❧ Don't be afraid

There's light nearby

My name is Scarlett Slade, though that's not my full name. I'm 15 years old and I live in London in England. My hair is a jet black like raven feathers and my eyes are deep purple with dots or red or pink in them. I have pale skin. I have a boyfriend called Michal but other boys at school and other places seem to like me too.

I go to a school in London. There, my best friend is called Kyrstal, she had blonde hair and sky blue eyes and is very beautiful. All the boys In our year like her because she's so pretty.

Something strange happened to me today. Very strange, and amazing.

We are in class right now. Krytal looks at me from across the room.

I wink at her. she grins at me.

Mochael nudges me because he sits next to me in school. I smile flirtly at him.

"Hey, sScarlett, what are those out there?"

I look out of the window. There are lots of weird birds flying round out side.

"just birds." I say. "Why?"

"they have something in it's mouth" he says to me. "it looks like a litter. I wander why its carrying it?"

I shug. "Maybe your just seeing things. " I wink. "You know the part last night? when we got super drunk."

Michal laughs. "I know right" he says "I cant wait to do it again."

"yeah maybe tonight " I say.

Then the bell rings so we leave class. "Lets go and see" we say

Kyrstal follows us. "Where are you guys going? come hang out with us!"

we find the birds. "Look it is a letter!" Michael says.

I pick the letter out of the bird. "It says Hogwarts" I say confusely.

"WHogwarts?" he askes. Krystal looksover.

"What that?"

I carefully peel open the letter. It says-

"TO MISS SCARLETT BROOKE OLIVIA ALICE SPLADE" I read out loud. I gasp.

"It's for you?" Mical says. "Why? how did they know you were here? whats it about?"

I carry on reeding. It says "You are invited to join Jogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardy?" I say. "What?"

"It must be a joke" said Michal. "Witches and wizards are not real."

I keep reading further. This letter is very weird. Witchcraft and wizardy?

"I need to go home" I tell my friends and my boyfriend. I kiss him passionately on the mouth and then I sneak out of the school.

I begin to walk home taking off my jumper so people won't know I'm from the school.

There are some teenage boys hanging around, maybe they're 17 or 19. One wolfwhisples at me.

I glare at them

"Hey babe, you wanna come hang with us?' they call.

"no" I yell loudly.

They flinch looking scared.

I walk away happily. I'm scary when I want to be to scare away people who try to bully me at school. Nobody does anymore.

I keep thinking about the letter on the way home. 'Hogwarts?' I've never heard of it before. Why do they want to sand me to another school? Im happy at the one right now.

I go through the hedge outside my house and I am in the backgarden.

My parents are divorced and I live wih my mum right now. Sometimes I visit my dad. I have a little brother but hes at a school and my mum is at work so the house is empty. I sneak through the door and go into my room. the wallpaper is purple and there are lots of poster of movies and books and other things like celebrities. I grab my laptop and pull it onto the bed to reasearch the Hogwarts.

"HOGWARTS" I type. there are no pages about it.

"Hm..' I say. I look down at the paper again.

There is no specfic address, apart from Hogwarts Scotland England

I go onto google maps and search for Scotland. I look around it but there's no school named Hogwarts. I close the laptop sighing impatiently.

the letter says:

Hogwarts school of witchcrat and wizardry

we invite you to join the school of Hogwarts withcraft and wizardy, Scarlett Brooke Olivia Alice Spade. you will need for your 5th year

there's a list of books I've never heard of, named things like 'wilderbeasts and where to capture them' and 'cornelia crockettes guide to magical remedies'.

I look further down the letter.

You may bring an animal of your choice, either

a cat

a toad

a snake

or owl

You will also need to purchase your items in Diagon Ally.

Where's Diagon Alley? I look at the letter furiously trying to understand it.

I hear a car pull up outside. I run downstairs with the letter.

"Mum I have a letter about Hogwarts! What Is it?"

my mum gets out of the car and walks into the kitchen. "Congratulations scarlett" he says. "I think its time I told you something,"

I sit down. "What?" I say, getting scared.

Mum says "I am a witch, and your father is a wizard." she says. "That means you are also a witch."

I gasp loudly. "WHAT?" I roar.

"You, scarlett are a witch who can now go to Hogwarts school .I went there when I was younger."

I am taken aback by all of this information. HOW?

"Tomorrow I will take you to Diagon alley in London to buy your stuff with you and then you can go to Hogwarts!" she said excitably.

My heart thumps loudly. I look at her. "Why didn't you tell me before? " I cry loudly.

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise." she said. "For my darling lovely amazing little girl."

"I'm not little!" I argue jokingly. I hug my mum. "Thank you mum! Can we go to diagon alley nowwwww?" I whine

She approves and we get into the car again. We zoom off to diagon alley.

"Here we are." she says getting out of the car. "Lets go and buy some magic stuff!"

"Magic?" I GASP. "Wow!"

"Yes, at Hogwarts you are going to learn all about magic." She says, looking ina shop window. "Let's try this one. Ollivanders."

We go into the shop. There's the tinkle of a bell above my head.

"Hello" says a man with white wispy hair. He stares into my eyes creepily.

"Are you here to purchase a wand ?"

"Yes" I reply.

"Try this one" he says giving me a long box.

"Is this a necklace?" I ask, opening it carefully. Inside is a stick

"I don't want a stick," I say putting it on the table.

"IT IS NOT A STICK!" Ollivander cries. "Here is your wand. Try it."

I wave the stick around. Suddenly a burst of butterflies come out!

"OH MY GOD!" I yell stumbling into a pile of empty stick boxes.

"Don't worry, it's normal." Ollivander tells me. "here, that wand will be 10 galleons."

"What? You mean it's ₤10" I say.

"No, here in the wizarding world we have galleons." he explains.

"Don't worry Scarlet I have some magic money," mum says. She gives him some golden coins.

"Thank you." ollivander says.

And we shopped more. I got all of my stuff for Hogwarts. And tomorrow, I will be going on the 'Hogwarts Express.' I can't wait.