The last customer left the Pub and Harry sat down on the counter, while the houseelves cleaned up.
It had been a quiet nightshift and he was looking forward to sleeping. A sigh escaped him.
„You alright?", he heard Al asking and nodded.
„Just...thinking.", he answered and looked at the artifact beside him. He wondered…
„You don't remember how you were made, right? I mean, the forging, why you became aware, or sentient? „
Al snorted:" No, I don't. What brought this on?"
„Nothing. But wasn't it lonely? Or were there people who you befriended with? Talked with you? „
„Talking with me, no. Talking to me, yes. I had to spy for some people, for example, and one time I helped my owner with cheating during poker. Told him the cards from the other players. But, strangely, I wasn't really lonely till… It started after I left behind my last owner. Hasn't been that long, so no biggy. You lonely?"
Harry choose to ignore the small break and forlorn look from Al, as well as his question. „Let's go to sleep.", he said, heading upstairs.
But while he got ready for bed, he couldn't help but wonder: was he lonely?
The next days and nights went in similar fashion: waking up, eating, wandering Hogsmeade and then taking a short trip to Diagon Alley, looking for information on anything, really. It was astounding what people told each other in crowded areas. Surprisingly, the people in Knockturn Alley were pretty careless with who overheard, too.
He learned that Zacharia Hobbles is the alias for the known author Joffrey Jenkings.
Stephanie Wales, a very nice looking blonde, wanted to be a famous singer and had an audition coming saturday, but was hesitant to go. Harry resolved that one in telling her to come find him for a free drink if it went badly and flirting for a bit. A first for him, but he didn't seem to do too badly at it if the mobilenumber he got in return had anything to say.
Miss Branburry plottet revenge on a hated neighbour, thinking of using a burning hex.
Ronald Jones wanted to swindle Gringotts, using a copied key he found in Knockturn Alley. Apparently it was for onetime use and could confund two goblins in thinking he had access to a vault of his choosing. That seemed like pretty dark magic and Harry was considering tipping Gringotts off. Just to make himself known. Maybe they had some work for Geist if all went well.
Bella Sorensen just lost her entire family in a deatheaterattack. She had 'discussed' with some of the attackers using spells of her own making, killing three in the process. She was now looking for a job in spellmaking and testing.
Josephine Porkupines gave her little brother of five years a concussion last week, because he broke her favorite doll. She told her parents he fell and threatened him to do it again, should he talk.
Margarete Seila broke her mothers favorite vase.
Benno Rafpaehl got bitten by a werewolf yesterday.
Harry wrote everything down and then went back to the pub, starting his shift. He already had some customers who came on certain days and times, chatting with him about their day. When the pub closed, Harry traded infos with Al and then went upstairs to sleep.
Two nights before his first appointed apparitionlesson he awoke once again screaming. After it happened the first time he set up silencing spells, so he wasn't concerned that Rosmerta or the guests had heard him, at least. He sat up and hissed, as two wounds tore open again. Most were at least scabbed now, but some still bothered him.He wasn't good at healing charms, so that was not an option. Maybe he should go and ask at an apothecary. Cleaning up and bandaging his reopened wounds he went downstairs. With a mumbled:'Morning' to Rosmerta and Blinky he took the Newspaper, sat down, opened the Daily Prophet and scanned it. Still no news about Ronald Jones. Maybe he should speak to a Goblin. He wanted to talk to Gobblerdock about his finances anyway. So getting himself healing salve and talking to the Goblin it was. Do they have something like appointements? He would find out, he guessed. Smiling he added a book about Goblincustoms to his mental to-do-list. He stood and snatched himself a sandwich, then left for Diagon Alley.
