CHAPTER 3: The Friendly Giant

A/N: Big thanks to my Beta-reader Loquatorious, you've been a great help dude. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thanks for the support.

A week had passed since Dumbledore's visit and Harry's days following it were spent in a monotonous routine. He'd wake up, make his breakfast, go to the park and stay there till it got dark.

The park had been his haven where he would just let his thoughts take over. He didn't try to make sense of the information that was thwarted upon him. Not only did he think that his brain couldn't comprehend it, but also the more he thought, the more anxious he felt.

He would sit on the exact spot he did when he came with Dumbledore. Not a lot of people came to the park which he was grateful for. The kids nowadays liked to spend most of their time cooped up inside. Probably too busy playing a new video game or watching TV he thought with a bit of envy. A vision of Dudley watching TV in his pyjamas while ordering Aunt Petunia for food every 30 minutes came to his mind.

However, a change that Harry had not seen coming, but was grateful for nonetheless was the Dursley's avoiding him. He honestly thought they would lock him in the cupboard and not let him out till school started. But then he figured they were probably ecstatic of finally ridding themselves of him. Plus, he didn't think they would like another visit from Dumbledore and raise suspicion that something 'abnormal' (as his uncle liked to call it), was going on in their house.

He rolled over and looked at the alarm. It said 7.15 AM. He'd been up for 45 minutes though it felt a lot longer. He sighed and tried to quell his nervous excitement. Today's going to be his first step into a new world. A magical world. His heart started beating faster and he felt nauseous just by thinking about it, which was not good considering he was lying down. He didn't even want to think about what would happen once it'll be time to leave.

He regretted not asking Dumbledore the time this guy would pick him up. He closed his eyes hoping to sleep for another couple of hours. He tossed and turned for 15 minutes before getting frustrated and yanking the cover of.

He realized there was no point just laying on the bed as that would only make him think about the trip, which in turn would make him more anxious.

He decided to make some breakfast. After changing into his clothes, an oversized t-shirt and black trousers he opened the door. He tiptoed to the kitchen as he knew everyone would be asleep. However he got quite a shock when he entered the kitchen and found Aunt Petunia sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea.

He stood there frozen at his spot, waiting for some kind of telling off, instead all he got was silence. She held his gaze for a moment and he felt like she wasn't surprised by seeing him this early. She motioned with her head at the teapot before taking a sip.

Harry felt like this day couldn't have started any weirder. He sat opposite her and poured himself a cup.

"What time are you leaving?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Umm, I don't know," he answered meekly.

After finishing her tea she got up to clean her cup before coming back with a plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She placed it in front of him and sat down. Harry's jaw hit the floor and his eyes turned wide with shock. "What just happened?"

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Shut your mouth. It's disgusting." she reprimanded. He closed his mouth with a snap but still kept staring at her. She raised an eyebrow at him and he finally turned his gaze down. He picked up his sandwich before taking a small bite. He looked back at her from under his lashes to find her twisting her wedding ring between her fingers. He has always been very observant and by now he knew that she only did that when she was nervous. But what does she have to be nervous about?, he wondered. It's not like a week ago she got told that her whole life has been a lie and in just a couple of hours, she has to step into a new world with a total stranger that she knew nothing about. And did he mention that it is a magical world.

He took another bite of his sandwich, relishing in its deliciousness. He couldn't remember the last time he had a meal at the table let alone one that he didn't make himself.

Petunia cleared her throat before speaking. "There is something I wanted to talk to about."

Harry put his sandwich down and looked up at her. She continued fiddling with her ring before picking up the envelope right next to her which Harry hadn't noticed before. She reached over and placed it in front of him. Harry looked at it before looking back at her expectantly. She nodded once. He picked it up and turned it over to reveal both sides blank. It looked pretty old from its state. Rumpled at the corners with a more yellow color than white. He opened it and took out a letter.

Before he started reading it, Petunia interrupted him. "It's from your mother."

He felt air leave his lungs as his heart skipped a beat. The letter slid from his hands onto his plate. He looked at her in shock.

Petunia turned her eyes down before continuing speaking. "She gave it to me the last time we met. I don't know why she gave it to me, perhaps she knew that you'd be staying with us. All she said was that I'd know the right time to give it to you." her voice shook at the end. She looked into his eyes and for a second forgot where she was or what she was talking about. She never liked looking into his eyes because they reminded her of his mother. Her sister. He blinked and she came out of her daze.

"I don't know if this is the right time or not" she took a shaky breath before continuing, "I thought about waiting till you leave for school but," she paused "this felt like the right time." she finished in a whisper.

Harry didn't know how to respond. He just kept staring at her with his mind running a mile a minute. In the back of his mind, he felt like the world was playing a cruel trick on him. He half expected for her to start laughing and tell him that it was all a joke and then his uncle and Dudley to come out from their hiding spots and join her as they make fun of him. But he also knew that was a small part of his brain that has gone hysterical with madness. As he looked into her eyes, he didn't need any proof if this was real or not. He'd never seen her eyes look so distraught and with so much pain in them. He almost felt sorry for her. He looked at the letter and picked it up and started reading it.

Dear Harry,

My sweet sweet boy. I hope by the time you read this you are grown into a beautiful young boy and are living your best life. I don't think I need to tell you that if you're reading this then I'm no longer with you sweetheart. And as much as it breaks my heart to even consider this and not see you take your first step, or watch you ride your first broomstick as I'm sure you'll be a natural just like your father, or watch you grow into a handsome young man and fall in love, never forget that your dad and I will always love you. I'm sure you can tell by the tear stains that I am crying by now unless you're just like your father and are completely ignorant when it comes to the opposite gender.

I'm sure you have lots of questions about why I'm writing this or how do I know that I'm not here with you at the moment. To tell you the truth honey, even I don't know. I guess I just thought it would help me take my mind off all the terrible things going on in the world. Your father is mostly out due to his work and I'm always worried about him. I become numb every time he leaves and just keep staring at the door for him to return. I would've gone mad if I spent one more second staring at the door so I decided to do something to keep myself busy. In times like these there's not much to do so I thought to write this letter for you and tell you how much we love you and that everytime your father is home, we do nothing but stare at you. We place you right in the middle of our bed and just talk about you. 'How excited you'll be when you get your Hogwarts letter or will you be more like me and focus more on your studies or a true marauder like your father and get into all kinds of trouble with your friends. Your father believes that you will break lots of witches' hearts 'like he did' by marrying me. Don't let that misguide you, son, as he spent the best part of his Hogwarts days trying to convince me to give him a chance.

But I do agree with him that lots of girls' hearts will break when you'll find someone to spend the rest of your life with. Trust me Harry when I say that there is no better feeling in the world than being in love. I hope that this someone will love you unconditionally and always be loyal to you. Every great relationship whether it be friendship or love stands on loyalty. But I am not worried as I'm sure that this someone will be special and deserving of your love as you will be of hers.

Looks like your father's back and he's already shouting for food. Well, I had better go before he wakes you up. Too late. I can hear your cries from your room. I'd only put you to sleep a couple of hours ago and when you don't get your sleep you get very cranky mister. I yell at him to put you back to sleep but I know that when I enter your room you will be perched upon his back as he crawls around your room.

I hope this letter never finds you baby, but if it does, remember, we're always with you. All you have to do is look into your heart and we'll be there.

Love,

Mum.

P.S. Your first word was Mama.

By the time he finished, his lip was trembling and there were tear stains all over his cheeks. But he didn't bother wiping them. He felt his heart constrict in pain multiple times as he read through the letter. Harry's deepest regret was that he didn't have one memory of his parents but after reading this he felt like he didn't need one. He felt as if he was there with her as she was saying all these things to him. He could picture her face and make out every emotion she went through as she wrote this.

He felt rage building inside him like never before. He put the letter on the table and stood up. He looked at Petunia with so much hatred he didn't think he possessed. She stood up in fear and backed away to the shelf.

"You," he seethed. "You had any idea what I had to go through? DID YOU?"

She whimpered and backed into a corner.

"YOU LIED TO ME. ABOUT EVERYTHING. MY PARENTS. ABOUT WHO I AM. YOU LIED. WHY. TELL ME WHY?"

In his rage, he didn't notice the breaking of all the windows and glass in the kitchen. The fan above the dining table was moving back and forth and all the chairs were shaking. . Petunia screamed and ducked her head as the glass clattered to the floor. There was a loud thumping noise and a few seconds later Vernon and Dudley came hounding in. They both had shock written all over their faces which then turned to fear when they glanced at Harry. Vernon saw Petunia sitting in the corner with her knees up and arms over her head.

"Petunia!" he exclaimed, running towards her and pulling her towards him. She went into his embrace and started sobbing loudly. Dudley joined them and hugged his mother from behind. He peered at Harry from above her shoulder with a look that Harry could only determine as pleading.

He looked around to see the destruction he'd caused and didn't even feel a small amount of remorse.

"You swine what have you done. You will pay for this. Just wait till I get my hands on you," Vernon yelled after calming Petunia.

Harry looked at him and held his gaze for a few seconds before responding in a low voice.

"Try it."

Vernon's face grew a deep shade of purple and steam was coming out of his ears. Harry briefly wondered if his head would just pop off.

Just then there was a knock at the front door. Nobody moved. Harry looked back at the Dursleys waiting for them to open the door but instead of moving they just looked right back at him with the same expression.

His eyes immediately grew wide once he realized who could it be. He had forgotten all about his trip after reading the letter. Speaking of which, Harry picked it up and folded it before putting it in his pocket. He walked towards the door. All of his early nervousness came back as he put his hand on the knob before turning it and opening the door to reveal a mammoth of a man standing outside.

Harry nearly backed away in fear after seeing his stature. He had never seen someone this large. Scratch that. He didn't know humans could be this large. This man had long black hair that went up to his shoulders and a beard that covered all of his neck. He was wearing a large green coat that ended at his knees over a pair of brown pants made of some kind of leather. And he was sporting the biggest smile Harry had ever seen on anyone's face which was saying something because it was covered by his big moustache.

"'ARRY, it's so good to see ye. Look how big yer' gotten." He picked Harry in a bone-crushing hug, taking all the air out from his lungs. After what felt like an eternity to Harry but were only 10 seconds he put him back on the ground. He was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"Oh, ye were so little when I first brought ye 'ere." Hagrid sniffled. "I could fit ye right in my hand." Harry had no doubt about that. He bent down and looked closely at his face. "Ye've your mother's eyes. But ye look exactly like ye father. Oh I remember when I first met him. He was just yer age." His eyes turned glossy as they lost focus and a sad look washed over his face before he came back to his senses and gave him a small smile.

After wiping his eyes he stood tall and peered inside.

"Where are the Dursleys at?"

"They are sleeping." He lied hoping he wouldn't catch onto it.

"Well, good. So, what do ye say? Shall we get going? We've lots to do," he said giddily.

Harry looked over his shoulder for a brief second before facing him again and nodded slowly.

"Great. Let's get going." Harry stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

They reached the footpath and Harry looked around for a car but couldn't see any.

"How are we supposed to get there? I don't see a car," he asked looking up at Hagrid who in return just winked at him.

Hagrid stuck his right hand out in the same manner people do when hailing for a lift.

Harry kept looking back and forth at the road and him. 'Is he just going to stand there like that?' he wondered, thinking he'd gone off his rocker when suddenly, in the blink of an eye there was a triple decker purple bus parked right in front of him.

Harry's jaw was hanging open as he couldn't believe what he just saw. Hagrid thumped him on the back and he nearly crashed into the bus.

"That's how we getting to where we're going. Welcome to the Knight Bus 'Arry."

The door opened and out came a pale-looking young man. He had big teeth and was wearing a conductor's hat.

"Seriously Hagrid. We just dropped you not 5 minutes ago," he said in an annoyed clip.

"Well i didn't know how long it was going to take now did I" Hagrid defended himself.

"Well what are you waiting for then. Get in"

They both got in and took a seat at the back. Harry noticed the seats were mostly empty with only a few passengers scattered around.

"Take er away Ern" shouted Stan.

"I'd hold on to something if I were you 'Arry," before he knew what he meant he was on the ground as the bus took off.

Hagrid helped him back into his seat as he gripped the metal pole firmly.

"Don' worry, ye'll get used to it" Hagrid smiled at him. Harry wanted to yell at him but could only manage a small scowl.

After what felt like an eternity but was only 10 minutes the bus stopped and Harry bolted from his seat and got out just in time to vomit on the pavement. Stan came to stand behind him and gave him a pat on the back and handed him a couple of lollies. They looked quite different from the ones Dumbledore gave him.

"There, there. Happens to everyone on their first ride." Harry wiped his mouth with his t-shirt and stood tall wiping the sweat off his forehead. He popped a lolly into his mouth and felt it rinse all the bad taste from his mouth.

"Thank you."

"No worries young lad. As I said, it happens to every…" he stopped talking and furrowed his brows as he examined Harry's forehead closely. His eyes turned wide and he backed away from him.

"You, You're Harry Potter" he stammered while pointing with his finger.

"Um, yeah. How do you know?"

The next second Stan on the ground, hugging his knees. Harry tried to get him off him but his grip was too strong.

"What ye doin', you fool. Leave 'im alone," Hagrid picked him by the waistband and put him in the bus. The door closed behind him and the next second there was nothing but air.

Harry was still in shock from what just happened. He looked at Hagrid as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay Arry?"

"What just happened?" he half-whispered.

"How about we go in and I'll explain it in there."

Harry nodded and followed Hagrid into a dinky little pub called The Leaky Cauldron. It was empty except a bald man cleaning the tables. He turned to face them and a huge grin split his face.

"Hagrid. Haven't seen you in so long."

"Been busy Tom. Looks like ye been enjoin some peace," said Hagrid as he shook his hand.

"Well as you know I don't get it much," his eyes then turned towards Harry. "Who's this young lad?"

Hagrid put an arm around Harry's shoulder and pulled him close.

"This is Harry. Harry Potter."

Tom's eyes grew wide and he moved towards Harry. "Blimey!. Harry Potter. I can't believe it. It's an honor to meet you, Mr Potter. He held out his hand. Harry looked at Hagrid who gave him a nod. Harry reached his hand out and shook his.

"Tom, we are here to get Harry's school supplies. I'm sure ye can understand that we want to avoid the crowd when we come back as ye and I both know it could get nasty, so I was hopin' if ye could open the back door when we come back."

Tom put his hand up. "Don't you worry about that Hagrid. The door will be open when you get back. It would be my honor to help Mr Potter in any way I can." He finished with a smile at Harry.

Harry turned his gaze down feeling uncomfortable by all the attention. Hagrid sensing his discomfort cleared his throat before thanking Tom and dragging Harry away.

Harry found himself in an empty room with a brick wall across from him. He watched Hagrid walk up to it as he took out his umbrella. He then tapped random bricks with it before stepping back.

Harry watched amazed as the bricks started moving and in a matter of seconds there was a huge archway in the wall. Hagrid motioned him to follow and Harry after taking a few steady breaths to slow his heartbeat took his first steps into the wizarding world.

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. He was in a state of complete spellbound. He didn't want to blink at the fear of missing something spectacular. Shops were lined on both sides of the cobbled street.

The street was filled with people of all ages wearing what Harry now understood as robes. He saw lots of kids his own age shopping with their family. There were also some kids dressed similarly to him which put him a bit at ease and made him feel a little less anxious.

A whoosh sound made him look up in the sky and he nearly stopped breathing when he saw kids flying in the air on what he could only describe as brooms. His heart started beating faster and he was shocked to find out that he was thrilled by what he saw. He wanted to try it and see the world from high up, with the wind billowing past him. Maybe this was what his mother meant when she said he'll be a natural just like his dad. He didn't know the last time he felt this excited. He was so mesmerized by watching kids zoom past shops that he missed the smile on Hagrid's face.

45 minutes later found Harry sitting in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Hagrid was sitting opposite him and they were both enjoying their ice-creams. 3 bags full of Harry's supplies were laid beside him. Their first trip was to Gringotts, a wizarding bank, to withdraw some money for his purchases. Harry had never been to a bank before but he highly doubted that they had a large cave underneath that housed all the vaults and that the only way to get to one was by a cart. It felt something out of a fantasy movie, not that he'd seen many movies. He was speechless when he saw inside his vault. It was filled with gold, lots of it and some other family jewels as Hagrid described it to him. Apparently the Potter's were one of the richest families in the wizarding world.

He'd also been briefed on wizarding currency which he still didn't properly understand. After withdrawing the money they went to buy his books and stationery at Flourish and Botts. He was slightly scared by the size of the books. The next item on their list was a cauldron. Their last stop was at the Apothecary for some potions ingredients. The only items left on the list were robes and a wand. They decided to cool off for a bit since they had been walking for more than 2 hours.

"Hagrid?" he asked after finishing his ice cream.

"Ya, 'Arry?" Hagrid said after taking a spoonful from his vanilla fudge cup.

"What did Stan and that guy in the bar react like that?" he knew Hagrid had been avoiding this question by the look on his face.

"Um, well ye see 'Arry, ye're not any normal wizard. As I'm sure Professor Dumbledore already talked to ye about it. You're famous Arry. There is no one that doesn't know who you are."

"But then how come no else seems to be reacting that way."

"They haven't gotten a good look at ye. Stan saw yer scar, 'Arry. Anyone who sees that scar will know it's you." said Hagrid as he finished his ice-cream.

"But what about the goblins. They knew it was me."

Hagrid chuckled before replying. "That's the most you'll see them get surprised, I suppose. Dangerous fellows, goblins, I tell yah. Not ones to mess around with."

Harry nodded absently as he mulled over that information. He had one more question he'd wanted to ask Hagrid ever since they walked out of Gringotts.

"Hagrid? What was in the other Vault that we went to. I saw the goblin hand you a small package."

Hagrid squirmed in his seat nervously as he looked around to check if anyone had heard that.

"Oh, it's nothin' 'Arry. Just something I had to pick up, you see. Orders from Prof. Dumbledore." His eyes immediately grew wide as he finished his sentence. Harry gathered that it was information he wasn't supposed to share. He tried to act casual and pretended that he didn't notice his slip.

"So, where to now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Now we're off to Madam Malkin's to get yer robes." and with that Hagrid stood and picked up all the bags ignoring Harry's protests of sharing the load.

Harry was standing on a stool getting his fitting done with Madam Malkin fussing all over him. He'd been changed into 3 different sizes of robes and was hoping that this would be the last one. He looked at Hagrid who just stared back at him with amusement.

"Straighten your posture," bristled Madam Malkin. She muttered something about young kids nowadays with no sense of fashion. She backed away a little to look at him.

"That's much better." She then turned to face Hagrid. "Don't you think Hagrid?"

"I'm sure you know much better than me Madam Malkin," he humbly replied.

"Of course I do," she huffed. "Still, it's never a mistake to have a second opinion, even though its value is no better than that of my cat."

Hagrid didn't know how to respond to that but in all his years of knowing Madam Malkin, he assumed that was an underhand compliment.

"I think it's perfect," he responded.

Harry got down from the stool and went to change into his normal clothes. He came out and walked over to the counter to pay for them. Madam Malkin put them in a bag and handed it to him. Hagrid walked over and was about to take it from him when Harry stopped him.

"I got it, Hagrid. Plus it's really light," he said and to his relief Hagrid relented.

"Alright. But just this once." He gave him a small smile before walking towards the door.

"The wand is the only item left now," Harry said as they came out of the shop and onto the busy street.

"Right. Olivander's it is then.'' They turned left and started walking.

Harry saw the sign above the shop that said Olivander's and was about to open the door when Hagrid stopped him.

"Why don't ya go in Arry. I just remembered something. Don't worry I'll be back before ya know it"

Harry nodded feeling a lot more confident than he did when he first arrived. Hagrid beamed at him before leaving. Harry entered the shop to find it empty.

"Hello" he looked around to see if anyone was there."

An old man with frizzy hair stuck his head from behind a shelf before a smile grazed his wrinkled old features.

"Welcome, Mr Potter. I was wondering when I would get to meet you."

Harry didn't even bother asking him how he knew it was him. He put his bag on a chair before walking to the counter.

"Hi, I'm looking for a wand.

"Oh I'm sure you are" he chuckled before disappearing behind the shelf again. He came back with a rectangular box in his hands and placed it on the counter before opening it and taking out a wand.

"Vinewood, dragon heartstring, 9 ½ inches," he handed it to Harry.

Harry nervously gripped it in his right hand.

"Give it a swish." He did so and the lamp sitting in the corner crashed to the ground in pieces. Harry, horrified, stood still in shock. He glanced at Mr Olivander fearing to be berated and kicked out but was somewhat relieved when he just went back and brought out another box.

Harry tried 4 more wands but nothing seemed to work. They all responded rather uncontrollable. The last wand he tried threw a chair straight at Mr Olivander who ducked just in time. He profusely apologised to him afterwards but he just waved it off as nothing.

He handed him a new wand and Harry clasped it tightly in his hand. He was about to give it a whirl when he left a sudden feeling of warmth spread all around him as the hair on his arms stood up. It just felt right to hold it. Liked it belonged to him. Air cascaded around him and the chimes above him moved. He felt in control of the wand as if it answered to him. He missed the look of shock on Mr Olivander's face as his body started glowing.

"Of course, of course. It had to be. How come I didn't see it before," Mr Olivander kept murmuring it in his mouth."

Harry looked up at him. "Mr Olivander, what happened?'

"Well, I'm afraid Mr Potter, but it seems your fate is connected to He-who-must-not-be-named in more ways than one. I remember every wand I ever sold, Mr Potter. The phoenix that produced the feather for this wand, gave another feather a long time ago. That feather was in the wand that belonged to the man that gave you your scar," he finished solemnly.

Harry's eyes grew wide and a chill ran down his spine He dropped the wand on the counter.

"Maybe I can try another wand. I'm sure I can find one more suitable to me," he said hoping against all hope that he would agree.

Mr Olivander's eyes softened and he gave him a sad smile. "My boy, the wand chooses the wizard, always remember that. I can assure you that this wand belongs to you. There is no denying it. Sure, you may try other wands but they would never feel right. As you grow older I'm sure you'll understand this."

Harry looked down at the wand. He didn't want to admit it but he wanted to feel it in his hand as soon as possible. To feel that warmth again, the feeling of power and in control of something that belonged solely to him gave him a sense of excitement and apprehension at the same time.

"Choosing the wand will not make you like him, Mr Potter," Mr Ollivander's words cut through his thoughts.

He looked at him and then looked down at the wand again before finally nodding his head.

"I'll take it."

"Bravo. You made the right choice, Mr Potter, and I'm sure we can expect great things from you in the future." He placed the wand back in the box. Harry took out his pouch and was about to pay when a knock on the window halted him. He turned around to see Hagrid smiling at him. Harry's gaze turned down and he gasped loudly when he saw him holding a broom. Even though it was wrapped, Harry could make out its form.

He quickly paid for his wand and dashed outside. He could barely control his excitement when he saw it up close.

He looked up at Hagrid. He didn't want to get ahead and assume that it was for him.

"Hagrid? Is this…" he couldn't finish the sentence as his senses were all in overload.

Hagrid nodded vigorously and chuckled when Harry's eyes grew wide.

"I noticed ye lookin' at em earlier and since I didn't get ye anything for yer' birthday I figured now is as good a time as any. It's the Nimbus 2000. The fastest broom there is." He paused for a moment in thought. "Maybe I should've got you one more suited for first timers but I couldn't help meself and wanted you to have the best. I'm sure your dad would've wanted it too. So what'd ya think." He finally looked at Harry after finishing his rambling and was startled by seeing tears in his eyes.

The next second Harry was clutching his waist tightly with silent tears streaming down his face. This was the first time anyone has ever gotten him something. Hagrid patted his back and smiled at the onlookers. Harry pulled away and wiped his eyes.

"Thank you, Hagrid. This means a lot to me." His eyes widened. "Hagrid, it must have cost you a fortune," he exclaimed

"Ah, don't ya worry about that, 'Arry," he waved him off. "You deserve this. But you can't use it till ye get to Hogwarts okay or the ministry will know about it. You see y'er not allowed to do magic outside Hogwarts till ya turn 17."

Harry's face fell for a moment as he so badly wanted to perform magic with his wand and fly the broom but then he lightened up at the thought that he only had to wait a month for the term to start and also he should probably take some lessons before seriously injuring himself on the broom.

He nodded and smiled up at him. They started walking towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry was admiring all kinds of different shops as he walked by. They ranged from joke shops to beauty products. He came across a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium. He remembered Dumbledore explaining to him about how in the wizarding world mail is delivered by Owls.

He tugged on Hagrid's coat. "Hagrid, does everyone own an owl?" he questioned him.

"Mostly. It's the only way to send letters. Students who don't have one use the ones at Hogwarts. You can have a look if ye want," he suggested.

Harry nodded before walking in the store. He was surprised by the sheer number of owls. It seemed endless. After looking around for 10 minutes they were about to walk out when Harry's eyes landed on a cage in the back corner. He walked up to it and was in awe of its beauty. It was snowy white in color and was nibbling on something. Harry brought his face closer to the cage and it turned its head towards him. It inclined its head at him as if measuring him. Harry was so lost in its gaze that he didn't hear the store owner come up behind him.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Harry jumped a foot in the air and turned around to glare at the man.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you," the owner apologized sincerely.

"It's okay," he turned back to look at the owl. "What's her name?"

"We don't name them. We leave that to the person who buys them," he replied.

"I'll take it," said Harry. He knew he didn't need one since he didn't have anyone he could write to but he wanted it. He didn't know how to explain it but he felt a connection to her.

"Brilliant. Just give me a few minutes and I'll bring it to you."

Harry walked towards the counter and looked around for Hagrid. He found him near the window talking to a boy he assumed to be around 15.

The owner came back with his owl and Harry paid for it before walking over to them. Hagrid turned his head and a huge smile lit his face upon seeing the cage in his hand.

"Oh, she's a beauty, 'Arry. Isn't she, Cedric?" he said, looking at the other boy.

"Absolutely," the boy replied with a smile. He held his hand out. "I'm Cedric Diggory by the way."

"Harry," he shook his hand.

Cedric's eyes grew wide when they landed on his scar. Harry ducked his head to obscure it from view.

"Wait, really?" he looked back and forth between Hagrid and Harry for confirmation.

Harry nodded his head, avoiding his eyes. Cedric blew out a breath. He looked down at Harry and sensing his discomfort laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, we can't wait to see you in Hogwarts colors, Harry. If you ever need someone to talk to or show you around the castle, never be afraid to ask alright," he said offering him a smile.

Harry looked at him and felt a sense of relief wash over him. He really appreciated that he didn't fawn over him.

"Cedric's going to start his 4th year at Hogwarts this term. He's a brilliant student and also one hell of a quidditch player," said Hagrid, smiling proudly at him for handling the situation so well.

Cedric blushed at the compliment. "Don't listen to him, Harry. Well, I see you've done your shopping. Is this your first time in Diagon Alley?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah." Harry didn't know what more to say as he always felt uncomfortable when the attention was on him.

"I still remember my first time. My parents were so tired by the end because I took them to every shop possible," he chuckled at the memory. "Well, I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts if we don't bump into each other at King's Cross." Again Harry nodded his head.

Cedric left after saying goodbye to Hagrid.

They entered The Leaky Cauldron through the back door. Hagrid was dragging a trunk which they bought after exiting the emporium and put all of his supplies in except the owl which Harry was holding.

Harry's eyes grew large when they came down the stairs and saw the pub crowded with people. The sound was raucous and drinks were flowing left and right. Hagrid steered him down the corridor to the left which led them to a room. They entered it and crossed their way to the door on the opposite end. They opened it and came out of the building. Harry turned to close the door but he was met with a brick wall. He looked at Harry in confusion who just winked at him.

"Not many know about this. Comes in handy when ye're tryin' to avoid people," he explained.

Harry nodded and made a note to remember it for next time.

Twenty minutes later Harry was back at the Dursleys. Hagrid brought his trunk out of the Knight Bus.

"Don't drive away, ya fool. I'm just sayin' goodbye to 'Arry."

"Well, hurry up. We have places we have to be at," Ern yelled back.

Harry saw Stan stuck his head out to look at him but ducked it right back after he caught him.

It was getting dark now with street lamps turned on. The last rays of sunlight were dying soon.

Hagrid stopped in front of him.

"Well, I hope you had fun today, 'Arry. I sure did so."

"I had fun too, Hagrid. It was a lot better than I thought it would be," he answered honestly.

Hagrid's face lit up with a huge smile and he rushed forward and caught Harry in a huge hug lifting him from the ground. Harry got the feeling of Deja Vu from the morning as he once again felt the air leave his body.

"Hagrid, I can't breathe!" he wheezed.

Hagrid put him back on the ground and wiped his eyes.

"I'm sorry, 'Arry. Just get emotional sometimes."

"It's okay," Harry breathed in deeply, trying to get oxygen back into his body.

"Hagrid, you coming or not?" bellowed Ern. Harry looked around to see if anyone heard that.

"Don't worry, 'Arry. Muggles wouldn't notice it." Harry nodded. "Well, I better get going or have to flag 'em back again and I don't think he'll appreciate that."

"It's ok Hagrid." He gave him a smile. "Goodbye"

He grabbed the handle of his trunk and was surprised to find it extremely light.

"You can fill it with as much stuff you want. The weight never changes," he explained upon seeing the look on his face.

"Cool," he replied before picking up the cage.

"So, have ye thought of a name?" he pointed at the cage.

Harry looked at the owl and his mouth curled into a small smile.

"Yeah, I have." He met Hagrid's eyes. "Hedwig".

A/N: So guys what did you think. I know some of you may think that this chapter was unnecessary in terms of plot but it was really important to me to write about Harry's introduction into the wizarding world and the other major factor was that by the end of the trip, Harry felt that he had someone, (other than Dumbledore), in Hagrid, he could talk to. Please let me know in the comments what you thought and I will try to reply to all of them! Next chapter PLATFORM nine and three quarters!