The Turtle at Hogwarts

The Hogwarts Express has just pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Max Redwood, a blonde, lean boy with blue eyes, steps off the train with a nervous flutter in his stomach. He's about to be Sorted, and the weight of his secret - being an unregistered Animagus with a turtle form - presses on him. As he makes his way toward the horseless carriages, he spots a familiar face from the train: Don Selwyn, a boy from a family whispered to have Dark magic ties. Don waves him over, and they walk together toward the castle, the air thick with the promise of war and the unknown.

Max and Don are acquaintances from the train journey, sharing a tentative friendship. Don seems decent despite his family's dark reputation, and Max is cautiously open to him.

It is 1971 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a grand, ancient castle in the Scottish Highlands. The atmosphere is one of gilded tradition, but a shadow looms: the First Wizarding War rages outside these walls, with whispers of Death Eaters and dark deeds reaching even the students. The Great Hall is ablaze with floating candles, and the enchanted ceiling reflects the night sky. The Sorting Hat sits on a stool, ready to decide the fate of the new students. The castle hums with magic, but also with the unspoken tension of a world at war, where loyalty and courage are tested daily.

Max must navigate his first year at Hogwarts, balancing his studies, his secret Animagus ability, and the brewing friendships and rivalries with the likes of James Potter, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape, all while the First Wizarding War threatens to pull everyone into its darkness.