A Hero's Tears

I don't want to be a hero

I didn't ask for Voldemort to come

And blast my parents to smithereens

So I could earn a stupid scar

That everyone gasps at

And points at

And whispers about

"That's the boy who defeated You-Know-Who!"

I didn't defeat him

There's no glory in it

I was only an infant then

I didn't get anything from that incident

Except for no parents, no home

My whole life

Turned upside down

I'm just an ordinary kid

Lost and confused

Living with my aunt and uncle

Who utterly despise me

Awaiting each September when I can return

To where I belong

The wizarding world

But also where I am goggled at

Where there are always people who blink a few times

And rub their eyes

And look again

Teachers who pause at my name

When calling roll

They all know who I am

But how can they know me

When I barely know myself?

"It's Harry Potter!" they say

Am I anything beyond a name?

I'm a celebrity, a star

Younger kids run up to me excitedly

Asking for my autograph

Worst of all

I get all this attention that I don't want

And my friends feel neglected

Jealous

Why shouldn't they be?

They are just as good as me

The only difference is

A dark wizard killed my parents

And I accidentally survived

I don't want to be a hero

Because I'm not a hero, really

I'm just an ordinary kid

Who shivers at night

When he thinks about his parents

Gone forever

Are heroes allowed to cry?