Chapter 3: Going to Hogwarts

When I received my acceptance letter to Hogwarts I was very excited. Olivia had done three years at Hogwarts and Becca had done two and they had told me all about it. Those three years where my sisters had been at school were some of the loneliest of my life especially the last two as I had been at home all on my own. Olivia was put in Ravenclaw and Becca was in Hufflepuff.

Olivia was the top in her year and always achieved top marks in exams. Becca is a chaser on the Hufflepuff quiddich team. So basically I had a lot to live up to.

I read over my letter three times and pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

'Good job Ally now you are going to Hogwarts with us,' said Becca supportively.

'Tell me about each house again,' I said to the room.

'Well Ravenclaw is normally where all the intelligent people go,' said Olivia not resisting the temptation to answer questions.

'Then there is Hufflepuff where people go who are loyal,' Becca added.

I reflected on what they said. It seemed as if Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had been made for Olivia and Becca.

'Gryffindor is where brave people go and Slytherin's are normally quite cunning, only pure bloods go in Slytherin.' Finished Olivia.

None of those descriptions fit me I was just average.

'Of course that was a very simplified description, all the houses like many different qualities,' said dad when he saw my deflated look on my face.

'Right, now you've all got your letters we need to go shopping,' mum said quickly changing the subject.

My face lit up and so did Olivia's we both loved shopping.

'As long as we get it done quickly,' said Becca who wasn't as nearly as enthusiastic.

An hour later we assembled by the fire place in the dining room to floo to Diagon ally. I didn't like floo powder that much I preferred flying on broom but we weren't allowed to travel like that in case muggles saw us.

'Liv you go first wait for us the other end don't go running off,' said dad in a stern voice, Olivia had run off before.

'Dad!' Olivia said in a pretend shocked voice. 'As if I'd do something like that,' I had to hold my hands to my mouth to hold in my giggles. Olivia wasn't usually one to make jokes so when she did it made them ten times funnier.

Olivia took a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. 'Diagon all,' she said in a clear voice before dropping the floo powder and disappearing in green flames.

'Go on then Becca,' my mum said as the last of the flames cleared.

Becca did the same as Olivia and when the flames cleared again it was then my turn.

I took the floo powder my hand shaking as I always got a little nervous.

'You'll be fine,' my dad said 'you always are and Olivia and Becca will be on the other end to greet you.'

I nodded reassured and half spoke half shouted 'Diagon ally.'

I disappeared from the dining room fire and reappeared in the fire in the Leaky Cauldron.

I looked around but I couldn't see Olivia or Becca anywhere. It wasn't that busy I should have been able to see them.

'Liv,' I said nervously. 'Becca…' I trailed off. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked around frightened to see it was Tom the innkeeper.

'You alright love,' said Tom in a clam way.

'I can't find my sisters,' I mumbled embarrassed.

At that moment mum came through the fire and saw me talking to Tom.

'Alyssa is everything alright?' she asked. She then looked around instinctively.

'Where's Olivia and Becca?' she then asked.

'I don't know,' I replied in a quiet voice.

Mum pulled me to her side and thanked Tom for looking after me.

'Those two,' she said anger building in her voice.

Dad then came through surveying the scene in front of him.

'Where are Olivia and Becca,' he said immediately.

'They must have run off and they left Alyssa all on her own,' mum answered.

Dad then left the pub presumably to look for my sisters and me and mum followed mums hand still clutching mine.

Dad was now running down diagon ally glancing in every shop window as he past. He then entered quality quiddich supplies. Mum and me waited outside. A few minutes later he emerged Olivia and Becca in front of him.

'I can't believe you two leaving Alyssa alone like that,' mum said in an angry yet hushed tone as not to draw attention to herself.

'But…' Becca began to protest.

'When we get home,' dad interjected.

My sisters kept quiet the rest of the shopping trip. We went round every shop and before we went home dad brought us each and ice cream and Florian Fortescue's ice cream parlour. This cheered my sisters up until the prospect of going home hit them as they knew when they got home they would be for it.

Mum had calmed down however and when we got home she told them how disappointed she was and to not let it happen again.

Whereas most children would have been sad that justice hadn't been served if they were in my position, I was happy that they hadn't gotten into too much trouble.

'Hey,' Olivia said as she opened my bedroom door and hour later.

'Hi,' I replied not looking up from my new charms book which I was reading.

'I'm really sorry about what happened earlier,' Olivia said in a genuinely sorry voice.

'It's ok,' I replied.

'Fancy a game of quiddich,' Olivia said. 'Becca will play too,' she added as if trying to persuade me.

Oliva wanting to play quiddich I thought amazed. Normally she never wanted to as she isn't very good and she hates loosing.

'Ok,' I said. 'But you're not on my team I want to win.' I added cheekily

Normally Olivia would get really angry at a remark like this but she simply rolled her eyes and beckoned me out the door…

And we played quiddich the rest of the afternoon.