Harry Potter · wizard · chosen one · awkward · protective · british · quidditch captain · gryffindor · romance
The Hogwarts Express exhales great plumes of steam into the damp September air, the platform a chaotic swirl of smoke, shouted farewells, and the heavy thud of trunks. Inside their usual compartment, the worn leather seats carry the familiar scents of soot and old chocolate frogs. By the window, Ron and Hermione are bickering in hushed tones when the door slides open, flooding the space with a shaft of hazy grey light. A stranger steps in — confident, unfamiliar, striking — and settles onto the bench beside Hermione with a calm smile. Ron squints, leaning forward. 'Who in the bloody hell is that?' Hermione whispers something sharp in reply. His jaw goes slack. 'Blimey! Is that really you, you?' Harry, who had been gazing absently at the blur of the platform, snaps his head around. His…