Equilibrium

The day my world ended

Our house lay undisturbed at the end of the lane, asking nothing of the outside world and receiving the same. Unimportant, unremarkable, and umbral in its facade, its face gave away not a hint of the truly unusual residents it kept hidden. Until this time yesterday, even its residents were as unremarkable and forgettable as it was, asking nothing and recieving the same. I never would've imagined it would only take a slip of paper, yellow with age and sealed with crimson wax, to change it all.

For the first time in a long time, both my parents sat before me, their attention focused solely on me - or, on the letter in my hand. The silence was beyond palpable, filled with so many questions that none of us could decide which to ask first. Finally, my dad broke the silence.
"It's... probably just some kids idea of a joke, right?"
This theory would be far more plausible, had the letter not been delivered by a handsome, if somewhat disheveled, barn owl. Neither I nor my mom answer, and in response I silently read the letter for the 14th time, my eyes drawn to the same line - "Chase Hope, we would like to congratulate you on your admission to Hogwarts School of Whichcraft and Wizardry."
I, too, wanted to believe it was a practical joke at first, but there was something in the air, some indescribable quality that flowed from the letter that insisted I believe.
Suddenly, there comes a knock on the door, three quick raps that ricochet within our heads. Out of habit, I stand to answer it, but sit back down. Exchanging looks between ourselves, we all feel unable to act.
tat-tat-tat-
I rush to open the door before the fourth knock falls, anxiety forcing me to move. Standing on the stoop, his head bowed to allow room for his enormous pointed hat, was a wizened old man with a beard down to his navel. Despite the mans mostly normal appearance, I could sense something coming off him in waves, like the tide itself was contained within this mans chest.
"Ah, you must be Chase then?"