Samuel Benson was really excited for his first day of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd been waiting to get his letter since he'd been old enough to understand magic. His dad had gone there, and had told him wicked tales about the place. He was to start tomorrow, to travel to Platform 9 ¾ at King Cross Station to board the Hogwarts Express.

Sam was in his room that night, making sure he had everything he needed for his first year. He was just trying to find his Transfiguration textbook, when he heard his door opened.

"Are you ready?"

Sam looked up at his doorway to see his father standing right on the outside.

His father was an impressive looking man who was highly regarded at the Ministry of Magic. He had short, honey-brown hair, and piercing green eyes. He commanded a sort of respect whenever he entered a room, the kind of impact that Sam hoped to have by the end of his time at Hogwarts.

"Yea-no," Sam admitted.

"You nervous?" Robert Benson crossed into the bedroom, and came to inspect some of the things Sam had put in his trunk for Hogwarts.

"Maybe a little," Sam sighed.

His dad put an arm around his shoulder, and squeezed him. "It's okay. Being nervous is only natural."

"Were you nervous when you first started?" Sam had already heard this a thousand times, but it always calmed him down a little when his dad told him a story.

"I was extremely nervous. I was afraid that I'd be sorted into a different house than my parents wanted me to be in."

"What house did they want you in?"

Robert must've realized that his son was only asking to keep calm, because he simply smiled. "Ravenclaw. They had both been in there when they went to Hogwarts."

Sammy nodded his head. "What happens if I'm not sorted into Ravenclaw?" Everyone on his dad's side had been sorted into Ravenclaw. It was like a family tradition.

"You could be sorted into any house, and I'd still love you. And so will your mum."

"I don't think Mum'll mind all that much, to be fair," Sam said, sighing. He'd wished this conversation had gone anywhere but here.

Robert chuckled. "Perhaps not. She doesn't fully understand everything about being a wizard or a witch, but you know she tries her hardest."

Sam forced a smile on his face, before responding, "Yeah, I know."

The older man nodded his head, before ruffling his son's dark brown hair. "Come. Your mum made dinner. Let's go eat enjoy one last supper together until Christmas."

Sam followed his dad out of his room, and down to the kitchen where his mother had dinner sitting on the table. Almost instantly, a real smile formed on Sam's face when he saw that Miranda Benson had made his favorites: corn, fried chicken, and green beans. He sat down at the table, and instantly started serving his place. Miranda whacked her son's hands.

"Wait, dear," she said, smiling. "This is our last meal together for a while. Please, let's have some manners."

"Won't be be able to eat breakfast tomorrow?" Sam was confused.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I've got to go to work in the morning."

Instantly, Sam's smile faded, being replaced with a frown. "But, mum, it's my first day to go to Hogwarts…"

"I know," Miranda said, cutting him off, "but I have to work. I'd love to be there for you, but that's just not going to happen. Anyways, I think your dad'll be more suited to taking you…"

Sam's good mood seemed to disappear right then. He loved his mother, he really did. But she had no magical blood at all, being pure muggle. And he had been hoping that she'd be able to experience some of the magic of being a wizard. She had to work when he and his dad had gone to Diagon Alley to get everything he needed, and now she was working on September first. Sometimes, he felt like she tried her hardest to stay away from the magical world. And that hurt him more than he was willing to admit.

His hunger suddenly gone, he pushed his plate of food in front of him, and left the table to go back up to his room, and sit on his bed.

Sam had locked his door on his way in, so when Robert came to check on him, he found himself unable to get into the room. He knew he'd' be able to use magic to get in, but he figured Sam needed the time to himself.

Instead, Robert walked back downstairs to where Miranda was furiously putting dinner away. Robert went up to his wife, and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. She seemed to relax under her husband's touch.

"How is he?"

"Don't know. He had his door locked." Robert heard Miranda let out a gasp of anger. She tore away from her husband, her green eyes dark with anger.

"Couldn't you just use magic to open the door?"

"Miranda, dear, sometimes using magic isn't the solution. You can't just magic away life's problems."

"I wasn't asking you to! I was asking you to go unlock our son's door, and make him understand that sometimes work has to come first!"

Robert let out a sigh, and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. He knew he needed to calm Miranda down before she decided to go off the deep end and slam down Sam's door on her own. She'd be able to do it, of that Robert had no doubt whatsoever.

"Miranda, perhaps you could've asked for tomorrow of? I mean, Sam probably thinks that you don't like magic, because you never do anything associated with it. You didn't come with us to Diagon Alley, and you're not coming with tomorrow."

Miranda crossed her arms her over chest, and narrowed her green eyes. "So, this is how we're gonna play it, huh? You're gonna take his side? Robert, you of all people should know that there's bills to pay, and sometimes you just have to work to pay them - even if it means missing out on stuff. Sam's eleven. You can't expect him to know everything."

The two adults continued to bicker, while unbeknown to them, their son was sitting on the top step, listening to their argument. Before they could argue anymore, Sam got up, and went back to his bedroom. He layed on his bed for quite some time, before finally succumbing to sleep.

The next morning, Sam was oddly quiet while he and his dad rushed around, trying to get everything ready for Hogwarts, before the train was due to leave. Robert was concerned for his son, he'd been talking nonstop since he'd gotten his letter just two months ago stating he was accepted to Hogwarts. Robert would've assumed that Sam would've shown excitement for finally leaving this morning, even with what happened the previous night.

They were heading out to King's Cross Station when Robert finally broke the silence.

"You alright? You seem awfully quiet, Sam."

Sam didn't even bother looking up at his father, instead focusing his attention on the ground as he walked. "I'm fine," was his only response.

And they fell back into quietness until they reached King's Cross Station, and the barrier that lead to Platform 9 ¾, when Robert tried again to speak to his son. "I'll go first to show you," he began, but quickly realized that Sam had already disappeared into the barrier with all his stuff.

Muttering under his breath, Robert checked to make sure no one was watching before racing to the barrier himself. He was hoping Sam would at least be waiting on the other side for him, but alas he was nowhere to be seen when Robert emerged onto Platform 9 ¾. He glanced around for a few seconds, but when it became apparent that Sam must've already boarded the Hogwarts Express, he sighed. He just wish he knew why his son had been so upset.

Sam knew he shouldn't of ran away like that on his father, but he couldn't help it. He was just so mad. His mom hadn't even bothered to deny she wasn't fond of magic last night. And he'd never heard his parents yelling like they had last night.

He wandered up and down the train trying to find an empty compartment, but it seemed like most places were full. However, one compartment had only one boy in it, and his head was buried in a book. Sam figured it would be safe to go in, and so he did.

He put his trunk onto the top rack, and then sat down, opposite to the red-headed boy.

"Hello?" Sam asked.

The boy looked up, only to scowl at the other boy. "Do you mind? I'm trying to read."

Sam looked sheepish. "Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly."

The boy sighed before shutting his book and putting it next to him. "Alright, well I guess I probably won't get to read anymore till I get to the castle."

Sam managed a smile. "My name is Sam Benson." He held out his hand.

The boy took his hand, and smiled back. "The name is Percy Weasley."

Sam grinned even more. "Is this your first year too?"

"Yeah, I'm excited though! Think of all the things we can learn!" Percy's blue eyes were widened as he imagined all the knowledge he was going to learn while at Hogwarts.

"What house do you suppose you'll be in?"

"Probably Gryffindor. My two older brothers are in it, and so were my parents. What about you?"

"I'm half expecting Ravenclaw, just because everyone on my dad's side was in it."

"What about your mum?"

"Oh…" Sam trailed off for a second, before finally finishing, "she's a muggle."

Percy didn't say much else for a while, before he finally smiled. "Well, I think you'd make an outstanding Ravenclaw, Sam."