There has always been talk of three.

Three worlds...

Three stars...

Three children.

It had been three, when the last of the Marauders fell.

It had been three, when the Dark Lord was defeated.

And now,

It is three again.


Everyone has a different way of coping with stress.

Albus tells me that his Aunt Hermione studied like crazy for her tests, and that test really stressed her out. She was almost obsessed with getting good grades, back when she was in Hogwarts. And if you ask me, she's still obsessed with good grades, as the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She takes things very seriously.

My brother, Jake, he likes to skateboard when he's upset. It's a Muggle sport, in case you've never heard of it, where you travel and do tricks with a board on wheels. Jake got into it while he was still going to a Muggle grade school, before he turned eleven.

I think Jake's going to need a new board soon.

Three years ago, while I was in my first year of attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, my parents were murdered. It was, no contest, the most earth- shattering, nightmare- inducing thing that has ever happened to me.

Anyway, I have three brothers and two sisters, and this year, we will all be in Hogwarts. Which means that I have to wake up right now and get ready to go, unless I want to get in trouble. But of course, this isn't the thing you think of when you're trying to catch the last precious rays of sleep, and a good dream. It's an escape from the outside world and all it's problems.

Oh, my way of dealing with stress? Funny you should ask. I like music- Muggle music. Yes, I am a half blood. I also like writing. And sleeping.

I'd stayed up late that night doing both writing and listening to music, so I very slowly, wake up. It takes about five minutes for me to actually become physically functional. Things come into blurry focus, and I reach for my glasses on the desk beside me.

Then I start, and stand up, no longer tired. Merlin's beard, I left my MP3 Player on the entire night! It won't be fully charged for today, and this may be the last opportunity to use a wall outlet until summer break! I jam my glasses onto my face, the cast around for my MP3 charger.

Today... September first. The start of my fourth year of Hogwarts.

I scramble for the charger.

Because the two of my greatest fears are fire and a 10% battery, like most of the non-magical world.

Nah, I'm just joking. I mean, it is 2020, and I'm surprised that the magical world STILL hasn't discovered electricity yet. Maybe the Muggles are more technologically advanced than we are. Wouldn't using electricity decrease the amounts of open fire you have to use when there's no such thing as an overhead light?

"Anwen? ANWEN!" I have my trunk open, and I'm shoving as much as possible into it as will fit. The doorknob rattles. I'd locked the door, but I know that a simple "Alohamora" would open it. "Open this door right now!"

"Uh, give me a minute," I call, but the door flies open anyway. There stands Molly Weasley, ready with her and, and already spelling things into my trunk. She knew that I'd wake up late.

That's right, when Torsen and Amanda Lestrange are murdered, Ron and Hermione Weasley are the first to volunteer for foster care.

And yes, you saw it. Lestrange. My last name. Torsen, my father, is Bellatrix's cousin's (on her father's side) son. Did you understand that? I get confused with family trees to, so don't feel bad if you don't. Like what in the world is a second cousin? It doesn't matter, because my parents were murdered by a low class Dark Arts group, and Bellatrix Lestrange is dead.

"Anwen, get dressed! Everyone's already in the car!"

I glance down at my black tank top and jean shorts, pull on a sweater. Mrs. Weasley looks over at me, sighs, and then shoos me out to the car. I grab my MP3 player and the charger, then head out side, hearing the older woman grumbling behind me.

The car is a Blue Ford Anglia, and it's spelled to hold twelve people inside. I open the side door and slide inside, beside Hugo and Rose Weasley. They are excited to be going back to school, and for once, they aren't bickering.

"Nice to see you up," my brother Jake says, tone dry. He holds his skateboard in his lap. "Finally."

"Yeah, good morning, Skate freak," I mutter, as Mrs. Weasley gets into the car. I glance over, and see my eleven year old sister, Jacinda. She's still asleep. Last night, she was so excited to go to Hogwarts for the first time, that she slept past her bed time by a few hours. Jake must have carried her into the car.

Apparently, Hermione had heard my remark, because she gives me a look. "Don't call your brother a freak," she reprimands, but it's more out of habit. Rose and Hugo always fight. She feels bad for us, I know, but sometimes it's annoying, because we can deal by ourselves.

The car rattles off, meeting the Potter's car, as it drives to King's Cross Station. I crane my neck to look inside the car, and see the dark outline of Albus Potter, waving from the back of the car, between James and his sister Lily. I wave back.

The one thing I love about magic is that twelve people can fit in the car. Hermione, Ron, Hugo, Rose, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Jake, Toby, Arran (my brothers), Cassiopeia, Jacinda (my sisters), and I can all fit into the car, and there's still ample room to move about.

Since my second year, there has been some improvement in Hogwarts, meaning that there are power outlets in every common room. Of course, there are charms over them to protect some witless first year from electrocuting themselves, and sometimes magical interference messes up complex devices, but my MP3 is still okay to use.

One reason I'm eager to go to Hogwarts, Mr. Weasley is always poking at the power outlet I had installed by myself in the room I share with Cass and Jacinda.

Another reason I'm looking forward to Hogwarts, my friends.

I know Albus likes to think of us as a trio- you know, first it was James Potter, his grandfather, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, and then it was Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and now, he says, it's him, me, and Scorpius.

James, his older brother, just laughs at him, but the adults get a little starry eyed when they remember what they got into when they went to Hogwarts. I personally don't mind. Scorpius doesn't either.

Third reason I'm excited for Hogwarts, is that I don't have to deal with annoying siblings, In fact, I don't have to deal with anyone beside Albus and Scorpius. We're all in Slytherin.

Albus is in Slytherin, I think, because:

a) He wants to prove his brother wrong, and show that Slytherin isn't actually terrible

b) He wants to get as far away from his brother ass possible while in school

c) He is a genius at strategy. I'm not kidding. Try to beat him in a game of wizard's chess.

Scorpius is in Slytherin, but I think that he should be in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Maybe he's just quiet because his father is suspected of being an ex-Death Eater, and he likes to read to stay away from everyone else. But, really, anyone who can pull off so many pranks and not get caught my Minerva McGonagall truly deserves to be in Slytherin.

And me? I have no idea why I'm in Slytherin. Some people definitely know where they're going to go, even before they get into Hogwarts, and the Sorting is just a formality. But no, I let an old enchanted hat decide where I belong.