Boardman’s Manor

It’s March and it’s a cold day, but it’s not such a cold day in Boardman’s Manor, which towered over the village of Long Compton. Only the kitchen light was already on, were stood the little Wendy Boardman waiting for her Father. 

He had promised her once again that he would present the day she would have received her Hogwarts letter, on her 11th birthday, but still there was no trace on him. Wendy tried to convince herself that this time it would have been different, but the story behind her family wasn’t reassuring. 

Stubby Boardman was the leader singer of the coral group Hobglobin, but the story everyone knew was a little different from the truth, and Wendy knew that very well. 

When an hour later a big snowy owl was about to land on the kitchen window there was still no trace of her Dad, Wendy gently took the letter from the owl’s leg and gave him two sickles. She broke the lacquer wax seal and read:

Dear Miss Boardman

We are pleased to inform you that you’ve been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

Signed: Minerva McGonagall. She had heard of her so much, that just seeing her signature made her feel like she already knew that woman, but her Grand-Mother told more than once, not ever to have the presumption of knowing Professor McGonagall, and Wendy decided that she wouldn’t had. 

Her father wasn’t there, so instead she started to go upstairs towards the bedroom to give her mother the great new, her long blonde hair were waving left and right while she was climbing the stairs occasionally jumping. She knocked at the bedroom door, and when she received no answer she push the handle.

-Mom? – The room was dark, and the only light which was coming through, was the one that managed to filter from the drawn curtains. She received no answer. She got closer to the four poster bed, and opened the curtain. 

-Mom? -She repeated lowering her voice. -Mom.. I’ve got my letter. I’ve been accepted.- 

Her mother distracted her void look from the wall in front of her, and looked at her daughter without really seeing her. 

-That’s amazing Dear. – 

-Look at my letter! Professor McGonagall herself signed it. She taught to you too, didn’t her? – Asked Wendy hopeful to have a conversation about Hogwarts with her mother. 

-Of course Dear… of course… – Said her mother turning to look outside the window, as she jabbered something. 

Wendy tried to remember her childhood, she remembered that her mom used to be a beautiful powerful Witch, she had not always been like this: switched off, extinguished. Her mother used to take care of her, she used to show her some spells just to see her laugh, she used to sing for her, and to rad her tales from Beedle the Bard’s book. 

Wendy smiled sadly in the dark, closed the curtain and went off the room closing the door behind her back. 

Stubby Boardman was a perfect stage man, but whenever he came back home it was like having another person, those rare cases when he came home. He was always on his tour, with his band, leaving little Wendy alone with her mother. When he was home he was always drunk, too used to the tour’s life, and forgetting about what it meant to be around a toddler and a wife. 

After a terrible fight her father left for good, never came back, and her mother has never been the same again. Luckily, her grandparents Marian and Robin brought her up, loving her like a daughter of their own. 

This was the only life Wendy ever knew, a Mother too broken to care after her, and a Father who was never at home, and that even when he was, he really wasn’t. 

The story however told by the journals, such as the Daily Prophet, was different, and of course nothing of what ever happened to Boardman’s Manor, and inside its closed door, ever leaked.

Wendy shook off her sadness, that HAD to be a very happy day, for she had received her Hogwarts letter, and she was about to begin her new life at Hogwarts, which would have been for as long as she would have stayed there, her family. She drawn the curtains of her mother bed, and fluffed her pillows, then went out closing the door behind her back. 

She began once again to go downstairs, and headed for her Grandparents side of the Manor, when she arrived there, her grannies were already fitted at the table having their breakfast. 

-Happy Birthday lil witch!! – Said her Grandma, getting up from the chair and going to kiss her niece. She kissed Wendy on both cheeks, and then waving her wand she made appear a present. 

-This was my Crystall Ball, from my years at Hogwarts, I know you won’t have Divination class until the Third year but..”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence because Wendy jumped at her neck. 

– Thank you, thank you thank you Grandma! This is just…. perfect!! – Said Wendy turning the crystal ball in her hands. 

-So.. has it arrived? – Asked her grandpa from the table. 

Wendy raised the letter smiling. 

-Come my love! Come here! – Her Grandma placed an hand on her back guiding her towards the table, were his grandpa was eating a croissant, while he was mixing the coffee using a spell that was making the spoon rotating in it. 

Wendy sat in front of her Grandma, placing the letter on the table, the lady conjure her glasses helping herself with the wand. 

-I can’t wait to be able to do that – said Wendy.

-You’ll soon my lil witch. – She stared at the letter. -Ah look here Robin! The same smart green handwriting of Minerva McGonagall.. she’s such a nice woman. – She said more to herself rather then the others. 

-You just tell this because she was the Head of your House Marian! – replied her husband. 

-That’s not…. -She’s stopped thinking. – Entirely true.- Concluded winking to Wendy, who smiled. 

-What if I’m put in Hufflepuff or worse… Slytherin? – Bursted out Wendy, looking worried. 

-You’ll be in the house that represent you the most. – Said wisely Robin. – But I’m quite sure you’ll be in Ravenclaw, just like I was. – He said all at once pompous. 

-You mean, she’ll be in Gryffindor… just like I was – spatted Marian. 

-Yeah you wish. She has the mind of true Ravenclaw. – He said eating the croissant. 

-We’ll see – Said Marian looking at her husband from above the glasses, probably wondering for a moment how could she have ended up with someone like him. – Don’t worry Wendy, you’ll be for sure in the House that suits you the most, each house has its qualities and its flaws. And more if you’ll be put in Slytherin you’ll end up with that friend of yours.. – 

-Who? Stella? – Said Wendy intrigued by the words of Marian. 

-Stella is not going to end up in Slytherin. She for sure will be in Hufflepuff – teased again Robin suddenly interrupting the ‘rotating spoon’ spell. 

-No she won’t! – Said back again Marian. 

Wendy contemplated that scene for a minute, than bursted out laughing, her day suddenly became the best day ever, she had received her Hogwarts letter and was about to discover everything her grandparents had always told her about, and she finally felt like it didn’t matter what house she was going to end up in Hogwarts, she already had a family.