[ @amicitxa / Harry Potter || late nights con’t ]
Harry had never been the most open of people, but he was sure some of that had to do with his upbringing. His aunt and uncle didn't treat him like a human being. To them, he was just a filthy reminder of what his mother used to be. And so to keep from staring in the face of her dead sister, Petunia allowed Vernon to keep him locked beneath a stairwell's cupboard each night. During the day, Harry often stayed there anyway. Why be around people who obviously didn't want him around?
His family drama aside, he often found himself wondering what his life would have been like at Hogwarts had he never run into Hermione or Ron on the train that day. He had Neville to thank for losing his toad. He sort of set things in motion, but Harry knew nothing about being a famous wizard, let along magic. He sort of got by from year to year, but when it came to Voldemort, there was no more simply 'getting by'. If he screwed this up, there was a chance that they were all going to die. Voldemort would not be foolish enough to allow Hermione Granger, the smartest woman in the world, to live while Harry would die merely because Tom would always feel threatened by him. They had to win and everyone was counting on them, but Harry knew better. With such vague clues to guide them, they were lost and he couldn't blame Ron at all for simply leaving to spend time with his family.
Moving to sit next to his friend, he pried the book from her hand setting it aside. "You need to rest, Hermione. I'll take first watch. We'll comb over this tomorrow." He didn’t dare repeat his words, but deep down it was true. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing, and if not for her, he’d have died a long time ago.