Erin Tailor'Conner sat on an old bench in King's Cross Station
contemplating the events of the past few days with a sort of unreally
calmness. It had been quite hard to believe when it had happened and it was
only really beginning to come into focus now. It had all started only two
days ago when she had been coming home from soccer training after what she
had though was the end to a very taxing Friday afternoon.
Erin lived with her father in Nottingham they lived in a small housing estate covered with one storey identical red brick houses. It was a featureless estate quite boring in Erin's opinion no one on the estate did anything interesting they were all lower middle citizens with morgues who worked long hours and argued with each other a lot. She went to school only three blocks from her home. She had few really friends, everyone at school consisted her strange and sometimes Erin found it hard not to agree with them, weird things happened around her like when the school bully Amanda had pushed her over in the corridor all the water pipes had burst. Or when her teacher Mrs Lawson had tried to give her a detention her pointer had flew up and thumped her on the head. As a result Erin spent most of her time alone she had nothing to entice friends. Her father had even less money then the rest of the people on the estate, she had never done partially well in her school studies, and she was too tall, gangly and clumsy to do well at any sport. Her father was never really around he worked hard and for Erin this was enough, things had always been this way and in a lot of ways she was happier alone. So there she was trudging home from another soccer practise wearing a long daggy checked linen shirt and a pair of jeans with holes where the knees should have been. Anyone driving by would have taken her for an average kid from the Centil Estate little did anyone know how much things were about to change for her. She walked up their drive as usual she didn't expect her father to be home he rarely was before seven she thumbled under the mat for the key and let herself in. Her house on the inside was painted white with evil dirty looking brown carpet. The house had two bedrooms, a bathroom and a joint kitchen and family room that was it; Erin dropped her backpack next to the door and headed to the kitchen. "Erin dear is that you, come into the family room will you," called her father. Erin knew his voice instantly. She frowned her father had never been home this early and what was he doing in the family room he didn't cook they usually, they always had microwave dinners or takeaways, Erin was uses to him getting home and locking himself in his room to work. Erin walked slowly into the family room her father was sitting on one of their second hand couches, which he and Erin had bought at a garage sale. He looked as he always did he was a tall lanky man with muddy colored brown hair and blue eyes he wore a blue pairs of pants which were thread bare, a coffee stained white shirt and a tie covered with food stains. He looked nervous he kept fiddled with his tie or flattening his hair across from him sat a woman in her late thirties she wore a snappy blue two pieces business suit and gold hoop earings, she was short and thin but she had black hair and green eyes rather like Erin's. This woman of course was super confident she smiled at Erin as she enter she sat across from Erin father on a wooden chair cradling cup of what smelt like tea in her hands. "Ah Erin there you are I want you to meet Megan Tailor your ah your aunt," stammered her father Erin gaped at the woman her father was a lonely child so this could only be her mother's sister. Erin had wondered for as long as she could remember about her mother and her mother's family but her father had made it clear many times that the subject was off limits the most Erin knew was that her mother had died shortly after she was born. But here was a person that could answers all of Erin's questions. Who was her mother? How did she die? Why wouldn't her father talk about it? "Hi," stammered Erin, now that sounded stupid thought Erin to herself. But she had no idea what to do she knew this woman was family but she'd didn't know her, she couldn't even bring herself to hug or welcome her instead she wanted to demand where the woman had been all her life. "Hello Erin it's nice to meet you," replied the woman her voice was clear and crisp but cold as if she was speaking to a group of business associates not her own family. "What do you want?" stammered Erin before she could stop herself she hadn't meant to sound like a spoilt brat but she knew nothing about this woman, what had made her show up at the drop of a hat there had to be a catch. "Erin," snapped her father reproachfully. "It's alright Jeffrey I suppose she has a right to wonder. You see Erin I have some things to discuss with, things I had expected your father to tell you a long time ago. You see there are some talents our family has that your father never told you about your mother and me and you well were just not like ordinary people," she finished Erin's father was scowling but not at Erin. "What do you mean? Just because I don't have hordes of friends." "No, Erin not like that well you're a a this is going to sound strange you're a witch Erin," her aunt looked at her with a solemn sadness her green eyes seemed to darken. "Are you completely nuts," laughed Erin struggling to stop herself from collapsing in a fit of giggles. "Erin I a sure you, your aunt is perfectly serious," her father told her he looked very annoyed Erin straightened her face. "Is it that hard to believe Erin, ever done strange things when your frighten or angry things you couldn't explain, things that seemed like untimely accidents but somehow you knew you were responsible," asked her aunt with a knowing smile on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about," snapped Erin she knew she was lying but she didn't care. "Deny it if you want some do but Erin if only you knew the world and opinions open for people like us," at this point her father snorted and her aunt glared at him. "I gotta to start dinner," muttered Erin turning to leave. "Erin this doesn't end here you have to learn to control what you can do," her aunt announced in a perfectly clear voice like it was just a matter of course. "This letter is yours it should have been sent to you but I pulled a few strings and arranged it so I could deliver it personally," her aunt handed her an envelope. It was thick and heavy as if made out of some kind of parchment and written on the front in green ink was her address.
Ms E. Tailor Smaller Room 4 Davis Crescent Centil Estate Nottingham
"What is it?" stammered Erin. "Open it," prompted her aunt. Erin used her index finger nail, which was quite sharp to open the seal, inside were several letters made of the same parchment, written in the same green ink.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Warlocks)
Dear Ms. Tailor We are pleased to inform you that have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"What is this some kind of school for people like me, you can't expect me to go here I mean I'm going to Centil High next year. I have to stay around and help dad. And what does it mean about owls," argued Erin but she could see the decision was already fixed by there expressions. "This is not something I wanted Erin, please your aunt has explained how it is necessary maybe you might enjoy it," her father told her. "I don't have a choice do I," asked Erin resentment welling up in her. "I know this is hard for you but it's for the best sweetie now why don't you go up stairs and pack I'll be taking you down to London tomorrow. I've already sent an acceptance owl, we use owls to carry our mail in the magic world," her aunt told her smiling. "Tomorrow London," squeaked Erin in surprise. "It's a boarding school Erin and the best to learn witchcraft in the world. And well, as you can see the term start in two days and you'll have to go down to London and buy your school things I know that doesn't give much time but you'll have to make the best of it." "Why not I have to make the best of this whole thing don't I, why couldn't you just have told me everything instead of keeping me in dark all these years," she snapped as she stormed out of the room.
Erin lived with her father in Nottingham they lived in a small housing estate covered with one storey identical red brick houses. It was a featureless estate quite boring in Erin's opinion no one on the estate did anything interesting they were all lower middle citizens with morgues who worked long hours and argued with each other a lot. She went to school only three blocks from her home. She had few really friends, everyone at school consisted her strange and sometimes Erin found it hard not to agree with them, weird things happened around her like when the school bully Amanda had pushed her over in the corridor all the water pipes had burst. Or when her teacher Mrs Lawson had tried to give her a detention her pointer had flew up and thumped her on the head. As a result Erin spent most of her time alone she had nothing to entice friends. Her father had even less money then the rest of the people on the estate, she had never done partially well in her school studies, and she was too tall, gangly and clumsy to do well at any sport. Her father was never really around he worked hard and for Erin this was enough, things had always been this way and in a lot of ways she was happier alone. So there she was trudging home from another soccer practise wearing a long daggy checked linen shirt and a pair of jeans with holes where the knees should have been. Anyone driving by would have taken her for an average kid from the Centil Estate little did anyone know how much things were about to change for her. She walked up their drive as usual she didn't expect her father to be home he rarely was before seven she thumbled under the mat for the key and let herself in. Her house on the inside was painted white with evil dirty looking brown carpet. The house had two bedrooms, a bathroom and a joint kitchen and family room that was it; Erin dropped her backpack next to the door and headed to the kitchen. "Erin dear is that you, come into the family room will you," called her father. Erin knew his voice instantly. She frowned her father had never been home this early and what was he doing in the family room he didn't cook they usually, they always had microwave dinners or takeaways, Erin was uses to him getting home and locking himself in his room to work. Erin walked slowly into the family room her father was sitting on one of their second hand couches, which he and Erin had bought at a garage sale. He looked as he always did he was a tall lanky man with muddy colored brown hair and blue eyes he wore a blue pairs of pants which were thread bare, a coffee stained white shirt and a tie covered with food stains. He looked nervous he kept fiddled with his tie or flattening his hair across from him sat a woman in her late thirties she wore a snappy blue two pieces business suit and gold hoop earings, she was short and thin but she had black hair and green eyes rather like Erin's. This woman of course was super confident she smiled at Erin as she enter she sat across from Erin father on a wooden chair cradling cup of what smelt like tea in her hands. "Ah Erin there you are I want you to meet Megan Tailor your ah your aunt," stammered her father Erin gaped at the woman her father was a lonely child so this could only be her mother's sister. Erin had wondered for as long as she could remember about her mother and her mother's family but her father had made it clear many times that the subject was off limits the most Erin knew was that her mother had died shortly after she was born. But here was a person that could answers all of Erin's questions. Who was her mother? How did she die? Why wouldn't her father talk about it? "Hi," stammered Erin, now that sounded stupid thought Erin to herself. But she had no idea what to do she knew this woman was family but she'd didn't know her, she couldn't even bring herself to hug or welcome her instead she wanted to demand where the woman had been all her life. "Hello Erin it's nice to meet you," replied the woman her voice was clear and crisp but cold as if she was speaking to a group of business associates not her own family. "What do you want?" stammered Erin before she could stop herself she hadn't meant to sound like a spoilt brat but she knew nothing about this woman, what had made her show up at the drop of a hat there had to be a catch. "Erin," snapped her father reproachfully. "It's alright Jeffrey I suppose she has a right to wonder. You see Erin I have some things to discuss with, things I had expected your father to tell you a long time ago. You see there are some talents our family has that your father never told you about your mother and me and you well were just not like ordinary people," she finished Erin's father was scowling but not at Erin. "What do you mean? Just because I don't have hordes of friends." "No, Erin not like that well you're a a this is going to sound strange you're a witch Erin," her aunt looked at her with a solemn sadness her green eyes seemed to darken. "Are you completely nuts," laughed Erin struggling to stop herself from collapsing in a fit of giggles. "Erin I a sure you, your aunt is perfectly serious," her father told her he looked very annoyed Erin straightened her face. "Is it that hard to believe Erin, ever done strange things when your frighten or angry things you couldn't explain, things that seemed like untimely accidents but somehow you knew you were responsible," asked her aunt with a knowing smile on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about," snapped Erin she knew she was lying but she didn't care. "Deny it if you want some do but Erin if only you knew the world and opinions open for people like us," at this point her father snorted and her aunt glared at him. "I gotta to start dinner," muttered Erin turning to leave. "Erin this doesn't end here you have to learn to control what you can do," her aunt announced in a perfectly clear voice like it was just a matter of course. "This letter is yours it should have been sent to you but I pulled a few strings and arranged it so I could deliver it personally," her aunt handed her an envelope. It was thick and heavy as if made out of some kind of parchment and written on the front in green ink was her address.
Ms E. Tailor Smaller Room 4 Davis Crescent Centil Estate Nottingham
"What is it?" stammered Erin. "Open it," prompted her aunt. Erin used her index finger nail, which was quite sharp to open the seal, inside were several letters made of the same parchment, written in the same green ink.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Warlocks)
Dear Ms. Tailor We are pleased to inform you that have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"What is this some kind of school for people like me, you can't expect me to go here I mean I'm going to Centil High next year. I have to stay around and help dad. And what does it mean about owls," argued Erin but she could see the decision was already fixed by there expressions. "This is not something I wanted Erin, please your aunt has explained how it is necessary maybe you might enjoy it," her father told her. "I don't have a choice do I," asked Erin resentment welling up in her. "I know this is hard for you but it's for the best sweetie now why don't you go up stairs and pack I'll be taking you down to London tomorrow. I've already sent an acceptance owl, we use owls to carry our mail in the magic world," her aunt told her smiling. "Tomorrow London," squeaked Erin in surprise. "It's a boarding school Erin and the best to learn witchcraft in the world. And well, as you can see the term start in two days and you'll have to go down to London and buy your school things I know that doesn't give much time but you'll have to make the best of it." "Why not I have to make the best of this whole thing don't I, why couldn't you just have told me everything instead of keeping me in dark all these years," she snapped as she stormed out of the room.