It was another seemingly mundane and exceptionally ordinary, grey and overcast morning for the tiny town of Rosefield Barrow. The small buildings and homes were all painted an array of blues, grays and whites and looked not only homey but friendly and peaceful. The town, despite the early hour and unwelcoming skies, was awake and humming with life. The post office and grocery store were close to opening; young Bianca Baker was taking her faithful brown lab on their routinely morning run; sleepy-eyed parents were shuffling into their front lawns to retrieve badly thrown newspapers; and extremely old and cranky Mrs. Needle was already outside working in her garden.

Not one single person who was up and about pointed, stared or even gasped at the large grey owl that had begun to circle through the neighborhoods. A few people took a second or two to glance upward at the bird but did not give it much thought. Owls were a common sight in Rosefield Barrow. On the rare occasion that somebody new would move into town the owls would once again start to attract attention and spike curiosity.

However, the older residents would laugh and point toward the grouping of large trees right on the outskirts of town. ‘The owls like the big trees. They build their homes in them’ they would reason with themselves and the questioning newcomers. Eventually the new residents of Rosefield Barrow would accept these owls as normal and take to ignoring them like everyone else.

On this dreary morning there were no new eyes outside and everyone who saw the owl either ignored it or took a quick second glance only to have their original thought proven correct. The grey owl flew, like all the others, toward the dark green trees at the far end of the town.

The large trees were impeccably placed so they shielded a rather large cluster of small homes from the rest of Rosefield Barrow. No one in the town deemed it strange. Though come to think of it, the residents on the opposite side of the Rosefield trees were quite a bizarre group of people; always dressing funny with weird smells and noises coming from their homes. The town members, for the most part, ignored their peculiar neighbors and had the gesture largely returned, except for the occasional polite nod.

The large owl flew straight toward the barrier of massive trees but instead of landing among the branches, as the townspeople always assumed, it swerved gracefully between the limbs and then flew through an open kitchen window of a little blue house. The owl landed quietly on the back of one of the five wooden chairs and ruffled its feathers importantly.

Amelia Wolfe, a beautiful woman with dark chocolate brown hair was pouring herself a cup of tea and did not look at all surprised that an owl had just flown into her kitchen. Her face was round and soft with fair skin and freckles were scattered across her nose and cheekbones. Amelia was wearing a dark plum colored cloak that fastened around her neck with a silver clasp. The cloak swept the ground as she turned to face the owl. She grinned and took a careful sip of her tea before walking over to the bird. It extended a scaly leg, talons and all, with a large manila envelope tied to it. Amelia carefully untied the letter and watched as the grey owl hooted softly then flew back out the open window.

She read the front of the envelope and smiled just as a very tall and lean man walked into the kitchen. He wore an impressive suit that would leave even the most confident man a little intimidated. “Cal, look,� Amelia said holding up the thick envelope. “Wisty got her letter.�

Caledon laughed out loud and snatched the envelope from his wife. He weighed the heavy parchment in his hand and rubbed his thumb across the dark purple seal on the back – the letter H surrounded by a lion, serpent, badger and eagle. “Marvelous,� he whispered mainly to himself, a tiny hint of jealousy edging into his voice. “She is still sleeping?� he asked, laying the envelope on the table. Amelia nodded and wrapped her arms around Caledon’s neck.

“I think you should be the one to give her the good news.� Amelia grinned and kissed Cal on the nose. He rolled his eyes but gave her a loving smile that sent warmth spreading throughout her entire body. After fifteen years they were still very much in love.

Cal grabbed the letter off the table and walked down the small hallway to the last door on the right. He opened the door slowly, trying to quiet the squeaky hinges and peeked into the small room.

The room was disorganized and chaotic but held a sense of comfort. There was a bookshelf cluttered with the strangest books – The Adventures of Wizard Sam and Muggle Miles, When the Cauldron Overflowed, Happy the Hippogriff and The Littlest House-Elf. Scattered across the small desk was an assortment of parchment and quills. Posters covered the walls and the people in them were all moving – Quidditch players zoomed in and out of the posters, singers were yawning and stretching out their arms. A couple of framed photographs also filled the room their occupants walking in and out of the frames or sleeping quietly.

Cal ignored the moving pictures and rested his eyes on the young girl, curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed. Blue covers were twisted all around her and a matching pillow was on the floor along with the quilt made by Cal’s mother. The girl’s long black hair was sticking out wildly in many directions and she was breathing heavily in a slow methodical rhythm.

“Wisty?� Cal whispered quietly. His daughter’s hand twitched slightly but she did not wake. He smiled, enjoying the sight of her sleeping. “Wisteria, rise and shine Wish. I have something for you.�
Wisty turned over mumbling something that sounded a lot like “five more minutes.� Cal chuckled before adding, “I’m holding your Hogwarts letter.�

Wisteria’s bright blue eyes snapped open immediately. She turned her head taking in the sight of her father standing in the doorway. He stood straight and rigid, his head almost brushing the top of the doorframe yet his smile was kind and sure enough, in his hand was a thick parchment envelope.

Within a blink of an eye Wisty was scrambling to get out of bed. The blue sheets twisted around her and with a muted thump she landed on the floor as she desperately tried to kick herself free. Her dad strode across the small room in two quick steps and helped untangle her.

Wisteria grasped the thick envelope in her pale trembling hands. It was addressed to her alright, and the Hogwarts crest was stamped on the back. She gulped audibly and slowly opened the letter.

Dear Miss Wolfe,
I am pleased to inform that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…

Without reading the rest of the letter Wisteria threw her hands up into the air. “This is it!� she cried out loudly a smile practically reaching from one ear to the other. “Father, I’m going to Hogwarts!�

“Well, of course you’re going to Hogwarts, Wish. I never doubted for a second.� Cal said with obvious relief in his voice. Unlike his wife, and now his daughter, Caledon did not have any magical ability. He was, what the wizarding world would call, a muggle.

Wisty beamed up at her father. She had waited for this letter for so long. She would listen enviously to her older cousins as they told her of magical stairways and secret passages, a pesky poltergeist and thrilling Quidditch matches. “Do you think I’ll like it?� she asked her father a touch of seriousness to her voice.

“Wish, darling, I know you’ll love it.�

Nodding her head Wisteria smiled. “Yes, I think I will.�