hard she didn't notice the jump was getting closer. Her horse, Magic, jumped over the fence and Kate bounced awkwardly on her back.
"Ouch that hurt!" Magic said.
"Oh I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention" Kate began looking around for who had spoke.
Then she froze how could other people feel anything.
"Why thank you, I have been looking forward to a conversation with you." Magic continued ignoring Kate sitting stiffly on her back.
"Er... can you understand me" Kate began hesitantly.
"Yes now just think I can hear you when you think" Magic snorted.
Then Kate realized something, she could feel Magic's feelings right now. Magic was showing off, a little annoyed, exited, nervous, and confused.
"Magic, why are you confused?" Kate asked as she spoke through her mind.
"Have you gotten you're letter yet?" Magic asked.
"What's a letter have to do with this?" Kate asked.
"Oh you will figure out but tell me course and I will win" Magic said as an overpowering urge to win flared up inside her. Kate explained the course and talked about what to expect.
Kate was laying on her bed looking at her blue ribbon. Magic had won the competition like she said she would. Kate glanced at her clock. Eight thirty. Magic's words about the letter kept repeating themselves in Kate's mind. Then she realized she hadn't checked the mail today. She ran down her drive way and opened the mailbox. Nothing. She laughed to herself, what would a horse know about a letter. Skipping back to the door and owl landed on her porch. It was holding a letter. Kate stood stiff as a brick staring at the owls wide eyes. The owl dropped the letter, hooted, and flew off. Kate ran to the letter and ripped it open. There it read...
We invite, Kate, to come join Hogwarts this year.
I, professor Dumbledore, would like to ask Kate to join us as a first year this year.
I will send Hagrid to pick you up from your muggle home the day after you get this letter. He will be there at 2:30.
Thank you,
Professor Dumbledore
Kate stood re-reading the letter. After a while her mother came out the door.
"Hello dear. Is something wrong?" She asked as she saw Kate's face. She handed her the letter. She saw her mothers face frown.
"This is a dumb trick, whoever did this" She said waving the letter.
"What if it is real though mom" Kate argued. This would explain the gloves, talking to Magic, and the other weird stuff that had been happening. It might even involve her hair.
"Honey tomorrow will prove this is nonsense" She barked.
Kate gave up and stumbled inside. Her mother sent her to bed early to get the letter off her mind but she kept on thinking about it. She stared at the ceiling wondering if someone would come tomorrow. She felt her blue chunk of hair in the front of her head. Her hair was suppose to be all dark brown but a single strand of it was a bright, fluorescent blue. Did that have something to do with all this?
The next morning her mother and father were making a fuss about everything, telling her no one was coming and that whoever made the joke would get caught. Kate kept thinking about the owl. Her parents didn't know about the owl. If that owl was trained, someone would have gone through a lot of trouble for one prank.
When two rolled around Kate was anxiously looking out the window. Kate kept glancing at the clock. Two five. Two ten. Two fifteen. Two twenty five. Two thirty. Kate whipped around and stared desperately out the window hoping that she could prove her parents wrong. She waited there to be a reason that weird things were happening to her. She looked at the clock again and saw that it had passed two thirty. Her parent however were celebrating and trying to comfort her. Then three taps sounded at the door. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Another three taps sounded at the door. Kate moved toward the door.
"Kate stop" Her mother called, but she was too afraid to move.
"I 'an 'ear ya" A booming voice said out the door.
Kate unlocked the door and pulled it open. A huge hairy man the size of a fairy-tale giant stood crouched under the porch.
"Blimey Kate 'ur 'rown up" The giant man said.
"Er... are you Hagrid?" Kate asked. "
"I am" Hagrid said.
"Kate back away from this man" Her mothers shrill voice called.
"Why 'ello there muggle" Hagrid boomed.
"Hagrid what's a muggle?" Kate asked, obviously not scared of the giant man standing now in the door frame.
"Non-magic folk" Hagrid answered looking shocked.
"Oh pardon me I 'orgot yer don know bout muggles or even wha er are" Hagrid apologized.
"Um... what I am sir?" Kate questioned.
"That wha I here fer miss, ur a witch Kate" Hagrid smiled and bent down to the ground.
"I can't be a witch I'm sorry you must have got the wrong person my parents couldn't have had a witch" Kate stammered.
"YOU'RE PARENTS!," Hagrid yelled "Haven't them told ya"
Kate looked at her parents who were now very pale.
"Mom, Dad" Kate said disbelievingly.
"TELL 'ER" Hagrid boomed.
"Why should we, it makes no difference" Her dad yelled.
"IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, KATE YOUR AOPTED" Hagrid yelled over her parents.
No one moved or made a sound. A single tear rolled down Kate's cheek. She turned to her parents, or that's what she thought they were.
"I want to go to Hogwarts"
Hagrid started clapping "well done Kate now lets have you pack you're stuff I'll wait down here for you, then we will go to Diagon Ally and..." Hagrid continued but Kate ran up the stairs.
She took her big suitcase and started throwing stuff into it. Clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, books... her mind was going so fast she tripped over something on the ground. She looked down and saw one of her horse show trophies on the ground. She stared at it for a minute and decided to put it in her bag. Once she was done packing she hurried down the stairs, her suitcase making a clunk, clunk, clunk noise. Hagrid easily lifted her suitcase and walked out the door.
"Well 'ome on" Hagrid called over his shoulder.
"How do we get to this Alley?" Kate asked half running to keep up with Hagrid's long strides.
"The Knight Bus of 'ourse" Hagrid chuckled. He pulled a stick out of his long brown coat and blasted something silver into the sky.
A tall bus appeared and a man came out of it "Welcome to the Knight Bus".