1 Prologue

It's late summer and I'm sitting outside "watching" the chickens play around and eat grass in the backyard. Well, what I'm really doing is digging into the 6th Harry Potter book again for the gazillionth time. I start the first chapter, "The Other Minister", until I see a great horned owl swoop over the fence. I get out of my seat, lay my book down, and then go to coax the chickens out of the corner, because they're scared of owls. When they became a little calmer, I head back up the deck, and what I saw… the owl was sitting on my chair.

Odd. I think to myself. What is that owl doing? But before I can shoo him off, the owl sticks its foot out impatiently with a look in its eye saying, "Hurry up! I'm on a tight schedule!". Then I notice that it has a letter tied to its foot, which was weird because I was just reading a Harry Potter book… and then there is an owl that has a letter. The only place that I have heard owls delivering messages was IN the Harry Potter books. So I quickly untie the letter and open it. IT IS A HOGWARTS ACCEPTANCE LETTER!!!

I just stand there dumbstruck in shock wondering how. Just how I got this. I think to myself, It must be a joke. This can never happen in real life. It's just a fantasy story. Anyway, England is in another CONTINENT! I mean, dude, this can NOT HAPPEN!! But somewhere in the back of my head… I was still thinking it was actually true. So I carefully carry the owl upstairs and set him on my bed. (Stay there, I tell him) I rush to my sister, Becky. She is sitting in her room, listening to music on her tablet, and chewing spearmint gum. I tap her on the shoulder and she looks up surprised (her music was up too loud so she didn't hear me come in).

"What do you want, little blondie?"

I say quietly, "I got a letter from Hogwarts".

She looks at me, puzzled.

"Did you get a concussion??"

"W-whaddya mean??" I respond.

"Well, April Fools Day isn't until… August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March… Nine whole months!! Has something gone wrong with your brain??"

In frustration, I hurriedly shove the letter in her hands. She scans the pages, trying to see any part that was even close to my writing, but doesn't find anything weird or suspicious about it (well, except for the fact that it is a letter from Hogwarts. That part is weird). Then I grab her hand and drag her to my room. The window is open and I see an owl flying away in the distance.

"Awww, poo! I forgot to shut my window!" I yell in disgust at myself.

Becky looks me straight in the eyes. "Is this for real??"

I nod in response.