Proper Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, or book titles other than the ones I created myself. The rest belong to J.K. Rowling, and I have no intent on publishing for profit.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews for "Mr. Owl"! Every single one of them were great, and I am so surprised at the good feedback. I'll probably have to start updating sooner! But for now, I bring to you Chapter Two, "The Discussion"! Enjoy!
Jennifer eagerly opened the letter, wondering what this "Hogwarts" school was. Once she opened it, a letter flew out from the envelope and landed on her lap. She picked it up and read to herself:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
(Order of Merlin, First Class)
Dear Miss Scowly,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You may realize that you had not applied prior to receiving this letter, and this is because you have been selected since birth. Since you are a Muggle-born wizard, a representative from the school will be arriving at your home on the day you receive this letter (which we will know about, not to worry) to explain to your parents, and yourself, about the school. You are to confirm with him/her whether you will be attending.
Enclosed with this letter are a list of all necessary books and equipment you will be using during your first year of Hogwarts. Also included is your ticket to board the train on Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station. Term begins on 1 September.
Hope to see you then,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress
Jennifer did not have the slightest idea who exactly Minerva McGonagall was, or what kind of school Hogwarts was exactly, but all this new information led her to one conclusion: she would finally be able to get away from her parents' overprotecting grasp.
Jennifer ran gleefully down her thousand-stair staircase, ran through her labyrinth of hallways, and into her third kitchen. She found her mother putting sugar in a cup of black while singing a random tune from The Beatles. Jennifer then ran up to her yelling, "Mum, Mum! I got a letter from a school, a school named Hogwarts! They want me as a student!" But when Mrs. Scowly heard this, she looked up from her coffee cup with a look of terror on her face, but then quickly changed her expression saying stiffly, "Very nice dear. Now go play with that new doll we bought you for your end-of-term." Once Jennifer heard these words spoken in her mother's carefree tone, she almost broke down. But at the same time, something inside of her snapped, almost like a twig from a tree.
Jennifer then raged, shouting, "No, Mother! I am eleven years old and I will not be treated like the dirt on the bottom of your stiletto. You will at least treat me like one of your clients, with due and proper respect! Both you and Father!" Mrs. Scowly looked as though someone had slapped her across the face, and without a single word she solemnly nodded. "Good", said Jennifer. "Now get Dad and come to the living room. You two have some listening to do."
Jennifer then explained to her parents what her letter from Hogwarts said, mentioning how the letter knew where she was sitting exactly, among other things. Once she got to the part about school supplies, she turned to the second page of the letter which contained the supply list. Jennifer started to read off of it, as it contained:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Uniform:
First-year students will require:
Three sets of plain black work robes
One plain black pointed hat for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (preferably dragon hide)
One black winter coat (with silver fastenings
Please ensure that all of your child's clothing carry name tags, in case they somehow end up lost.
Course Books:
All students should have a copy of each of the following books:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1)
By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic, Revised Edition
By Bathilda Bagshot, revised by Linda Hanglart
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Revised Edition
By Phyllida Spore, revised by Neville Longbottem
Magical Drafts and Potions
By Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Second Edition
By Rolf Scamander and Luna Lovegood
Defense Against The Dark Arts, Course 1
By Kingsley Shacklebolt, foreword by Harry Potter
Other Equipment and Supplies:
All students must have the following supplies, which includes:
One wand
One cauldron (should be at least pewter, standard size 2)
One set glass or crystal phials
One telescope
One set of scales (preferably brass)
"It also says I can bring a pet, either a cat, toad, or owl." Jennifer said. "Can I please get an owl, for my birthday? Oh, and someone from the school will be coming here later today to explain it all! Isn't this all splendid?" Jennifer stared at her parents, Mr. Scowly having a completely blank expression while Mrs. Scowly was looking confused (or was it scared?).
"Um, honey," Mr. Scowly started, "I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean, magic couldn't possibly exist no matter how much you believed in it. Houdini, Copperfield, all their acts were fake! Maybe this letter was a prank from one of your friends. Besides, why don't you go tell Mrs. Reynolds this?" This simple statement outraged Jennifer, as it proved that her parents really paid no attention to her life.
"First, Mrs. Reynolds is on vacation somewhere." said Jennifer. "Second, I HAVE no friends! All the people at my school are too scared to even speak to me, thinking if they say the wrong thing you'll have somebody 'silence' them or something. But you're both too oblivious to notice what goes on in my life. For once, listen to my side. Then afterwards you can tell me to go play with my dolls or what have you." Jennifer took a deep breath and continued. "Did you possibly consider how my 'friends' would be able to know exactly where I sat, or how they would be able to think of this whole other world? Did you think these things through?"
But before her parents could answer, there was a knock on the front door of the mansion. Jennifer, knowing that it was the representative, eagerly ran towards the door. But once she opened the door, a sensation of shock ran through her body. The person she saw at the door could not have been more familiar. "Hello, Jennifer," Mrs. Reynolds said. "Are your parents here? I'm here from Hogwarts."
E/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm proud of it, though I want to address a few questions you might have: 1. If your wondering why it may seem slow, the answer is that "The Girl Who Didn't Know" will start off slow until about Chapter Four, and then all the action will be brought into it. 2. If you are wondering about the school supply list, most of the items are from the actual letter, but I did invent some items to show how we are in a modern time. Big thanks to Percabeth Lorien, who helped me edit this chapter. Go check out her stories "Demigod Wizard" and "Percy Jackson and the Battle of Hogwarts".
Thing to speculate on for the week: Watch the mother. I don't think that scared expression happened coincidentally...