1877 Archie is born the second child to Ephraim and Eloise Belby.

1877-1883 His early years are pleasant. He's a typical, bubbly little boy. He always seems to have something to say, and his questions are incessant. As a toddler, the family jokes that the only sentences he knows are ‘Why?’ and ‘What’s that?’

1883 His father is bitten by a werewolf, and his family’s life is forever changed. Ephraim thought it best to divorce Eloise for everyone’s good, which only makes his mother and sister resentful. Without proper adjustment skills, Archie grows quiet and draws in on himself, not wanting to make their lives difficult in any way. It seems whenever he asks his usual questions, nobody wishes to answer him or grows impatient, especially if they're about his father. The boy instead turns to books, and they become his most loyal companions.

Later in 1883 Archer's first acts of magic occur without any remark from his family since they're still reeling from the year's incident. He has a habit of making books float back to him after they have been banished to a shelf at bedtime. (His family would say that he first displayed magic a year later when he prevented another child from falling out a window.)

1884-1888While the rest of his family has written off his father, Archie still hopes to one day re-establish a relationship with him. Since nobody tends to talk about him, the boy does all the research he can on werewolves in books, articles, and by asking questions everywhere he goes. (And sneak reading the letters his sister receives.) He is of the opinion that it isn’t the fault of the person who was turned, and, therefore, he doesn’t understand why the world shuns them. In his research, he’s also stumbled upon information on vampires, ghosts, and more, all of which he is intensely interested in. Though, speaking of such doesn’t really gain him many friends, so he tries to keep it under wraps.

1888/1889 Archer starts his first year of Hogwarts, and he is sorted into Ravenclaw. While he excels academically, his social pursuits constantly fall flat. Aside from the occasional study groups and tagalong adventures, Archer hasn't made any solid friendships. Due to lack of confidence and just generally bad luck, he is the poor victim to various misfortunes. His odd interests in beings and habit of speaking to animals as if they are humans is written in a journal for all the world to see. His mother works at the school, which is embarrassing in and of itself. He has a panic attack and sobs in front of the entire school. He also becomes the poor victim of a potions experiment. It wasn't the best year, and he hopes the upcoming one goes better. He has hidden at home most of the summer.