"We are pleased to inform you that…"
"You have been accepted at Hogwarts School…"
An old lady, wearing a conical hat, sitting inside a building wrote on the letter.
And then an owl swooping down towards a big castle, which has many pointed towers.
On the gate was an old man with a long white beard, a giant mant, and a dog. While the owl passed it by entering the big door.
Seeing the owl entering the castle, the old man smiled and said, "Ah. Right on time."
The owl dove downward through cold stone corridors into the dungeons, where a Professor stood over a boiling cauldron. He stirred carefully, muttering about, "First years ruining good ingredients."
But then — WHOOSH!
The owl shot past his ear.
"WHAT—?!"
Startled, he dropped powdered asphodel into the brew.
BOOOOM!
The cauldron exploded in a puff of green smoke, covering him from head to toe.
His eyes burned with rage, while he shouted, "WHY YOU ALWAYS PASSED FROM HERE?"
But the Owl didn't give him a damn, and passed away, moving upward through the ceiling beams.
---
Outside, on the Quidditch pitch, a woman saw the owl dive past her so fast it nearly knocked her broom aside.
"Hey! Watch it! Flying standards exist for a reason!"
Students practicing broom starts snickered, then quickly stopped when she shot them a glare.
But again the owl didn't slow down. It flew straight toward the castle again, leaving her muttering:
"If that bird breaks a window, I swear—"
---
The owl zipped through an open door and startled a dwarf Professor, who was standing on his stack of books.
He wobbled.
He wobbled more.
Then fell backward into a pile of feathers created from a misfired Cushioning Charm.
"Oh dear! Fast little fellow, isn't he?"
The students giggled. The owl didn't even look back.
---
The owl soared to the upper floors, gliding through the open arches of the Transfiguration Corridor, and landed sharply on the desk of Professor Minerva McGonagall. The same woman, who was still writing the letter.
"Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment."
"We will be waiting for you soon…"
She then gives the letter to the Owl.
"Deliver this at once. And do not cause any more trouble this morning."
The owl hooted innocently… then launched into the sky with the letter which has the seal of Hogwarts and flew away from there.
While McGonagall muttered.
"…So it begins."
---
In a quiet corner of countryside, near a lake, a well-built wizarding home stood beneath tall birch trees.
Inside, a handsome man, with sharp features and steady hands, was hunched over a long workbench.
Blue-white sparks hummed around him as he carved the final spiral of runes into a stick. The air smelled of polished elmwood and phoenix-feather heat.
From the kitchen doorway, his wife called:
"William! Did you finish your work? It has already been six months!"
William exhaled, running a hand through his hair, but he didn't look up.
"Almost finished. Just a little more structuring to stabilize the core."
Marianne smiled softly. She walked in with a soft smile and picked up their boy sitting on the sofa.
He was Soren Whitlock, tall for his age, bright-eyed, curious, and unmistakably proud.
She ruffled his hair, "Your dad is working so hard to make this wand for you, my little Soren."
Soren grinned happily, and asked, "Mom, the wand will be very powerful, right?"
Marianne laughed lightly and tickled his stomach.
"Yes, dear. It will be so powerful that no one can defeat you. But remember, this wand is special."
"Which is why, once you get to Hogwarts, you'll buy a normal wand from Ollivander's."
Soren nodded, "Okay, Momma."
"Good boy," Marianne kissed on his forehead.
She smiled and walked toward the window to close it.
But suddenly—
FWHOOSH!
A dark-feathered owl burst through the open frame, flapping hard and landed on the dining table.
It dropped a sealed envelope onto the table beside Soren… then rushed out into the sky again without a sound.
Marianne blinked, startled.
"A Hogwarts owl…?"
Soren leaned forward, and saw the letter gleamed on the red wax seal gleamed proudly: HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.
Marianne picked up the envelope. Her voice softened.
"Soren… it has your name on it."
Soren's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Mom… is that a letter from Hogwarts?"
Marianne broke the seal with her thumb, unfolded the parchment, and gasped softly as her eyes moved across the lines.
She nodded, and took a strict pose, saying, "Soren Whitlock… congratulations. You've been accepted into Hogwarts."
Hearing his mom's words, Soren burst into laughter, seeing it, Marianne also started laughing.
---
A few days later…
A cute boy dressed in fresh Hogwarts robes walked through Diagon Alley, a small black cat trailing beside him. The cat's chest has white fur, which gives it a beautiful look.
The boy pushed open the creaky door of Ollivander's Wand Shop.
Dusty shelves lined the narrow walls, filled with countless long boxes.
Soren shouted seeing no one inside, "Hello? Anyone here?"
As soon he shouted, and then—
BADOOOM!
A loud crash echoed from the back room.
Soren jumped, and his cat hissed.
A moment later, Garrick Ollivander stumbled out from behind a tall stack of boxes, rubbing the back of his head. It looked like he had fallen from a ladder.
"Oh—ow—just a moment—goodness me…"
He straightened quickly, adjusting his coat and smoothing his white hair, suddenly switching to gentleman mode.
"Ahem! Welcome! I am Garrick Ollivander. So then—what kind of wand are you looking for, young wizard?"
Soren bowed politely.
"Hello. I'm Soren Whitlock. I need a good wand."
Ollivander froze. He tilted his head. And murmured. "Soren Whitlock… Whitlock… Whitlock…"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up in recognition.
"Ah! Your sister's name is Elara Whitlock, yes?"
Soren blinked, and asked.
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander. You know my sister?"
Ollivander smiles proudly, "Of course I do! I remember every single witch and wizard who has taken a wand from me."
He chuckled.
"I still remember the day your sister chose her wand— Maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. And she broke my inkpot in excitement."
Soren's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Yes… she was always a troublemaker.
But I miss her. I don't know where she went…"
His eyes turned sad.
Elara Whitlock, a bright, strong, mischievous girl. She had vanished during her fifth year at Hogwarts. No one told him the truth, that's how she vanished. Not even his parents. Some say, she ran away from home, some say she has died, while some say, she is trapped somewhere.
He only knew she was gone.
Ollivander softened his voice.
"Well… wherever she is, I'm sure she'd want you to have the perfect wand."
He turned, scanning through shelves, muttering.
"Blackthorn… sycamore… vine… ah, not that one…"
Finally, he pulled out a box with great care.
"Here we are."
He opened it reverently.
"Blackthorn. A very unusual wand wood—fiercely loyal and responsive to warriors and survivors.
Unicorn hair core. Eleven-and-a-quarter inches. Slightly springy and flexible."
He offered it to Soren. Soren grasped the wand gently.
Immediately, a soft spiral of silver wind twirled around him, fluttering the curtains and making the dust sparkle.
"A perfect match."
Ollivander clapped.
"Oh-ho-ho! Magnificent! Yes, that wand has chosen you well. Now go, Soren Whitlock—begin your journey, and become a wonderful wizard."
Soren smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
He paid, slipped the wand into his robe, and exited the shop with his cat following close.
As soon Soren pushed open the door—
THUD!
He collided hard with someone.
Both of them toppled to the cobblestone ground.
He blinked, a little dazed, and then looked toward the person he had crashed into.
It was a beautiful girl, looking slightly older than him, dressed in the fresh black robes of a Hogwarts first-year. Her long black hair framed a pale, gentle face and sharp brown eyes.
She rubbed her elbow with a small wince.
Soren scrambled up.
"Hello—sorry! I'm really sorry. I'm Soren Whitlock."
He quickly offered his hand to her.
The girl gave a shy smile and took his hand as he helped her stand.
"It's okay. No harm done. I'm Jacqueline Grenger."
Soren noticed her luggage had fallen open—books scattered everywhere, her wand box upside down, and her cat carrier rolling dangerously close to the edge of the pavement.
He crouched immediately and began helping her pick everything up.
"So… why were you in such a rush? Going somewhere?"
Hearing this Jacqueline froze and hastily looked towards the clock hanging above the bookstore.
10:45 AM
Her face turned pale.
"Oh no. I forgot! We need to get to King's Cross Station or we'll miss the train!"
Hearing this Soren also froze.
"Oh Merlin—Hogwarts Express leaves at 11:00!
I completely forgot too!"
He smacked his forehead.
His cat meowed in complaint, as if scolding him.
Jacqueline grabbed her trunk handle.
"No time to waste!"
"Right! Let's go!"
Both shouted at the same time:
"RUN!"
And they sprinted together through Diagon Alley, their luggage rattled, robes flew, while cats bounced inside carriers.
---
"Thank Merlin, we finally made it," Soren gasped as he stepped inside the train, panting heavily.
Jacqueline leaned against the doorframe, catching her breath.
"Yeah… if we were even one minute late, we would've missed our entire first year."
Soren nodded quickly.
"Come on—let's find seats."
Jacqueline nodded and followed him. "Right."
They walked down the corridor together until they found an empty compartment. Soren slid the door open, and both of them sat inside, side by side. The train whistle echoed throughout the station.
The Hogwarts Express lurched forward.
After the initial rush faded, Soren relaxed and looked at Jacqueline.
"So… tell me about yourself?"
Jacqueline straightened her robe and smiled.
"Well… I don't belong to a magical family. My mum and dad are both Muggles—dentists, actually. Quite famous in England."
She paused, her smile softening a little.
"I also have a younger sister. She's very cute.
I'm gonna miss her a lot."
Soren nodded warmly.
"That's nice. A muggle-born wizard—it's rare but amazing."
Jacqueline giggled softly.
"What about you?"
Soren took a small breath.
"My family is a Wizard family. They care about me a lot. And… I have a sister too. She was seven years older than me."
He looked down at his hands.
"But two years ago… she went missing. No one told me what happened. I miss her. Every day."
Jacqueline's expression softened with sympathy.
"Oh… I'm so sorry, Soren."
He nodded once, quietly.
"Thanks. I hope someday I'll know the truth."
They both became silent for a moment, while the train sped up, the landscape blurring outside the window.