The house appeared normal outside. It had windows dead center and the paint looked fresh. Smoke only came from the chimney in the wintertime and weird noises were a rare occasion. Still, if you were to enter the house, you would find it very abnormal indeed.
For instance, the pots in the sink were washing themselves. There was an odd wooden stick laying on a table, and the pictures in the newspaper were moving. An owl hooted from the basement. Another one hooted in return from a bedroom. And in that bedroom, there was a girl, sitting at a desk and writing a letter on a piece of parchment, with silver ink. The letter would make no sense whatsoever if a muggle were to read it.
Dear Caitlin,
Have you gotten your Hogwarts letter yet? I have, and it was such a beautiful owl! My mum already got my books and robes and such, so all that's left is a wand. I wanted to know if you would like to go wand shopping with me. Ollivander's at one o'clock on Tuesday? Send your reply back as soon as you can. I can't wait to get sorted!
See you soon!
Naomi
When Caitlin O'Connor saw a tawny owl land on her windowsill, she smiled. After she had read the letter, she scrawled a hasty reply and sent it off with Owen, her best friend Naomi's owl. Her Hogwarts letter had arrived yesterday. Practically bursting with curiosity, Caitlin had torn it opened, and in her haste ripped the precious letter in two. She had read it best she could, and told her mother what she needed, then went outside to cool down after the initial excitement wore off.
The dirt road stretched for miles, offering unending things to do. Caitlin hopped the fence that separated her yard from everything else, and started strolling down the road, kicking up dirt that settled in her clothes and hair. After a half a mile of walking in the sticky August heat, she headed off the side of the road, looking for the swimming hole to cool off.
Diagon Alley was crowded and exciting. Naomi and Caitlin didn't know where to look. Caitlin, who was a bookworm, insisted on going into Flourish and Blotts, even though the books for school had already been bought, and Naomi, who was a jock, made everyone follow her to Quality Quidditch Supplies, even though brooms were off-limits to first years. Finally, they entered Ollivander's. Caitlin went first, and she ended up purchasing the second wand she tried; unicorn hair and yew, ten inches. Naomi took longer to find her wand, which ended up being phoenix feather and redwood, thirteen inches.
Once outside of Ollivander's, Naomi and Caitlin said their goodbyes and parted, promising to see each other soon. The rest of summer flew by, and before they knew it, they were boarding the Hogwarts Express and trying to find an empty compartment. Failing that, they settled on one with a single student inside; a girl that looked their age, with long red hair and emerald green eyes.
"Hello! I'm Caitlin, and this is my best friend Naomi. May we sit here?"
The girl nodded slightly. "Sure. I'm Lily Evans." She had a soft voice, and Caitlin immediately liked her. They spent the train ride swapping stories, laughing as Lily tried her first ever Bertie Bott's Bean (bacon), and generally having a good time.
By the time they left the train, they were inseparable. A small girl who introduced herself as Ella joined them in their boat. The four entered the Great Hall completely confident that they would all be put in the same house. Little did they know the Sorting Hat had other ideas…