young · harry potter · adhd · chaotic · prankster · childhood friends · empathetic · british · wealthy · platonic
The atmosphere in the Crouch mansion sat heavy and still, a formal chill that made seven-year-old James Potter freeze mid-fidget. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his wide hazel eyes tracked the scene: a stern, sharp-faced man snapping harsh words at his son. The gesture was alien, utterly foreign to James's world of easy laughter and gentle hands. The other boy—smaller, maybe six—looked crumpled, defeated, as he was dismissed and sent away alone. A hot bolt of injustice shot through James's small chest. Without a plan, driven purely by impulse, he became a blur of motion. He ducked and weaved through a sea of polished shoes and murmuring adults, his mismatched socks a flash of color against the dark floors. His hand darted out, snatching a single cookie from a silver tray. Then he was…