Owls at Four
It was four A.M the morning my life changed forever. The strangest thing happened that woke my entire family. And owl got itself stuck in- between our front doors. We let the tired little creature in the house cautiously as it seemed to be tamed. About its ankle was a rolled up envelope made of heavy yellow parchment paper. My mother smiled as though she knew what this meant, and ran over to the china cabinet and pulled out one of her strange coins from her collection and gave it to the owl. Happy, the owl flew out the kitchen window and disappeared into the dark sky.
"What was that all about?" I asked seeing my mothers eyes shimmer with tear of joy. "And since when are screech owls that friendly?"
"Dominique? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" My father asked turning to my mother and the parchment envelope.
"Nothings wrong." She said. "Our little Vittorio has been accepted."
"Accepted where? Did you apply me for a private school with out telling me?" I shriek.
"No son, I'm not sure what it is entirely but I think you've been accepted to a school for magick." My father said, eyebrows raised as he turned over the envelope. "Here, it's addressed to you." He said handing it over to me.
"Magick? But I'm only a pagan, not a Wiccan. "I say as I slowly open the envelope. I pulled out a letter, which was the exact same color as the envelope. It read:
Dear Mr. DeRenardi,
This letter is to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Term begins September 1st; we await your owl and look foreword to seeing you in the new school year. Enjoy the end of your holidays! Sincerely, Professor M. McGonagall
"Well that's interesting..." I paused noticing that my mother seemed hurt that I wasn't as excited as her. "But how am I accepted when I don't perform any magick other than earth magick?" I asked slowly noticing my mother perk up a little bit.
"Well, your father doesn't know much about it because he's never been to Hogwarts. In other words your Father is what we call a muggle. I am a witch though, not like your friend with the purple hair mind you. I can do real magick. The only reason you earth magick ever worked for you is because of the magick blood in you. Your friend with the purple hair, she's not really human either, what's her name?"
"Ziporah? Not human? Mom are you feeling ok?" I say sort of shocked. But I had a feeling she was telling the truth.
"Of course I am. Ziporah is a half werewolf! She'll probably get a letter soon too, isn't that wonderful?" She said as happily as can be. She swiftly darted to the hall closet and pulled out a large trunk.
"How did we get magickal blood though?" I say edging away as she swung the trunk open.
"Your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother was one of the founders of the school, Rowena Ravenclaw. All of our family has been in Ravenclaw all accept your aunt Selena she was in Slytherin." She stated matter of factly.
"Slytherin? Ravenclaw? Are those like the dorms or something?" My father asked with a quizzical look.
"Yes Greg. They're more than dorms though, when at Hogwarts your house is like your family. You work together, have classes together and earn points for your house, and at the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." She added excitedly. "And tomorrow I will have to take you shopping for school supplies! That means a trip to London!"
"Mamma! That will take all day we live in Edinburgh! London is miles away, it'll take ages!" I say dreading the thought of a car trip that long.
"Don't worry. Tomorrow I will show you. The way we'll go will take no more than 15 minutes. Now off to bed with you" she says herding me up the stairs. "We have a big day tomorrow."
"Oh alright..." I mutter crawling into my room. I creep back into bed and hope this wasn't all a dream in the morning.
It was four A.M the morning my life changed forever. The strangest thing happened that woke my entire family. And owl got itself stuck in- between our front doors. We let the tired little creature in the house cautiously as it seemed to be tamed. About its ankle was a rolled up envelope made of heavy yellow parchment paper. My mother smiled as though she knew what this meant, and ran over to the china cabinet and pulled out one of her strange coins from her collection and gave it to the owl. Happy, the owl flew out the kitchen window and disappeared into the dark sky.
"What was that all about?" I asked seeing my mothers eyes shimmer with tear of joy. "And since when are screech owls that friendly?"
"Dominique? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" My father asked turning to my mother and the parchment envelope.
"Nothings wrong." She said. "Our little Vittorio has been accepted."
"Accepted where? Did you apply me for a private school with out telling me?" I shriek.
"No son, I'm not sure what it is entirely but I think you've been accepted to a school for magick." My father said, eyebrows raised as he turned over the envelope. "Here, it's addressed to you." He said handing it over to me.
"Magick? But I'm only a pagan, not a Wiccan. "I say as I slowly open the envelope. I pulled out a letter, which was the exact same color as the envelope. It read:
Dear Mr. DeRenardi,
This letter is to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Term begins September 1st; we await your owl and look foreword to seeing you in the new school year. Enjoy the end of your holidays! Sincerely, Professor M. McGonagall
"Well that's interesting..." I paused noticing that my mother seemed hurt that I wasn't as excited as her. "But how am I accepted when I don't perform any magick other than earth magick?" I asked slowly noticing my mother perk up a little bit.
"Well, your father doesn't know much about it because he's never been to Hogwarts. In other words your Father is what we call a muggle. I am a witch though, not like your friend with the purple hair mind you. I can do real magick. The only reason you earth magick ever worked for you is because of the magick blood in you. Your friend with the purple hair, she's not really human either, what's her name?"
"Ziporah? Not human? Mom are you feeling ok?" I say sort of shocked. But I had a feeling she was telling the truth.
"Of course I am. Ziporah is a half werewolf! She'll probably get a letter soon too, isn't that wonderful?" She said as happily as can be. She swiftly darted to the hall closet and pulled out a large trunk.
"How did we get magickal blood though?" I say edging away as she swung the trunk open.
"Your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother was one of the founders of the school, Rowena Ravenclaw. All of our family has been in Ravenclaw all accept your aunt Selena she was in Slytherin." She stated matter of factly.
"Slytherin? Ravenclaw? Are those like the dorms or something?" My father asked with a quizzical look.
"Yes Greg. They're more than dorms though, when at Hogwarts your house is like your family. You work together, have classes together and earn points for your house, and at the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." She added excitedly. "And tomorrow I will have to take you shopping for school supplies! That means a trip to London!"
"Mamma! That will take all day we live in Edinburgh! London is miles away, it'll take ages!" I say dreading the thought of a car trip that long.
"Don't worry. Tomorrow I will show you. The way we'll go will take no more than 15 minutes. Now off to bed with you" she says herding me up the stairs. "We have a big day tomorrow."
"Oh alright..." I mutter crawling into my room. I creep back into bed and hope this wasn't all a dream in the morning.