AN: I know, I know. After four months, you finally see some life in me in the form of writing and it's not for Kingdom Hearts! Well, I've been hit by the Harry Potter bug. Don't worry, there aren't any Deathly Hallows spoilers in here, or any spoilers for that matter. OC characters mixed in with Harry Potter characters that I don't own. I kinda rushed through this but I just wanted it to be a short little oneshot, so...yah. XD

So This Is Magic

By aliasfan

"We're so proud of you!"

"Going to be heading off to Hogwarts! Our little Marina!"

My parents continued to shower me with praise up until I got on the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 and ¾. They had been continually ecstatic ever since my letter arrived from Dumbledore. Don't get me wrong, I was quite excited too. I was upholding the family name by attending the school. Marina Maggerdon, fifth generation to go to Hogwarts. My parents, both pure bloods, started dating in their fifth year at Hogwarts. Mom was in Gryffindor, dad was in Ravenclaw. I think their first date was to a Quidditch match.

I didn't care which House I got sorted into, I was just happy I would be going to Hogwarts. I had heard tons of stories from my family about Hogwarts: the ghosts in the halls, the games on the field, the goods from Honeydukes. I was young and innocent, and everything about the school seemed, well, magical. No one seemed to mention anything about things like bullies, O.W.L.'s, or detention. But that was fine with me. I wanted to stay in my fantasy about a perfect place to learn magic and spells and have fun. And I wouldn't be having fun alone either. Granted, I knew I'd make tons of friends with the other first years who were sorted into the same House as me. But I already knew someone who would be attending Hogwarts with me. Jeren Daniels. Jeren lived just down the block from me. His parents were both muggles. It amazed me that Jeren was a wizard despite his parents not having any magical blood. And he was the total opposite of me, at least in that area.

"I got it! I got my acceptance letter!" Jeren exclaimed as he burst through my front door.

I smiled and hugged him. "I just got mine too! Can you believe it? We're both going to Hogwarts!"

"I know," Jeren grinned. Short black hair and shiny hazel eyes. Even then I was already smitten by him. "I can't wait to learn real magic! All I've done so far is make my dog stop barking. My parents told me not to do it, but I know they secretly want me to." He laughed.

"That's funny! Well, I've…hmm…come to think of it…I haven't done any magic yet."

"I'm sure you have, you just don't remember." Jeren said casually, running his eyes over his letter again.

I bit my lip. "No, how could I forget a thing like that?" I shook my head. "Well, maybe I just never realized I was doing magic even though I was. Like that one time that plant fell over when I was standing right in front of it. Maybe I used magic to do that!"

"Yah, you're right." Jeren responded reassuringly. He hugged me again, and I blushed. "Marina? I'm glad we're going to Hogwarts…together. Let's make sure we get into the same House, okay?"

My insides did a jump. "Okay!"

We rode together to Hogwarts. Me holding my cat, Babby (hey, I was only 11, you know), and Jeren holding his cat, whom he had yet to name. The time flew by as he talked the whole way there.

When we arrived there and entered the Great Hall, nothing my parents described to me compared to actually being there! It was magnificent! The Sorting Hat sang his newly revised song, and after everyone was sorted, I had ended up in Gryffindor, just like my mom. My little heart nearly broke when Jeren was chosen to be in Ravenclaw. But then again, that's where my dad had been, so I didn't feel too sad. Fate? Maybe.

I went through all my classes the first week a little down. I was doing horribly. I couldn't get my broom to lift off the ground to ride. I figured I wouldn't be on the Quidditch team any time soon (but I was a first year anyway, so I had some time to improve). Defense Against the Dark Arts, or DADA as I heard some of the older Gryffindors saying in the common room, was pretty bad. My wand wasn't even cooperating for me to cast a spell! I did alright in Potions, but they still never looked, and unfortunately, never smelled like they were supposed to. Transfiguration class was the best class of the day, only because Gryffindors were with Ravenclaws, so I got to be in a class with Jeren! He had been enjoying all of his classes so far. Said he got a few compliments by the teachers. I was very impressed by what I heard from him, and I was able to witness it firsthand in class.

Professor McGonagall wanted us to turn our pencils into pieces of fruit. I would have liked to turn mine into a piece of chocolate instead, but I couldn't even do that! I clapped for Jeren when he turned his pencil into a pineapple, but it still didn't make me feel any better when the professor pulled me aside.

"Marina, how are you doing? I saw that you were having some trouble with the transfiguration."

"I-I've done my readings…" I stammered, upset that I wasn't learning any real magic since being at Hogwarts, or at least not being smart enough to do it. "And I've been trying to practice…" I sniffed. "But nothing's working! Even in my other classes…"

"You're having trouble in your other classes as well?" McGonagall raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat. "I'll see what I can do."

The next thing I knew, my parents were called for a meeting with my teachers.

"It's rather difficult for her to-"

"Her wand doesn't seem to respond…"

"I've seen cases like this before."

"I…I think she's a sq-"

"Don't say it!!" My mother screamed. I winced, and sunk lower in my chair in shame.

"She's a squib…" Professor Flitwick finished sadly.

"I'm sorry."

I heard that a lot. 'I'm sorry'. Sorry? For what? I was young, and my dreams were being crushed right before my very eyes. I had shamed my parents, and embarrassed myself. If there was anything I learned from Hogwarts, it was the vocabulary word 'squib'. A witch, from a pure blood line…and a squib. How could I not hate myself? My parents practically disowned me after that. Sure, they loved me. But they never treated me the same as they used to. I grew up without hearing their praise. Or rather, without hearing their praise to me. They decided not too long after to have another baby. They were sure this one would turn out to be perfect. Their little angel. Their little wizard. Their little not-a-squib child.

Years went by, and I tried to get over it. But it was hard. The hardest part wasn't not being at Hogwarts. It was Jeren being at Hogwarts. I had to go months without him around. He was my best friend, and even though I couldn't learn magic, he still treated me like I could.

"I see you for who you are, not for who you're not." Jeren said to me. "You can't help it."

Whenever he came home for winter and summer breaks, he'd always show me everything he learned. They were right, Ravenclaws are wise and smart! As the years went by, Jeren not only was a prefect and Head boy, but he was also the announcer during Quidditch matches, and he tutored kids in Care of Magical Creatures (guess those days shutting up his dog really paid off). I'll never forget though, that day he came home for break in his sixth year.

"Marina?" Jeren and I sat in his backyard. He had just finished showing me the new things he learned (even though he wasn't supposed to use magic outside of school, he still risked it for me!).

"Yah?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my legs. He still gave me butterflies when he said my name.

"I…I've been keeping this inside for a while, but I know I can't do this any longer." My heart skipped a beat, anticipation but fear on my face. "I think I'm in love with you…"

My eyes widened at his remark. Love? I didn't know he felt that strongly about me. But it felt good because I felt that strongly about him. I was scared though, because I was just a squib, and he was a wizard. He was from a whole different world, one that I should have been a part of.

"And," he continued. "I know what you're thinking. You're a squib. Big deal! Why should that matter? And anyways, even after being in school for all these years, and being with so many witches and wizards, no one casts a spell on me like you do…"

I could barely breathe. Maybe it was because no one had ever said something so sweet to me. Or maybe it was because he had kissed me, and taken my breath away. His lips felt soft against mine, and I soon felt the warmth of his gentle embrace. I kept my eyes closed, and let my heart keep me in the moment. I felt more elated than I had ever been before. Someone cared. Someone loved me.

"So this is magic…"