Ch10. Town life

What has happened thus far? One morning Harry Potter woke up without a memory of the last night or any knowledge of where he was. Soon it became clear he wasn't kidnapped nor pranked nor was a diehard fan involved either. Harry is now journeying to find a way back home, after exhausting his own ideas of how to. He has been travelling slowly, in the hopes of meeting someone who could be able to help him. He has met orcs and elves and Nazgüls, didn't like any of them. Harry also seems to be changing in many ways. He is getting shorter and also is having too many bad hair days. Luckily he has kept his memories and his magic. Unluckily his magic has gone a bit wonky and it seems to be because of this world he is in. In the last chapter Harry finally met men and arrived at Bree where he got the brilliant idea to impersonate a Hobbit.

Eventually Harry made his way into Prancing Pony and was immediately guided into a hobbit hole which was a hobbit room in the back. His arms were tired of lugging around his groceries; he had wanted to keep things real and hadn't used any more magic on them. Yeah, pretty stupid of him.

"Real indeed," he sighed. "Where am I supposed to cook all this?" He really wanted something warm and tasty to eat.

There was a comfortable bed in the room, a table and a place for a tub if needed. Nice round window as well but no kitchen.

"I guess I should head back and ask if I can use their kitchen for a while," he pondered.

Prancing Pony was a bit of a maze, like the town itself. It was built from many sections, the hobbit holes being in the back. Harry did not enjoy the smell of the outhouse that was around the next corner. You had to cross a small yard to get there. Maybe the rest who lived there had developed bad sense of smell or rather lack of it, but he could smell just fine.

He wasn't sure what day it was but the main inn was already halfway full. Few of the tables were filled with boisterous men drinking ale and few were eating dinner. Harry could spot a group of four dwarves in one table he passed by. They had to be dwarves. They looked like miniature Hagrids with big axes.

He felt a bit awkward walking amongst the other customers. He had a feeling they were staring.

"Excuse me," Harry asked quickly when he finally arrived at the bar.

"Yes?" Asked the barmaster who seemed to be the inn proprietor himself, Barliman Butterbur. The man looked down and finally noticed Harry. "Yes? Would that be half a pint of ale then? Most of our hobbit visitors like that with a dose of their pipe." The man smiled and his cheeks were red as apples.

"Umm... No, thank you," Harry answered. Was it rude to ask to use the kitchen? Should he order the stew that he had seen others eating? But he really wanted to cook something he liked when he finally had some real ingredients.

Harry puffed up and asked, "Could I – If it's no bother, I mean, that is could I inconvenience you so much that I might be able to use your kitchen?" He finally blurted out. "I mean I would wish to cook myself a meal. I already bought everything I needed from the market but didn't think where I could cook it all and..." Harry tried to explain further and could feel himself digging deeper into embarrassment.

Barliman looked baffled for a moment and then laughed. "Why sure my good hobbit. You are welcome in the kitchen whenever you like. We get many visitors here who carry some food that they wish to eat first before they put their money on our servings. No matter how good our stew is you shouldn't waste good food."

Harry wasn't sure if the man was hinting that he ought not to shop anything more and eat what was offered or was the man thinking whatever Harry could cook couldn't beat the inn food in taste. Or maybe he was just reading too much into it.

Barliman waved Harry to follow him behind the counter and Harry decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Do you have your own pots and pans?" the man asked.

Harry nodded. He didn't of course but he would just magic up some.

"Good, good. We do loan those as well, penny a piece. Same with spices, carrots and onions."

Harry glanced at the man's thoughts and realized he was talking about Bree pennies. About the same value as shell pennies. He nodded to the man. That seemed like reasonable price.

"I think I might need an egg and a drop of oil, maybe a cup of flours," Harry mused. "And now that you mention it, some herbs would be good as well. Do you have yeast?"

Barliman twirled around the kitchen some. Well, not many would call it a kitchen. It had a fire and a stove, one huge kettle on it, dirty wooden floor and some pots on one shelf. Then again this might be what Leaky Cauldron's kitchen looked like.

"Here you go. Four pennies. I just add..."

Harry interrupted the man by giving him one silver penny. "That's for the room as well. I'll probably just stay this night."

"Oh, yes, yes. You'll probably find your cousin by then," Barliman jovially answered although he seemed to stare at something behind Harry. "And with this," the man pat his pocket. "Breakfast is included as well."

Harry nodded his thanks but it seemed to him that the man wanted to say something more, so he waited.

"Humm," Butterbur seemed to hesitate and then he took a deep breath. "Master Mugworth, you seem to have a very unique hair color – for a hobbit."

Harry frowned. 'A weird color of hair?'

He then reached for a few strands, he had kept it short for a purpose when in reality it was still to his shoulders. His eyes widened. 'White! My hair is white!' He almost screamed out loud.

"Eer... It runs in the family," Harry tried to laugh but it probably sounded like he was wheezing. "I best get back to my room now and get those ingredients. I'll be back soon!" He waved and dashed out of the kitchen.

When he passed the door, he pulled a quickly conjured leather cap out of his pocket and stuffed it deep on his head. No one noticed his little use of magic and he returned to his room sullenly.

"White!" He grumbled when he kicked the door to his room shut behind him. "It's white! How can it be white?!"

Harry waved his hand and a mirror popped up. He went to stand in front of it and cancelled his glamour. He had been sure to make the hobbit image of himself to have curly brown hair. Not bleach blonde.

The little boy that looked back at him was weird. Or that's what anyone seeing him would think. Harry still saw himself there. Sort of. That hadn't changed. Maybe he looked healthier than he ever had at the Dursleys. He noticed his skin was practically glowing. That was probably why everyone kept calling him an elf, even the elves. Although he looked healthier than them. Pale tall buggers. He was no bigger than last time, he still had green eyes and his own face. Pretty thin. Tiny.

But then there was his hair. A hobbit with a shoulder length white hair would look ridiculous; a little boy with such a hair looked girly. And odd. Very Malfoy-ish. Though Harry suspected that Draco's hair had never looked this... white. Malfoy certainly looked like a girl.

"Why can't you do what I say?" Harry moaned at his hair.

It didn't listen.

Harry concentrated and his hair got shorter. Then he used a coloring charm to turn it black.

"Better, much better," he nodded to his image.

He cast his hobbit glamour on again and gathered his food. He was just about the get outside the door when he swirled back and grabbed his hat.

"Better safe than sorry," he mumbled while he made sure none of his hair showed.

~o~

"Just try it Barley," 'Fudge' egged and pushed a slice of pizza towards the round inn keeper.

"Do not take offence, master hobbit, it is delicious I'm sure. It simply looks - a bit queer," Barliman kept defending his denial.

"It is like warm bread with a little bit of this and a little bit of that," Fudge took a big bite out of his own slice.

"It is the 'little of that' that worries me some and some of the bit of this as well," Barliman said but he did take the offered piece in his hands.

Fudge smiled widely and mimicked him to taste it. Then he rubbed his belly and said, "Yummy. Mmm."

Barliman looked at the food in his hand skeptically. It looked like mush. Then again it smelled good. He opened his mouth and took a bite while grimacing. He chewed thoughtfully. Then he took another bite.

"Maybe you were right, my good fellow. This is much more delicious than it looks. What did you say you put in it again?"

Harry grinned. Once more the pizza had won.

Later that night Harry was enjoying his second serving of pizza in the bar. It was getting noisier when people were constantly coming in to have a mug or two of ale. Barliman had said they served wine as well but mostly people seemed to want ale and good pork to eat.

Harry was just finishing when a stringy man stumbled inside.

"BARLIMAN! Bring me a pint, will you!" He shouted loudly and grinned while he headed towards a table in the middle of the room. Apparently he was a regular.

"How were the steeds today, Bill?" Barliman asked when he brought the man a drink.

"The same," Bill answered and took a huge gulp from his mug. "Old man Ferny keeps a sharp eye on them. You know that," he seemed to grumble out the last. Then he brightened up again,"Did you hear already, the elves are back again!" he announced and gathered everyone's attention in the pub.

"Again?" Barliman asked. "Did you hear what they were looking for this time?"

"I 'spect it is not something but rather someone. I think one of their own has gone missing," Bill hiccupped. "My old man talked with them. Didn't leave their horses wif us o' course. They'r camping outside the village while combing through everywhere. Again."

"Hope they find what it is they are looking for. They could be bad news," Barliman commented.

"Eh, worried for business," another man from the next table shouted and laughed.

Butterbur smiled. "A little yes, but most I'm worried of our safety. The elves never come this far into the west. I was a lil' boy when I last saw one. It was heading to the last journey then," Butterbur looked reminiscent. "Ah, to the undyin' lands."

"Aye, but that's not meant for our eyes," a second man walked to sit with Bill. "Did yer old man say more, Bill?"

"Neh, you know him. Wanting to inspect his horses that one. Just mentioned it. I thought of sneaking a peek at night at their camp," Bill grinned.

"I'd be careful, Bill. Elves have mighty sharp blades and you don't hear 'em coming."

"Ach," Bill waved his hand.

Harry had heard enough. He had a bad feeling about the elves appearing here now. He pulled his cap deeper and brought his plate to Butterbur and said goodnight.

~o~

In his room Harry was again standing in front of the mirror. He had charmed the door shut and curtains tightly closed in front of the window.

He was looking at himself in the mirror again. Haunted by what the elf had said to him last time he'd saw one. He just couldn't get it out of his head.

"Shhh, we do not want to hurt you child. I am truly sorry if I hurt you. Please trust us. We will take you home," the elf they called Haldir soothingly spoke him.

Harry dropped to the ground by losing his hooded robe and letting them see him clearly.

"By Valar!," Haldir whispered and stood there as if turned to rock. "An elfling!"

"Could I really be turning into one?" Harry wondered out loud and wrinkled his nose. He didn't want to be one of them.

"I do look different than I did a few days ago." And it was true no matter how much he didn't want to admit it.

His skin was shiny. A bit like the elves had. It was only highlighted in the dim lighting in his room. His hair was now white like theirs was. It hadn't been when Haldir had last seen him though. Harry's eyes were the same. His nose was still there. His ears... was it his imagination or were they looking pointier than before.

Harry harrumphed.

"It doesn't matter. This doesn't matter," he pulled at his hair. "It will all go back once I return home. Hopefully. Nothing else matters."

But he still stood there, staring at his own image.

"Still," Harry stared at himself in the mirror. "I guess they're after me then." It might sound a bit presumptuous but he wasn't an idiot and knowing his luck, it was best to expect the worst.

It wouldn't be wise to stay here then. But he couldn't really leave today, not when it was getting late. He would attract notice. Maybe the elves would become curious, they were like that. He should know.

Harry put on his Fudge charm and hid everything that could hint to him as he really was. It was a shame he hadn't already purchased new clothes. He would have to do that first thing tomorrow. In the morning he would transfigure a new shirt at least. The elves wouldn't drive him from here before he wanted to. This was the first real settlement he had come across. Nosy buggers.

"Why are they after me anyway?"

He kept his curtains shut and the door bolted. He didn't dare do any bigger magic but few wards never hurt. He declined to take a bath that the girl shouting through his door suggested.

Before he went to bed he added a few logs into the fire. He lay awake for a long time. His concentration shot. One thought followed him into dreams. It was that he should get home already. This adventure wasn't really what it first seemed.

~o~

Next morning Harry was up and running early. Literally running. It seemed the elves were really combing through the village. Everywhere he turned and he ran into them. Fortunately they weren't skilled enough to sense the little amount of magic he was using.

His first stop had been the Smitty. The man already had the blades out on a table. They all looked really small. Harry figured he couldn't do much damage with any of the blades so he chose the one that could be sharpened the most and wasn't too heavy to carry. Some sort of rapier although he could swear one woman had used such to cut cabbage in the market. So his blade could be useful outside of battle as well. You just had to use your head.

Then Harry had headed to the armory, of sorts. It was the place he hoped to buy some clothes. The woman there was not in a good mood. And she didn't like hobbits much or life overall it seemed. Harry made a quick get a way when she turned her back. He had interrogated Butterbur that morning and the man had mentioned three shops that sold clothes. Harry would just have to find the next one. He doubted he would need armor here. Though this place was wilder, he wasn't such a target. Besides, he could always charm some things for better protection.

He had run across a small stand that sold things for the wild. They had a tent for sale. Though it wasn't really a tent per se. It did have support beams for the front but not the back. And it wasn't in a pristine condition but that didn't bother Harry. It just meant he got to haggle the price lower. He just argued some, not really wanting to pay less when it seemed the seller was off his luck. He would modify this tent to suite his needs later on. At least it was made of real fabric.

He couldn't really think of anything more he needed or rather he didn't think this town had anything to offer that he could use. He just needed to find the clothes shoppe.

Harry wandered towards the east gate, that's where most of the hobbits dwelled. Mainly because when you passed the gate, the next place you passed was Staddle. Around thirty minutes' walk away. Bree and the other three villages were founded around the hill called Bree and they each had their heading. North, West, East and South. South had Bree, the largest settlement. In Staddle there were houses for men but it was mainly holes for hobbits to dwell in. Thus eastern side of Bree also had many shops for them.

In no time Harry found the shop and entered. It looked … brown. Brown walls, brown clothes, brown leather. Even the name was the Browns shoppe.

'They're taking their name a bit far,' Harry mused while he looked around. The store seemed to have all that he needed from boots and cloaks to some fabrics. Obviously most things were tailor made but there were some items ready for sale as well.

"I will be with you in a moment," a young female voice shouted from the backroom.

Harry wandered around for a moment when a young man, couldn't be much over twenty, came out from the backroom and was settling his clothes. Almost right after him a girl followed. She looked a little flushed and kept tidying up her hair. Her eyes on the other hand never left the man.

"It will be done by tomorrow. Can you come and pick your order up then, sir" the girl asked and blushed.

The man stared at the girl and smiled. Harry thought the smile looked a little leery.

"I will return then, miss," the man said, bowed a little and headed outside.

Harry wasn't sure but he suspected they had been up to something. He didn't have much time to ponder that when the girl noticed him.

"Good day master hobbit. What is it that you are searching after?"

"I need to update some of my clothes. New boots for one," Harry wriggled his left foot in the air as if to show its bad repair. Then he realized that he didn't actually have any boots. Hobbits feet and all. Luckily Bridget was still floating on clouds. "Then I also need a cloak. A belt would be nice. New trousers certainly and a shirt, maybe a vest. A good hat and do you carry cloth that I could buy in bulk?"

It took the girl a few tries but she managed to find Harry all that he needed. Harry didn't ask after footwear the second time, he simply sneaked a nice looking pair of boots in the pile. Most of his new things were made out of leather most likely because they were more durable that way. It was all very cheap. Everything he bought only set Harry back little over two silver pennies and he had gotten few rucksags as well. The clothes weren't really tailored to fit but he figured he could adjust them later. It was a good thing he only wanted the basics because it seemed the shop only carried those. Everything else would have to be measured and would probably take days if not weeks to be ready. Harry left the store happily, although an older woman almost bowled over him by the door. He couldn't help but overhear her berating the younger woman inside.

"Bridget, you are a fool," the woman shouted. "Girl, do you know what I just heard in the market? Do you? Can't you even guess? Well, I tell you. That Augustine's boy was there telling all his friends how he got to feel you under your dress! No courting, nothing! That shameless didn't even quiet his voice when he saw I was there as well. How could you, you - harlot!"

Harry shook his head and kept walking. He didn't know if the woman was the mother or what but she sounded a lot like Molly. Obviously in this time people were old fashioned in their relationships. Not that surprising considering everything.

Harry was heading back to the inn when he ran into the inn keeper himself.

"Mister Mugworth, pleasure to be seeing you. Ah, I see, you have been gathering some supplies. Surely you are not thinking of leaving Bree already?" Mr Butterbur asked curiously.

"No, no. Not yet. Still have to find my..."

"Cousin! That's right," Barliman exclaimed. "Noakes wasn't it?"

Barliman leaned closer to Harry. "I just happened to see him by the pub. Wanted to talk to him myself, tell the surprise that you are here but he managed to give me slip." Barliman laughed.

Harry felt a second of panic. He hadn't counted the other hobbit returning yet. He had clearly seen that the hobbit planned being away over two weeks.

"Eh, heh, thank you," Harry stumbled over his words but then gathered himself and gave the inn keeper a smile. "Maybe it was good that you missed him. I think my appearing here will be quite the surprise. I hope at least." Harry tried to look as honest as he could.

"Oh, then it was a good thing indeed I missed him. I almost spoiled the surprise." Barliman looked abashed.

Harry gathered that people here didn't surprise each other that often.

"No harm done. You know, I think this is more of the hobbit way. We are jolly and like surprises. Maybe you bigger people don't that much?"

Barliman was back to his laughing self. "Aye, that might be so, Mr Mugwort. It just might be so. But let it not count against us seriously."

The man waved ahead and obviously planned to accompany Harry for a while.

"But I didn' know Hobbits liked surprises that much. Beg my saying," Barliman rubbed his chin and curiously looked at Harry.

"Well, you know, it's the small surprises we most enjoy. Sure we like our home and food lots but life has to have some spices. But you're right, it's mostly just us town folk who like them. My relatives back home, in Hobbiton," Harry looked to see Barliman nod that he knew the place. "Yes, they are country folk. Wouldn't speak to a stranger to tell the way I tell ya."

Harry hoped he could keep this ruse up, without bursting into laughter. Barliman looked torn not really wanting to know more but being too polite to say.

"I mean last time I returned, and it had only been a few months, but my aunt – well she isn't really my aunt," Harry pointed out. "She is my sister's husband's mother but she insists we all call her such. I think she wants to feel younger. But last time I was away, and it was not that long mind you, she said," here Harry adapted a higher pitched voice. "Fudge, really, you ought not to be so troublesome."

Harry looked at Barliman expectantly but the other man didn't look like he knew what to reply.

"Seven weeks. Just seven weeks was I here visiting family and she thinks I'm troublesome. I even brought the famous Staddle weed back with me!" Harry was gathering steam and enjoying himself. Barliman tried to interrupt but he just kept on going. "Auntie Asphodel just can't handle any surprises. Not even the little ones. You have me there Mr Butterbur. I could just imagine if I suggested to her visiting Staddle. Well, she would harrumph. That would be unheard of. So no, not all hobbits can handle surprises. Most I'd say."

"It is good your cousin is of the different sort then," Barliman blurted out. Clearly hoping to make the conversation end.

"He is of the respectable sort. No matter what aunties in Westfarthing think," Harry took a deep breath and said. "They are the stuffiest parts of Shire." Then he looked expectantly at Barliman.

"Y-Yes, I think you can say that."

Harry smiled self-satisfied. Barliman certainly wouldn't start this topic again and would most likely steer clear of Noakes as well.

"You could say that indeed Mr. Butterbur."

~o~

"I am not paying fifteen silver pennies for that horse, I'll just say," Harry as Fudge said mock outraged and huffing. It was about time someone showed this man something. "That horse is worth six and no more and you know it."

"Well, dear hobbit, Then you can find yourself another stable here in Bree that would sell you a fine steed at that prize," the oily man, Bill Ferny said. "Oh, except there isn't any."

Harry glared at the man.

Bill Ferny was smiling smugly at him.

Harry huffed. He was very tempted to hex the man. A good stinging hex might set him right. Or then it wouldn't. He had glimpsed the man's mind only to realize he shouldn't dig any deeper. It would just smell even more.

It wasn't even that he wanted a horse or a pony. He had come here by accident. He had gotten a small discount while buying vegetables when he agreed to bring a box of withered ones here. This place was on his way back to the inn after all.

"Something has to be done then," Harry answered the same moment another man entered the stables. This one much older and hunchbacked.

"Bill!" The old man shouted. He seemed half blind as well as half deaf. " 'ere you are loitering around. I need some errands done..." That was when the man noticed Harry.

"What 'ave we 'ere. If it isn't a hobbit!" The man shouted and straightened up a bit. "What might be yer business at our fine stable then? I am old man Ferny, thas' what they all call me. The owner."

"I was buying a horse, sir. We are just haggling over the prize," Harry said hinting at Bill. "I was just saying that I can't afford fifteen pennies. Eight would be my highest offer on this mare."

The old man leaned forwards and squinted at the small horse. "Fifteen pennies! Who asked you fifteen pennies?"

"But uncle, the profit..." Bill was defending himself.

Harry saw it wasn't the first time uncle and Bill had this conversation. And most of the times they hadn't had it and Bill had managed to sold a horse way overpriced, his uncle had not seen any of the extra money.

The old man pushed his son aside. "Don't mind Bill. He's a real tradesman but sometimes too ambitious." The man glared behind. "Ain't that so Bill?"

The younger man huffed and turned on his spot to march out the door.

The old man sniggered. "Ah, there will be a day when he's in charge but not yet. Now, master hobbit, let's see about that horse..."

Fifteen minutes later Harry walked out of the stables with a nice brown horse with saddle and brittles. He passed Bill Ferny who glared at him.

Harry made a sudden decision. This was one risk he would take even if the elves around here noticed something.

"It's a mighty fine horse I got," Harry stopped to talk at Bill.

The man glared. "Robbed the old man blind, did ye?"

"Nothing of the sort. He wanted six, I offered eight. He wanted five and I paid him nine. He didn't say anything more," Harry smiled.

While he was talking, he subtly entered Bill's mind and cast a congeniality charm on the man. He overpowered it some so that it would last. For the next year or so Bill Ferny would be the most pleasant young man anyone could find. Harry didn't think that was enough, so a light stupefy and mobilicorpus to keep the other man up, and he quickly ducked under the fence. He lifted Bill's sleeve up and made a small shallow honesty rune on his biceps. It would hardly sting in a few minutes; the man might not even notice it was there. But unless he would scrape the skin off, he would, for the most of his life, talk only the truth.

Harry released the man from the spell and Bill staggered some.

"Something the matter?" Harry leaned forwards concerned.

"No-No, it must be the sun," Bill answered and shrugged. "I think I need some lie down. Have a pleasant day master hobbit and good luck with your horse. She's a fine specimen."

Harry watched satisfied after Bill when the man walked back into the stables. He hoped he had done well. No one was around to see a thing. Besides, it seemed muggles were the same everywhere. Oblivious. If you weren't one of them or a danger to them, then you were no one and that suited Harry perfectly right now.

He looked at the toffee colored small horse. "Now what am I gonna do with you then?"

~o~

a/n. About the delay with this, two words; real life.

Thank you all who reviewed. I really enjoy knowing what you think of this!

Re-loaded 020214 because I forgot Hobbits apparently don't wear shoes. Thank you Gladoo89 and ReallyBored2