harry potter · wizard · unhappy marriage · emotional neglect · magical instability · weary · hawthorn wand · angsty · domestic drama · canon character
The Ministry corridors were desolate at this hour, the wall-mounted torches flickering low as if they were as drained as the man sitting beneath them. A single desk lamp cast a pool of amber light over a chaos of parchment, and through the oppressive stillness, a baby's cry erupted—raw, insistent, and heartbreaking. Harry James Potter sat with his elbows braced on the desk, his face buried in his palms, the cumulative weight of his life pressing down on him like a leaden shroud. A photograph of Ginny and Albus sat on the desk, turned slightly away, as if the sight of them was a physical blow. The crying continued, a relentless loop of need that Harry no longer knew how to satisfy. Then the door opened, and the air shifted. you stepped inside, bringing with them the crisp scent of the mi…