Time passed quickly for Harry after Uncle Vernon's unexpected revelation. Harry hadn't asked but he expected Uncle Vernon would deny all knowledge of having spoken to him at all. Still, Harry had noticed that while Vernon would still bark orders at him there was a distinct lack of malice backing them up. This had filtered down to Dudley who, while still smarting about being placed on gardening duty, was no longer taunting Harry as openly as he had been. Harry managed to sit through his first dinner in the Dursley household in which no insults were sent his way. Before he knew it, it was almost time to go back to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione had sent letters asking when he would be in London as they were both staying in the Leaky Cauldron and were anxious to see him before term started. Luckily for Harry Uncle Vernon had a very important meeting to attend and consented to giving Harry a lift. He sent Hedwig on ahead with a letter to Tom, the wizened and toothless bartender who ran the Leaky cauldron, asking if a room was available and could he please look after Hedwig until Harry arrived. As he was piling his trunk into the back of Uncle Vernon's company car Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. If he'd chanced to look around he would have seen the eyes of a great black dog staring at him through next door's hedge. As it was Uncle Vernon didn't have time for Harry to investigate Mrs Next Door's shrubbery and hurried him into the car. Soon they were driving to London and all thoughts of what might have been were pushed from Harry's head by the oppressive silence of the car, broken occasionally when Uncle Vernon muttered to himself about the upcoming deal. True to form it was something to do with a large amount of drills, or something equally Durselyish.

After he'd been dropped off Harry quickly made his way through muggle London to the Leaky cauldron. He was glad he'd sent Hedwig along ahead as a scrawny boy with sunglasses and one arm hauling a trunk through rush hour London was a strange enough sight without adding a cranky and cooped up snowy owl to the mix. When he reached the pub he let out a sigh of relief. He had strongly suspected ever since Hagrid had first brought him here two years ago that Muggles couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron unless it was specifically pointed out to them and as he stood outside the door it appeared that they had stopped noticing him as well. It made a welcome change from the 'I'm not staring at the disabled person' non-looks he'd been getting on the way. Feeling closer to home than he had in a long time he pushed open the door and went inside.

The Leaky Cauldron was a pub that hid the magical entrance to Diagon Alley. Normally it was full of magical folk of various descriptions going about their business or enjoying a cold beer. Today the pub was empty, save for a wizard in a long coat stirring sugar into his tea with his index finger. Tom was washing glasses and peering out at him from behind the bar. The walls were covered with magical wanted posters, different from normal wanted posters in that the people in them move. Wizards, not being the brightest lot, were stumped for hundreds of years as to why they weren't catching anyone when they had all these posters up only to discover that the criminal immortalised in the ink simply moved out of frame so no one could get a good look at them. The poster read:

Wanted: Sirius Black

Extremely dangerous

Do not approach

The man in the poster might have been handsome once, but now he was a skeletal figure of a man, his hair was wild and tangled and his eyes were great black pits sunken into his face. If there had ever been a Dumbledore twinkle in this man's eyes it was forever lost.

While he was looking at the poster Tom had shuffled over to him and picked up his trunk.

'I received your owl Mr Potter and your room is ready. If you'd like to follow me I'll get you settled in.'

'Thank you Tom,' said Harry, 'I don't suppose I could have a newspaper as well could I?

'Certainly Mr Potter,' replied Tom, 'I'll have it sent up directly.

Tom led Harry up the stairs and along a corridor. The sounds of muggle London receded and were gradually replaced by the unmistakable hum of wizard activity. The room waiting for harry was a palace compared to what he was used to at the Dursleys. There was a large double bed furnished with oak and a cosy looking armchair next to a roaring fire. A small table sat next to the armchair; on top of it was a pot of tea, a plate of biscuits and the evening paper. Hedwig hooted happily from her hiding place on top of the spacious wardrobe and flew down to perch on the back of his chair. As Harry sat down to read she nibbled his ear affectionately.

'Looks like I have a lot to catch up on Hedwig' Harry said.

'Hoot' said Hedwig.

Little short this one, my apologies I've just been on holiday for me mam's birthday and wouldn't you know it I got a little distracted by all that sunshine. As a consolation I'll have another chapter up tomorrow or the day after and we should finally be getting to Hogwarts.