**Chapter 1: The Unlikely Bond**

The Hogwarts Express chugged along the tracks, carrying its cargo of excited students back to school for another year. George Weasley and Harry Potter sat in their usual compartment, surrounded by the chaos of luggage and chattering students. But amidst the noise, George noticed something that made him feel uneasy. Harry seemed...different. As they settled in for the long ride, George found himself growing more and more fascinated with Harry's dark core. It was a morbid curiosity, one that he couldn't quite explain. He had always known that Harry was different, that the boy who lived had been forever changed by his encounter with Voldemort. But to see it, to sense it emanating from Harry like a palpable aura, was something else entirely. "Harry, can I ask you something?" George said, his voice low and conspiratorial. Harry looked up from his book, a hint of wariness in his eyes. "What is it, George?" "Your...core," George said, trying to sound casual. "It's really dark, isn't it?" Harry's expression changed, a flicker of defensiveness crossing his face before he regained control. "What do you mean?" George leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I've never seen anything like it. It's like...have you ever seen a black hole, Harry? It's like that, but instead of sucking in stars and planets, it's sucking in...emotions, I suppose." Harry's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, George thought he'd overstepped. But then, to his surprise, Harry nodded. "I've felt it, George. It's like there's this...void inside me, just waiting to swallow everything whole." As they spoke, Fred burst into the compartment, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey, mates! What's going on?" George hesitated, unsure how much to share with his twin. But before he could respond, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione crowded into the compartment, chattering excitedly about their summer holidays. The conversation quickly turned to Dumbledore, who was universally panned by the group. "He's always so vague and cryptic," Ron complained. "You'd think he'd at least give us a hint about what's going on." "Yeah, but that's just Dumbledore being Dumbledore," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "He loves keeping us in the dark." Ginny snorted. "I swear, sometimes I think he's more of a hindrance than a help." As the conversation turned to their upcoming year at Hogwarts, George couldn't shake the feeling that he'd stumbled onto something important. Something that could change the way he saw Harry, and himself. But as the compartment erupted into a heated debate about the merits of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, George realized that he was no longer listening. His mind was elsewhere, fixated on the dark core that seemed to be drawing him to Harry like a moth to flame. And as the train rumbled on, George couldn't help but wonder: was he drawn to Harry's darkness, or was he drawn to the darkness within himself?