Chapter 1
The Hogwarts Letter

It was a cold morning Matt awoke to on July 7th. Well as cold as it got in Miami, Florida that is. He turned over
knocking a box of firecrackers he still had left over since the 4th of July off his bed. For a brief second, he
thought he had a dream, breaking his streak of 14 dreamless nights, but no, the dream had escaped him. He regarded
it as no dream. He couldn't remember it, so why should it count. 15 dreamless nights. He glanced at the calendar
on his wall. The 7th he thought. 12 days left till my 11th birthday. He lay and wondered what he might get as his
presents. His parents didn't get him or his sister, Megan, anything all to expensive. They didn't have a lot of
money, and didn't believe in expensive birthdays. He groaned at the thought of Megan. He and his sister were twins,
and they were forced to share the same birthday.
He dressed and went downstairs. His mother was cooking breakfast, and his father and sister sitting at the table.
His father was reading a newspaper. "Morning!" Matt said as he took his place at the table. "Morning" replied his
mother and father. "'Good Morning' to you too" Matt told his sister, who was upset with him for not letting her use
their computer. She looked daggers at him and turned away. "Mom, can I invite Crystal over for my birthday?" Megan
asked. "OUR birthday" Matt hissed. "Yes, but only one friend each." Their mother said. Matt and Megan groaned, but
they didn't expect it to be different from last year, but they had hoped their parents would have changed their minds.
There was a clunk of the mail slot, and their father went to fetch the mail. "Is there a postcard from Lara? She's
on vacation and she said she'd write." Megan yelled. "Yes, there is". Mr. O'Brian came and sat down and handed Megan
a postcard. Mr. O'Brian opened an envelope and took out a piece of paper. "Electricity bill is getting higher. Matt,
if you don't start to restrict yourself on the computer, I'll take it away for a month." Matt made a grunt that
sounded like `Sure" as Mrs. O'Brian started putting eggs and pancakes on their plates. "You two have something."
Mr. O'Brian said, handing them each a yellow envelope. The address was written in emerald green ink. Matt's was
addressed to:

Mathew O'Brian
Second Floor Bedroom on the right
147 Long Street
Miami, Florida 35172
USA

Megan looked up. "There, uh, um." She started. "Exact?" Matt suggested. "Yes." Matt turned his envelope over
and saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms. He opened the letter, which was written on the same parchment as
the envelope, and began to read:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Mr. O'Brian,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all of the necessary books and equipment. Also included muggle plane tickets.
Term begins on September 1. A Hogwarts representative will meet you on July 15th to guide you through
getting your supplies. Accommodations have been made for you to stay in London until September 1.
Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,
Headmistress

Matt looked up from his own letter. He glanced over to Megan, who, by the look she had on her face, had finished
the letter as well. "This sounds like Denise. She'd do this." Megan said. "What?" said Mr. O'Brian, looking up from
his paper. Matt handed him his letter. Mr. O'Brian read the letter. He laughed as he finished it. He threw it on
the table. "London? HA!" He said, shaking his head and going back to his paper. "Its official, Dad, Denise doesn't
have paper like this." Matt said. Mr. O'Brian put down his paper. "Now, so you two don't get any crazy ideas that
this might be real, I'm saying no now. This is the end of the subject. You will not pester, or you will be punished.
Is that understood?" Megan and Matt muttered a vague yes and went to eating their breakfast. Matt stuffed the letter
into his pocket. Mr. O'Brian held out his hands. "I'd like the letters as well." "Oh, come-on Dad!" Matt pleaded.
"What are we going to do with the letters?" Mr. O'Brian pondered this. He put his hands down. "Alright, but I mean
what I said. Don't pester me about this Wizard business. He folded up his paper and checked his watch. "Well, I've
got to get to the Office. Goodbye." Mr. O'Brian left the house.
Well, Mr. O'Brian may have put his foot down, but the subject was far from over. Both Matt and Megan found ways
to bring it up around their father. Megan checked with her friend Denise about the letter, but she didn't know
anything about it. "She's lying!" Matt said. "No," Megan said. "Denise plays games, but she doesn't lie."
On July 15th, Matt went downstairs and sat down at the table. Then it dawned on him. "Dad, you know today is July
15th?" he asked. "Yeah." Mr. O'Brian said not glancing up from the newspaper. "Well, that letter said someone was
going to meet us today." Mr. O'Brian didn't look up. "Son, I have said it several times. We're not doing anything
to get involved with these people. Probably wants us to send money to buy some useless thing we don't need. I'm not
going to take you or your sister anywhere." "Well, Dad," Matt said with a fake sigh, "That's just it. We think
he's coming here." Mr. O'Brian put down his paper. "Why didn't you tell me this?" He looked angry. "Brad!" Mrs. O'Brian
called from the doorway. "Now, don't get angry with him. The letter didn't say that. Besides. What if this is real?"
"Real?!" Mr. O'Brian stood up. "How could this be real, Ashley? It's a fantasy. It's a good fantasy, but they can't
be thinking something like this will happen. They need to face life. They need-" The doorbell rang at that moment,
cutting Mr. O'Brian short. Megan came into the room just as the Doorbell rang a second time. Mr. O'Brian went to
open the door. "Excuse me, but is this the residence of Mathew O'Brian and Megan O'Brian?" said a male voice with
a British accent from behind the door. "Yes." said Mr. O'Brian. . "Well then, let me in. I can't stand this heat."
A man entered the room. He was wearing a battered old suit with no tie. He had flecks of gray in his hair. He was
carrying a briefcase. "Ah. This must be Matt and Megan. Well, we must congratulate you on getting into Hogwarts. Not
many muggles have it in them to." "Excuse me? What did you call us?" "Muggles" he replied. "I'll explain. My name
is Professor Remus Lupin" He stuck out his hand to shank both Megan's and mine. "I'm the defense against the Dark
Arts Teacher at Hogwarts." "Excuse me?" Mr. O'Brian interrupted. "Can I please talk to you." He led Lupin out into
the hallway. "Okay," Mr. O'Brian told Lupin "What are you doing? This is some trick. I know it. Now what do you
want." Lupin seamed to expect this. "You think I want something, that I'm here on terms to take money. That your
children would be a great way to force you to give money to a school that doesn't exist?" Mr. O'Brian looked
suprized. "Well, I can assure you, sir, that this is real. The airline tickets are real. The school is real. Many
muggle parents, which I have had this conversation before with, have already sent their children to this school."
Mr. O'Brian wasn't going to give up. "Come on, you believe me to accept that a, magical institute really exists?
Now, unless you can prove it, you have another thing coming if you think you can take my children away." Mr. O'Brian
said it so loudly, that even Matt and Megan heard it. "Fine" Mr. Lupin said. He put down he briefcase and opened
it. He looked through it and pulled out a long and very thin piece of wood. "Reducto" Mr. Lupin bellowed as he
pointed his stick at the wall. The kitchen wall exploded sending splinters across the room. Mrs. O'Brian screamed
and backed away from Mr. Lupin. Mr. O'Brian looked horrified. "Reprio" He said. Before their very eyes, each
splinter that was that wall lifted off the ground and reconstructed the wall. Mr. Lupin put the stick back into
his briefcase. "Convinced?" he asked Mr. O'Brian. Mr. O'Brian couldn't speak. He tried to sit down, but there
was no chair and fell to the floor. Matt and Megan, on the other hand, were very pleased. "Whoa, cool!" Matt said.
"That was done by magic?" Megan asked. "It was." Mr. Lupin said. he walked into the kitchen and sat down. Mr.
and Mrs. O'Brian came and sat down as well, still at a loss for words. "So, have you two read the letter from
Hogwarts?" Matt and Megan nodded. "Mr. Lupin," started Matt, but Lupin held up his hand. "Call me Lupin, and
everything will be explained on the plane. It leaves tomorrow." Lupin said. "Matt, Megan. You should get things you
need ready. I need to discuss some things with your parents." Matt and Mega ran upstairs. "So, this means we're going?"
Megan asked Matt on the way up the stairs. "Probably. I think Mom and Dad were convinced when he blasted the wall
away." Megan let out a snort of laughter.
When they both came down after the packed, Lupin had gone. "Where'd he go?" Matt asked. "He left. He said he'd
be by in the morning to pick you two up." Mr. O'Brian said. He looked much happier. "Pretty amazing that it is
real. Anyway, He told me to give you some money for your supplies." Matt swallowed. "We're giving you 200 dollars.
It's only to be spent on your supplies and food. Don't spoil it." Mr. O'Brian handed the money to Matt. "I'm trusting
you Matt." Matt. Went upstairs and put the money into his suitcase. This is going to be better then going to Middle
school He thought. A magic school. This is the best thing to happen in my life.