The cupboard door closed behind him with its familiar click, but Harry didn't feel trapped anymore. Not really. The darkness was no longer just the stale air and thin mattress — it was a doorway.
You're smiling, Nyx observed in his head, her tone sly.
He's remembering, Hedwig said.
Harry lay back, letting the shadows curl around him. The living room in the dark was only a thought away, and he slipped into it as easily as breathing.
The couch was exactly as he'd left it — cushions piled high, the fire's glow steady and warm. Nyx lounged across the backrest, tail flicking lazily. She didn't speak aloud; she never did. Her golden eyes met his, and her voice filled his mind. Welcome home, little light.
He wandered through the archways, past the kitchen with its endless supplies, the library with its shifting titles, the garden under the night sky. Every corner of the Shadow Realm was his, and every time he came here, it felt more like the real world than the cupboard ever had.
Days blurred into years. The Dursleys' rules never changed — hood up, glasses on, no speaking to strangers — but Harry had learned to endure them. Whenever Vernon's temper flared or Petunia's voice sharpened, he could retreat inward, slipping into the Realm where Nyx's humour and Hedwig's calm steadied him.
By the time he was ten, the Realm had grown. Nyx had added a game room with a battered pool table and a dartboard that always let him win. Hedwig had insisted on a study with a great oak desk and maps of places Harry had never seen. There was even a small pond in the garden now, its surface reflecting a moon that never changed.
You've been busy, Harry told Nyx one evening as he sank into the couch.
I get bored, she replied. And you need more than four walls and a mattress.
It's more than that, Hedwig said. It's a foundation.
Outside the Realm, life went on. Dudley grew louder, heavier, more spoiled. Vernon's moustache seemed to bristle more each year. Petunia's eyes narrowed at the smallest thing. Harry kept his head down, his mouth shut, and his mind open to the voices that never left him.
The morning of Dudley's birthday began like any other — the cupboard door opening, Petunia's clipped voice ordering him out.
"Stay out of the way," she said. "We're going to the zoo. You're coming because I can't trust you alone in the house."
Oh, a zoo trip, Nyx said. Finally, some decent company. I like the tigers.
Mind yourself, Hedwig warned. Crowds mean eyes.
Harry pulled on his hoodie and glasses. "Wouldn't dream of ruining the party."
Dudley was already bouncing with excitement, tearing into his presents at the table. Vernon grunted over his paper, barely glancing at Harry.
As they piled into the car, Harry felt the familiar weight of Nyx's presence in his mind. You know, she said, if we see a snake, you might be surprised what happens.
Harry frowned. What do you mean?
Wait and see, Nyx replied, her tone almost sing‑song.
Hedwig's voice was quieter. Be ready for anything.
The car pulled away from Privet Drive, and Harry leaned back in his seat, the hum of the engine fading beneath the steady murmur of his companions. The cupboard, the Realm, the Dursleys — all of it was part of his life now. But something in Nyx's tone told him that today, things might change.
The zoo was crowded, the air thick with the smell of popcorn, damp concrete, and animal musk. Harry trailed behind the group, keeping his head down. They moved from enclosure to enclosure — lions sprawled in the sun, monkeys swinging lazily, penguins huddled by the water.
The penguins look like they're plotting something, Nyx said. I approve.
Focus, Hedwig said.
At the reptile house, the air was warm and heavy. Glass cases lined the walls, each with a small plaque and a slow‑moving occupant. Dudley and his friend Piers pressed their faces to the glass of a large enclosure where a massive boa constrictor lay coiled.
"Make it move," Dudley whined.
Vernon tapped the glass with his knuckles. "Oi! Wake up!"
The snake didn't stir.
Harry stepped closer, peering through the glass. The snake's eyes flicked toward him.
It's looking at you, Nyx said. I think it likes you.
Speak, Hedwig urged.
Harry leaned in slightly. "Sorry about them," he whispered.
The snake's head lifted. Its body shifted in a slow ripple.
"Can you hear me?" Harry asked.
Yes, came the reply, the sound a hiss in his mind and ears at once. I hear you.
Harry blinked. "Where are you from?"
Brazil. Born in captivity.
Dudley shoved him aside. "Move!"
Harry stumbled, catching himself on the glass. The snake's eyes narrowed.
Rude, Nyx muttered.
The glass vanished. One moment it was there, the next it was gone, and the snake slid forward, tongue flicking. Screams erupted as people stumbled back. The boa slithered past Harry, pausing just long enough to dip its head toward him.
Thank you, it hissed, before disappearing into the crowd.
Chaos followed. Vernon's hand clamped on Harry's arm, dragging him toward the exit. Petunia's voice was a shrill buzz in his ear. Dudley was wailing about the snake trying to eat him.
The ride home was silent except for Dudley's sniffles and Vernon's heavy breathing.
When they got inside, the shouting began.
"You spoke to it!" Petunia snapped. "I saw you!"
"I didn't—"
"Don't lie to me!" Vernon roared. "You made the glass vanish!"
Deny everything, Hedwig said.
Or own it, Nyx countered. It was brilliant.
"I didn't do anything," Harry said.
Vernon's face darkened. "Cupboard. Now."
Harry turned without another word, slipping inside and pulling the door shut.
Well, Nyx said, that was fun.
It was dangerous, Hedwig replied.
Harry lay back on the mattress, closing his eyes. The shadows curled in, and a moment later he was on the couch in the Shadow Realm, the fire's glow steady and warm. Nyx was sprawled across the backrest, tail flicking.
Next time, she said, we bring the snake here.
Harry smiled faintly. Maybe.
Outside, the Dursleys' voices rose again, but in here, the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the steady rhythm of his own breathing.