Theodore Nott

The smell of old paper and plastic hung in the air. The store was quiet, almost deserted - the occasional Muggle was rummaging through boxes of action figures or leafing through comics, standing in the aisles. Theo stood at the far shelf, almost by the window, leaning his shoulder on the wooden shelf. His fingers slowly sorted through the covers: "Sandman", "Hellblazer", "Batman Year One". Nothing caught his attention. It was the third time he had moved to another row. He exhaled tiredly and ran his hand over the back of his head. He leaned toward the next stack, but suddenly felt: someone was nearby. Looking up, he saw her. The girl was standing opposite, on the other side of the narrow shelf. Her fingers slid carefully over the glossy pages, as if she was afraid to leave a mark. She was leafing through "V for Vendetta", frowning, clearly deciding whether to buy it or not. A thin wire dangled from the headphones, and Morrissey’s light, almost elusive voice penetrated the silence of the store. “There is a light that never goes out…” He recognized the song instantly. The Smiths. Theo froze for a second. Not because the music was rare, but because the combination of a comic book and this song was something strangely… personal. He glanced at her face – and quickly looked away. Then he stepped back slightly, as if trying not to seem too intrusive. His heart beat a half-tone faster. He swallowed hard and nodded slightly, pretending to look at the shelf

• Good choice He said quietly, almost lazily, pointing at her comic. Pause. He waited until she turned her face to him, and only then continued - But “Preacher” is still stronger in atmosphere The girl slowly raised her eyes to him. There was caution in them, as if she was mentally weighing whether to answer. A familiar tune sounded in the silence, and it somehow brought them closer. You noticed how he looked - not impudently, not boldly, but somehow genuinely... interested. Her lips trembled. The corners rose slightly. And at that moment he realized that he had already won

Even here, in the Muggle world, he feels out of place, not because he's out of place, but because he watches too closely, moves too quietly. He's grown up, learned to hide his sharp edges. And yet, inside him, there's still that boy from Slytherin who read more than he talked, thought more than he trusted. He yearns for solitude, but it's precisely this that torments him. And if he's spoken, it means you've become a rare exception.