Pronunciation
Aasira - A-sear-ra
Hadiya - huh-die-ya
Lumos - Lou- mo-s

Magic is a powerful thing. I consider something that can end one's life in the blink of an eye to be a powerful thing. Magic, even though powerful can be marvelous and astonishing, for it can mend something that once was broken or even find something that was once lost.

Witches and Wizards are considered fairy tales, magic to be considered only an eye trick. If Witches and Wizards were found out by real people they would be afraid and think we're terrifying, maybe even dangerous. We must stay in the shadows, away from humans. Broken off from the world. Though we have our own little world, but not as humans have it. I would consider us to be old-fashioned, candles as lights, feathers as pens, and owls as messengers.

I go outside our tiny brick home and lay on the bright green grass. I get an itchy sensation instantly as I lay down. The night sky is dazzling with the bright stars, each one with its own name I'd like to believe. The crickets make the night even more alluring and peaceful. It's a cool night, the wind does a breeze through the trees, blowing the fall leaves across the night sky.

I get up from the pokey grass and walk back inside. The screen door screeches as I open it and as it closes. I find myself in our dusty old kitchen with spider webs in every corner and wood peeling off the cupboards. The sink is overflowing with dishes, the last time the dishes were washed was about two weeks ago.  I hear the echo of footsteps approaching, I go to the cupboard and pull out a glass that once was as clear as new glasses, but now is as dirty as a window that's never been washed in years.

"Aasira, what are you doing down here in the dark?'' My mom inquires, turning on the lights, they flicker on and off and decide to stay off. She walks over and grabs a box of matches and lights the candles on the table. She's dressed in her pink fluffy robe with the letter H on the left shoulder, the H standing for Hadiya. She wears her old slippers that are torn and basically nothing but a piece of cloth on her foot.

"Mom you know you can buy new slippers'' I explain ''Also, maybe you and I should start cleaning the new place''

She laughs "Yeah I guess we should and about the slippers, I like them your grandma gave them to me.''

I walk to the refrigerator and open it to find we only have a half bottle of ketchup, jam, and some vegetables.

"And maybe some groceries.'' I laugh as I move some dishes out of the sink and turn it on to get some water. 

"Yeah, sorry I forgot again.'' She says walking over to the desk, grabbing a notebook to start writing down groceries we need.

"What are you doing down here?'' I question taking a drink of some water.

"I just wanted to see you,'' she says putting down the notebook and walking over to me. "after all, you're leaving tomorrow and won't be back till about a year.''

She walks over and gives me a warm hug, her warmth fills my cold body. Her grip on me is so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't want her to let go. This is the rare chance my mom has given me a hug or showed me affection at all.

"Mom, maybe I shouldn't go," I say as she lets go of me and I take a deep breath, "people will judge me, not like me even.''

She gives a disgusted look. "They can't judge you, they don't even know you,'' she says.

I laugh and put my cloudy glass down. "Mom it doesn't work that way,'' I continue "they judge you by your looks, friends, what you like, and even by your name.''

Her face turns pale, almost ghostly. She sits on an old wooden chair that hasn't been dusted for who knows how long. She looks at me with terror and looks away.

Her words stumble but she manages to get them out.

"You're nothing like him,''  she stops and runs over to me "they...'' she stops and sits back down.

"Look, you even know that they will, the teachers will forever keep the closes eyes on me. People will forever see me as trouble and run every time they see me. God forbid something horrible happens, they will come straight for me and say I did it.'' I complain.

I walk towards her, the feeling of a scared look mixed with a frustrated expression has formed on my face without my consent. My mother still has her face of disgust and eyes of terror. Her legs were so skinny and almost muscleless, they were shaking almost uncontrollably. Her skin still as pale as ghost. I get a guilty feeling that maybe I shouldn't have brought it up.

"Sorry mom,'' I say sitting next to her "I didn't mean to bring him up.''  My mom looks back at me with a soft, sweet expression.

"That's okay honey,'' She whispers as she slowly gets up "I'm going to bed, you should too, you have an early day tomorrow.''  she drags her almost skeleton-like body and walks out of the room.

I sigh and get up from the old chair that makes a squeaking sound. I push both mine and my mom's chair in as it makes a loud shrieking sound. I cringe knowing that my mom was going to sleep. I go out of the gross old kitchen and blow out the few candles as I didn't want the radiant light to disturb my mom. I stumble my way through the dark living room, making more noise than I would've with a light. I trip over the couch falling face-first on the soft but hard cushion.

"Ow." I whisper.

I manage to rustle through the living room and get my feet on the stairs and my hand on the rail. I try my best to quietly go up the stairs but I hit a few creaks here and there. I finally reach my bedroom, I turn the rusty doorknob and stand in the dark. I decide to pull out my mother's old wand she had given to me, it was an old wooden wand my mother had 'upgraded' by adding a lion crest to the side of it.

"Lumos'' I whisper.

The bright light projects from my wand and I can finally see my room. My room's flower wallpaper was peeling off the walls, along with the old floorboard. The ceiling was crumbling as the popcorn design was falling apart piece by piece. My old springy bed was in the right corner with my polka dot blanket, which had some flower bed sheets, with my two pillows that were cover with white pillowcases. Right next to my bed was a huge window that I would often sit by for inspiration or to simply think.

I walk over to my window and sit on the chair that was there prior to that day, and look outside. The beautiful night sky had the perfect shade of dark blue that makes the sparkling night stars stand out, the perfect shine of the stars making even the dark seem full of light, and the big moon was mesmerizing, watching over the world. It's a beautiful grayish color and boldness cannot go unnoticed and the world seems to fade out.

I snap back into reality, I motion my wand over to the left where my blue dreadfully painted desk sits. I walk over and open the draws and rifle through until I find a box of unlit matches. I take the second to last match and light the candle that is to the left on my desk. I wave the match so it goes out and put my wand away.

The candle puts warmth to my face and lights up the room, scaring off the darkness so that light can take over. I sit on my creaky wooden chair and pull out a diary from my drawer which is located on the right side of me. The diary has a black leather cover and metal triangle corners. The smell of dust and melted candle wax makes my nose tickle. I itch the top of my nose and grab a feather and some ink and write.

¨ Tomorrow is the day. The day that I, Aasira Riddle, will go to the one and only Hogwarts of witchcraft and wizardry. The feeling of anxiety is upon me, it has been ever since my mom told me a few months ago on my 11th birthday. I should be extremely excited and don't get me wrong I want to it's just, people won't accept me.

Ever since that day when we visited a witch and wizard shop in Diagon Alley I've changed my point of view on life especially whom I'm close with or talk to. Not only that but I am very certain I might get in trouble a lot at Hogwarts. Why you ask. Well, it's simple. People see me as trouble right when I walk in, the talking stops and instead they whisper, they make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to do and follow me around like some lost puppy.

All because of what someone, whom I'm related to, did in their past. They don't know me nor do they want to try. Instead, they slap a label on my head saying-- TOM RIDDLE'S DAUGHTER BEWARE! Now instead of that just happening in stores, it's going to happen in school. I've even tried to change my name last name but people know still, it's like when I was born people instantly knew who I was. I'm famous, but not the good kind. I'd rather be invisible than famous. Well, I'm done, so if you don't mind I'm going to sleep.¨

I pulled out the drawer which made a loud squeaking sound, and I put my plain old diary away. I stand up and push in the chair. I slowly walk over to my bed and climb on it. I lay down, take my polka dot blanket, and wrap myself up.

I toss and turn for what felt like hours. I finally manage to close my eyes and almost instantly wake up, but not in my bedroom. I wake in more of a dungeon. The only light comes from a tiny candle in the right corner. The walls are a dark grey brick, and I lie on a very poorly made cot.

I sit up and go towards the candle. I grab it but get a whoosh of fear. I lift the candle and slowly run back to my bed. I make it back and hear the sound of footsteps echo down the hallway.

"Aasira.'' Says a voice in almost a whisper.

"This is a dream,'' I stutter "I'm not here.''

"Oh but you are.'' The unfamiliar voice says.

The footsteps stop. I motion the candle towards the bars. The motionless face looks at me. Pale skin, pointy teeth, blue eyes that had no life whatsoever, was staring into my soul. I didn't know what he was. Human? Monster? Both? 

"Who the bloody hell are you!'' I yell.

"What you don't recognize me,'' He says in almost a whisper "I am Lord Voldemort.''

He chuckles.

"And you my dear are going to bring back.''

A shiver goes down my spine when he says his name.

I laugh "I would never bring you back, you're a monster!"

"Ha!'' He sneers showing his ugly pointy yellowish teeth. "You don't have a choice, you will!'' The candle blows out and I was left in the darkness.

I jolt up in a cold sweat. I was back in my room. The light from the window shines through addressing that it was morning. I look over at the clock it reads 7:50.

"Today's the day," I say almost sarcastically "Hogwarts.''