Worth it

Today is the day wizards and witches get the owls with their letters from Hogwarts. It has been like that for ages.

Yet, have I, Neville Longbottom, not received one. Maybe my grandmother is right; perhaps I do not have enough magic in me to get accepted. She will be so disappointed in me if I do not get the letter. And my mum and dad, what would they say if they knew I didn't get the letter. I can hear gran say it already. 'Frank and Alice Longbottom's son is not going to Hogwarts. What a shame, what a disgrace.'

I'm so worried about letting her and my parents down. Perhaps she'll disown me. Send me off to live with muggles.

Her friends will ask her where I am when they're round for tea. She will answer: Neville, Neville? I don't know anyone who is called that.'

I'm so afraid. My whole family is waiting for the moment for the letter to arrive. They are all so excited about it. And they'll be so disappointed when I do not get the letter.

I'm sure about it now; I'm not getting it. I'm not good enough, not special enough, not magical enough. I can't do anything right. I make gran angry all the time, mostly when I drop something or forget something. If such a thing happens she starts to shout at me and yell at me. That I'm the family disgrace, I should be more like my dad and mum. Even if I do something the right way, it's never good enough. I guess she's right though. I hear that kind of thing all my life already, so I think it's true. I can't even get accepted to Hogwarts and that's supposed to be a sure thing from birth. But I, Neville, managed to mess even that up.

Just when Neville talked himself into so much misery, that he started to cry, a tapping noise at the window could be heard. Neville didn't hear it. For he was sobbing so loud, out of fear, disappointment and misery.

The tapping noise grew louder and louder and... Then it stopped. The window had flown open. Just by itself, no one was around it.

The owl hopped inside and hooted soothingly at the crying boy on the bed. Neville looked up at the owl.

He stared at it for at least a whole minute before he dared to believe his eyes. There was an owl. A real owl. In his room. With a letter tied to his paw.

The owl hooted again. Neville stood up and walked slowly and unsteadily towards the beautiful brown beast, which looked at him with large yellow eyes. With trembling fingers he untied the letter from its paw. His letter he saw, with a glance at the envelope. He opened it very slowly, as if he expected it to burst into flames any moment. He gave a yelp when he saw the first line in the letter.

Dear Mr. Longbottom,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The rest of the letter was unnecessary to read. He ran out of his bedroom and almost knocked his grandmother over, who was busy cleaning the hallway with her wand.

She looked sternly at him for a moment and was about to start shouting about grace and respect for elder people, when she saw the letter he had clutched in his hand.

She screamed and pulled him into a hug. The first one he had had from her in a long time.

Then, at that moment, being hugged by his grandmother and accepted at Hogwarts, he finally felt worth it.