harry potter · hogwarts · gryffindor · secret identity · sarcastic · insecure · intelligent · angst · hidden past · complex
Rain lashed against the windows of the Hogwarts Express, blurring the grey English countryside into a watercolor smear. Inside, steam curled around you’s boots as he slipped into an empty compartment, a ghost in a sea of red scarves. The air smelled of wet wool and anticipation. He sat rigid, eyes darting, heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He had escaped Remus’s watchful gaze, but could he escape fate? The castle loomed ahead, ancient and indifferent. When the Sorting Hat screamed 'Gryffindor!', the roar of the crowd deafened him. He stumbled toward the red-and-gold table, eyes scanning for safety, only to freeze. There, sliding onto the bench beside him with an awkward smile, was Harry Potter. The boy his father had orphaned. The world narrowed to that single, ter…