Carry Smith and the Discovery of the Chosen One

Chapter One: The Incredible Event

Carry sighed. Today, July 21, 2009, was her eleventh birthday, but she didn't feel very happy. She had been reflecting on her life, and felt that her life wasn't the best. Her one and only friend was Samantha O'Neil, and while Samantha was a great friend, Carry wanted more.

However, she and Samantha were the class outcasts. The other girls in her grade (they went to an all-girls private school) didn't like them because whenever she and Samantha were angry, upset or scared, strange things happened.

For example, when Carry's teacher (Mrs. Jones) gave her a bad grade on a test, Carry somehow made her skirt fly up in front of the whole class. Carry had gotten a month of detention for that.

Still thinking about all of the bad things in her life, Carry wandered into the kitchen to look at the post. A thick-looking envelope with emerald-green writing on it caught her eye. She looked closely at the address, and she saw that it read:

Miss Carry Smith

The Red Bedroom

Six Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Carry quickly looked across the street to make sure her nosy neighbors (the Dursleys) weren't watching, then tore open the thick envelope. As she read it, her jaw fell down in shock.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and

WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. ,Chf. Warlock

Supreme Mugwum, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Dear Miss Smith,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your Owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

Carry shakily put the letter down.

"Me a witch?" she murmured.

"I didn't think witches existed. Besides, I can't do magic! I've got to go talk to Samantha."

As she got up to walk next door to Samantha's house, Samantha barreled through the door.

"Carry," she panted. "I got this amazing letter! It was from this place called Hogwarts! It said I was a-"

"WITCH!" they shouted simultaneously.

"How did you know?" asked Samantha.

"Because I got one, too!" squealed Carry. "WE'RE WITCHES!" they screamed together.

"What's all this commotion?" asked Mrs. Smith irritably. "I was trying to take a nap."

"Sorry, Mom," said Carry. "But Samantha and I got these letters that say we're witches!"

"What is this nonsense?" asked Mrs. Smith. "This is probably just some prank."

"No, Mrs. Smith, it's actually true! Look at this letter, it'll tell you everything!" cried Samantha enthusiastically, and handed Mrs. Smith her letter.

Mrs. Smith took the letter, looking extremely doubtful, and reluctantly read it while making snorting sounds of disbelief.

"I refuse to believe this nonsense," said Mrs. Smith stubbornly.

"How could you girls be so gullible? This is probably some childish prank pulled by someone in your grade."

"But-" began Carry.

"There will be no more discussion about this," said Mrs. Smith.

Mrs. Smith stormed upstairs, looking extremely angry. Carry turned toward Samantha, looking like she was about to cry.

"What am I going to do?" Carry cried.

"This is my one chance to get out of this dreadful place until I'm 18, and my mom said no!"

"Don't worry," said Samantha soothingly.

"Let's go talk to my mom. I bet she'll believe us, and then together, we can find a way to convince your mom that this is true."

They hurried next door to Samantha's house and burst through the door.

"Mom," panted Samantha.

"We got-"

"Letters, I know," Mrs. O'Neil interrupted calmly.

Carry and Samantha looked a little confused.

Samantha started saying, "How did you-"

"Know?" Mrs. O'Neil said.

"I got a letter of congratulations from Dumbledore himself."

Carry started to ask, "How do you know-"

"Who Dumbledore is?" Mrs. O'Neil interrupted again.

"You see, I'm a Squib, so I know all about the magic world, and I told Samantha's father about it."

Carry and Samantha looked even more confused. Together they started to exclaim:

"What the HECK-"

"Is a Squib?" Mrs. O'Neil said.

"It's a person with no magical powers born into a magic family, and it's the opposite of a Muggle-born."

Samantha and Carry now looked really confused. They started to say:

"WHAT-"

"Is a Muggle-born?" Mrs. O'Neil interrupted.

"It's a person with magical powers born into a non-magical family. A Muggle is a person with no magical powers. You, Carry, are a Muggle-born. Samantha- I'm not sure what you are."

Carry and Samantha laughed. However, Samantha still had something to say.

"Mom, you have got to stop this interrupting thing," Samantha cried.

"Sorry about that," said Mrs. O'Neil apologetically.

"I just want you girls to know as much as possible about the magical world before going off to Hogwarts."

"There's no way my mom is going to let me go to Hogwarts," Carry said gloomily.

"She 'refuses to believe in such nonsense.'"

"Let me deal with your mother," Mrs. O'Neil said firmly.

"Meanwhile, you two read as much as you possibly can about the magic world. Dumbledore sent me a bunch of books. They are all in the dining room, on the table."

With that final command, she headed next door to Carry's house.

Samantha and Carry walked to the dining room, Samantha happily but Carry gloomily. She knew that there was no way that she was going to Hogwarts.