My name is Rose O’Toole. I come from a wizarding family. I guess I’m average-looking. I am skinny with brown hair, though Mum let me dye it blonde this year. I have blue-green eyes and tanned skin from playing outside. I wonder if I’ll be tall like Dad or stay short like Mum. My father is Liam O’Toole, a former Gryffindor, and an Auror. My mother is Maeve O’Toole nee Sullivan, a former Hufflepuff, and a Herbologist. They met in their 3rd year in Hogwarts and have been together ever since. I have an older brother, John, who is a 2nd Year. We have a younger brother named Peter who is nine. I grew up in Cork, Ireland. We were not encouraged to do anything magical outside our home as we lived in a Muggle neighborhood near Cork Lough on Fairy Ville Lawn, a fact that never ceased to amuse my father greatly. He used to joke about how Muggles name streets after magical creatures and yet never suspected us. Mom always has plants everywhere, but nothing dangerous of course. We seemed to be normal enough, I suppose.

As for myself, I really enjoy the Muggle sport of football, but Granddad Sullivan says I should get into Quidditch or Scottish rugby. I told him I’d think about it. I’m interested in Astronomy and Charms, much to my mum’s dismay. I simply tell her that John has already shown skill with plants. Dad would like me to study more. He has a bunch of books on everything from history to magical creatures to spells. I don’t like sitting still though. I prefer to be doing things rather than reading about them. Apparently, Hogwarts will be a “rude awakening” for me. Whatever that means. Peter is a bit overwhelmed with choice for right now. We only just figured out that he has magic, so I think it makes sense. Granny O’Toole has been expressing concern since he was seven after I first showed mine at nine.

John was being a right troll and teasing me about not having magic while he cast Charms around me. I got angry and yelled at him making one of Mum’s vases explode. Mum ran in and yelled at John, but he swore he didn’t do it. Mum looked at me and asked quietly if it was me. I said I wasn’t sure, but I did feel weird. While Mum was sort of pleased, I still got grounded and couldn’t make my football league that day. I felt better when John got grounded for using spells unsupervised, too. Dad was proud of me though and snuck me some whizzbees. I’m excited for my grounding to be over because that means that the day for leaving for Hogwarts will be soon!