Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

Dear Miss. M O'Brien

Mikayla O'Brien is a beautiful blonde girl, much like her mother, with rather chiseled features and beaming oceanic eyes. Her twin sister, Avery, on the other hand has dark brown hair like her father, a slightly chubby exterior and deep brown eyes. These girls couldn't be more different, Mikayla is the humble ambitious silent type whilst Avery is the pretentious cunning talkative type. They live in a massive manor in the Irish countryside with their parents. Avery and Mikayla are very strange compared to the local children around them, even their money is different. Their family belonged to a world most people didn't believe in anymore, the wizarding world. The joining of her parents, Fergal O'Brien and Enya Carra, was arranged by her grandparents to keep the blood pure. The O'Brien and Carra clans have had wizarding blood since the beginning of the world, yet Mikayla doesn't care about her ancestry because once she begins Hogwarts she is in the same boat as everyone else.

"MIKAYLA" Avery jumps on her sister's bed in the attempt to wake her up. It's August 5th, meaning the O'Brien twins finally turn 11. Mikayla groans unenthusiastically, "Av's, why are you waking me up?" Avery ignores Mikayla's question, "Just get up will you, mammy has our breakfast ready." Avery leaves the room, Mikayla searches her nightstand for her clock that read 'Birthday Girls!' Mikayla hurries out of bed and into her usual jeans and weird sisters t-shirt. Mikayla skips the last four steps in excitement on her way to the dinning room. Once she enters, her father scoffs, "About time you've joined us Mikayla. Peppy finished the breakfast half an hour ago." Peppy was the family house-elf, and one of Mikayla's only friends, even in the muggle world she was a bit of a loner. Peppy wore an old pillowcase tied like a toga "Sorry Father, I forgot to set my alarm. It won't happen again. Morning mam." Mikayla kisses her mothers cheek before taking her seat across from her sister. Her mother sat at the tail of the table and her father at the head because the O'Brien's believed that men are highly superior to the woman of the house. Peppy shakily resurfaces from the kitchen and places some blueberry pancakes in front of Mikayla, "Thank you Pep" Mikayla smiles sweetly as the elf bows smiling. A owl flew into the room dropping post at the window before leaving instantly, before Mr. O'Brien asked Peppy ran for the post and handed it to Mrs. O' Brien. "The post Mistress O'Brien." Peppy's high pitched voice filled the room. Mrs. O'Brien nodded. Mikayla was now finishing up her pancakes as Mrs. O'Brien spoke. "The prophet to Fergal elf." Peppy took the paper from Enya and rushed it to Fergal's outheld hand. "This letter from Pansy to Avery elf" Peppy followed her command. "Now, let's find out if you girls got into Hogwarts." Mrs. O'Brien flickered thick yellow envelopes, "Peppy, give the letters to the girls, I want them to deliver the news." Peppy did as told.

𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝙼 𝙾'𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗
𝙾'𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚛
𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚐 𝙰𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚞𝚎
𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢
𝙸𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍

Mikayla shakily turned over the envelop, seeing the Hogwarts crest molded into a purple wax seal. Avery didn't hesitate at all, she tore the envelope open, Mikayla froze waiting for her sister to read her letter aloud. "Dear Miss. A O'Brien, we are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Avery beamed, Enya and Fergal congratulated her proudly before the three's eyes fell on Mikayla. Mikayla opened her letter slowly, the parchment similar to the envelop, slowly she opens out the letter. "Dear Miss M. O'Brien, we are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." relief fell over Mikayla, as her parents also congratulated her. "We have to send an owl back accepting the offer." Mikayla spoke once again once she read the entirety of her letter. "Peppy fetch Barcher now and bring me a quill, ink and a piece of parchment" Fergal orders the elf, who hurries to fulfil it's tasks. "We'll have to bring the girls to Diagon Alley Fergal for their school supplies." Mrs. O'Brien smiles brightly at the girls faces that lit up to the mention of the wizarding shopping street. Mikayla and Avery have never been because their father believed them to be too young especially when Knockturn Alley is so close by. "We'll all go tomorrow Enya. we'll go by the floo network." Peppy reenters the room with everything she was asked of. Mr. O'Brien scribbles something on the parchment referring to accepting the places and ties the note to the owls foot. "Off to Hogwarts, Barcher" Fergal tells the owl. "Peppy, get the girls their presents." Mrs. O'Brien demanded, Peppy did as she was told this time more enthusiastically. She returns firstly with all Avery's gifts. Avery spend no time opening her gifts, Mikayla watched as Avery tore open a box with holes in it with a tiny black and white kitten inside. Avery also got a bouquet of Cauldron Cakes, some dark coloured lipsticks and a locket with an old family photo inside and an A craved into the outside. Peppy handed Mikayla her gifts once Avery was opening a bag full of money, Mikayla got a box of chocolate frogs, A camera with a load of film, Stationary supplies with Mikayla stamped on each page, and a beautiful barn owl. "You get to name your animals." Their mother beamed, Mikayla looked into the owls eyes, "Selene" Mikayla smiles as the owls hoots contently, "Helios" the kitten meow almost as though it's agreeing with her. "Goddess of the moon and God of the sun. Wise choices girls" Mrs. O'Brien chimes, "Very fitting to their nature." she adds before standing.

"We must be off to work now girls, see you in the morning. Elf take care of them" Their father voices before they both disaparated. "I actually made you something sis." Mikayla tells Avery, they both carry their gifts to their room, Peppy helps Avery with her kitten who hisses at the elf in fear. Mikayla hands Avery a poorly wrapped box, "It's a storage box for your make-up, for school. I put the school crest on there with an A instead of the H." Mikayla explains the gift, Avery hands Mikayla a blank book, "I thought that you might want a new journal for your first year. You can put your photographs in it." Mikayla gives Avery a hug who stood stiffly in response as she did whenever Mikayla hugged her. "What would mistresses like for lunch today?" Peppy asks, "I'll have a grilled cheese elf." Avery responds rudely before retreating to her room, "Pep, can I make my own food?" Peppy smiles but frowns almost immediately after, "Mistress Mikayla, I don't know if your parents will be ok with you acting like a house-elf." Mikayla frowns slightly, pouting before pleading for her wish. "Peppy must do what her masters want, so yes, you can make your own food." Mikayla was overly excited, her and Peppy rush downstairs into the kitchen. "I'm sorry everyone is so mean to you, Pep." Mikayla says to the house-elf. Peppy smiles, "My O'Brien Masters are very nice compared to other elves masters." This comment doesn't comfort Mikayla at all.

Mikayla mixed fresh berries with natural yogurt for her own lunch and filled a sundae glass with the substance. "Pep, could you feed Selene for me please. I'll set the table for lunchtime. Once you're done feeding my owl, call Avery and her kitty Helios for their lunch please." The elf rushes off to do what was asked of her. Kat food in a bowl in the corner. Two plates, two knives, two forks, two spoons, two teacups, a pot of tea, a jug of milk and the sugar jar were all displayed on the dining room table by the time Peppy, Avery, and Helios entered the room. Everyone was silent as they ate, "Pansy got into Hogwarts too." Avery finally breaks the silence, "Cool." Mikayla responds just to please her sister. Pansy Parkinson is Avery's best friend since their visit to London 4 years ago. Mikayla and Pansy never really got on, mainly because Pansy was as rude as a person could come. Her family is one of the sacred 28 just like Avery and Mikayla but she believes this makes her godlike. "Av, what if we end up in different houses?" This is the first time Mikayla has voiced her worries of being separated from her sister, her sister kind of shielded her from most of the bullying that she had to face. "We'll still be sisters Kay, we'll see each other all the time. plus it's very rare that twins are separated during the sorting." Avery's attempt of comfort failed miserably.

The girls went to bed earlier than usual tonight, the anticipation of tomorrow however kept Mikayla awake. Their first trip to Diagon Alley is tomorrow, they'll meet their peers and see the world they belong to finally.