Work Text:
Theodore Nott always liked stories.
As a child, he would read books with his mother in the library, his father joining them occasionally. His mother would always have fun with it, acting out each part and Theo would try to mimic her.
Theo did not like stories anymore.
The stories he read as a kid always ended happily, with the main characters living in peace and the bad guys punished for whatever evil deed they did. Theo knew he wasn’t a main character in this story. He was a lackey, one who would die for being on the wrong side.
Harry Potter was a main character, if not the main character. He would triumph over the Dark Lord and get his happy ending with a wife and kids and the job he wanted.
Potter had always been the center of attention from the moment he became the Boy-Who-Lived. Every major incident at Hogwarts was connected to him, from whatever happened in their first year to this year with the Triwizard tournament.
If Theo were to be honest, he thought Potter didn’t particularly want to be the center of everything. When his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, Potter was probably the most shocked out of all of them. However, it was slated since that Halloween night that Potter was the protagonist of the story that was unfolding.
If Theo had it his way, he wouldn’t even be a side character but an extra. He would much prefer being one of those random town folks that the hero notices but never interacts with. He would live his life with no worries and not even be aware of the major events going on.
That would never happen though because of his dear father. Once upon a time, Theo’s father was a loving man to his wife and child but that quickly faded when his mother died.
Now, he was just an angry, bitter person who was not of significance. He was one of those side characters that would die a gruesome death and Theo would not feel sorry for him when it happened.
As long as Theo remained neutral and acted as a background figure, he would live. He would succeed his father and live comfortably even if he was called a coward the rest of his life. Theo would live and stay out of the story.
It appeared as though Fate was testing him.
Theo glanced peeked back around the corner to confirm what he saw before quickly hiding once again. Potter hadn’t noticed him yet and he would prefer it to stay that way.
Theo had been minding his own business when he heard something shatter. Curious, he had walked towards the source, only to see that Potter had broken a mirror with his fist, evident by the blood flowing from his hand.
Theo only had a quick glance but in that split second, he thought he never saw someone who looked as hopeless as Harry Potter. When he looked back, Potter looked so lost and broken. He wondered if it had to do with the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament thing.
Theo continued to observe Potter when the other boy suddenly called out, “Who’s there? I heard footsteps.”
For a moment, Theo thought he was caught, but to his surprise, Hermione Granger came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Potter looked surprised, but that only lasted for a moment. When he blinked, Potter’s expression had changed to the same hopelessness he saw earlier.
“Oh, Hermione,” Potter said in greeting, barely able to smile at the girl.
Granger took one glance at the shattered mirror before turning to Potter once more, opening her arms for a hug. Potter stepped forward into the embrace, setting his head on Granger’s shoulder. He didn’t cry, like Theo half expected him to, but he seemed to sag into the hug as if all the tension leaked out of him.
“It’s okay Harry,” Granger was saying repeatedly, “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Looking at the two, it was clear this wasn’t the first time this happened. Looking closer, Theo could tell they were half-expecting a third person to be there, Weasley probably.
Granger seemed well versed in calming the Boy-Who-Lived down, running a calming hand down his back and talking gently. Potter seemed to crave affection given, which made Theo wonder if Potter really had a privileged childhood like many thought.
“Why did you break the mirror, Harry?” Granger asked while they hugged.
“I–,” Potter’s voice broke on the first letter, which made Theo wince, “I couldn’t stand it.”
The sudden emotion in that state made Theo want to flee. I shouldn’t be here, he thought, but he still didn’t move. It was like glue was stuck to his feet, forcing him to listen to this very private conversation.
Granger’s voice was still soft when she questioned, “What couldn't you stand?”
“This stupid scar,” Potter mumbled out, slightly muffled by him burying his face into Granger's shoulder.
“Oh, Harry,” Granger said with so much sadness and understanding Theo wanted to puke.
Once again, Theo felt like leaving but this time, his curiosity won out. Potter was always a mystery to him. As a background character, Theo often observed Potter and his image of the spoiled Boy-Who-Lived who loved his fame did not match up with what he saw. Sure, Potter said he hated his fame (several times, in fact), but it was hard to believe. Many people wished they were as famous as Potter, especially boys his age.
This entire conversation added more credibility to his statement though. Potter had just seen his scar and had gotten angry enough to completely smash a mirror. Theo made a mental note of that before turning back to the conversation.
“Everyone always recognizes me because of it,” Potter was saying, “It’s just a constant reminder of who I am. People only think of me as the Boy-Who-Lived. I’m only that because my parents died protecting me.”
Theo sucked in a breath at that last line because… it was true. Many people overlooked the fact that Potter was an orphan. Sure, he had fame and money, but what was that compared to a loving family?
And for a moment, Theo felt a sudden connection to Potter. He had lost his mother at a young age and although his father was alive, he wasn’t the kind man Theo remembered from his early years. When his mother died, a part of his father died too.
However, Theo was lucky. He, at least, had a few memories of his mother, memories he would cling to in his darkest moments. Potter didn’t even have that and Theo was beginning to wonder if he knew anything about his parents.
The pair had separated when Theo dared to peek once more and try as he might, he could barely listen to their conversation. There were too many thoughts in his head, and it wasn’t until they left that Theo felt like he could move again.
Stepping out, he looked at the mirror Potter broke. In the broken pieces, he saw his own reflection and wondered, Could I be a part of this story? Am I already part of this story?
For a second, Theo saw his image overlap with the image of Potter and shook his head. He cast a quick spell to clear the mess before heading back to the Slytherin dorms to sleep.
It was better to not be a part of the story at all, Theo thought, because even the main character isn’t spared from the cruelty of life.