Tap. Tap. Tap.

Those were the sounds Vesta Blishwick woke up to. Blue eyes darted around the room, checking for the source of the noise. She groaned, "Cassie?" The eagle owl sitting on her windowsill kept tapping. She sighed, "Cassiopeia?"

The tapping stopped. Vesta groggily got out of bed and opened the window. Cassiopeia flew into the room.

"Okay, I've got your dead mice in your cage. If you need anything, be patient." After crossing off the date, grinning when she saw the date. Only a week till my birthday! She walked out of the room. After a couple minutes of actually trying to get from her room all the way across the manor, she walked into the dining was completely empty. When she walked in, she was immediately greeted by her house elf, Dolly.

"Greetings, Miss," Dolly greeted.

Vesta smiled, "Greetings, Dolly."

"And what does young Mistress Blishwick want for breakfast?"

Vesta sighed, she had tried to get the house elf to call her Vesta for years, but Mistress always stuck. "I think I'm in the mood for bacon."

"Right away Mistress!" Dolly rushed off to the kitchens. Vesta laughed and walked over to the dining table. That was where she saw it. The emerald green writing, the crest. it was finally here. Smiling, she opened it.

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. Blishwick,

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 September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

She couldn't help but scream. "MOTHER! FATHER!" she screamed, running down the hall way to her parents' room. "MOTHER! FATHER! WAKE UP!"

Rolinda Blishwick woke up, pushing a piece of her long blonde hair of her face. "Sweetheart, it is if five in the morning, you can't go screaming around the manor, you'll wake Adonis up." Adonis was her seven year old little brother who was obsessed with Zonko's products. Vesta kept the mentality that it was okay when she used Zonko's products on Adonis, just not the other way around. "I'm surprised you didn't wake your father up." She pointed to Michael Blishwick, who was still fast asleep. "So, Vesta, what was so important that you woke up the whole manor for?"

Vesta bounced up and down, "It came!" She showed her mother the letter.

Her mother smiled, "I am so proud of you." She tapped Vesta's father on the shoulder, "Michael," she shook him, "Michael!"

Her father groggily mumbled, "What?"

Vesta's mother rolled her eyes, "You're daughter just got her Hogwarts letter."

Her father mumbled, "Congratulations," before falling asleep.

Rolinda chuckled, "Okay, just give us a chance to wake up. We'll be down in a couple minutes."

Vesta nodded and rushed back to the dining room, where a plate of bacon was waiting for her. She sat down and started eating. Once she finished and her parents still weren't down, she read the second page of her Hogwarts letter.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

sets of plain work robes (black)

plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' 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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

She frowned a bit at that last part. It was unfair first years couldn't bring their own broomsticks. They had to use those rubbish school brooms her father told her about. Almost immediately after she finished mentally complaining, her little brother ran in.

"I'm hungry!" Adonis complained.

Vesta rolled her eyes, "Good morning to you. Thanks for congratulating me on getting accepted."

"Well, I knew you were gonna be accepted cause of that time you shrunk all my clothes!" Adonis complained, "Besides, I'm hungry!"

"Well, call for Mitzy."

"But I just saw Dolly leave the room! Can I please use her?" Adonis begged.

"No, she's my house elf," Vesta replied.

"Meanie." Adonis stuck his tongue out.

After finishing breakfast, Vesta ran to her room to get dressed. She brushed her medium-length red hair and put it into a ponytail. She squeezed her cheeks, scowling at their chubbiness. Her cousin would never leave her alone about it.

Once put on a nice set of robes, she ran back to the dining room, where her mother and father had finished eating.

"I'm ready! Can we go now, please, please, please?" She begged

"Vesta, don't be immature. Stop repeating yourself, and let your mother and I get ready," Michael commanded.

Vesta looked dow. "Yes, sir. Sorry, Father."

After what seemed like an eternity, the entire Blishwick family gathered by the fireplace.

"We're going to have to buy some more floo powder," Rolinda told her husband. He just nodded in response.

"Can I go first?" Adonis asked.

"No, I get to go first. I'm the reason we're going!" Vesta argued.

They continued to argue, saying the worst things an eleven and a seven-year-old could think of (which was not much), until their mother intervened.

"ADONIS! VESTA!" Both siblings stopped to look at her, "Vesta is going first. Adonis, when you get your Hogwarts letter, you can go first. Okay?"

"Okay," The siblings both repeated.

"Now, Vesta, you can go first."

Vesta stepped into the fireplace, ducking her head. She took a handful of floo powder and said, "Diagon Alley!"

She disappeared into a mass of green flames.

When Vesta's family arrived at Diagon Alley, her eyes immediately darted to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

The Nimbus 2000

Before her parents could stop her, she rushed over to the shop window, her face touching the glass. She turned to her mother and father. "Please, father, buy me it! I won't even ask for money for candy!"

Her father sighed. "Vesta, first years are not allowed their own broomsticks. Did you even bother to read through the letter?"

"I did, but I can leave it at home for the year!"

Michael rolled his eyes. "And when the Nimbus 2001 comes out you'll be begging me for that. Now, come along, we need to head over to Gringotts."

Vesta just scowled, not being able to think of a comeback, and went with her parents to Gringotts. She hated it there. The goblins always creeped her out.

Once they finally got their money, Michael stated they would first stop at Ollivanders. Vesta grinned and grabbed her parents' hands and ran to Ollivanders, Rolinda holding on tightly to Adonis. Michael scowled as they kept running into people, but not struggling at Vesta's energetic sprint towards the famous wand shop.

When they finally arrived at Ollivanders, Vesta spoke, "Mother, Father, can I go by myself?"

At her mother's nod, she rushed into the wand shop, which was empty, except for the old man that ran the shop, Ollivander.

"Hello, sir." Vesta walked up to the counter, nearly towering over it.

Ollivander looked at her with familiarity in his voice. "Ah, Vesta Blishwick, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, sir."

Ollivander nodded. "I remember your father. Rowan with dragon heartstring, great for jinxes." He seemed to be talking more to himself than to Vesta. "And your mother, mahogany with unicorn hair. I knew it wouldn't be long until I saw you." Ollivander pulled out a tape measure with silver markings. "Now, which is your wand arm?"

"Left, sir," Vesta replied.

He instructed her to hold out her arm as the tape measure began to measure her. Height, waist, arm length, everything. While the tape measure measured her, Ollivander began looking through the shelves in the back. After the tape measure was finished, he took a wand out of a box.

"Ivy with phoenix feather." He handed it to her and she waved it, frowning when nothing happened. Ollivander snatched the wand out of her hand and gave her another. "Ebony with unicorn hair." She waved it again, only for nothing to happen and it to be snatched out of her hand again.

After what seemed like forever, with wands piling and piling on top of the chair, Ollivander handed her another wand. "Hazel with dragon heartstring." As soon as she put it into her hand, she felt warmth flow throughout her body and wave the wand, a stack of books exploding. "Excellent!" Ollivander exclaimed. "Hazel with dragon heartstring, extremely loyal, and excellent for curses."

After paying seven galleons for the wand, she walked outside, where her mother was already holding her books in one hand, and Adonis in the other. Her father was holding her cauldron and other equipment.

"Now," Rolinda spoke, "time to get fitted for your robes." She smiled warmly at her daughter.

They went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, as they always did when they wanted something fitted for them. Madam Malkin directed her to stand next to another girl who was getting fitted. She had bushy brown hair and brown eyes. She was in Muggle clothes, which Vesta found strange. She decided to chat with her.

"Hello there, I'm Vesta Blishwick." She introduced herself.

The girl seemed happy to talk, because she talked in what seemed to be one breath. "Hello! I'm Hermione Granger! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Hermione grinned. "This is so overwhelming, at least it is for me, because my family isn't magical, and it was such a delight when I found out. I bought a couple extra books for background reading, do you think it'll be enough?"

Vesta blinked. A Mudblood? She's never met one before. The Mudblood didn't seem to be dirty in any way. She seemed to be normal, besides not knowing about magic. That explains the clothes, at least. She have to ask her cousin, Maxinimus Talbot, about why he called them dirty. Her parents never used those terms. Well, not in front of her, at least.

"I'm not sure, I think it's more than enough. I'm Vesta Blishwick. So, your family is full of Muggles?"

"Yeah! They're dentists," Hermione replied. She didn't seem that bad.

Vesta frowned. "Den-tists?"

Hermione looked shocked. "You don't know what dentists are?" At the puzzled look on Vesta's face, she explained what a dentist was. Vesta was slightly horrified, and slightly impressed at the trust Muggles put into each other.

"I suppose you don't know what houses are?" Vesta asked.

"I looked at a bit, you know, the essentials. I think I would like to be in Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw sounds nice too."

"I'm probably getting into Slytherin. My entire family is in it," she told her.

"Well, you're placed into your house based on a whole load of factors, not just your family."

Vesta nodded. "I guess your right."

After Madam Malkin finished fitting the both of them, they waved to each other and left to join their families. Vesta decided to not mention to her family that she just met a Mudblood, she didn't want to trigger any sort of bad reaction.