"Daddy, I've gotten a letter!" little Sarah Dursley called from the front hallway.
"Did you, sweetheart?" her father, Dudley, called from the living room.
Sarah bounced into the living room; letter in hand, her long blonde hair swinging behind her. She stopped in front of her father, who was sitting on his favorite vintage leather chair in the sitting room. Sarah held up the thick, yellowed envelope with a large smile on her face. Her father smiled back, but inwardly his heart leaped. He recalled seeing the very same letter being delivered to his cousin not very long ago.
"What's Hogwarts, daddy?" Sarah asked her father, as she flipped the letter over to open it. The wax stamp on the back was etched with the Hogwarts crest.
Dudley tried to regain his wits as he explained to his daughter where she would be going to school. She sat on the floor at her father's feet, listening intently. When Dudley mentioned the word "magic", Sarah's face lit up instantly. Her large blue eyes glistened as he told her of the ever-so-famous story of her Uncle Harry.
"Sarah, sweetheart, you're a witch," Dudley said, finally. Tears fell from both of their eyes as Sarah grew more and more excited. "Open your letter. Read it to me," he said, smiling as he held her. Sarah backed out of his hug and began to read her letter, starting at the face of the envelope.
"To Miss S. Dursley, Number 7 High Street, Esher, Surrey," Sarah read carefully. She lightly tore the envelope open and began to read the contents. Dudley started to tear up right away as Sarah read the opening sentence. As Dudley wiped the tears from his eyes, Sarah paused.
"Should we tell mummy?" Sarah asked as Dudley was putting his hand back in his lap.
"I think we should, Sarah Bell. Go get your jumper and shoes on and we'll go, okay?" He said, caressing her rosy cheeks. She nodded fast in agreement and set off to her room to get ready.
Dudley took a look around his sitting room, observing every picture that graced its walls. He and his wife occupied many of the golden trimmed frames hung strategically on the wall. Sarah skipped back into the room as Dudley was buttoning his black pea coat.
"Are you ready to go, love?" Dudley asked. Sarah nodded quickly and took her father's hand in her own. They walked out the front door of their Victorian style home and into his car. With Sarah safely in the back, Dudley pulled out and headed towards the main road.
Dudley took a deep breath as they reached the cemetery gates. They drove and drove until they reached the willow tree at the very edge of the property. Sarah got out of the car, clutching the letter to her chest and walked to the tree, brushing through the hanging branches.
"Mummy, I got a very important piece of post today. It's from a school in Scotland called Hogwarts," Sarah said, as she got on her knees by her mother's headstone. Dudley kneeled beside his daughter, holding her as she read the letter to her mother. Once she had finished, Sarah kissed the headstone and started walking back to the car.
"You were right, Meredith. She is magical."