Jesse Nicolson

Backstory

My family come from a ,long line of Purebloods. As such, I have had the chance to watch my parents perform magic from a very young age and have grown up with other Pureblood families. Being in my Pureblood family means I know very little of the Muggle society. I became aware of my Pureblood status at age 5, which is also the first time I performed magic. The neighbours cat was hissing and clawing at me in our backyard and scaring me so without thinking I suddenly jumped all the way up a tree. My parents witnessed this and were proud of my magic. I climbed down and began pretending I was battling a giant dragon, which I won after a lengthy battle. By age 9 I have shown many signs of magical ability and even managed to make a leaf move using magic.

1 Month after my 11th birthday my Hogwarts letter arrived. We were beginning to think it would never come. The letter far out shined all my other presents, even my brand new Comet 390 from my parents. Even though I have been to Diagon Alley before, I still gasped at the sight of everyone and all the shops. My mother looked at me and asked where we should go first. "Wow! Look at that shop!" I exclaim "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" my Mother says, reading the sign above the door. "I doubt they have anything we need." She adds, but seeing the looks on mine and my father's faces she sighs "I guess you could look at that while I go and get some quills and potion supplies." she says. Before she has time to change her mind I hurry into the shop with dad right behind me.

The inside is even more impressive than the window display, I'm overwhelmed with every colour, sound and smell imaginable. The walls are covered in different products ranging from almost completely black boxes of peruvian instant darkness powder to sweet-smelling bright pink bottles of love potion to various jars of multicoloured sweets including tontounge tofees, u-no-poos and canary creams. Near the ceiling, fireworks are going off every few seconds with each creating a flash of light in a different colour, and making the whole shop smell slightly of smoke. As you are watching a small model of a Dementor dance across the floor your father sneaks up on you and puts an anti-gravity-hat on your head. He laughs as you float towards the fireworks, but catches your ankel before you go too far up. As he pulls you back down and removes the hat he tells you you can pick one thing from the store.

I chose one of the dancing Dementors. "Those are kinda fun" my dad laughs." He pays for it and we go to find my mum and continue shopping. "Can I have my own pet?" I ask my dad, to which he agrees. Since we already have 2 owls at home I decide to get my own grey cat with bright blue eyes. Next we go to get a wand. As I enter Ollivanders Wand Shop, I am greeted by an old man.

"Starting at Hogwarts?" he asks, but continues before I have a chance to answer, "let's hope we can find the right wand for you." I'm not exactly sure what to say to this, as I'm not sure you can tell the difference between a right and a wrong wand. Apparently the old man wasn't expecting an answer anyway as he is already handing me a wand, which I take and wave a bit, before he takes it back and gives me a new one. This continue for about 7 wands before he gives me a rather long wand of light wood. Somehow it seems warmer than the other ones and when you wave it white sparks fly from it. You look at Ollivander who's smiling, "Pine, 13 3/4 inches with a phoenix feather core, Pliant."

"This core is the rarest of the three, as it comes from an elegant yet detached creature which is seen as one of the most exotic in the wizarding world. Phoenix feather wands are capable of the greatest range of magic, although this means that sometimes they will act of their own accord. Wands with this expensive material as their core are the pickiest of all the cores in choosing the most suitable owner, and allegiance is often hard-won." Mr Ollivander says to me. As my Mother pays for the wand I put it in my pocket and smile at the thought of having my own real magical wand.

Next we go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where I am measured by a witch. 30 minutes later I leave the store with my new Hogwarts uniform.

At Flourish and Blotts I buy your books. It's an impessive place filled with more books than I think anyone could read in a lifetime. Fortunately the two wizards behind the counter are able to summon any books their customers want within seconds. My mother also buys you "Hogwarts, A History" telling me, that it never hurts to know a little more about a place I'm going. I've finished shopping and now it's time to start counting the remaining days before I leave on the Hogwarts Express.

Finally the day arrives. I wave goodbye to my parents as the train leaves Platform 9 3/4. When I can no longer see them I decide to find a compartment. I decide to sit in a compartment with two nervous looking girls around my age.

When the train arrives it's already getting dark. An enormous man, who introduces himself as professor Hagrid leads you and the other first-years into some small boats, which take you across a big lake to a castle, which I assume to be Hogwarts. Professor Hagrid leads us to a large entrance hall, where a squat woman with short grey hair greets you.

"I'm professor Sprout" she says with a smile. "In a few moments you will each be sorted into one of Hogwarts 4 houses. For those who do not know, the houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. You will be sharing your dormtories and taking your classes with your housemates, so the sorting is very important." She leaves the room and I, along with everyone else wonder how they will determine your house. About 5 minutes later - though it seems like forever - professor Sprout returns and tells all of us to form a line, as she opens a door into a different room. Walking behind a tall brown-haired boy, I enter the great hall to see the rest of the school sitting at 4 large tables. They're all watching the line of first-years making it's way to stand in front of the teachers table. Professor Sprout carries a hat, which she puts on a stool in front of everyone. Everyone looks at the hat, so I do too. I soon find out why, as the hat starts singing.

"New students of this great old school
now put me on - it is the rule
I will decide where you belong
and I have never yet been wrong

In Ravenclaw you may be put
if you are smart and love the books.
If about facts you're never wrong
Then Ravenclaw's where you belong.

Gryffindor might be your home.
It's where the bravest people roam.
If you dare what others fear
you will find friends and equals here.

In Slytherin you will belong
if you are the cunning one.
If Power matters most to you
then Slytherin will suit you too.

Finally there's Hufflepuff
if you play fair and never bluff.
If kindness is what matters most,
then Hufflepuff will be your host."

The older students and teachers applaud, as the hat finishes it's song. You're simply relieved that all you have to do is put a hat on. Professor Sprout stands and reads from a roll of parchment: "When I call your name, you will step forward and put the hat on. You will be called in alphabethical order." You realise, that this means you'll be one of the last. "Burke, Violet" she begins after a while the sorting hat cries out: "Hufflepuff". "Cadden, Matthew", this time the hat immediately shouts "Slytherin" and so the process continues until it's my turn. I step forward, and put the hat on. The hat mumbles something I can't make out before shouting "Ravenclaw!". I make my way to the Ravenclaw table while all the other Ravenclaw's applaud, and one boy wearing a blue hat with a bronze badge on his chest even pats me on my back.

When the sorting is over, food appears on the tables. I'm starving, as you didn't know I were supposed to bring your own lunch on the train, and quickly fill my gold plate with some of your favourite foods. I eat a few helpings of the main course, before it disappears from the table to be replaced by at least 20 different types of ice cream, 10 different cakes and 5 kinds of pie. No matter how full I feel, my mouth starts watering at the sight of a mountain of cinnamon buns so tall I dare not take one for fear of the whole thing collapsing.


Thankfully an older boy notices the way I look at the tower, and tells me not to worry as, like Hogwarts Castle itself, magic prevents it from falling. When I' still not entirely convinced, he hands me a bun, before turning back to his friends. As I eat your cinnamon bun, I hope no one else noticed the little episode. I notice, that anther first year named Maggie seems a little worried at the sight of a large tower of ice cream, and feel better knowing I'm not the only one who didn't know.