Tale of Monroe

Three

Ms. J. Monroe
The first room
2702 Dancer Lane
Salem
Oregon
U.S.A

That was all that was written on the front of the envelope. No stamp, no send address. The only thing besides my personal information was a crimson seal, forcing the letter shut. It bore a crest, with a small H in the middle. There was writing on it, but it was too tiny for me to read.

I tried thinking of what H stood for, but to no avail. My mind was as blank as a canvas. Eventually, curiosity took hold of me and I tore open the letter. The paper inside was smooth, delicate parchment, so fragile I was almost scared to pull it out.

With slight trembling hands, I began unraveling the letter. Thoughts of what it might have possibly been raced through my head at a million miles per second. I scanned the entire page. What I read there were words I would never forget for as long as I lived:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Dear Ms. Monroe,
We are pleased to inform you that you gave 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,

Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress

Um.. What..? What kind of junk mail was this? But wait- they knew my name. Not only that, but they knew the very room I slept at night. Was someone stalking me, or was this just some sort of practical joke? If so, who would go through the trouble just to spook me? I walked over to the dining room nearby and took a seat in one of the chairs at the table. I read the letter once more.

A school of magic, I thought. Impossible. There's no such thing as magic. I shook it off, assuming it was just some joke that someone found amusing. With the mail in my hand, I stood up to throw it away. However, in the process of standing up, my hip bumped the ledge of the old table, causing a glass of water to tip over the edge.

My reflexes kicked in, and I extended my arm in an attempt to catch the glass. The water splashed everywhere, getting my feet wet. The rug soaked it up like a sponge. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable crash of shattering glass, but it never came. I slowly opened my eyes, only to find that the cup remained, floating in mid-air. I wasn't even close to catching it, but it just stayed there, inches from my fingertips, like time froze.

My eyes widened and my heart seemed to jump into my throat. I went to reach for the cup, but it only moved farther away from me. I took a deep breath.

"Just like in the movies, Jane," I quietly said to myself. As if forming a route with my hand, I guided the glass back to its original place on the table. Lowering my arm, I sighed with relief. The cup stayed still.

What in the world is happening to me? I sat in silence for at least ten minutes, contemplating what had just happened. Then, as if someone was whispering into my ear, the words filled my head.

Witchcraft and wizardry. The school.

I needed to call my mom, now.