Thomas lay in his bed silently. He could hear his mother was cleaning the kitchen downstairs. The sound of pots and pans being magically scrubbed zipped through his head before he found himself walking down the hall to the bathroom.

"Thomas? Thomas! Are you taking a shower?" His Mother called from the kitchen.

"Yeah…" Thomas sleepily called back.

"Ok then. Don't take to long! Your sister wants one after you." His Mother called after him.

Thomas quickly showered and brushed his teeth before sliding down the stair case and walking into the kitchen.

"What kept you in bed?" Hepzibah said, lifting her face from the family's copy of 'the daily prophet'.

"I was up reading. Whaddya expect?" Thomas replied. "By the way what's happening today?" He added, trying to get a glimpse at the news paper.

"Oh nothing much, that Gilderoy Lockhart has released a new book on his latest adventure, 'Break with a Banshee.'" Hepzibah replied, flicking to the page.

Thomas sighed. "That guys a fake, nobody with teeth that good could go battling trolls and other things and still look good." He said, slumping onto a chair at the table.

Mary looked up from the dishes. "That guy is total sex on legs! Don't deny it you too." She said, swinging the scrubber brush around, spraying soapy water everywhere.

Thomas said nothing.

"Ugh Mum get real. The chances of you marrying him now aren't very high…" Hepzibah slurred, dropping the paper onto the table.

Thomas was getting is bowl of cereal from the cupboard when a few plates flew past him and into the cupboard.

"Mum! You do know Muggles live round right? We don't want to get in trouble with the Ministry." Thomas shouted, just jumping out of the way of the enchanted projectiles.

"Don't worry, love. I've cast an illusion spell. To the muggles we're sitting in the living room watching that thing 'east enders'" Mary replied, looking back at Thomas, who had already started on his breakfast.

"Mum! Owl's here." Hepzibah pointed out.

And indeed there was. An owl was flying in towards the open kitchen window.

"I wonder who'd be mailing us…" Mary said.

The snowy white barn owl dropped two letters into Mary's hands and perched itself contently on the window sill.

"Aaah, looks like you two have got mail!" Mary grinned widely.

She handed Hepzibah and Thomas their letters and sat back on the work top. Thomas looked curiously at the letter he was holding in his hands.

"Well? Aren't you going to open it?" Mary said, urging Thomas to open his letter.

The envelope was crisp with a seal of a large golden 'H' surrounded by four animals, Thomas new what this meant. He slowly slipped the letter out of the envelope and read it intently.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand DorcChf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Greenstone,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

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

Yours Sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hepzibah laughed away.

"Yes! I've always wanted to go there!!" She shouted, jumping up from her chair.

"Wow…I never thought I'd actually get in!" Thomas said, looking at the roll of parchment with wide eyes.

"Of course you'd get in! You're your Fathers son. Plus you've got my eye for all things mysterious." Mary said with a wink.

"Mum! When are we going to Diagon alley?? I can't wait to get my animal! I'm gonna get a snowy white owl, just like Dad did!" Hepzibah said.

"We'll leave in a bit. We were going to go either way, I've got someone to meet down at the Leaky Cauldron." Mary explained, getting back to her washing up.

Thomas walked up to his room and slumped down onto the bed.

"Wow…Just wow…" Thomas said quietly to himself.

Still clutching the letter in his hand, he read over it again and pinched himself to make sure it wasn't just a dream.

"I actually got in…" He said, repeating it over and over.

Hepzibah burst into the room and jumped onto the bed.

"Oh god I CAN'T believe we got in!" She shouted, jumping up and down, knocking Thomas onto the floor.

"Yeah me neither. Though I'm pretty nervous.." Thomas replied, getting back up and sitting on the bed.

Hepzibah said nothing.

"I really hope we get into a good house. I mean, nobody wants to be in Slytherin with all the snobs, really?" He added.

"Yeah…I just hope we get into a good house and make lots of new friends. Then it will be bearable." Hepzibah said, looking at her letter again. "So what kind of pet do you want?" She added.

"Hmmm…Not quite sure yet, I'll know when we get to the Magical Menagerie." Thomas said with a smile.

"Well I really want an owl just like Dad's. Though I'm not sure what I'd call it…" His twin explained.

Her brother said nothing.

"What about… Yuki?" Hepzibah suggested.

"Yuki? Is that Chinese or something?" Thomas asked.

"It's Japanese for snow. It sounds lovely!" Hepzibah said, picturing a snow white owl, flying to her arm for a cuddle.

"You think too much." Thomas said with a laugh, pushing his sister playfully.

"C'mon you two, get your shoes on we have a train to catch." Mary called from downstairs.

"Better get going then!" Hepzibah said cheerfully before dancing out of the room and slipping her sneakers on.

Thomas rummaged in his wardrobe and got out his white and blue trainers and grabbed his jacket just in case of a sudden turn in the weather.

Mary was hurriedly scribbling on a piece of parchment.

Dear Minerva.

Hepzibah and Thomas have received their letters and we are now leaving to gather their things down at Diagon alley.

Sincerely

Mary Greenstone.

Mary signed the parchment and clamped it into the owl's beak. Mary watched the owl fly off safely into the sky before gathering her children in the hallway.

"Right, you two ready to go?" Mary said.

The twins nodded.

"Ok then, off we go." Mary said, stuffing the house keys into her hand bag and walking down the driveway.

Mrs Mills was peering over the hedge as Mary and the twins walked down the driveway. Mrs Mills was the Greenstones' next door neighbour, and a very nosey one at that. If you were hanging up wet clothes out the back garden, Mrs Mills was sure to be craning her neck to see what was going on.

"Hello Mr Liddell!" Mary said cheerfully to the passing Mr Liddell.

My Liddell was a very friendly neighbour in Marlborough crescent, he could usually be seen either cutting his grass, sitting on his deck having a cup of tea or walking his poodle, Alice. He was very kind for a muggle Thomas thought.

"Why hello there Mary, great weather today eh? Mr Liddell replied.

"It is indeed, just taking these ones out to get some school stuff." Mary explained with a smile.

"Aaah, new school bags eh? Well have a good day and I'll see you later on." Mr Liddell replied before walking off with Alice.

"Right you two, let's be on our way." Mary said before walking down Orchid park and out onto the main road.

After walking across the road, past the shopping centre, past the park and through the outlet, Mary and the twins arrived at the train station.

"One adult and two children for London please." Mary said to the ticket manager.

"Ok that one leaves in 10 minutes." The man in the ticketing booth said before handing Mary the three tickets. "You go up ahead and down to your right, you can't miss it." He added, pointing down the platforms.

"Thanks a million." Mary said, grabbing the tickets and hurrying off with Thomas and Hepzibah.

"Mum? Can we get something from the ice cream parlour in Diagon alley?" Hepzibah asked with a smile.

"Sure, you deserve a treat today anyway." Mary smiled.

"So what shop are we going to first?" Thomas asked, looking down at the list.

"We'll start at the top and make our way down." Hepzibah suggested, glancing down at her own.

"Right then, that's the plan." Mary said.

Mary, Thomas and Hepzibah handed their tickets to the man standing by the door and proceeded to find a spare seat.

"Ah, here we go." Mary said, sitting down one of the leather seats on one side of the table.

The carriage was long and smelt new and was full of business men working away on laptops and woman chatting away to their friends. A young looking lady went past with a trolley offering drinks and sandwiches.

"Mum? Can I buy a can of Sprite?" Thomas asked, rummaging in his pocket to find some money.

"Go ahead." Mary replied, looking out the window.

"Thank you" Thomas said, taking the can of sprite from the lady with the trolley.

After a ten minute train ride, Mary, Thomas and Hepzibah got off their train at Kings Cross Station.

"Here you two, that's where you'll be getting on the train." Mary pointed to a pillar.

Thomas looked blankly at the pillar.

"Ok…? Then if it's a magical train why can all the muggles see the platform?" Thomas asked, curiously.

"Muggles can't see the Hogwarts express." Hepzibah interrupted.

After walking through streets and alleys, passing book shops, music stores, hamburger bars and cinema's they came to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Here we are. Step inside." Mary said to Thomas and Hepzibah.

Mary took Thomas and Hepzibah to a table at the back of the pub and walked up to the bar.

"I wonder who she's meeting up with" Hepzibah said to Thomas.

"Probably someone from work, you know how she is with her friends." Thomas replied, looking around.

The pub was filled with witches and wizards chatting with one another or lying slumped on their tables.

Just then Mary walked back up to the table holding three butter beers.

"Here we are a nice big drink of butter beer for the two new Hogwarts students!" Mary said, clanking her glass against the others.

Thomas loved butter beer. It was the one wizarding drink he would actually drink. He loved how its fizzy buttery sweet flavour melted on his tongue and slowly ran down his throat.

Hepzibah had finished hers and was waiting for her sibling and Mother to finish up.

"Oh yeah take your time won't you!" Hepzibah said, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair.

"We're done! We can go to Diagon alley now ok?" Mary said to Hepzibah.

Mary gathered her things and walked towards the back door of the pub. The door opened onto a small alley way with an opening in the wall.

"Well looks like someone's already opened it for us!" Mary cheerfully said.

Walking down the alley way, the opening opened out onto a bustling street full of witches and wizards carrying about their daily business.

"Here we are then. Diagon Alley!" Mary said, before walking down the street with her children.