September 1^st, 2019 came, and Taylor Paxton hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Today was the day he would go to King’s Cross, get on the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾, and head off to his first term of substantial education. He was about to embark on the journey of becoming who he was meant to be. Nothing could have been more exciting.

  He was going to be sorted into Slytherin house, and he was going to make his mother up in heaven proud. He would help Slytherin win the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup, too, maybe. Professor Creevey told Taylor all about quidditch, and he thought it sounded bonkers-crazy, but also very fascinating. Taylor was going to adorn himself with the green vests, scarves, and ties, and he was going to make his mother smile all the way from up in the sky. He had to.

  Christopher and Susan accompanied Taylor through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ and all the way to the train. Susan said a tearful goodbye to her big brother, and Christopher hugged his son, ruffled his hair, and encouraged him to go on with a smile. Taylor kissed his baby sister on the head and made eye contact with his father one last time before he turned around and leapt onto the train.

  Smiling was such a strange sensation to a face that had become so solemn. And, for almost the entire train ride, he didn’t stop. His face hurt by the time the train stopped at the Hogwarts station.

   He had met so many lovely people, and he had become fast friends with one of the Weasleys already! Louis Weasley. Louis was the youngest child and only son of Fleur and Bill Weasley. He had curly blonde hair, a wan smile, and eyes that twinkled with an unshakeable joy. Taylor envied him, but Louis’ joy was infectious.

  Taylor had been wandering around on the train, looking for other first years, when he had run into seventh year Victoire Weasley… Actually she had run into him, not looking where she was going.

  “Hey!” she bumped into him, and whipped around to look down into his overwhelmed, searching eyes, “Pardon me, kiddo. I wasn’t looking.”

  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. He had trouble believing she was just a woman. Words failed him. He couldn’t breathe. Taylor choked, and he started coughing as if something other than air had gone down his windpipe.

  Victoire smiled a coy smile, as if she understood why words had failed him, and continued walking in the direction she was headed, “Au revoir.”

  Taylor struggled to regain composure, breathing laboriously. He felt as if he needed an inhaler. That was when Louis had come from the same direction Victoire had been coming.

  “Hey!” he greeted Taylor. “Did you see my sister just go down that way?” Taylor hesitated, and Louis continued, “Tall, blonde girl? Stunningly attractive? Kind of looks like me?”

  Taylor still couldn’t form proper words; he just nodded.

  Louis smiled, too, just as his sister had, and he rolled his eyes, “She tried to talk to you, didn’t she? And it caught your breath? That happens. She’s part Veela. So am I. We get it from our mother’s side. Dad’s just a regular man—well, wizard. He’s Bill Weasley; you might have heard of him if you’re familiar with the Second Wizarding World and things…”

  Louis continued for minutes, which was all good and fine with Taylor. Taylor liked to listen to him talk. It was very informative, and it helped Taylor regain his power of speech to listen to someone other than Victoire talk. There was a powerful air about Louis, too, but it didn’t affect Taylor. It was as if he could feel it there, but it couldn’t touch him. It was odd.

  Louis and Taylor got their own train compartment, and they talked the whole way to Hogwarts. They were both first years, and they learned they had a lot in common. One of the biggest differences between the two was what house they wanted to be sorted into. Taylor was a die-hard Slytherin advocate, and Louis wanted to be in any house but… He wouldn’t digress on why, when Taylor pressed him for information, but Taylor knew there were things Louis was keeping from him. Maybe he just didn’t want to fight about houses. That was all good and well with Taylor. He liked Louis, and didn’t want his first friendship ruined over something silly.

  Many students stopped through the boys’ compartment, whether to say hello or ask who they were or what year they were. Everyone was very friendly for the most part. Except for one girl. Halfway through the trip, third year Scorpius Malfoy was saying hello to the boys and talking about how much he loved being in Ravenclaw house when a gorgeous brunette barged into the compartment, looked around, and then sneered, “Just a couple little first years and The Scorpion?”

  “It’s Scorpius. Just Scorpius,” he replied. “What do you want, Sarah? Do you have to harass the new students before we even get to Hogwarts?”

  After a few more snide, and even less classy, remarks, the brown-eyed girl rolled her eyes and marched out. Scorpius let out a sigh of relief, and shook his head, “That’s Sarah Tinsley… She’s a second year and a Slytherin. They aren’t all like that; don’t worry. Ignore what you’ve heard about Slytherin house—it’s rather phenomenal, in reality. My father was a Slytherin! He was happy when I wasn’t sorted into the house, though. Their common room is in the dungeons, you know…”

  Scorpius turned out to be even more knowledgeable than Louis was. Taylor and Louis tried to listen attentively to Scorpius. Taylor’s head was somewhere else completely, though. Scorpius had lost Taylor when he had said the name Sarah Tinsley. Taylor knew his mother Sarah’s maiden name had been Tinsley. He knew that she had erased her family’s memory of her, so that she could live in peace with Christopher.

  Could this Sarah Tinsley be a relative of Taylor’s mother? Could this be Taylor’s relative? He decided to send word to his father, inquiring, as soon as he got to Hogwarts.

  He caught glimpses of several other people on the train. Louis pointed out the ones he knew, but for the most part, Taylor and Louis kept to themselves in their compartment, both so excited for what was to come in the evening.

  The sun was setting when they reached Hogwarts, and a boulder of a man called Hagrid led them in boats across the lake to the school grounds. Taylor’s stomach was in knots.