It was a warm summer evening, nice enough to go outside but Waverly was in the mood for reading. She sat in her desk chair with her legs resting on her bed, sipping strawberry milk and reading a graphic novel. It was about super mythical creatures saving the galaxy, something she just read to pass the time, like she was doing now.

Her father had made plans to go to the national park and he was preparing their 'secret' lunch right now, meaning that Waverly had to stay upstairs until they were eady to go. Almost an hour had passed and she was getting restless.

She put down her book and took another sip of her drink, because that's all that was left of it. Waverly frowned, bringing the cup to her eye and swirling the pink liquid as if that would make more appear. She had to decide between sneaking downstairs or staying put, thirsty and bored, until possibly another hour passed. She swore that she heard a sports game playing downstairs, signaling that her father was probably distracted.

Waverly stood up, about to try to sneak her way downstairs, when she heard a thumph. She hesitated, looking around in confusion. She figured that something had just fallen, making a mental note to pick it up later, but then she heard another thumph, and the another.

She swiveled around in alarm. The sound had become to consistent to be a coincidence. Waverly froze in place: there was something in her window.

A big brown owl was staring back at her. That was the only thing she noticed at first, that a great big bird was sitting on her windowsill, adjusting it's wings every few seconds. Luckily her window was closed, so it couldn't get inside, but Waverly still was alarmed. She glanced behind her, wondering if she should just open her door and call for her dad, but then the owl made a hoo-hoot.

That's when she saw that something was in it's beak, an envelope. Waverly was really considering getting her father but her curiousity overpowered her. She made her way to the window, gazing at the owl who looked so purposeful, and slowly opened the window.

As soon as the opening was big enough, the owl swooped it's head and the envelope dropped on the floor. With a flutter of it's wings the owl lifted off and disappeared. Waverly was left in bewilderment but she managed to close the window back. She wondered if her father had heard anything at all.

She picked up the envelope and studied it. It was addressed to Waverly, with her exact address and name. The front of the envelope had a crest that was green, red, yellow, and blue with animals on each color. It read 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry', and underneath that it said 'draco dormiens nunquam titillandus'. Waverly frowned, running her fingers over the red seal. It had an 'H' stamped on it. It all looked unreal...but very intriguing.

Her father burst through the door. “Hey, ready to go—” Her dad gaped at the room. It was then that she noticed that feathers were scattered everywhere, even in her hair, and it was probably strange to see her holding a suspicious-looking envelope.

“Waverly, I—what happened, what is that?” Before she could say anything her father took the envelope from her. After studying and turning it over, he gave it back, giving her a strange look. “Did you make this?”

Waverly shook her head and began to open it while telling her father what'd happened. Something weird going on but she didn't feel uneasy, and neither did her father. They both watched as she pulled a letter out of the envelope, holding it up to the light coming from her window to read aloud.

Dear Student,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment, and an inscription form which must be filled and sent back.

Yours sincerely,

The Headmaster,
Solomon Lear

They both stood there in silence, then they looked at each other. A whirl of ideas swirled around her head. Of course Waverly thought this wasn't real, but she wanted it to be half real. Her father, who she got her curiousity from, took another look at the envelope. Inside there was another piece of parchment which gave directions to some place called Diagon Alley, where she was to get her school supplies from. Neither Waverly or her father have heard of this place but it was in London anyway, which they rarely visited.

“Can we go see, dad? Maybe it's real...?” asked Waverly, hopeful.

Her father frowned, putting his hands on his hips. She knew that he was suspicious, which he had every right to be, but she felt like this letter has something to do what that stirring feeling she had inside which came everytime she felt highly emotional. She told this to her father and he agreed; maybe this was a chance to figure out how come she was so different from other people. They made plans to visit this 'Diagon Alley', and headed on their trip to the park. Waverly was glad to see that he'd made her favorite sandwiches, marshmallows with peanut butter and strawberry jam. But that even couldn't distract her from reading over her list of strange school supplies, over and over again while they drove in the car.