Paige Falcom woke up from her slumber. She had been dreaming she was accepted to Hogwarts and met a dozen friends and became a Prefect and because head Girl. Paige smiled in her sleep. It was a good dream.

It was also July 19- the peak of summer. Outside, the grass was thick but dry from the constant heat, same as the dried out lily-plums that sat tiredly in the garden. The sky was heavy as though an elephant was sitting directly on it, so heavy it had might as well be counted as a weight. But weights you can lift. This dense air was something you just had to wait out and let it roll off by itself. But waiting for something, especially something as significant as that, was nervous, breathtaking, anxious, and just boring altogether. That's just how Paige felt.

"M'lady!"

Paige jumped, her red hair sticking up in a frenzy. The 11 year old girl had just got woken up by her house elf, Willy- and quite routinely. It was a wonder why she never got used to it. "Hey! I was having a good dream!"

"Willy is sorry, m'lady, but m'lady should rather get dressed. Willy reads the time 9:26."

Paige widened her crystal blue eyes. 9:26! Her parents always gave her a good scolding if she came down any later than 8:00. She turned to Willy. "Willy! Why in Merlin's name would you wake me up at this time?!" She said, jumping out of her sleeping covers. Rather forcefully, because Willy cringed. But Paige didn't care. Trying to forget the Hogwarts dream, she swiped the house elf out the door, yanked off her silver nightie, and changed into a new jumper- not bothering to close the windows. Since she was born from a wizard and a witch, they had put some magical jinx around the house to conceal them and their house from muggles. So, she didn't have to worry about anyone seeing her.

Carelessly brushing back her red hair, Paige ran down the stairs, ignoring Willy who was setting the table, mutating spells and charms to get the job done. She was faintly surprised to see her parents whispering excitedly to each other and smiling brightly as she walked into the kitchen. She frowned. It was an ordinary Monday. What was so mind-blowing?

Paige went up to her mother, who was smiling as she whisked her oak-core wand in a flicking motion, making a whistling tea kettle pour the steaming water into a green cup. "Hello, dear. How was your rest?" Paige frowned. Unusual. She had seldom expected for her mother to butter her up by asking how well she slept. "Fine," she answered, suspicious. "And you?" "Oh, quite well, quite well." She smiled at her daughter again before lumping a spoon of sugar in the tea. Paige's eyebrows knitted together. Now she was even more suspicious. When she looked closely, her mother's eyes had circles under them, like she had been up all night. Something was definitely up.

Paige's father, Mr. Falcom came into the room, smiling gingerly. "What is for breakfast?" He smiled at his wife. Mrs. Falcom smiled back, and if possible, wider than before. Finally Paige couldn't stand it anymore. "What is going on here? All these smiles, I feel like I'm in a nuthouse!" Immediately knowing she had talked out of place, she added, "and I didn't mean to say that." Mr. and Mrs. Falcom acted oblivious, still smiling. "There is something we need to tell you," they said in unison. Now Paige was scared. Her parents had never acted this cheerful before.

Mr. Falcom walked over to the kitchen table, which was now fully set, thanks to Willy. By Paige's seat was a letter- even from a distance, she could see it was marked by the famous Hogwarts seal. Paige started to piece the situation together. "You see...we didn't get much sleep last night, because...because we heard and owl nearby,..." Mr. Falcom started, though was so exited he couldn't finish his sentence. Thankfully, it was Paige's mother who revealed the exiting secret. "...and got this letter." She handed it to her daughter, who took it gingerly. Paige had waited and waited, even longer than the dreading summer, for the Hogwarts letter. She imagined opening it and reading the message from the headmaster, and hugging her parents who charmed the oven to bake her a cake in celebration. Then she would, for the first time, be taken into the Leaky Cauldron, and would get robes and a wand at Ollivander's Wand Shop, and an owl and maybe a broomstick. Then she would go to the platform 9 3/4 and get on the train and meet some new friends and be happy. And it went that way, for the most part. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Mrs. Falcom

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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paige smiled as happily as her parents, and jumped with joy. "I'm accepted! I'm accepted!" Mrs. Falcom grinned proudly at her daughter, and Mr. Falcom kissed her on the head. And things went the way Paige wanted them to. Except the cake was slightly smaller than she imagined. But that didn't matter. She had gotten what she wanted for weeks.

She couldn't help but grin at Willy as she ate the cake, sipping some tea. "Now I'm glad you woke me up late. Or this might have not happened." Willy smiled back sheepishly and walked away.