Codee loves Pongo

Chapter 1 – The Owl

"Danica, wake up, wake up!" I heard the first words of the morning come out of my brother's mouth. "Dani, wake up! You'll never believe what came today!"

The thought of what he might have been talking about brought my brain to attention. I forced myself to sit up in bed. My body didn't seem to have as much drive as my mind did. I tried to speak, but nothing coherent came out. It was summer time, and I always took the liberty of sleeping in as late as possible. Usually this meant 11 in the morning, but it seemed today my twin was adamant about receding the time to at least 8.

"Come ON Dani! Get up and come down stairs!" He started pulling on my arm.

Somehow, the next thing I remember was the cold wooden flooring under my feet as I ran down the stairs towards the drawing room. When we got there, Mum and Father were sitting together in their over-stuffed love seat

"Draco, what's the matter?" I asked him.

"Oh, my little darlings! Growing up so fast, now, aren't we?" Mum was looking a bit teary as she held out two pieces of parchment to the both of us. Draco ran up and snatched them from her hand and brought it over for me to look at.

"'Dear Draco Malfoy, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!' You've got one, too! We're finally going to Hogwarts!"

"Now, now, Draco, calm yourself," My father had his arm around her shoulder, his free hand in hers. "There's one for your sister too."

He smiled that quirky smile, but more lovingly than I had ever seen. Even though Mum always told Draco and me that our parents would never choose favorites, I knew Papa was slightly more proud of me.

"Yeah, right." Draco handed me my letter absent mindedly. "It seems kind of odd, thought, to be taking Potions from Severus."

"It'll be Professor Snape from now on though, you know." I corrected him. He didn't seem to pay much attention, but rather went on about going to Hogwarts and all the things he was going to do, commenting on everything on the supply list…. I lost interest and slowly walked off, reading the letter again and again and again until I could say what came next on the page. I wasn't looking where I was walking when I bumped into Dobby.

"OH!" He cried. "Madam, Dobby is so sorry! Dobby is sorry indeed!"

"Don't worry about it." I crouched down beside him. "look, I finally got my letter. I'm going to Hogwarts! Have you ever been there?"

"Only a few times, madam. Dobby knows how excited and anxious you've been for this letter, and dobby congratulates you!"

I smiled at him, put a hand on his head, and walked back off towards my room. I was nice to Dobby at times. He did his job nicely for the most part, and it had always been our little secret that we were friendly towards each other. Hogwarts! I ran the rest of the way down the hallways, up the stairs, and down some more hallways and into my room. The walls of my room were steeped in a deep emerald green with swirls and billows of a soft forest green. Two windows that now let in a dubious amount of morning light were curtained with dark green Slytherin drapes. Other various Slytherin-related items adorned my room, but not too many. As much as I craved placement in Slytherin house, I didn't want to jinx it. However, considering my heritage, I was relatively certain the Hat would put me in my proper house. I placed the letter down on my large mahogany desk, still reading it. I looked up above the desk, and saw the Falmouth Falcons month-by-month calendar. July was my favorite beater in all of Quidditch. I took up a pen and scribbled on July 1st "I got my Hogwarts letter!"

I brought out the desk chair, and plopped down on it, and admired the new scribble. Looking back down at the letter, my eyes ran across "Term begins September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st." I instantly felt my heart leap into my throat, as I slipped out a piece of parchment from the package in which it came, and fervently began writing the reply.

To whom it may concern,

I have received your owl accepting me into your fine school of witchcraft and wizardry. My brother has also received his letter. We both accept this opportune summons with paramount appreciativeness. We look forward to boarding the Hogwarts Express on the 30th of August. I hope to see you exultant and thriving when I arrive.

Yours Sincerely,

Danica Malfoy.

I took up the letter, folded it in half and ran back down into the stairs into the drawing room to ask for an envelope and permission to send out our owl. When I got into the drawing room, Mum and Papa were discussing matters about his work. I thought I heard something about one of us not being in Slytherin. I nearly stopped dead in my tracks, but I shook it off as a misunderstanding. I had a history of mixing words up to something completely different than it actually was. I continued as normal.

"Papa! Papa, I was wondering about en envelope for the letter back to Hogwarts." I brought the letter up and held it in between my finger and thumb in both hands in front of me. "Oh, and an owl."

"Well…" He snatched up the letter from me. "Let's see it then. To whom it may concern, I have received your owl accepting me into your…"

He began to mumble the rest of the letter. He made faces at certain words, I couldn't tell whether he was impressed or confused, or concerned, or…. He leaned over towards Mum.

"Read this, Narcissa." She did. She made the same faces, only with more surprise. "Do you think that she-"

"It's possible Lucius." She said curtly. "But we'll be proud of her no matter what. Besides, she's a Malfoy. What makes you think she wouldn't?"

"That I wouldn't what?" I piped up.

"Nothing, Dani," he kneeled down in front of me so that my eyes were a few inches higher than his. "You're very smart, and with even more than rudimentary skills we've taught you, you've picked up quite quickly. There's a possibility you could be in Ravenclaw. You are my daughter. And judging by some of your behaviors, this pretty blond hair isn't the only thing you've inherited from me, or your mother. As your parents, we are required to send the return owl. Go back up to your room and make a list of things you need to pack."

I was a tad bit confused, but I did as he said. I went over the letter one last time and made a checklist of everything; all the clothes, all the supplies, everything. I was finally going to Hogwarts and I wasn't about to screw it up.

(AN/ I know, it's a terrible way to set up that she's smart. I thought it was pretty cheesy, but it's something!)