Errand A warm welcome

English | Parseltongue

On her way to the library, Della passed through the small hall. It was late, and the hall was dimly lit. On the wall, there was a large banner covered with various handwritten notes. There were instructions for older students to leave notes for younger ones. Della wished she had something like this to go off her first year. It's rough for any eleven-year-old to start a boarding school, but she hadn't even known this world existed until two months prior to arriving. She had been terrible at speaking up and making friends her first two years when she should have been seeking out a mentor to help through some of the more unique aspects of Hogwarts. This included finding out she had hidden talent usually associated with evil wizards and nearly dying every time the school put more than twenty students in one room.

Instead of feeling jaded that she had a tumultuous beginning, Della could at least try to help someone else have an easier adjustment period. So she quickly scrawled the following note:

Dear first years (especially those confused Muggleborns),

First things first, Hogwarts is not your usual school. It's often legitimately dangerous, and magic is not meant to be toyed around with. Pay attention in class, and keep your friends close! (If you don't have friends, keep someone close and when the ceiling literally crashes down on you during your first ball, you'll probably be friends after that.)

But second, speaking of danger—join a sport! Or a club! It's a great way to make friends and hone your magical skills and get used to high-octane adventure.

Third, know that you're not alone. No matter how unique your story is, or how weird your genetic makeup must be, someone here will be able to relate. You just have to know where to look. You'll also have many chances to meet foreign students, and they may be just as willing to share advice and experiences with you—you'll broaden each other's horizons.

Fourth, there are a lot of things to learn and explore outside of the classroom. It's a cliché, but the library is a magical place. And talk to your professors outside of class—they've all led interesting lights and can off weird perspectives on things.

Lastly, you'll probably have to throw out a lot of notions of what you were going to be when you grow up because this school will challenge you and change you. Welcome the changes! It's growth!

Love,
the Gryffindor broom racing captain, DB

P.S. If you can fly fast, come talk to me.

Word Count: 430/300