James was waking up slowly, there was a beam of morning sunlight streaming across his closed eyes. He rolled and groaned a little pulling the pillow from under his head and throwing it over his face. Slowly, very slowly, he realized that today was Monday, which meant that it was just a week before his eleventh birthday. The corner of his lips began to turn upward at the thought.
As if his mother could sense he was waking, a soft tapping knock sounded from his bedroom door, James could hear the doorknob turn and the long squeaking creak of the door hinges as it was opened. There was a chiming light flutter of laughter as his mother had laid eyes on him that morning. "James, honey, it's time for breakfast." She pulled the pillow from his face with one hand and with her wand in the other opened his heavy bedroom curtains, light flooded his room and he shut his eyes even tighter.
James fists came up to the rub his closed eyes. "Please, mum, ten more minutes?" He reached for blankets that were no longer there, wanting to pull them over his head.
"Not today," He could hear the smile in her voice. "Your father has to leave early for work, and he would like to see you."
His eyes reluctantly open and he sat up. He heard his Mum laugh again. But was too tired to ask why. "You were up last night playing with that dog next door weren't you?"
That got James's attention. "I just don't understand why we can't have a dog" He stood up then, and adjusted his pajama bottom that were twisted from sleep and ran his hand through his always messy hair.
"Darling, we have discussed this," Although she was smiling kindly at him, he could hear the exasperation in her voice. The sun was glinting off her long silvery hair, her perfect periwinkle robes hung just right on her shoulders. And in the sun she looked every ounce of the angel he thought his mother was. "You're dad is allergic"
James walked to his bedroom door, and turned to look at his Mum again "Isn't there a potion he can take?"
His Mum laughed heartily this time. "At your father's age you don't go around messing with silly potions."
James knew it was no use to argue. And he turned in his pajamas to walk out the door, "Excuse me where do you think you are going?" He turned playing confused. "To see Dad, like you said."
His Mum raised an eyebrow. "Not without dressing first." with a flick of her wand two drawers in in his chest opened and out flew Muggle clothing. A pair of jeans and a plain black tee-shirt, came floating out, and landing softly on his now made bed. James smiled at his Mum, "You know we have a house elf for that?" He knew how she would respond, and his smile grew wider because of it.
"You know that just because you don't HAVE to do something, doesn't mean you shouldn't. Trixy is a great help, more so as I get older. But if I don't do things around here I'll forget how, or just become lazy and fat as a house cat." She looked down to see her only son grinning at her. "You think you're funny." When James nodded they both laughed.
"Now James get dressed and come down to see your father and I when you're done." And with that she quietly shut his bedroom door.
James socked foot, landed on the marble floors of the hall headed to that large eat in kitchen, and he could hear the bacon frying, and the deep thick tone of his father's voice. He ran through the hall and stopped just before he reach the door and pushed it open, walked through and let it swing behind him. As the door swung shut there was a loud thud behind it, James eye grew to the size of saucers and he turned and grabbed the door from swing again. He pulled the door open and knelt on the hard floor next to a small heap of a limp house elf. "Trixy! Trixy! I'm so sorry." James lifted her small head in his head.
Trixy's eye fluttered open. "'Tis Trixy's fault sir. I is very sorrys too sir."
James was so angry with himself and he was a little harsher than he meant to be. "No! It was my fault, I should have been watching."
Trixy stood in a hurry, looking up past James too his Mother and father. "Master and mistress must forgive Trixy, she is not meaning to be laying down when there is work to be done."
James watched as his mother handed Trixy a towel with what he assumed was ice wrapped in it. "Trixy, I would like you to go and lay down, put this on the bump on your head and I will check on you after we eat." James could see the protest building in Trixy's eyes. "But Ma'am ... "
"I will hear none of that! Now go lay down." She shooed Trixy down the hall and off to wherever it was Trixy slept.
James stood looking up at his Mother and Father. "I'm really sorry about that." James Dad ruffled his son's hair. "It was an accident, but if you do it again there will be punishment." James nodded, but didn't smile, his dad's idea of punishment were going to bed without sweets. But than again James had never gotten caught doing anything that would earn him a more severe punishment.
His dad then turned to his Mum, "Euphemia, why do we have a house elf if you won't let her do anything?"
She laugh lightly, "That my love is for me to know, and for you not to worry on." She then kissed her husband lightly on the lips.
James groaned disgustedly, and sat at the table that sat in the kitchen. Both of them laughed and sat on either side of their son. His Dad spoke first patting him lightly on the back as he did so. 'Your Mother told you we needed to speak with you?" The formal tone in his Dad's voice, made his stomach do a little flip followed by a very uncomfortable uneasy flutter. Not trusting himself to speak he nodded. His Dad normally saved this voice for telling him off, this forced James to think of everything that he had possibly done wrong in the last month. The deep voice broke into his racing mind. "And do you have any idea why we wanted to talk to you this morning?" James shook his head not daring to look up.
But what really shocked him was the sound of his Mum laughter. "Oh Fleamont, show him." His Dad roared with laughter, James now looking between the two for some sort of answer. His Dad still chuckling a little. "Son, I want to congratulate you." with that his dad handed him a very heavy envelope, with emerald green ink, in very neat hand writing was his name. He excitedly flipped the envelope over and saw a red wax seal. In his excitement he didn't even open it, but hugged both his mother and father. Not that there was ever a doubt in the mind of his parents. For years they had talked about how wonderful his time at Hogwarts would be, but this made it official. Both of his parents hugged him, but his dad asked "Well aren't you going to open it?"
James looked at the all but forgotten letter, the wax seal smiling up at him as he took the heavy envelope in his hands. He cracked the wax seal, and careful, but quickly pulled out two pieces of parchment. The first was a letter, the green ink seemed to dance across the page and welcoming to the school he had always dreamed of going too. It read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress He handed that letter to his father and his gaze found the second piece of parchment. And on that in the same green ink was.
He handed the letter to his Mum and continued on to the next piece of parchment.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 wand 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set brass scales Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
After reading through all of it, he looked at his Mum, "When …" He smiled but didn't finish the question. His dad spoke first. "Well unfortunately I have to be getting to work. However I think that you and your Mum should go today and you can show me everything when I get home." James thought about this for a moment, and nodded with a smile.
His dad stood then, Kissed both James and his mother on the head and wished them a good day as he walked from the kitchen. James turned to his Mum, she smiled with pride and said. "Let me check on Trixy and we can go." With that she stood and left James with Breakfast sitting in front of him.
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave me your comments. It means the world to me.