Chapter 1

School Acceptance

It's July 1990, and 11-year-old Virginia Hughes is playing in the front yard of her home in Denbigh, Wales. There is a sudden pop, and a lady in green robes and a pointy hat appears standing on the sidewalk just beyond her family's lawn.

"Hello," the stranger says, "My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I am Headmistress in Chief at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm looking for Miss Virginia Hughes. Is it correct that she lives here?"

Virginia is stunned. Professor McGonagall is dressed very differently from the other adults Virginia has seen throughout her life. What Professor McGonagall was saying didn't make any sense either. The name of the school was so strange that Virginia couldn't quite remember it. She didn't know what to do. After a minute she regained her composer, wanting to find out what all this was about.

"Pleased to meet you, Professor," Virginia says, "I'm Virginia Hughes, and yes, this is my house."

"It's a pleasure to make you acquaintance, Miss Hughes," McGonagall says, "I would like to speak with you and your parents, are they home?"

"My mum is," Virginia says, "My dad's at work."

"Very well then," McGonagall says, "Why don't you show me instead, and I'll talk with your mother and you?"

"Of course, Professor," Virginia says, "Right this way,"

Virginia leads Professor McGonagall inside and has her take a seat on the sofa in the main room.

"Mum's in the kitchen making lunch," Virginia says, "I'll go get her."

Virginia walks into the kitchen where Mrs. Hughes is preparing sandwiches, hoping everything would become clear once her mother talks with Professor McGonagall.

"Mum," Virginia says, "There's a woman here to talk with us. She says her name is Professor McGonagall. I think I might be accepted to whichever school she teaches at."

"And which school would that be exactly?" Mrs. Hughes asks.

"I can't remember exactly," Virginia says, "Only that the name sounded peculiar. I think it's a school that we haven't heard of before."

"Well," Mrs. Hughes says, "Then you go in there and tell that woman that I'm not sending you to any school I've never heard of. Who knows if that school is safe, or if it even exists? This could be a con to give her and her colleagues permission to kidnap you."

"Please, Mum," Virginia begs, "Can we please just talk to her about it? Maybe it's a good school that will give me an exceptional education."

"Oh, alright," Mrs. Hughes says, "but it better be a good school, and you better be getting a scholarship. Your father and I are not paying one cent for your tuition."

Virginia leads her mother into the main room, where Professor McGonagall is still waiting on the sofa. Virginia and Mrs. Hughes take seats on armchairs facing her.

"Hello," Mrs. Hughes says, "I'm Virginia's mother. She tells me you're a professor. What school do you teach at?"

"Well," McGonagall says, "I'm the Transfiguration teacher and Headmistress in Chief at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's a boarding secondary school for young witches and wizards. Mrs. Hughes, your daughter Virginia is a witch. With the proper training, I don't see any reason why she couldn't be exceptional one day."

Virginia couldn't believe what Professor McGonagall was saying. She had believed in magic all her life, and countless people had called her crazy for it. Now, Professor McGonagall was saying it was real? It was like a dream true. Virginia became determined to attend this school.

"Rubbish," Mrs. Hughes says, "Magic ain't real. It's just what people used to explain stuff before they discovered the proper science. Besides, it isn't likely for Virginia to be exceptional at anything."

"Miss Hughes," McGonagall says, turning to Virginia, "Has anything strange happened to you, anything you can't explain?"

"Yeah," Virginia says, "All the time. Just yesterday, I was fighting with my older brother John. When he went to bed last night, his bed was filled with snakes."

"There you go," McGonagall says, "That is an example of the magical energy that is inside of you. Right now, the energy is responding to your emotions because you don't know any better. When you attend Hogwarts, you will learn how to control this energy through a wand to cast spells. As you become more experienced, emotional magical outbursts will become less common."

The way Professor McGonagall was explaining how magic worked seemed very logical. If all magic made sense like this, Virginia could see how she would be able to do well as a witch. Perhaps it would let her finally escape her parents and start her own life. Going to this school could give Virginia one thing she sought above all else, freedom.

"She's not going," Mrs. Hughes says harshly.

Suddenly, all of Virginia's dreams came crashing around her. Of course, her mother wouldn't approve. Virginia's mother never approved of anything. This was just another thing for Mrs. Hughes to say no to, and Virginia knew she was going to find any reason she could to keep saying no.

"Mrs. Hughes," McGonagall says, "I would recommend you consider my offer. This school would be a very good thing for Virginia,"

Virginia knew there was nothing Professor McGonagall could do to convince Virginia's mother. Still, Virginia wanted to see her try. She wanted to see an adult not bow to her mother's will for once.

"I'm her mother," Mrs. Hughes says, "I decide what's best for her. I'm not sending her to a school that will teach her to live in some fantasy world. She needs to be prepared for reality."

"Reality" was Mrs. Hughes's argument for everything. Virginia knew all too well how her mother went on about reality and its dangers, turning everything into a worst-case scenario.

"I assure you," McGonagall says, "Hogwarts is real and magic exists. It just exists outside of the reality you're familiar with, and that reality has no place for Virginia. She belongs at Hogwarts with other young ladies and gentlemen just like her."

Virginia allowed her hopes to perk up again at the sound of kids like her. It was tempting to believe that someone like her existed somewhere, that there could be a place where she belonged. Virginia hoped against hope that McGonagall would find a way to win this argument, as unlikely as it may be.

"Even if it did exist," Mrs. Hughes says, "I can't afford to send Virginia to a boarding school. The only school I can send her to is the public secondary school."

"Hogwarts doesn't charge tuition," McGonagall says, "You would only have to pay for Virginia's supplies. You can look over the supply list attached to Virginia's acceptance letter."

McGonagall hands Virginia an envelope addressed to her in emerald-green ink. Inside is a letter that was written by Professor McGonagall explaining that she has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There is also a list of supplies Virginia needs for the school year.

"She's not going," Mrs. Hughes said, "And that's final."

That was that. If it was up to Mrs. Hughes to decide, none of Virginia's dreams would ever come true. Hogwarts was just another crushed hope to add to the pile.

"Actually," McGonagall says, "I think it's best to let Virginia decide."

Virginia couldn't believe it. For a full minute, her ears rang with what McGonagall had said. No adult in their right mind had ever let Virginia decide anything before. Adults naturally thought kids didn't have any sense and wouldn't let them decide anything for themselves. Despite everything Virginia had thought up to this point, the idea of having a choice caught her off guard so much, she needed to regather her thoughts. McGonagall had given her a choice, she believed Virginia could be exceptional. No one had ever believed in Virginia before, either. How many times had she heard the phrase, "You can't be anything, you're child,"? How many times had her parents said she would never amount to anything. Finally, the thought that she might finally belong somewhere made Virginia feel like Hogwarts was a dream that couldn't come true fast enough. For the first time in her life, Virginia mustered up the courage to speak her mind in front of her mother.

"I want to go," Virginia says, "I want to be where I belong."

"Wonderful," McGonagall says, "I will let the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore know. In the meantime, Mrs. Hughes, I would like you to accompany me in helping Virginia prepare for school. I will show you how it's done, so you can assist her without my help next year."

"Absolutely not," Mrs. Hughes says, "I will have no part in this. If Virginia wants to go to some looney school against my wishes, she can do so without any support from me or her father."

"She'll still need money for supplies," McGonagall says.

"She's not getting a red cent from me," Mrs. Hughes says.

"I've been saving up my allowance," Virginia says, "Would 40 pounds be enough?"

"I'm sorry dear," McGonagall says, "That wouldn't even be enough for your textbooks, but you can just borrow those from your professors since you can't afford them yourself. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do about your other supplies."

And just like that, Hogwarts was impossible again. Virginia sighed, not knowing what to do, but still hoping she wouldn't have to give up.

"Look at that," Mrs. Hughes says, "It looks like you can't afford your supplies to go. I guess you just won't be going."

Her mother was right. Virginia didn't want her mother to be right. She would rather die than have her horrid mother be right. There had to be a way.

"Actually," McGonagall says, "I just remembered. There is a fund to help students who don't have enough money to attend. Use your money to buy what you can, and we'll cover the rest. The shops we need to buy from are in London, so it's a full day trip. I'll come to pick up Virginia at 8:30 tomorrow morning."

"Of course," Virginia said, "See you then, Professor,"

Virginia's hopes were full again. As far as she knew, finances had been the last hurdle for her to jump through. Now, it was decided, Virginia was going to Hogwarts. Not even her horrid mother could stop her.