When a good girl goes to war

It’s over.
Everything. All that I’d been fighting, for my whole life has just come crashing down around me, and there’s no point anymore. There’s just no point.
You might think I’m over-reacting, considering everything else that’s going on around me right now. Or maybe you’ll agree with me, see my side of the story. I don’t know, it’s all in the eye of the beholder and all that, right?

I guess I should probably go back a few years. I remember one time someone saying that life’s just like a book. Only difference is when you’re writing it, you can’t go back and change what you’ve written every time you’ve made a mistake. So, I don’t really know why I’m writing this out now. I guess it’s so that when my time comes, and believe me, that time isn’t too far away, there’s no way that people can say this never happened. They can’t say that my story is the stuff of myths and legends. So, here it is. My name is Cassidy Green, and this is my story.

My story could start whenever I want to start it. Actually, it probably began when I was one. But I can’t really remember that far back, so let’s go to be being six. I remember that day. It was a Friday, and every Friday, the orphanage would take us all out to somewhere special.
Today though, they had decided to take us to this big open park in central London.
It was a really warm day, so my friends and I decided to go to play by the lake. I knew we weren’t allowed to actually go into the water, but it somehow felt much cooler when we were stood by the water.
Anyway, we were watching the ducks swim around happily, when this big kid came to us with all of his friends. Now, I was the one in the group who, as my house matron put it ‘is too over-confident’, so at first, I decided to ignore them. But then, as bullies do, they decided to go after the smallest of us, Millie.
She was only four at the time, and you could tell she was frightened. The others went to go and tell Brenda, the lady looking after us, but I wasn’t going to leave Millie by herself. So, first I’m telling them to go away, then they began to laugh and tease me about having no parents.
Whenever someone brings up my parents, it brings up a lot of mixed feelings that I do my best to suppress. I’ve heard so many different stories about their death that I just didn’t know what to believe. For all I knew, they could have still been alive and living in a cave somewhere. All I knew is I was that I was dropped off at the door of the orphanage sometime in October.
So, anyway, there’s these bullies making fun of my family. Now, I’ve learnt over the years that the best thing to do when this happens is to wait until I know exactly what emotion is going to hit me.
This time, it was anger. Serious anger. I was actually beginning to worry for the people around me, because I’d never been this angry before.
I remember the temperature suddenly dropping, and the wind picking up rapidly. But, after that, nothing. All I remember is being wet, and Brenda scolding me for playing so close to the water.

The newspapers the next day were talking about a freak wind that was so strong, the water had managed to leave the pond, pick up three unnamed teenagers, and then return to its original form, completely undisturbed. No harm was done to the boys.

From that day on, my life was never the same. Every time I was angry, upset or even happy, something inexplicable would happen, and I was always the one who got blamed. I mean. I had no idea how to make a parrot explode, or set the ducks on fire. But, somehow, some way, I was always blamed. The amount of times I went to bed without dinner are so many, that I was never an obese child.
A few weeks before my eleventh birthday, after Clarisse had pushed me into the sand pit, the giant grandfather clock, which was inside the house, smashed to smithereens, so my party was cancelled. I didn’t really mind, I guess. I mean, I doubt I would have had much fun anyway, and I still get every single one of the presents that I was owed. I only really had two friends at that nursery; Amanda and Jayden. Amanda was three months younger than me, and Jayden was two years older. I suppose the only reason me and him became friends was he stood up for me when Clarisse was bragging about how her mother was a famous singer in Hollywood and my parents would rather die than have to raise me as their child.
It had always been the three of us, through thick and thin. At least until Jay got a place in a top boarding school. Now we only ever saw him on holidays, and sometimes not even then. He made new friends, so he stayed with them some of the time. But it was alright. He still wrote to us when he could, telling us about his teachers and new friends.
One thing I did notice though, was after he left, there were a lot more accidents happening. I had no idea what was happening, but I had just got used to it that I didn’t really think about it too much.
But it was alright. I still had Amanda, and we’d be going to high school together in just two months.
But now, because of the holidays, Jay was coming home soon, so we were just going to enjoy the time we had together.

July 12: Amanda decided that the best way to spend our time whilst waiting for Jay to get back was by sitting in our room talking about all the things we were going to be doing at school next year.
“Amanda, I don’t actually think that’s legal...”
“A girl can dream. And anyway, I don’t really think that stealing cookies from the lunch room is the best way to make a first impression.” This discussion of us had been going on for a while.
Then, something we hadn’t actually thought about crept into my mind.
“Mandy, what if we’re not even in the same class?” I looked at her, and she returned the same look. We were always together. The same bedroom, sat next to each other at lunch, in the same class. In fact, the only time we weren’t together was when I was being punished for one of the accidents that had just happened.
“Don’t worry,” she said after a while, “we’ll be fine. And even if we’re not together, we still-”
We were interrupted by a package landing in between us on the bed.
“Do you guys ever clean this room?”
We didn’t need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. Mandy was on top of him before I could even get off the bed. They were both laughing as they fell to the ground. When she finally let him stand and he saw me, his smile fell and the first thing he said to me was “shit.”
I have to admit, I was slightly offended. “Hi to you too Jay. I haven’t seen you in a few months. Me? I’m fine. How have you been? That was kind of how I imagined this conversation to go.”
He just kept looking at me before he shook his head and gave me a hug.
“Wow, I’ve missed you guys.” He whispered in my ear. Then he pulled out and said “So, you guys plan on opening your present any time soon? Or should I just keep it to myself?”

And as we sat there, eating the sweets that Jay had brought back for us, I truly believed that everything was going to be okay.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong about anything before.

“Okay, kiss Clarisse or marry a frog?” We were playing ‘would you rather’ whilst eating a bag of jellybeans, and it was Jay’s turn.
“...I’m sorry, what’s the difference exactly?”
We were still laughing when something hit my window. At first, I thought it was just someone throwing stones at it again, but when Jay stood up to open it, a bird flew in.
I’ve never heard Mandy scream so loud. She’s never liked things that can poop on your head, but I’ve always loved animals.
When I looked at it carefully, I could see that it was an owl with something tied to its leg.
I found it quite strange, I must admit, but interesting at the same time. I’d never seen an owl up close before, and it was a beautiful creature. It’s eyes were sharp and yellow, and it flew with a certain grace that I had never seen any other owl fly with.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.” I whispered, in complete awe of the animal.
“Are you insane?!” Mandy was not as happy as I was to see the bird. “We need to go and tell Brenda.” And she was out of the door before I could say another word.
“Well,” I said after a few more seconds, “I think it’s time we find out just what that is on its leg, don’t you?”
But Jay wasn’t listening. He looked slightly confused. Not surprised, scared or any other emotion. In fact, I’m not even sure that confused is the right word. It was if he had been expecting it to come, but still amazed that it had actually came.
Cautiously, he walked over to it and held out his hand. The owl looked at him before lifting the leg that had the thing tied to toward him. When he removed it, I could tell it was a letter.
“Well, that’s a new way to send mail.” I said under my breath, but Jay’s face was breaking out into a huge grin.
“Shit.” Said Jay, cursing under his breath
“What’s wrong?”
“Just open it and maybe we’ll see”
Slightly confused, I began to slowly open my envelope

Miss C. Green
Bedroom 12
27 Grove Lane
Duffield
Derby

I have to admit, the second line of the address did worry me a little. To know my bedroom number, you’d have had to have been watching me very closely, right?
“Don’t worry about it.” Said Jay, responding to the confused look on my face. “It’s safe to open.”
So, me being the trusting person I am, I opened the letter with Jay sat next to me.

Dear Miss Green,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogworts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed 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
Deputy Headmistress

Requirement List

UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes(black)
2. One plain pointed hat(black)for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves(dragon hide or something similar)
4. One winter cloak(black,silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Slandered Book of Spells(Grade1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A history of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Fungi
One thousand magical herbs and fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beast and where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide of Self Protection
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand
1cauldron(pewter, standard size2)
1set of crystal phial
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Student may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

I re-read the letter about three times, trying to get it to make sense to me, but eventually, I just gave up.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, but this isn’t making any sense to me. What school is this?”
Jay smiled at me before answering. “This, my friend, is an acceptance letter to the greatest magic school in all of Britain.”
I don’t think he realised that he still wasn’t making the slightest bit of sense to me, in any way, shape or form, but before I could say another word, Brenda, Mandy and a really formal-looking woman entered my room.
“You see, I told you.” Said Mandy pointing and the owl that was still sat on my desk. But neither of the women looked surprised. In fact, the woman who I didn’t appeared to be amused.
Brenda turned to her and asked “So, exactly how many more of them are in this orphanage?”
The woman didn’t reply. Instead she walked over to me and stretched out her hand in greeting, which I shook.
“Good evening Miss Green. My name is Professor McGonagall, the person who wrote you that letter.”
I didn’t exactly know what to say, so I settled on letting go of her hand and asking her the most obvious question that I could think of.
“I’m sorry, but I’m still really confused. Do you mind explaining to me just what the hell’s going on?”
She gave me what I guessed was her version of a warm smile, before saying “Well, as I’m sure your that you have already been told of your special abilities by the staff here, there’s not really too much to tell you. You’ve had a place at Hogwarts since the day you were born.”
I was wondering if there was going to be a point in this story in which I was going to understand what anybody was saying to me.
“Wait, Brenda, what does she mean? What special abilities?”
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she looked down in shame.
“I’m sorry Cassidy, I really am. I wanted to tell you, but I wasn’t allowed.”

July 31 It’s my birthday today. Usually I’d be excited, wondering what presents I’d been given by the few people who would bother or had the money, but today, there wasn’t really anything to celebrate.
Since I found out that I had been lied to pretty much my whole life, and that I was, in fact, a witch, everything was different.
The biggest difference though, had to be the fact that my group of three no longer existed. I was mad at Jay for keeping such a big part of my life private, and Mandy decided that it was my fault that I was abandoning her to deal with high school next year. She’d gone to the extent to switch rooms with someone else.
I suppose the better part was the matrons were a lot nicer to me, but I wasn’t really sure if that was because they finally had an explanation for all the strange things that had been happening, or if they were just happy that I was leaving in just one month to go to boarding school.
There was a knock on the door and in came Jay. I did my best to pretend I was still asleep, but even before I hastily closed my eyes, I knew my attempts were futile.
“Morning, birthday girl.”
When he didn’t get a reply, he sighed before leaving a package on my desk. He began walking back to the door, but before he left, he stopped and said “I really am sorry, you know. If I could have told you, I promise that I would have done.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So, why aren’t you talking to me?”
I had to think about that. I knew it wasn’t his fault that I had been completely oblivious to the fact that i was a witch for my whole life. I knew that he himself wasn’t completely sure if i was one to be able to tell me. I also knew that even if he had told me, the chances of me believing him were almost impossible. The only reason I had believed McGonagall was when she turned herself into a cat and back again (which had resulted in me nick-naming her cat woman).
But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to look Jay in the eye. I did, however, manage to lift myself up to open his present.
I smiled when i saw it. It was a photo album with loads of pictures of me, him and Mandy, as well as him at school with a few random people that I didn’t know.
There was no way that I could stay mad at him after this, so i shot up out of bed and went to find him. He was sat on one of the swings in the garden so I went and sat with him, and for the next few hours I enjoyed having him as my best friend again. I honestly believed nothing would ever get in the way of that.

August 25th“Okay,” I began as we were sat in my dorm, “so, what do I need to know about Hogwarts?”
“Well,” He started, “The head master, Dumbledore. He’s alright, but the man’s a bit crazy you know? Like the stress of his life’s got a bit too much for him. He has done some pretty amazing things though. Erm, what else? There’s ghosts flying around at all times. Most of them are nice. Oh, and Peeves, you’ve got to seriously watch out for Peeves, he’s insane. Quidditcch, amazing sport, I’m the top chaser for their team i’d like to point out. And the houses. Oh, how can I forget the houses?”
“Right,” he began, “four houses, kinda like your teams, but you’ll be doing everything with them, like eating, sleeping, sports etc.There’s Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slythering and Gryffindor. First thing first, Gryffindor is a pile of dog-shit. You don’t want to waste your time witht hem, they’re all stuck-up retards.
Ravenclaw is where you’ll probably end up going. It’s where all the smart ones go.” He then winked at me.
“Next up is Hufflepuff, but you don’t want to be there. That’s where they send all the left-over people, those who don’t fit into the other categories. I dated someone from there once... didn’t go too well.”
“Right,” I began to recite out loud, “So Gryffindor’s full of stuck-up losers, Ravenclaw’s full of smart-asses, Hufflepuff’s full of unwanted people. What about that last one?”
He started to smile. “Slytherin. The top house. Rules the school really, and I’m not just saying this because it’s my house, but just because it’s true. Everybody that’s anybody is in Slytherin. And that’s where you;’re gonna go, you hear me?”

Those few days were the last where we could just be friends, me and him, talk casually and laugh together. All of what I had ever been used to was about to change completely. And nothing in the world could have ever prepared me for what was going to happen.