The Middleton family lived in Canada, where winters were snowy and summers were hot. School had been out for weeks and they were on vacation in their old summer house in London, where the weather was cooler in summer and their daughter's birthplace.
Mr. Middleton stepped out of the house to a beautiful summer morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there was a pleasant breeze, and a barn owl rested on the- Wait, barn owl? That was strange. And something was tied to its leg.
"Susan!" Mr. Middleton cried. "There's a barn owl on our roof!"
"Are you seeing things again, Peter?" his wife called back.
"It's in plain sight; I don't think I'm seeing anything!"
"Then why do you say you see an owl on the roof?" their son, Jeffery, joked.
"Just come and look!"
The two came out and saw the exact sight Peter had seen, a big barn owl.
"So it is real." Susan remarked. "Wonder if it's injured or anything. I don't know why it would have to stop in clear morning. Maybe Anny knows, she knows a lot about birds and things…Where is she?"
"Tree house as always. Can't seem to get her face out of that book of hers." Jeffery ran to their backyard and climbed the ladder on the side of a big oak tree. "Anne, come quick! There's an owl on the roof!"
"Heh, like I'll believe that!" huffed Anastasia without looking up from her book. "Your just trying to lure me into another prank of yours."
"No, look, look, LOOK!" the young boy pointed at the bird, which had been starring at Anastasia with its large eyes.
"Ugh! Fine!" Anastasia withdrew her nose from the book, revealing her face. She had light tan skin and dark brown hair as well as brown eyes. She was quite tall with skinny limbs, but she was a reasonable size for an eleven year old girl. Her birthday was the day before.
She looked out the door of the tree house, onto the roof. Her eyes not being so keen, she could only barely make out the shape of an owl. She knew it was real because it moved to clean its feathers.
"Now what's I doing here?" she wondered aloud. She climbed down and ran to the front yard, where her parents stood, still staring at the peculiar bird.
"How do we get it down?" her mother asked.
"Perhaps we could use bird calls?" her father suggested.
"Owls don't come out in the daytime, father." Anny came to a decision. "I'll have to go up there, by the looks of it, I don't think it will fly away."
She grabbed hold of the gutter and used the house panels as footholds. After falling and slipping once or twice, she finally got on the roof. The owl still stood staring at her. Close up, she could now tell that its right wing was injured and missing a few feathers. She also noticed it had a letter tied around it's leg.
Checking the envelope, she realized it was addressed to her!
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Middleton,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted 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 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
"Hogwarts?" Anastasia thought. "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
"What was it tied around its leg?" her father shouted up.
"It's a letter addressed to me!" she called back.
"From who? And why by owl?"
She had almost forgotten the owl and picked it up gently. Knowing what her daughter was about to do, Susan held up her hands, ready for Anny to place the large bird in them. After attaching a makeshift splint for it, it took off as if nothing had happened. Your family seemed surprised, but that was the least of their concern.
"Anastasia Queen Middleton, who is that letter from?" Peter asked sternly.
"Oh, yes, I forgot." Instead of telling him about it, she handed her father the letter.
After both parents read it through multiple times and processed what they had read, they turned to her and Susan said, "Well, can't say it surprises me."
"W-What? You knew about Hogwarts?" Anny was slightly bewildered.
"No, but we always knew you were strange." Peter smiled.
"Thanks a lot." Anne mumbled.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, you're a witch. My best friend in school was a witch. Oh, she was horrible at keeping secrets…" As her mother drifted into her memories, Anastasia soaked it all in.
She was a witch.
Hope y'all enjoyed it, I stayed up late writing this and I want to go to sleep now, so go away. (Review, Favorite, and Follow! Please!)