Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise, rights to the movies, books, games, or characters, and am simply existing in the world created by JK Rowling.

On a warm day in the first week of August, the sound of dozens of bricks jumbling back together like pieces of a giant puzzle snapped Jocelyn Wright out of his daze. Diagon Alley sprawled out before him in a jungle of wide glass storefronts, masses of moving bodies and blooms of colourful umbrellas fanned out over clusters of tables. Grey-blue eyes scanned the multitude of people going about their business, briefly catching the long brown hair of his mother wagging back and forth before she was swallowed up by the crowds.

"I'm heading to Madame Malkin's to pick up your robes. Head to Ollivanders, then meet me at Flourish and Blotts," Mrs Wright had ordered before she left her son's side.

Jocelyn felt as if a weight was off his shoulders the moment he saw his mother disappear. Ever since Jacob's disappearance, she had become unbearable to live with, fulfilling the role of the overbearing mother right to the letter. It felt nice to finally have a moment without her looking over his shoulder.

"Ollivanders, Ollivanders… where would that be…?" the young wizard muttered to himself, running a hand through his short brown hair as he racked his brain to try and recall the shop's location. This was hardly his first visit to Diagon Alley, as before his brother's disappearance, he often tagged along with him when he bought his supplies for Hogwarts—but that was years ago, and due to being a small child then, Jocelyn's memories were quite foggy.

The eleven-year-old's gaze snapped up to the signs above the windows as he began to walk, until he heard a voice calling out above the din of the crowd, "Hey!"

Jocelyn quickly turned his head to see a young boy, most likely around his age, with deep brown skin, short black hair and a pair of glasses set atop his cheerful face. The boy began to wave him over, and after glancing around to make sure he wasn't gesturing to someone else, Jocelyn began to weave through the crowd over to him.

"Umm… hi?" Jocelyn said, a little awkwardly. Due to his mother's usual behaviour, he didn't speak to strangers very often—let alone strangers his own age.

"Are you here searching for your Hogwarts supplies?" the boy asked, smiling at him.

"Yes… how did you know?"

The boy pushed his glasses up and replied, "Well, you look a little overwhelmed. That, and I saw you glancing down at a piece of parchment."

"Well, thanks… I think?" Jocelyn replied, still a little stiff at the interaction. "Could you point me towards Ollivanders?"

"Sure! It's right over there," the boy said with a toothy grin, gesturing over to a shop a few storefronts down.

"Thank you," Jocelyn said with a sigh of relief as he caught sight of the sign. He began to walk toward the wand shop, noticing the boy following a few steps behind him.

"So, I'm guessing this is your first year?" the boy inquired as they walked along the side of the street, trying to stay out of peoples' way. At Jocelyn's nod, the boy continued, "Mine too. My name is Rowan Khanna, by the way."

"Jocelyn Wright," he introduced, disliking how his first name sounded as it rolled off his tongue. "You can call me Joss, though," and it is from here on that we will be referring to him as 'Joss,' rather than 'Jocelyn'—partially because he has incriminating evidence that may put me away for quite some time if it were to come to light.

"It's nice to meet you, Joss," Rowan said, his bright smile never leaving his face. He quickly dodged out of the way of an approaching adult, taking a moment to readjust his glasses. "Doing your shopping a little late though, huh?"

"Nice to meet you too, Rowan. And I don't think you're here just to sightsee," Joss shot back, feeling a little more relaxed with his new companion. "But yeah, this was the earliest my mum was able to bring me. She's been really busy."

They reached the dusty window of Ollivanders, and Joss's eyes swept over the sign that read, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Joss reached out for the doorknob, the thought striking his mind that ten years ago, his older brother had stood in this very same spot as he shopped for his own first year at Hogwarts.

He hesitated a moment, then turned and slid the door open with a small squeak.

The whole store was just as dusty as the window, and seemed to be empty, with only a tiny chair in one corner and a large desk made of dark wood sitting in front of a long hallway. Upon further examination, Joss realized that the hallway wasn't actually a hallway—rather, instead of being a pathway surrounded by walls, it was framed by stacks upon uneven stacks of boxes, some thin, some wide, some long, some short.

It was like an old library in there, quiet as a church and covered in a fine layer of dust; it was so quiet that Joss could hear himself breathing, yet so dusty that he felt as if he would sneeze—but his manners told him not to.

He began to open his mouth to call for service, but there was a rustle from somewhere in the labyrinth of stacks and a pair of wide, pale eyes appeared, framed by a shock of white curls. A thin man strode forward, toward the dark desk and looked Joss up and down, causing him to feel a confusing mix of discomfort and relief all at once.

The man's eyes reminded Joss of a moon as he studied him, then he spoke, his voice soft and a little excited, "Hello, young man. My name is Garrick Ollivander, and welcome to my wand shop. I assume you're here for your first wand?"

"Yes, sir," Joss said after finding his voice.

Mr Ollivander held up a finger, gesturing for him to wait, then ducked below his desk and returned with a box. Opening it up, he withdrew a wand made of dark wood and handed it gingerly to the student-to-be. "Here, I have just the thing… applewood wand, dragon heartstring core, nine inches, rigid. Give it a try."

Joss accepted carefully and taking it in one hand gave it a wave. Almost at once a wind picked up in the shop, swirling scraps of paper around him in a vortex and kicking up dust. Joss and Mr Ollivander both fell into a fit of coughs, and almost at once he handed it back to the older man. "I'm sorry, Mr Ollivander," he apologized.

"It's not your fault, Mr Wright. You're hardly the first, and certainly not the last to not match with the first wand they try; I recall that your brother exploded my favourite inkpot with his," Mr Ollivander replied as he shuffled the box back below his desk.

Joss's eyes widened in shock as he asked, "You knew my brother?"

"Of course, I remember every wand I've ever sold," Mr Ollivander explained as he stepped sideways into the corridor of wand boxes, scuttling around like a crab. "Maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. A fine wand it was; a shame they snapped it upon his expulsion…"

Bad memories began to flood into Joss's mind, recalling the yelling battles his brother and mother would have constantly. Jacob was never the same after being expelled. And then one day, he was just… gone.

Mr Ollivander seemed to notice that the mere mention of that day dredged up foul memories in the young man, and chose not to elaborate further. "I imagine that must have been a profound effect on you, Mr Wright."

Joss bit his lip, his fists balling up and trembling as he finally replied, "I was angry," he admitted, revealing feelings he had kept pent up for years to an old man he had never met before in his life. "They shouldn't have expelled him, it wasn't fair! They shouldn't have snapped his wand, and… he shouldn't have left!"

The old man scrutinized him with his pale eyes for a long time. Joss felt nervous again, wondering if he had said something wrong, or said too much. Mr Ollivander cleared his throat, and spoke finally, "Quite admirable, Mr Wright. You have fight in you, that much is certain, but you also have the integrity to admit that there is more than one party at fault…" he said, almost admiringly. "I have just the wand for you, my boy. Give me a moment," he requested, before disappearing back into the stacks.

As Mr Ollivander left his sight, Joss felt his stomach fluttering like it were filled with winged insects. He had never told anyone, even their mother or father, how he really felt about Jacob's disappearance, but there was something about the wandmaker's eyes that coaxed the truth out of him.

He didn't like it.

A few moments later, Mr Ollivander returned with a box, shuffling carefully down the long corridor of stacks. "Here we are, Mr Wright," he said, placing the box on the desk and removing the lid. He lifted the wand out of the box as if it were made of glass, gently handing it over toward Joss.

The brown-haired boy accepted it delicately, taking the slender piece of wood in his pale hands. It was a dark brown colour, a few shades darker than his hair but a little bit lighter than Mr Ollivander's desk, with a rounded hilt and a plump handle that was guarded from the pointed end of the wand by a small sphere.

"Please, try that one, Mr Wright," the old wandmaker requested, studying him intently.

Joss took a moment, then waved the wand in a flourishing manner. Immediately, a golden light shone down upon him and shimmering objects danced around him. Something flickered in the old man's wide eyes, and Joss felt a calming sensation sweeping across him, as if in that moment there was nothing wrong in the world.

Then, in an instant, it was gone—feelings, lights, all of it. Mr Ollivander's eyes twinkled for a moment as he finally said, "Yes… I think that's a very nice suit for you, Mr Wright," he shuffled back behind his desk. "Black walnut, unicorn hair, 11 2/3 inches, slightly springy… an uncommon wand wood, but very powerful with the right owner… yes, Mr Wright, I see great things ahead for you."

"Thank you, Mr Ollivander," Joss said, looking at his wand in awe. It was an incredible feeling, to finally have his own wand after watching his parents and brother use their own for his entire life. He felt like he had taken his first steps as an adult.

After paying for the wand, Joss walked out of the dusty old shop and back onto the crowded street of Diagon Alley, and was met at once by Rowan's voice asking, "Did you get your wand?"

Joss turned his head and saw the helpful boy smiling toothily at him. After a moment, Joss smiled back. It was small, his lips turning up just a little bit at the corners, but a smile nonetheless. "I did, thanks for your help," he said gratefully.

"Not a problem!" Rowan said cheerily. He looked down to the wand now held in Joss's hand, and his eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Is that black walnut?!"

"Yes, how did you know?" Joss replied, tilting his head slightly.

"My family runs a tree farm," Rowan explained, "we supply the wood for wands and brooms. I've only read about black walnut though, I don't think we actually have any back home…"

"Do you help out with the farming a lot?" Joss asked curiously, beginning to walk. Though he didn't mean it in an insulting way, he definitely did not think that Rowan was suited for that sort of work.

"No, I prefer to stay inside and read," the black-haired boy replied, confirming Joss's suspicions. "I'm not really strong enough for farming either, and…" he looked away a bit shyly before finishing, "I don't really have any friends."

That struck a chord with Joss, knowing all too well how that could feel. Ever since Jacob's disappearance, Mrs Wright had rarely let her son far enough out of her sight to make friends. There were ones his mother approved of, but he didn't particularly like any of them.

After a moment of pause, Joss offered the bespectacled boy a smile and said, "I could be your friend."

A smile even brighter than the sun lit up Rowan's face. "You mean it? You don't think I'm weird? People usually think I'm too weird," Rowan said, almost trying to warn him off.

"You, weird? Why would anyone think that?" Joss asked, playfully pushing his new friend's arm. "People say I'm weird too, so we can be weird together."

Rowan gave him an inquisitive look, though he didn't say anything, more like he was waiting for him to continue. Joss bit his lip for a moment, wondering if he should explain—he had already told Mr Ollivander, so why not? "My brother is Jacob Wright," he said with a sigh.

Rowan's eyes went wide again, like dinner plates. "The same Jacob Wright who was expelled from Hogwarts?" he asked warily. "They say he broke the rules and looked for the mythical Cursed Vaults… there was a huge story in the Daily Prophet about that, everyone will at school will know about it."

"I know," Joss said with another heavy sigh. After a moment of feeling sorry for himself, he shook his head and looked back to Rowan. "Say, could you point me to Flourish and Blotts? I need to meet my mum there."

"Oh, sure! It's just over there," he said, pointing over across the street. Joss's eyes followed his new friend's finger and saw a sign that clearly read Flourish and Blotts. They now stood about halfway down Diagon Alley, on the right side, separated from the store—and Joss's mother, he reminded himself gladly—by a coursing river of people. "Do you… mind if I join you?"

Part of him wanted to just turn around and join the crowd as they left, but for one, his mother was his ride home, and two, he didn't want to face the scolding he'd get when she finally got home. Joss loved his mother, of course, but he had no doubt she'd be scrutinizing his new friend.

She hadn't been too keen on letting him go to Hogwarts, but his father eventually convinced her. She believed that all the magic in one place could corrupt him, and cause him to turn into Jacob and leave her too… he couldn't blame her for thinking like that, but it was stifling.

After a moment, Joss nodded, giving Rowan a grin. "If you can keep up," he said finally, plunging into the crowd. Excusing himself politely as he pushed through, he found that it was a surprisingly short walk to get across the street, only lengthened by dodging around people.

Thirty seconds or so later, he and Rowan escaped the rushing mass of people and wound up on the doorsteps of Flourish and Blotts. The storefront window was packed with massive spellbooks pressed with gold, and even from the outside they could clearly see that the place was absolutely packed with books.

A bell tinkled as Joss opened the door, and from somewhere in the store somebody called out in a frazzled voice, "Be right there!"

The pair stepped in and Joss couldn't help but laugh a little as he saw the look on Rowan's face. The black-haired boy ran ahead of him, looking around at all the stacks of books that were piled high toward the ceiling, and said, "I'm always amazed every time I come in here. I wish I could stay in here and read every single book…"

"I'm surprised you hadn't…" Joss said, chuckling again until his voice was cut off by a female's.

"You certainly took your time, Jocelyn," his mother said pointedly. Joss's grey-blue eyes swept back toward her and inwardly grimaced. "I've been waiting for ten minutes."

"Sorry mum," Joss said in a monotone manner, as if he were reciting words off a script—which he may as well have been at this point.

She looked remarkably like her son; a pale, heart-shaped face with soft features, though her eyes were brown, like her hair. She was only a little taller than the boys, and just a tad heavier, but there was something formidable about her that made Joss not want to argue with her.

"Well, you've got your wand, I assume. And who is this?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and turning her gaze toward Rowan.

Rowan shrunk back a bit, but Joss, who was used to being the subject of that look, stood straight and replied, "This is Rowan, mum. He's my friend. I never would have found my way around if it weren't for him."

Mrs Wright scrutinized Rowan for a moment, then turned away. "Well, thank you for showing my son around. Come along, Joss, we've got to find your books," she said, striding off.

Joss looked at his friend apologetically. "Sorry, Rowan… she's not the easiest to get along with," he said, turning back to look at the form of his mother.

"Well… do you need help finding any of them? I already know where they are…" Rowan began to offer.

Joss's mother turned on her heel and looked sternly in their direction, then barked, "Jocelyn!" causing her son to wince.

"Sorry…" Joss apologised again, beginning to walk toward his mother in a slow pace.

Rowan looked down at the ground, and replied, "See you at school…"

Joss paused for a moment, then said, offering his friend a smile, "I'll look for you on the train!"

That quickly brought Rowan's grin back. "I'll save you a spot!" he promised brightly.

With that, the two friends parted ways for the rest of the summer. Rowan turned and headed back out to Diagon Alley, accompanied by the sound of the bell and the same voice calling out, "Be right there!" whilst Joss continued walking toward his mother.

A few weeks passed since then. Joss and his mother hurried along a long, paved walkway between Platforms 9 and 10, a tall middle-aged man in a dark suit following just a few steps behind them, grey-blue eyes shining as he brushed a few locks of dark brown hair away from his face. Various Muggles walked past, seemingly unaware of the rushed family. Joss was dressed in a grey jumper, worn over a pale blue button-up shirt with black trousers, and he pushed a trolley carrying a trunk and a small pet carrier. Behind him, his mother wore a navy-blue jumper and had her hair tied up in a bun.

"Joss, I know you're at that age where the girls in the magazines are very entrancing—" the man with them began.

"Joseph!" Mrs Wright hissed, silencing him with a glare of her brown eyes. The man was, of course, Joseph Wright, Joss and Jacob's father—and also, he was utterly afraid of the temper of his wife—who, while we are on the topic of names, is called Jamie.

Joss's cheeks were tinged a shade of red as he walked a little further, his dad picking up the pace to run beside his son. "And of course, I went through that exact same thing…" Joseph began in a hushed whisper.

"DAD!" Joss's cheeks were furiously red now, aligning his trolley with one of the many columns reaching toward the tall ceilings of the train station. He had made this trip several times as a young child, following Jacob out onto Platform 9 3/4, so he knew the drill by now—and the sooner he could get away from his embarrassing father, the better.

He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, allowing his parents to catch up, then took off in a sprint again, straight toward the metal ticket box. He squeezed his eyes shut, and in a moment, he felt the cool breeze as he stepped out onto Platform 9 3/4.

Mr and Mrs Wright appeared soon after. They were running a bit late, but there were still perhaps a dozen families saying their goodbyes as their children boarded the train.

Looking over to the side, Joss could see the large scarlet engine, smoke spewing from its smokestack as its brakes let out soft hisses. Five long carriages trailed behind it, one for luggage, the rest for the students. Joss wondered where Rowan was on the train… and if he even remembered him. He hoped so; he didn't know if he had the stomach to sit with random people.

The Wrights approached the train, then stopped. Joss turned back to his parents and saw a look of pride in his father's face—as well as an oddly soft look on his mother's.

Joseph Wright spoke first, placing a large hand on his son's small shoulders. "Joss, you're growing up now. I remember my first ride on the Express," he said, smiling brightly. "I'm very proud of you—your mother and I both. Let me give you a little advice before you leave: there may be some there who despise you for Jacob—but don't let them get to you. You are your own man—and you make them remember that."

Joss looked up at his father with a small, almost teary smile. It was just hitting him that he was about to be leaving home for the first time. "Thanks dad…"

"And just remember that you're only eleven, your mother and I aren't ready to be grandpar—"

"DAD!/JOSEPH!" the collective voices of mother and son rang out in unison.

Joseph began to chuckle slightly, before leaning down and pulling his youngest son into a hug. "Sorry. You know that goodbyes make me act wonky," he joked. Lingering in the hug for a moment, he added in a low whisper, "I added in a little present from me, since I missed your last birthday. I think you'll like it."

Mr Wright backed away from his son, winking at him furtively when he knew that his wife wasn't watching. Joss smiled up at him and nodded gently, a sign of understanding between father and son.

Jaime moved forward next and wrapped her arms around her son in a tight hug. "Write often… please," she said, though from the tone of her voice it was not a request, rather, a command.

"I will mum," Joss promised, feeling bad for his mother. Her eldest son had disappeared, and now her youngest was going to be separated from her for the first time in his life… he was starting to understand why she was so clingy. "I promise."

His mother pulled away, and for the first time, he saw weakness in her eyes. She had always been so strong, so comforting… yet here she stood, with tears in her eyes; now it was time to comfort her.

Joss reached out to hug her again, but the train whistle blew, and his father waved his hand, urging him to get on. "I'll write soon!" Joss promised. Moving forward, Joseph Wright handed his son the pet carrier, then hurried the trolley down to the far carriage.

The eleven-year-old climbed the steps of the carriage, holding the pet carrier steady in one hand as he turned to wave to his mother. A wave of emotions hit him at once as he realized he wouldn't see her again until Christmas. It'd be hard to get used to not seeing her every day, to eat breakfast without her and to be unable to ask her for help on his homework…

He was going to miss her dearly.

His father returned moments later and stood beside his mother, the two of them waving at him until finally he had to go find somewhere to sit. He roamed the long hallway of the carriage, looking into the various compartments in hopes to find the familiar bespectacled young man that he had promised to seek out back in Diagon Alley.

Joss passed through the first carriage and almost three quarters of the way through the second before he finally found Rowan sitting alone in a compartment.

The sliding glass door was shut, and Rowan seemed nose-deep in a book. He wore a dark grey jumper over a white shirt with black trousers, not too different from what Joss wore, and his glasses were pushed up high on his nose.

Joss reached out and rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles, and Rowan looked up and positively grinned at him. Joss returned this wide smile, and quickly opened the door and stepped inside, setting the pet carrier down on the cushioned bench opposite Rowan, close to the door. "Told you I'd find you," Joss said as he sat down by a large window that climbed the wall toward the ceiling.

"I almost thought you weren't going to show!" Rowan said, happiness practically bursting in his voice. He marked his book and set it down, before looking over to the pet carrier. "What've you got in there?"

With a small smile, Joss opened up the little carrier and reached inside, gently pulling out a young tortoiseshell cat with black and orange fur, just big enough that it fit over both of his hands. For something that had just been bouncing around in a pet carrier for the past ten or so minutes, it had a surprisingly pleasant disposition, leaping out of his arms and curling up in Joss's lap as soon as it could. Joss began to scratch the cat behind its ears, and it purred audibly.

Rowan smiled even wider. "You have a cat? So cute! What's its name?" he asked, leaning forward and stretching his arm out to pet the cat. It sniffed at him, and then went back to purring as its master slid his hand down its side.

"His name's BJ," Joss said as the cat, now named BJ, continued to purr, "as in Billy Joel, the musician. My brother and I used to go up on the roof with the wireless, and we could even pick up Muggle stations. We'd listen to him all the time when he came on."

BJ swatted at one of Rowan's fingers with a small paw, and even though it wasn't a threatening gesture, Rowan withdrew quickly nonetheless. "Did he not like it?" he asked, looking back up at Joss with confusion.

Joss shook his head and grinned at him. "That means he wants you to pet him more. Get his belly," he said, moving to pet his cat's underside when there was a knock at the door. BJ quickly rolled over in Joss's lap, ears perking up as he looked at the door.

There was a skinny young man standing in the doorway, blond hair neatly arranged in a combover around his pale face. His eyes were wide and brown, and his eyebrows raised slightly as if he were in a constant state of surprise. He slid the door open softly and poked his head in.

"Um… excuse me, would it be alright if I joined you…? There's almost nowhere else open," he said in a small voice.

Joss looked to Rowan, who shrugged, and then he gestured to the benches. "Go right ahead," he said. He didn't know what it was, but there was something that made him feel more at ease, more sociable than he was when he met Rowan. Perhaps it was actually having a friend? "I'm Jocelyn Wright. Call me Joss, though."

Rowan smiled at the newcomer. "I'm Rowan Khanna. Welcome!" he greeted.

The blond boy recoiled a bit at Rowan's cheeriness, but after a moment he took a few cautious steps into the compartment. "I'm Ben Copper…" he said softly. "Nice to meet you two." He stood against the door awkwardly for a few moments, until Rowan patted the bench next to him and Ben slowly sat down.

The three sat in an awkward silence, Joss scratching BJ's stomach as Rowan looked out the window and Ben at the ground.

A moment later, the train whistle sounded again and the sound of gears turning could be heard as the engine jolted to a start and began moving at a steady pace.

"W-WHOA!" a girl's voice called out from the doorway; in that instant, right as the train jerked into motion, a girl about their age with spiky pink hair fell into their compartment, landing with a light thud on the floor.

BJ leapt out of Joss's lap, startled by the sudden noise, landing on the small table by the large window. Joss was out of his seat in an instant, feeling his mother pinching his ear for hesitating even that long, and he knelt next to the girl. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.

She pushed herself up and grinned at him, though she seemed a little out of it. "Yeah, I'm good. Just a little clumsy," she said, standing and then taking a seat on the bench next to BJ's pet carrier.

Joss couldn't help but grin back at her as he replied, "You know, if you wanted somewhere to sit you could have just asked, you didn't need to maim yourself."

The girl looked a bit sheepish at that. "Y-yeah, that was definitely an act… heh…" she laughed weakly. She seemed to recover quickly, however, kicking her legs out and stretching her arms, sighing in relief. "So it's alright that I sit here, then? Everywhere else is…"

"Pretty full, yeah, we've heard," Joss replied, nodding. He looked over to his other two companions and said, "It's alright with me, you guys?"

"The more the merrier," Rowan chirped, seeming quite glad the tension between him, Joss and Ben had been broken.

Ben nodded in agreement. "I-it's alright with me," he said.

The pink-haired girl smiled widely at the three of them and settled back in the seat next to Joss. "So, you boys got names, or do I have to give you some myself?" she asked, grinning at them.

BJ padded back over to Joss with long strides of his black and orange legs, climbing onto one of his master's knees to sniff at the newcomer, who smiled even wider and reached out to pet him. He leaned his head against her hand and purred.

"I'm Jocelyn Wright—call me Joss, though. And that's BJ, or Billy Joel if you prefer," Joss said, surprised at how quickly his cat had taken to the newcomer.

She looked up at him curiously at the mention of his surname, but said nothing, choosing instead to comment, "Billy Joel, huh? You might just be alright after all, Joss."

"I'm Rowan Khanna," the bespectacled boy introduced.

"B-Ben Copper," the nervous boy said.

The girl paused for a moment, as if she was trying to think of her own name. "You can call me Tonks," she said, placing her palms flat on the cushion of the bench and grinning around at them.

"Nice to meet you, Tonks," Joss said. She hadn't questioned him—he wasn't going to question her. BJ stood up and stalked over to her, sitting beside her as she continued to pet him. "He says the same to you."

"It's nice to meet you guys too," the girl, now known as Tonks, replied. BJ purred as he rubbed his head against her hands. "Especially you, Billy Joel."

The group went on talking for a bit, asking each other questions about things they liked and if they were excited for Hogwarts and similar thoughts.

Joss found out that Ben was a Muggleborn, that Rowan aspired to become the youngest professor Hogwarts had ever seen, and that Tonks really, really disliked her first name—not unlike Joss. They were cracking jokes, having a good time—even the timid Ben Copper laughed a time or two!

A few moments later, there was another knock at the door, this one light and gentle as it slowly slid open. There was an old, hunchbacked witch standing there, pushing a trolley. "Any sweets for you dears?" she asked in a kind voice.

The four Hogwarts students stood and crowded around the glass door, looking at the available treats.

Rowan was the first to make a purchase, buying a bottle of iced pumpkin juice and a couple Jelly Slugs. Tonks came next, buying three pieces of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and inadvertently showing off her abilities as a Metamorphmagus by changing her hair from pink to match the blue of the gum. Ben then came along and bought a liquorice wand, hesitant enough to buy only the most normal-sounding sweet on the trolley.

Joss was the last at the trolley, and as soon as he saw the package, rectangular with a pointed top and coloured like a circus tent. "One package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, please," he requested, handing the witch her payment as she handed over the pack.

The four of them thanked the trolley witch, and she smiled at them and moved on. They sat down in their seats, each digging into their purchased snacks. Tonks almost at once set to work at blowing a large blue bubble, Rowan cracked open his pumpkin juice and Ben took small, cautious nibbles at his liquorice wand. Joss opened up his jelly beans and took a moment to savour the familiar scent.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans had been Jacob's favourite treat, and he always remembered to bring home a package from the train to share with Joss. It was a bittersweet memory, but it made Joss feel more at ease. He reached in without looking—a game he and his brother used to play—and plucked out a bean, popping it into his mouth.

His teeth chomped at the jelly bean and as soon as he tasted it… he made a face. It was like slimy dirt, and very chewy, and almost at once Joss recognized it as a flavour he had gotten before. "Earthworm," he said as he swiped a tissue that the trolley witch had left behind and spat into it.

Tonks's shoulders began to shake as if she were laughing, but the bubble prevented any sound, and Rowan grinned toothily at him, while Ben looked on in confusion.

"What's he mean, 'earthworm?'" Ben asked, looking over to Rowan. "They look like jelly beans…"

"They're Every Flavour Beans, Ben, and they mean Every Flavour. He must have gotten an earthworm flavoured one," Rowan explained as Joss ate another one, this time making a more pleasant face as he tasted strawberry. "What'd you get that time, Joss? Chocolate? Peppermint?"

"Strawberry," Joss said happily as he offered the other two a bean.

Ben politely declined, but Rowan picked one out that Joss recognised as grass, and made a face as he popped it into his mouth. Joss handed over the tissue and Rowan spat into that one, and the three laughed again. Over on the table, Billy Joel the cat sat licking his small paws, occasionally glancing out the window at the English countryside passing by.

Finally, as the sky was darkening, the stars began to dance in the night sky, and the pack of Every Flavour Beans was getting low, the Hogwarts Expressed eased to a stop into the station. They had all changed into their robes by then, as they were expected to be wearing them by the time they entered the school.

"We're here!" Rowan said excitedly, looking out the window and seeing little more than his reflection against the inky blackness. There were a few flickering lights from torches visible outside, but they were very faint.

"I can't see anything…" Ben said worriedly.

Joss quickly, but gently pushed a hesitant BJ back into his pet carrier, knowing he'd have to hand him off to a porter at some point soon. He wasn't sure if the first years still travelled in boats to the castle as Jacob had told him, but he knew if he did there wouldn't be any room for luggage.

Tonks popped her bubble and stood with a grin. "Come on, boys! Let's get a move on!" she said cheerily, almost tripping as she ran toward the door.

The hallway soon became flooded with students, and Joss and Rowan plunged in after Tonks, hoping that Ben had come after them but not stopping to make sure. They followed the river of students out of the carriage, down the steps, and out into the cool September air. It was a bit chilly, but a sense of excitement deep in Joss's stomach made him impassive toward it; as soon as he stepped out, BJ's pet carrier disappeared in an instant—magic, he figured.

"Firs' years over here, firs' years over here!" a gruff, booming voice called from down the platform.

Most of the students were heading in the opposite direction, so it was a clear view of most of the first years. Joss and Rowan spotted Tonks's pink hair and followed after. She greeted them with a cheeky grin that practically screamed, 'What took you so long?'

They followed the voice with the other first years, and soon a mass of torches came into view, lighting up inky black water and the form of a massive man who was waving them over with a giant hand. As they approached, his appearance was lit by the torches; he was a giant of a man, with a wild tangle of black hair and a bushy black beard. If it weren't for his kind eyes, Joss would have been afraid of him.

"Firs' years into the boats!" he boomed out. "Four to a boat!"

Following instructions, Joss climbed into a boat with Rowan and Tonks—and it was then that they became aware that Ben wasn't with them. The three looked between one another, the light of a torch mounted to the front of the boat illuminating their faces as the unspoken question ran between them: 'Where is Ben?'

The boat bobbed up and down in the water as the massive man climbed into one of his own. Several of the others were already full, and Ben was still nowhere to be seen. As the fuller ones began to set off, following the giant man, Joss became worried that they'd be leaving him behind.

Thankfully, mere moments later, Ben Copper arrived on the scene, his blond hair shining as he ran, his pale face twisted with emotions as he climbed into their boat. "Sorry…" he said softly.

"What took so long, Ben? Caught up in the crowd?" Joss asked curiously, looking over to his friend.

"Yeah…" Ben said. Their boat set off after the others, gliding along through the deep black waters magically. Joss was deeply surprised—and worried—to find him not fretting about the water, and about falling out, and all of it.

Their friend's gloom brought the whole mood down, and the ride across the lake passed in mostly silence. A bright moon, round and gleaming like a galleon, shone over the lake, casting a pale, eerie glow across the grounds, illuminating the trees of the Forbidden Forest and the massive, sprawling fortress that was Hogwarts.

"Look at that…" Rowan said, awed as the lenses of his glasses reflected moonlight.

Joss only sniffed in response, his nostrils filled with the smell of the lake water, which was surprisingly not strong. I don't know if you're here still, Jacob, but I'll find you… I swear.

Upon reaching a dock hidden beneath the castle, the boats floated to a gentle stop, a mass of torches lighting up the little cave-like area as the dozens of first years climbed out of their boats.

Rowan climbed out first, offering his hand to the normally clumsy Tonks which she took gratefully. She thanked him, then reached down to help Joss out, who then pulled the still-gloomy Ben out. They climbed a long set of stairs that deposited them at the front doors of the castle, which swung out to give them entry as if thrown open by a giant.

Standing in the torchlight was a tall witch in emerald green robes. Her face was stern, and in a way she kind of reminded him of his mother—in the way that it was unwise to anger her. Her gaze flickered over to him and he felt his stomach do backflips.

Scrutinizing them for a moment, the witch finally addressed the students. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Minerva McGonagall, professor of Transfiguration and Deputy Headmistress, as well as the Head of Gryffindor House," she introduced herself. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but first you will be sorted into your Houses. While you are here, your House will serve as your family—you will live with them and eat with them, and help one another. There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff…"

Though she continued speaking for a bit, Joss tuned her out almost as soon as she mentioned Gryffindor. That had been Jacob's House—if she was his Head of House, then he figured it would be best not to get on her bad side too.

The students entered into a large hall, with massive ceilings reaching up toward the sky, dark at the top from lack of light. Torches flickered on the ancient walls, and they seemed as if they had been there since time immemorial. Another set of doors stood at the end of the room, large and wide to permit the entry of several students at once.

It was then that Joss finally got a good look at the other students. Of course, there was Tonks, Ben and Rowan, but there were dozens of others. There was a girl with blonde hair in two long braids and blue eyes; a freckled girl with red hair; and a haughty girl with messy brown hair and an orange streak in the front, among others.

Most of them were mumbling to one another, keeping their voices down to not incur the wrath of Professor McGonagall. The four friends kept to their own group, talking quietly as well; Joss noticed that Ben was doing his best to stay behind one of them at all times.

He was about to ask Ben what was wrong when Professor McGonagall opened the doors at the far end of the room. "We are ready for you. Form a queue, two in a row, please," and she turned and strode through the open doors.

The first years queued up as requested, and began following her in. Joss stood beside Tonks as they entered, occasionally looking to make sure the pink-haired Metamorphmagus didn't trip over her own shoelaces or the hem of her robes. When he wasn't watching Tonks, he looked up around at the Great Hall, as McGonagall had called it.

The hall was massive, most likely larger than the Wrights' house. The ceiling had been enchanted to look like the sky above, clear and filled with hundreds of stars and a round moon, and dozens of candles floated above their heads. Four long tables, already packed with students, were spread around the room and filled to the brim with delicious-looking food.

At the head of the room, there was another long table where several adults sat—the Professors, Joss figured. In front of their table, however, was a single wooden stool, upon which an old black pointed hat sat. He remembered Jacob telling him about this… they sat you in front of the whole school, and let the Sorting Hat decide where you would spend the rest of your days at that school.

It was terrifying, yet thrilling all at once.

Once the first years were in the Great Hall, they massed together in front of the Sorting Hat and stool. McGonagall approached them with a scroll, and began to read out names. Joss's name would be called close to last, due to his surname beginning with a 'W.'

The ceremony went surprisingly fast. McGonagall called the names, like with Ben—"Copper, Ben!"—and the Sorting Hat would call out their House—"GRYFFINDOR!" and the student would go to sit with his table as their new housemates applauded.

"Haywood, Penny!" called McGonagall. The blonde girl with braids approached the stool and sat, and the Hat called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Jones, Megan!"—"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Karasu, Tulip!"—"RAVENCLAW!"

"Khanna, Rowan!"—"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Tonks, Nymphadora!"—"HUFFLEPUFF!"

And so on and so forth, until the crowd was nearly gone and McGonagall finally called: "Wright, Jocelyn!"

Joss felt hundreds of faces coming to rest on him as he sat on the Sorting Hat, not just from the students, but the teachers as well. He imagined there would be several of the older students who remembered Jacob that would hope he did not end up in their House, and no doubt there were teachers that felt the same way. The Hat came to rest on his head, and in the back of his mind he heard a voice.

"Oh, you've got quite the mind, don't you?" it mused. "You're quite an oddity, I'm not entirely sure where to place you, Wright. I remember your brother, you know… I can feel your loyalty to him, and the family name, perhaps Hufflepuff? Hmm, but you've got intelligence in spades too, Ravenclaw? No… where do you think you should go, hmm?"

The question simmered in Joss's mind for several moments as he thought. He didn't want to be a Slytherin, he knew that much. Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw could be a good fit for him, the Hat said so itself, but there was one thing that stayed with Joss that finally made his decision for him.

"I see… very well then. As requested, I'll put you in—" the Hat's voice soon boomed out across the Great Hall, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Joss stood as the Hat was lifted off his head. His reception wasn't as warm as the others who were inducted; the older students were hesitant to clap, but thankfully the younger students made him feel welcome, clapping nonetheless.

And nobody clapped louder than Rowan Khanna, who beamed at his friend as he sat down on the bench beside him.

AAAAANNNNND THAT'S A WRAP!

This is my first foray back into fanfiction—specifically, Harry Potter fanfiction, in a few years, so I apologise if I'm a bit rusty. Also, a quick notice, I'm American, but I'm using Microsoft Word with the UK dictionary, so I'm trying to stick with British terms and spellings as best as I can, so please forgive me if I make any mistakes.

So, I've been playing a lot of Hogwarts Mystery lately, and in the time I have between the long-arse wait times, I decided that perhaps writing a story about my character wouldn't be too bad of an idea. This will take us all the way through Year 7—implying the game actually gets there, of course—and will hopefully fix some inconsistencies that I feel the game has, such as not knowing certain characters until certain years despite being in the same Year, and in some cases House, with them the whole time, and also things such as being in freaking Flying Classes as a Fourth Year. I'm trying to stick to the basic gist of the plot, but as there's no real scripts released online I'm having to either dissect YouTube videos for dialogue and actions or replay the game on an emulator, so please bear with me if there's any errors, I'm only one man after all!

I hope to have the next chapter up fairly soon, which should probably introduce everyone's favourite rival, Merula Snyde, as well as good ol' Severus Snape, and probably a few Weasleys as well.

Anyways, I'll be parting with my usual closing, that I may or may not have lifted from one of my favourite YouTubers:

Take care, brrrrush yo hair, I'll see ya when I see ya,

PEACE~~

P.S. I left a little Easter egg in there for a certain someone, you know who you are~~