Introduction: Addyson-Paige Riley Varner

I hissed, brushing through the knots in my hair. "Are you alright, Riley, love?" My dad asked, knocking on my door. "Is it your nose?" The door opened and he walked in with a smile. "Everything alright, Riley?" I nodded. "I'm fine, dad." I mumbled. "Perfect! Well, your mother is down stairs. We'd like to talk to you." I nodded with a smile and finished brushing through my knots. I then flat ironed it before tying it in a ponytail, leaving out my fringe.

"Hello Riley." My mum said with a smile to me. "Hi mum." I kissed her cheek and sat down at the kitchen island. "Do you remember those books I used to read to you when you were a baby?" I nodded. "A-About the magical people? Who carried sticks around . . . and . . . wore funny clothes? Called r-robes?" She nodded with a smile. "Exactly. Well - how do I put this? - everything in those books . . . is true."

"Magical people?" I asked with my head cocked to the side. "Yes," mum said, "but we're called witches and wizards. I'm a witch, your dad is non-magical - a muggle. Taking everything?" I nodded slowly. "So, am I a muggle?" I mumbled. "Well," my dad said, "I believe so, as your letter to Hogwarts has never come."

"Hogwarts? What's Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Hogwarts School is located in Hogwarts Castle, a large castle somewhere in Scotland. The castle has extensive grounds with sloping lawns, flowerbeds and vegetable patches, a loch (called The Black Lake), a large dense forest (called the Forbidden Forest), several greenhouses and other outbuildings, and a full-size Quidditch pitch. There is also an owlery, which houses all the owls owned by the school and those owned by students.

"The three highest towers are the Astronomy Tower, Ravenclaw Tower, and Gryffindor Tower. There are 142 staircases in the massive castle, which is set upon huge rocks above a magnificent loch lake. The castle is known for its many updates and changes in layout throughout the years, such as regenerating itself after the Battle of Hogwarts. It should be noted that some rooms in the school tend to "move around", and so do the stairs in the grand staircase. Albus Dumbledore - current headmaster - once stated that he did not know all of Hogwarts' secrets, as the castle contains extreme amounts of ancient magic and history.

"The school has numerous charms and spells on and around it that make it impossible for a Muggle to locate it. Such people cannot see the school; rather, they see only ruins and several warnings of danger. Witches and wizards cannot Apparate or Disparate in Hogwarts grounds, except when the Headmaster lifts the enchantment, whether only in certain areas or for the entire campus, so as to make the school less vulnerable when it serves the headmaster to allow Apparition. Electricity and electronic devices are not found at Hogwarts. Due to the high levels of magic, substitutes for magic used by Muggles, such as computers, radar and electricity "go haywire" around Hogwarts. Radios however, make an exception.

"Hogwarts was founded around 990 A.D. by two wizards and two witches: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They each represented an aspect of wizarding that they wanted to bring out in new students. However, shortly after founding the school, Slytherin had a falling out with the other founders about blood purity. Slytherin wanted to admit only pure-blood students, but the other three founders disagreed. Slytherin left the school, but not before secretly building the Chamber of Secrets. When his own true heir, the Heir of Slytherin, returned to the school, he or she would be able to open the Chamber, unleash a horrible Basilisk, and purge the school of all Muggle-born students.

"About three hundred years after the school was founded, the Triwizard Tournament began between the three most prestigious magical schools in Europe: Hogwarts, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and the Durmstrang Institute. This tournament was considered the best way for wizards of different nationalities to meet and socialize. The tournament continued for six centuries, until the death toll became too high, and the tournament was discontinued.

"Hogwarts' motto is: "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus". The translation is: Never tickle a sleeping dragon. Quidditch is possibly the most popular sport at the school, with most of the student body turning out to watch each match. Hogwarts also has a Frog Choir which sings at special occasions.

"Hogwarts has in its faculty an abundance of wise and talented professors. Each specializes in a specific subject. Other staff positions include that of school nurse, caretaker, librarian, and Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts... There are a variety of classes taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These include both the core curriculum and the electives, available from third year forward. Some classes may be dropped in sixth year.

"Numerous lessons are described, instructing the students in various branches of magic. Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology are compulsory subjects for the first five years. At the end of their second year, students are required to add at least two optional subjects to their syllabus for the start of the third year. The five choices are Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies."

(-_-)

Might as well take this time to introduce myself.

Hi! I'm Addyson-Paige Riley Varner, twelve years of age, but I go by Riley. Obviously, a muggle, as my mum would put it. I have green eyes, blond and brown/orange hair, and thick rimmed glasses, but not circles, they're square-like. Anyway, in school, I'm not the best at it. It's mainly remembering the information that I'm not so good at. Notes don't help, so don't go all "Riley, take notes."

What else?

My style in clothes, maybe?

I'll wear anything non-slaggy. Meaning skinny jeans, band shirts, band hoodies, converses and other sneakers, boots, and sometimes flats, skirts - not short ones - and shorts go too. I'm from Dublin, Ireland, but my mum says I have the vocabulary of my American dad. We visit his family over in . . . Maryland, I think? Yes! Baltimore, Maryland. It's hot there, even though it's a northern state. It's really pretty and the people are nice . . . . if you go in the right area. I made some friends, but I think they're muggles. Music is my LIFE. I'd die without it. Also-

"Anything else, dear?" Mum asked. I nodded. "I-Is there a chance . . . the-that I could b-be a witch?" Mum and dad glanced at each other. "It's likely," dad said with a smile, "we're hoping you're a muggle. Hogwarts is the safest place in the world, but it's not what it used to be." I nodded and tucked some hair behind my ear. "I-I'll be in my room." I stood up and made my way over to the stair-case. "You aren't hungry, dear?" Dad asked. "No."

"No dinner?"

"No."

"I'll bring it up anyway."

"Okay."

"Night, love."

"Night, mum." I closed my bedroom door and slumped on my bed.

If only I were a witch.