Of course when my parents heard, they were so surprised they thought it was some sort of joke at first. A school that is magic? How absurd. But when it was confirmed that Hogwarts does, in fact exist, they were confused, bemused, and all together excited for me.
Seeing as my parents are non-magic, muggles as they say in the Wizarding world, I've heard, I am as it turns out, a muggle-born witch. They're both dentists and I'm quite proud of them, but I'm glad that I am a witch.
My parents and I went to Diagon Alley with a representative from Hogwarts, just to get us started, and I was able to get all my course books (which I've already memorized by heart of course) and my wand from Ollivander's which I am proud to say is the most amazing thing I could ever own.
While all that is exciting and all, it was nothing compared to the Hogwarts Express.
This morning my family traveled to London to King's Cross and Platform 9 ¾. I was worried of course that I wouldn't be able to get on the train properly, but I already knew how to get through to the platform, I'd read all about it over the summer. Honestly I was too excited to really think about missing my parents, but I said as proper a goodbye as I could.
I ended up in a compartment with a few other students (Neville Longbottom actually turned out to be in my House!) Actually Neville had lost his toad, so while everyone else was relaxing and not paying any attention to the fact that we were on our way to HOGWARTS, I was absolutely paying attention to that fact as well as helping Neville out.
If anyone reading this is aware at all about anything in the Wizarding World and it's history, or has at least read Modern Magical History or The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts or even Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century, then you will know exactly who I am talking about when I say that I met the Boy Who Lived.
Neville and I were still looking for his poor toad (and Neville was absolutely miserable 😐) when in one of the compartments was a boy with spectacles and dark, messy hair and a red haired boy who was holding out his wand. He looked like he was about to do magic, so I asked him to demonstrate. Needless to say, his spell wasn't exactly effective. Or even a real spell.
But I introduced myself anyway; the red haired boy introduced himself as Ron Weasley and the other boy was Harry Potter!
He, of course, had no idea that he was in any of those books mentioned in the above. If I were him, I would've found out everything and anything I could.
Neville and I eventually found his toad (it was hopping along the aisle the whole time) and in another hour, we'd made it to Hogwarts.
There's no way to describe the school besides saying it was a castle. I mean, I'd read all about it Hogwarts, A History, but seeing it in person took my breath away. It also made me realize that this was real. I was actually going to study at Hogwarts. At that moment I made a decision to do my absolute best and study as hard as I could. There wouldn't be anything or anyone that would take me away from Hogwarts. Being expelled from Hogwarts, I think, would be even worse that death.
The first years were taken into the Great Hall to be sorted, and I saw many a face worried or scared about how it would all work out. If they'd just read Hogwarts, A History, they would know that the sorting hat would take care of it, but I figured they would get the gist soon enough.
The inside was beautiful. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky and thousands of candles floating in the air lit up the entire Hall. There were four long tables and all were covered in gold plates and cups. There were all the other students, ghosts, and I say Dumbledore for the first time as well.
The Sorting hat sang it's song, and afterwards students were called up one by one to get sorted. The hat was an ugly thing. It was pointed and old, and what appeared to be a fold in the hat turned out to be a mouth! It could actually talk! When I was called, I was so excited that I jammed the hat onto my head and couldn't wait to hear what house I was to be in.
Any house would've been fine, really, I'm just so excited to be at Hogwarts at all, but I was extremely pleased to hear the Sorting Hat shout out "GRYFFINDOR!" Actually, this might have been the best part of the whole day. 😁
I would write about the secret entrance to Gryffindor House or the password or even all of the amazin things I say in the castle just on my way to Gryffindor House, but I'm afraid that would be too much information to share on the internet. Confidentiality and all.
I'm actually sitting in my dorm room in Gryffindor House as I'm typing this, and although I am extremely tired, and stuffed, I'm too excited to sleep.
But there's another day tomorrow, and coincidentally the first day of term is tomorrow. I will write more then, but for now, Goodnight!
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Information based on the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPre. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Ch. 6-7. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1999. Print.
