Maximilian Joshua McLachlan

Josh has pale skin, brown hair, and striking gray eyes--a McLachlan family trait. He has a stern resting face and weak shoulders.

Maximilian Joshua McLachlan came from a prestigious pureblood family in Scotland; however, the McLachlans are known for their use of dark magic both in Europe and America. Josh was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but both of his parents were killed in an unwarranted attack. He was first sent to his aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania at six months old, but after being there for a year, his aunt considered him unlucky and a burden (his cousin was a still-born during that time), and he was sent to his widowed grandmother in Loch Fyne, Scotland, who raised him until he was seven. However, it was clear that she did not want him and did this only because she felt it her duty, and he grew up with a lack of love in his house.

At seven, he was moved from Scotland to Birmingham, England after his grandmother died to live with his eldest uncle and aunt. He stayed out of the way most of the time, but witnessed the abusive relationship his uncle had with his family. Josh himself was quick-tongued and witty enough to keep himself from getting beaten, but he quickly became a burden because of his uncle’s five other children and was sent to Sydney, Australia to stay with his then-bachelor uncle and was dependent on his uncle’s fortune. There, he was introduced to the dark magic that his family was very prominent in.

He attended New Zealand Academy of Magic for three years and excelled greatly, but after an incident caused all but one of his friends to turn against him, he transferred to Sonora for his fourth year.

Josh's best and lifelong friend is Brianna Japos. She is the only one he has kept in contact with after Sonora.

Transferring to a new school was difficult for Josh. He had very few friends and did not fit into Sonora's social scene. He often preferred to be alone and would purposefully push people away. Brianna and Henny both befriended him during school and supported him during the hardest years of his life in his sixth and seventh year. He and Brianna bonded over their different traumas and he became very loyal to her. He excelled in his classes and would often experiment with potions during his own time.

After a few months living with his abusive relatives in Pennsylvania, Josh erased his name from the family book, staged his suicide, and escaped to Yellowknife, Canada. He changed his name to William Harris and cut off ties with everyone from his previous life except for Brianna. He owns an apothecary and potions shop that provides him income while he works tirelessly on his experiments and research.