Spider: Hello all and welcome to the beginning of what should be a major story project, City on the Hill. Now we're pretty much required to do a disclaimer here so I'll say that we don't own Harry Potter or his universe, but we do own all the original characters running around our version of that universe.

SarahJoy: We don't own the port key but will be using it on occasion for our characters to move around. It gets cold in boston, sometimes brooms just ain't cool.

Spider: What are you talking about? Brooms are always cool.

SarahJoy: Cool, like fun sure, but outside in the cold...too cool in the heat sense to be cool in the oh yeah sense.

Spider: Well what do you think all those cloaks and scarfs are for?

SarahJoy: Oh fine then. You fly, I'll take the apparation rooms! Which we also don't really totally own.

Spider: Yeah, so anyway, hope you enjoy our first story. Please read and review. Even flame if you like, we use them to heat the school.

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"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into City on the Hill. Please confirm your attendance by owl no later than August 6th. Classes begin September 1st, please come prepared with all the necessary books and equipment listed below.

We hope to hear from you soon."

"CLARISSA! COME QUICK!" came the bellow from down in the kitchen. Clarissa herself just rolled her eyes as she finished pulling on her shirt. "What could she possibly want on the 10th day of summer vacation?" she mumbled to herself as she came down the stairs for breakfast. She found her mom and dad had almost finished their meals already, hers was sitting untouched at her place waiting for her. "Ohhh..." her father said, finally understanding something in his conversation with his wife. "Well that is good news." Looking up he saw Clarissa sitting down at her place. "Good news pumpkin." "Huh?" "You've been accepted into my old alma mater!" her mom jumped into the conversation, practically bubbling over from joy. "You mean that City on the Hill place? In Massachusetts?" "Yup, that's the one. I know you got accepted into The Emerald City, and I know it would be a bigger change, being so near a big city, but I still think it would do you good to go there, it's such a good school." Looking from one parent to the other and back again, she had to think for just about...30 seconds before responding, "sounds good to me." "Wonderful! Now then, time to take you out school shopping!" Her mother seemed to have forgotten about the as yet barely touched breakfast in front of her daughter and practically pulled her out of the chair towards the door. "But MOM!" she whined the whole way, "It's only JUNE!"

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Meanwhile, in northern NY, the Lymans were having a decidedly different reaction.

"Bill, bill, advertisement, charity...don't we already give to them?...bill, bill ...what's this?" Mr. Lyman pulled out a thick letter, with a loopy, fancy script announcing the addressee as his daughter, Cady. The sender was apparently some place called 'City on the Hill'. "Bah, must be asking for something...she's only eleven, what do they think they'd get?" With that he tosses it in the trash without a second thought and continues sorting the mail.

But then the following day, there it was again, sitting in the mail same as before. "What? They can't be that persistent..." Looking closer at the address, he noticed something rather odd...well, rather scary actually. It was addressed 'Cady Lyman, second floor bedroom, third door on the right.' Not knowing what to make of such a specific, not too mention accurate, description, he decided that maybe he should at least let Cady throw it out. Did have her name on it after all.

"Cady!!" He called up the front stairs. "What is it dad?" came the reply from the kitchen, apparently he hadn't noticed her coming downstairs for breakfast already. "Oh, there you are dear. You know anything about someplace called 'City on the Hill'?" "No, why do you ask?" she continued munching away at her cereal. "Well, you've gotten a letter from them, figure you should at least be allowed to take a look before it gets thrown out. Here." He hands it to her as he passes the table to sit down at his place. Putting down her spoon she picks up the thick envelope and carefully opens it, taking out the 3 sheets and return envelope inside. Reading over the top sheet she starts getting a puzzled look on her face. "Umm... Mom, Dad?...I think you should take a look at this..."

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"Here you are, Taren, you got some more mail today, something I think you've been waiting for."

Taren looked up from his plate to look at the letter Marie had placed beside him. The return address identified the sender as City on the Hill, and he had indeed been expecting it for some weeks now. Naturally his parents weren't here to see this, not that they probably would have cared much if they weren't gallivanting around South America with his little sister at the moment. Still...he had hoped that getting into his parent's alma matter would help count for something with them.

"Thank you Marie, I'll open it later," was all he actually said before continuing his meal. Marie gave a small sigh as she left the dining room to file away the rest of the mail. She always felt sorry for the young master, though of course she wasn't foolish enough to let her employers know that. Taren's parents never paid him much attention, despite his being their oldest child, and while this is what gave her her job as his nanny she did feel they shouldn't neglect him like this. And of course, being the hired help and all she couldn't even help him by being a confidant. She wouldn't mind it, but his upbringing taught him to never show such emotion around servants...or much emotion at all really.

Well, nothing she can really do about it but her job, and so she quietly set about her daily routine as always, though this time she made sure that things were ready and laid out for him to make a trip to the Eppi Center for school supplies. Showing his feelings or not, she knew he was excited about school, and would want to start preparing this very day.