For as long as Spencer could remember, Diana Reid was always different from the other kids' mothers. No one else's mother, as far as he knew of anyway, had raised them to mistrust the police. No one else's mother, as far as he knew of anyway, had read them Chaucer instead of picture books. One thing that Spencer was absolutely positive of was that no one else's mother believed she'd grown up in a world of magic, seen her older brother go off to a magical boarding school, and eagerly awaited the day she could go only to discover that she hadn't inherited her family's magical abilities.
Even by the age of four, he didn't believe in his mother's stories about places with weird names like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Gringotts. He had too much faith in science to believe in something he'd never seen proof of.
By age five, he knew that his mother was schizophrenic and that his parents were having problems.
When he was six, Spencer began to wonder if he might be just as sick as his mum. Because that was the only way he could rationalize his favorite book suddenly appearing in his bedroom when he knew for a fact that one of his many tormenters had stolen the book earlier that day.
On Spencer's eighth birthday, when nobody came to the party his mum insisted on throwing for him, he had his fifth burst of what he would later discover was accidental magic. It was the first time either of his parents saw it happen. That day was also the last time he saw his dad and, even though his mother told him she didn't blame him for anything, Spencer knew it was his magical outburst that made William Reid leave; no man as perfectly normal as William Reid could stand living with a woman who could barely keep track of what year it was and an eight year old who could banish every party decoration in sight with nothing more than his mind.
When Spencer was nine, his mother had a few really good weeks. During this time, she took him on his first trip to Diagon Alley. Even seeing it with his own eyes could barely convince Spencer it was real.
By October 9th, 1991, when Spencer turned eleven and received his Hogwarts letter, he'd read through at least a hundred books from Flourish and Blotts. He could barely believe there'd been a time he doubted the existence of this world.
September 1st, 1992, he went to Kings Cross and boarded the scarlet steam engine at platform nine and three quarters. However, through his excitement there was the lingering feeling that he shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be going so far away from his mother who needed him so badly. As the train pulled away from the station and he waved at Diana Reid one last time, Spencer made a promise to himself. He swore that if she wasn't managing well enough on her own when he went home for the winter holidays he would stay with her; he would return to the real world and take care of his mother if that's what he had to do.
But by the time the little boat carrying him, a tiny blonde-haired girl with huge silver eyes, and two entirely unremarkable young boys, made its way across the lake and Spencer caught his first glimpse of Hogwarts, his new home and his fresh start, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep the silent promise he'd made.