CHAPTER ONE
I love sleep. Honestly. What's better than to dream of the perfect life and then wake up in the morning happy and refreshed? Life is going to be awesome soon, too! I am going to Hogwarts soon! Hogwarts! Uh-oh! We are supposed to go to Diagon Alley today. I literally leap out of bed and I grab the glasses on the nightstand right next to my bed and pull them on. I have -5/20 vision, so I guess the fact that I wear glasses should be obvious. I look at the Witch's Weekly Jr.: Ages 9-12! Calendar on my wall, which reads, in pretty cursive font:
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Albus Dumbledore once said: "It is our choices that distinguish us far more than our abilities."
School starts on the 1st, and we have to go to King's Cross station tomorrow, even though the first is on Saturday. Oh well. At least it is school! I love school. I have never gotten a B or worse before, and I am excited that Hogwarts, as of 2010, has started non-magical studies for success in the Muggle world: a continuation of the Math, Science, History, and Language we learned in primary school. A lot of wizards who now work in the Muggle world lacked the skills to success. Hogwarts believes in keeping magic hidden, but having a good perspective of Muggle life.
The voice I hear next startles me, but it snaps me out of my daydream. "Haley! Time to rise, honey! Diagon Alley awaits!" I hear my mom yell. I jump out of bed, fix my bed, grab my clothes, and run to the bathroom. I can't WAIT to get my supplies. I come out of the bathroom and look at my reflection on the wall. I am wearing a pair of black pants and I decided to pull on an orange shirt that falls to my knees, I guess you can call it a dress, but I call it a shirt. I pull my hair into a messy ponytail and head downstairs. The whole family is already sitting downstairs eating breakfast, so I join them, stacking two pancakes on my plate and drinking a glass of milk. After breakfast, the whole family stands in front of the fireplace we have, but Sally and Sophie, my twin older sisters, close the blinds, while Rick, the eldest sibling, locks the front and back doors. We live in a Muggle community (most wizards do now), so we have to be careful when it comes to magic. My parents support doing most chores by Muggle needs, we keep magic to a minimum. We also go to Muggle schools until we start Hogwarts. And I start Hogwarts this year! All the more reason to be excited! Mom gets out the bowl of Floo Powder, and she throws it into the fireplace while she steps in, saying her destination, Diagon Alley, and then she disappears in a woosh of green smoke. Sally and Sophie stand together, and Sally throws the powder while Sophie yells "Diagon Alley!" They also disappear. My dad takes Max, my only younger sibling, and they go into the garage to take Max to school. He is nine, so he is in fourth grade. Rick and I, the only two kids who inherited our dad's jet black, jet straight hair, are the last ones left in the house. We step into the fireplace, and I let him do the yelling; I am too nervous so I might mess up. I throw the powder and Rick roars "DIAGON ALLEY" as I feel my stomach getting sucked up a tiny tube.
When we land, I feel like I might throw up, and Rick, who sees that I look green, pats me on the back, and I try to swallow the huge lump in my throat. I raise my head to look up, and I see the amazing Diagon Alley! I want to go everywhere, but I have a list of what to bring, which came with the owls about two weeks ago. I have been reading and re-reading the list everyday ever since I got my letter.
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 students' clothes should carry name-tags at all times.
Books
The Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magicby Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theoryby Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfigurationby Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungiby Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potionsby Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themby Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protectionby 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 OwlOR a CatOR a Toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
I decide to go in order of what is listed, so we head over to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions first. My uniforms have no house colors, since I am not sorted yet. My mom came with me since it is my first year. We purchase 3 white blouses that are full sleeves,3 sweaters, 3 skirts with 3 pairs of leggings, 3 black robes, one winter robe, and 3 black ties. Madame Malkin says that when I put my badge on, my uniform will magically change to suit my house. My family is known as the "diverse club" since Rick is in Hufflepuff, and Sally and Sophie are in Slytherin. I hope I get Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but my wizarding friends say that I will be Ravenclaw. I just study hard. It's easy. My mom slaps a hat on my head and I smile on the outside, yet I really like my reflection in the mirror better without the pointed hat. Madame Malkin uses her wand to magically sew my name onto the little white tags on my clothes. We are about to leave Madame Malkin's shop when I remember I forgot my gloves for Herbalogy. I go to the little stand with gloves of all sizes, and I pull on some that fit me perfectly.
We go to Borgin and Bruke's next, where I purchase my textbooks, as well as my cauldron, crystal phials, some parchment, and ink and quill set, some scales, and a telescope. My arms are getting tired of carrying so many boxes so I ask my mom to merge them into one small box with an undetectable extension charm. She does so, and then my box from Madame Malkin's shop ends up holding all of my books and other supplies as well. I only have to get my wand, and since my parents allow one pet per kid, and a pet. We head over to Ollivander's, which is now owned by Ollivander's nephew, to get my wand. After smashing about thirty flower pots, flooding the shop, and destroying half of the light bulbs in the shop, I come out of the shop after an hour holding my wand. It is 11 ¾ inches, with a core of phoenix feather. The wood is ash, and it has close to no flexibility at all. Good, I can't break it. I have noticed that most short wizards have long wands, and I guess it fits since I am only four feet and eleven inches tall. I hope I grow a little bit more as I grow up. My mom takes me to the pet shop, and I buy a beautiful snow white kitten with blue eyes that I name Melody. I smile as we head to the Leaky Cauldron to get a drink before heading home. Hogwarts, here I come.