Declan was sitting at the desk in his room, surfing the Internet on his laptop in an attempt to remedy his boredom. He had been explicitly told by his father earlier that day that he had lost his laptop privileges for a month, but Declan couldn't have defended himself even if he had wanted to. He felt awful for what had happened to his eight year-old sister Frances, but he honestly had no idea how she had suddenly turned yellow. One minute she was her usual, annoying self, and the next she was screaming with fear, looking as close as a person could to a terrified lemon. Declan's father, John O'Riley, couldn't explain it either, but he had punished his eleven year-old son anyway. Both Mr. O'Riley and Frances were in the bathroom down the hall, yelling back and forth about how their attempt to return her skin to its regular hue was so far unsuccessful.

This was only the most recent inexplicable occurrence in Declan's life. Once, before his mother had died five years ago of a massive brain aneurysm, the family cat had lost all of its fur overnight, which was found the next day in Mr. O'Riley's car. More recently, about three years ago, Declan had been at school, playing with his friends, when a bully had started teasing Declan. Out of nowhere, a trout had appeared and slapped the boy across the face, then fell to the dirt and flopped around until it died.

Growing bored with his laptop, Declan took stock of his surroundings, searching for something to entertain his young, restless mind. His hazel eyes passed over the various photos on his desk, pausing only briefly when they beheld his mother's face. He had her thin nose and grayish eyes, but his high cheekbones, cleft chin and black hair could not be found on her countenance. In the moments when his thoughts turned to her, he did not remember the sound of her voice or the warmth of her smile; instead, he recalled the sound of her flatlining in the hospital, and the sight of her lying on the kitchen floor, blood oozing from her ear and into her thick, auburn hair.

Blinking back tears, Declan shifted his gaze to the bookshelf in the corner of his room. It was old and worn, but that did not mean that it went unused now. Nine of its ten shelves contained a variety of books, which ranged from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones. All of the books, including Darwin's Origin of Species, had been read by Declan at least once, typically more. The top shelf was home to a few football trophies Declan had earned over the last few years.

Experiencing an unusual lack of interest in the books, Declan rose from his desk and approached his bed. He climbed onto it, kneeling on his pillows as he gazed out the small window above the headboard. The midsummer sun bathed Godric's Hollow in magnificent oranges and reds, casting dark shadows wherever the rays met something. The church's stained glass windows were exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight.

"Your sister's skin is back to normal," Mr. O'Riley said from the bedroom door, causing Declan to jump in surprise. "I know you didn't mean to scare her, but I need to know how you did it, son."

Declan turned away from the window, facing his father as he remained on the bed. Sighing, he said, "I'm sorry Dad. I know I shouldn't have done it. I'll apologize to her." The young boy knew that although he hadn't answered the question, he had given his father what he wanted to hear.

"Once you've apologized, come see me in my room. I've got some errands for you to run," Mr. O'Riley said, then walked down the hall and out of sight.

Declan clambered off his bed, walked out of his room and into his sister's. The bright pink walls assaulted his eyeballs, and perfume invaded his nostrils, strong enough to make his eyes smart. Frances was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching something on the family iPad. After clearing his throat, Declan began, "Frances, I - "

"It wasn't your fault," she interrupted without taking her eyes off the tablet. "I was being annoying, and you asked me to stop. I know you didn't mean to do it, just like you didn't mean to make Fluffy lose all of his fur that one time. It's okay."

"Um…alright. Thanks, Frannie," he responded, slightly bewildered. She shrugged, so Declan left her to her video, making his way to his father's bedroom. The room was almost completely devoid of personal touch, the bed and wardrobe being the only decorations within. The stone-gray walls gave off a feeling of sadness; Declan hated this room. "You said you had some errands for me to run?" he said to his father, who was sitting on the bed and staring at nothing.

Emerging slowly from his reverie, Mr. O'Riley muttered, "Aye, I want you to pick up some things from the store. There's a list on the kitchen table. Once you get home, I'll make dinner." With that, he went back to staring at the wall.

Declan was worried about his father, but he didn't know how he could help. He left the depressing room and made his way downstairs, grabbed the list off of the kitchen table, then walked outside. He strode silently through the similarly quiet neighborhood, hands deep in his pockets. The beauty of the July morning was wasted on Declan, who was paying almost no attention to his surroundings. He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice that he had walked past one of his best friends until said friend called out to him.

"Oi, O'Riley! Not even gonna say hello, eh?"

Starting, Declan turned to see James standing on the sidewalk, looking baffled. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. How's Al?"

"He's a pain, as always," James said as he shrugged. "Look, there's something I've gotta tell you…I'm starting at a new boarding school on second of September."

"Wai - What? This is really sudden…when did you find out?"

"I got my acceptance letter this morning," James said, seeming excited but also sad to be leaving his friend. "It's out in Scotland, so I won't be around except for the holidays. I leave on the first. Can we meet up and talk more about this later today? I've really gotta run. Sorry mate," he said, slapping his friend lightly on the shoulder before turning and walking off.

Declan watched the wiry boy depart, utterly crestfallen. Wondering what this meant for his immediate future, Declan slowly made his way to the store. He picked up the items on the list, and he grabbed a Coke for himself on his way to the checkout. Standing in line was a tall, dark-haired man with circular glasses. Working up his courage, Declan approached and said, "Mr. Potter, can I ask you something?"

Upon hearing his name, the man turned, recognized his son's best friend and said, "Good morning Declan! What's on your mind lad?"

"Is James mad at me? Why does he want to go to a new school? Does he not want to be friends anymore?" the boy asked in a rush.

Mr. Potter crouched so he could meet the boy's eyes, then said, "Declan, come now. You and James are closer than James is with his own brother, and you also know that they're thick as thieves. To be perfectly honest with you, Mrs. Potter and I forced him to apply. When he got his acceptance letter this morning, his first statement was that you weren't going to be happy. I sincerely doubt that he doesn't want to be friends anymore. Alright?" When Declan nodded, Mr. Potter ruffled the boy's hair and stood. "If that'll be all, I'm gonna go ahead and go home now. Someone's got to keep Ginny sane, after all."

"Thank you, sir," Declan said, obviously reassured. Mr. Potter nodded, then turned to the cashier to check out. Declan got into a different line, paid for the groceries with the fifty pound note that Mr. O'Riley had placed under the shopping list, waved to Mr. Potter and then left the shop.

Ten minutes later, Declan was walking up the driveway of his home, searching the nearby woods for the owl that had screeched just seconds before. He tossed the empty Coke bottle into the rubbish bin before going inside. Just across the threshold was the post, several envelopes resting on the carpet. "I'm home! Mail's here too," he called out as soon as he picked up the envelopes and closed the door behind him.

Declan strode from the foyer into the den to find his father sitting on the couch, watching a football match. Declan handed his father the post and the leftover money, then made his way into the kitchen. He quickly put the groceries away, grabbing an apple from the fridge when he was done. He then returned to the den, munching on the apple as he did so, sat next to his father, and watched the remainder of the match. Declan preferred playing the sport to watching, but it was one of the few moments that allowed him the opportunity to spend time with his father. Mr. O'Riley got extremely animated whenever he was watching a football game, and it comforted Declan to see his father invested in something that wasn't his job as a lawyer. The two of them sat and watched every game they could, even if their preferred team, Liverpool, wasn't playing.

Today though, the match dragged on and on. Once it was finally over, Declan said, "I saw James and Mr. Potter while I was out. James told me he's attending a new boarding school, start of September. It's in Scotland."

Mr. O'Riley sighed, clicked off the television, then turned to face his son. He seemed to search Declan's expression for a moment, but he made no remark as to what he was looking for nor whether he found it. "I'm sorry, Declan. He'll be around during the holidays though, and you've got other friends. This will only be a negative thing if you turn it into one," Mr. O'Riley encouraged. "He's like the brother you never had. I'm sure he'll call every chance he gets, eh?"

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Dad," Declan said as he rose from the couch.

Mr. O'Riley sorted through the envelopes as his son went to throw away the core of the apple he had been eating. Most of the mail consisted of bills and advertisements, although there was one envelope that was neither. "Hey Declan! You've got something in the mail," he called to his son as he tossed the envelope to the other end of the couch.

Declan reappeared to grab the letter without looking at it and then made his way up to his room. As he sat on his bed, he tossed the envelope onto his desk, pulling out his phone as he did so to text James. After sending a single word in greeting, he set his phone on the desk and grabbed the letter once more. Upon examination, the envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and his name and address were written in emerald-green ink. There was no return address, nor was there a stamp. Turning the envelope over, Declan saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

His interest piqued, Declan ignored the buzz of his cell phone that meant that James had replied, instead breaking the fancy seal with his index finger. Inside the envelope were three folded pieces of paper, thick and yellow just like the envelope. Declan unfolded the parchment carefully, upon which was the same emerald ink in the same handwriting. The first piece of parchment read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Mr. O'Riley,

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, as well as a letter explaining the contents of this message since our records

indicate that you are Muggle-born.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Deputy Headmaster

Declan read the letter twice before tossing it and the other contents of the envelope into the rubbish bin under his desk. Chuckling to himself as he unlocked his phone, he dialed his best friend's number and listened while the line rang. After three rings, James greeted him. "Alright mate, I know we've had a bit of a prank war going for a few months now, but that last one was just plain dumb," Declan said with a laugh.

"I can explain," James groaned. "Lily walked into my room wanting me to play with her right before I finished cutting the T, and she startled me, so it turned into an O. It wasn't supposed to say CUNO, it was supposed to - "

"I'm not talking about my shirt, you git. I'm talking about the letter," Declan said with a hint of annoyance.

"What letter?" James replied, sounding intrigued.

"The one from Pigfarts Academy of Withery and Wizardcraft, or something like that. I had no idea you had such an imagination."

There was a long pause from the other end, which was finally broken when James asked, "Declan, are you saying you got a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

Sensing that something was off, Declan hesitated before saying, "Yeah, I think that's what you called it.

Another long pause followed Declan's statement, then James finally said, "O'Riley, grab the envelope and letters, tell your dad you're going out, then get over to my place ASAP. We have a lot to talk about."

I hope you enjoyed the beginning of my new fic! Please leave a review telling me what you liked or disliked; any and all feedback is helpful.