It had been a long summer. Warm days and cool nights seemed to stretch forever as students enjoyed their break. Being free was calming, but to some, summer was more stressful than ever. In the midst of a lazy summer day, one house in the neighbourhood was busy with the hustle and bustle of a new family moving in. A normal family, or so it would seem from the outside. However, the family had a secret; a knowledge that most of the common world had no knowledge of. They had access to a limitless supply of power, one that a normal mortal would kill to be able to tap into. Yes, these people were wizards and witches, and damn good ones, too.

But even wizards and witches get tired of the world of magic; so in a stroke of brilliance (or idiocy) the parents of this household decided to forego living in the realm of magic and decided to settle down a quiet town of Dundas. The sleepy settlement had citizens who kept to themselves and didn't welcome outsiders very kindly, which suited the family just fine. They're business didn't require friends, and they treated the townspeople as they were treated themselves: nothing of importance.

At the head of the household were Nathan and Katherine, two accomplished alchemists for the ministry of magic, which they tried to pass down to their son, Matt. Being less than thrilled about his parent's lack of time for him, the boy expressed himself in his own little ways, making miniaturized models out of scraps of metal, studying philosophy of magic, and experimenting in countless hours in the art of offensive alchemy.

Alchemy in the wizarding world was an offshoot of the school of magic known as potions. Many accomplished wizards were also alchemists, such as Nicholas Flamel, and the infamous headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. The principle behind magical alchemy that for whatever one wanted to create, something of equal value had to be given up. Matt could fashion pretty much whatever he wanted, if he found the materials that made that object up. The only tools he needed would be his wand and his imagination.

Stepping out of the Ministry's issued automobile, Matt stood up and observed his new home. A fairly new, two level home with a fresh coat of paint and a garage, Matt couldn't help but feel nostalgia for his former house, almost an hour away from Diagon Alley, where he could be sure to find whatever he needed for his experiments. As he looked to his left, he saw a teenager around his age looking at him curiously. At that moment, a feeling of dread and anxiety hit him as he realised that this year he would be transferring schools from his parent's tutors to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Attending an evaluation session a month before, he had managed to have received an audience with his hero, Dumbledore. After being asked to perform a series of test charms, spells, and potions, the elder wizard had deemed him worthy to enter Hogwart's for the coming school year. Being sixteen, Matt had missed a lot of the experience of being a teenager, but had a few friends that he had to leave behind when he moved. He was comfortable around those people, and valued their companionship. They had made his parents' often absence less of a bother.

"Son, could you help me with the bags?" muttered Nathan, obviously struggling with the family's belongings.

"Why old man, afraid to break a hip?" Matt shot back with a smirk. His father and him had a good relationship, and Matt understood how much Nathan and Katherine's careers meant to them. He tried to help whenever he was needed, but couldn't resist poking fun at his old man every once and awhile.

"Yeah yeah, my hip's got more strength in it that you have in your skinny body, boy."

Matt chuckled as he grabbed two suitcases out of the trunk of the car, where two more bags appeared out of what seemed to be thin air.

"Magic cars. Got to love them." Matt thought to himself.

Walking into the house, he could hear his footsteps reverberate off the hardwood floors, echoing off the high ceilings. A letter had been left just inside the door, as if it had just been pushed through the mail slot that morning. Matt noticed, however, that there was no mail slot in the door.

"Wizard mailmen. Got to hate them." He added. Since his family's owl Ajax was not familiarized with the new home yet, the ministry had set them up with a temporary mail service in the meantime. Pocketing the letter quickly, he decided to save it for later as he dropped off the suitcases and moved aside as his mother carried in a pile of oak wood. After a few more trips, all of the luggage had been been brought in, such as the furnishings for two bedrooms, a living room, and the bathrooms. All that was left was the kitchen.

Katherine has brought in the pile of wood for a reason, concentrating and gripping her wand, she muttered a single phrase: "Transmuto…"

With this, a burst of light erupted from the pile of wood, and when it had subsided, a chair and table set stood where the pile of wood once lay. This was how alchemy worked. The potential to make anything the heart desired, with only a little imagination. Katherine and Nathan had tried to pass on to Matt that the mind was stronger than the wand, for this was true in every sense of the phrase.

Matt entered his new bedroom, exhausted. The day's work had taken a definite toll on him as moving was a strenuous activity. Plopping down onto his single bed, he looked up at his ceiling until he remembered the note in his pocket. Pulling it out, he unfolded the envelope and began to read the parchment that was enclosed. It read, in a very tidy scrawl;

Mr Parker.

Enclosed is the book list that will be needed for your coming year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your schedule has been arranged due to your talents presented to Headmaster Dumbledore. You will be expected to arrive at Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station. From there you will depart on the Hogwart's Express to Hogwart's Castle, where you will be sorted into a house depending on your merits. Below is your schedule. We look forward to your attendance.

-Minerva McGonagallPotions 6th year. Tranfiguration 6th year.

Charms 6th year.

Alchemy

Arithmacy 6th year

Astonomy 6th year.

Defense Against the Dark Arts 6th Year

Alchemy has been added to the curriculum this year, and will be available to students who wish to attend.

"Oh… great." Matt said with a sigh. Looking at his calendar beside his bed, he realised that there was only a few precious days left in the summer vacation; three to be precise.

"Just enough time to get to Diagon Alley and get my stuff… and say goodbye to the summer… Bah." Matt muttered again as he stood up and prepared to go to bed. Peeling off his t-shirt that he wore for moving, he looked in the mirror. His build was nothing out of the ordinary. Not too skinny, and not too built either; a peaceful medium that he was satisfied with. His mop of black hair on his head fell a bit in his face, as he adjusted his glasses covering his blue. For most of his life he had been compared in likeness to the infamous "boy who lived," Harry Potter. Unfortunately for him, being confused for a celebrity was not very flattering when people were disappointed you were not the "real deal."

"Note to self: Get contacts tomorrow." Matt thought to himself as he turned off the lights, leaving his jeans on as he covered himself in his bedspread and fell asleep silently, dreaming of what would happen in the days to come.