1 year before Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts
Athena woke to a persistent pecking on the window of her bedroom.
"Leave me alone," she mumbled. "I'm tired" sleep still clouding her. The pecking continued. Finally Athena sat up looking around her room. She glanced out the window to see a little brown owl with a thick yellow envelope in it's beak, looking at her expectantly. Athena looked around the room again and rubbed her eyes before turning back to the window. The owl was still there, staring at her with unblinking little light brown eyes. Athena opened the window to allow the bird entrance. She watched as it dropped the envelope onto her bed and proceeded to flutter onto the back of her bed headboard. By now she was wide awake. The envelope was made from a yellowish parchment, like some sort of paper from her book about the middle age, she turned it over and read...
Miss A. Mary Crawley
Uppermost bedroom
10 summer lane
Little whinging
Surrey
It was written in emerald coloured ink. With a confused glance towards the owl, Athena gently open the envelope, took out the letter to read:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
Dear, Miss Crawley, 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. Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
"What?" Athena whispered, is this some sort of joke. But who would train an owl like this just to play a joke on her? "They await my owl..?" Athena slowly turned back towards the bird sitting atop her headboard "Are you my owl?" she asked it. It answered by leaping from the chair back and onto Athena's shoulder with an affectionate nip at her ear. Athena took this reaction as an affirmative.
She darted over to her desk, searching for a pen and paper then scribbled out a letter of reply.
To Hogwarts school, I have receive your letter about Hogwarts school. I fear this must be some sort of joke. But training an owl is a lot of effort to go to just to trick someone, I don't know what to think. But I really do hope this is not a joke, I would love to got to a school of magic.
Yours sincerely
Athena Crawley
Athena folded the sheet of notebook paper and offered it to the owl still sitting on her shoulder. It clamped the page in its beak and launched itself back out through the window.
"I hope you still come visit," Athena Whispered as she watched the bird disappear from view.
"Athena darling breakfast is ready!" She heard she heard her grandmother call up from the foot of the stairs making."Coming, granny!" She raced down stairs clutching her Hogwarts letter to show her Grandmother'.
Good morning grandma!" Athena excitedly jumped down the last five steps. She sat down at the newly polished oak wood table next to her grandmother. "Good morning darling" she had set two bowls of porridge and two cups of hot chocolate out for breakfast. "What have you got their Athena?" Her granny ask eyeing the letter. She passed the letter to her granny "it must be some sort joke!" Athena laughter explaining to her grandma about the owl sending her the letter. Her granny's eyes skinned the letter then she reached the bottom and smiled "Yes it probably is a joke, But I don't know how and owl could have delivered it, you must have dreamed that part dear" Maybe her Granny was right, she must of dreamed it but she was sure that an owl had delivered it.Athena was interrupted from her thoughts by a loud hoot. A owl came soaring into the dining room it was a large magnificent snowy owl with warm amber coloured eyes. It dropped a letter in her lap, much like the one she was holding. Athena quickly opened it eager to read what was inside, She pulled the letter out and read aloud,
Dear Miss A. Crawley,
(This is not a joke) We have received your reply and are pleased to have you joining our school. To inform you and your family of the goings on at the school and where to buy your school supplies, I will send our Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall She will be arriving at your house momentarily.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Just as she finished reading the doorbell sounded. They all exchanged confused glances, "Well I'll open the door" Athena muttered, confused. The letter had just arrived? How could this deputy headmistress be here already? Her hand wound around the golden door handle, opening the door. A old lady stood their. She had gray hair swept into a tight bun, emerald robes that were draped along the doorstep, a stern looking face which was at this moment smiling at Athena. "Hello"
She specked in a voice with a distinct scottish accent in it. "Hello how may I help you?" Athena replies. The lady blinked then replied "I am Minerva McGonagall deputy headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".
Athena led the deputy into the sitting room where her grandmother was. Her grandmother strode over to the deputy and held her hand out greeting her "Hello I am Isobel Crawley" The deputy shook it and introduced herself as well. "As you may know by now I am the deputy of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, the deputy is in charge of informing and helping Muggles like yourselves in buying school supplies and helping you understand about magic and our school."
Athena and her grandmother shot quick glances at each other. What is a Muggle? She wonder, her grandmother must of been think along the same lines as her as she started to speak "excuse me but what is a Muggle?" Grandmother beckoned them both to sit down. "A muggle is what wizards call non magic people, our society is made up of two groups of people the muggles and Wizards, our school is for anyone who has magic muggles and wizards alike"
Grandmother Crawley was now in the kitchen preparing some tea and biscuits. The deputy and Athena were now sitting in silence. She pulled her Hogwarts letter and read the last part...
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
She pulled out another piece of parchment with a list of school supplies and read.
Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry
Uniform
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter coat (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils clothes should carry name tags.
Course books
All students should have a copy of each of the following books.
The standard book of spells (grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A history of magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical theory By Adalbert Waffling
A beginners guide to transfiguration by Emeric Switch
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment 1 1 (pewter, standard size 2) 1 set of glass or crystal 1 set of
Students may also bring an , a or a
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
Where is she going to find all these supplies? Athena couldn't imagine london has that many wand shops.
It was midnight and Athena was lying in bed wide awake. She couldn't stop thinking about her letter. She was going to go to a school of magic! This McGonagall lady had said that she would take Athena and her Grandmother to place called Diagon alley. After a long time Athena finally fell into a dreamless sleep.
It was now 10 o'clock, Athena, Mrs Crawley and Minerva McGonagall were walking along a street. The deputy was taking them to Diagon Alley to by Athena's School supplies. They stopped. "Here we are, This is the leaky Cauldron". Athena looked where she was pointing. The leaky was a grubby, shabby looking inn. McGonagall led them into the inn. The was a big crowd of people. The deputy led them through the crowed out a back door into a courtyard with nothing but a big brick wall. She pulled a long stick out of her pocket, that must be her wand, and started taping the bricks. Three up two across. Once she tapped the last brick the whole wall started wobbling. Athena was afraid it was going to fall on top of them but she was wrong. "Welcome Crawley's to Diagon Alley" she grinned at them, the bricks formed into an archway. She led them in onto the main street of Diagon Alley. Athena noticed the brick wall wriggle back into place once they had crossed through. It was more wonderful than she could of imagine! There were shops everywhere! Once shop was selling cauldrons, it had a sign that read:
Cauldrons- All sizes, copper, brass, pewter, silver, self stirring and collapsible on sale.
"This is Diagon Alley, it is the biggest wizard town in Britain, first of all we will need to visit gringotts the bank to exchange your Muggle money for our wizard currency" McGonagall explained leading us past all the shops. Athena also spotted a hair cutting shop, it had a big pair of scissors on a sign snapping away. In front of a shop that Athena gathered to be named Stir that potion,
a plump looking woman was shouting "Dragon liver! Seventeen sickles an ounce!" A sickle must be some sort of money to the wizards.
Athena and Grandmother Crawley were like meerkats there heads were turning in all directions taking all the surroundings in. About ten children were crowded around a shop named Quality Quidditch supplies "wow it's the Comet 1000" shouted a boy "It's meant to out strip the nimbus 950 by 100 kilometres"
A lady with pure blond hair in a crown braid was having an argument with a boy who must be her son "but mother cousin Draco has a Comet 1000 he said the I am being a disgrace to the name of Malfoy riding around on my Nimbus 950 and everyone will just think we are some poor ordinary wizarding family with our Nimbus 950 even that Filthy Mudblood next door has one! HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL MOTHER!" The women pulled a purse out of her handbag and handed it to her son. He raced into the shop followed by a girl that looked slightly older. They all had pure blond coloured hair.
They continued following McGonagall down the street until they reached a tall snowy coloured building towering over all the roofs of Diagon Alley
"This is Gringotts the wizarding bank". She led them through a marble archway into Gringotts bank. The bank had great bronze coloured doors the whole building was made from marble. Next to the door there were two very short people well they were not quite people they were some sort of creature that looked a lot like the goblin in her book of magical creatures. They were all in gold and red uniform standing in front of a plaque with had something inscripted into it...
Enter, strange, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
May pay most dearly in their turn
So if you seek beneath our floors,
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware,
Of finding more than treasure there.
That is a bit scary Athena thought. "Gringotts is the largest wizard bank in the world and is run by goblins, all wizarding banks" Informed the Deputy. There were more goblins all sitting on high stools behind a long counter that almost reached the end of the room were a Goblin on a higher stool and desk was talking to a family. The goblins sitting behind the long counters were measuring what looked like gold and diamonds while scribbling away on pieces of parchment