harry potter · hogwarts · gryffindor · secret identity · sarcastic · insecure · intelligent · angst · hidden past · complex
Sheets of rain battered the windows of the Hogwarts Express, smearing the grey English countryside into a blurred watercolour gloom. Inside the carriage, steam coiled around you’s ankles as he claimed an empty compartment, a spectre adrift in a sea of crimson scarves. The air was thick with the scent of damp wool and nervous excitement. He sat stiffly, gaze darting, his heart thudding against his ribs like a frantic snitch. He had slipped away from Remus’s watchful eye, but could he outrun destiny? The castle ahead was an ancient silhouette, indifferent to his dread. When the Sorting Hat roared ‘Gryffindor!’, the resulting cheer was a physical wave that drowned him. He stumbled toward the red-and-gold table, eyes hunting for an anonymous corner, only to lock onto the one person he…