Caroline

Today, we moved into our new home. Nearly three times the size of our old house, this new residence is painted light green with forest green shutters, a white picket fence, and neighbors who would have been happy living in Stepford. Mom was thrilled when she saw it, and she already has plans on how she's going to decorate the kitchen, living room, and what flowers she is going to plant in the garden out front.

My room is enormous. It is painted a light shade of blue with a hint of purple (oddly enough, my favorite color). It has a window seat with built- in bookcases for my large selection of books (I have roughly the size of a small library) and a stained glass window of a detailed rain cloud over where my bed will go.

The house is enormous, my room is gorgeous, the view is wonderful, yet I miss my old life, where my friends were trustworthy and loyal, and although I had a tight schedule, I always managed. My house was my home. We're leaving to go shopping tomorrow, where I'll get an actual wand (before I had only used Madame Sondra's wand), some robes, and all of my other needs as a student at Hogwarts.

Next Day, Diagon Alley, 9:06 am

In my entire time as a witch, I had heard of broomsticks from both Madame and the books she brought for me, but I had never actually seen one. I passed by the broomstick shop without a glance at first, but as I realized what the store was, I trotted back and laid my eyes on the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Polished with a fine wax and glittering in the sun, the broomstick was engraved with silver lettering bearing the name Steel Striker 2005 on one of what was probably the fastest broom known to mankind. I goggled over this amazing broomstick for at least twenty minutes, oblivious to everything else until I noticed that someone standing next to me was pretty much doing the same thing as I was.

"Amazing, isn't it?" I said, not even taking my eyes off the broomstick.

"Amazing? Amazing!" the boy said, "It's brilliant! The fastest and best! I only wish I could get one myself" he finished sorrowfully.

Turning to him, I said, "Well then, why not?" I then noticed his bright red hair and brown eyes. He had a numerous number of freckles which dotted his face, which was a little round and square at the same time, similar to my own.

"Well," he said in a sarcastic but not exactly harsh tone, "for one thing, have you seen the price? It's more than 500 galleons! Secondly, I got a broomstick when I started playing Quidditch last year. I have no use of another one."

Puzzled, I asked, "Umm, what is Quidditch?", wondering what on earth he was talking about and admiring the first boy my age (I was assuming, from the look of him) I had met who had earned my respect by knowing that he did not have to have the newest model of everything.

"You mean to tell me that you don't know what Quidditch is?" he said, shocked .

"Nope. It sounds like a type of foot itch cream to me, but judging by the look on your face, I'm assuming I'm not correct. You'll just have to tell me."

"!# right you're wrong!" we looked at each other and I laughed at the irony of what he'd just said.

"Tell how about you tell me about 'Quidditch' over lunch. I'm starving!"

And so we headed to lunch at a nearby restaurant, two strangers who didn't even know the others name, just brought together by the love of broomsticks and my curiosity. I found that Quidditch was a sport, not an anti-fungal cream, and that there were so many things that I had never learned from Madame Sondra or her books.

I guess my lack of knowledge about the magical world was a good thing, or else I never would have gotten to get to know Ron (as I found his name was). Although he was shy at first, I think I broke the barrier (at least somewhat) between us. Anyways, there was so much I had missed! There were radio stations, bands, and, like, a whole association just for the great sport of Quidditch. I couldn't believe everything Ron told me. It was like there was a whole other world that I never knew exsisted.

Around 2:30, just as we were finishing our meals, a boy and girl walked over to the small table Ron and I were sitting at. They introduced themselves as Harry and Hermione. Harry was tall, but not as much as Ron, had untidy black hair, and stunning green eyes (I adore good eyes).

"Hi, nice to meet you!" I greeted him, not expecting the look of astonishment on his face.

"You're American?" he said in wonder.

"Nah, Harry, she's just talking like that to fool you. Geez nothing gets past you." We all laughed at Ron's remark and the two sat down. Hermione, who just greeted me with a quick 'hello' and a polite smile, had very bushy hair which made my own frizzy hair look completely straight. Turns out, like Ron and myself, they went to Hogwarts, too. We sat talking for about an hour, until Hermione had to leave and a boy with the palest hair I had ever seen walked in.

"Malfoy," I heard the boys groan.

"Pardon me, but what?" I said, thinking it was one more of their crazy terms, when the platinum blond haired boy walked over, and with a rude and arrogant attitude said,

"Well, hello. If it isn't my good friends Potter and Weasley. Now who would this be? Do Potty and Weasel have themselves a girlfriend? Careful girls, you wouldn't want to break any of your nails fighting over her." He smirked and left, leaving Harry and Ron scowling and me a shade of red brighter even than Ron's hair.

We sat in awkward silence (except for their angered mumbles) for a few moments until I noticed that it was 3:45 and I hadn't gotten any of my shopping done. I swore to myself and apologized to the boys for leaving so suddenly. Grabbing my purse, I rushed out the door after leaving money for my meal and did super shopping in 20 minutes for everything except my wand, which I figured I could leave for another day.