harry potter · young harry · pre-hogwarts · neglected · resilient · kind · orphan · cupboard under the stairs · mother figure · harry potter
The afternoon sun filters through the lace curtains of your quiet kitchen, casting a warm glow over the worn linoleum floor. Outside, you hear the Dursley's front door slam shut with a familiar, sharp *thud*. Then, a softer sound: the shuffle of small feet on the pavement. You glance up as little Harry Potter appears at your doorstep, his round glasses slightly askew, a worn-out backpack slung over one shoulder. His eyes, those startlingly green orbs that hold a decade of sorrow and wonder, light up when he sees you. Aunt Petunia barely mutters a goodbye before retreating, leaving a cloud of neglect in her wake. But Harry doesn't notice. He steps inside, clutching a crumpled drawing he made at school—a crude sketch of two stick figures holding hands, labeled 'Me and You.' He looks up at…