Chapter One: That's Totally a Goblin
A pair of twins, turning eleven that day sat at the table, eating an unhealthy amount of bacon and hash-browns. The dining room was a large area with a cheap chandelier to provide light when the many windows couldn't at night. The table was long, with enough seating for fourteen people and the twins sat at the corner next to the head chair.
The twins had a slight frame, but were deceptively strong. They had dirty blond hair, hazel eyes and fair faces with bushy eyebrows. They loved to read and climb and had over a dozen hobbies. That's what happens when you're more hyperactive then a chihuahua on a sugar high. Thanks ADHD.
"You have letters." Mom said, handing the two envelopes to her boys as she walked past the breakfast table.
"Fah-nsee." Michael drawled out, inhaling a slice of bacon, "That's some flowy cursive."
"I'll read it," Nathaniel said, "You can't read cursive for crap."
Michael grumbled in annoyance but had no retort and continued to eat his bacon.
Nathaniel cleared his throat obnoxiously, before reading at Michael's insistence.
"Dear mister Henderson, we are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment."
The pair of twins looked to their mother who had sat down next to them to eat a healthier breakfast.
"Mom?" Nathaniel asked, "Is this a birthday present?"
"Like a summer camp?" Michael asked excitedly.
Nathaniel began rifling through the extra pages inside of both letters while Michael snatched some of his twin's remaining bacon.
Seeing this insult to his stomach, Nathaniel tackled Michael, and they rolled on the floor while their mother read the letters for herself.
In confusion, she picked up her phone and started to call someone, probably to thank them for paying for summer camp, thought the twins.
Suddenly, a knock upon the door stopped the boys fighting and stole their mom's attention.
"Did Dad forget something?" Michael asked from his position on Nathaniel's back, thinking their father was the one knocking.
Mom opened the door to reveal nothing.
Until the they saw, between her legs, a rather short man with spectacles and a funny tuxedo.
Noting the teeth in his smile and the odd ears, Michael turned to Nathaniel and said, "He looks like a goblin."
Nathaniel had a somewhat disagreeable look, "Goblins only exist in DnD and books, he's probably a half-elf." He said.
Michael shook his head, "Then maybe he's half-goblin, he's too short and stubby for-
Then, mortified, their mother hushed the both of them and gave them a light scolding as the stranger waited patiently by the door.
"Sorry about that!" Mom said.
"No need to worry about that madam!" The short man said pleasantly, "I am here to explain about Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"I'm a wizard!?" Michael shouted.
At the same time as Nathaniel yelled, "Can I be a fighter instead?"
They looked at each other and went back to squabbling.
"Actually," The goblinoid man said, "You are both wizards."
"No, he's too stupid to be a wizard." Nathaniel sniped.
"No, you're stupid!" Michael retorted.
Looking at the mother's face and children's squabbling, the half-goblin (for so he was), nodded and asked, "How about I show you some magic?"
"YES!" Nathaniel said as Michael eagerly nodded.
"Blow up a tree!"
"Summon a dragon!"
"Make his elbows knees, and his knees elbows!"
"Turn him into a frog!"
"Make him smart!"
"Shut up!"
At that moment, their older brother, who had been sneaking up on them, jumped up and dog piled the both of them.
"How about something simple?" He pondered aloud, and with a swish and a flick of his magic stick, the couch floated into the air.
Instantly, the boys clambered onto it, jumping up and down. During this, Nathaniel began making loud hooting noises and the other boys got off of him and started laughing.
Their mom scolded Michael and his older brother, Forrest for setting off Nathaniel's hooting tic again.
Seeing Flitwick's confusion, she explained that both twins had severe Tourette's syndrome, and almost as a side note, ADHD and OCD. He had a bad feeling about that, especially when she started explaining exactly what that entailed.
Before he could respond, the boys gasped in unison, he had lifted the couch with magic which, obviously, meant magic was real!
"Wait, does this mean you're really a goblin?" Michael asked as Nathaniel in turn questioned his goblin ancestry.
Mom needed to sit down before coming to terms with having her worldview being flipped upside down and asking, "School?"
"Wait, there's a school for it?" Nathaniel asked.
"We can learn magic?" Michael squeed.
"Am I magic too?" Asked their older brother, Forrest.
"No, I'm sorry young sir, it's just these two." Flitwick replied after a wave of his stick.
"That's not fair!" Forrest shouted and mom sent him to his room before he could flip out.
"Explain everything." She said, looking the short man directly in the eyes.
"First, though," Nathaniel said.
"Show us more magic!" Michael finished.
"Let me introduce myself," He grinned, "I am Professor Flitwick, charms teacher and representative of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Charmed." Chorused the twins before breaking out in giggles.
"Can you summon a dragon?" Nathan asked again.
"Make me a magic sword!" Michael demanded.
"Rápido, rápido!" Nathaniel said.
Their mother spent a few minutes scolding them before continuing the conversation. Flitwick told her all the basics she would need to know about the wizarding world such as no magic out of Hogwarts, how they would meet with a coworker of his to learn about Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express, and more.
As the little man was poised to leave, the twins half demanded, half begged for him to show them more magic and after half an hour of this he begged off important duties and left.
The twins half disappointed, half elated, cobbled together as much allowance as they could, their siblings pitching in on the condition that Michael and Nathaniel would return with souvenirs.
The next two hours were filled with questions, jumbled preparation, and extensive planning.
With the help of their older brothers and sisters, the twins compiled a list of powers and abilities from their favorite books and movies that they wanted to learn and possibly show off. The envy emanating from the pores of one or two of their sibling was thick and quite noticeable, but they had all been taught to do unto others and so helped in any way they could. It didn't hurt that there was a chance of a magic toy in their future.
Once dad got home, mom waited for dinner to spring the news on him eliciting a promise from each child not to tell him until then.
That night, ten seats were filled, eight of them shaking with anticipation, one being a highchair, and the tenth being the unsuspecting father.
The twins sat on their mother's sides, to the left and right of the head of the table, ticcing nonstop. Nathaniel smacking his forehead and punching his chin and stomach, Michael making guttural throat noises. Something was up. The rest of the kids were randomly seated with dad at the other head seat of the table.
Maria, the eldest sibling, was perfectly innocuous. She gave absolutely no hint of her knowing a secret that could flip the world upside down. She had been intensely jealous at first but managed to convince her younger siblings to help sneak her into Hogwarts, so that would have to suffice.
Across from her, Grace, the next in line looked off in the distance, lost in her thoughts. Mom had to have cheated on dad. There's no WAY those two got powers and nobody else did! Mom totally cheated on dad.
Next to the dad, on the far side of the table, Forrest was being obnoxiously quiet. Which was odd for him, he wasn't usually quiet. Instead of making noise or talking, Forrest had his face on his plate, eating like a dog. Dad looked at him and raised an eyebrow at his wife, who just gave him the smug little smile she had been giving him all day.
Across from Forrest, Valentine helped Christina feed their infant sister, Sage. They didn't really understand everything going on, but it got through that maybe they would get new toys somehow, so they were excited.
Their father finally set his utensils down and asked, "Alright, what's going on?"
He was observant like that.
Mom's grin widened to show teeth and she answered.
"Michael and Nathaniel are wizards and have been accepted into a wizard's boarding school."
Then came the laughter. Great and booming."Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha heeeeeee hahahahahahahahahahahaha!" He wheezed whenever he ran out of breath, inhaled loudly, and continued laughing.
The laughter was infectious and despite the topic at which he was laughing, soon everyone at the table was laughing themselves silly.
"No, seriously," he breathed, "What is it?"
Mom handed him the letters and the howling began anew. It was another thirty minutes before she finally convinced him that she was being honest. He found the truth equally humorous. The roaring only stopped after he seriously injured his ribs from nonstop laughter and couldn't risk getting sent to a hospital.
"So, then," He asked, "What happens next?"