Cecilia Potter

Chapter One: Dear Ms. Wood

Chapter One:
Dear Ms. Wood

Today was the day. The day I have been waiting for my whole life! The day that will give me the chance of a lifetime and there is no way I will turn it down. The day where I can be just like my brother, Oliver. The day that confirms everything.

The day I get my Hogwarts letter.

I stared anxiously out the window in our lounge room on a stool, my knee bouncing up and down madly with excitement. I looked into the sky awaiting to see an owl to swoop down with my Hogwarts letter in it's beak.

Every thing that flew by be it airplane, helicopter, or just a normal bird, my heart rose and sank every time. I had hoped each was my letter, but none were, yet. The clock ticked by minute by minute, hour by hour, passing with every second until the bell for dinner sounded which my stomach took as a cue to growl in hunger.

With all my might and will I forced myself to stay seated right where I was, determined an owl with my letter would arrive any minute now, or any second. I was determined to be right here once it arrived, but my family had other plans.

"Cecilia. Dinner." Oliver patted my shoulder a minute after the dinner bell rang. I shrugged him off and told him I wasn't hungry, he didn't believe me for a second. "Cece, you can't hide a lie like that from me when I just heard your stomach growl. Come and eat."

"But, what if my owl arrives when I am not right here?" I exclaimed staring up into the sky.

"You know you won't miss it, right?" he draped his arm around my shoulders. "They'll look in every window for you to give you the letter. They mustn't give up if the student isn't eagerly awaiting by a window. It's their job!"

I bit my lip giving Oliver a quick glance before thinking it over. He's right. He wasn't like me at all when his letter arrived. The owl had tapped on his bedroom window when reading a book, surely it wouldn't be much different for me.

"You're right." I stood on my feet, and yet my stomach growled in deep hunger again. "I'm starving!"

"When aren't you?" Oliver smiled as we made our way to the kitchen, where our mother was setting the table. She instructed for me and Oliver to take over as she brought the food over, which smelled so delicious it caused my stomach to rumble more.

Once the table was set, Oliver and I took our places at the table and waited for mother to bring over the main course of the meal-- Honey glazed ham. My mouth watered at the sight of the sizzling ham, it's juices collecting at the bottom of the tin, She placed it right next to the buttered rolls, which shone brightly in the light of the chandelier, and next to the rolls the steaming bowl of broccoli.

Mother added a square of butter to the top of the bowl of mashed potatoes and it melted right away, down the sides of the beautiful, fluffy pile, which was enough to make me wanna dig right in!

"Dig in!" mother announced, and we all did. Father cut the ham and placed portion-able slices on everyone's plates as Oliver began to pass around the rolls as I began scooping out the potatoes, and mother the broccoli. As we all began filling our faces with the delectable meal we shared our day's events.

After everyone had their chance to exchange their day's events and pass around second helpings of dinner, did a strange tap come from behind me. I whip my head around to see, at last, an owl with my long awaited letter in it's beak. I squeal excitedly as I jump out of my seat and rush to the window.

Sliding it up I take the letters from him and thank him a million times before he hooted a reply and spread his wings to fly away, back to Hogwarts, where I shall be on the first of September. I hand Oliver his school list while I admire my own letter in my hands. The perfectly drawn cursive letter, that only a steady and delicate hand could write, my name and address.