August fourth, my birthday, had finally arrived. A large, handsome cake lay upon the table, arrogantly flashing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMEITA!" across the front in various colors. A pile of gifts were perched on a table in the corner. My two best friends, Drew and Rebecca Hunter were sitting on the floor with me playing Exploding Snap. They both were absolutely relieved that the wizard secret was revealed.
"I, for one, was baffled when your parents said they weren't going to tell you that you were a wizard," Drew said, biting into a Cauldron Cake, "I was going to tell you as soon as the new term started."
"Good your parents came to their senses, then. Now you can tag along to Hogwarts with your two best mates!"Rebecca replied. Her face had turned red from eating an Atomic Atom Bomb Fireball candy.
"You can handle that, can you?" I asked, looking apprehensively at my friend's face. Smoke was now shooting from her ears.
"Don't worry; she eats loads of them all the time, they're her favorite, you know," Drew said. "I rather favor Cockroach Clusters." At this, he bit into one. Rebecca and I grimaced as a sickening CRUNCH reached our ears.
"So what House d' you think you'll be in?"Rebecca asked me. She was sweating now.
"Huh, come again?" I asked.
"I'm in Ravenclaw, and Drew's in Hufflepuff," Rebecca said, "the other two are Slytherin and Gryffindor."
"So, you two don't mind that you're in different Houses, then?" I asked. I would have very much wanted to be in the same House as my best mates.
"We don't mind, really. Becca's as sharp as a tack, you know, so she would naturally be in Ravenclaw, wouldn't she?" Drew replied, munching on another cluster, "And I'm a shoe- in for Hufflepuff, don't know why exactly. I'm just cool like that, I suppose." Rebecca rolled her eyes.
"Cake time, you lot!" Mum shouted from the kitchen.
"About bloody time!" Drew hollered, jumping up immediately and running to the kitchen, "I was about to die of starvation!"
Rebecca grabbed as many gifts as she could carry and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll get the rest, Ameita, you go ahead into the kitchen," she said as I reached for the remainder of the presents.
Mum turned out the lights and everyone sang the Birthday Song. After the song had finished, miniature fireworks set off around the cake. It was unbelievable.
"Cake!" Drew trilled. He grabbed a knife and cut out a huge chunk. When Rebecca gave him a stern look, he turned to me and said, reluctantly, but sweetly, "Here, first slice for the birthday girl!"
"You have it, only you could eat all that cake," I said.
"Brilliant! Cheers, Ameita!" he said relieved and sat down at the table. He took a fork and shoveled cake into his mouth.
"You'd think his mother never feeds him!" Mum said. "And believe me, she has quite a time trying!" Drew smiled, cake all over his mouth, and continued eating.
"Gof inny utter ear?" Drew asked. His mouth full of cake, I couldn't understand what he was saying. Rebecca reached into the fridge and retrieved a butterbeer and placed it in front of Drew.
"Oh, fank you Beffa, God bwess ooh," he said, grabbing the butterbeer and gulping it down.
"Ready to open your presents, then?" Dad asked, eyeing Drew with a look of amusement on his face. He handed me a small box with a green ribbon around it. When I opened it, I pulled out a long, heart-shaped, silver locket.
"Oh, it's pretty," I said, examining it. It had a large A engraved on the front.
"It's from your mother and me," Dad replied, "You can put a picture inside, if you like."
I opened the locket and saw a heart-shaped space inside.
"My gift next!" Drew said, jumping up and knocking over his plate. A broom zoomed over and swept his plate and crumbs in a dustpan.
He reached in the middle of the pile and pulled out a newspaper- wrapped package. This caused the rest of the gifts to tumble over. "Here," he said, not noticing the mess he had made, "I wrapped it in the funny papers! Give you something to laugh at." I ripped the paper off the package. It was a book called: Quidditch Teams Around the World
"Wow, thanks, Drew!" I said, flipping through the pages. I spotted pictures of the Ludicrous Lions of Africa, the Carnivorous Kangaroos of Australia, and the Savage Spider Monkeys of Brazil.
"Your dad told me you liked Quidditch, so I bought you this book," Drew said.
Rebecca's gift was next. It was also a book. I opened it and saw lots of pictures of Rebecca, Drew, and me together. "They don't move, but now that you know the secret, we can fill the rest of the pages with moving ones," she said.
"Good idea. Thank you, Becca!" I gave her a hug. The rest of the presents were from grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They were a number of magical gadgets and trinkets.
"So, everyone else in our family is a wizard, then?" I asked looking down at the mass of curious objects.
"Yes, everyone," Mum said.
"Even Aunt Gwendolyn? But she can't keep a secret even if it was her own!" I said, "And Uncle Harold, he claimed that magic was foolish and false when I was a magician in my second grade talent show!"
"You'd be surprised, when it comes to wizardry, they're serious," Dad said.
"It's getting late, you two should be headed home," Mum said to Drew and Rebecca.
"Ah, but the party was just getting started!" Drew complained.
"I'll give you some cake to take home," Mum said.
"Excellent! Come on, Rebecca. Let's not keep these nice people waiting! There's cake to be eaten!" Drew said nudging Becca towards the door.
"You know, sometimes I can't believe we're twins! We're completely different. I'm brilliant, you're dim, I have self control, and you act as if you're two!" Rebecca sighed.
"My dear, dear sister, you forget that we are fraternal twins," Drew replied, taking his cake from Mum.
"What does that prove?" Rebecca asked. Then they were gone.