A/N: Hi y'all!
How are you all going? Okay, so this is the first chapter of a joint story with one of my good friends, Zoli (jossaphine allabrani). We will be doing a chapter each and it'll just follow like that. We both have quite different writing styles - she's more dialogue and I'm more description but we balance each other out!
Please read and review and don't be too harsh on us!
Enjoy XOXO
Chapter 1 - Claudia
"Wake up! Come on Z, WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!" Claudia cries, whacking her best friend over the head with her light blue pillow.
"Wh- wha- what the hell Claudes!" Zoli cries, grabbing her pillow and whacking Claudia back with it.
"IT'S OUT BIRTHDAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!" Claudes squeals in-between pillow's in her face.
"OUR HOGWARTS LETTERS!" Zoli cries back.
They both drop the pillows and stare at each other. Three seconds later, they're laughing and hugging. Zoli and Claudia had grown up together being best friends. They were neighbours and they met by building a tree house together on the fence because they couldn't decide where to have it. The two had been obsessed with Harry Potter - well, still are - and were expecting their letters on the 5th of August; their joint birthday.
"I can't believe it C! We're going to be going to Hogwarts! Eek!" Zoli squeals, jumping up and down on the two single mattresses that the two joined together to make a double bed. Their sleeping bags were askew and replaced with three donnas as they tried to keep warm in the cold winter nights.
"I'm so excited! Let's look out the window!"
Claudes ran to the window and opened them up, peering outside. Below her was a green garden full of gorgeous plants and directly to her right was the back door to her house. Vines crept up the to trees holding the house up and the actual tree house had various pot plants hanging from the outside. A little watering can sat on the ledge outside the window. The sun's rays shine through the open windows, landing on both of the girls brown hair.
Zoli leans out the window next to Claudes and searches the early morning skies. Nothing could be seen but light pink fluffy clouds dotting the chilly morning. Dew covered the leafy ferns in the pots and a light wind blew Zoli's strait, short hair out of face her and Claudia's curly shoulder-length hair out of hers.
"Z, I don't see anything…" Claudes trails off, biting her lip.
"Maybe they're running late…" Z offers up.
The two girls sat in silence, waiting for the two Hogwarts barn owls to perch on the tree house and offer them their leg. Five minutes passed until they both decided that it would be best to go into the house and look at their presents that most likely sat on the dining room table, wrapped up in their favourite colours.
For sure, when they creeped in the back door, closing it softly behind them, in front of their eyes was the table full of presents. Soft 'Ooo's' and 'Ahh's' filled the room as they lifted up various blue and turquoise boxes to inspect.
The day wore on; presents were opened, breakfast was eaten, movies were watched (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), cakes were baked and then all of a sudden, it was time to get ready for the party. Both families were coming over to Claudia's house so it was going to be a packed night.
Pat (Claudia's younger brother) and Zac (Zoli's younger brother) were of course, not talking. The two had never clicked and it still continued that way. Claudia and Zoli were getting ready at their separate houses, but their thoughts were the same.
What if our letter doesn't come?
Claudia put on her navy blue dress that she got, along with her ballet flats and chucked her hair up into a bun. Zoli got on her favourite, turquoise dress, sandals and left her hair out. Seconds after they were changed, they were reunited and guests started to arrive.
Throughout the night, the two were distracted. No sign of owls. Just signs of people and food and cake. At 10.30pm, everyone left, wishing the girls 'Happy Birthday's' and 'See you soon's' and thanking their parents for a wonderful evening. The two sat on the couch after everyone had left and they had helped to cleanup.
Both knew what was hanging in the air, but neither wanted to say it. Finally, Zoli spoke what both of theme as thinking.
"They're not coming."
Claudes sighs, knowing that what Zoli said was right.
"They aren't are they?" she asked.
"No, they aren't."
With that, the girls fell asleep still in their dresses on the couch, curled and haphazard arms and legs over each other.
*Three Years Later*
"Z, can you help me with the maths?" Claudes asks her best friend.
"Sure," Zoli replies, taking the text book from Claudes and reading through the question.
The girls were in the tree house, and it had been somewhat three years since they thought they were going to go to Hogwarts. Every time they think of it, they can't help but giggle at their insane thoughts. Even though neither bring it up, Claudes and Z both think of the times that when they were angry, things fluttered or the power went out, and when they thought hard enough, flowers sprouted before their eyes.
A sudden tap at the window draws them both out of their homework trance. Two scrawny, barn owls and hovering outside the unopened window.
"Am I seeing things?" Claudes asks.
"Nope," Z replies, her gaze never leaving the two owls.
"Pinch me," Claudes says, holding her arm out.
Z pinches her and Claudia shrieks, pulling her arm back and rubbing it. "Not that hard!"
They both get up and move mechanically to the window, opening it. The two birds fly in and stick their legs out. Claudes unties her, while Z reads out the title.
Miss Zoli Jones
The Treehouse Upstate
Melbourne
"Does yours say that?"
"Yep - Miss Claudia Estelle, The Treehouse Upstate, Melbourne," she replies.
They unfold the letters and read them simitaniously.
Dear ….,
This is Minerva McGonagall writing to you from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school for witches and wizards. You possessed magical potential, but not enough to become a student here.
I am offering you a place in the Muggle Tutor Programme which we have introduced this year. We have sough two muggles who would be willing to tutor some of our students in the Muggle World. I will be visiting your houses on August 12th, at 5pm and Claudia's house, please be there. Do not be surprised.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"5pm? That's two minutes away!" Claudia shrieks.
"Huh? Oh shit! Well let's go!"
They jump from the treehouse, landing with soft thuds, and run through their individual houses. The doorbell rings and Claudia opens it to a young looking woman in an emerald green knee length skirt and white blouse with a matching green blazer and black heels. Her hair is brown and in a tight bun at the top of her head. She carries a black briefcase in her hand.
"Ah, you must be Claudia!" She says.
"Ummm…yeah. And you must be Minerva McGonagall…?" Claudia says, not really believing that she's asking that question.
"Yes, I am," she answers. "Why, dear, you look slightly confused?"
"Well, yeah, kinda. I get a letter which I expected to get when I was eleven and aren't you supposed to be in robes or something? Because that's what I expected!" Claudes says before she can stop herself.
"Well, I had to blend in didn't I?" Minerva says.
"Darling, who's at the door?" Libby, Claudia's mum asks, coming into view. "Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Minerva McGonagall. We have some things to discuss," she says, letting herself in.
"CLAUDI! I'M HERE!" Zoli calls from the backdoor.
"Libby, do you know what this is? Zoli is saying that they both received letters from Hogwarts - are they sick? I mean, oh-" Dena's rant comes to a halt as she sees Minerva in the doorway. "Who is this?"
"This is Minerva McGonagall, from Hogwarts. She said she has things to discuss with us," Libby answers.
Zoli and Claudes exchange a glance and leave the adults to it. One hour later, the three women come out of the living room and sit the girls down.
"Claudia, Zoli, you are going to Hogwarts!"
A/N: What'd ya think?
Please tell me and Zoli and I will forward each other the reviews so you won't have to review on both stories!
Thank you lovelies, XOXO
