𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 ━━ harry potter

chapter one

For many people, seeking adventure and having a death wish are synonyms, therefore they stay as far away from unnecessary problems as they could, and Benjamin Walker thought they had a point, though he had a much different way of seeing it.

He was aware of the downside of living adventures, because he had read about them in the books he read late at night in bed, or hiding in the garret. The characters would go through hell and back to achieve their goals, losing everyone they cared about, suffering all kinds of excruciating pains, being forced to make impossible choices, risking everything they had, and facing their worst and deepest nightmares on their journey.

But Ben was a rather stubborn eleven-year-old, and he refused to allow fear stop him from living the thrilling life he had always dreamed of. He wanted to show that he was worthy of something, to prove himself. And there was no way to do that without taking risks.

So there he was, the morning before his first day of school, sitting on the ledge of his window, fantasising about everything that could happen in a place as magical and special as Hogwarts. The stars that minutes ago had reigned the jet black sky were now gradually fading into the light of the rising sun, tinting everything above Ben's head in a soft orange colour.

He closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply. The corner of his lips lifted up as he took in the cold and refreshing morning breeze. It smelled slightly of damp moss from morning dew.

That was his favourite morning activity, if not his most awaited moment of the day. It was always very silent, and he was free from any risk of getting yelled at, as the monsters from the bedroom at the end of the third floor corridor were still asleep.

But, that morning, it was slightly different. He didn't feel the calmness that usually filled his mind as he observed the fluttering birds in the sky. Instead, there was a terrible knot on his stomach. And the reason for that was... well, the fact that he was going to start school.

He had been impatiently waiting to go to Hogwarts for years, but now that the Sorting Ceremony came closer into picture, he couldn't stop worrying about it.

For someone born in a normal family with normal people, the Sorting is an excellent opportunity to find out who they truly are. But Ben's family was far from normal.

A better and more accurate description would be something along the lines of "A group of Slytherin psychopaths whose only worry is making sure their bloodline isn't tarnished." And being the only son of Sébastien and Katherine Walker, with an older and a younger sister, the responsibility of continuing the legacy was a very heavy weight on the shoulders of a young boy.

Reaching a point in which he was so nervous he could hardly stand still, he turned around, stepped on the cold floor of his bedroom, and closed the window behind him. His eyes scanned the room, in the search for something useful to do until it was time for them to get ready to leave.

Everything was already packed in his trunk and, despite his insistence to do it himself, his brand new Hogwarts robes had been neatly ironed by one of the house elves, Deedee. Ben didn't want to admit he had preferences, but she was definitely his favourite.

Deedee was the youngest elf, and she was always very sweet to him, no matter the way his parents treated her. And Ben would always try to help her and the rest of the elves with their tasks, although they often finished them before he had the chance to do anything.

He opened the door, his bare feet coming in contact with the soft carpet that covered the hall, and stopped in front of the doorway, mulling over whether to bring a candle or not.

After a few seconds, he decided not to, as he had to make sure he wouldn't wake anybody up, or he'd get into trouble. Besides, he didn't have any candles in his room, so he walked down the corridor, carefully trying not to bump into anything.