The Letter.....

"Miranda! I'll be leaving now!"

I bolted upright in my bed. The sunlight lighting up the dustbunnies hiding in my room.

"Mom! Wait!"

I pulled on some slippers and slipped on my pink bathrobe before running down the spruce wood stairs. Pictures of me when I was younger shook from the banging of my feet. My mom stood at the door, her pale neck fitting her perfectly being not too thin nor large. Her purple petticoat hugged her slim hips. And her bobbed haircut bouncing on her shoulders, making the brown and gold streaks gleam.

"I have to get to the office. Your dad's staying home today."

I gave my mother a hug. They both were dentists at our towns only dentist office. She gave me a peck of a kiss on the cheek before handing me a list. I took the crumpled paper and held the wood door open for her.

"Make sure you get everything done before I come home," she stepped outside but stopped abruptly,"and could you start dinner for me?"

"Yes, mom."

"Oh, thank you! See you when I get home. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

She put her suitcase full of papers in the passangers' side and ducked her head. She sat on the worn out leather seats. The brown colors fading on our old buggy. The engine huffed and a small cloud of grit came out the exhaust pipe. I took a look at the piece of paper my mom gave me. In perfect, curved letters, was a list of my chores. They weren't really chores, but I always volunteered to help my parents. They were always so busy with work, I was usually home alone.

I took another look at the list, making sure I read over it carefully as not to miss anything:

•Do the laundry 

•Clean the dishes

•Get the post

•Help your father with dinner

I sighed. My dad wasn't a bad cook, he just sometimes, looses his place. Right now, I heard him bustling in the launge room.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

I walked in and followed him in a circle. He was fixing pictures over the fireplace and then turning the moss green chairs at a different angle. I suppose it was so when winter came, you got more heat directed to you. But I guess I could ask.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh. I'm.....uh...umph...moving the funiture."

No really! I'm just standing here watching you work your self up for invisible things. My dad can be a little, obvious sometimes as well. But it never made him a bad person. He was always nice a d seemed to match mom. The way their hair color was the same and how their necks fit the shoulders. But dad was a little more on the taller side, even though mom was only about a few inches less. And he had a little bit of gray hairs showing. But you wouldn't notice if you didn't look close enough.

"Mom wants me to make dinner. I was thinking maybe some noodles with sauce?"

"Uh, sure. Yes. That would be good. Now...where should this one face?"

I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen. The table was littered with clean plates stacked up and ready to be put away. Along with a few extra napkins from my mom's breakfast. I put the plates up into the polished cabinets and pulled out a pot from under the silver sink. I filled it with water and found some dried shell noodles in a blue box beside the sugar and flour jars. 

I emptied the contents into the already boiling pot. It almost bubbled over and onto the stove before I had safely secured a lid on it. I left the stove top and started over to the laundry room. I tripped on the small step breaking the rooms. The room always had a musty scent like it belonged in someone's basement. But I loved this smell. Mom says it should be cleaned out and obviously I disagreed. Musty smells that are also from books or from basements, makes me feel safe. 

The wash basket sat next the washing machine. I remember when it turned on one day. All by itself. But I knew my mind must have been sidetracked when I turned it on. I knew magic was just little kid stuff. I emptied the basket into the hollow box of metal and turned the dial to damp, 20 mins.

I walked back out into the kitchen and headed to my room to read. I only had two things left to do, dinner and post. And besides, I had all day before I needed to get that. I settled into my blue sheeted bed and grabbed a book to my right. My purple curtained window allowed enough light to seep through. I opened up to the 5th of The Bridge To Teribithia. It was one of my favorite stories. It proved that all this magic stuff was imagination.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

I shut my book at the sound of my watch going off at 5:30. My mom should be home around 6. Which means.....oh no. The smell of something burning caught my attention. The sauce! My dad must have started it.... and...ugh. I slipped out from under the covers and stomped down the stairs.

"Dad?! Is everything okay?"

"Um. I could use some help. Yes."

He stood around a pan stirring the sauce, which parts of it were clearly burned. I moved up beside him and took the spoon.

"First off, the temp. is too high."

I turned down the dial and continued to stir the sauce.

"Here," I gave him the spoon,"keep stirring and place the noodles in a bowl. The put the sauce over. I have to get the mail."

"Okay. Thank you, honey."

He smiled and of course, I smiled back. I walked outside and grabbed the post from out muddy green mailbox. The air was cool and smelled of wet, fallen leaves. It was still slightly warm for it being in the ends of July, but fall decided to come a few weeks in advanced. I flipped through the letters, passing bills and and bank notices, before coming to my stuff. It was a add from a book store that I always got.

"Dad! I'm going back upstairs."

"Okay. Thanks for the help."

Okay so this list is done. And I got the post. Great! I quickly ran back upstairs and clamored down onto my bed. It's.....I looked at the small clock on by bedstand.....5:48. I picked back up my book that I was reading. Time pasted quickly and I finished my book around 6:16 and I heard my mom come in a few minutes ago, so I knew dinner would be soon. 

My book add slid off my bed and disappeared some where on the floor. I hung off my bed and searched for it while being upside down. I found it easily because the red border stood apart from the green-gray carpet of my room. I picked it up and went to sit back down, but my mom called.

"Miranda! There's mail for you down here!"

Mail? I thought I got it all. Maybe I dropped an add outside. I went down stairs, skipping the last step, and jumping to the floor. My mom stood before the archway into the launge, a pale, brown parchment letter in her out stretched hands. I took it from her and she lead me to a seat. Some semi-old guy with black hair sat across from me. 

"Mom?"

"It's okay. Miranda, this is, Professor Millicent."

"Ookayy."

My face was scrunched into a confused look. The Professor looked over at me and began to talk.

"Yes. And I'm sure this will come as a bit of a shock to you. However, if you would open your letter, it may help with explaining." 

I turned my letter over. A wax seal was on the back. The letter 'H' molded into it. I carefully peeled it off and placed it on the coffee table before me. Inside the envelope was another parchment paper. I slipped it our of its cover and unfolded it. It read:

Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Headmaster: Blaise Millicent 

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. M. Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. 

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely, 

Susan Bulstrode

Deputy Headmistress 

I folded the paper back up and put it onto the table. Everyone was starring at me.

"So, um."

"What do you think?"

"Well, there's some weird guy in my house and I received a letter claiming that I'm a witch. So...you tell me."

My face was straight because honestly, I didn't know what to believe. I mean, this letter seems legit and my parents don't do 'funny business' any more.

"Honey. I think you should go."

"Yes. Our school is the finest. Here, let me ask you this. Has there ever been a time when something, magical, occured?"

"Well, yes. But I thought my mind was just sidetracked. So, I'm really a witch?"

"A brilliant one from what I've had from your-"

He cut himself short. Perhaps he forgot or something.

"So. If you would gather a few belongings for a 3 day trip, I would be glad to escort you to, Diagon Alley. "