Amelia Dursley, currently in the fourth grade, had a big problem. It was the beginning of October, and her friends were discussing what they wanted to be for Halloween. They knew that they wanted to do something as a group, because that was what friends did for Halloween! But the problem was that no one could agree on a theme for their costumes.

"I want us to be witches!" Marley shouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why do you want to be a witch? Everyone knows that witches are old and ugly and mean and they're gross. Plus, they have warts on their face! I want to be a baseball player," Addie argued.

"God Addie! You can't force us to be basebell players for Halloween! Nobody wants to dress up as some sport from America that we don't care about! You moved here a whole year ago. What's that quote from that movie you made me watch? You're not in Kentucky anymore." Amelia argued with the conviction of a ten year old that knows they're right. "I think we should be princesses."

"I like the Royals," Addie replied quietly, already beginning to sulk. "And I'm from Kansas. Learn your geometry."

"I think it's geology." Amelia responded.

"No that's the one with rocks."

"It's Geography. We had it as a spelling word last month," said Sabrina, at the last minute adding "I think we should go as each other. It could be really fun! We could sit at each other's desks and wear each other's clothes! Imagine our teachers being so confused if Amelia came in and sat at my desk on Halloween!"

"You're just saying that because you have Mr. Gordon and we don't and you hate him!" Amelia replied, cringing at the thought of having to spend even one day Mr. Gordon's class.

"He's just so awful! If you guys were my true friends you'd switch with me for the day." Sabrina countered.

"Can we get back to my idea of being witches?" Marley said, interrupting Sabrina's pity party. "We only have a couple of minutes until recess is over and we have to choose what we want to be. Can we make ourselves cool witches? Like, if we're not ugly?" Nobody spoke for a few minutes after Marley's question, each girl thinking intensely about the idea.

"I…guess we could do that?" Addie spoke at last. At her words, both Amelia and Sabrina nodded.

"Okay but if we're going to be witches we need to dress in a way we all like," Sabrina said, already picturing what their final costume would look like. "When we go home today I'll get my mum to help me draw some outfits."

Sabrina didn't have very long to wait, as the girls' were dismissed from school at the end of recess. Only a few minutes later, Mr. Gordon and Mrs. Samuelson rang the bells that signaled the end of the day. The four girls ran off the grab their backpacks from the lobby, hugged each other goodbye, and went to find their parents and begin the weekend. Amelia ran the two blocks to the small café where she knew her father would be waiting for her with a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. As soon as she was at the front of the store, she stopped short. She smiled as she saw the large figure of her dad facing in the other direction and with his mobile at his ear. She decided not to waste the opportunity to try and trick him, so she tiptoed over to him as quietly and sneakily as she possibly could, only to have him turn around at the last second and grab her, picking her up and smiling down at her astounded face.

"Hey Mimi!" Dudley said as he put Amelia down, kissed the top of her head, and handed her the bright green ice cream cone. "How was the math quiz today?"

Amelia took a minute to answer, as she was too distracted by her ice cream to process her dad's question. "It was really easy," she answered eventually. Amelia chattered on about her day as she finished her treat and Dudley drank his tea. When they were both finished, they threw away their trash and walked hand in hand back to where Dudley had parked the car. Once they got inside, Amelia turned the radio the classical station that she hated but Dudley liked, only to have him smile at her and put her Katy Perry CD on instead. The music started playing and the two of them started singing along. Dudley liked to pretend that he couldn't stand Katy's music, but Amelia knew that he liked it almost as much as she did. After they got out of the car, and as they were walking to their front door, Amelia suddenly remembered the conversation that her and her friends had had during recess.

"Daddy, I need to buy a magic wand." At that sentence, Dudley froze. Every mean thought his parents had ever lead him to have against his freaky cousin and "his kind" of people popped into his mind. No. There was no way. But what if she was? He must have misheard her. His daughter couldn't…

"What did you say, Mimi?" Dudley asked shakily.

Amelia turned around, now a few steps ahead of him. Rolling her eyes, she said "I'm going to be a witch, so I need a wand."