Harry Potter Writing Contest

Round 1 - Entries

 Jessica McCoy (SeaweedGostQueen)

I hate life! My mom had told me my whole life that she would tell me about my dad when I was ready, and when does she decide I'm ready? The day I get the best news of my life, I'm a witch.

The owl came on a Sunday with a letter. A letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I wasn't sure what to think, but my mom knew exactly what it meant. She told me I was a witch, and why I had never met my father.

"Your father was a great wizard, or so he told me. I never really knew being a muggle. He died while at work when he was searching for a convict or something like that. He was always secretive about his job, but I remember the person's name was Serious Black," my mom told me.

I wasn't sure what to think of that. I was angry that the truth had been kept from me for so long, but I was also exstatic about being a witch. It was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me. All I ever was was the outcast, the nerd, the person no one wanted to play with. School was always torture because I knew the teasing would begin the second I walked through the door.

"What do I have to do to go to this school? Will it be anything like what I'm used to?" I asked her.

"Hogwarts is very different from your school here, Jess, and the only requirement is to be able to use magic which you would not have recieved this letter if you couldn't."

I was even more exstatic. No more of the usual bullies. My mom saw the smile on my face, and led me to the door of our house, I guess we were leaving already.

"Where are we going?" I asked as soon as we got in the car.

"To Diagon Alley, we have to get your supplies before you can go to school. We have to hurry too because September first is just a week away."

We drove to a little bar in downtown London, called the Leaky Cauldron, taking us half a day to find it. My mum had to ask the barkeep for assistance getting into Diagon Alley which he did so willingly because he knew her from when my dad was alive. The barkeep led us to a brick room with no exit. I thought there was something wrong and was going to tell my mum to be careful until he tapped some bricks with a stick, and a doorway magically appeared. Through the doorway, I saw a crowded street with very strange buildings. Mum led me to the end of the street where a large white building stood.

"Gringots," she said in awe. "I haven't been here in a long time."

We went inside. There were short men with pointed ears everywhere. Some sat at desks and some were leading people around to doorways  that seemed to lead to halls that went on forver.

Gringots was huge. I was so overwhelmed by the sheer size that I wasn't paying any attention to where I was walking and ran into a boy with flaming red hair.

"Hullo," he said as if I hadn't run him over. "I'm Fred Weasley."

"I'm Jessica. Sorry about running into you. This is my first time here."

"Don't worry about it," said a voice coming from behind me. "He has a hard head.

"Oi, Percy, come meet Jessica. It's her first trip here."

The boy came around in front of me, and I could easily tell they were brothers, but definitely not twins.

"I'm Percy," he said extending his hand.

I took it wearily and replied, "Pleasure."

"Where's Georgie?" Fred asked Percy.

"Over with mum where you ought to be."