Regret (the aftermath of the 5th year)
Chapter 3
Harry had walked for about an hour before deciding on where he could go. It was difficult to decide considering all he had was wizard money, so any place that involved muggle money was out of the question. About a half-hour into his little walk he thought about going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. He remembered that there were rooms there and he could stay there fro a while 'till he decided on a more permanent location. At first he said no to the thought, considering it was such an obvious place, but the last place people often look for things they've lost is the most obvious place. And besides he wouldn't be staying there forever, a week or two maybe.
He stopped and placed his trunk flat on the sidewalk so he could sit on it to rest. He looked around the neighborhood he was now in. Only a few of the houses had their lights on, and he could hear a couple dogs braking at each other a way down. Most of the streetlights were lit, but the one above him kept flickering on and off. He looked up at it for a second, as if the broken light was so interesting, then at the ground. How do you call the knight bus again? He thought. He stood up, turned around, and knelt down in front of his trunk so it would be easier to search through. He was looking for his cloak, the plain clack one he uses when he wasn't in school but still wanted to blend in with other wizards. He liked it a lot because whenever he wore it with the hood up, no one ever recognized him. Mainly because it covered his most recognizable features, his hair, eyes, and of course, his scar. He moved the miniaturized versions of his broom and hedwig's cage, which he had used reducio on so they would fit into his trunk, he moved his book, a couple of shirts, then finally pulled out the cloak he'd been looking for. He put it on then threw the hood up, which stopped just before the end of his nose. "Perfect" he said to himself, with a smile, then put everything except his wand back in the trunk and closed it.
"I need a good name to use," he said, " can't use Neville's name again." For some reason Cedric's name jumped into his mind, along with a rush of guilt. I should use his name, he thought, his first name at least, sort of like, in honour of, or in memory of. He nodded to himself " or both" he said out loud.
He walked over to the edge of the sidewalk and pocketed his wand. Now, how do you call the bus?? He thought, raise you wand hand, right? So slowly he raised his wand hand into the air and braced himself for what might happen. Within seconds the deafening BANG and blinding light that he had been expecting arrived. Harry tried to keep his composure, but had to take a step back in order to catch himself.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus," shouted a familiar voice, "emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." Since Harry's hood was blocking his vision, all he could see was a tall blurred figure standing in front of him. He tilted his head back so he could see out from under the hood, and saw Stan standing, looking at him as if he were expecting applause. He looked back down and turned to get his trunk, "Same line as last time." He muttered to himself.
"Woss that?" he heard Stan say behind him.
"Oh, um could you help with my trunk?" he replied quickly, not realizing he's spoken that loudly. "It's quite heavy."
"My pleasure, mate. 'S part of the job description, you know." He walked over to the opposite end of the trunk and lifted it while Harry lifted the other. " 'ey man, you wern joking, 'choo got in 'ere, bricks?"
"Books, mostly." Harry replied, as they both started toward the bus. When they had gotten the trunk nice and secure, Harry went and sat on a bed that was closest to the narrow stairway that lead to the second floor of the bus, and held on to the rail so he wouldn't go flying all over the place once they got on their way.
"So," Stan said, " where you 'eaded?"
"Diagon Alley, if you don't mind."
"Don't mind at all, s'long as you pay, can take you anywhere, 'cept underwater." Harry tilted his head back again to get a better look at Stan, who did look a bit older, probably because he had quite a few less pimples than the last time he saw him. "Woss your name, if you don' mind me askin'? Or should I just call you 'sir'?"
"No, no, it's .it's Cedric." Harry replied hastily.
"Don' got a last name?" Stan asked. Harry looked down at the floor, then replied, "It's Black, Cedric Black. " "Well then Cedric, nice to meet you, best be on our way then. 'Ey 'Ern, Cedric here wants to go to Diagon Alley, let's get goin'." With a loud BANG, that was really starting to irritate Harry, they were off. He didn't dare look out the window knowing he would probably get sick, and focused on his shoes instead.
"So, what you goin' to Diagon Alley for? 'S a bit late to go shoppin'."
"I'm uh.I'm visiting a friend and I need a place to stay while I'm here." Nice thinking there Harry, just pray he doesn't ask who your friend is, he thought, " I heard there was a place around here called the Leaky Cauldron that had rooms."
"Well, if your visitin', how'd you know 'bout Diagon Alley."
"Oh, um, my friend told me that it was right next to the Leaky Cauldron." Just as he said the last word, there was another BANG and the bus stopped so suddenly, that Harry shot forward and had to catch himself on the bed next to him.
" 'Ere we are Cedric, that'll be 12 sickles from the ride, if you don' mind." He said turning to Harry. He had to catch himself with the hand he had slammed into the wall earlier, so it took a second to stand up. Once the pain had stopped, Harry stood and walked over to his trunk, opened it, and took out the bag he used to hold his money in. He pulled out a galleon and placed it into Stan's outstretched hand.
Stan looked down at it, "Um, I'm 'fraid I don' got change." He said, as he looked back up at Harry.
"Just keep the rest, for helping with my trunk." Harry said, motioning to his trunk, giving a subtle hint that he may need help again to get the trunk back out of the bus.
"Oh," said Stan, pocketing galleon, "let me 'elp you with that." Then he walked over to the trunk and lifted the end opposite Harry, and they both carried it out to the sidewalk. "Well," Stan said, outstretching his hand to Harry," 'S been a pleasure meeting you Cedric." Harry reached out and shook Stan's hand, then replaced it at his side. "Best be off then." Said Stan, then the door's to the Knight Bus closed and with another deafening BANG, they we're gone.
"Bye" Harry said quietly, not just to the Knight Bus, but to his old life, to everything he wanted to forget.
He lifted his trunk up on its end so the side that had wheels was still on the ground, and began towards the door in front of him. He stopped just before it and looked up to read the sign that said "The Leaky Cauldron", then smiled, turned the knob on the door, and walked in.
***
Chapter 3
Harry had walked for about an hour before deciding on where he could go. It was difficult to decide considering all he had was wizard money, so any place that involved muggle money was out of the question. About a half-hour into his little walk he thought about going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. He remembered that there were rooms there and he could stay there fro a while 'till he decided on a more permanent location. At first he said no to the thought, considering it was such an obvious place, but the last place people often look for things they've lost is the most obvious place. And besides he wouldn't be staying there forever, a week or two maybe.
He stopped and placed his trunk flat on the sidewalk so he could sit on it to rest. He looked around the neighborhood he was now in. Only a few of the houses had their lights on, and he could hear a couple dogs braking at each other a way down. Most of the streetlights were lit, but the one above him kept flickering on and off. He looked up at it for a second, as if the broken light was so interesting, then at the ground. How do you call the knight bus again? He thought. He stood up, turned around, and knelt down in front of his trunk so it would be easier to search through. He was looking for his cloak, the plain clack one he uses when he wasn't in school but still wanted to blend in with other wizards. He liked it a lot because whenever he wore it with the hood up, no one ever recognized him. Mainly because it covered his most recognizable features, his hair, eyes, and of course, his scar. He moved the miniaturized versions of his broom and hedwig's cage, which he had used reducio on so they would fit into his trunk, he moved his book, a couple of shirts, then finally pulled out the cloak he'd been looking for. He put it on then threw the hood up, which stopped just before the end of his nose. "Perfect" he said to himself, with a smile, then put everything except his wand back in the trunk and closed it.
"I need a good name to use," he said, " can't use Neville's name again." For some reason Cedric's name jumped into his mind, along with a rush of guilt. I should use his name, he thought, his first name at least, sort of like, in honour of, or in memory of. He nodded to himself " or both" he said out loud.
He walked over to the edge of the sidewalk and pocketed his wand. Now, how do you call the bus?? He thought, raise you wand hand, right? So slowly he raised his wand hand into the air and braced himself for what might happen. Within seconds the deafening BANG and blinding light that he had been expecting arrived. Harry tried to keep his composure, but had to take a step back in order to catch himself.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus," shouted a familiar voice, "emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." Since Harry's hood was blocking his vision, all he could see was a tall blurred figure standing in front of him. He tilted his head back so he could see out from under the hood, and saw Stan standing, looking at him as if he were expecting applause. He looked back down and turned to get his trunk, "Same line as last time." He muttered to himself.
"Woss that?" he heard Stan say behind him.
"Oh, um could you help with my trunk?" he replied quickly, not realizing he's spoken that loudly. "It's quite heavy."
"My pleasure, mate. 'S part of the job description, you know." He walked over to the opposite end of the trunk and lifted it while Harry lifted the other. " 'ey man, you wern joking, 'choo got in 'ere, bricks?"
"Books, mostly." Harry replied, as they both started toward the bus. When they had gotten the trunk nice and secure, Harry went and sat on a bed that was closest to the narrow stairway that lead to the second floor of the bus, and held on to the rail so he wouldn't go flying all over the place once they got on their way.
"So," Stan said, " where you 'eaded?"
"Diagon Alley, if you don't mind."
"Don't mind at all, s'long as you pay, can take you anywhere, 'cept underwater." Harry tilted his head back again to get a better look at Stan, who did look a bit older, probably because he had quite a few less pimples than the last time he saw him. "Woss your name, if you don' mind me askin'? Or should I just call you 'sir'?"
"No, no, it's .it's Cedric." Harry replied hastily.
"Don' got a last name?" Stan asked. Harry looked down at the floor, then replied, "It's Black, Cedric Black. " "Well then Cedric, nice to meet you, best be on our way then. 'Ey 'Ern, Cedric here wants to go to Diagon Alley, let's get goin'." With a loud BANG, that was really starting to irritate Harry, they were off. He didn't dare look out the window knowing he would probably get sick, and focused on his shoes instead.
"So, what you goin' to Diagon Alley for? 'S a bit late to go shoppin'."
"I'm uh.I'm visiting a friend and I need a place to stay while I'm here." Nice thinking there Harry, just pray he doesn't ask who your friend is, he thought, " I heard there was a place around here called the Leaky Cauldron that had rooms."
"Well, if your visitin', how'd you know 'bout Diagon Alley."
"Oh, um, my friend told me that it was right next to the Leaky Cauldron." Just as he said the last word, there was another BANG and the bus stopped so suddenly, that Harry shot forward and had to catch himself on the bed next to him.
" 'Ere we are Cedric, that'll be 12 sickles from the ride, if you don' mind." He said turning to Harry. He had to catch himself with the hand he had slammed into the wall earlier, so it took a second to stand up. Once the pain had stopped, Harry stood and walked over to his trunk, opened it, and took out the bag he used to hold his money in. He pulled out a galleon and placed it into Stan's outstretched hand.
Stan looked down at it, "Um, I'm 'fraid I don' got change." He said, as he looked back up at Harry.
"Just keep the rest, for helping with my trunk." Harry said, motioning to his trunk, giving a subtle hint that he may need help again to get the trunk back out of the bus.
"Oh," said Stan, pocketing galleon, "let me 'elp you with that." Then he walked over to the trunk and lifted the end opposite Harry, and they both carried it out to the sidewalk. "Well," Stan said, outstretching his hand to Harry," 'S been a pleasure meeting you Cedric." Harry reached out and shook Stan's hand, then replaced it at his side. "Best be off then." Said Stan, then the door's to the Knight Bus closed and with another deafening BANG, they we're gone.
"Bye" Harry said quietly, not just to the Knight Bus, but to his old life, to everything he wanted to forget.
He lifted his trunk up on its end so the side that had wheels was still on the ground, and began towards the door in front of him. He stopped just before it and looked up to read the sign that said "The Leaky Cauldron", then smiled, turned the knob on the door, and walked in.
***