Love and Spells

by Oerba yun Vanille

Mara Willows is an average Muggle girl, average life, average house. But the day she receives the letter, it will change her life forever.

Love and Spells By Oerba yun Vanille

CHAPTER ONE

Early Years

MARA WILLOWS was an intelligent, somewhat shy ten year-old. Caring, kind, and loved by everyone. With her straight, glossy dark auburn hair, striking pale cerulean eyes, and fair skin, loved even more by admirers, especially the males. But of course they were only in the fifth grade, so nothing happened. Though Mara would always find that strange feeling pulling at the back of her head that she was being followed. Yet she ignored it, but her hunch was right. Eleven year-old Noah. It was love at first sight.

On one of her many, frequent visits to the local public library, Mara was about to check out a towering stack of books. She was thinking about the new book she just grabbed of the classics shelf, A Tale of Two Cities, rather than thinking about where she was going, or that there was a boy her age running towards her, apparently playing with friends. The books flew everywhere, in a flurry of colors, and of course, drew much attention. Mara, being the shy girl she was, tucked a loose, choppy strand of hair behind her hair and promptly turned scarlet. When people started to go back to business, she gathered her books quickly and smiled at Noah. Then, the feeling hit him like an two cars colliding.

Ever since, Noah was watching her every day after school ended, rather like a stalker, but an eleven year-old one.

But the day she received the letter, little did she know it would change her life.

It was an humid August afternoon in the year 2017. Mara Willows and her mother sat in the living room in their plain but satisfying home on Sinclair Drive in Greenwich. The small television was on and a light-haired news anchor reported some minor burglary and the weather for the week.

Mara sat on the salmon-colored, vertical striped couch in front of a cherry coffee table, absorbed in a book. Her mother, sharing Mara's dark auburn locks but with bright, emerald irises and a plumper figure, brandished two plastic, knitting needles, knitting an autumn-coloured scarf. It was calm and peaceful in their petite neighbourhood of Swan-Littlebury. Wonderful little, multicoloured birds warbled a relaxing and unique tune in the dogwood tree outside in the front yard.

As the news show went to commercial, there came a soft hooting noise from outside. Then came a distinctive flapping of wings and the birdsong ceased.

How strange, Mara thought, must be a dog outside.

But there was no key sign of a curious dog barking and yelping, no gruff voice of an owner hustling for the dog to hurry, no whimpering of the dog yearning for a chance to get his paws on a bird.

Then came another hooting noise, now a touch louder, and another flapping of wings.

She furrowed her brow, "Mum?"

"Hmm?" Her mother smiled warmly, without looking up from her occupation. "Yes?"

"I think I hear an owl outside."

Mara's mother chuckled affectionately, "An owl? In Swan-Littlebury? I believe you must be hearing things, Mara."

Not wanting to contradict her mother, she went back to her book, shaking her head.

Then came another hooting noise, now loud enough to sound like it was right outside the window, and another flapping of wings.

Now Mara couldn't stand it.

"MUM! It is an owl!" She pleaded.

A loud opening and closing of a door upstairs sounded. Mara's brother, Kendric thundered down the staircase.

"Is that an owl I hear?" He asked.

Mara gestured towards him and looked at her mother accusingly.

"See? Kendric hears it, too." She said.

Her mother finally looked up at her children and shook her head, "We live in a private neighbourhood, nowhere near the fo-." She was just about to resume her knitting, when a letter slipped through the mail slot in their door and simultaneously came a extremely loud squawking of an owl.

Mara dashed to the door and picked up the letter with Kendric standing behind her, looking over shoulder. Although Mara was older by a few months, Kendric always was an inch or two taller than her and had a slightly muscular structure, rather than a slender frame. And was more flamboyant and obnoxious than her. The contrasts stopped there. He had the same dark auburn hair and glistening pale blue eyes. Same fair complexion and same perfect cheekbones.

On the back of the cream-coloured envelope was a crimson red seal stamped into it. The seal had a crest of some sort, with a lion, badger, raven, and a serpent. Around the crest was a sentence in latin: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. On the top was a name.

Mara furrowed her brow again in confusion.

"Hogwarts.. School.. of... Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Kendric read it slowly, recognizing the words but just to fazed to believe it.

Witchcraft and wizardry? She wondered. Is this some sort of joke? A school specializing in learning magic? This must be some scam to earn money.

So she took the letter to her mother and Kendric trailed behind her.

Their mother was equally confused. She gingerly peeled the seal off and tore the envelope open. A look of shock formed on her face once she read the first sentence.

Mara's brow remained furrowed and craned her head around to read the scroll-like letter enclosed. It looked like a jumble of nonsense to the family of three:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: TABITHA C. TRENOWYTH

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Deputy Mugwump, Member of the Wizengamot.)

Dear Mara Bristol and Kendric Carlysle Willows,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Lochlan P. Scroggs

Deputy Headmaster

"That's complete bull!" Kendric laughed. "That bloke on Battersby Street must have sent this to us."

"James? Kendric, he's a prat, but this might be too far." Mara protested.

Their mother said, "Just read the supply list."

Her children ignorantly resumed, interrupting their mild debate about the James boy. Their mother reached in the envelope and fished out a matching sheet of paper, folded into halves. The family unfolded it just as tediously as they tore the envelope open:

LIST of REQUIRED SUPPLIES

UNIFORM

Three Sets of Plain Work Robes, Black

One Plain Pointed Hat, Black, for Day Wear

One Pair of Protective Gloves, Dragon Hide or Similar

One Winter Cloak, Black with Silver Fastenings

Please note that all student's or students' clothes should carry name tags.

BOOKS

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One), by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic, by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory, by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Tranfiguration, by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions, by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, by Quentin Trimble

OTHER

1 Wand

1 Cauldron, Pewter, Standard Size 2

1 Set of Glass or Crystal Phials

1 Telescope

1 Set of Brass Scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

"I feel Kendric is right, I'm calling the Potters." Their mother declared.

Coincidentally, the doorbell ringed a perky jingle and there came a sheepish knock.

"Hello?"

Thanks for reading this Fanfic, guys!

This is my first but please keep reading, because I feel it's gonna get better. And if you think my UK English is barely tolerable, please review and add suggestions, because I'm an American English speaker. Lol.

~Oerba yun Vanille