When Sirius kissed Harry’s forehead before sending him back to school after the Christmas holidays, it was to remind himself that he was watching Harryleave, and not James and he shouldn’t feel like he’s being sent back to Grimmauld Place for the summer hols.
He is responsiblefor the boy with the scarred forehead as he never was for James…and it’s because of that scar that he is.
Fleur has a lot of French endearments she uses for Bill, who basks in the affection in them, even when he doesn’t understand them literally.
Minerva McGonagall cycled through a lot of nicknames in her life, but found that using her own name held the most power. She encouraged Nymphadora Tonks - then going by Dora - to claim her name, too. It wasn’t her fault the girl chose her English surname instead of the traditional name her mother had chosen.
Hermione tolerates being called ‘Mione, but only by Ron and Ginny.Harry’s never tried, and everyone else gets corrected immediately.
Draco had never been allowed a nickname as a boy, for his father’s fear of their Dark Lord using names born of love as tools to mock, calling them Wormtail or Half Blood Prince. It seemed to exploit the vulnerabilities of those unlucky enough to have them. It was a small measure of protection, but he taught Draco never to answer to anything other than his given or family name.
Endearments for his brother - for his last living flesh and blood, for eyes that look at him like he’s everything - just slip of Hagrid’s tongue. Grawp is not only “Grawppie” and “big guy,” but also “honey” and “tiny” and whatever else comes to mind, often names from his grandmother’s Welsh folklore. It makes no difference to Grawp himself what he’s called, but it feels like part of Hagrid’s duties as an older brother.
Hermione is the only one who calls Ginny Ginevrain an affectionate way. Anyone else, and she knows she’s in trouble.
His immediate warmth, open love and admiration for Harry, outlandish size and manner, and instinctual knowledge are a prelude to the world he’s about to discover, and will be the measure by which Harry judges everything he encounters, and the lens through which he sees the world he’ll eventual save.
