Chapter One
I grew up on a farm, the barley fields blew in the summer wind, and the golden sun shone on the hard ground. I would ride the horses, and milk the cows and spend the afternoon by the little creek. It was every little girls fantasy, growing up on an English farm. I didn't know I was a witch, didn't know I would go to Hogwarts, or my brother would die for me. How was I to know, of the coming terror? I was a little girl when I got my letter. I recall it like it was yesterday.
The rooster crows in the early morning, the sun just breaking the surface of the horizon. My eyes are heavy with sleep as I roll out of bed, the heavy quilt falls to the floor as I pad out of my room. I can already hear the sizzle of bacon, and the sounds of my father from downstairs. I follow my nose, and stomach, the quaint little table looks nice, with my big father sitting there, his copper hair is curly and falls a little into his eyes as he reads the morning paper, crystal eyes moving fast.
"Good morning, beautiful!" he says with a chuckle.
"Grace, please get your plate, you're the last one up, as usual. Your foods already cold!" My mom says sternly.
" I am not! John's still in bed to!" I say, my no good brother, with his greasy black hair who does nothing but tell useless information. He's such a bore. My mom gives me a stern look, so I grab my plate and grab my food. I sit in my place, its familiar squeak as I sit down is comforting, I dig into my heaping plate of farm fresh eggs, crispy bacon and buttery toast.
"I swear you are more animal then girl." John says coming down the stairs. I glare in his direction and he sticks his tongue out at me. I make a rude gesture at him, which unfortunately my mom catches.
"Grace, now you don't ever do that again! Finish your food quick and get out and do your chores! And if you do that again young lady I will cut your finger off." As she turns John gives a satisfied smile and turns to get his food.
"Let it go, girly, theirs no use getting in trouble now." My dad says grabbing his black cowboy hat and heading to the door. "Come on Gracie, grab your toast and go, I cant tend the horses alone." I smile and do as told, and follow my dad out into the warm summer breeze. Leaving John and my mom behind, happy to be with my strong, wise dad. We go down the worn rock path, where all six of us have scrapped our knees, and sat on a spring day to look at the white puffy clouds. When I notice something odd, a barn owl is sitting and looking at me on the old wooden mail box.
"Dad, why is their a letter in that owls mouth?" My dad follows my gaze and the owl swoops up and drops the letter in at our feet.
"It's addressed to you." My dad says shocked. I look at the letter.
"Should I open it?" he nods, so I bend down and pick it up. Emerald letters shine in the golden sun. I rip open the heavy paper.
HogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardry
HeadmasterAlbusDumbelledoor
(OrederofMerlinfirstclass,grandsorc.Chf.Warlock,
SupriemeMugwump,internationalconfed.ofwizards)
Dear,
WearepleasedtoinformyouthatyouhavebeenacceptedtoHogwartsschoolofwitchcraftandwizardry.Pleasefindenclosedalistofallnecessarybooksandequipment.
TermbeginsonSeptember1st,weawaityourowlbynolaterthanJuly31st.
Yourssincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
I look at the letter stunned. This can't be I cant be a wizard! This kind of stuff only happens in movies this has to be a joke this can't be real! This is a joke!
"It has to be a joke dad. this can't be real." My dad looks away from me, i see tears form in his eyes, and fall down his suntanned face. "Daddy?" he looks away, and turns to stomp down the path toward the barn. But theirs no such thing as witches and wizards, those are only in story's, like the sword and the stone, Gandalf and Merlin were never real. But if it was a joke, why would my dad be upset? I know better than to follow him, so i turn in the opposite direction as him and go inside to ask my mom.
I open the peeled white backdoor, and find my mom looking out the big bay window by the kitchen sink, the breakfast dishes are all clean and put away, and the sunlight catches her black hair, eliminating it with breath taking browns and copper highlights.
"Momma." She turns around and looks at me with a small smile.
"Yes Grace?" she asks looking at me with her big brown eyes, like rich Christmas chocolate.
"I got this in the mail." I hand her the odd letter. And she reaches for it, her eyes scan the parchment and then she glances back at me. "It's a joke right?" she looks at me and shakes her head.
"Grace, sit down. Please." She looks at me imploringly. I sit down, thankful, because if I stood any longer id probably faint. "When your dad was a little, he got a letter just like this. He went away to school and met amazing people, he learned to do magic spells and brew potions. He spent 5 years at Hogwarts, but something happened to get him expelled, he would never tell me what it was, all I know is on his fifth year him and his friends did something and he took the blame. After that he didn't want to be a wizard anymore, and when they expelled him he gave his wand willingly. Fortunately none of your brothers or sisters, got the letter, he was so worried this year you would. And I guess you have. Can you recall the time you made the bug fly in the air and your dad got mad at you?" I nod. "That's because he knew then you were a witch, but he still hoped you'd never get the letter. But you have, and now its up to you if you want to go or not." She looks at me, and I don't know what to say.
"But then I'd leave you! And daddy, and all my sisters and brothers, and the farm!" she nods. "What should I do mamma?" she comes and puts her arms around me, her soft braid tickles my arm.
"I think you should go, you're not a little girl anymore. You'll be an amazing witch, and you'll learn so much! But its up to you, but the farm and us will still be here." She smiles, and I know that I've never fit in here anyway, I love my family, but I'm not smart like them, or strong or obedient. I've never liked farm work or helping with my moms sewing.
"I think I should go." My mom looks at me and gives me a hug.
"It says to send an owl back, do you know where the owl that gave it you is?" and as if on que the same barn owl sores down and lands on the flower box outside the window. Me and my mom both laugh. "now here is a pen dear, hurry and write your reply!" I grab the pen and quickly scribble, on the envlope
Dear Professor
I will be there on the start of term.
All the best,
Grace, McCarthy.
My mom takes the letter and writes a note below mine.
Thank you Professor for the opportunity to allow my daughter to attend your school, she will see you at the start of term.
Eliza McCarthy.
"Now hurry dear and send it away." I hurry out the door, and toward the flower box.
"Please give this to professor McGonagall." He seems to understand me, oddly enough, since he takes the letter in his beak and flys away.
"Your going aren't you?" I turn to see my dad, he's looking after the owl as he speaks, "You'll do good there sweetheart, but we'll miss you here." I look at him and realize theirs tears in his eyes.
"Daddy, I'm going to miss you." He looks at me and I run into his arms, as he hugs me tight.
"I'm gonna miss you more budd."
"I doubt it dad." He chuckles, and hugs me tighter. Little did I know this would be the last time I would ever hug my dad.
"Now run on inside and help your mamma, I already finished the horses." I smile and go inside.
"I see your daddy's okay with the idea now. I'm sure he's going to miss you like crazy though." My mom says handing me and apron, which I grudgingly put on.
"I'm going to miss him to, momma."
"I know sweet heart, we're all going to miss you." I smile and go to hug my mom. She hugs me back, but quickly lets go, when theirs work to be done there's no time for hugs. "Now can you go get me some eggs from the chicken coop quick, I have to make some cookies for your sister Tulip." I hurry out of the kitchen, I'm sad to leave this house, but a new excitements grown in me, to be a witch! Me! No more sewing and cooking or gathering eggs! I will get to learn more than the school down the road teaches me! But I still have a month, and I have to get all my supplies from London! I cant wait I've only been their once to visit my moms rich sister Charlotte, we went to all the funky shops and ate ice cream as we walked along the river bank. My mom and Charlotte don't get on to well though so we now only send cards at Christmas and birthdays. Mom always says "Charlotte doesn't know what's good for her, all those tattoos. We weren't brought up that way, looks like she was brought up by hippies." I don't know to much on that sort of stuff though, so I try and stay out of those types of conversations. I hear the soft cluck of the chickens and open the gate to the coop, inside my sister Tulip her strawberry blonde hair is swept up in the summer breeze, as she holds an empty basket, I wonder what she's doing she's almost always up to something weird.
"Tulip?" I call.
"Oh, Grace! You scared me I thought you might be mom! You know how she disapproves of my experiments!"
"I do, what experiment are you doing now?" Over the years Tulip's become convinced animals can, sing, dance even talk, and is always doing something weird to get them to do the following.
"I'm just talking to the chickens, I bet they like to be talked to. Okay stop looking at me as if I'm crazy! I just think if parrots can talk why can't other animals."
"Whatever you say. Can I just have some eggs? Moms making you cookies." Her eyes light up, as she grabs her basket and heads into the chicken coop, her duck dress disappearing, it's her favorite dress, with all different ducks flying away in the sky, our grandma Lisa made it for her. Everyone thought it was horrid, but not Tulip. "Hey Tulip. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure what is it?" She calls from the coop.
"You believe in all that magic stuff right?"
"Yea." She says appearing from the coop with a basket full of eggs. I pass her the letter, she sets the eggs down to read it, she pushes her long curls out of her blue eyes. "Oh my god! Your so lucky Grace!"
"You believe it just like that?" She nods, her eyes alight with wonder and excitement.
"Have you replied?" I nod "And told mom and dad?" I nod again, and tell her the story about dad. "Dad! Really! Wow! Our family's more exciting than I thought!"
"I guess so." I say taking the letter and the eggs. "Have fun with your chickens!" I call as I walk away from Tulip.
"Hey you can't just tell me that and except me to sit around and talk to chickens." She says running up to me. Suddenly we see a red light coming from the felid, and hear the rumble of hooves, as my dads horse comes cantering out of the field, with an odd singed spot on her side. "What in gods name!" Tulip says.
"Come on!" I say as me and my older sister book it down into the field, the grass is tall, but I don't care as we book it to where we heard the shot.
"Grace, Tulip! Turn around!" We stop dead in our tracks, as we see our dad standing with a stick pressed to his back, by a black hooded figure.
"Shut up, old man." The figure says, as my dad struggles. Tulip steps in front of me, as the figure says "Or the brats will be next."
"Who knew, you could have cute kids." A cold voice says from behind me. I spin around to another figure. Who are these people, and I get a closer look at the "stick" and realize these were wands, these were wizards.
"Don't you dare touch my daughters." My father yells, and we see a flash of red as our dad falls to the ground and writhes and screams, were to far from the house for my mom to hear.
"Leave my dad, alone." Tulip yells charging from my side and grabbing the first hooded man from the side, as he tortures my dad.
"You stupid muggle!" the figure screams and hits my sister onto the ground. The second figure grabs me as I'm about to charge the first on down.
"Your not going anywhere. Your gonna watch your daddy die." He leers. "Then you and your big sister are next." He cackles with delight. I struggle but he holds on tight. And I give up, and am forced to watch my father die. Finally they are finished torturing him, crushing his spirit.
"Please, let me say goodbye to my daughters." My dad murmurs. The figures nod. "Tulip Honey, you are so beautiful, and don't ever stop your experiments, take care of your mom for me."
"Daddy, no don't let them kill you!" Tulip sobs.
"Baby, I'm going to die a proud man and that's all I ever wanted. I love you. And you Gracie baby, do well, grow up, go to school, make me proud, and make sure you don't get into too much trouble, be nice to John, you know he loves you and take care of the horses, I love you, darling." And that's the last words my dad said, to me, to the world, forever because then they cast a green spell, the spell that would end my dads existence and crush my heart. My dads blue eyes lose their sparkle, and his face relaxes. Tulip screams and struggles, but I sit there my heart heavy. When I hear the dreaded footsteps approaching.
"Dad, Tulip? Grace? Moms looking for you!" I hear Johns voice.
"John turn around go home! We'll be up in a minute!" I call, my voice choking, I cant let him die to. No matter how much we don't get along.
"Tulip." John comes into the clearing and sees the figures, they both look at each other, and the first one nods, as he sees John take in our dads body, and me and Tulip on the ground with tear streaked faces. John approaches calmly. "You killed my dad. And now your going to kill the two girls with evidence of what happened. Now I've come and complicated your plans, let my sisters go, their little no one will believe them. But they will believe me and during the time you two kill my sisters I will have already run to the house and told my mom. Kill me spare them." The figures look at each other, seeming to read each others minds the second one answers John.
"Alright son, you have a deal, step by your daddy's body." I feel him let go of me and push me roughly over to the path, by Tulip, who grabs me and hugs me tight. "Now you brats scram unless you want to see your brother die to."
"John!" I scream.
"Tulip, take your little sister and get up to the house, go on now." Tulip tugs my hand.
"Come on Grace, hurry up!" Tulip urges.
"Gracie, go !" John says harshly. I give in and follow Tulip, but I turn around quickly enough to see John give a small smile and stick his tongue out, and "mouth this is for you." I stick my tongue out to, and mouth "I love you." He smiles and mouths "I love you enough to die for you." Then he crumples to the ground as the green light hits him, and me and Tulip sprint away, before they kill us to, tears running down our faces. The last words I heard the figures say ringing in my ears.
"The ministry will be hear to check out the magic soon. Lets get out of here. Forget burning the bodys. We'll get the muggle brats later."