I awoke to the sound of an owl outside my window. I groaned and flipped over in bed successfully plummeting to the cold wooden floor that made up my bedroom. It was August 5th, my eleventh birthday, and the day my fate would change forever. I picked myself up off the floor and let the owl into my room. It dropped a letter in my hands and I was confused, the return address said that the letter was from Hogwarts School of witch craft and wizardry in London. I couldn't breathe a feeling of warmth spread through my body. This letter meant I was a witch like mom. I opened my letter and after seeing the word "Congratulations…" I threw it to the ground and ran downstairs.
"MOM! MOM! MOM! I GOT MY LETTER! I'M GOING TO HOGWARTS!" I was ecstatic, I never knew I could do magic but now that I think about it, it made sense. The time I was eight and starting Taekwondo I willed my body to be flexible and could, after one lesson kick over my head, and after hoping to be powerful I had the strength of a fully grown man? My instructors thought I was amazing, and asked where I had trained before. My mother had made up some story quickly about taking gymnastics and good genes or something but I never took gymnastics she had given me a knowing smile like she knew something I didn't. I know now though. I ran into the kitchen beaming with my news.
"Honey, that's great! Come on! I'll get your father, you start packing, and we must leave for London! I'll make arrangements to stay at the leaky cauldron, we'll get your supplies and then before you know it school will start!"
…
I stepped into Ollivander's the shop looked dusty, there were walls with long boxes that looked almost like shoe boxes but thinner stacked upon each other in great piles. There was a little boy with black hair and shiny blue eyes standing in the shop. He had a frustrated expression on his face and was waving around a wand that seemed to be uncooperative. An older man who I assume was Ollivander spotted me. His posture changed greatly and he looked from the boy to me and raised an eyebrow. Without saying a word to me he ran into a long hallway that was, like the rest of the shop, stacked with boxes. I walked up to the boy and tapped him on the shoulder he whirled around clearly exasperated.
"What? Oh, hello." He said. His face brightened when he saw me. His bad mood seemed to disappear.
"Hi, I'm Kate, are you going to start school at Hogwarts to?" I asked politely.
"Yeah, I'm Rick, so you're here to get your first wand?" He asked. I nodded. Then Mr. Ollivander returned with two boxes that looked to be the same size he handed one to each of us.
"Hello, I'm Ollivander, I assume you are the daughter of Johanna Beckett?" I nodded.
"Well if I'm right, you better become well acquainted. And I suggest your parents meet, when you walked into this shop young lady, a feeling, an idea came over me, if I am correct about your wands then l must inform you that your lives, from this moment are intertwined." He handed us each a box.
"I realize that these wands will be a little big for you, but you Rick will become a bulky man and Kate, is it? You will be quite tall like your mother, you will have a big job to do, which may be why these wands will choose you." We watched him in awe listening to his every word; our mothers were talking quietly. Rick and I looked at each other, and completely in sync opened our boxes at the same time. We pulled out identical long wands.
"Acacia and Phoenix feather, eighteen inches, unbending." He stated. Again perfectly in sync Rick and I waved our wands at the same time, making an eerie glow surround us and a soft wind blow throughout the shop. Our mothers eyes snapped up to us, and my mom asked Mr. Ollivander the question I was wondering about.
"Do you mean their wands are exactly the same? I thought each was supposed to be unique?" He nodded.
"Yes, yes, but I do everything for a reason, these are the only two wands ever with this combination of wood and core. I was compelled to make these wands the same, just as I felt that these two young wizards would be chosen by the twin wands." My mother still looked slightly skeptical but seemed a little less confused.
"Well, can you explain to me more about the wood acacia? I've heard of phoenix feather wands before, but never acacia wood." He smiled and closed his eyes as though he was going to recite a speech.
"Acacia, a very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as 'bangs-and-smells' magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament." My mother nodded finally at ease, but I had a question.
"Does that mean that my wand will only work for me?" I asked.
"Interesting, very interesting." Mr. Ollivander muttered under his breath. "Rick, Kate, switch wands." I looked at him skeptically. My mother nodded at me, a signal to try it.
I held up the wand that was longer than my eleven year old forearm, Rick held up the wand identical to mine. As we touched hands sparks flew up and down our arms and between our wands. We swapped and waved our wands, the same glow surrounded us and a wind blew through the shop. Everyone in the shop watched curiously.
"That is quite peculiar." I looked at Rick and he stared back at me. As we stared into each other's eyes I heard my mother talking.
"Kate, why don't you try holding hands?" I raised my eyebrows at Rick and he held out his hand to me, even though I was a girl, I guess his curiosity was greater than his fear of cooties. I gently squeezed his hand and we waved our wands again. A bright light flooded the store and everything straightened up, everything broken fixed itself and even Rick's shirt tucked itself into his pants.
"Alright, thank you Mr. Ollivander." I said and ushered Rick out of the shop so we could talk and our parents could pay for our wands.
"Rick, when we get to Hogwarts we must talk to Dumbledore. I've never heard of anything like this ever happening before." He nodded.
"You're right, in the mean time we should hang out, spend some time together, since apparently we're destined to become best friends." I grinned and nodded as our parents exited the store.
"See Kate, you thought you were getting your first wand but you also got a new witty and charming best friend." He said obviously meaning himself.
"Really? Where is he?" I asked.
"Right in front of you!"
"hmm. Funny, I don't see anyone witty or charming." Both of our mothers started giggling and we both turned to look at them.
"Come on guys, we better go get some sleep, long ride to Hogwarts tomorrow." My mom said. I nodded and said my good byes to Rick who made me promise to sit next to him on the train.
…
The same time the following afternoon I was breathing heavily as professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on my head.
"Interesting, very interesting, you're kind like Hufflepuff, smart like Ravenclaw, brave like Gryffindor, and cunning like Slytherin. Before I make my decision call up your other half, the one whom you share a wand with." I nodded and with large eyes and my mind racing I turned to professor McGonagall.
"Uhm, Professor? The hat told me to call up Rick before it picked my house." She looked at me for a long moment before she called Rick. She put the hat on his head.
"Aha! You two shall go on to great things, but only if you stick together, let me see...GRYFFENDOR!" Rick and I locked eyes for a long moment then went over to the Gryffindor table that was cheering loudly.
"Girl that was awesome! I'm Lanie; we need to hang out some time." An African American girl at the table told me she was a first year like Rick and I. I looked over to Rick he was making friends with a Hispanic kid and an Irish boy they were both first years as well. I was laughing, the Hispanic boy was buff and looked like he could be a third year or greater while the Irish boy looked nervous and unsure he seemed like he wasn't ready to be at Hogwarts. The three boys turned to me and Rick started making introductions.
"Kevin, Javier, this is Kate. Kate this is Kevin and Javier." He pointed to the Irish and Hispanic boy respectively. I grinned at them.
"Hi, I'm Kate and this is Lanie." I said pointing to Lanie who I noticed was listening in on our conversation. I leaned over to Rick and whispered into his ear.
"Rick, when the feast is over we need to go talk to Professor Dumbledore." He nodded and continued his conversation.