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Meg O' Halloran was ten years old and almost ready to go to secondary school. She thought that six years of primary school would have prepared her for anything, and unlike many of the kids of her own age that she knew, she was actually looking forward to the end of the summer holidays. She didn't have many friends at her old school but maybe that this could change at her new school. Perhaps they would understand her more here. She tended to pick things up faster then the other children and occasionally small accidents would occur around her. Meg just brushed these off as crazy accidents.
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Ever since her father had died, her mother had stopped caring about her. She worked long hours at her office job in the city and as Meg was an only child she often had to look out for herself. It was 1968, The Beatle's had split up and the swinging sixties was drawing to an end. The summer dragged on, long and hot; Meg was bored. July was closing to an end, only another month or so until her new school started and Meg was going to attend the prestigious grammar school in her town. She thought that maybe her mother would be proud of her but she just looked vaguely surprised at the news. Meg privately thought that she probably didn't read the report cards that she always left on the table for her. This particular day was a Monday and Meg already had her entire day planned out. She was going to make herself a nice breakfast and then go to the library for the rest of the day. If anything could cheer her up the library could. After all it was her birthday, she should be able to do what she wanted and be happy for the day, shouldn't she?
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She was just placing her used pots in the sink, opposite the table, to wash up when she got back when a startling event happened. An owl flew in the window! As Meg was rather small in stature for her age and had a deceptive air of fragility about her, the owl seemed very large in comparison and Meg was, to put it lightly, startled. She stifled a small scream and continued to watch as the handsome bird alighted on the kitchen table. The brown owl held out its leg to Meg. She wasn't going to go a cross there! What if it bit her or something? She wouldn't risk that. She couldn't be bleeding all over the table (especially after it had had a dirty great owl on it); people have to eat from it! That's just not hygienic. The owl was still looking at her with its large, round eyes. They were very disturbing eyes. The owl seemed to become bored after another minute or so of the mutual staring competition and eventually dropped its leg (Meg noticed that this leg had very sharp talons); back onto the table, along with whatever it was holding. She stepped closer to the table, and then took another step again, she was almost within arms length of whatever the owl had dropped when it let out a loud hooting. Within seconds she was back across the other side of the kitchen. What a birthday this was turning out to be. The owl hooted again, managing to sound both haughty and impatient, then took off and soared through the kitchen window leaving Meg alone, with what looked like an official letter.
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Looking at the front of the letter was no help at all, it only had her name and address on and she already knew both of those. She was interested to note that they were written in a cursive handwriting that was very elaborate. She slowly turned it over, not knowing what to expect. What she saw was intriguing to say the least. It was something that looked like her new school's crest, but this crest was much more elaborate and looked like it was very old in design. Meg decided there was nothing to lose if she opened it. She took a deep breath and focused on the rather odd feeling paper before her.
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Miss. M A O' HalloranI am delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A representative from the school will call at your residence within the hour to inform you about the school.
Sincerely
Dumbledore
Pf. of Transfiguration and Dpt. Headmaster.
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Meg stared at the paper dumbstruck. A school of witchcraft? That was just not possible? Witches didn't exist! They couldn't. People would know about it if they did. There was a loud rapping at the door and she glanced at the clock. Half of the morning had gone! That's what you get for being scared of a stupid owl she thought crossly. She stumped to the door and opened it. Then looked up. And up, and up. Standing on her doorstep, in the almost absurdly ordinary part of Lincolnshire that she lived in stood a man. This was definitely and absurdly ordinary man. He had the bluest eyes that she had ever seen. These were set off by his very deep mahogany coloured hair, which he wore long, matching his beard and moustache. He had the kindest face of any man that Meg had ever seen. For several moments she looked up and he looked down and they took each other's measure.
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A.N: I just want to mention that this is going to be set in the Marauder's era and is not going to strictly follow canon, so it could be considered AU as I am making some characters older and some younger, primarily so I can have them all in the same academic time frame. Any constructive criticism is welcomed as this is my first fan fiction piece and I need all the help I can get. I know it isn't very long and that there is hardly any speech in it, but this is kind of an introductory chapter.
Oh yeah, and in case you didn't know, I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with JK Rowling. I do, however, own Meg O' Halloran.