Chapter One
Alice with her hands glued to the glass of the front window and knees dug into the leather chair, stared out with deep impatience. It was suppose to arrive on that exact day and as it neared dinner time Alice started doubting whether her letter would actually make it or not. Mrs. McDougal glanced from the living room chair for the umpteenth time. She sighed biting back her tongue trying to keep in mind her school days.
"Mum," Alice said, slumping down in the chair. In aggravation she crossed her arm and made a loud, obnoxious groan. Mrs. McDougal put down the Daily Advice column written by The Witch Who Knows it All: Thea Dora, and looked back over at her daughter. She gave a long, hard stare.
"Alice, must you sit there and dwell like that? For sake I am trying to read!"
"Sorry, Mum," she said with a pout. Rubbing her temple, Mrs. McDougal with her long boney fingers pointed to the stairwell.
"Now, why don't you head upstairs and clean up?"Alice rose from her chair and nodded in respect. Her Mum smiled and patted Alice on the shoulder. "And I'll have dinner ready for you as soon as you finish." With that, Alice hurried up the wooden stairs and ran straight into her small bedroom.
Her bedroom wasn't anything special. Simple with a desk filled with a few sweets, old chocolate frog cards, drawings, and stupid knick knacks. And her bed was nothing but a sloppy mess. Her family weren't poor, but they definitely weren't anything near rich. With that, Alice was just fine while her Father, Mr. McDougal often complained about never having top notch items.
Alice walked into her cramped closest and pulled out a dress that didn't have dirt stains or holes, and slipped it on. Her hair was short as a boys and needed no tending to. It always landed in place. She grabbed her favorite sweet, a small piece of crystallized pineapple. Often seen as a 'grandpa' sweet, but Alice liked how the sugar melted in her mouth and then the sweetness of the fruit.
And then, she proceeded to go downstairs.
Alice's Mum set the table and filled two plates with lamb stew without lamb. Basically just potatoes and chopped carrots with soupy gravy. Mrs. McDougal was a strange woman who found comfort in weird food. Such as meat stews without any meat. Alice figured in secret that her Mum was just as nervous for Hogwarts as she was excited. Alice hurried and chewed her sweet up fast and swallowed trying to hide it then sat down.
"Is Pa' working late again?"
"Your Father is a very…," she paused, minding her words. "Your Father is a very busy man, Alice. Do I know that." She sighed before mumbling, "do I know that."
"Is he still working on those secret reports?" Alice asked, bits of food spewing from her mouth.
"Alice, chew like a lady!"
"Sorry, Mum," she swallowed and dabbed a cloth across her mouth.
As they began to talk more, Alice's focus slowly turned away from the letter. She asked more about the ministry and less about letters and school. Her Father's work was less exciting than it sounded. He was reporter for the Daily Prophet. Has a small, small column on the last page in the top left corner. Took him ages to write them, though. Alice found it strange. She had easily come up with stories in her head within minutes. Funny ones with dragons and fat kings or clumsy quidditch players. But yet her Father took more than the standard nine working hours on one article. One tiny article containing no more than ten lousy sentences.
There was a small peck on the back door window. A large goofy grin grew across Alice's face. Within seconds, she hopped out of the chair and ran straight ahead to let the owl in. It was the most beautiful creature in her opinion. Their soft yet powerful eyes. How their wings spread as the flew. This owl was brown with a white belly. Her Mum chuckled under her breath as she watched Alice's world turn completely happy and filled with glee. Alice gave the owl a quick pat to the head and a few pieces of bread before it flew off.
As she closed the door, she tore the letter open. Shreds from the envelope flew everywhere. Even in the big pot of stew, but neither cared as Alice and her Mum huddled together. Their eyes zoomed back and forth as they read each word more than once.
"September first is a few weeks away, but how about I take you school shopping tomorrow? Yeah?" Alice hugged her Mum tight and nodded.
"I would love that, Mum. Can I get my robes?"
"And your books."
"Mum! I'm allowed a pet! Can I?"
"Of course," Mrs. McDougal replied, unsure of herself. "Please no toads!"
"I want a cat, Mum! A big, fat fluffy cat!"
"Then that you shall get." She pecked her daughter on the cheek and then they finished dinner for the night.