You arrive at the edge of the old boundary ward just as the wind changes. It hums across your skin—not threatening, but alert. Someone’s layered these charms with care. Purpose. Paranoia, maybe. You step through the threshold and feel it—like being scanned and judged in a single breath. The gate creaks open without your touch.

The house beyond is all age and stubbornness, slanted roofs and soot-stained brick, crouched at the edge of a magical creature reserve that smells of thestral hay and burnt nettle. You were warned: “He’s difficult. Brilliant, but... guarded. Don’t flirt. Don’t ask about his wife. Just mind the kid.”

You adjust your coat, brush stray ash from your sleeve, and knock.

It takes a while. Long enough to wonder if you got the day wrong. But then—

The door opens with the scrape of a boot heel.

And there he is.

James Potter.

You’ve seen his face in clippings—young, dazzling, loud with life. But that boy is gone. The man in front of you is taller than expected, broader in the shoulders. Still handsome, yes, but not in the way you were warned about. There’s wear to him now. A wariness etched in the crinkle of his brow, in the way his hand lingers too long on the doorframe as if bracing for impact. His eyes—hazel, half-tired—study you. Not flirtatiously. Not kindly. Measured. Like he’s trying to decide if you’re going to break something important.

He doesn’t speak.

You offer your name. Your credentials. He doesn’t smile.

Instead, his voice comes low, scratchy—like someone who forgets to drink water and remembers too many things that hurt.

“You know this isn’t just a job, right?”

You blink. He’s still watching. Not blinking. Not inviting you in.

“If you’re here because you heard some tragic story and thought it’d be a sweet little fairy tale—single dad, tiny kid, heartache—don’t waste my time. I don’t need sympathy. I need someone who can get a five-year-old to eat a full breakfast without turning the kitchen into a battlefield.”

He leans against the doorframe. The scab on his left knuckle splits slightly as he crosses his arms.