"Ow!" Roman cried out, accidentally burning himself trying to sneak a piece of bacon. 

  Today was his 11th birthday, and he was thrilled to think that he'd be able to have some friends stay the night, which was considered "cool" these days, for most parents don't allow you to spend the night at someone's house over the weekend when school starts in a week. 

   "Roman honey, it looks like you have a few birthday letters," his mom called out, handing him a few letters with his name on it. 

"Thank you," he mumbled, heading to the kitchen table to open them. 

"Aunt Martha, 11 bucks! Grandma Syd, 20 bucks, nice! Uncle Jared, nothing. Big surprise," he mumbled sarcastically. 

"Now Roman, that's no way to thank Uncle Jared for getting you a card!" Katie said sternly, with him being all the way in Norway." 

"Yeah, you're right," Roman mumbled mindlessly, grabbing the last envelope and looking at it strangely. 

    "Mom, who's 'Professor McGonagall'?" Roman asked, holding the letter. 

  "What? Let me see that," Greg, Roman's dad said, taking it out of his hands and taking a look. 

    "What is it dear?" Katie asked, leaning over his shoulder to look. 

    "A letter from "Hogwarts" what kind of place is that?" Greg asked, scanning through the letters. 

"It's a boarding school for wizards," Greg laughed, "What a joke! Which one of your friends would take this much time to prank you?" 

   "I don't know," Roman said, grabbing another piece of bacon, without burning himself this time. 

"Well, we'll have to ask," Greg said with a chuckle, "The handwriting is amazing, must have somehow convinced their parents to write if for them." 

   "Okay," he said, grabbing the letter and staring at it, "Not having to be around his parents for nine months." 

The party came and went in a blur, what was supposed to be a fun party was a forced party that his parents wanted to be more about how great of parents they were than a celebration about him existing. 

He sat in his room, only two kids ended up spending the night, but that will still be something to brag about next Monday when he goes to school. 

"Not if you go to the magic school," He laughed to himself. 

Then, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door.