1st of August, 1991

I don't even know where to begin. The only word that comes to my mind when thinking about just the first day alone is just WOW! I love magic. It's so wonderful!

First of all, my day had already started off better when before I left the village, Ben came to me and gave me a hug saying he was sorry for being cross. I cried hugging him back but I was glad that I would still have him as a friend when I came back. He promised me that.

I was nervous at the train station, running through a bloody wall at Platform 9 ¾ for the first time in my life, and then seeing the train. I hugged my mum and promised I would make dad proud. She told me that he already would be, but I still wanted to do well. I know that magic can be really unpredictable. I may have saved Ben when we were younger, but I could have very well have easily did to him what I did to Patch.

Anyway, when I got on the train I went to go find a seat. Most of them were already filled with students who had been to school before and were already friends. Some of them were way over how many people could fit into them, all stuffed with both boys and girls. I couldn't bear any of those. But then I found one that had one person in it. I knocked on the door and they let me come in. At first glance I couldn't tell if they were a boy or a girl. They were really small compared to me and they had short brown hair and glasses. They had a grey jumper, jeans, and sneakers. The jumper had a logo on it of some band called Spellbound who I had never heard of, but the design looked nice. They told me it was the name for an all witch band that has gone through 'loads of scandals' but that their music was still good. I hadn't gotten much into musicians and groups from the wizarding world, my mum grew up in the muggle world and so was into a lot of muggle bands in the 70s. When she met my dad she got him into her music and they started an entire collection of records from bands that were popular in their day together, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen. My mum was also into classical music, but that stuff always put me to sleep. I introduced myself and they told me their name was Max. We talked for the entire train ride to Scotland.

Max was quiet and nervous with me at first, and I couldn't blame them, we didnt know each other, so it seemed rude to ask them anything personal. But I tend to be pretty open about myself with others so I just talked while they listened. After awhile they got comfortable with me to tell them a little about themself.

Max was born in Brighton and then moved to London when their father got promoted while working for the Ministry of Magic, I can't remember where or for what exactly, but it was quite important Max kept insisting. Max had a similar experience like me. They lost a lot of their friends after moving and felt alone for awhile. But their father's position was 'important for the family' and it required them to be 'proper'.

I didnt know what they meant by that, but I didnt pry because I didnt want to be intrusive since we had just met. I just listened to whatever they felt comfortable talking about. Sometimes the subjects would change to silly things like putting hexes and jinxes on their brother. Their brother was named Charles and he was five years ahead of them already, a Ravenclaw prefect, like their parents. Max has always felt like being in Charles' shadow and it's made them feel like their parents aren't proud enough and they aren't good enough for anything magical. But I had just met Max and I already thought that was rubbish.

For the rest of the time I started telling Max about D&D and they were completely interested so I taught them how to play straight away. They even drew an idea for their character when I let them use a page of this book. I hope mum will be okay with that. But they are fantastic! They spent a while on it and I love it. They had been drawing for the last few years because they liked doing it in their free time and because they wanted to be good at something without needing to do it to impress their parents. We named him Claudio the Gnome. We thought the name was funny. I hope soon they can play as him in a game!

Then we went to buy some candy when the trolley came, but some other kids had taken all of the chocolate frogs which were Max's favorite. That made them very cross. I got some Bertie Botts Beans to cheer them up, but it only made it worse when they got earwax and I got troll bogey. No one had made me laugh like that except for Ben, and it felt like he was still here. I could'nt believe the luck of finding such a great person on my way to such an amazing school.

When we were getting closer to Hogwarts and it was time to change into our robes, Max was glad that all of the students had to wear robes. I was curious why so I asked, and they told me that when their family had to go out for fancy parties for their father, they had them wear dresses, and they absolutely hated wearing them. That's when I found out Max was a girl. But they hid it so well you couldn't tell. They told me they hated being treated like a girl or even being called a girl by the other boys they grew up with, always being teased and picked on. So I promised them I wouldn't ever bring it up. I think that made them happy. I hope it did.

After the train, we both headed off and made our way to the boats that would take us to the castle. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen! The biggest structure ever built. Way bigger than the old castle in my village. I couldn't believe I was going to live in this place.

After we made it to shore we were brought to the main hall and we waited to be called in to be sorted into our houses. As we waited, some students got into an argument with each other. It was with three boys. One had really bright blonde hair, and another had dark hair with round glasses, the other was incredibly ginger.

The blonde haired boy was named Malfoy, Who got sorted into Slytherin. He called the boy with round glasses Harry Potter, and every student gasped at the mention of that name. I had never heard of that name, but Max had, and they were shocked to see him. I asked Max about him later and apparently he was famous in the Wizarding World for being the only one ever to have survived the killing curse from the dark lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That wizard I had heard of. Everyone I ever knew was always hesitant at mentioning him, except for my grandad. He even used his name, Voldemort. He wasn't afraid of him, but mum was.

But apparently this Potter was really famous in The wizarding world. I guess I just never paid attention to things like that.

The gingered haired boy was named Weasel something? I don't know, but Malfoy was making fun of him, until Harry defended him. I didn't like Malfoy. But I guess now I'm stuck with him since I got sorted into Slytherin myself.

Max ended up getting sorted into Hufflepuff. The look I saw on their face when the sorting hat said the house I can only think was a look of surprise. I think Max had hoped to be put into Ravenclaw like the rest of their family. I hope they weren't disappointed, I hear that Hufflepuffs are really nice people, and from the train ride, Max is a really nice person, So I think they'll be happy there.

All of the other students got sorted. Harry Potter got sorted into Gryffindor along with the ginger boy.

I did get a few mean looks whenever I got sorted. I guess Slytherin has a bad reputation for having dark wizards in it. I got scared again for a moment that I would be seen as a freak and I wouldn't make any friends. For a moment Max gave me a look of worry but after the feast I was relieved when they said that we could hang out after classes.

I met all of the professors, including the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. I had red of the great things he'd done. I loved reading about the battle between him and Grindelwald during the second Muggle World War. That would have been epic to see! I met my head of house, Professor Snape, Max took one look at him and got chills. He looked at me for a second when I was looking at him and I felt as if I had already gotten on his bad side. He talked and moved in such a strange way, but he didn't scare me. During orientation I could tell he was just another strict bully like my grandad.

The sorting hat was a strange experience to be honest. It somehow could look inside myself and find out what kind of person I was. Some students it knew right away where to put them, others took a few minutes. For one girl, the hat almost went into what was called a 'hatstall' that took longer than five minutes, but it placed her in Gryffindor. Another boy wanted to be placed in Hufflepuff but the hat was adamant on putting him in Gryffindor as well. When the boy, his name was Longbottom, went quiet, the hat got its way. Which was odd placing him in Gryffindor. You would think a student who couldnt stand up to a hat wouldn't be considered into a house of bravery, but who am I to argue with a magical hat?

For me though, the hat almost seemed like it jumped when it was put on my head. It took a minute to think. It was muttering something to itself about 'raw power' and 'a kind of power it had not seen in a long time'. It considered putting me in Ravenclaw for having a sharp mind but after I impulsivly scoffed a bit at it for saying that it put me in Slytherin. I wasn't being rude, but I knew I couldn't be a Ravenclaw. I'm lazy and sleep too much.

All of the other Slytherin students who got sorted had been booed by the other houses, with the exception of Hufflepuff, although there was a few that were quiet about it. There was even a shy girl named Millicent I thought was on the verge of tears with how she reacted to the treatment.

During the feast we also met the house ghosts like Nearly Headless Nick, the Fat Friar, the Grey Lady, and the Bloody Baron. It was the first time I had seen ghosts. I knew they existed, I even hoped I would've found some in the old Dale castle with Ben. But seeing them for the first time sent actual chills through me, though that might have been because the Baron flew right through me one time. They also said something about another ghost named Peeves trying to keep him away from the dinner and they seemed really cross about him for some reason. I was sitting next to third year and he told me that Peeves was some sort of prankster that made a mess of things at Hogwarts. I hope I don't run into him anytime soon.

After being sorted I really thought I was going to have a bad time being a part of a house that's labeled the 'evil house'. But later that night, our 7th year prefect Gemma Farley told us first years that there was nothing to be ashamed of for being a Slytherin. The house had a bad reputation, but she claimed that being a Slytherin proved you were special and that this house prides itself in being loyal to their own.

But my Grandad was a Slytherin too, and from what I know of him, 'their own' just means Pure-bloods. Any half-bloods are typically ignored and muggle borns sorted into Slytherin are treated completely horribly. My grandad would say that my dad's side has always been pure-blood, but his family had kept to themselves away from the other pure-blood families of the wizarding world. Grandad would often refer to some of those families as 'bad blood', when they sided with dark wizards and witches throughout their history. But he was just as bad as the rest of them for how he treated my mum. She was a muggle born, and my mum told me of how he hated her for marrying my dad and 'tainting' the bloodline. Whatever the hell that means?

I didn't care though, anybody who has magic is amazing, regardless of what kind of blood they have. Most of these slytherins weren't pure bloods anyway. Not really.

My mum had been a hufflepuff like Max, she had met my dad at a Quiddich map in their third year together. He was a Gryffindor. During the sorting ceremony, my mum said he made a scene about being placed their, and after a few minutes arguing, the hat finally gave in. My grandad was so cross.

Adrian Pucey, a third year gloated that Slytherin house had had the world's greatest wizard in all of history Merlin as their claim to being better than the other houses.

My dad had a bunch of story books of King Arthur and Merlin both muggle fiction and wizard history I had read growing up, but just because a powerful wizard was in a house doesn't mean that house is the best, all of the different houses had something special about them. I wish I would have just thought that in my head but I stupidly said that out loud and most everyone was cross at me for it.

This one girl Pansy Parkinson and a few other girls started making fun of me calling me mudblood lover. The boys, along with Malfoy just laughed at me. Nobody in the common room came to my defense, everyone else was just quiet. The prefect tried to shut them up but they wouldn't stop once they started. Not until Professor Snape showed up out of nowhere and scared all of us into silence. He scoffed at the first years for acting like children, which I mean, we sort of are? But then he came over to me and warned me not to go causing trouble or that I would live to regret it. That really made me mad, but I didn't say anything else.

He started going off on all of us about how Slytherin house needs to set an example as the more superior house by earning points by doing well in classes and going above and beyond for the school. At the end of the year all four houses will compete for the house cup, and whichever house has the most points will win and will be crowned the best class of the year. He took five points off of Slytherin after that, saying that we needed to do better in order to earn those points back. The other first years and a few of the older students looked at me with anger.

I don't like Professor Snape. He feels cold and uncaring. But he is the potions teacher, and that was one of the subjects I was really looking forward to learning. I hope he's better in the classroom, But something tells me he wont be.

But thats what happened to me today. It wasnt what I expected, but it was still amazing. I can't wait to start learning magic and hopefully make more friends. Hopefully if Max doesnt get scared off by the other Slytherins, but I wont let them be mean to Max, I'll show this school that a slytherin can be kind and a good friend. I'll make you proud dad.