Artie Kempston | First Year | Gryffindor

George and Enid Kempston weren't young parents to say the least. George was a software manager, and Enid worked as a personal assistant. They were 33 when they had Artie's sister, Imogen, and 35 when Artie was born. Even though they were older, it made them care for their children even more. Their children were their world, and because of their age, it made it even more special when they were brought into this world.

His childhood was simple, like many kids'. He would go to school, go home, spend time with his family, and read. He liked reading; in fact, he owned so many books that they typically covered his floor. From a young age, he was advanced in reading, typically reading books that weren’t in his age range. Long, wordy books that told stories of far-off places. If you were to ask him what his favorite book was, he would say The Lord of the Rings, because it was a story about a group of friends, and for a kid who had no friends, reading about it helped him feel like he could escape that.

He got along well with his sister, her being his only real friend. Whenever he wasn't reading or doing his schoolwork, he was spending his time with her. They liked to spend time outside together, talking, learning about their lives. She was also his biggest defender, sticking up for him at school, telling children off who were cruel. She wasn't magical, but she was a hero.

Artie attended Webster Primary School, and, as much as he loved to learn, he hated the school with a burning passion. Constantly bullied and made fun of by kids who had nothing better to do with their time would send him home crying, cheeks flushed with anger, and fists clenched as he pulled himself back up to his room.

When he got his letter from Hogwarts, he was confused at first. He didn’t fully understand what it meant. I mean, magic? His parents were confused, but supportive, wanting to help anyway that they could. When a staff member from his new school came and explained everything to him, all the sorts from him being magic, to going to a new school where he would be able to fly on brooms and cast spells, he was obsessed. He read every book that he could find in his school's library about magic, but none of them seemed like what the staff member had explained. He wasn't totally prepared, but he was excited.

The family travelled to London, going to Diagon Alley so that he could get his school supplies for the year. While they didn’t really understand it, they were excited for their son. Artie was excited, too. This was his new beginning. His new shot at really making some friends.

Artie's first instance of magic was on school grounds. He was 10, being bullied, relentlessly pushed around by a group of boys bigger and older than him. He was mad, fuming. The boy who was the leader of the group stood in front of him, a boy who had been bullying him for years. The boy was wearing a brand new hat that he had gotten for his birthday, as Artie glared at him, the boy's hat lit ablaze suddenly. Artie stumbled back as the boy threw the hat to the ground. Running as far away from him as they could.