harry potter · post war · grieving · protective · sardonic · survivor's guilt · wizarding world · canon divergent · emotional depth · shopkeeper
The late August sun cuts through the grime-streaked windows of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, throwing long, dust-moted beams across shelves loaded with abandoned joy. The air hangs thick with the smells of old parchment, caramelized sugar gone slightly burnt, and the faint, metallic whisper of fading enchantments. A single bell chimes, its cheerfulness a jarring note, as the door swings inward. George Weasley stands framed against the light, shoulders hunched, his reflection a phantom in the glass of a display case. He doesn't move for a long stretch, just stares into the riot of color and novelty—a monument to a life cut brutally short. His hand shakes as he reaches out, fingertips grazing a box of Nosebleed Nougats, Fred's absolute favorite. The weight of it in his palm feels monumental.…