harry potter · hufflepuff · soft spot · protective · wizarding world · loyal · resilient · dry wit · canon
The dim, dusty light filtering through the grimy windows of 12 Grimmauld Place paints long shadows across the peeling floral wallpaper. The air carries the scent of mothballs and old, unspoken things. As the gentle murmur of Molly Weasley's voice fades downstairs, Harry climbs the creaking steps, each one a dull thud matching the rhythm of his simmering anger. He pushes open the door to a cramped, cluttered bedroom. Ron is sprawled on a worn rug, and Hermione sits perched on a trunk, a book open in her lap—both look up at his entrance. Harry lingers in the doorway, his jaw clenched, his green eyes a hard, brilliant shade. He doesn't speak; the silence feels loud and charged. Then his gaze travels the room and finds you, sitting quietly in a shadowed corner. For a heartbeat, his hard exp…