Boy Beyond the Barrier

Introduction - So this is where the story starts... My name is Cordelia. Cordelia Ashworth. Yes, Rowan Ashworth is my older brother. He's actually one year older than me. And yes, I know he's famous for being the boy who lived, while I'm just the girl who ended up as his little sister. One thing to know about my brother is that he's at Blackthorn Academy these days, a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he's studying magic and slowly becoming a great wizard. Finding out we were witches and wizards was strange. That made it clear why my aunt and uncle caused such a scene when Rowan received his first letter earlier this year. At first, I was glad for him, but then it hit me that once he left, I'd be alone here with my Aunt Celeste and Uncle Keene. Luckily Brant wouldn't be around much either, since he was off to Wexley College. Rowan writes me all the time, of course, and tells me about this new world. The wizarding world sounds fascinating. I wish I got to see any of it too, but Uncle Keene has very strong feelings about keeping anything magical away from the house and away from our lives. He stopped hiding letters, though, and I never really understood why, but with Rowan and Brant around less, things felt a little different. i still do chores and mostly stay to myself, of course. Still, the house seemed so quiet. Anyway, back to Rowan's letters. He writes about the friends he's made and what they get up to. Rowan even sends me books and little things sometimes. But what I loved most was seeing Snowbell. She was such a lovely snowy white owl. Whenever she showed up, it made me happy, and I always waited by the window so she'd stay quiet without waking my aunt and uncle. And there she was, drifting to the window in the new room Aunt Celeste and Uncle Graham had put Rowan and me in. It used to be Brant's spare room, but they moved us there when all those letters started filling the house and Uncle Graham was going mad. But yes, we shared it. Well... right now it's mine until Rowan comes back for summer. "Hi, Snowbell," I said after opening the window and gently brushing her feathers. She chirped while I carefully lifted her and brought her into the room. Thankfully Uncle Graham and Aunt Celeste weren't home, because they would've chased poor Snowbell right back out. Owls have frightened Uncle Graham badly ever since summer. He swore he'd never see one again. I let Snowbell settle on a chair while I shut the window so the winter air wouldn't turn the room freezing cold. Then I went over to Snowbell and removed the letter and the small package she had been carrying. It was nearly Christmas, and my brother and his friend, Ronan, would be spending the holidays together at school. Ronan Fenwick was among the first people Rowan ever met. Really, Rowan met the whole Fenwick family on platform 7 and 1/2 when he first went off to school. I met Mrs. Fenwick once at a little town market, and she was lovely, and so was Pippa. Pippa and I got along right away, until Aunt Celeste pulled me off and took me home. Once Snowbell had rested enough, I opened the window again, picked her up, and set her by it. "Wait a second, Snowbell, I need you to take something back to my brother." I hurried to my stationery set and took out a little box. It wasn't much, though Rowan and I always gave each other something at Christmas. Usually we did it together, but this was the first time we'd ever been apart for it. Truthfully, I was jealous of Rowan. He was far away from here and free, while the only place I ever really felt free was mostly at public school. I had a few friends, but usually I stayed to myself and either went to the library or sat under the tree in the playground. "Here." I tied it on carefully so it wouldn't slip off and wouldn't be tight around her leg either. Then I gave her a few treats, lifted her gently, and opened the window. She chirped once and flew back toward Blackthorn Academy. I stood at the window and watched her disappear into the snowy sky. "Cordelia!" Aunt Celeste called out from downstairs.