It all started the day before my eleventh birthday... the day I received my acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My parents couldn't have been more ecstatic for me - especially since they were wizards themselves. My dads were amazing in every way - they loved me for who I was, they encouraged me to improve my skills and focus on my talents (I just happened to be very good at riddles and Wizard's Chess), and they always made sure my education came first.

Shopping was a blast that year, especially since I was lucky enough to get ice cream after we finished. I picked out a barn owl and named her Star, and the amount of love I had for that bird couldn't be put into words. We didn't have an owl at home before that, which was a little uncommon where we lived (Falmouth), though it never really bothered us before. We mainly kept to ourselves, and our family was small; I was an only child, and some would say I was quite spoiled because of it.

The biggest moment for me when we went shopping for my first year was when I got my wand. Unicorn hair, ebony, eleven and a half inches, slightly springy. I was proud of that wand, and knew I would one day do great things with it. I had so many hopes and dreams for my Hogwarts career, and my parents only encouraged them.

Saying goodbye to my dads was one of the hardest things I had to do, but I didn't cry. I kept on a brave face for them, as I didn't want to be made fun of on my first day. I hadn't been raised around other witches and wizards, so being around hundreds at my new school was going to be a definite change of pace.

I ended up in a compartment with two First Year boys named Thomas and Geoffrey. Thomas and I clicked immediately, and we engaged in a game of Gobstones while Geoffrey read what appeared to be one of our school books. We all bought some sweeties off of the trolley and traded wizard cards. It was an enjoyable trip, and my eleven-year-old self slowly lost the nerves I'd been carrying for a month at that point.

Maybe - just maybe - I would fit in, I thought. Maybe nobody would question me, or think of me as a strange person. I was just an average kid, after all.

When we arrived, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor and games keeper, Hagrid, led us to the Castle. We rowed our way up the Black Lake, where I was in the boat with my future best friend, Tom, and a girl named Jane. We chattered excitedly to each other as we talked about our plans for the school year, and which classes we were so sure were going to be our favorites, and which House we were going to be in.

Once we were in the Great Hall, after our introductory speech from Professor Longbottom, we lined up and waited for our names to be called to be sorted into our Houses. Everyone's eyes were on Albus Potter and Rose Weasley, who were the children of the famous Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, who saved our world before I was born. Many of us applauded when Rose Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, but when Albus was called...

"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat shouted.

While there was an eruption of applause from the Slytherin table, the rest of us were shocked. I had no hard feelings towards Slytherins - in fact, I had an Uncle who was a Slytherin and he was a good man. I spotted Albus' older brother, James, at the Gryffindor table looking lost and disappointed. My feelings of anxiety returned when I realized I could have very well disappointed my parents by being sorted into the wrong House.

My friend, Tom, went up and he was sorted into Ravenclaw. After he was sorted, it was Jane's turn and she was placed in Hufflepuff. I felt my stomach flip-flop and felt a little nauseous from too much sugar and too many nerves.

"Parker, Atticus," Professor Longbottom called.

I froze the moment he said my name before I slowly walked up to the stool. I took my seat, and felt the hat go over my eyes.

"You're a wise one," the hat said. "But you're so full of secrets. You're true to yourself, and that takes courage. You like Wizard's Chess, eh? You're destined for greatness - I know exactly where to put you..."

The hat paused for a moment.

"Ravenclaw!" it shouted.

There was an eruption from the Ravenclaw table, and I felt the hat being pulled off my head, leaving my dark brown hair to be messier than it usually was. I hurried off the stool and joined Tom and the rest of the people at the Ravenclaw table, where I was welcomed with open arms.

My following days as a First Year were fairly good. I wasn't bullied much (though a couple of Gryffindors liked to pick on me because I wasn't the best at flying), and I even had the opportunity to talk to Albus Potter. We didn't end up clicking, which was a shame, as we were both fairly reserved kids who didn't seem to know how to make friends. He seemed to be quite attached to Scorpius Malfoy, who was a pleasant kid in my book.

Lucky for me, my mate Tom was there for me through everything. We were inseparable. We helped each other in our weaker subjects (mine being Herbology, his being Potions), played Chess together, and basically remained attached at the hip every day of our First Year. Of course, that wouldn't change in the future by much.

By the time the end of the school year arrived, I was sad to see him go back to London, but we promised each other we would write and would even try to visit one another. We kept our promises and he did visit for a couple of weeks, and my dads loved him. They took us to Hogsmeade for a special day out and it was a blast. During his visit, we spent most of our time playing out in the garden and quizzing each other from our old school books. It was nice having a mate who was as interested in academics as I was.

Over the next three years, we continued to be inseparable, and we made a promise to each other to keep no secrets. I told him almost everything, and I was sure he told me all there was to know about Thomas William Adams. He truly was my best friend.

It was my Fifth Year, and I was just as enthused as the years' past to resume my schooling. My dads took me shopping for robes and books, and I was given multiple speeches about my O. , which I took many practice tests for over the summer. I was excited to get back to my home away from home: Hogwarts.

The opening ceremony feast was good as it was every year before that. Tom and I sat next to each other and talked about our upcoming classes, his trip to Greece over the summer, and girls. Everything was normal in our worlds.

My morning routine for the first day of school was the usual: wake up, get dressed, and waited until everyone (including Tom) cleared out so I could give myself my shot. After magicking away the needle, I hid my medicine in my trunk and transfigured it into an ink well so nobody knew what it was, and hurried off to breakfast.

While Tom was my best friend in the whole world, there was one thing I couldn't tell him... I'm transgender.