If there was one thing in life I wanted more than anything, it would be to have a proper family. That sort of thing is typically easy for most people to come by, the day you're born, you automatically are placed into a family that you can call your own. I can't say that isn't what happened to me because I was obviously born just like everyone else. However, I never had a chance to know the family I was born into. As far as I'm told, I was yanked from my parent's arms before I could even open my eyes. No context as to why, simply that I would have no chance of knowing who my parents were. All I had of them was the name they gave me, Penelope Lupin.

I've been within the foster system for longer than I could remember. It has never been idle for any of the homes I've stayed in to have a baby stay there for more than a few short months. By the time I was five, I had already become numb to the feelings of having to switch homes every few months. No one really wanted me and I had learned to accept that.

The home I was currently staying in, I had actually been there for just about two years. It was the only place I had ever stayed that when I was interviewed to make sure my living conditions were okay, that I was happy to say I enjoyed where I was. The home I was staying in was with a woman, Mariah, who wasn't able to have children of her own. Mariah was a kind yet quiet woman. One of the things I had learned about her is how she much preferred to be in the kitchen cooking, then out on the town being social.

There was also one other person that stayed there, a boy who was two years older than myself, Hayden. He had actually been staying with Mariah for six years and saw Mariah as more of a mother figure than I ever have. I certainly didn't blame him. If I were able to stay somewhere that long, I would probably think the same way.

Currently, I was sitting in my room with my eyes plastered out the window at the early morning sunrise. There wasn't much that I had looked forward to in my life, but if there was one thing I really wanted, it was a specific piece of mail that was supposed to come after I had turned eleven. That piece of mail was an acceptance letter to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There wasn't much that I knew of my family, however, the one thing I did know, was that they were wizards that had attended Hogwarts when they were my age. It was something that I had held onto ever since I could remember. The fact that if I could go to that very same school, maybe I could learn something about my family and where I came from. Maybe I could even learn where my parents were and why they left me.

I let out a small breath, calming my nerves. Each time I saw any kind of bird fly by the window, my heart rate would increase. If only one of those birds was the owl that would bring me that letter that would change my world. I had been waiting for this day for so long. When I had turned eleven in November, I was fully prepared to wait day in and day out for my acceptance letter, but Mariah kept reminding me that the letter would come mid July. It didn't lower my spirits. I would continue to look for that letter every day if I had too. It was something I wasn't going to miss.

A loud yawn could be heard from the kitchen and not a moment later, Hayden came waltzing into the room, a cup of green tea in hand. "I don't get why I had to sit up with you for this.." He ran his free hand through his messy blond hair as he sat down beside me on the living room couch. "You didn't sit up with me when my letter came."

"I had only just met you, I didn't want to spend any time with you." I spoke casually, remembering the day Hayden's letter had come. I had only just moved in with Mariah and him a couple of weeks prior so I spent more time locked away in my room instead of trying to connect with them. Even when they left to go to Diagon Alley, I wanted nothing to do with it. "Just.. humor me please. I'm nervous.."

Hayden let out a small laugh. "Clearly. You haven't slept in days." He brought his tea mug to his lips, taking a long drink. "It's not that big of a deal. After you get your letter, you spend a bunch of money then you're shipped off to school. The classes are boring as hell, but the people are pretty cool." Another chuckle escaped his lips as he nudged me with his elbow. "Maybe you'll even end up in Gryffindor with me."

I rolled my eyes, resting my head against the back of the couch. "Oh yeah, that would be so great. From everything you've told me, Gryffindor's are a bit too crazy for my liking."

The first year Hayden was off at Hogwarts, he set at least one letter a week if not more. He had been extremely considerate of the fact that I was in a new home with an unfamiliar person, especially since he could relate to that same feeling. I was almost certain he sent more letters to myself than to Mariah. It was in that first year that, despite the fact he wasn't there, I felt myself become quite close to Hayden. I wouldn't say I saw him as a brother quite yet, but he certainly was a good friend for me.

"You're no fun." Hayden spoke, taking another sip of his drink before turning his gaze back out the window. "I think the post should be here soon, the owls are out."

My gaze widened and I sat up on my knees to see multiple owls fly through the neighborhood. It wasn't a secret that there were a few wizarding families in the area. To have the muggle neighbors not notice any of the odd happenings going on was shocking to say the least. I didn't mind at all. In some ways, it was entertaining to see how oblivious they were.

Just a few minutes later, a small barn owl came swooping by our front door, dropping off a single piece of mail. My eyes widened and I jumped to my feet, running up to the door. I swung it open and picked up the mail, my eyes lingering on the insignia that kept the envelope shut. It was the insignia for Hogwarts. I let out a sharp breath and turned to Hayden. "I never thought it would actually get here."

He rolled his eyes with a small smile. "You're nuts if you think that Hogwarts was ever gonna let you slip by." He gestured towards the envelope in my hand. "Don't keep me waiting in suspense, open it."

I stared down at the piece of mail, my fingers holding the edges tightly. Everything I had ever hoped for was right here in my hands. I had never heard of anyone being rejected, but there was always the possibility that I would be the first. As my thumb pressed underneath the seal that held the letter closed, the top of the envelope popped open. My breath was caught in the back of my throat. After all this waiting, I was finally getting not only what I wanted, but what I needed more than anything. I reached inside and pulled out the letter that was kept inside. When I saw what was written, my eyes began to tear up.

"I got in." I showed the letter to Hayden, a smile growing on my face. "I got in!" I was nearly jumping, I was so excited. Looking back inside the envelope, I saw the list of supplies I would need. All of my textbooks, my robes, a pet, the whole list was there. I held the papers close to my chest. "I'm gonna need to frame these."

"Alright, alright," Hayden spoke, taking the list of supplies from my hands and giving it a look over. "I wish I could be a first year again. That first trip to Diagon Alley was so much fun." He glanced back up at me before continuing. "I can see if Mariah will take us tomorrow. Some of my friends are going so it should be fun."

My eyes lit up. "Yes! Let's do that now!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a standing position. In the process, he nearly spilled what was left of his green tea. "The sooner we figure this out the better!"

"Calm down, she isn't even awake yet!"

His words didn't stop me. My excitement was carrying me down the hall towards Mariah's room. Something as simple as sleep wasn't going to stop my progress now. I was finally going to Hogwarts.

I'll be the first to admit that not much excites me, but over the last day, there wasn't a single thing that could break my mood apart. My smile never fell, even when Mariah and Hayden took me through the Floo Powder Network for the first time and I landed flat on my butt. Despite the pain I felt on my backside, I was more than content with ignoring it. I was in Diagon Alley, the starting point for any young witch or wizard and I was reveling in the experience.

Mariah stared down at my list of supplies, her mind concentrating. "This is quite a lot.. It's probably best if we split up the work. Especially since we have two lists to get through now. Thankfully we don't need to get another owl.." We had already agreed that I would be sharing Hayden's owl Christoph for the time being. It wasn't a choice I was thrilled about, but as I said earlier, nothing was going to bring my mood down. "How about you go off and get the robes for the both of you, Hayden," she spoke as she handed him a slip of paper with our sizes as well as a small bag of money. "And Penny, I'll let you go off and get your wand while I get some of the odds and ends." She handed me a small bag of money as well with a smile. "We'll meet up at Flourish and Blotts to get your books in about a half hour?"

She was barely done talking before Hayden was heading off towards Madam Malkin's, saying something about how he wanted a bit more time so he could find his friends. My departure was quick as well, but at least I had the decency to thank Mariah for the money before leaving her alone.

I strolled down the street, my eyes taking note of every little thing that Diagon Alley had to offer. Everything was just so.. Magical. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. When I finally came up to Ollivander's, I was so lost in my own world that I was blissfully unaware of another person stepping out at the same time that I was walking in. The two of us bumped into each other and I nearly toppled over, however, the person I had run into grabbed onto my wrist and helped me to stay upward. When I got my footing back, I looked to the person in front of me, finding that it was a young boy that I had run into. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going. This place is just so big.." I spoke, as the boy let go of my wrist.

The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's quite alright. No harm done." He chuckled, bringing his hand back down to his side. "Is this your first time here, too?"

I nodded. "It's everything I dreamed of and more." I smiled brightly, taking another look around the crowded street.

"I never even knew any of this existed.." The boy muttered just loud enough to reach my ears, however, before I could respond to his comment, a loud voice approached us.

"Blimey, 'Arry! You've already made a friend. How sweet is that?" My gaze moved towards where the voice came from, only to find a rather large man standing before me, a bird cage in hand that held a snowy owl. How could there be someone this tall in existence? I nearly had to look straight up to see his hairy face. "What's yer name?"

It took me a moment to realize he had asked me a question due to my confusion of the man's size. "A..Ah, Penny, sir." I wasn't quite sure who this man was, certainly not a student so part of me was wary of him. However, I certainly wasn't going to treat him with disrespect. He could practically step on me with his height.

"What a polite girl, callin' me sir." He let out a bellowing laugh, giving me a light pat on the back. "Are ya a first year, like 'Arry? Oh I'm sure ya are, that look of childish wonder says it all."

My face flushed in embarrassment. At this point, I was sure this man was perfectly alright, but that didn't stop me from feeling a bit uncomfortable that he had pegged the look in my eye. "Th-Thank you?" I stuttered out and began to shuffle towards the door to the shop. "I would love to stay and chat, but I have to get my wand so.. It was nice meeting you both!" I quickly spoke before opening the door and heading inside the building. Letting out a breath, I rested my back up against the door. I think part of me was more upset that I was meeting the two boys in such an embarrassing way. I already knew I was going to be seeing the boy, Harry, at school and that was embarrassment enough, then there was a chance I would need to relive it again if Harry told his tall friend. It was not the way I was hoping to meet another student at Hogwarts.

When I caught my breath, I stepped up towards the counter and rang the small bell. Not even a moment later, an older gentleman appeared behind the counter, a man I assumed to be Ollivander. "Ah, another first year looking for their first wand." He gave me a look over and before I could even say anything, he held up a finger and disappeared into the shelves that lay behind the counter. I tried my best to follow his movements, but could barely keep track of him until he came back with a wand in hand. "Try this one, hazel wood, unicorn hair, nine inches."

Slowly, I reached out and took the wand in my hand. I looked up at Ollivander with uncertainty before giving the wand a flick. Not even a moment later, the light behind the counter burst, causing glass to scatter across the floor. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, putting the wand on the counter so I wouldn't have a chance to break anything else.

"That's quite alright." He spoke, taking the wand back with a smile. "That's the third one to break today, it's nothing I'm not already used to." He returned the wand to its box before beginning to explore the shelves again. This time, he came back much quicker, seeming to be more confident in his choice. "Here.. This one should be perfect. Cedar wood, dragon heartstring core, eleven and a half inches."

When I took the wand from him this time, I didn't even have to give the wand a flick. It quickly reacted to me and a light gust of wind blew around my form, my clothes and hair whipping around it. The wind wasn't anything harmful, the exact opposite really, it felt gentle and warm as if the wind were hugging me. As the wind died down, I looked back to Ollivander. "I think that means this is the one?"

The man nodded. "It sure is. A perfect fit for the perfect owner." He stated kindly as I handed him the proper amount of money for it. "Care for it well as it will care for you."

I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but I nodded nonetheless. "I will, I promise. Thank you for your help." I stated plainly before heading out the door, my eyes trained on my new wand. Who would have thought that a simple piece of wood would carry so much power. I held it close to my chest with a small smile. Obtaining this wand was just another step towards my goals. I would be able to learn so much in the coming years and maybe find the answers to some of the questions that plagued my mind nearly every day.

I just had to take it one step at a time.