New story-Chapter One- The Letter

It all started the summer of 2008. I was eight years old.  All my friends were reading the fantasy series, Harry Potter.  From what they had said, the books sounded worth a read.  So, I tried them out and ended up absolutely loving them.  By the time I was finished it was May again.  I’m a slow reader.  My birthday was just around the corner on May 31 (two months before Harry’s!).  Even though I knew that wonderful world of Harry Potter was fiction, I kept wishing for my letter of acceptance at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  In J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry was eleven when he received his letter.  But, even if his world was real, I would have to wait two more years to turn eleven.   The two years passed quickly though, and now I can hardly wait for May 31.  I have read the series 13 times as if it would help the world come to life.  It’s 9:24 p.m. on May 30 and I cannot get to sleep.  What if I do get a letter?  What would mum and dad think?  I’d be a Mudblood, with non-magic parents.  How do I find Diagon Alley?  Would someone take me?  Wait; am I a Mudblood?  Did mum and dad go to Hogwarts?   No… of course not.  They would have told me.  Luckily I live here in London.  Maybe Diagon Alley is close by.  After a while, I drift into a deep sleep with thoughts of the next day.  “Ding, Dong.”  I open one eye, and then the other.  The doorbell!  “Ding, Dong.”  It rings again.  Turning my head, I see that the time…MIDNIGHT!  And at that moment, it hits me.  The letter comes at midnight when the day changes to your birth date.  Before you could say OMG my letter is here, I am in my bathrobe and down the stairs.  “Hannah!”  Mum groans from her bed.  “I’ve got the door!”  I cry back.  “Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong.” The doorbell rings impatiently.  Trying to contain my excitement, I pull the door open slowly.  No one is there.  I look all around.  “Meow.” Oh my gosh, could it be?  Yes.  Sitting on the step is a cat.  Not any cat, but none other than Minerva McGonagall.  Sure enough, as I stare the small cat it transforms into Professor McGonagall.  “Well, you are or are you not Hannah Smith?”  She asks kindly.  “Hannah, who’s there?”  Mum calls down the stairs as if in answer to McGonagall’s question.  “Excuse me a minute.”  I say, glancing to the top of the stairs.  “Wait.”  She holds a hand out to give me a piece of parchment.  The letter.  Just to make sure, I check the back.  Hogwarts crest.  I hold back a squeal as I run in to tell mum.  “Mum, mum, dad!”  I’m out of breath.  Grinning broadly, I hand my awaiting parents the letter.  “Ronald, it’s…it’s real.”  Mum says handing dad the letter.  “I’m accepted!  I’m a witch!”  This cannot be happening, so I pinch myself to be sure.  “Ow!”  I mutter, running down the steps again.  “Ah, Hannah.  Well, I will send an owl with the date and time that Hagrid will pick you up to get your school things.”  And with that, McGonagall turned into the cat and was gone.  "Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh, I can't believe this is happening.  Rubeus Hagrid, Game keeper and Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts is coming to pick me up to get my things, just like Harry.  Minerva McGonagall actually hand-delivered my letter.  It's real!  I am a witch!" I shout dancing through the living room.  Unlike those two years between ages 9 and 11, the few months before Hagrid arrives pass very slowly.  But, like all things it finally comes.     "Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong." The doorbell rings.  "Hagrid." I whisper to myself.  "I've got it!" I call to mum.  "Who's there?"  "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of K-" But before he could finish, I wrench open the door.  "Hannah Smith?" There he is, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid.  "Yeah.   Well, are we going?" I ask excitedly.  "Uh, is Ronald here?  I need ter speak with him." "Yeah.  One minute."  I prop the door open.  "Dad.  Hagrid needs a word."  "Eh?" "Hagrid, come on" Once dad is outside, I grab the little bag that I have stuffed with money (to exchange at Gringotts, the wizarding bank), a notebook and pen and a few other little items.  "Well, Hannah, ready to go?" Dad asks when I get to the door.  "Yup.  See you later.  Tell mum I said goodbye." I give dad a quick squeeze and hurry down the walk to catch up with Hagrid.  "A'right, Hannah, Diagon Alley isn't far.  We can walk.  Yer dad said it just looks like an ol' wall between shops.  The Leaky Cauldron, o' course." Hagrid explained.  "So, he definitely is a muggle?" I ask curiously.  "Yer were thinking he might be a wizard?  How do yer figure tha' one out?"  Hagrid stops to look closer at me.  "Well, his eyes kind of sparkled when he saw my letter.  And the way that mum said his name and it's real, it just gave me this feeling that he knew about it.  Then when you needed to speak with him, it made me feel again, like he knew.  I don't know, I just kind of hoped, that I...I wouldn't be a Mudblood." I finish  more quietly.  "But, then when you said he couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron, well he seemed more like a muggle, but he seemed to know where the entrance was." Hagrid breathed a big sigh at my last words.  "Yer too young.  He'll tell you when the time is right." "But, Hagrid, is he a wizard or not?" I ask as we turn the corner onto Main Street.  "O' course he weren't.  Ye woulda known." I don't know how I feel about this answer.  I don't know what I wanted to hear.  "Here we are.  See it?"  I took a deep breath.  There it is, the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.  When we enter, we are greeted by none other than Tom the Leaky Cauldron barman.  He's still here?  I wonder.  He must be pretty old.  " I'm on 'Ogwarts business." Hagrid says before Tom can ask, "The usual Hagrid?" We cross the room to the back door.  Hagrid opens it and I step through.  A solid brick wall stands in front of us.  "You're supposed to tap some bricks, right?" I ask, remembering how Harry and Hagrid got through to Diagon Alley in the first.  "Yup." Hagrid says as he taps three bricks right next to each other.  "Welcome ter Diagon Alley." Hagrid says, pointing to the open archway.