Elemental

The News

When I was five years old, Beth started Hogwarts the same year that I started kindergarten at Forest Pine Elementary. My dad told me that Beth didn't like the school she was supposed to go to, so she went to a school far away. We both knew it was Beth's decision, even though I didn't learn about magic until I was eight. Beth visited over the summer and on Christmas and Easter break. It wasn't a perfect situation, especially with Mom on Mount Olympus, but we were happy. I actually found out about our mom when I was five, although I wasn't told how I was born until I was ten. I literally came out of my mom's head, just as she came out of her father's. Gross! I came home from school more than once saying that Greek gods weren't real, but I came around. I was ecstatic when I got my letter. Beth drove me into Diagon Alley-she had her Muggle driver's licence by then-and personally helped my find my books and my wand. Our mom had somehow left us some galleons at Gringotts. My wand is oak with a unicorn core, eight inches. Most of the shops were in ruins, but Beth managed to get about a dozen different wands each from about a dozen different wand-makers by mail. I was lucky to get any wand at all, much less one that "chose me" by random luck.

The day after I got my wand, my sister and I get a notice in the mail. It reads:

Dear Elizabeth and Amelia Anderson,

It has come to the Ministry's attention that you have no known wizarding ancestry. A recent study shows that any person without magical heritage cannot have acquired magical ability. This suggests that so-called "Muggle-Borns" have stolen magic. Therefore, all said "Muggle-borns" must meet with a member of the Muggle-born Registration Committee to determine whether they have any magical ability. If so-called "Muggle-borns" do not show signs of wizarding parentage, they will be stripped of their stolen wands.

Your hearing date and time is:

August 19 at 10:30 AM. A ministry official will direct you to the correct room.

Best wishes,

Malfalda Hopkirk.

"Best wishes?" I quote angrily. "Stolen magic? How could we possibly-"

"We have to do this," Beth says quietly. "We can convince them. But the meeting is tomorrow, and it's almost 10:00. You should get to bed."

I sleep horribly that night. Demigods never have good dreams, but I dream of You-Know-Who and Cyclopes all night. These are not ordinary nightmares. They're demigod nightmares: real as real life.

I pray to Athena for guidance, hoping that she will help her daughters think of a plan.

Surprise: two early chapters! Have fun, next one coming in 5...4...3...2...