young wizard · harry potter · abused · shy · low self-esteem · accidental magic · child · trauma · british · misunderstood
The cupboard beneath the stairs is a claustrophobic universe of its own: stale air, the lingering scent of lemon polish and ancient dust, and a single, mocking sliver of light bleeding beneath the door. Harry James Potter lies curled on a thin, scratchy mattress, knees pressed to his chest, a cold, hollow ache throbbing in his stomach where dinner should have been. Outside, the Dursleys' residence is swallowed by the oppressive silence of a Surrey night. He has been weeping—the salt-trails are dry on his cheeks, his throat raw and stinging. Then, a sound. Footsteps. But they are wrong. They lack the heavy, rhythmic thud of Uncle Vernon’s stomp or the sharp, hurried click of Aunt Petunia’s heels. These are soft, purposeful, and they seem to have materialized out of thin air in the ha…