The pretty young girl sat by her dresser, dreamily brushing her long, silvery-blonde hair. It was mid-July and in September, now that she was eleven and finished with primary school, she was due to go to a new, bigger school. She was rather excited at the prospect. The switch to the bigger school was a big step, in her opinion, to being more grown-up.
At that moment, her thoughts were interrupted by a tapping at her window. At first, she thought her brothers were playing some trick and ignored it, but the tapping grew more insistent and she glanced at her window. She was rather startled to see an owl, a tawny owl, sitting on her window ledge, tapping on the glass with its beak. She thought this was a bit odd because, although it was late afternoon, she didn't think owls would be out and about this early. Also, she couldn't imagine what it was doing on her window ledge. Filled with curiosity, she opened the window. The owl hooted at her and held out one leg. Looking closely, the girl could see that it had something tied to its leg.
"Is that for me?" she asked it. The owl hooted again, rather happily, the girl thought, and held its leg out a little more. The girl untied and removed what turned out to be an envelope and the owl hooted again happily, ruffled its feathers a bit, and flew off. Feeling more curious by the second, she looked at the envelope in her hands and nearly dropped it in surprise. On the front, it read:
Miss Elizabeth Fawke
4th Bedroom
15 Willow Street
705-Hawkinge, Kent
Flipping over the envelope, she saw a crest showing a lion, badger, raven, and snake, and the word 'Hogwarts'. Lizzy opened the envelope. The letter inside read:
(Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, etc.)
Dear Miss Fawkes,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term starts the first of September. The
Hogwarts Express leaves from Kings Cross in London at precisely 11 am on
the first. Please find enclosed your ticket as well as a list of supplies and books
you will need. We await your reply via owl no later than July 31st.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Lizzy looked at the other two pieces of paper in the envelope. One was a ticket that stated: "Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 ¾; Kings Cross; Sept. 1, 11 am." The other was a list of supplies (taken directly from JK Rowlings' book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone):
First years are required to bring:
3 sets plain work robes (black)
1 plain pointed hat (black)
1 pair work gloves (dragonhide or similar)
1 winter cloak, black with silver fastenings
books:
The Standard Book of Spells, grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
equipment:
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they wish, an owl, a cat, or a toad.
Parents please note: First years are not allowed to bring their own brooms.
Holding the letter and in a bit of a daze, Lizzy went downstairs into the kitchen where her mother was baking and said,
"Mum…"
"Yes, dear?" her mother asked.
"An owl just landed on my windowsill." Lizzy's mother whirled around, looking a little startled, but happy.
"That's wonderful, dear!" Mrs. Fawkes said. "Did it have a letter?" Lizzy nodded, looking a little confused.
"You knew about this?" she asked.
"In a way," Mrs. Fawkes replied, "Come in here, I think we should call your Gran." She took Lizzy into the living room and dialled her mother's number.
"Hello?" Lizzy's Gran had picked up the phone.
"Hi Mum," Mrs. Fawkes said.
"Hello, dear. You sound a bit excited. Has anything happened?" Lizzy's Gran asked.
"Well…Lizzy had an owl visitor today," Mrs. Fawkes said, smiling.
"Lizzy got her Hogwarts letter?" Gran asked, incredulous.
"She did indeed."
"This is wonderful news. Ask the boys to pop over. I'll need their help carrying a few things and I'll be right over, dear."
"Ok Mum, I'll see you in a bit," Lizzy's mother answered and hung up the phone. Then she went over to the garage door. "Sam! Giles!" she called to her two sons, who were playing guitar in the garage. "Run over to Gran's. She's coming over and needs your help carrying something."
"Ok, Mum," the boys replied, putting down their guitars.
About ten minutes later, Lizzy's Gran arrived, the two boys carrying a large trunk between them.
"Geez, Gran," Sam panted, "What have you got in here? Lead?"
"Hi Gran!" Lizzy greeted her Gran.
"Hello sweetie," her Gran answered, then replied to Sam's question, "This has some special things that I was saving for this occasion." They took the trunk into the living room where the rest of the family was waiting. Lizzy's Gran sat in the chair near the fireplace, while Lizzy sat on the floor on front of her, the trunk in between the two of them. The rest of the family looked on with interest.
"Well then," her Gran began, "Hogwarts is a school up in Scotland. That's where I myself went to school when I was a child. You've all thought that I used to be a registered nurse. Well, as a matter of fact, I was a Healer. That's the wizard equivalent of a doctor."
"You weren't just a Healer, Mum," Mrs. Fawkes said, "You were Head Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies."
"Yes, dear, that's true. But what's more important now is the situation at hand. You see, Lizzy, you're a witch."
"Can we burn her?" Sam asked, jokingly. Reverend Fawkes, Lizzy's father, swatted him on the back of the head as everyone laughed. Gran continued,
"All those strange things you've told me about, those inexplicable happenings...well, those were the signs of your power manifesting itself." As she spoke, Lizzy's Gran opened the trunk. "Now, in here are some of my old school things." she continued, lifting each item out as she spoke, "Here's my old cauldron, some of my school books, my first school robes and, ah yes, here's my set of crystal phials. Also, here is a key for you, Lizzy."
"What's this key for, Gran?" Lizzy asked.
"It's the key to your own vault at Gringotts," her Gran answered, "Gringotts is the wizard bank. I started a vault for each of you when you were born. Sam and Giles, since you did not happen to become wizards, I transferred the money in your Gringotts vaults into muggle accounts when you turned eleven."
"Muggle?" Giles asked.
"That means non-magic people," Gran answered, "Now then, Lizzy. We need to send a reply back to Hogwarts. Do you remember how you've often seen a barred owl flying around near my house?" Lizzy and the others nodded. Gran continued, "Well, that's my own owl, Creggan. I'll send your reply for you, since you don't have an owl of your own yet. I must take you shopping to Diagon Alley. That's a place in London that only the wizarding world knows about and only they can go there. We'll be able to buy you all of your school things there. We'll see about getting you an owl as well, if you think you'd like one." Lizzy nodded, the idea of having her own owl sounded good to her. The rest of the family sat in silence for a few minutes, then everyone started talking at once. They spent the rest of the evening talking about the wizarding world and agreed that the next day, a Saturday, would be ideal for a trip to London, to this mysterious Diagon Alley.
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