A Witch Without a Wand

Olivia watched the scenery pass by. Every summer for the last two weeks of July the entire Weasley clan got together for a family reunion. It was a large gathering that Olivia looked forward to every year. Olivia and her cousins would spend the summer playing Wizards Chess, Exploding Snap and the overall favorite, Quidditch.

This summer was going to be the best summer yet. It was the summer she, Rose and her cousin Albus were going to receive their acceptance letters to Hogwarts. For the first time they were going to be the ones who bought new robes and books. They were the ones who got to show off their brand-new wands. They were the ones who got to board the Hogwarts Express at the end of the summer and wave back at family, not be the ones who ran after the train, watching it disappear in the distance…

Olivia must have dozed off because the next thing she knew the car jerked to a stop and her head rammed into the seat in front of her. Rubbing her stinging forehead Olivia looked around. Rose and Hugo were already out of the car and running towards Olivia’s favorite place in the world: The Burrow.

The Burrow looked the same as always; an awkward assembly of off-center, sporadically distributed rooms that made the home tower in the sky and tilt to the side. Olivia was surprised the Burrow hadn’t collapsed yet. But then again, it was all held together by magic.

Olivia hurriedly unbuckled and opened the door before joining her siblings in their race to their grandparent’s home.

Just as expected, Grandma Molly was in the kitchen. Olivia paused at the door for a moment to take the scene in. The kitchen looked the same as always. The room was crammed with dishes and cookery and smelled of freshly baked bread. The breakfast table was completely circled by mismatching chairs.

From where she stood Olivia could also see the living and dining room, both filled with assortments of worn and outdated furniture that were the most welcoming sight, if ever there could be. From the corner of her eye she saw the Weasley clock. The hands that represented her, her parents and siblings slowly moved from TRAVELING to THE BURROW.

“What’s this, Ollie? Stop standing in the doorway and give your grandma a hug.”

Olivia looked up and saw Grandma Molly with her arms extended. Olivia ran up and wrapped her arms around her grandmother. She might seem mean and controlling sometimes, but Olivia couldn’t imagine having her any other way.

The kitchen door opened once more and Mum and Dad came walking in with two charmed trunks hovering behind them. Grandma Molly let go of Olivia and went towards her son and daughter-in-law.

“I swear this place has more rooms added every time we come here,” Ron said as he gave his mum a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

“We need them with this growing family. Everyone has a place to sleep in this Weasley house. Hello, Hermione.” Grandma Molly and Hermione hugged. Once they were done Olivia went to Grandma Molly and tugged gently on her apron.

“Grandma, who else is here?”

“Percy, Audrey and their children got here this morning.” Dad made an audible groan and Mum jabbed him in the ribs. “Bill and Fleur and their kids should be here any minute. The Potters are coming later tonight, and everyone else will be here tomorrow morning.”

Olivia pouted momentarily. She wasn’t close with her cousins Molly and Lucy. They were much older, being in the sixth and fifth years respectively. Plus they were no fun. Molly never passed up the chance to mention all the wrong-doings she reported since becoming a Gryffindor Prefect. Lucy had been fun to hang out with until last Christmas when she got a boyfriend. After that she spent all her time writing letter after letter to her boyfriend, or moping around because she hadn’t received a reply from him.

Olivia spent the morning playing with Rose and Hugo. They hiked through the countryside and played a few games of Wizards Chess. Olivia hated playing against Rose. Rose always took so long to decide on her move, looking at every possible outcome. It irritated Olivia to no end. She just wanted to watch the little magical pieces bash each other apart. When it was finally Olivia’s turn, she would be so impatient that she would move the first piece her eyes landed on. Needless to say, Olivia always lost in Wizards Chess against Rose.

The sun was high in the sky when Grandma Molly’s voice sang through the air, announcing lunch was on the table. Olivia, Rose and Hugo scrambled back to the Burrow. Several tables had been set up behind the Burrow, as the dining room was too small to accommodate even a fraction of the Weasley clan. But the weather was nice, and Olivia was glad to be able to spend time outdoors.

After lunch, Grandpa Arthur emerged from his shed, carrying a strange yellow tarp. He spread it out on the ground. It was about three feet wide, and twenty feet long.

“The Muggles call it a Slippy Slide. All you do is water it down, and slide!”

Olivia giggled. Her grandfather got so energetic about the silliest Muggle inventions. But she had to admit, the Slippy Slide looked like a lot of fun.

“Who would like to play?” Grandpa Arthur asked.

Hugo energetically stuck his hand into the air. “I do! I do!”

“Me too,” Olivia admitted. Even though Rose showed some hesitance – she didn’t like to step out of her comfort zone very often – Olivia knew she could convince her sister to join on the fun.

“Then hurry up and change into your bathing costumes.”

Olivia, Rose and Hugo ran into the Burrow and started climbing the winding, creaking staircase to their room. It was the uppermost floor beneath the attic. It once belonged to their father, and there were still posters of his favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons on the walls. The magical charms on the posters had faded over the years, and instead of energetically zooming from poster to poster on the wall, the players in orange buzzed around in their individual frames like lazy bumble bees.

Olivia was the first one to return to the yard where her grandfather was waiting in his own swimming trunks. Olivia’s Mum and Dad were still at the table, her Mum reading from a book and her Dad picking at his second plate of food.

“You ready, Olive love?”

Olivia nodded, and her grandfather brandished his wand and shouted, “Aguamenti!” A clear stream of water burst from the tip of his wand, sliding along the yellow tarp. Olivia took the initiative, stretched her arms above her head and dove across the yellow tarp.

The water was cold against her sun-warmed skin, and she slid down the yellow tarp as easily as soap across porcelain. Her speed was incredible, and she let out an exhilarated whoop of joy. The tarp came to an abrupt end, and she tumbled onto the grass. She just lay there, laughing with bits of grass clinging to her body, wanting instantly to go again.

Olivia scrambled to her feet, and ran back to her grandfather. She watched as Hugo went hurtling down the tarp, and then Rose. Even her cousins Molly and Lucy had changed and were joining in on the fun. Olivia was just about to dive for her second try on the Slippy Slide when Hugo pointed at the sky and shouted, “Look at that!”

Olivia followed his finger at a black figure bobbing around in the sky, slowly coming closer and growing larger.

“Looks like an owl,” her grandfather said.

“It’s a bit late for the daily post, isn’t it?” Molly commented.

It took all of two seconds for Rose to realize what this meant. “They’re here! They’re here! Mum! Dad! The Hogwart’s letters are here!”

There was a flurry of activity as everyone converged and waited for the owl to drop the letter. Olivia stood there, dripping wet, looking anxiously at the sky. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat. She couldn’t wait to hold the heavy letter in her hand, tear it open and read the emerald green ink she had been waiting for her whole life.

Finally the owl swooped down and dropped a letter. Only one. It fell into Rose’s hands and she looked at the green letters on the front with glee. Olivia could see the letters gleaming in the sunlight. Ms. R. Weasley – The Burrow, it read.

Olivia looked back to the sky. It was a cloudless day. It should be easy to see the owl carrying her letter, but no matter how hard she focused her eyes she couldn’t find a single blemish in the perfect blue sky.

“It’s for me!” Rose needlessly announced.

“Well open it, dear,” their Mum said.

Rose didn’t need to be told twice. She tore the letter open and unfolded the parchment inside. “‘Dear Ms. R. Weasley,’” she read. “‘We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.’ I’m in!” Rose cried.

Rose was surrounded by aunts and uncles and cousins offering their congratulations. Hugo pestered Rose to see the letter. Olivia kept away from the commotion and kept her eyes on the sky. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It belonged to her dad.

“Where’s my letter?” she asked.

“It’s coming. Just be patient,” he said.

Olivia frowned. She was not known for her patience. But she had waited eleven years for her Hogwarts letter. She could wait another few hours.

And so she waited. All day, Olivia waited, sitting on the back porch, her head craned to the sky. She took her dinner sitting on the porch. She refused to go inside and change into warm clothes; she didn’t want to risk missing seeing the owl that carried her letter.

The activity in the Burrow sounded far away and distant, like it was an entirely different world, a world filled with happiness and magic. Olivia’s world was quiet and filled with anxiety as she searched the sky until her eyes ached.

Long after the sun had set, Olivia’s dad sat down beside her. He handed her a mug of frothy butterbeer. Olivia took it in her hands and sipped, but even the comforting drink couldn’t quell her nerves.

“Dad, why hasn’t my letter come today?”

“The owl probably got lost. Don’t worry, Olive. I’m sure when you wake up tomorrow morning the letter will be waiting for you.”

Olivia wanted to believe her father – after all he had always been right in the past. But when Olivia looked at her father, she could see a deep frown of uncertainty on his face and her stomach dropped to the floor. That frown could only mean one thing.

Something was wrong.