AN - Enjoy the story!
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Saturday morning dawned bright and warm in July. Y/N pulled up her blanket over her face to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight filtering into her room. She was trying to recollect what happened in her dream. A great, soaring bird in the moonlight, an odd-looking man at her front doorstep, and a flying broom. Those cartoons were seeping into her mind.
Before she could remember anything more, there was a loud thump from across the room. She sat bolt upright, her blanket falling from her face. At first, she thought it was her cat, but she squinted in the sunlight, dazed, and looked towards her window. Must've been one of those disoriented birds that kept flying into her window every few days.
She got up and walked towards her window, rubbing at her sleepy eyes. Halfway towards it, she stopped in her tracks, staring open-mouthed at the window.
There it was, a tawny owl perched on her window sill, what looked like a letter attached to its leg.
What?
Y/N stood rooted to her spot for a few seconds, then started searching with her hand blindly, still keeping her eyes on the bird. She grabbed her small camera from the bedside table and snapped a picture of the bird.
Incredible, she thought, why would an owl be awake early in the morning? Why is it on her windowsill? With what looked like a letter attached to its leg? Was it injured? Thirsty, perhaps? The temperatures this summer were quite high. That doesn't explain why it had a letter, though. Finally, Y/N walked towards the window and opened it slowly, careful to not frighten the owl. It hopped inside and stuck its leg out.
Y/N watched it for a few seconds, then detached the letter and stared at it. Emblazoned on the front was a wax seal with a sort of crest, separated into four equal sections, with an H stamped on the middle.
When she turned it around, she received a shock. There, written in emerald green ink, her exact address, and... the location of her room. Shivers went down her spine. Did she have a stalker? Her heart started beating wildly, her mind racing. It seemed impossible-
Before she could open the letter, the doorbell rang downstairs. She jumped, her senses on edge. Who on earth would ring the doorbell this early in the morning? They didn't have any guests from what she could recall, so who could it be?
Pocketing her letter, Y/N went out into the hallway. She heard voices coming from the entrance hall. Her parents must've answered the door already.
As quietly as she could, she walked down the stairs and peered into the living room, which was connected to the entrance hall.
There stood her parents, looking confused, speaking to a tall, cloaked man. Careful not to reveal herself, Y/N walked down the final steps and hid behind a wall to eavesdrop.
'I'm here to speak to your child about something that concerns them... The name is Y/N L/N, I believe...' the mysterious man announced.
Y/N's heart started racing again. Who is he? Am I being taken away? Could it be that the kid from the park she accidentally mauled yesterday called the police on her? Really, how could it be her fault the nasty little bully was thrown ten feet into the air when she merely pushed him gently, he must've been really light and it was quite windy that day-
'I- alright... Y/N?! COULD YOU COME DOWN HERE FOR A SECOND? THERE'S SOMEONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK TO YOU,' her mother shouted.
Oh Lord almighty let it not be a cop- but cops don't typically wear long black cloaks. Seeing no way out of this, Y/N revealed herself and walked slowly toward the front door. She looked up at the visitor and took in his features.
Tall, sallow-faced, with long black hair curtained around his thin, pale face. He was wearing what he probably thought to be a friendly smile, but it looked more like an annoyed grimace than anything.
'U-uhm... Hello!' Y/N greeted nervously.
'You received a letter approximately seven minutes ago by owl, did you not?' The man uttered.
'Er- yes... I- I have it here, actually,' she pulled the letter from her pocket and then looked back at the man. 'Er, did you... send it by mistake? I haven't opened it yet, you can have it ba-'
'No,' he cut her off. 'Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You're a witch. That letter comes from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school of magic. If you open it you'll find a list of the school supplies you need and when the term begins. Good day to you,' he said rather hurriedly and turned his back on them to leave.
A silence ensued. Y/N snorted in disbelief. Her parents looked incredulous and the young girl swore she heard her father mutter to her mother about the man being mentally unwell.
'Sorry, er, mister. You must've gotten the wrong house...' her mother remarked, slightly amused.
The man stopped and turned around, glaring at Y/N's mother. He turned his gaze to Y/N instead. 'Read your letter. It explains everything you need to know.'
Curiosity getting the better of her, Y/N ripped open the letter and read it carefully.
The school supplies list was full of weird items: Dragon-hide gloves, a pewter cauldron, a set of potion phials, a wand...
'I don't believe it.' Y/N announced. 'And I'm not saying it like I'm surprised or happy or whatever, I genuinely think this is some sort of joke.'
The cloaked man raised an eyebrow at her, then pulled out a long wooden stick and brandished it in the air. Out of nowhere, a flock of white birds appeared, flew around the room for a moment, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Y/N's mouth was hanging open. No way, no way... She pinched herself several times, finally deciding that what she was seeing was real, and gaped at the wizard.
'How- How did you- what-?'
The young girl's parents looked astounded.
'A simple conjuring charm... Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than try to convince an ignorant little child-'
'WAIT, how do I get my stuff? How do I get to this school? When? Where? Can we drive there?' Y/N cut him off, saying all this very fast.
The man stared at her for a few moments, then decided that there would be no harm in telling the young witch how to get there.
'You can get your school supplies from Diagon Alley, it's in London-'
'Never heard of it, do you have a map or something? Or you could just take us there,' Y/N cut him off again. She could see a vein pulsing in his forehead and bit back a sly smirk.
'Hold on,' her mother interjected. 'We never said you could go.'
'What? Why? I want to go!' The young girl said sadly.
'Well, how are we supposed to know that you actually are a witch?' Her father remarked.
That's true... Y/N felt her smile falter and her red hair lose colour. How could it be that she was a witch? She would know...
The tall man sighed, exasperated. 'Have you ever done something that defied the laws of physics when you were feeling a particularly strong emotion?'
'I-' Y/N thought deeply. Yes, yes she did. Just yesterday, the kid at the park who was launched into the air after a mere push from the girl. And there was that other time, when she was just a toddler, falling out the window from the second floor and merely floating down and landing gently on the ground... No one knew how she survived then, but it all makes sense now. She looked up at the wizard and smiled widely.
He raised his eyebrows. 'Well, there you have it,' he concluded.
Y/N's parents were looking a bit anxious and rather doubtful. Y/N knew they were strict and wouldn't let her go to some random school they'd never even heard of.
She turned around to face them with puppy eyes. 'Pleaaaaase! Please let me go!' She pleaded.
'You can come with me to this diagonally! It'll be fun- and I'll visit whenever I can!'
The girl's parents looked at each other, exasperated. 'Well, maybe-'
'YES!' Y/N roared with delight.
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This was perhaps the happiest Y/N had ever been. She couldn't stop smiling as she sat on the train, looking out the window at her parents, waiting for the train to depart.
She had never felt so many butterflies in her stomach. Nervousness, anxiety, excitement, happiness, and more anxiety all welled up. This was it, it was September first. She was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had all her books, clothes, and other school supplies in her trunk in the compartment right above her head. She kept her wand in her pocket. She'd been obsessed with it ever since she laid eyes on it, ever since she held it in her hand. The connection she felt with this wand was so strong, it felt like it was a part of her very soul, and they were bonded.
Next to the witch were a crate and a cage, a cat and an owl in each, respectively. Y/N wasn't sure if she was allowed to have two pets, but she just couldn't leave her pet cat alone at home (it had separation anxiety).
Her owl was a gorgeous [insert breed] she had gotten from a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley. It caught her eye straight away. She still hadn't given it a name, though...
The floor started to shake; the train was departing at last. Y/N looked back out the window and waved her parents goodbye until they were out of sight, tears prickling her eyes. She quickly wiped them away when her compartment's door slid open.
'Hello!'
Y/N looked toward the newcomer. It was a young, buck-toothed, bushy brown-haired girl, holding a few books in one arm and the handle of her trunk in the other.
'Er- hello,' Y/N replied.
'I was only wondering if I could sit with you. Only the rest of the compartments are full- well there were a few half-empty ones, but I didn't really fancy sitting with a bunch of immature first-years...' she said all this very fast.
'Oh, yeah, no problem,' Y/N answered her.
The girl sat down opposite her and put the books down on an empty seat.
'I'm Hermione Granger, by the way! I had no idea I was a witch, I received my letter a few weeks ago and I was ever so thrilled! I never imagined magic was real, but all the odd stuff I could do makes sense now! I've read all the books we were assigned already, and I have a few more for background reading. Did you know that the Hogwarts houses are named after Hogwarts' founders? I hope I'm in Gryffindor, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad either...' she rambled.
Y/N only understood about half of what Hermione said, at least she remembered her name.
'I'm Y/N L/N, and I didn't know I was a witch either! Is it true everyone else gets their letter when they turn eleven? Only I'm ten and, well, I'm here...' Y/N remarked.
'Woah, no way! I thought everyone got theirs at eleven... Are you turning eleven soon?' Hermione asked.
'In about a week, yes. I hope they didn't make a mistake... It'll be very embarrassing if they send me back,' she said anxiously.
Hermione pondered her statement. 'No, I don't think they would... I mean, you had someone come and explain everything right?'
'Yes, I thought he was a bit grouchy but he did explain some things... not everything, though,' Y/N said thoughtfully.
'Don't worry about it! I'm sure they didn't make a mistake,' Hermione said cheerfully. 'One week isn't much anyway, they probably didn't want you to wait a whole year just for a single week!'
'I suppose you're right,' Y/N smiled giddily. 'I never thought what I could do was magic! I can't wait to learn more, explore the castle, and ride a broom...'
A few hours had passed since the train departed, and Hermione was raving about what she had read in Hogwarts: A History, with Y/N listening intently.
Their compartment door slid open once more, and a slightly chubby, blonde-haired boy stumbled in. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.
'S-sorry, but, have either of you seen a toad? I've lost one! Gran will kill me...' He blundered. Y/N glanced at Hermione, and she shook her head.
'We haven't seen one, no,' Hermione said, turning to the boy. 'Do you want help finding him, er...-'
'Neville, Neville Longbottom,' the boy introduced. 'And yes, please...'
They left the compartment, Y/N right behind them, and they visited every compartment, asking around about Neville's toad.
They entered one last compartment. Two boys were sitting there, surrounded by empty wrappers of sweets, chocolate, and pastries. One of the boys had bright ginger hair and a very freckled face, holding a wand in his hand. The other, a bespectacled boy, with messy, raven black hair and emerald green eyes. Y/N's gaze lingered on the latter for a moment before she tore her eyes away from him as Hermione started asking them whether they had seen Neville's toad, who they learned was named Trevor.
'No-' The red-haired boy started, before Hermione cut him off.
'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then!'
The two boys looked at each other, the ginger one raising his eyebrows. Clearing his throat, he pointed at a rat sitting on his lap and said:
'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!'
Nothing happened. An awkward silence ensued.
'Are you quite sure that's a real spell? Well it's not very good, is it? Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me!' Hermione said pridefully, and she sat down on the seat opposite them. 'I'm Hermione Granger, and, you are...?' She asked, looking at both of them.
'Uh- Ron Weasley,' he muttered.
'I'm Harry, Harry Potter,' the other boy said.
Hermione gasped. 'Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived! I can see your scar- I know all about you! Did you know you were in Famous Witches and Wizards of the Twentieth Century?'
'I am?' Harry said, dazed.
'Of course, if it was me, I'd have found out everything if I could! Anyway, you two had better get changed,' Hermione suggested, looking out the window; the sun was already setting, 'I expect we'll be arriving soon.'
She got up, leaving Ron and Harry looking bewildered. Hermione was about to leave when she turned around and addressed Ron.
'You've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there,' she pointed at a spot on her nose. Ron wiped his nose forcefully, looking disgruntled.
'Well, see you!' She turned around and walked out into the corridor. Y/N followed.
'Hey! Wait-' a voice shouted behind them.
Y/N turned around. It was Harry speaking.
'I- what's your name?' He asked shyly.
'Oh, sorry, it's Y/N L/N. Nice to meet you,' Y/N smiled at him.
Harry grinned back, his face growing rather pink, then he quickly looked away.
Hermione looked between them, smiling slyly. 'Come on Y/N, we ought to get ready, we'll be arriving soon,' she nudged Y/N back to their compartment.
They both got changed into their school robes. The train was coming to a halt. Y/N felt butterflies swarming her stomach again.
The two girls grabbed their bags, Y/N said goodbye to her cat and owl and got off the train onto the platform.
'FIRS' YEARS! FOLLOW ME!'
Y/N looked around and saw a gigantic man with a wild beard and long bushy hair. He must've been almost twelve feet tall. The young witch gaped at him. Noticing her staring, the giant man waved at her and smiled kindly, which Y/N returned.
The first-year students, all looking nervous or excited, walked up to the man. Some of them gasped in awe or squeaked in fear and astonishment at the man's size.
'Hello, Hagrid!' a voice behind Y/N spoke cheerfully.
She looked around. It was Harry, waving at Hagrid with enthusiasm. Ron was standing beside him with his mouth hanging open, staring at Hagrid.
Hagrid led them down a dark, narrow path toward a great lake.
'Yeh'll be gettin' a first look at the castle in a mo'!' He told them cheerfully.
They turned a corner and, looking up, they saw a great castle with many turrets sitting on top of a big cliff. The students gasped and pointed, amazed at the sheer size of the school. Y/N was mesmerized, to say the least.
They followed Hagrid to a dock with half a dozen boats.
'We'll be going by boats up to the castle! No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called to the students.
Y/N and Hermione got into a boat, they were joined by Harry and Ron shortly after. Hagrid climbed into a boat of his own, and they all started moving towards the castle, gliding on the smooth, black lake.
Y/N couldn't stop staring at the castle. Lights were flickering here and there on the windows. It looked majestic against the night sky. The witch looked up and she could make out dozens of constellations and hundreds upon hundreds of stars. If the sky was just a bit clearer, Y/N thought she'd be able to see the Milky Way galaxy as well.
Many of the other students were looking up at the castle, all silent, admiring its grandeur and beauty.
'Mind yer heads, how!' Hagrid called to them from the front.
One by one, the boats sailed under a cliffside and into a boathouse. They lined themselves at their docks, and the students got out, careful not to fall into the water beneath them.
'Everyone here? You over there, is this yer toad?' Hagrid crouched down and picked up a toad from one of the boats, handing it to Neville.
'Trevor!' Neville held him close and put him in a pocket inside his cloak, making sure he didn't hop out.
'Alright, follow me now, mind yer step!' Hagrid led them out of the boathouse and up several flights of stairs, into the castle.
A tall, old witch with her hair in a bun was awaiting them at the entrance.
'Thank you, Hagrid, I'll be taking them from here.'
'No problem, Professor McGonagall,' Hagrid bowed his shaggy head, and he left them through massive double doors. They heard a babble of chatter and laughter, then the doors closed. That must've been the Great Hall.
'Follow me,' Professor McGonagall ordered, and she took them to a room off the hall. The students squeezed in together, Y/N made sure to stick by Hermione; she didn't want to get separated from her first friend at Hogwarts.
'Now, the sorting ceremony will begin in a few moments. It will take place in the Great Hall. The four Hogwarts houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin,' Y/N heard someone behind her snicker. She turned around and saw a blonde boy with a pallid face nudging his friend. She turned back around as the Professor continued: 'Your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points... Any rule-breaking, and you will lose points.'
The students looked at each other. Y/N was feeling nervous. How does Sorting work? Will they have to take a test? What if she fails? She quickly shook these thoughts away from her head and looked around. She saw that Harry was looking nervous after Ron had told him something about fighting a Troll. Y/N's stomach churned.
'The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily, I suggest you smarten yourselves,' McGonagall announced to them and left the room.
Chatter broke out among the students. Some were excited, and others looked terrified. Hermione was whispering incantations under her breath. Y/N should've at least tried to memorize some things from her books... She looked around the room again and caught Harry's eyes, accidentally making eye contact. He looked away quickly.
Professor McGonagall returned and led the pack of students in a file, out of the room and into the Great Hall.
Y/N gasped when she had a first look at the Hall. The ceiling was high, so high that it seemed like.. there was none? Instead of a ceiling, the night sky was reflected, stars twinkling and shining brightly.
'I've read about it! The ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History,' Hermione whispered excitedly in her ear.
There were hundreds of candles floating above four, long house tables. Older students were sitting there, all watching the first-years walk toward the staff tables.
McGonagall stopped in front of a stool adorned with an old, frayed hat. Would they have to pull a rabbit out of it?
'When I call your name, you will come forth, sit on the stool and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your house,' McGonagall explained to them. Y/N let out a sigh of relief, and she noticed several other students looking much more relaxed. They just had to put on the hat...
Professor McGonagall started calling names one by one, each student getting sorted into a different house. When Y/N's name was called, she walked up to the stool confidently and sat down. When the Hat was placed on her head, she heard an old voice speaking.
'Hmm, a bit younger than the others aren't you... Never had to sort someone under eleven yet, but it matters not...' said The Hat. 'I can see you've got a great deal of bravery... And a thirst for knowledge... Rather cunning as well... most loyal... Where to put you?'
Y/N sat there waiting. Several minutes had passed. Maybe she wasn't fit into any of the houses? She thought nervously.
'We'll find you a place,' the Hat spoke again, reading Y/N's mind. 'But where...'
Ten minutes must've passed by now, and students were starting to whisper among themselves, casting glances at Y/N. What are they whispering for? It's not her fault the Hat couldn't decide! She looked over at the Gryffindor table, where Hermione was sitting next to Neville Longbottom. Her friend waved at her and smiled encouragingly.
I do want to be in Gryffindor...
'Gryffindor, eh? You certainly have a knack for adventure, from what I could sense... Can't wait to explore the castle and grounds, can you?' said The Hat knowingly. 'Well then, better be... GRYFFINDOR!' The Hat yelled out the last word, and cheering erupted at the Gryffindor table.
Y/N sighed. Finally! She went to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hermione. A few of the other students shook her hand.
'Bit difficult to sort, weren't you?' A tall ginger boy spoke to Y/N cheerfully. 'George Weasley,' he shook her hand.
'Never seen a Hat stall this long!' An identical boy said. 'I'm Fred Weasley, nice to meet you.'
'Nice to meet you too! Are you two twins?' Asked Y/N.
'Yep!'
Y/N smiled at them and looked back towards the Hat. It was Harry's turn to be sorted. Y/N found herself wishing he'd be put in Gryffindor, too.
And, indeed, after a silent minute, the Sorting Hat shouted 'Gryffindor!' and Harry joined the Gryffindor table to tumultuous applause and extremely loud cheering.
'WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!' The Weasley twins exclaimed, standing on their seats.
Y/N laughed and shook hands with Harry. He was sitting across her, next to the twins.
A few other students were sorted into their houses, and it was now Ron Weasley's turn. Only a few seconds passed after the Hat touched his head and it exclaimed 'Gryffindor!'
Ron chuckled in relief and joined the table to a great deal of applause, sitting next to Harry.
As she looked around the Gryffindor table, and around the Great Hall, as she ate, drank, and chatted with her new friends, Y/N felt that her next few years at Hogwarts would perhaps be the best of her life.
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- HJPsQuill