A young man who introduced himself as Professor Lupin stood in the atrium, and informed them that they were about to enter the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony and the beginning of the year feast. Taylor thought he saw Professor Lupin wink at one point, and the trajectory seemed to be aimed at none other than Victoire Weasley… Maybe the professor’s eye just twitched.

  He led the first years into the Great Hall, which lived up to its name, and began to call out the names of the first years in alphabetical order. Paxton was called, and Taylor headed up to the Sorting Hat, towards his destiny.

  He had never been more excited for anything in his life. His heart was beating like a drum roll, though he knew what was coming: the Sorting Hat would declare him a Slytherin, and his mother would cry tears of joy in heaven. She would be so happy. Taylor didn’t care what anybody said; Slytherin was where he belonged, and he would do it justice. He couldn’t wait; he was so—

  “RAVENCLAW!” the Hat announced in a singsong voice that cut the suspense like a knife. That proverbial knife buried itself in Taylor’s chest, and he felt cold as he took his seat at the Ravenclaw table next to a pleased Scorpius Malfoy.

  It didn’t matter that he had a friend with him in that moment. Nothing mattered. The Hat had made a mistake. He couldn’t be a Ravenclaw. He was a Slytherin. He was a Slytherin! Anger poured through him, and he felt magic building up in his body. He felt like he was about to quite literally explode. The rest of the names were called out, but Taylor paid no attention. He barely noticed when Louis took a seat next to him; he was also sorted into Ravenclaw. That only soothed Taylor a menial amount.

  That night Taylor wandered around until curfew. He climbed the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw Tower and was surprised to see Louis Weasley and a plethora of other students locked out. “We can’t figure out the riddle!” Louis cried.

  In order for students to enter the Ravenclaw common room, they must answer the riddle asked by the eagle-shaped doorknocker at the top of the stairs. The doorknocker opened its beak, “What is greater than God and more evil than the devil? The poor have it, the rich need it, and you’ll die if you eat it.”

  Taylor looked around at the befuddled looks on the students’ faces with amusement and befuddlement himself. Were they playing a joke on him? He was befuddled, but not by the riddle. How could all these students not come up with something so simple? “Nothing,” Taylor whispered. “The answer is nothing.”

“What?” Louis asked.

  Taylor shrugged, “Nothing is greater than God or more evil than the devil. The poor have nothing, and the rich need nothing. You’ll most certainly die if you eat nothing. It’s nothing.”

  The Ravenclaw common room door swung open. Everyone looked at Taylor in amazement. He smiled, content for the first time since the Sorting. He slept well that night, and every night for the rest of the first year. The year passed quickly, too quickly for Taylor’s taste.

  He communicated with his father and sister by owl. Taylor wrote his first letter during the second week of term, just to let his father know that he was happy and to inquire about Sarah Tinsley. 

  Luckily, because they were first years and in the same house, Taylor and Louis had the exact same schedule. It was nice to have someone around who Taylor liked. 

  Taylor quickly learned which classes he liked and which were going to cause him grief.  Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic were among his favorites, while Herbology and Transfiguration struck him as more-dull aspects of magic. He had mixed feelings about Potions. Professor Finnigan was an interesting enough man, but Taylor Paxton had no idea how someone as inept in the art as Seamus Finnigan could teach the subject. The man practically burned his eyebrows off every other lesson. 

  Taylor became fast friends with most of the Ravenclaws, and a lot of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, too. For some reason, the Slytherin house didn’t seem to want to become friends with anyone outside of their own house, for the most part. There were a few exceptions. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor James Sirius Potter, was head of Slytherin house, but he, himself, seemed to be friendly enough to all of the houses. Professor Potter was a quiet man, as though time had burdened him a great deal, even though he was still so young. He couldn’t have been more than twenty... It looked as though he had just graduated. From the rumors Taylor heard, he hadn’t even graduated. Some said he had been expelled; some said he was so gifted that he left school early in his fifth year, and had been offered the post even though he was still young enough to be a student and had no credentials; everyone had some opinion, but no one knew the truth… There was something solemn in Professor Potter, though, that Taylor could never quite put his finger on…

  Sarah Tinsley was not an exception in Slytherin house. She was undoubtedly one of the most ruthless students in the school, and she was only a third year. She had a particular affinity for heckling and torturing Hufflepuffs.

  From what Taylor could tell, Sarah had no motive other than just enjoying other people’s suffering. Sarah had only two friends it seemed, and not for the lack of trying. People tried to be friends with Sarah; boys swooned when she walked in. But Sarah wasn’t interested.

  Only two people held Sarah’s affection at Hogwarts. There was Adelaide Adams—she was a rather reserved brunette of small build with a reticent demeanor. Even when she smiled, there was sorrow in her eyes. Adelaide constantly looked like she was in pain. There was no fire in her spirit, like there was in Sarah’s, and people constantly questioned the dynamics of their relationship. No one understood why Sarah tolerated this shy girl, or why this shy girl was always with someone so acrid.

  People constantly questioned how Adelaide got placed into Slytherin in the first place. She did not seem to be drawn to power or enthralled with the dark arts like so many of the serpents were; yet, for some unknown reason, on the same day that Sarah and Adelaide had been sorted into Slytherin house, they had become the fastest of friends.

  The only other person that interested Sarah Tinsley was Albus Severus Potter, and the word interest was too soft in that situation.  She was obsessed with him, and everyone saw it—the way she looked at him. He was a Gryffindor in the same year as Sarah and Adelaide.

  He was the son of the famous Harry Potter, and he looked a lot like him. He had his father’s emerald green eyes, and an adventurous spirit. He was brave, and reckless, and he was already president of the Dueling Club, though this was partially because of his heritage, in Taylor’s opinion.

  Considering Albus’ brother James was professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Taylor would go so far to say it was nepotism, but everyone knew that James loathed his brother. Taylor heard the other third years whisper about how badly Professor Potter wanted to fail his younger brother, but couldn’t because of his brother’s exceptional classroom work. Albus had his father’s blood in him, and was on his way to becoming a great wizard. No one was sure why the two brothers were so conflicted between themselves.  

  Their sister, Lily Luna Potter, would take no part in the feud. She was on good terms with both of her brothers. She was more often seen with Albus, them both being students and in Gryffindor house. Lily was a year behind her brother Albus and a year in front of Taylor. Taylor thought she was beautiful, but he saw her so seldom at the beginning of his first year before he got used to his schedule.

  It was hard to get used to—being in the presence of people who were so close to celebrities in the wizarding world. There were war heroes teaching him. There were children of the Chosen One learning beside him. There was someone who could be his own relative that was practically the school villainess…

  His father’s response letter came at the end of the third week of term:

Dear Taylor,

  We’re so glad to hear that you’re liking the school so much. I had high hopes you’d love it: your mother adored it so, and spoke fondly of it often.

  What are your classes like? I never inquired about them to Sarah; it seemed like such a miniscule detail compared with the rest of the magical world as a whole… Now, in retrospect, there are so many things I wish I had asked.

  She would be so proud of you, Taylor, if she were here. She IS so proud of you, and she’s watching over you now. I am proud of you, too, son. I know that things have been rough, and I’m glad to hear you’re happy there. I only hope it can carry over when you come home.

  We miss you—Susan and I. It was hard for her. I ended up buying her a dog. (It’s a Labrador. She’s named it Dot.) That seemed to quell some of her discomfort. She started grade two last week; she seems to enjoy it, but I know she wants to be there with you.

   Now, I’ll get to what I am sure has been on your mind: Sarah Tinsley. Yes, that was your mother’s maiden name. It struck me when you sent your letter with the inquiry that this might indeed be a strong possibility. It IS odd, isn’t it, that she has your mother’s name?

  Then, I realized it might be all the more probable that someone who had become so accustomed to the name Sarah—just to have it erased… Well, it makes sense that it would come back. They call that phenomenon spontaneous recovery in the real world Muggle world…

  I did some investigation at the office; I did a few things that are not entirely ethical, seeing as I have access to more files than ordinary citizens. As you know, I made partner at the firm some months back, and this allows me a certain level of clearance.

  Sarah Elizabeth Tinsley was born to a Mrs. Virginia Tinsley, though there is no mention of the father in any public record, which is rather peculiar, but most things in the wizarding world ARE, I have come to find out…

  Virginia Tinsley has two sisters, according to the record. One was a Miss Dahlia Tinsley, never married, no children. She died eleven years back it seems, though no cause of death is listed. Also odd. The other sister was, indeed, a Miss Sarah Tinsley with the same birthday as your mother…

  After 2001, all record of Sarah Tinsley stops. This is the year your mother ran away with me and erased all memory of herself from the Tinsleys—to protect us.

  Yes, this girl—Sarah Tinsley—is undoubtedly your cousin, your mother’s sister’s daughter. And she has no idea who you are. She has no idea there is any relation between the two of you. And you mustn’t tell her, Taylor. Ever. You MUSTN’T.

  Your mother warned me that what she was doing was not well-condoned, and that if we were ever discovered, it could mean trouble. Not from the wizarding community, as a whole. There is nothing illegal about Muggles marrying witches. It’s just that  

  Taylor, I can’t

  Taylor, I have something to tell you that I was hoping to save until you were older. Due to the current situation, however, I am afraid I cannot postpone.

  Your mother was born into a proud wizarding family, bred through-and-through as Slytherins. Your mother, herself, was a Slytherin. And she loved it… Until she met me.

   This is hard to write because I know you respect the Slytherin house, but it wasn’t where Sarah or I aspired for you to go… Slytherin house, while it may be great, puts high value on something your mother called “blood purity.”

  People who were “muggleborn”, and in the past even “halfbloods”, have been persecuted by Slytherin house members. It would have been no different for your mother. She erased her family’s memory not only because she they didn’t like me, as we have previously told you. They never met me… They WOULD have, however, hated me. They would have attempted to kill me, and to turn your mother back towards her prejudice ways, and—if they had not succeeded—they would have killed her, as well.

  If Sarah Tinsley is anything like her grandparents or mother, then it is not safe for you to associate with the girl too much. If she becomes suspicious of your heritage, or similarities between the two of you, or investigates you, it could mean death for you, your sister, and myself.

  Tread carefully. Avoid talking about your mother. Avoid talking about your Muggle father, too; I don’t want your life any harder than it must be on my account. And above all: have a good time.

  We love you. Write back soon. Susan simply cannot wait to hear from you again. She loves the owls.

Love,

Dad and Susan

P.S.: Are you thinking about trying out for that quibb-pitch game? It sounded like something that might have been up your alley. Your mom loved to watch it in her days. 

  Taylor read the letter four times trying to soak it all in. He was having so many conflicted emotions inside of himself. He was so happy to know that he had a relative at Hogwarts. Louis, Taylor’s best friend, had his cousin Rose Weasley, a seventh year Gryffindor. She had the ginger red hair traditional to the Weasley clan, unlike Louis, and she was the daughter of Ron and Hermione Weasley—Harry Potter’s best friends from the days of the Golden Trio and the Second Wizarding War. There were songs still sung about the three of them.

  Taylor was sad, though, as the same time—because he couldn’t tell Sarah that they were cousins. And he was a Ravenclaw, so she would continue hating him. He wondered if being half Tinsley would make any difference, in the first place…

  Taylor, Louis, Scorpius, Rose, and Lily seemed to form a solid clique during the first school term. This group of friends formed during the second month of Taylor and Louis’ first year. It was an interesting group. Taylor and Louis were both first years and in Ravenclaw. Lily was a second year and in Gryffindor. Scorpius and Rose were both third years, and they were in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively. How they meshed as a single unit was beyond them, but it worked.

  It had all began in the Great Hall one day at lunchtime. Taylor and Louis had just gotten out of a block of double Potions where Professor Finnigan had singed the tips of his hair, and Scorpius had called them to come sit with him. Lily Luna—Scorpius’ girlfriend—was sitting with him already, and the four began to chat whimsically. Louis had called his cousin, Rose, over, and she had grabbed a seat next to Taylor Paxton, and the rest—as they say—was history. The five had been a tight-knit group of friends ever since that day.

    That first year was the best of Taylor’s life up to that point. He might have only been eleven, but he felt the metamorphosis inside of himself as the year progressed. Witches and wizards age differently than Muggles do. For example, they say that Albus Dumbledore—the headmaster before Minerva McGonagall, whom Percy Weasley replaced—lived to be 115, working and fighting until his dying day.  On the other hand, some wizards never truly grow up, and have childlike fascinations and senses of humor their entire lives. Louis described his grandfather, Arthur Weasley, in this manner. 

  Taylor finally got the chance to meet him during the Christmas break of 2019. Louis invited Taylor to come and stay with the Weasley family during break, and Taylor—excitedly—agreed with no hesitation. Arthur Weasley even sent an enchanted car to pick up Christopher and Susan.  They brought Dot, who was full-grown at this point. 

  It was a grand event. Taylor had never been around so many high-caliber witches and wizards in one place. Yes, there were many renowned wizards who taught at Hogwarts, but Christmas was on another level altogether. Every Weasley was there. There was Arthur and Molly—they had each played major roles in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars. It was rumored that Molly Weasley dealt the blow that killed Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort’s most loyal of followers.

  There were Bill and Fleur, of course: Louis’ parents. There was Victoire, who made Taylor’s stomach do barrel roll after barrel roll, once again. He was beyond socially awkward in her presence, which was embarrassing because it didn’t affect any of her relatives. 

  For the first time, Taylor learned that Louis and Victoire had another sister: Dominique—she was fourteen—three years younger than Victoire and three years older than Louis. She attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in southern France, which was her mother’s alma mater. Though she, too, had a Veela-like affect on Taylor, he managed to ask her why she had opted for a French school instead of Hogwarts.

  Dominique had scoffed at him, as if the question had been one of the most obviously redundant inquiries in the world, “Someone in la famille must carry on the French heritage and Victoire couldn’t do it, being so taken with Teddy Lupin from such a young age… She followed him to Hogwarts, regardless what she tells you.”

 Teddy Lupin? Could it be the Professor Lupin she was referring to? The question answered itself when Professor Lupin showed up; Victoire greeted him with a swooping hug, and he kissed her gently on the head. Bill and Fleur greeted the young man like family. That was when Taylor realized he had seen Professor Lupin winking at Victoire that first day at Hogwarts. It was queer, in his opinion, a teacher and a student dating—even if they were only four years apart.

  Taylor was noticing a trend that many of the Hogwarts teachers were young, as if newly graduated, like Teddy and James Sirius, or students-turned-war-veterans from the Second Wizarding War. He figured this must have been the result of all of the casualties from the war…

  Many more Weasley relatives showed up throughout the holiday. George and Angelina Weasley showed up with their children, Fred and Roxanne Weasley. Fred was nineteen years old and a Hogwarts alum, while Roxanne was sixteen years old and studying abroad for the year at Beauxbatons with her cousin Dominique. 

  Taylor found it hard not to stare at George Weasley. In all the stories he’d heard over the past four months, George Weasley had been some of the greatest comic relief and moral support in the Second War; now, he seemed to be much more somber.  He still made the occasional quip—George loved to make jokes about the ear he lost during the Battle of the Seven Potters. There was sadness in him those that could not be displaced; Taylor knew it was caused by the loss of his brother. He knew the feeling.

  Charlie Weasley, a rugged and stocky man with excited eyes, showed up with a whole nest of dragon’s eggs. Not as gifts, like Fred II kept posing. It was part of his job—not exactly work that should be brought home with you.  He was alone, but good company all the same.

  Ron and Hermione Weasley showed up, adding new life to the festivities. Louis’ uncle Ron was a very colorful and interesting man. Taylor took an immediate liking to him.  They brought their two children, Rose Weasley and Hugo Weasley, which made Taylor and Louis both very happy. This was the longest they had gone apart from Rose since October, and it had only been a few days.

  Headmaster Percy Weasley, himself, showed up at the Weasley Christmas festivities. He brought his wife Audrey and their two children Molly and Lucy. Molly was nineteen and Lucy was eighteen, both Hogwarts graduates. Molly II was in the process of joining the Auror office at the Ministry of Magic, and Lucy was writing a column for the Daily Prophet. 

  Scorpius Malfoy flew over to Shell Cottage, the home of Bill and Fleur Weasley, on his broomstick(, which was a Nimbus 4001, Taylor noted). His father and mother were unwilling to come, however. Scorpius just said they felt uneasy being around such a large crowd, but Louis and Rose knew better. They didn’t hold it against Scorpius, though.

  The last of the party to arrive was the greatest thrill of all to Taylor Paxton: Harry Potter. Harry and Ginny Potter arrived at Shell Cottage in a Muggle car called a Volvo. They were greeted like celebrities by their own relatives upon entering, though more Harry than Ginny. He had on his famous circle-brimmed glasses, and he was still donning the robes of the Auror office, which he was the head of. Taylor couldn’t take his eyes off of the lightning shaped scar that marked the wizard’s forehead. He was in the presence of greatness, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived.

  In followed two of Harry and Ginny’s children: Albus Severus and Lily Luna. Albus preferred the company of some of the older witches and wizards, such as his parents and grandparents. Lily, however, found her friends right away. The five were back together again, and it felt so right.  James Sirius was no where to be seen, and no one asked where he was. Perhaps, Professor Potter had other plans. Taylor didn’t care, in all honesty. This was the first holiday in his life where Taylor felt like everything was as it should be—almost everything.

  There was more than one moment when he looked around the room, hoping beyond hope, to catch a glimpse of his mother walking among all of these witches and wizards. Maybe even holding Christopher’s hand as he explained the function of a rubber duck to a rather livid Arthur Weasley. It never happened, though. Robby was never there, either. But that didn’t bother Taylor nearly as badly. Yes, he wanted to see his brother again, too. But for many different reasons than why he wanted to his late mother…

  Taylor was just so grateful to be surrounded by loved ones that he didn’t even think about presents. They came, however. He got one from every faction of the Weasley clan. It was much more than he had been expecting. Granted, the actual Weasley children got much more than he did, but Taylor hadn’t been expecting anything. He could only assume Louis, Rose, and Lily talked about him a lot to their families.

  From Bill and Fleur, Taylor and Louis each got identical wizard chess sets and a book of wizard riddles to help sharpen their minds so they would never get locked out of the common room again. From Arthur and Molly, everyone got hand-knit sweaters of varying shades of color. They were very warm, but rather itchy. Charlie Weasley gave Taylor an enchanted box plated in a rainbow of dragon scales. Charlie told him that the box had never been opened, and once opened by someone, it would only open for that one person forever. Fred and Angelina gave Taylor an array of supplies from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, including a Portable Swamp, two trick wands, and a rather expensive Shield Necklace that all of the children got. The Shield Necklace was enchanted with a shield charm that would protect the wearer from a single blast of anything except the strongest of dark magic. This gift made Christopher uneasy for his son. Percy Weasley gave the entire party a large supply of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. As Hermione handed out all of the children Remembralls, Ron complained that she wouldn’t allow them to give the kids anything more colorful. This made Taylor smile. And the final gift came from the Potters. Harry Potter handed out a series of rings with different runes inscribed around them.

  Taylor received a very plain, ordinary looking ring—just a ringlet of silver inscribed with letters that he could not read. Potter informed the party that each of these rings possessed a different magical property or, at least, were rumored to.  They had been confiscated from a Dark Arts camp by the Ministry over a hundred years earlier. Sometimes, the ring would send a buzzing sensation through the person’s finger in the presence of dark magic. Sometimes, it would glow when mortal peril was within a certain proximity. It all depended on the ring and who wore it. Sometimes, a witch or wizard could go their whole life without discovering the power their ring possessed or the protection it provided. Of all of the gifts that Taylor received, this one intrigued him the most.

  On the day for the return trip to Hogwarts, he received two more gifts. Before his father departed, Christopher gave Taylor a gold-plated pocket watch. Taylor accepted it with a smile and a “Thanks, pop!”, but, after all of the other gifts, this one left little impression on Taylor. Pocket watches were outdated, and time ceased to exist at Hogwarts for all practical purposes. He felt like he had spent a whole lifetime there already, and he was ready to spend a few more.

  After his father was back in the Muggle portion of King’s Cross, Taylor and Louis were headed for the train when a tall, blonde man called out “Weasley. Paxton.” They turned abruptly in the direction of the unfamiliar voice to see Scorpius Malfoy standing with someone who was, undoubtedly, his father. The resemblance was, while not remarkable, certainly there.

  “Hey, guys,” Scorpius nodded, timidly. “This is my dad, Draco.” Scorpius looked uncomfortable.

  Draco, on the other hand, smiled casually, and looked at the boys genially, “I’ve heard a lot about Scorpius’ new friends, but, as of yet, have not had the pleasure to meet them. I’m Draco Malfoy; I’m sure you’ve heard some of the—err—rather distasteful things said about me.”

  Taylor shook his head, while Louis whispered, “A few…”

  Draco just smirked, “I would expect nothing less. I’ve given the Weasley’s no great cause to love me in the past. Still, we get on well enough at the Ministry these days. I work in the same branch as your uncles Harry and Ron, Louis.”

  Louis gaped, shocked, “You’re an Auror?”

  Draco smiled, larger, “Yes, I was surprised that I was allowed on at first, too, but it does seem that people can redeem themselves. All the same, I’m glad Scorpius wasn’t sorted into Slytherin. Ravenclaw is a good house; the only complaint I have is the lack of brotherhood. I’m glad he found solid lads there this term. Louis, aren’t you the first Weasley to be placed somewhere other than under the Gryffindor Lion? Ah, oh well... I just wanted to introduce myself, and to say: if you ever need anything, be not afraid to ask. A Slytherin is many things—many terrible things—but a Slytherin always takes care of those who have done him a courtesy.”

  “It was Scorpius who did us a courtesy,” Taylor replied. “We would have been totally lost without him last term.” Scorpius just smiled, slightly abashed.

  Draco nodded, and glanced over his boy, “All the same… Ah, I nearly forgot. Happy Christmas, boys.” He handed each of the boys a small coin purse no bigger than a closed fist, and winked, “Best not open them here.” Then, Draco stepped backed, embraced his son one final time, pivoted, and vanished.

  It was the first time Taylor had ever seen anyone apparate before. It gave him chills, and made his hands tingle with electricity. There was something about Draco Malfoy that Taylor Paxton found appealing. Louis didn’t look as amused as Taylor felt, and Scorpius just looked embarrassed.

  They waited until the three boys were alone in one of the train compartments of the Hogwarts Express. “Do you know what’s in here?” Taylor asked Scorpius.

  He shook his head, “No idea. I told him not to introduce himself to anybody. He has a hard time listening to people.”

  Louis muttered, “No kidding” under his breath, but Taylor was pretty sure Scorpius didn’t catch it.

  “So…” Taylor posed, “Should we open these now or wait until we’re into the common room?”

  Scorpius shrugged, “I doubt there’s anything that bad in there. I don’t see what difference it makes. I’d open th—”

  He stopped short because what difference it made walked in: Sarah Tinsley.  She was twirling her wand between her fingers, and wearing a smile of the utmost malevolence, “Hello, prats.”

  Scorpius frowned, “Yes, Sarah? Can we help you with something?”

  She sneered, “You help me, Scorpion? Doubtful. Very doubtful. You couldn’t even help yourself get sorted into your father’s house. Guess the apple does fall far from the tree.”

  Scorpius was too level-headed to rise to any bait she gave him, “You’re right. You’re more like him than I am. You’re both in Slytherin, and you both run your mouth off too much for your own good.”

  Her sneer grew, and she held her wand out, as if pondering hexing him, “Hmm… The Scorpion has teeth. Or a sting, I suppose. I bet Lily loves that. That gets her off fast, doesn’t it, you little git?”

   Scorpius’ and Louis’ wands were out before Sarah had finished her insult. “That’s my girlfriend, you’re insulting,” Scorpius growled, wand pointed at Sarah’s chest. “And my cousin!” Louis whined, in protest.

  Taylor just sat there. Lily was his friend, and he should protect her honor, too, but Sarah was his cousin. She was family, even if she was an unbearable sod.

  Rose Weasley and Lily Potter walked into the train compartment, suddenly, showing no sign of surprise at the altercation threatening to break out. Lily batted at Scorpius’ wand hand, “Put it away, Scorpius. She’s not worth the time or energy.”

  Rose just tsked at Sarah, “Not get enough presents over the holidays, Tinsley? Want to start off term with a bang, is that it? You do realize there are five of us in here now, and not a one is on your side?”

  Sarah let out a guttural snarl, “First years count for nothing, and I could take the three of you easily enough.” Louis stiffened at the insult, but Taylor didn’t move a muscle. He just sat still, stiff as a bored, trying his best to look complacent and bored.

  Rose smiled politely at Sarah, while her eyes blazed, “They count enough when they’re more competent than yourself, Tinsley.”

  Sarah scoffed, but about-faced and marched out of the compartment, admitting defeat for the present.

  Lily sighed, “Can’t stand that girl—if you can call her that.”

  Rose Weasley grinned, suddenly, “It’s too bad: if she had it her way, you’d all be family someday. Poor Albus!”

  Everyone laughed—everyone but Taylor Paxton. He was quiet for the rest of the train ride, perturbed about the enmity between his friends and his family.

  Next thing Taylor knew, he was back at Hogwarts, settled in for the rest of his first year. It wasn’t until Taylor and Louis were sitting on their four-poster beds in the Ravenclaw tower that they thought about Mr. Malfoy’s gifts for them again.

  Louis tossed his coin purse up in the air, nonchalantly, “Have half a mind to just throw it away, you know? Toss it out the window, and be done with it… That’s how I feel. Nothing from Draco Malfoy could be of use—at least, not good use.”

  Taylor stifled a frown, “I’m not so sure. He is Scorpius’ father… Scorpius has turned out well enough. He can’t be that bad. I say we open them.”

  Louis shrugged, “Your funeral.”

  Taylor had half a mind to wince; he wasn’t prepared for anymore funerals any time soon. He had been to two too many funerals for someone who was only almost twelve-years-old.

  He pulled the string on the coin purse, gingerly, loosening the opening. His index fingers yanked at the purse until it was wide open. There were no coins in it. As far as Taylor could see, there was nothing in the purse except a little slip of parchment. Disappointing.

  Taylor turned the small bag upside down to make sure he wasn’t missing something, but nothing except a small roll of parchment slid out of the purse. He picked up he paper, and gave Louis an accusing glance. Parchment; yeah, real dangerous. Blimey.

  He looked back down at the parchment that he was clutching between his index finger and thumb, and sighed. Taylor unrolled it slowly, curious to find something scrawled upon the page.

  There was naught but one line written in a calligraphic text, an echo of Draco’s earlier wording:

 If you ever need anything, be not afraid to ask.

“That’s ruddy unhelpful…” Taylor muttered. Louis looked amused at Taylor’s reaction. Was this really the gift that Draco Malfoy—the infamous Draco Malfoy—had given them? An empty coin purse and a gesture of kindness? Disappointing.

  Taylor dropped the coin purse and note into his dragon-scale box that only he could open, and he didn’t think about it again until the middle of July…

  The rest of his first year flew by uneventfully—well, as uneventfully as things can be at Hogwarts. He managed to pass all of his classes with flying colors, except Herbology and Transfiguration, which he still managed to scrape by in. Taylor grew closer to his friends, especially Louis and Rose Weasley who always seemed to be around. Scorpius and Lily were both around a lot, too, but they enjoyed being off on their own, also.

  It didn’t bother Louis. “Look,” Louis told Taylor and Rose, “I like Scorpius; I really do. And I’m fine with him and Lily dating, honestly, but I’m not sure how it’ll settle with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny if their daughter marries into the Malfoy family. You know I’m right, Rose. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione would be even more upset! Mum and dad might not be so against it, but dad and Draco were never at school together.”

  Taylor just learned to tune Louis out after a while. He was Taylor’s best friend, but he was a borderline hypocrite. Louis complained about Slytherins’ blood prejudice against those who weren’t pureblood, yet Louis had no problem lumping all Slytherin members in together. Taylor’s mother had been a Slytherin. Taylor’s aunts had both been in Slytherin. Taylor’s cousin was in Slytherin.

  Rose wasn’t as judgmental as her cousin. She got along well enough with a few Snakes. The only one that she seemed to have any genuine disdain for was his cousin, and Sarah brought it on herself, in all honesty. Rose also seemed more interested in Taylor’s family than Louis was; she was a thirteen year-old girl, and had a more broad emotional range than her eleven year-old brother. 

  When June came and term ended, saying goodbye to all of his friends was hard for Taylor. He knew he would be back in three months, but still—there was a small part of him that clung to the fear that this had all just been some marvelous dream.

  His home life improved a great deal over the summer. Taylor wasn’t as bitter, and he had a grand time telling Susan all of the stories about his first year at Hogwarts. He even got on better with his father, Christopher. Not being able to use magic for ninety days was beyond taxing for Taylor, but somehow he managed. He read books on magic and wizarding history, and he filled his time with theory instead of actual practice.

  On a windy day in the middle of July, an owl dropped off a letter from the Weasleys, inviting Taylor to stay with Louis the week before September 1^st, 2020. Taylor was excited, and Christopher agreed it would be fine, if he could get word back to Bill and Fleur by some means.

  This was when it happened. Taylor grumbled about Muggle post and claimed he needed an owl for all of about two minutes when an ungodly squawking and banging came from his bedroom. Taylor frowned, and darted back towards his bedroom. Had Louis’ owl returned again?

The sight that greeted him was a strange one, and it made Taylor more than a little fearful. The dragon-scale box had fallen off of his desk, and was moving along the floor in sporadic bursts, as if something was thrashing about inside of it. It was the box that was squawking… Taylor, mustering up his courage, set the box upright, and he propped the lid before diving back a couple feet.

  Out of the box, there flew a dusky barn owl. It perched on the headboard of Taylor’s bed, and hooted, glad to be free of the boxed confinement. Taylor stared at the owl, confused, and glanced down into the box. There was nothing in there, except for several of the Christmas gifts he had received seven months earlier. There was the portable swamp, still compact and very un-swamp-like. There were the trick wands, one of which turned into a rubber duck when someone attempted a spell with it, while the other turned into a bicycle horn. There was the Shield Necklace that had not been used yet, and there was also the ring that Harry Potter himself had given Taylor. Taylor had been wearing it every day, but his father had forbade him from wearing it at home. He didn’t want random magical things happening, and he wouldn’t reason, even though Taylor promised nothing magical had happened with the ring yet. He just wanted to see if it could actually do anything or help him do anything. But Christopher wouldn’t listen.

  And the last thing in the enchanted box was the coin purse that Draco Malfoy had given him. The bag seemed to be illuminated, as if it was casting off a light of its own, and there were three pitch-black feathers trailing from the bag’s miniscule opening. Impossible!

  Taylor didn’t understand. How could that bird—that owl—have come out of that bag? Why was the bag glowing? It must have been enchanted. Only then did Draco’s words come back to Taylor Paxton: If you ever need anything, be not afraid to ask.

He had just asked his father for an owl and been refused, when, all of a sudden, an owl had come out of his bag. His glowing bag that wasn’t big enough to hold an owl... Coincidence? Impossible. Magic.

  Taylor examined the owl, “Are… Are you mine?”

  The owl hooted in reply, and Taylor took that as a yes.

 If you ever need anything, be not afraid to ask…

  Draco Malfoy’s present just became much more interesting. Would it give him anything he wanted? Or only something that he truly needed? Or truly believed he needed? He didn’t need an owl, but he wanted one, and mere seconds ago he might have honestly believed he needed it… It was making Taylor’s head spin.

  He closed the dragon-scale box with a smile, “Hey, dad, come here!”

    *        *        *      Nothing else came out of the coin purse over break. Nothing else of great interest happened over break. The last week in August came, and Taylor went to stay with the Weasleys. Victoire wasn’t around to anticipate the first week of school with the rest of the children because she was an alum now. It was just Louis, Rose, Hugo, Lily, and Taylor at the house with Bill.

  Fleur had already left to take Dominique back to Beauxbatons, and the other Weasley clan members had other affairs for the last week of term. James Sirius, for example, more Potter than Weasley, was off on some adventure in Germany with his father. It was apparently a dangerous affair—Lily seemed quite restless about it.

  Hugo Weasley was going to be a first year. He was beyond excited, as was seen from the way his eyes lit up every time someone said the word Hogwarts. Taylor and Louis were both excited for their second year, as well. Lily, a third year, was ready, but didn’t seem nearly as hyper about it as the younger boys were, and Rose—a fourth year now—seemed barely phased at all.

  They had all changed a bit over the summer. Louis and Taylor were taller, while the girls were growing, but in different parts of their physique.  When Scorpius showed up the night before September 1^st, Taylor noticed that he had undoubtedly changed the most. He seemed a whole head taller, and his voice had dropped two octaves. He was a fourth year and fourteen-years-old. He also seemed to have put on more muscle over the holidays. “For quidditch,” he muttered. “I want to make the team this year.”

  Scorpius had tried to make the team every year since his second year, but to no avail at this point. Taylor didn’t see how he could possibly not make the team this year. He had to have been bigger than the majority of the players on the team. He was the perfect size for a keeper or a beater.

  Lily made jokes about him being a keeper—she was a chaser on the Gryffindor team, and she had been since second year. She was good; it was something she apparently got from both of her parents. Harry Potter had been the best seeker Hogwarts had seen in three hundred years, and Ginny Potter had gone on to play professional quidditch as a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Lily thought it would be amusing to score on her boyfriend Scorpius.  

  The train ride to Hogwarts was rather humdrum; nothing of consequence happened—not even an unwarranted visit from Sarah Tinsley. Taylor was not, in the least, disappointed. And thus began his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…