She was up before her mother knocked on her door. Really, she was up before the sun rose if she was honest with herself. All night she tossed and turned, too excited and a bit anxious to sleep.
As a lover of stories and seizing her own, Josephine woke with a start on July 17th, 1991. It was the day she'd waited eleven years for. Today was the day she'd get her letter. The day she'd finally be allowed to attend school with her brother and live the stories he always told her about. It was the place where her parents fell in love and the place where they made their best friends for life—a friendship out of story books.
She sprung from her bed and raced to her closet without care of the clothes she threw on. Her letter was here. She had to see it. She bolted downstairs, barely stopping herself from falling on the bum one her father kept promising to fix and skidded to a stop at the bottom.
Her face lit up with a wide smile ear-to-ear; her mother and father sat at the kitchen table, her father holding her Hogwarts letter.
Amos smiled. "It's here!" He held it out for her. It looked so simple in his hand—an ordinary letter, just like Cedric's.
She bounded toward him, eagerly jumping when she took it from his hand, examining it herself. Holding it closed was Hogwart's circular red seal. It was official, not one of Cedric's pranks.
Her father's bright grey eyes met her dark ones, his smile growing, chuckling at her eager actions.
"We thought you'd be down here sooner," said Jacqueline, the corners of her mouth upturned at her daughter before pulling her into a hug, which she, of course, struggled against. "Rising with the sun like you promised last year."
"Mum, I'm eleven," she whined, and she wormed her way out of her arms just to be hugged by her father.
Besides, she resisted the urge to do just that to avoid Cedric's teasing.
"You're never too old for a hug from your parents on your birthday," Jacqueline scolded, and she rose, grabbing a cage from behind the kitchen counters.
In her hands was the most adorable owl she'd ever seen. It had wide brown eyes like her own. Its coat was white but graced with specks and patches of brown. It was fluffy for an owl, which added to its charm.
"Every first year should have an owl," said Amos proudly. "This way, you won't need to borrow your brothers!"
"What do you think you'll name him?" asked Jacqueline, and she opened the cage.
Josephine reached her hand near the owl's face and carefully waited for the owl to react. His eyes widened before pushing his head into her small hand, allowing her to pet him. He was as soft and fluffy as he looked.
"Chesnut," she said, giving him one last pet before turning to her letter.
Dear Ms. Diggory,
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 the necessary books and equipment. The term begins on the first of September. We await your owl by no later than the fifth of August.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
She was so happy she almost squealed.
The letter was plucked from her hand, and a hand started ruffling her hair. She slapped her brother's hand away and moved to snatch the letter back, but he held it high, laughing loudly as she tried to reach it.
YOU ARE READING
No Goodbyes \ Ron Weasley
Fanfiction"You said it was unimportant, Joe! This is monumentally important!" "A foe like she'd never known." "Friendship was going to be the only way to get through this." "He looked at her, actually looked at her, and wondered how anyone who saw her didn't...
