My name is Virginia Blankenship. I’m 11 years old, and I have long, brown hair that shines in the light. My eyes are dark brown. I think they look a little like my dad’s. I’m not very tall, but I like to stand straight and look confident. I don’t wear fancy clothes all the time, but I like to look nice.

I’m curious about everything! I love reading and learning new things. Sometimes, I ask too many questions, but I can’t help it—I just want to know how things work. I can be a bit stubborn, but my dad says it’s because I have a strong spirit. I try to be kind, but if someone is mean to me or my friends, I won’t just stay quiet. I always want to prove that I can do things on my own, even when they seem hard.

I was born in London on January 23, 2064. My dad is a wizard, and my mum is a Muggle. That makes me a half-blood. My dad works in the wizarding world, but my mum doesn’t have magic. She’s really smart, though, and she always tells me stories about science and history. Our house is a mix of both worlds—dad’s magical books next to mum’s regular ones, a normal kettle next to an enchanted teapot that sings when the water’s ready! I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I have a cat named Whisper.

The first time I did magic, I was only six years old. It was a summer's day, and I was playing in the park near our house in London. There was a boy taller than me who was teasing a little squirrel. He threw pebbles at it and laughed every time the animal flinched. That made me angry. Very angry. I shouted at him to stop, but he just laughed and threw another pebble. At that moment, I felt a strange warmth in my chest, as if something was bubbling up inside. Before I knew what was happening, a gust of wind blew around me. The boy stumbled back, and all the pebbles he was holding in his hand flew away before falling in rain around him. I froze, my eyes wide. The wind stopped as quickly as it had come, and the squirrel took the opportunity to run into a tree. When I got home, I told my dad all about it. He smiled and told me it must have been my first manifestation of magic. My mother looked surprised but not frightened. She just asked me if I was okay, and when I said yes, she shrugged with a smile. “So, that means you're really special, darling.” I didn't know whether to be scared or excited. I wasn't sure what to think at the time, but deep down I was proud. Maybe it wasn't just anger... maybe it was also proof that I was capable of protecting those who needed it.