Eris Clarke had always considered herself an average girl. She was never the first to be chosen for any sport or the first to raise her hand in class. She had never had that many friends, and boys never paid her too much attention. Her dark features and kinky black hair never struck her as particularly ugly or enchanting. The only thing she could say she took some pride in would be her art, but she really didn't think she was that good at it. All in all, Eris Clarke was a perfectly normal girl, so one had to ask: how did such an average girl become one of the most well-known faces of a revolution. Well, that's a long story. It's best to start at the very beginning.

It was July 21, 1991, and Eris Clarke awoke to a loud tapping sound. Eris groaned unhappily at the sound. She had hoped that her mother would let her sleep in on her birthday, but it seemed that even birthday girls weren't immune from chores. The eleven-year-old wrenched her eyes open, expecting to see her mother at the door, but her room was empty.

Eris scrunched her brows in confusion but ignored the oddity in favor of getting dressed for the day. Eris took care of all of her hygienic needs before slipping into the kitchen to take care of the dishes she'd left in the sink the previous night. To Eris's confusion, the kitchen was completely spotless when she entered.

If Mom cleaned it already, what did she wake me up for?

"Mom?" Eris called. She was met with silence. "Hey, Ma! Did you want me for something?" Again, she was met with silence.

Eris frowned, realizing that she had gotten up early for no reason. Eris decided that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so she began to make breakfast. Eris sat down and stared tiredly into her bowl of Frosted Flakes. She was halfway done when the same tapping sound that had woken her up came again. Eris whipped her head toward the sound to see an owl on the windowsill above the kitchen sink.

The bird had a piece of paper tied to its leg and an expectant look in its eyes. Eris dropped her spoon in surprise. She didn't know much about owls, but she was pretty sure that they were nocturnal animals. She wondered what one was doing at her house at seven in the morning. Eris slowly held her hand in front of herself as if telling the animal to stay before running into the house to find her mother.

"Mom!" the girl called excitedly. "Mom, come to the kitchen! There's an owl in the window!"

Eris ran back into the kitchen, suddenly remembering that her mother was going to be at work until 3. The bird hadn't moved. Eris stared at the pretty owl in awe. It pecked on the window once again. The owl gave Eris another expectant look.

Eris puzzled over what it could possibly want, but then the light bulb flickered on above her head. Eris raced to the fridge and gathered a few pieces of ham to feed the owl with the offering and slowly opened the window, fearing that she might scare the bird away.

The owl stayed put. Eris held the bits of meat up to the bird cautiously. The owl took the meat from her without biting her fingers, much to Eris's relief. Curiosity getting the better of her, Eris untied the paper from around the bird's leg. Eris sighed in relief when, once again, she wasn't pecked. Eris examined the letter, finding an old-timey wax seal on it.

Eris could feel her heart fluttering in anticipation as she opened the letter ever so slowly. She could almost feel that it was meant for her. When she finally separated the wax from the paper without tearing it, she released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Eris read over the letter. The fancy cursive took her a while to decipher, but when she did, she didn't know what to think. A magic school? There was a magic school that wanted her to attend? Was it a trick? That would make some sense, but what would anyone get out of sending a letter like this? The alternative was even more unbelievable, but Eris wanted desperately for it to be true. After all, what little girl didn't want magic?

Eris sat on her bed staring at the seemingly innocuous letter in her hands. It felt like hours had passed, but in reality, it was no time at all. The sound of wings flapping snapped Eris out of her shocked daze. Despite her disappointment at the owl leaving, Eris knew exactly what she had to do next.

Eris put on her shoes and ran out the front door with her letter clutched in her hand. The young girl took off at a sprint towards the one place she knew she'd be able to find her mom. Eris stumbled to an abrupt stop in front of a hair salon with a big red banner saying, "Nessa's Hair Salon" in large, green letters.

The door of the hair salon opened with a light ding. Eris smiled at all the employees. It was a slow day at the salon, and only five people were being styled. All of the women working in the shop waved hello to Eris as she entered. The lady working at the cash register, Sharon, greeted Eris at the door.

"Hello there, Little Bit. Happy Birthday! What are you doing up so early?"

Eris grinned playfully. "A little birdy told me that something important was happening today."

Sharon raised a delicately shaped eyebrow at that. "Oh? And who was this little birdy?"

Eris grinned. "An owl, to be specific. It didn't really tell me, more like delivered a letter."

Eris handed the letter to the woman and watched as she read it. Sharon was effectively Eris's best friend in London. It was a bit sad considering Sharon was only a few years younger than Eris's own mother. The 25-year-old woman was tall and skinny with bright red hair and mischievous eyes. She had been at the salon even longer than Eris's mom, Cherry. Though, that wasn't very difficult since they'd only moved to London the year before.

Sharon finished reading the letter, and a dubious look crossed her face. "Well, this is… nice? You said an owl delivered it to you?"

Eris nodded happily. "Uh huh. I'm gonna give it to Mom. Maybe she'll let me go."

Sharon nodded and gave Eris an odd smile. "Alright. Erm. Cherry's downstairs getting some more hair. She should be back right about… there she is! Cherry! The birthday girl's here to see you! I'll take your customer."

Sharon walked off, looking like she had just avoided a car crash. Eris was confused at the look, but she didn't have time to ponder it. Her mother was already in front of her, looking at her inquisitively. Eris turned to her mother with a giant grin. She handed the letter to her mom and watched, anxiously awaiting Cherry's response.

Eris watched her mother, and she had to admit, she was disappointed that she hadn't inherited more of her mother's looks. While Eris's own hair was short and difficult, her mother's was long and curled. While her skin was tough and bronze, Cherry's was soft and golden brown. The only thing she seemed to have in common with her mother was her thick lips and deep brown eyes. She had always hoped that puberty would magically meld her features into her mother's, but she only held onto that hope by strings.

Cherry frowned at the paper with a disbelieving look. "What is this?"

Eris frowned. Hadn't she read the letter? "An invitation to magic school."

"Where did you get it from?" Eris could see the worry in her mother's eyes.

"Don't worry. It wasn't some guy off the street or nothing. It was an owl. It was sitting on the windowsill this morning, and it had that letter tied to its leg."

Eris watched her mother's expressions closely. She would probably know Cherry's answer before she even spoke. Her mom's features were very expressive. That was the one trait that she was happy she didn't share with her mother. It was a lot easier getting away with things when you didn't tell the world what you're thinking with your face.

Cherry looked even more disbelieving at that. "An owl?"

"Seriously! It probably left scratch marks or something. I'll go look. Then you'll have to believe me!"

Cherry looked like she was about to say something, but Eris had already run out the door, leaving her mother and Sharon to stare after her. Eris ran back to her house and threw open the kitchen windows. Unfortunately, there were no scratch marks or feathers or even bird droppings left on the windowsill. Eris frowned. If there was no proof of the owl, then her mom would never believe her, and she'd never go to magic school.

Eris lost her previous exuberance and trudged back to her room in defeat. The most exciting thing to ever happen to her and she had absolutely no proof that it was real. It seemed that Eris would be returning to St. Agnes' next fall, home of the horrible nuns and bratty children.

The weekend after Eris's birthday, Cherry and Eris had planned to go out and celebrate. Cherry had to work on the actual day, so the weekend had been reserved for a day of fun. The duo was sitting in the kitchen having a proper birthday breakfast of cornmeal porridge and festival, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Cherry rolled her eyes at the disturbance. She had hoped to have the day alone with her daughter, but it seemed that even that would be intruded upon. Cherry opened the door, her expression anything but friendly, and greeted the person on the other side. Eris peeked out the door from the kitchen, wondering who it could be.

She saw a lady in dark green robes with an official-looking briefcase. Eris was very confused. Was she selling robes or something? She couldn't think of any other reason for the odd outfit combination.

The woman had a stern look, and she wore her hair in a tight bun. Her posture was straight as an arrow, and she seemed to watch everything around her like a hawk. When the woman finally spoke, her voice sounded professional, and her British accent was very posh.

"You must be Charlene Jones?" the woman said.

"Yeah, that's me. And who are you?" Cherry spoke sharply. Her tone was slightly harsh, and she gave the woman a quick, distrusting look up and down. It was clear that she wanted the woman off her doorstep immediately.

"I am Cynthia Walter, a representative from the education sector of the Ministry of Magic."

Eris's eyes widened at the word magic, but Cherry's narrowed dangerously.

"I am here to deliver your child's second letter and fill you in on the details of our world. Should you accept our invitation, I will be the one to help Ms. Clarke find her supplies and the platform for the train. However, I warn you that you may want to hear me out before giving your answer."

Cherry paused and gave the lady another once over before turning to Eris. Eris nodded quickly at her mom, hoping to persuade her to listen to the woman. After a while, Cherry sighed and looked back to the woman.

"Alright, come on in. I'll make some tea."

Cherry clearly didn't trust the woman she was letting into her home, but it was her daughter's birthday and she had had a hard year. She could listen to the crazy lady for awhile if it made Eris happy.

"Before we go any further, I'm gonna have to see some of this magic you're teaching," Cherry requested.

"But of course."

Cynthia rose from her chair and pulled a wand from the pocket of her robe. It wasn't a black and white one like stage magicians. It was beautifully crafted and made of wood. Eris was enraptured by just the wand alone, but then Cynthia waved it, and magic happened, literally. Cynthia pointed her wand at one of their teacups, and a red light flew from the tip of it. The teacup turned into a brightly colored parrot who flew around the room for the two ladies to see. The bird was too big for her to have fit it in her sleeve or something. The only real explanation was magic.

The bird flew back towards Cynthia, and she turned it back into a cup. Cynthia aimed another spell at the cup before it could hit the ground, so it wouldn't break. Cynthia picked up the floating cup and put it back where it had been previously. Then she sat back down as if nothing had happened. Her facial expression hadn't changed, but if Eris didn't know any better, she'd say that her shoulders were held just a little bit higher in pride. Eris and Cherry both stared at the woman in awe.

"Was that sufficient magic, or shall I turn it into a pig next?"

Cherry seemed to snap out of her daze. She still couldn't believe her eyes. "Yeah. That- I think that was good." Cherry exchanged looks with her daughter as the two tried to make sense of what they'd seen.

Cynthia gave the two a moment to collect themselves before getting back to business. "Alright then. Since you now believe me, let's talk about Ms. Clarke's future and her options after Hogwarts. Many muggle, meaning non-magical, parents worry for what a magical education will do for their child in the future. I have here a list of courses and future job opportunities a Hogwarts education can provide."

Cynthia reached into her fancy briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. Eris and Cherry went over the list together, but Cherry noticed something amiss. "Where's the math? And the science and language arts?"

"We have Arithmancy for math and Astronomy for science, I suppose. However, Hogwarts caters mainly to magical careers, not muggle ones. There is no need for those subjects in a witch's adult life."

Eris was excited for Hogwarts already. "No more math? Mom, can I please go?"

"Hold on, baby girl," Cherry said, quieting her daughter. "Is there a catch here?"

Cynthia frowned at the question. "There is something you should both know before Eris goes to Hogwarts."

Eris and Cherry both listened closely with nervous anticipation.

"Your daughter is something we in the Wizarding World call a muggleborn. A muggleborn is a witch or wizard born to muggle parents. There was a war that ended a few years ago. The Dark Lord, whom we call "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named", wanted all muggleborns out of magical Britain. He believed that they were unfit to have magic. He led a group of dark purebloods, wizards who have no muggle blood, called Death Eaters. They fought against the Light Side for years. The war is over now, but there will no doubt be pureblood children who were raised on the belief that muggleborns are lesser than themselves.

"I know this all sounds grim, but do not be alarmed. Hogwarts is the safest place for muggleborns. The Headmaster is the strongest wizard alive, and the wards around the school won't allow anything bad to get inside. It's practically impenetrable."

Cherry took a moment to process the information. She still couldn't believe that she was having this conversation in the first place. A few minutes ago, the world still made sense, and she didn't have to worry about wizard schools or magical racists. She was blissfully ignorant, and so was Eris. Now, there was a lot to think about.

Cherry had read over the packet that Cynthia had given her. It encompassed more than just courses and job descriptions. It mentioned that Hogwarts was completely free, and it also mentioned how much Eris could be making in the future. Cherry knew that this was a big opportunity for her daughter. The packet also mentioned a nearby support group for muggleborn parents.

Cherry was having a hard time processing the information that she was being given. There were too many things to think about, and she couldn't make a decision on the spot.

"How long do I have to answer?" Cherry finally asked.

"You have until 31 July. An owl will be sent at 8 in the morning, every morning, until we have your reply or until 31 July. Are there any more questions?"

There were none. Cynthia left the pair to decide. She walked to the living room and disappeared with a loud crack. Cherry and Eris were left to ponder what they had learned.

The next day, Cherry went to the group of muggleborn parents. They called themselves the MPA, or Muggle Parents Association. Cherry learned a lot from the other parents. She learned that being the mother of a young witch meant getting used to a lot of weird things. Things like buying quills and parchment instead of pens and paper. The neighbors might ask why her child spent so much time out back polishing a broomstick. Eris would likely try to brew potions in the kitchen, and she would have to learn to get ink stains out of clothes.

However, some of the senior members had explained that it was very worth it in the end. Wizarding jobs paid a lot more money, and their children all made lifelong friends at the school. Many of the parents admitted that it was hard to send their children away, but they also admitted that it was well worth it in the end.

Cherry had made her decision. Eris would be going to Hogwarts. Even if she didn't want her to go, she had to admit that she wouldn't be able to keep paying for St. Agnes for much longer without breaking the bank. In the end, Hogwarts just seemed like a much better option.

Cherry came home to see Eris sitting in front of the TV and watching cartoons. Cherry sat down beside her and put the letter on the coffee table in front of her. Eris looked up at her hopefully before looking back at the letter.

"Go on, read it," Cherry coaxed.

Eris opened up the letter and read the first line before a giant grin spread across her face and she launched herself at her mother. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

Cherry struggled to push her excitable daughter off of her. "Ok ok! You're welcome! Get off!"

Eris got up and began dancing around the room happily. "I'm going to magic school! Woooo hoooo!"

Cherry watched her daughter with a content smile. As hard as this transition would be, Cherry deemed that it would be worth it if Eris was this happy... She just hoped that she wasn't making a mistake with this decision.