Mandy walked inside carrying all of her stuff. She took it all up to her room. The first thing she did was put her kitten on her bed. It layed on its back and she scratched its tummy. "What should I call you?" she asked the little playful kitten. It meowed at her. She giggled, "Well, I guess I'll call you Cleo. I hope that's ok." The kitten meowed again and then began licking her hand.
Mandy picked up one of her books and looked at the title. This one was named A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration. She opened it and read a little from the front. It was about changing objects into other objects. She smiled with glee. "I can't wait to try some of this out!" She closed that book and picked up a new one. This one was named The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). She saw a ton of phrases that she could say to do tons of different things. She saw how to make something levitate, and how to move some items. She put this book down too.
She then picked up her crystal phials. One of them was blue with a big circular bottom. One was red with little snake-like twists running all the way down to the bottom. A purple one waved in and out going up. She smiled and put them back in their rack. She pulled her cauldron up onto the bed. She looked over at Cleo who was staring at her. "Toil, toil, brim and bubble," she chanted as she pretended she was stirring something. Cleo meowed and began rolling over again. Mandy began giggling. "What? I'm trying to get in the mood for witchery!" She tickled the cat. She took everything off her bed and curled up with Cleo, and fell asleep.
That month went by very slowly for her. She constantly had to keep Bryan out of her witch stuff. At least her parents supported her on this topic since her supplies cost a lot. She read a lot out of her books. To her it didn't feel like they were textbooks, she felt like she was reading for pleasure. Cleo and her had gotten along very well. One day she couldn't resist the urge. She grabbed one of her hairpins and pulled her wand out. She picked up her Standard Book of Spells book and found a levitation spell. She pointed her wand at the hairpin and then looked at the book. She looked back, and then said "Wingardium Leviosa" as she pointed her wand towards it. The pin lifted a foot and then dropped again. She squealed with delight. Just then an owl flew in her window, dropped a letter on her bed, and then flew back out again.
Dear Ms. Brocklehurst,
We have received intelligence that a Levitation Charm was used at your place of residence this afternoon at twenty-two minutes past two.
Because you may not have been warned against using magic no consequences will occur. However, do not use any more spells until you receive proper training at Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic
"Umm…whoops!" she exclaimed. She looked over at Cleo. "Why didn't you tell me silly?" Cleo mowed and tilted her head. "I don't care if you didn't know. But I did it didn't I? I lifted it!" Cleo meowed and jumped on Mandy's lap.
Eventually August 31st came. Her mom and her sat in her room stuffing things in boxes. Cleo would have to be put in a small travel compartment. Mandy promised Cleo that she'd take her out of it once they got on the train, and she got a meow for that. Her mom found a way to pack everything into small boxes without breaking anything, and also so Mandy wouldn't have to carry a lot. Her mom sat with her a long time that last night and she talked about how they would be apart for a long time, and how'd she miss her. Mandy felt like her mother and her had gotten even closer since they knew they'd be apart for a while.
Eventually she got in bed, but she didn't get a wink of sleep. Her parents woke her up with a breakfast of pancakes. She gobbled them up, and then went to hug her brother goodbye. He actually was sweet to her that last morning. He drew a picture of him, his mother and father, and a witch. He gave the picture to her and she told him that she'd make sure she kept hold of it. Eventually her dad grabbed all her stuff and packed it into the car. She got in the car, and waved goodbye to her house as it disappeared behind the bushy trees at the end of the yard.
The drive there seemed to last forever. Questions about the upcoming year were flooding her head. What would it be like? Would she fit in? Would she make any friends? She couldn't help but be excited though. She petted Cleo's head through the bars while she watched the landscape pass by. Since she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before she ended up falling asleep in the car halfway there.
Her mother shook her to wake her up. "Mandy, we're here." Mandy opened her eyes and looked around her. She saw the train station a few yards away from the car. She got out, stretched, and then pulled Cleo's cage out of the backseat. Her dad had already found a cart and was packing her bags onto it.
"Do you have your ticket honey?" her mother asked. Mandy reached into her pocket and showed it to her mother. Her mother smiled back, but Mandy could tell she was having a hard time.
"I love you honey," her mom exclaimed.
"I love you too mom."
Her dad came over to her. "Don't forget to write," he commanded.
She smiled, "I won't." They hugged once again and she started walking the cart.
She was pushing her cart down between the stations. She pulled her ticket out to see which station hers was in. She looked at it and it said Station 9 ¾. "9 ¾…I thought it said Station 9." But she examined the ticket and it said Station 9 ¾. "Where is that?" she asked Cleo. Cleo tilted her head. Mandy started to push it between the two stations. She was about to turn around and go the other way when she saw the boy from Diagon Alley talking to a guard. She watched him from a little way away so he couldn't see her. After the guard walked away he looked around. He looked just as confused as she did. All of a sudden, he turned his head sharply, and started heading forward. She followed, still far behind him. He was talking to a group of kids and a woman with red hair. She got closer enough just in time to see a taller kid with red hair walking into the brick column. She gaped with surprise.
After the other boys, and the Diagon Alley boy went in, she walked up to the woman. "Let me guess, you need help getting in," the woman stated.
Mandy blushed and said that she did need help. "Ok, it's really simple. Just walk straight through the wall. You will come out on the other side at Station 9 ¾." Mandy looked forward and stared at the wall.
She looked around and no one was watching her. She began pushing her cart straight for the brick. Just as she got to it she closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened them again and she was looking at a scarlet steam engine. There was a sign that said: Hogwarts Express, Eleven O' Clock. Tons of kids were pushing around luggage, a lot like the stuff she was pushing. Also most of their parents were helping them carry their stuff. She inched her way to the train and an older kid helped her get her luggage into a small compartment. She walked into the compartment and sat down. She looked out the window and saw the red-head mother talking to her sons as they were entering the train. She held up Cleo's travel cage and then replied, "Guess we're finally here, huh?" Cleo meowed to be let out. "In a minute, let the train start going first." She layed her head back on the seat as she took in a deep breath. She had a huge smile on her face because she knew that from here on out, things could only get better.
Mandy picked up one of her books and looked at the title. This one was named A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration. She opened it and read a little from the front. It was about changing objects into other objects. She smiled with glee. "I can't wait to try some of this out!" She closed that book and picked up a new one. This one was named The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). She saw a ton of phrases that she could say to do tons of different things. She saw how to make something levitate, and how to move some items. She put this book down too.
She then picked up her crystal phials. One of them was blue with a big circular bottom. One was red with little snake-like twists running all the way down to the bottom. A purple one waved in and out going up. She smiled and put them back in their rack. She pulled her cauldron up onto the bed. She looked over at Cleo who was staring at her. "Toil, toil, brim and bubble," she chanted as she pretended she was stirring something. Cleo meowed and began rolling over again. Mandy began giggling. "What? I'm trying to get in the mood for witchery!" She tickled the cat. She took everything off her bed and curled up with Cleo, and fell asleep.
That month went by very slowly for her. She constantly had to keep Bryan out of her witch stuff. At least her parents supported her on this topic since her supplies cost a lot. She read a lot out of her books. To her it didn't feel like they were textbooks, she felt like she was reading for pleasure. Cleo and her had gotten along very well. One day she couldn't resist the urge. She grabbed one of her hairpins and pulled her wand out. She picked up her Standard Book of Spells book and found a levitation spell. She pointed her wand at the hairpin and then looked at the book. She looked back, and then said "Wingardium Leviosa" as she pointed her wand towards it. The pin lifted a foot and then dropped again. She squealed with delight. Just then an owl flew in her window, dropped a letter on her bed, and then flew back out again.
Dear Ms. Brocklehurst,
We have received intelligence that a Levitation Charm was used at your place of residence this afternoon at twenty-two minutes past two.
Because you may not have been warned against using magic no consequences will occur. However, do not use any more spells until you receive proper training at Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic
"Umm…whoops!" she exclaimed. She looked over at Cleo. "Why didn't you tell me silly?" Cleo mowed and tilted her head. "I don't care if you didn't know. But I did it didn't I? I lifted it!" Cleo meowed and jumped on Mandy's lap.
Eventually August 31st came. Her mom and her sat in her room stuffing things in boxes. Cleo would have to be put in a small travel compartment. Mandy promised Cleo that she'd take her out of it once they got on the train, and she got a meow for that. Her mom found a way to pack everything into small boxes without breaking anything, and also so Mandy wouldn't have to carry a lot. Her mom sat with her a long time that last night and she talked about how they would be apart for a long time, and how'd she miss her. Mandy felt like her mother and her had gotten even closer since they knew they'd be apart for a while.
Eventually she got in bed, but she didn't get a wink of sleep. Her parents woke her up with a breakfast of pancakes. She gobbled them up, and then went to hug her brother goodbye. He actually was sweet to her that last morning. He drew a picture of him, his mother and father, and a witch. He gave the picture to her and she told him that she'd make sure she kept hold of it. Eventually her dad grabbed all her stuff and packed it into the car. She got in the car, and waved goodbye to her house as it disappeared behind the bushy trees at the end of the yard.
The drive there seemed to last forever. Questions about the upcoming year were flooding her head. What would it be like? Would she fit in? Would she make any friends? She couldn't help but be excited though. She petted Cleo's head through the bars while she watched the landscape pass by. Since she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before she ended up falling asleep in the car halfway there.
Her mother shook her to wake her up. "Mandy, we're here." Mandy opened her eyes and looked around her. She saw the train station a few yards away from the car. She got out, stretched, and then pulled Cleo's cage out of the backseat. Her dad had already found a cart and was packing her bags onto it.
"Do you have your ticket honey?" her mother asked. Mandy reached into her pocket and showed it to her mother. Her mother smiled back, but Mandy could tell she was having a hard time.
"I love you honey," her mom exclaimed.
"I love you too mom."
Her dad came over to her. "Don't forget to write," he commanded.
She smiled, "I won't." They hugged once again and she started walking the cart.
She was pushing her cart down between the stations. She pulled her ticket out to see which station hers was in. She looked at it and it said Station 9 ¾. "9 ¾…I thought it said Station 9." But she examined the ticket and it said Station 9 ¾. "Where is that?" she asked Cleo. Cleo tilted her head. Mandy started to push it between the two stations. She was about to turn around and go the other way when she saw the boy from Diagon Alley talking to a guard. She watched him from a little way away so he couldn't see her. After the guard walked away he looked around. He looked just as confused as she did. All of a sudden, he turned his head sharply, and started heading forward. She followed, still far behind him. He was talking to a group of kids and a woman with red hair. She got closer enough just in time to see a taller kid with red hair walking into the brick column. She gaped with surprise.
After the other boys, and the Diagon Alley boy went in, she walked up to the woman. "Let me guess, you need help getting in," the woman stated.
Mandy blushed and said that she did need help. "Ok, it's really simple. Just walk straight through the wall. You will come out on the other side at Station 9 ¾." Mandy looked forward and stared at the wall.
She looked around and no one was watching her. She began pushing her cart straight for the brick. Just as she got to it she closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened them again and she was looking at a scarlet steam engine. There was a sign that said: Hogwarts Express, Eleven O' Clock. Tons of kids were pushing around luggage, a lot like the stuff she was pushing. Also most of their parents were helping them carry their stuff. She inched her way to the train and an older kid helped her get her luggage into a small compartment. She walked into the compartment and sat down. She looked out the window and saw the red-head mother talking to her sons as they were entering the train. She held up Cleo's travel cage and then replied, "Guess we're finally here, huh?" Cleo meowed to be let out. "In a minute, let the train start going first." She layed her head back on the seat as she took in a deep breath. She had a huge smile on her face because she knew that from here on out, things could only get better.