Harry stepped out of Ollivander's shop, mind whirling. This morning, he had woken up believing that he was just an ordinary kid. Well, as ordinary as a wizard could be. Over the course of the past several hours, that perception had been removed from him in a rather forcible manner. First, he discovered that he was some kind of celebrity in the wizarding world, and he had somehow vanquished the most feared man who had ever lived in it. As if that wasn't enough, he then tested what felt like every wand in Ollivander's store and come up empty handed. While Ollivander hadn't seemed overly concerned, Harry did get the feeling that it wasn't quite normal.
Taking a deep breath, Harry focused on the rest of the tasks he had to complete today. It was past lunchtime, so the first step would be to find some food. Then he could get to shopping for the rest of his school supplies. Deciding to return to The Leaky Cauldron, he set his shoulders and returned to the alley entrance. Upon arriving, he stopped up short. Until now, the entrance had been opened by a wizard with a wand. Tom had let him into the alley, and he had managed to follow someone else in after his foray into Gringotts yesterday.
Wanting to try something, Harry stepped up to the brick wall and gently tapped the brick he knew to be the keystone. There was no effect. This time, Harry focused on his magic and forced a small amount to settle just above his fingertip. Tapping again, the bricks whirled into the now familiar archway leading to the Cauldron. Harry grinned at his success. It appeared that he could mimic the magic of a wand, at least when not casting spells.
He walked inside and sat down at one end of the bar. He raised a hand to Tom, who waved in return and began walking down the bar towards him.
"Afternoon, sir, what can I be doing for you?" he asked as he approached.
"Hey, Tom. What do you have on the lunch menu?"
"Just a roast beef sandwich today. I could just charge the cost to your room?"
"Sounds great, Tom. Thanks," Harry replied.
A few minutes later, Tom returned with Harry's lunch. He slid the plate across the bar in front of Harry, then pulled up a stool on his side of the bar an sat down.
"Now, as I'm sure you've noticed, I've been rather… tolerant of your refusal to tell me your name. I'm afraid it has been long enough; I can't in good conscious continue to allow you to stay here without some details."
Harry sighed. He had known this would happen eventually, but had hoped it would take another few days, especially after the revelations of that morning.
"Alright, Tom… but you have to promise me that nobody else will hear about this. I swear my secret will not harm anyone else."
"Let's hear it, then."
"My name… is Harry Potter."
He had to admit, that had gone much better than he expected. After his initial shock had worn off, Tom had proven to be quite trustworthy. He had placed Harry's tab under the pseudonym of James Evans. It wasn't a very clever name, but it should hold up for the remainder of the summer. Polishing off his sandwich and placing the plate into the bin at one end of the bar, he walked out to the back and used his magic to reveal the alley.
Harry glanced down at his list as he moved into the alley. Figuring he might as well start at the top of the list, he decided to go shopping for his clothing. The most popular clothing store that he could see appeared to be Madam Malkin's so he slowly walked in that direction, taking in the sights as he went. After his short walk, he briefly examined the clothes on display in the shop window and went inside.
An exhausting hour and a half later, Harry stepped out of Madam Malkin's with two shrunken bags filled with a variety of wizarding clothing, including robes, cloaks, gloves made from exotic animal skins, and other assorted items. He had been poked, prodded, and measured in places he'd rather not mention, but at least he was finished. Checking the list again, he found that he only had one more destination: the apothecary, to pick up his potions supplies. Fortunately enough, the only apothecary store he had seen thus far was called the Apothecary.
It was only a few stores down from Madam Malkin's, and he arrived quickly. When he opened the door, he was assaulted by the most disgusting and bizarre mixture of smells he had ever experienced. Quickly utilizing his magic to decrease the sensitivity of his nose, he moved inside the shop and approached the counter.
"What can I do fer you?" Spoke a voice from behind a curtain separating the store from what was likely the storage area. The voice was quickly followed by a man dressed in thick black robes. He had graying hair and was balding in the center of his scalp. "Welcome to the Apothecary, I'm the apothecary. Looking for Hogwarts potions ingredients, I assume?"
"Hello, sir, nice to meet you. That's right, I'm a first year and I need to pick up my supplies for potions class," Harry replied. Just then, a bell rang quietly as the front door of the shop was opened again.
"Ah, Professor Snape! I was wondering when you would show up. You hadn't showed up for your usual shipment yet. I was just helping one of your soon-to-be students pick up his supplies for the next year. Excuse me, young sir, but this will just take a moment," he said to Harry. "His delivery is already put together in the back. If you'd like to get the payment ready, Severus, I'll go grab your crate."
"Thank you, Isaac, that would be perfect," the newcomer replied with a silky voice. Turning, Harry finally got his first look at one of his new professors.
The man was somewhat taller than average, with an extremely slim build. The fingers peeking out from the sleeves of his cloak were long and spindly, and moved with remarkable surety as they picked several coins from a pouch secured at his waist. His hair reached his shoulders, and was somewhat greasy. His skin was pale, though it had a slight yellow tinge to it. As their eyes finally met, Harry was shocked by their blackness. They looked as if someone had placed small black holes where there should have been eyes. Instead of looking into his soul, like Ollivander's eyes had, these ones looked directly through him.
The man looked as if he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the return of the apothecary. "Here you are, Severus, the usual shipment. I assume you have – ah, there we go," he said as Snape dropped several Galleons onto the countertop. "Well, I suppose I'll see you next month. Good luck with those kids this term," the apothecary finished with a grin. Snape gave the man a wry grin, then picked up the crate and left the store. "Now, I believe you were looking for the first year potions set?"
Harry exited the Apothecary with one more shrunken bag under his arm. Even shrunk, they still had some heft to them. Fortunately, he now had all the required items. He began his journey back to The Leaky Cauldron, before realizing he wasn't walking in the right direction. He looked around in confusion. He was certain he was walking the correct way when he had left the Apothecary, but now he did not even recognize which part of the alley he was in. He almost growled in frustration, before closing his eyes and calming himself.
He then realized he was here for a reason. His magic had led him here for some reason, but now it was giving him no direction. He glanced around. The only shop that drew his eye was Eeylops Owl Emporium, so he walked in on instinct.
The shop was filled with a cacophony of sounds. Birds of various ancestry squawked loudly, each trying to outdo all the rest. There were tawny owls, barn owls, even a great horned owl. Harry grimaced at the smell that came along with all of the avians, and once again lowered the sensitivity of his nose. He walked around the outer perimeter of the shop, looking at each of the animals in turn, trying to determine why he was drawn here.
Then he saw her. In the back of the shop, locked in a small cage, high up on a shelf, was a stunningly white owl with intelligent amber eyes looking straight back at him. Harry immediately knew this was why he was here. He moved to the shopkeeper immediately and asked what the price was for the snowy owl. Within minutes of walking in the store, Harry was back outside, now the proud owner of a post owl.
Smiling as he looked down at his new companion, Harry began his walk back to The Leaky Cauldron. He now had everything he needed for school, with the exception of his wand, which he could pick up from Ollivander's the next day. Yes, things were looking up for Harry Potter.
