Maddie woke up and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet to the light or adjusted to the area around her. She reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her glasses. As she sat up in her bed, she put them on. Her vision wasn't awful for an eleven-year-old, but it was bad enough that she needed glasses. She usually wore contacts, but they hurt her eyes to wear so soon after waking up.
She got out of bed and walked over to her dresser. She grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans and sighed. It was a Tuesday, so that meant both of her parents were at work, so she was left with Tara, her authoritarian babysitter. She had her piano lessons at noon, and no matter how much she told her parents that she hated playing the piano, Tara had convinced them it was beneficial for her.
Maddie walked over to the door and opened it before stepping out into the hallway. She didn't need to shower, but she wanted to have time to herself before Tara started to dictate her life. And of course, she didn't even get that.
Tara walked into the hallway from the kitchen, right as she was walking out of her room. Tara was just a glorified 22-year-old college dropout of a nanny, but everything that she said or did was either extremely harsh to Maddie or extremely loving and constructive towards her parents.
"Hey, kid," Tara said as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger. "Make sure you're ready for your lessons. I don't want to be embarrassed because you haven't practiced at all because I know you haven't."
Maddie nodded. "I'll try not to embarrass you in front of Mr. Thomas because of my awful playing. Maybe I shouldn't be in lessons if they aren't doing me any good." I continued on my way to the bathroom. "The only reason that I'm in them at all is because you think that Mr. Thomas is cute."
She grabbed her arm to stop her and pointed a finger in her face. "Listen, brat. We have a day planned, so go get ready for it. We don't have all day for you to mope around because you're 'life is so hard,'" she mocked. "Your father is a doctor, and your mother is the lawyer at his firm. I would kill to have your life. Don't let it be you."
Maddie took a deep breath and nodded. She pulled herself out of her grasp and ran into the bathroom. She was extremely ready for secondary school to start because that meant she only had to deal with Tara on the weekends. Even a new school would be better than having to deal with Tara,
She locked the door behind her and took a deep breath. She started the shower and sat down on the edge of the tub. She wasn't really going to shower. She just wanted to sit in peace before this apparently hectic day started. Yeah, she was luckier than most, but that didn't mean her life wasn't hard. Success was pretty much the only expectation that was acceptable in her family. As an eleven-year-old, she already was having to decide what she wanted to do with her life.
She waited around twenty minutes before getting changing out of her pajamas and into her outfit for the day. She braided her long black hair over her shoulder and adjusted her glasses. She hated looking at herself in the mirror when she wore her glasses. She never considered them flattering, but she hated the feeling of contacts.
Her tan skin was darker than normal because of the summer sun that tanned her skin. Her father was part Indian, and her mother was Italian, so her skin was always tanner than most kids. She had heterochromia, so her left eye was dark brown, and her right eye was hazel. It wasn't a large difference, so most people thought that her eyes just simply changed color.
Maddie left the bathroom and walked over to the kitchen. Tara was standing by the counter, drinking coffee. She walked over to the pantry to find something to eat for breakfast. She grabbed a protein bar and walked over to the island counter.
"You have mail," Tara said, pointing to an envelope that sat on top of all of the rest. "Some school wants you. I wouldn't know why since the school you're actually going to almost didn't accept you."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed the envelope. It had my name written in extremely pretty handwriting on the front. The wax seal on the back had been broken from when Tara opened it. She sighed and took the letter out.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
ofWITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of wizards)
Dear Miss Shire,
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 September 3. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Maddie raised my eyebrow and looked over at Tara. "This is a joke, right?" she asked her accusatively. "I may be eleven, but I'm not stupid."
Tara looked up from the daily paper and looked at her. "I don't even know what you are talking about. I just opened it up to see that it was from a school." She put her coffee down. "First off, you are dumb, and secondly, I hope it's a boarding school so I don't have to deal with you ever again."
Maddie gritted her teeth and read over the letter. There was no way that this wasn't a prank. Of all of the schools in England, she had never heard of Hogwarts. It had to be some kind of prank from Tara. She wanted her to know that she wasn't falling for it.
Then, Tara yelped. Maddie looked up and saw that her cup of coffee had fallen all over her paper and onto her shirt.
"How did you do that, you brat?!" Tara yelled at her. "Why did you knock over my coffee?"
Maddie held up her hands in defense. "I didn't do anything. It's not my fault that you're clumsy."
"Why, I ought to-" Tara was interrupted by a large noise in the foyer. The sound didn't sound like a door opening, but she hoped it was her parents coming home.
Maddie ran off towards the foyer and hoped that Tara wasn't going to follow and throw her under any sort of bus. She was not met with her parents though. She was met by a verity weirdly dressed man.
"Um, hello, Miss Shire," the man said. "I don't know what this is, but if it is broken, I will fix it." He pointed to the coat rack that was laying on the floor. There wasn't any apparent damage.
Maddie shook her head. "It's not broken, but it needs to be standing." She started to walk towards it, but then it stood up on its own. She looked over at the man in horror. "What is that?"
The man held up the stick. "Oh, this? It's just an eleven-and-a-half-inch chestnut with a phoenix feather core." He put it up his sleeve and held out his hand. "My name is Silvanus Kettleburn. I'm the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts, which will make more sense to you when I give you this!" He patted down his pockets.
"How did you get in here?" Tara walked in and asked. "I will call the police if you do not tell me who you are."
Kettleburn seemed startled by Tara's entrance. He pulled out the stick and flicked it. There was a small light that came from it, and Tara paused.
"Okay, now where was that letter?" He said and continued to pat down his pockets.
Maddie gave him a confused look. "Wait, did you say Hogwarts?"
He nodded. "It's only the best school for wizards and witches, like yourself. It where I teach, and it's where your great aunt, Edna, went to school."
She looked back and forth between him and Tara. "I didn't know that I had a great aunt Edna." She took a deep breath. "But I don't know what you are talking about. I must be dreaming. Witches aren't real. Salem proved that."
He laughed. "Well, that's what the muggles with teach you. Also, the system is different in America. Don't worry about all of that. I've also explained everything to your parents already. They didn't take it extremely well, but we knew they wouldn't. I think I convinced them to have you go to Hogwarts."
Maddie shook her head. "I'll be going to the best secondary school next year. I can't give that up for some imaginary school. If my parents don't approve, then neither do I."
He twirled his wand around. "What if I told you that there was a wand just like this one that was specialized just for you? Would you believe me then?"
This was a whole bunch of information to latch on to. Yeah, Maddie was still a kid, but she wasn't allowed to have much of an imagination. Her parents made sure that she knew everything as a fact.
She shrugged. "Only if I had it in my hands and got the chance to use it." She stared at Tara for a moment. "What did you do to her?"
He walked past Tara and towards the kitchen. "Do you have something to drink? Apparating makes me thirsty. I was already thirsty because I had to talk to your parents for hours, since they don't have the most expansive imagination. Though, this isn't something that you really need an imagination for because this is real."
Maddie followed him into the kitchen. "You talked to my parents?"
He nodded. "Yeah, they weren't very happy to see me at first, but I think I convinced them. I didn't have to resort to too many unnatural means."
"So what happened to Tara wasn't unnatural?" She said very confounded.
He walked over to the sink and flicked his wand. The cupboard opened and a cup floated into his hand. He filled the cup with water and turned around to face Maddie.
"I know you have a lot of questions to ask me," he said when he finished the cup. "I have permissions and funds from your parents so you can ask them on the way."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Where are we going?"
Kettleburn smiled. "Well, Diagon Alley, of course. The only place for young witches and wizards to get their supplies for the best school on Earth, Hogwarts."
"What exactly is Hogwarts?" She asked. "Is it a secondary school?"
He shook his head. "It's where you go to school for seven years and learn everything you need to learn to be successful in the wizarding world. I'm a professor at Hogwarts, but if you wanted, you could be an Auror or the Minister of Magic or whatever you want to be."
"But I'm on track to be a neurosurgeon," Maddie protested. "I can't just go to the wizarding world, if it even exists and you aren't a crazy person, and forget that all."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Two years ago, you were really angry at your nanny, and you made the window shatter." She went to say something but he silenced her. "Three years ago, on two different accounts, you were upset because of your parents, and you locked them out of their room. Last year, you broke a cup, a window at school, and gave a kid a nose bleed."
Maddie leaned against the counter. "I'm only eleven. How did I do any of that?"
"Magic."
"You're insane."
Kettleburn laughed. "I may be, but I am honest in this." He held out his hand to her and shook his shoulders. "We have much to do today. We need to stop by Gringotts first to make a transaction, and then we need to get everything that was in that letter."
Maddie held up the envelope that she had gotten her letter in. There was another piece of paper inside. She pulled it out and looked it over. She didn't want to seem like an idiot, but the longer that this charade went on, the more real it seemed to be.
First-year students will require:
Uniform
Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear
One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times.
Books
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 of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an Owl, a Cat or a Toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
"Who's Newt Scamander?" Maddie asked.
"Only the best Magical Creature Caretaker this world has ever seen," Kettleburn said. "I may be a bit biased since that's my area of expertise, but he did fantastic work."
Maddie nodded slowly. "Why would I want an owl at school?"
He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "So you can send your precious parents mail."
She had a weird feeling surge through her body as everything seemed to get distorted. When everything seemed to return to normal, she had a huge surge of nausea course through her body. She immediately leaned over and dry heaved. He patted her back.
"That happens to most people their first time," he said. "Don't worry though. Our first stop will probably knock all of that out of you. To Gringotts!"
"What it Gringotts?" Maddie asked, completely confused about where she was.
They were now standing in an alley made out of bricks, with shops all around. There was one shop that had cages all around the front, and some cages hanging from the outside walls. There was another shop that was full of sweets and all sorts of candy.
"We can go there after we get everything else," Kettleburn said. "I'm sure we have plenty of money left over to get some Bertie Botts or some Cauldron Cakes."
The longer they walked down the road, the more real this seemed to Maddie. The more she accepted it, the more she felt at home and natural. This was a weird feeling to her.
"Gringotts is the bank of the Wizarding World, in England at least," he stated. "We need to exchange your muggle money for Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. This is how we will buy everything, but we should also open an account that way you can have some here already for a rainy day."
Maddie nodded. "Okay, so what are we going to be getting on this list first? Do I get a wand today? Are we getting all of this today?"
Kettleburn chuckled. "Be patient. Yes, you will be getting all of this today. I only have you today because I have more muggleborns to help and a class to prepare. I also have to help you get all the information that you need to get to Hogwarts and make sure that you aren't too confused on your first day."
There was a loud sound from the store to their right. The sign above the door read "Ollivanders." Maddie looked into the window, and she figured out that this was the wand shop. That was probably what she had started to become most excited for. Even though she was still in disbelief, she was starting to become excited.
Then, they were suddenly at a large building that did not seem structurally stable. There were columns that were crooked on the outside, but when they walked inside it was way more than just a crooked building. The inside was huge. The ceiling seemed to never end, and there were chandeliers that shined greater than any she had ever seen.
"Your parents gave us a good amount of money, so we should be okay to get everything today without any trouble," he told her. "Just let me take care of everything, and then I'll explain. You'll be doing this without me next year."
Maddie nodded. "Okay."
They both walked up to the counter and that was the first time she had gotten a close look at the little people behind the counter. They were unattractive and seemed anything but nice. She wondered how this could possibly the best bank, when they just seemed so mean.
"Hello, I have first time muggle-born witch, Madelyne Shire, here, and we need to exchange some pounds and open up a vault for her and her family," Kettleburn said. He pulled out the money from his pocket and handed it to the creature.
"And where is Miss Shire's family?" It asked.
He put a hand on my shoulder. "They are very busy muggles that couldn't take the time to come, but I am here with our first-year to be. I'm hoping she'll join me in Hufflepuff, but she seems more like a Slytherin or Ravenclaw. We'll just have to see."
The creature nodded before stepping down from the podium and disappeared. Kettleburn turned towards Maddie. He pointed around the building.
"So this is Gringotts, the safest and best bank in Great Britain. The reason that it's the safest bank is because goblins are very protective of their money," he mentioned. "They mark the money and know when a counterfeit comes through. They aren't always the nicest, but you can always trust a goblin."
Maddie was dumbfounded. "Wait, so you mean to tell me that there's not only witches and wizards, but there are also goblins? What else is there?"
He chuckled. "That's what you'll learn in my class. Though, first years don't usually take my class. You'll be taking Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology."
She looked up at him before clearing her throat. "What were you taking about earlier? What is a Hufflepuff?"
Kettleburn moved his coat to show a scarf with a badger on it. "Only the best house at Hogwarts. We're the best finders. There's other houses, such as Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. Slytherin is the current leader for the House Cup. I believe they have a record of seventeen years, but I could be wrong."
"How do you get into whatever house? What does that even mean for me?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "When you get to the castle, you will be called up in alphabetical order and the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head. It will put you into whatever house it deems best for you."
Maddie took a deep breath while nodding slowly. "Of course there's a talking hat."
The goblin returned with a medium sized cloth bag that seemed full of something. He handed it to Kettleburn and also handed him a key. "Never lose this key. Your vault is number 425."
"Thank you, sir," Kettleburn said while he bowed. Then, he headed to the entrance. "I'll hold onto the key until we get back to your house for safekeeping. Now, let us head to Ollivanders."
They left the building and headed down the street. They walked towards the building where there had been a loud sound. Maddie had no idea what to expect with anything anymore. Ollivanders was the wand shop, but she only knew that from reading the sign earlier. She wondered who ran that shop, a talking snake?
They walked into the shop, and there were shelves everywhere filled with boxes. She looked around for whoever ran the shop. Then suddenly, an older man walked out from one of the aisles.
"Ah, hello, young lady, and good to see you again, Professor Kettleburn," the man said. "I see we have another brand new student at Hogwarts. What's your name?"
Maddie cleared her throat. "Madelyne Shire."
He smiled. "Yes, I can tell that you are from the northern part of the country." His eyes looked over her, but it wasn't in a weird way. He was slightly calming. "Let me see here. I think I know what will work." He walked away from them and down an aisle. He grabbed a box and returned to them. "This is a twelve-inch willow with a dragon heartstring core."
She took the wand from the box and held it. She felt it tingle through her fingers before the tingle turned into a sharp pain. She yelped and dropped it quickly. She held her hand against her chest and took a deep breath.
"What was that?" She asked.
Ollivander picked up the wand and put it back in the box. "That was the wand not agreeing with you. Each wand has a specific owner. We just need to find the one that belongs to you."
Kettleburn nodded. "I went through seven wands before I found mine. It takes some real trial and error. Ollivander has gotten better at it though so you probably won't have to filter through so many."
"Do they always hurt when they don't work out?"
Ollivander walked up with another box. "No, my dear. They all have their own individual reactions." He opened the box. "This one is a twelve and three quarter dogwood with a phoenix feather core."
Maddie took the wand. It sent the same tingle up her fingers, but this time, it didn't hurt. She straightened up her stance and flicked it towards some boxes that were crookedly laying on the shelf. They all quickly straightened up.
"It seems like we've found the one," Ollivander chimed. "I hope your studies go well this year. Just a small note about your wand though, Dogwood wands refuse to perform non-verbal spells, and they are sort of noisy. Though, they perform well under pressure and are good for having fun, but while also being clever when needed. Your wand is much like you."
Maddie let a smile slip through. She was finally starting to feel like herself. After years and years of being under pressure by her parents, she was finally able to spread her wings. While Kettleburn paid for the wand, she looked over it admiringly.
"Okay, now that you have this, this doesn't mean that you can perform magic whenever you want," Kettleburn said as he ushered her out the door. "You are not allowed to perform magic outside of Hogwarts until you are seventeen. This is a law. You will get in trouble for it if you break it."
"Who writes the laws?"
"The Ministry of Magic," he said. "There are many categories of people within the Ministry, but they make the laws."
Maddie nodded. "Alright, well, where to now?"
He pointed down the way. "Flourish and Blotts. You'll see a lot of your new classmates there. It's where everyone goes to get their books."
They made their way to the shop, and Maddie was overwhelmed. She loved book stores, but this one seemed so chaotic. There were so many people within the store that it seemed like there was no way she'd be able to find what she needed for school.
Kettleburn put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to a section of the store. "Most of your books will be there. I'm going to get the rest that are scattered around. If you need help, there are loads of people here that can help you. Meet me at the counter when you get everything."
Maddie nodded and walked off into the direction that he pointed in. She pulled out the list of things that she needed and looked over the books. She looked around the area and saw Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling. She reached over and grabbed it. There were so many interesting titles that she was hoping that she was going to read one day. There was a book called Ancient Law. If there was any book that she would want to read, that was one of them. Magical Misdemeanors and the Modern Law seemed interesting too, but maybe that was just her law side coming out.
"Mom, honestly, this is my seventh year, I can find my books on my own," Someone said behind her. "Even Charlie and Percy knows how to find their books. Why can't you just help the twins get their things and leave us be?"
"Because I also have to watch over your other siblings," Another voice said. Maddie assumed it was the mother of the first voice. "Your father is at work, and it's hard to watch over all seven of you. Your brothers are first years, so I'm expecting you to help them most of all. The only new book they need is that Waffling book. It's apparently a new edition and the old one won't do."
Maddie looked down at the book that she was holding. It was the book that they were looking for. There were more on the shelf, but she hated being around people when they are arguing. She turned around and held it out to the mother.
"Not that I'm eavesdropping, but I heard this is the book that you're looking for," she said. "I just happened to be in front of the section."
The lady had a very warm, but also cautious smile. "Thank you, dear." She took the book from Maddie. "You can't possibly work here, can you?"
Maddie shook her head. "No, Ma'am. I'm going to be a first-year at Hogwarts this year." She tossed her braid over her shoulder. "I was just trying to find all of the books that I needed."
The cautiousness disappeared from her smile. She looked around. "Where are your parents? Are they helping you gather up your books?"
She shook her head and noticed that the mother was accompanied by six sons and one daughter, who seemed to be the youngest. "No, they are still at work. I'm here with Professor Kettleburn, though, so I'm not alone."
The expression on her face changed, but Maddie couldn't figure out what emotion it was conveying. "Oh, you're a muggle-born. That makes sense now." She pointed to two of her kids who appeared to be twins. "These two will be first-years this year as well. Fred, George, make friends while I take care of your brothers." She ushered the other boys away. "Thank you again, dear. What's your name?"
"Maddie," she told her before looking at the twins. They both seemed to consider this to be extremely awkward just like she did.
"What house to you want to be sorted in?" George asked awkwardly.
Maddie shrugged. "I don't know anything about the houses. I didn't know that any of this existed until about five hours ago."
Fred grabbed another copy of the book that she had given to their mother and handed it to her. "Well, there are four of them. Our whole family has only ever been in Gryffindor, so we're pretty much guaranteed to be in that house. Really, as long as you aren't in Slytherin, then everything will be okay."
Maddie smiled her thanks and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with Slytherin?"
"Well, nothing is wrong with the house itself, but the people within it is the problem," Fred explained. "All evil wizards come from Slytherin. Not everyone in Slytherin is evil, but the biggest, evilest ones came from that house."
Maddie nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, I'll try not to get into that house then." She looked back over the list of books that she needed to get. "I don't know where any of these are. I wish I had my mom to help me."
The twins shrugged. "We get all of ours as hand-me-downs from our brothers. It's no surprise that we have to be frugal with our money because of the fact that there are so many of us. I feel bad for Ginny, since she's the only girl."
She nodded slowly. "I'm an only child, but my parents both have some high-paying jobs in the "muggle" world."
"Did they know anyone in the family that was a witch or wizard? Or are you an outlier?" One of them asked.
"Apparently, my great aunt Enda was one, but I never heard of her," Maddie said while she shrugged. "I'm actually really scared about all of this. This is all so new to me, and I was on track to being the top students in my class."
The one she thought was Fred put a hand on her shoulder. "When our term starts, we'll help you. I'm sure no matter what happens, you'll be back to being top of the class."
