A/N: J.K. Rowling is the goddess of this world and it's characters... Anne, Will, and the rest of my... erm... the family is my brainchild. Title taken from the cutest of cuties, John Mayer.
No Such Thing
Anne wasn't quite sure how to react. She wasn't even sure she was actually seeing what she held in her hand. To a child this was a dream come true... but she was an extremely intelligent child and wasn't quite sure that it wasn't just a practical joke.
She read the letter over and over again as she stumbled up to her room. It was always exciting to get mail addressed to her and only her, but this? The green ink scrawled across the parchment shimmered and delighted her. The fact that it was asking her to go to a school in England called Hogwarts intrigued her. That it claimed to be a school that taught the magical arts... she was astounded and slightly perplexed. She didn't think there was a boarding school that taught people how to pull rabbits out of hats and do slight of hand and illusion tricks. If there really were such a place, her parents certainly wouldn't be sending her there! She'd have no desire to go herself... but looking at the rest of the letter, she saw a list of materials that included a cauldron, books with the strangest titles she'd ever seen, and a wand. Anne couldn't comprehend. She didn't believe in magic that you read about in fantasy books. It just didn't exist... right?
The eleven year old sat at her desk and puzzled over the letter. She set it down between her elbows where she could still see it with her head resting in her hands. She frowned in concentration and her eyebrows drew together as she thought about what it could mean. She supposed it was a practical joke that some of the kids at school had decided to play on her. They always teased her about having her nose in a book and getting good grades. She had never gotten along very well with most of the kids because she wasn't very pretty or very thin. She was chubby, with a round face, eyes that couldn't decide whether they were grey-green or grey-blue, and hair that couldn't decide if it was curly or straight or whether it was brown or blonde. Her personality couldn't decide whether it was introverted or extroverted, or whether she was a leader or a follower. She was wholly the awkward adolescent in emotional and social issues a few years too early, and she found it easier to lose herself in the fantasy world of books than to tackle the real one.
Anne sighed. Deep in her heart she wanted to believe that the letter was real, that such a thing as magic existed and that there really was a school called Hogwarts. Her common sense told her that it was just a nasty joke, though. For some reason, Anne couldn't bring herself to throw out the letter though... She decided to try and find out if the letter was real or not. Looking at the envelope, she couldn't see a return address, but she did her best to address a blank envelope to:
Ms. Minerva McGonagall
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
England
She snorted at herself for having the foolish hope that the letter would make it farther than her mailbox but continued to write it anyway.
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing you to ask for proof of the existence of your school. I have never heard of Hogwarts, or of magic being anything other than slight of hand or illusion. I have not experienced, or done, any "real" magic, so I wonder why you would single me out to attend a school that teaches such. I live in America, so I am unfamiliar with England, but I would like to know where you are located and if you have a good reputation as a school of education as well as magic. I am also curious as to how I would be able to acquire the items on the list included with the letter. I know this must seem very abrupt and disbelieving, but I need some proof that the school exists, as well as magic, before I can seriously consider enrolling. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Marian Annette Harrison
Anne grimaced as she signed her name across the bottom of the page. She had hated trying to learn to write her full name. All the other children had much easier and less "artistic" names to handle. Anne's parents wanted to have their children named after literary or social greats though... She folded the letter neatly, sealed it in the envelope, and slipped the envelope into her drawer along with the letter. She didn't want her parent's to know about this just yet...
"Hey squirt! What are you up to?" she nearly jumped out of her skin as her older brother entered the room.
She glared at him from her seat. "I was just about to start my homework - "
"You don't have real homework... you're only in fifth grade!" he snorted.
"Well excuse me for not being in high school like you, Mr. Bigshot! But I do have an English assignment as well as math..." she acidly spat. It's not that she didn't like her brother - she was just still getting over the shock of his appearance. They actually had a pretty good relationship.
"How was practice?" she decided to be civil for a moment. She didn't feel like having him be angry with her.
"It went well, it's gonna be a good show this year," he replied, fiddling with a pencil as he plopped on her bed.
Her brother was involved with the musicals at his high school and they both were involved with various choirs, being unusually talented singers.
"Hey, Will, I really need to do this homework before dinner. We have choir tonight." Anne reminded him, pointedly. She personally felt that he spent a little too much time on extra curriculars and not enough on studying...
"Sure, go to it Queen Anne," he got up and tossed the pencil back on her desk, "Have fun." He sauntered out and she got up and closed the door behind him.
She really didn't have much homework. The semester was winding down and everyone was antsy for the summer break to start. She wrote the required three pages in her journal for English and edited the short story she would turn in on Friday. Her math homework was a review of things they had done earlier in the year, so it took her a little while to remember. She didn't mind being in the accelerated math class, but math wasn't her favorite subject. She sighed as she heard the kitchen cupboards slam and pots rattle around. Floating above the racket were the harsh words her parents were spitting at each other. It's not that they didn't love each other - they had been married for over twenty years - it's just that they both were stubborn and loved to have the last word. Anne smirked - all of them loved a good argument.
She soon smelled the tomato sauce for the spaghetti that was the Wednesday night staple. She packed everything back into her book bag and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
"Hey, sweetie, how was your day?" her father asked from the stove, where he was adding the noodles to the boiling water.
"Fine," she replied. She didn't wish to repeat the particulars of a day much like the last one.
"Just fine?" her mother heckled, "That's all you ever say! Didn't anything at all happen today? What did you learn?"
"Stuff," Anne replied nonchalantly as she set the plates around the table.
Her mother sighed as she switched on the news. "Oh look! Our neighborhood is in the news!" She exclaimed. "It seems that a rare owl not normally seen in the United States was spotted in broad daylight! How odd..."
Anne shrugged, "Probably sick or something... Owls are nocturnal aren't they?"
"Hey, Mom, Dad." Will came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching the news.
"Hello, Will. How was your day?" Mrs. Harrison asked with a twinge of hope in her voice.
"Fine," Will replied distractedly. He was too absorbed in the TV to give any thought to the reply.
Anne couldn't help but smirk as her mother gave a long-suffering sigh. She poured out three glasses of water and put ice in one, knowing her father would probably have a pop with his dinner.
"All right, come and get it," Mr. Harrison announced when the spaghetti was done cooking. He dished some pasta out on the plate they each put the amount of sauce they wished on top. This method helped to alleviate tension about how much each person wanted. They all sat in their respective places at the kitchen table. Ironically, Anne usually sat at the head, with Will at the other end and her parents on either side. She never thought much of it; she just liked to sit where she could see most of the kitchen and what was going on around her.
Before she could even think about what she was saying Anne asked, "What do you think about boarding schools?" Her parents looked up at her quizzically for a moment before speaking.
"Well, I don't know, honey. Why do you ask?" Her dad inquired.
Anne shrugged, "I don't know... I just wanted to know what your reaction would be if I wanted to go to one."
"Well, your sister looked at one for a while..." her mother hesitantly began. She shot an imploring look at her husband. Anne was the baby of the family, so naturally she didn't want to think about her "leaving the nest."
"Yes, she did. But she decided it wasn't for her." Her dad finished.
"I know what Elizabeth decided to do. I'm not her though." Anne pointed out.
"Speaking of which," Will interjected, "I don't appreciate the applications for military academies that are oh so subtlety being slipped under my door. I, also, am not Elizabeth and do not intend to go to the Navy or Army or any other academy."
"We just thought you might like to look at what they have to offer..." Mrs. Harrison acquiesced.
"No thank you, Mother." Will replied forcefully, "I really will not be looking at any of the academies..."
Anne sighed as the battle over where Will would be applying to college picked up momentum. This happened most nights at the dinner table when everyone was there. Her parents liked the fact that their older sister, Elizabeth, was a sophomore at the United States Air Force Academy because they didn't have to pay any tuition. She was basically getting a very good education at the government's expense and Anne's parents wanted their children to have a good education at a low cost. That was apparently too much to ask though. The dinner was finished with a flurry of activity as Anne and Will hurried off to choir practice at their church.
When they got back later that night, Mr. Harrison was grading papers on the dining room table and Mrs. Harrison was filling out paperwork in the kitchen. Anne said good night to each of them and went up to her room. After going through her nightly routine she turned on her desk lamp and pulled open the drawer. She had to see and read the letter one last time that day...
No Such Thing
Anne wasn't quite sure how to react. She wasn't even sure she was actually seeing what she held in her hand. To a child this was a dream come true... but she was an extremely intelligent child and wasn't quite sure that it wasn't just a practical joke.
She read the letter over and over again as she stumbled up to her room. It was always exciting to get mail addressed to her and only her, but this? The green ink scrawled across the parchment shimmered and delighted her. The fact that it was asking her to go to a school in England called Hogwarts intrigued her. That it claimed to be a school that taught the magical arts... she was astounded and slightly perplexed. She didn't think there was a boarding school that taught people how to pull rabbits out of hats and do slight of hand and illusion tricks. If there really were such a place, her parents certainly wouldn't be sending her there! She'd have no desire to go herself... but looking at the rest of the letter, she saw a list of materials that included a cauldron, books with the strangest titles she'd ever seen, and a wand. Anne couldn't comprehend. She didn't believe in magic that you read about in fantasy books. It just didn't exist... right?
The eleven year old sat at her desk and puzzled over the letter. She set it down between her elbows where she could still see it with her head resting in her hands. She frowned in concentration and her eyebrows drew together as she thought about what it could mean. She supposed it was a practical joke that some of the kids at school had decided to play on her. They always teased her about having her nose in a book and getting good grades. She had never gotten along very well with most of the kids because she wasn't very pretty or very thin. She was chubby, with a round face, eyes that couldn't decide whether they were grey-green or grey-blue, and hair that couldn't decide if it was curly or straight or whether it was brown or blonde. Her personality couldn't decide whether it was introverted or extroverted, or whether she was a leader or a follower. She was wholly the awkward adolescent in emotional and social issues a few years too early, and she found it easier to lose herself in the fantasy world of books than to tackle the real one.
Anne sighed. Deep in her heart she wanted to believe that the letter was real, that such a thing as magic existed and that there really was a school called Hogwarts. Her common sense told her that it was just a nasty joke, though. For some reason, Anne couldn't bring herself to throw out the letter though... She decided to try and find out if the letter was real or not. Looking at the envelope, she couldn't see a return address, but she did her best to address a blank envelope to:
Ms. Minerva McGonagall
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
England
She snorted at herself for having the foolish hope that the letter would make it farther than her mailbox but continued to write it anyway.
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing you to ask for proof of the existence of your school. I have never heard of Hogwarts, or of magic being anything other than slight of hand or illusion. I have not experienced, or done, any "real" magic, so I wonder why you would single me out to attend a school that teaches such. I live in America, so I am unfamiliar with England, but I would like to know where you are located and if you have a good reputation as a school of education as well as magic. I am also curious as to how I would be able to acquire the items on the list included with the letter. I know this must seem very abrupt and disbelieving, but I need some proof that the school exists, as well as magic, before I can seriously consider enrolling. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Marian Annette Harrison
Anne grimaced as she signed her name across the bottom of the page. She had hated trying to learn to write her full name. All the other children had much easier and less "artistic" names to handle. Anne's parents wanted to have their children named after literary or social greats though... She folded the letter neatly, sealed it in the envelope, and slipped the envelope into her drawer along with the letter. She didn't want her parent's to know about this just yet...
"Hey squirt! What are you up to?" she nearly jumped out of her skin as her older brother entered the room.
She glared at him from her seat. "I was just about to start my homework - "
"You don't have real homework... you're only in fifth grade!" he snorted.
"Well excuse me for not being in high school like you, Mr. Bigshot! But I do have an English assignment as well as math..." she acidly spat. It's not that she didn't like her brother - she was just still getting over the shock of his appearance. They actually had a pretty good relationship.
"How was practice?" she decided to be civil for a moment. She didn't feel like having him be angry with her.
"It went well, it's gonna be a good show this year," he replied, fiddling with a pencil as he plopped on her bed.
Her brother was involved with the musicals at his high school and they both were involved with various choirs, being unusually talented singers.
"Hey, Will, I really need to do this homework before dinner. We have choir tonight." Anne reminded him, pointedly. She personally felt that he spent a little too much time on extra curriculars and not enough on studying...
"Sure, go to it Queen Anne," he got up and tossed the pencil back on her desk, "Have fun." He sauntered out and she got up and closed the door behind him.
She really didn't have much homework. The semester was winding down and everyone was antsy for the summer break to start. She wrote the required three pages in her journal for English and edited the short story she would turn in on Friday. Her math homework was a review of things they had done earlier in the year, so it took her a little while to remember. She didn't mind being in the accelerated math class, but math wasn't her favorite subject. She sighed as she heard the kitchen cupboards slam and pots rattle around. Floating above the racket were the harsh words her parents were spitting at each other. It's not that they didn't love each other - they had been married for over twenty years - it's just that they both were stubborn and loved to have the last word. Anne smirked - all of them loved a good argument.
She soon smelled the tomato sauce for the spaghetti that was the Wednesday night staple. She packed everything back into her book bag and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
"Hey, sweetie, how was your day?" her father asked from the stove, where he was adding the noodles to the boiling water.
"Fine," she replied. She didn't wish to repeat the particulars of a day much like the last one.
"Just fine?" her mother heckled, "That's all you ever say! Didn't anything at all happen today? What did you learn?"
"Stuff," Anne replied nonchalantly as she set the plates around the table.
Her mother sighed as she switched on the news. "Oh look! Our neighborhood is in the news!" She exclaimed. "It seems that a rare owl not normally seen in the United States was spotted in broad daylight! How odd..."
Anne shrugged, "Probably sick or something... Owls are nocturnal aren't they?"
"Hey, Mom, Dad." Will came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching the news.
"Hello, Will. How was your day?" Mrs. Harrison asked with a twinge of hope in her voice.
"Fine," Will replied distractedly. He was too absorbed in the TV to give any thought to the reply.
Anne couldn't help but smirk as her mother gave a long-suffering sigh. She poured out three glasses of water and put ice in one, knowing her father would probably have a pop with his dinner.
"All right, come and get it," Mr. Harrison announced when the spaghetti was done cooking. He dished some pasta out on the plate they each put the amount of sauce they wished on top. This method helped to alleviate tension about how much each person wanted. They all sat in their respective places at the kitchen table. Ironically, Anne usually sat at the head, with Will at the other end and her parents on either side. She never thought much of it; she just liked to sit where she could see most of the kitchen and what was going on around her.
Before she could even think about what she was saying Anne asked, "What do you think about boarding schools?" Her parents looked up at her quizzically for a moment before speaking.
"Well, I don't know, honey. Why do you ask?" Her dad inquired.
Anne shrugged, "I don't know... I just wanted to know what your reaction would be if I wanted to go to one."
"Well, your sister looked at one for a while..." her mother hesitantly began. She shot an imploring look at her husband. Anne was the baby of the family, so naturally she didn't want to think about her "leaving the nest."
"Yes, she did. But she decided it wasn't for her." Her dad finished.
"I know what Elizabeth decided to do. I'm not her though." Anne pointed out.
"Speaking of which," Will interjected, "I don't appreciate the applications for military academies that are oh so subtlety being slipped under my door. I, also, am not Elizabeth and do not intend to go to the Navy or Army or any other academy."
"We just thought you might like to look at what they have to offer..." Mrs. Harrison acquiesced.
"No thank you, Mother." Will replied forcefully, "I really will not be looking at any of the academies..."
Anne sighed as the battle over where Will would be applying to college picked up momentum. This happened most nights at the dinner table when everyone was there. Her parents liked the fact that their older sister, Elizabeth, was a sophomore at the United States Air Force Academy because they didn't have to pay any tuition. She was basically getting a very good education at the government's expense and Anne's parents wanted their children to have a good education at a low cost. That was apparently too much to ask though. The dinner was finished with a flurry of activity as Anne and Will hurried off to choir practice at their church.
When they got back later that night, Mr. Harrison was grading papers on the dining room table and Mrs. Harrison was filling out paperwork in the kitchen. Anne said good night to each of them and went up to her room. After going through her nightly routine she turned on her desk lamp and pulled open the drawer. She had to see and read the letter one last time that day...