Chapter 1
Athena was from a large family. There were now nine kids and her parents had only been married once. Athena was the second youngest and though only 11 she had two brother-in-laws and a niece.
Athena had always felt different from the rest of her family. The rest of her family seemed to fit in somehow, but not Athena. At school she only had a few friends and some of those she didn't even like much. At home she felt like she was some sort of spectator. She was under a lot of pressure to do well. Her brother was at Harvard, one of the best schools in America. All her sisters were really smart and always in advanced classes. Athena, however, felt that she was not meant to be good at what she was doing. One of the things she would do, a lot, was read. She felt as if she could escape in a book. Into a world of magical creatures and lands. She felt more at home inside a book.
Athena was to be starting sixth grade after the end of the summer, and for some reason she didn't want to.
One day she was sitting outside on the hammock in her backyard in the small city of Omaha, Nebraska. She was lost in the word of Hobbits and elves in The Lord of the Rings, when she heard a funny screeching noise, bringing her back to reality. She looked up and was amazed by what she saw. A tawny owl with something in it's beak was flying directly towards her. She screamed and jumped off of the hammock.
The owl dropped a...was it a letter??.. on top of her. She turned it over and saw that it was addressed to her. It said:
Athena Revshlevsky 678 N 68th St. Bed on the Left Second room on the right Second floor Omaha, NE, 68145 USA
"What in the world??" Athena whispered to herself. "What does THIS mean??" Deciding that there was no better way to find out...she tore open the heavy yellow parchment. Inside were two pieces of paper. The first read:
Dear Miss Revshlevsky, You have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Her eyes grew wide as she skimmed over the letter in a rush. She wasnÕt really sure what it meant yet, but whatever it was she knew she wanted to know.
She sat back down on the hammock much slower than she normally would. She could faintly hear her sister Mitzy yelling about something or another, she couldnÕt make out what. She also was faintly aware that the screaming coming from the front yard was caused my another member of her family, probably her little sister, Lizzy. She wasnÕt really paying attention to the noises her family was making, however. Instead she was reading her letter over and over again. Comprehension began to dwindle on her mind after a while. She realized that this made everything make sense. It explained why she felt so different from her siblings and why she didnÕt fit it at school. It even explained the unusual things that tended to happen around her.
She began to laugh a little as she remember the last time something unusual had happened, only two months ago. Mitzy, who was 13 and a big pain, had blamed Athena for the loss of her new red shoes. Mitzy had gotten them to wear to a bar mitzvah party for a boy who she was particularly fond of and they werenÕt anywhere to be found. Athena knew she hadnÕt taken the shoes and tried to pin the guilt on Lizzy who had started to cry. As a result she had been forced to search the house until she produced, or rather found, the shoes and she was told that she was grounded until she did so. Outraged, she had started her search. Mitzy proceeded to yell at Athena for the shoes ever three minutes or so. Finally, with no warning, MitzyÕs voice had sounded like Daffy Duck. Lizzy had laughed for a long time and every time Mitzy tried to speak she sounded like the speech impaired duck. Athena proceeded to stop searching for the shoes and Becca had found them in her own room where Mitzy had been modeling them the night before. Once Mitzy finally apologized for blaming Athena, in a very spitty lisped way, her voice returned to normal.
As Athena allowed herself to go further into recollection, she found that she had always seemed to be the source of the unusual happenings.
ÒI am a witch,Ó she muttered, realizing it was true. ÒIÕm a witch! IÕm a witch!Ó She wasnÕt really speaking loudly but she had fully registered what this meant.
She scanned the letter again. ÒTerm begins on September first...Ó She gasped, there wasnÕt much time until September first. Today was already August 15. The day before her birthday. Her gaze returned to the letter. Where was this school? she wondered. She looked in the envelope again and realized there were two more pieces of parchment. One was a list of school supplies, which was unusual in its own right, telling her she needed a wand and a cauldron and books with titles like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by a man named Newt and so on.
The next parchment was even more unusual, it read:
As you come from a muggle family (a non magical one) you are unfamiliar with where to catch the Hogwarts Express on September first or where to go to get your school supplies.
For the former of the two, please know that you need to go to Platform 9 and 3/4 at KingÕs Cross Station in London.
As for the latter of the two, it is recommended to go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. You should first find a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Ask for the manager and ask him to let you into Diagon Alley. Once there you should first report to Gringots to exchange your money for wizarding money. Then you will manage to find everything you need for school (and much more) in Diagon Alley.
To reply by owl, send the owl that brought you the letter back with your response.
Sincerely, Professor McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
ÒWha-Ó AthenaÕs eyes were wide and she couldnÕt come up with more response than that. Finally she settled on, ÒI have got to tell mom! I hope she says I can go...Ó
ÒGo where?Ó
ÒLizzy go away. ItÕs none of your business.Ó
ÒYes it is,Ó Lizzy said, an evil smile appearing on her lips.
Athena rolled her eyes. But before she realized what was going on, her nine year old sister had grabbed the letter from her hands. ÒGive that back!Ó she demanded, looking horrified.
Her look, however, was nothing compared to LizzyÕs. ÒA-a witch? YouÕre a witch? But...Ó Lizzy looked lost and confused. ÒThena, there isnÕt such thing as real magic is there? Seth says magic isnÕt real. He says all of CarlÕs tricks are just toys. He says there isnÕt such things as wizards and witches.Ó
ÒWell, I exist donÕt I?Ó Athena looked smugly at her baby sister. Then without further notice she grabbed the letter back and headed indoors.
ÒWhereÕs mom?Ó Athena asked her fifteen year old brother, Seth.
ÒI think she went on a walk with the dog,Ó came SethÕs nonchalant answer.
ÒWhen did she leave?Ó Athena sounded almost frantic.
ÒI dunno...about ten minutes ago I guess.Ó
ÒThanks!Ó Athena yelled over her shoulder as she headed towards the door. She grabbed her inhaler, knowing she would need it later and set off at a run. She held her inhaler in her left hand and grasped her letter in her right. SHe ran out the door and down the street. Once she reached the park she ran at top speed towards her momÕs usual route. After five minutes of running she saw her mother and hollered, ÒMom! Mom, wait up!Ó
Sophia Revshlevsky stopped and looked around, her gaze falling onto her second youngest child. A glimpse of exasperation flew across her face but was gone as fast as it had come. Her daughter always seemed to cause very unusual trouble and many other problems.
ÒMom.......I..........got.........a............letter.......Ó Athena was gasping for air and she quickly took two puffs from her inhaler. SHe waited a minute to catch her breath and then restate, ÒI got a letter.Ó She held the parchment out towards her mother.
Mrs. Revshlevsky was completely confused as to why Athena had to come running after her to tell her she had gotten a letter. Sure her daughter didnÕt get a ton of mail, but what was so amazing about this letter? She took the envelope from her daughter and pulled the parchment out. Reading over the letter, she became even more confused and gave Athena a very quizzical look. ÒWhatÕs this supposed to mean?Ó ÒI think it means that I am a witch and I am supposed to go to this Hogwarts place to learn magic.Ó The look on her motherÕs face was very doubtful so she quickly began talking some more. ÒNo think about it! IT makes sense! I mean I always am making really weird things happen especially when I am emotionally distraught! IsnÕt it possible that it was because I have magic in me and I am a witch and stuff! And take a look at this,Ó she pulled out the other part of the letter, the one that told her how to get into Diagon Alley, Òhow could someone make it up and still have this clear of detail in the letter? And the letter was sent by an owl! Mom it just makes sense!Ó Athena waited looking hesitantly at her mother. ÒPlease can I go? Please?Ó
Against her better judgment, Mrs. Revshlevsky nodded. ÒWhen does this school start? The first? Well that's not long off...and we need to get your school supplies, too. And its in London? Then I guess we will be needing plane tickets as well.Ó The two walked talking about the letter and AthenaÕs new school. After nearly half an hour, the made their way back into their house. They had come to the discussion to tell the family at dinner that evening. Athena was ecstatic. She couldnÕt wait to go and she had told her mother countless times already that this was by far the best birthday gift she had ever gotten.
Soon enough, the family (or at least what was left living in the house) had gathered at the table for dinner. Dr. and Mrs. Revshlevsky sat at the head and foot of the table. Athena was directly to her motherÕs left next came little Lizzy, then Ruth. The other side of the table held Mitzy by their father, then Seth, and lastly Carl on their motherÕs right. Seth and Carl were the only two boys in the family and therefore had a very strong bond. They always sat next to each other even if it meant that one of them was in the middle of the row.
It took about ten minutes for everyone to get situated with at least one serving of every part of dinner already on their plates. It was at this point that Mrs. Revshlevsky quieted the table. ÒShhhh, shhhhhh. There is something that Athena needs to tell everyone.Ó She gave a nod to Athena.
ÒMom and Dad are letting me go away to school. I am going to be going to a bording school in Great Britain, starting this year.Ó She paused, then went on, ÒIt isnÕt a normal school either...Ó She stopped again for dramatic effect and before she had a chance to continue Carl was speaking.
Carl was seventeen and was a senior in high school. One of his favorite things to do was tease Athena for various things. He didnÕt hesitate at this opportunity, ÒWell of course it isnÕt a normal school if youÕll be going there! So what kind of school is it anyway? A school where you learn to not always be the third wheel?Ó ÒCarl! You will hold your tongue! If you donÕt you will be grounded. Athena continue.Ó ÒWell, this school is called Hogwarts, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be more specific,Ó Athena having finished, looked around the table her eyes shining brightly. Everyone was stunned. Except her parents and little Lizzy, who had seen the letter.
Finally Lizzy piped up, ÒSo you werenÕt lying when you said that you were a real witch! There really is such thing as magic!Ó As she said the second part her eyes shot over to Seth who was utterly speechless, and remained so for two days.
It was the third day after having received the letter that Athena and her mother were boarding a plane on their way to London. It had taken Athena a long time to pack all of her belongings into suitcases. She knew that she would be remaining at school over all the breaks because they simply couldnÕt afford to pay for her tickets home very often.
Before stepping on the plane, Athena had to make all of her good-byes. The three hardest were without a doubt Lizzy, her father, and her best friend Alli.
ÒHey Lizzy, its ok. IÕm not leaving for ever, just for the school year. I will see you again next summer. And donÕt worry I will send you presents for your birthday and for Hanukkah!Ó
ÒI know but I am gunna miss you! You are the only one who understands me!Ó
ÒWell I will write often and who knows, maybe in a few years you will be coming to join me at Hogwarts!Ó Then turning to her father she said, ÒI love you daddy! IÕll miss you sooooo soooo sooo much!Ó They shared a giant bear hug, ÒThank you,Ó she whispered, Òthank you for letting me go!Ó
ÒAlli,Ó she paused tears in her eyes, Òyou are by far my best friend and you always will be whether I am here or not! But here you have other friends too and you have everything going for you, I donÕt. This is the best thing for me and I hope that you can understand that and wonÕt be mad at me for leaving on such sort notice.Ó ÒThena, youÕre my best friend and I could NEVER be mad at you! I got you something, but donÕt open it until you are on the plane or something.Ó She handed Athena a package and then with tears streaming down their faces the two friends hugged.
ÒLast boarding call for flight 1256 to London!Ó The automatic voice told Athena and her mother that it was time to go.
ÒBye everyone!Ó Athena called. ÒIÕll miss you!Ó
With that the two females walked towards the plane.
ÒDonÕt cry Lizzy, sheÕll be back. That Hogwarts place doesnÕt really exist, sheÕll come back with mom.Ó Athena turned around and shot Carl one last glare before getting on the plane. She knew with all her heart that in a few short hours her life would change and Carl would once and for all be proven wrong about magic.
Chapter two
Athena was from a large family. There were now nine kids and her parents had only been married once. Athena was the second youngest and though only 11 she had two brother-in-laws and a niece.
Athena had always felt different from the rest of her family. The rest of her family seemed to fit in somehow, but not Athena. At school she only had a few friends and some of those she didn't even like much. At home she felt like she was some sort of spectator. She was under a lot of pressure to do well. Her brother was at Harvard, one of the best schools in America. All her sisters were really smart and always in advanced classes. Athena, however, felt that she was not meant to be good at what she was doing. One of the things she would do, a lot, was read. She felt as if she could escape in a book. Into a world of magical creatures and lands. She felt more at home inside a book.
Athena was to be starting sixth grade after the end of the summer, and for some reason she didn't want to.
One day she was sitting outside on the hammock in her backyard in the small city of Omaha, Nebraska. She was lost in the word of Hobbits and elves in The Lord of the Rings, when she heard a funny screeching noise, bringing her back to reality. She looked up and was amazed by what she saw. A tawny owl with something in it's beak was flying directly towards her. She screamed and jumped off of the hammock.
The owl dropped a...was it a letter??.. on top of her. She turned it over and saw that it was addressed to her. It said:
Athena Revshlevsky 678 N 68th St. Bed on the Left Second room on the right Second floor Omaha, NE, 68145 USA
"What in the world??" Athena whispered to herself. "What does THIS mean??" Deciding that there was no better way to find out...she tore open the heavy yellow parchment. Inside were two pieces of paper. The first read:
Dear Miss Revshlevsky, You have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Her eyes grew wide as she skimmed over the letter in a rush. She wasnÕt really sure what it meant yet, but whatever it was she knew she wanted to know.
She sat back down on the hammock much slower than she normally would. She could faintly hear her sister Mitzy yelling about something or another, she couldnÕt make out what. She also was faintly aware that the screaming coming from the front yard was caused my another member of her family, probably her little sister, Lizzy. She wasnÕt really paying attention to the noises her family was making, however. Instead she was reading her letter over and over again. Comprehension began to dwindle on her mind after a while. She realized that this made everything make sense. It explained why she felt so different from her siblings and why she didnÕt fit it at school. It even explained the unusual things that tended to happen around her.
She began to laugh a little as she remember the last time something unusual had happened, only two months ago. Mitzy, who was 13 and a big pain, had blamed Athena for the loss of her new red shoes. Mitzy had gotten them to wear to a bar mitzvah party for a boy who she was particularly fond of and they werenÕt anywhere to be found. Athena knew she hadnÕt taken the shoes and tried to pin the guilt on Lizzy who had started to cry. As a result she had been forced to search the house until she produced, or rather found, the shoes and she was told that she was grounded until she did so. Outraged, she had started her search. Mitzy proceeded to yell at Athena for the shoes ever three minutes or so. Finally, with no warning, MitzyÕs voice had sounded like Daffy Duck. Lizzy had laughed for a long time and every time Mitzy tried to speak she sounded like the speech impaired duck. Athena proceeded to stop searching for the shoes and Becca had found them in her own room where Mitzy had been modeling them the night before. Once Mitzy finally apologized for blaming Athena, in a very spitty lisped way, her voice returned to normal.
As Athena allowed herself to go further into recollection, she found that she had always seemed to be the source of the unusual happenings.
ÒI am a witch,Ó she muttered, realizing it was true. ÒIÕm a witch! IÕm a witch!Ó She wasnÕt really speaking loudly but she had fully registered what this meant.
She scanned the letter again. ÒTerm begins on September first...Ó She gasped, there wasnÕt much time until September first. Today was already August 15. The day before her birthday. Her gaze returned to the letter. Where was this school? she wondered. She looked in the envelope again and realized there were two more pieces of parchment. One was a list of school supplies, which was unusual in its own right, telling her she needed a wand and a cauldron and books with titles like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by a man named Newt and so on.
The next parchment was even more unusual, it read:
As you come from a muggle family (a non magical one) you are unfamiliar with where to catch the Hogwarts Express on September first or where to go to get your school supplies.
For the former of the two, please know that you need to go to Platform 9 and 3/4 at KingÕs Cross Station in London.
As for the latter of the two, it is recommended to go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. You should first find a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Ask for the manager and ask him to let you into Diagon Alley. Once there you should first report to Gringots to exchange your money for wizarding money. Then you will manage to find everything you need for school (and much more) in Diagon Alley.
To reply by owl, send the owl that brought you the letter back with your response.
Sincerely, Professor McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
ÒWha-Ó AthenaÕs eyes were wide and she couldnÕt come up with more response than that. Finally she settled on, ÒI have got to tell mom! I hope she says I can go...Ó
ÒGo where?Ó
ÒLizzy go away. ItÕs none of your business.Ó
ÒYes it is,Ó Lizzy said, an evil smile appearing on her lips.
Athena rolled her eyes. But before she realized what was going on, her nine year old sister had grabbed the letter from her hands. ÒGive that back!Ó she demanded, looking horrified.
Her look, however, was nothing compared to LizzyÕs. ÒA-a witch? YouÕre a witch? But...Ó Lizzy looked lost and confused. ÒThena, there isnÕt such thing as real magic is there? Seth says magic isnÕt real. He says all of CarlÕs tricks are just toys. He says there isnÕt such things as wizards and witches.Ó
ÒWell, I exist donÕt I?Ó Athena looked smugly at her baby sister. Then without further notice she grabbed the letter back and headed indoors.
ÒWhereÕs mom?Ó Athena asked her fifteen year old brother, Seth.
ÒI think she went on a walk with the dog,Ó came SethÕs nonchalant answer.
ÒWhen did she leave?Ó Athena sounded almost frantic.
ÒI dunno...about ten minutes ago I guess.Ó
ÒThanks!Ó Athena yelled over her shoulder as she headed towards the door. She grabbed her inhaler, knowing she would need it later and set off at a run. She held her inhaler in her left hand and grasped her letter in her right. SHe ran out the door and down the street. Once she reached the park she ran at top speed towards her momÕs usual route. After five minutes of running she saw her mother and hollered, ÒMom! Mom, wait up!Ó
Sophia Revshlevsky stopped and looked around, her gaze falling onto her second youngest child. A glimpse of exasperation flew across her face but was gone as fast as it had come. Her daughter always seemed to cause very unusual trouble and many other problems.
ÒMom.......I..........got.........a............letter.......Ó Athena was gasping for air and she quickly took two puffs from her inhaler. SHe waited a minute to catch her breath and then restate, ÒI got a letter.Ó She held the parchment out towards her mother.
Mrs. Revshlevsky was completely confused as to why Athena had to come running after her to tell her she had gotten a letter. Sure her daughter didnÕt get a ton of mail, but what was so amazing about this letter? She took the envelope from her daughter and pulled the parchment out. Reading over the letter, she became even more confused and gave Athena a very quizzical look. ÒWhatÕs this supposed to mean?Ó ÒI think it means that I am a witch and I am supposed to go to this Hogwarts place to learn magic.Ó The look on her motherÕs face was very doubtful so she quickly began talking some more. ÒNo think about it! IT makes sense! I mean I always am making really weird things happen especially when I am emotionally distraught! IsnÕt it possible that it was because I have magic in me and I am a witch and stuff! And take a look at this,Ó she pulled out the other part of the letter, the one that told her how to get into Diagon Alley, Òhow could someone make it up and still have this clear of detail in the letter? And the letter was sent by an owl! Mom it just makes sense!Ó Athena waited looking hesitantly at her mother. ÒPlease can I go? Please?Ó
Against her better judgment, Mrs. Revshlevsky nodded. ÒWhen does this school start? The first? Well that's not long off...and we need to get your school supplies, too. And its in London? Then I guess we will be needing plane tickets as well.Ó The two walked talking about the letter and AthenaÕs new school. After nearly half an hour, the made their way back into their house. They had come to the discussion to tell the family at dinner that evening. Athena was ecstatic. She couldnÕt wait to go and she had told her mother countless times already that this was by far the best birthday gift she had ever gotten.
Soon enough, the family (or at least what was left living in the house) had gathered at the table for dinner. Dr. and Mrs. Revshlevsky sat at the head and foot of the table. Athena was directly to her motherÕs left next came little Lizzy, then Ruth. The other side of the table held Mitzy by their father, then Seth, and lastly Carl on their motherÕs right. Seth and Carl were the only two boys in the family and therefore had a very strong bond. They always sat next to each other even if it meant that one of them was in the middle of the row.
It took about ten minutes for everyone to get situated with at least one serving of every part of dinner already on their plates. It was at this point that Mrs. Revshlevsky quieted the table. ÒShhhh, shhhhhh. There is something that Athena needs to tell everyone.Ó She gave a nod to Athena.
ÒMom and Dad are letting me go away to school. I am going to be going to a bording school in Great Britain, starting this year.Ó She paused, then went on, ÒIt isnÕt a normal school either...Ó She stopped again for dramatic effect and before she had a chance to continue Carl was speaking.
Carl was seventeen and was a senior in high school. One of his favorite things to do was tease Athena for various things. He didnÕt hesitate at this opportunity, ÒWell of course it isnÕt a normal school if youÕll be going there! So what kind of school is it anyway? A school where you learn to not always be the third wheel?Ó ÒCarl! You will hold your tongue! If you donÕt you will be grounded. Athena continue.Ó ÒWell, this school is called Hogwarts, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be more specific,Ó Athena having finished, looked around the table her eyes shining brightly. Everyone was stunned. Except her parents and little Lizzy, who had seen the letter.
Finally Lizzy piped up, ÒSo you werenÕt lying when you said that you were a real witch! There really is such thing as magic!Ó As she said the second part her eyes shot over to Seth who was utterly speechless, and remained so for two days.
It was the third day after having received the letter that Athena and her mother were boarding a plane on their way to London. It had taken Athena a long time to pack all of her belongings into suitcases. She knew that she would be remaining at school over all the breaks because they simply couldnÕt afford to pay for her tickets home very often.
Before stepping on the plane, Athena had to make all of her good-byes. The three hardest were without a doubt Lizzy, her father, and her best friend Alli.
ÒHey Lizzy, its ok. IÕm not leaving for ever, just for the school year. I will see you again next summer. And donÕt worry I will send you presents for your birthday and for Hanukkah!Ó
ÒI know but I am gunna miss you! You are the only one who understands me!Ó
ÒWell I will write often and who knows, maybe in a few years you will be coming to join me at Hogwarts!Ó Then turning to her father she said, ÒI love you daddy! IÕll miss you sooooo soooo sooo much!Ó They shared a giant bear hug, ÒThank you,Ó she whispered, Òthank you for letting me go!Ó
ÒAlli,Ó she paused tears in her eyes, Òyou are by far my best friend and you always will be whether I am here or not! But here you have other friends too and you have everything going for you, I donÕt. This is the best thing for me and I hope that you can understand that and wonÕt be mad at me for leaving on such sort notice.Ó ÒThena, youÕre my best friend and I could NEVER be mad at you! I got you something, but donÕt open it until you are on the plane or something.Ó She handed Athena a package and then with tears streaming down their faces the two friends hugged.
ÒLast boarding call for flight 1256 to London!Ó The automatic voice told Athena and her mother that it was time to go.
ÒBye everyone!Ó Athena called. ÒIÕll miss you!Ó
With that the two females walked towards the plane.
ÒDonÕt cry Lizzy, sheÕll be back. That Hogwarts place doesnÕt really exist, sheÕll come back with mom.Ó Athena turned around and shot Carl one last glare before getting on the plane. She knew with all her heart that in a few short hours her life would change and Carl would once and for all be proven wrong about magic.
Chapter two