I awoke early one, bright July morning to the sound of a bird pecking on my window. My eyes fluttered open and I saw a great tawny owl perched on my window sill, a letter in it's beak. I always liked birds, so I cautiously opened my window and extended my arm to stroke it's feathery head. When my hand hovered above its head there was a blur of movement and blood appeared on my hand.

"That was stupid," I thought.

The letter fluttered to the ground. I opened it and began to read.

200 Four-Wheel Drive The Room on the first floor.

Dear Mark Gelestone,

You have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will report to Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ on September 1, 1997. From there you will…

I was speechless.

"This has to be some sort of elaborate joke," I said, skeptically. Then a small rectangular card fell out of the envelope. I picked it up. It was thin, blue and embossed with gold and had a venerable looking, old man on it. There was a box beneath the portrait that read, "Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the Wizenmagot, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." The portrait looked like one of those holographic cards. I put it down and quickly re-read the letter. When I picked up the card again, the man in the portrait was gone. At first I thought it was just a computer trick, but the card was as thin as, well, a card. I was beginning to actually believe that I had been accepted to Hogwarts, a school of magic. Then, I shook my head.

"No. There is no such thing as magic." I told myself firmly. As I said those words there was a loud pounding on the door. I ran out to see my father answer it. In the doorway, looking out of place in his suburban surroundings, was a man dressed in red, elegant, cloak with a pointed hat and half-moon glasses.

"You're the man on that card!" I blurted out. Then I dashed back to my room and grabbed the letter and the card. I noticed the owl had flown away. I ran back and compared the picture on the card, which had returned, to the man. They looked exactly the same!

"Excuse me, but, can I help you?" my dad asked.

"Yes. I would like to speak with you about your son's education." said the man called Albus.

"Why, are his grades falling."

"I'm not from his current school. I've come to talk about an opportunity to join a new one."

"What school?" my dad asked.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am the headmaster and before you can interrupt, I will prove the magic." Albus drew a stick from his pocket and aimed it at a tea cup on the table. He waved the stick, maybe a wand, and then the cup turned into a rat and back again. My father was convinced. They talked it over and it was decided. On September 1, 1997, I will be going to Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ and go to a school for magic. I am psyched!

After discussing everything with my parents, Professor Dumbledore took me to Diagon Alley to get my school supplies. My parents gave me some money that Professor Dumbledore said would be more than enough for my school supplies. He said that I could maybe even try some wizard sweets, and candy, even wizard candy, is always a good thing. We arrived through a pub called the Leaky Cauldron and went into a storeroom. Professor tapped some bricks and the bricks slid back into an archway, revealing a vast, bustling, well, alley. There were shops displaying broomsticks and all sorts of stuff. Then, on the corner of a street there was a large marble building that said Gringotts. Professor told me that it was a wizard bank and there I could exchange my pounds for the wizarding money, Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Once I had my money I bought a wand. The man Ollivander was kind of strange but the wand was cool. It was eleven inches, nice flexibility, dragon heartstring. Then I bought books, cauldrons and other school supplies.

Then when I had only ten Galleons, five sickles, and a knut left, I saw it. There was a small, but quick owl in a cage in a shop window. I asked the Professor if I could go look and he just nodded and smiled. Something about him makes me think that he knew I would find an owl, rather than candy. Since the school list said that I could bring a pet toad, owl, or cat and leave it there over summer, I figured that it would work. I want inside and inquired about the owl in the window. The lady at the customer service table said that the owl would cost nine Galleons and one galleon for the cage and some food. I hastily bought it. I think that buying my owl, Quill, was the best ten galleons I ever spent.

When I returned home that day my parents, at first, weren't to thrilled about the owl, but once I explained to them that the owl was the main way I could send them letters, they were fine with it. Afterwards, I went straight to my room to read some of my books. On top of the stack was, Hogwarts A History By Bathilda Bagshot. I began to read.

Hogwarts was founded by the four most powerful wizards of the time, Godric Gryffyndor, Helga Huffulpuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Sytherin. The founders four…

/A.N./ Thanks for reading now please review! I will post the next chapter ASAP!