Hi there! Haha, I keep telling myself that I should go study but who can resist posting on ff.net? Heh. Do read and enjoy.
Chapter 4 – Shopping, Scowling, and Surprises
Once in London, Snape brought Harry to an apartment store. Harry concealed a smile as he picked some clothes for himself out. Snape was standing off to one side, occasionally pointing out clothes with comments of, "This looks about the right size" and "How about this one?"
For the most part, however, he looked highly annoyed at the salesgirl who was badgering him to purchase some new clothes, "But black is so last season, sir…"
When Harry had gotten what he thought he would need, Snape looked through the pile and brought them to the counter.
"Who's paying, sir?" Harry asked as Snape counted out notes.
"For the time being… me. Count this as a belated birthday present. As for your school materials, we'll be drawing from the vault your parents left you."
With that, Snape accepted the bag from the cashier and strode off down one of London's many roads.
Harry frowned as they neared a corner where an old, musty pub named The Leaky Cauldron was. If he didn't think it impossible, he would have thought that the people could not see it. Their eyes slid from the large bookshop on the right of the pub to the record store to its left.
When he voiced that thought to Snape, the man had merely asked lightly, "What makes you think they can?" before smiling mysteriously and continuing to stride swiftly along towards the pub.
A frown still marring his features, Harry hurried after. In fact, he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Snape stop suddenly, managing to avoid crashing face first into the Potions Master only narrowly.
"Listen," Snape said in an undertone to Harry, once he was sure that he had the boy's attention, "There are certain images that I have to upkeep, for certain reasons. You don't need to know what, but just understand that I will act differently once we enter the Wizarding World."
When Harry nodded, Snape flashed him a brief smile before they entered The Leaky Cauldron.
Almost immediately, all conversation ceased as everyone turned to look at the latest arrival in the pub. Then, with a slow rumble, they turned away and carried on with their previous conversations once more.
The bartender was standing behind the counter wiping a dirty glass. When he saw Snape, he looked up with a smile and asked, "What will it be, sir? Mead?"
Snape merely shook his head and headed impatiently to the back, followed by Harry who slouched along, scowling heavily and playing the sulky kid who had been dragged along with the Potions Master perfectly.
Snape resisted the urge to smile as he passed out the backdoor, hearing hissed whispers of, "Poor boy…" and "What an awful man!" from around him. His reputation was definitely being preserved. If nothing else, it seemed to be improving.
When they stopped before the stone wall heading to Diagon Alley, Snape paused, quietly observing Harry from out the corner of his eye, just to see the boy's reaction. From what he had noticed all his years, most newcomers to the wall merely scoffed and shot out impatient statements about the 'obvious' lack of a doorway.
Snape honestly wondered if Harry would do the same.
When the boy just stopped and waited patiently for Snape, he blinked, unsure of whether Harry was just waiting for something to happen, or if he knew that there was an entrance to Diagon Alley there.
This particular problem was solved when the boy turned to him, eyebrows raking his hairline. "Sir, aren't you going to open the archway?"
Snape felt his jaw drop open. Pulling himself together once more and glancing behind to make sure no one was eavesdropping, he caught Harry's arm, asking in a low whisper, "How did you know there was an opening here, Harry?"
The boy had merely shrugged nonchalantly, the slightest hint of a frown on his face at Snape's reaction. "I don't know. I just did. I can… feel magic; I guess that would be the best word to describe it. Sometimes, I can see it too. I've always been able to do so. I've no idea why, really. For instance, the wall is shimmering. There must be quite a lot of magic put into it."
Snape merely shook his head in mild disbelief. A talent like that and the boy was just shrugging it off as though it happened regularly to people all the time.
Snape had read of people who could sense magic, though he'd never personally met any. It was said that this particular trait was a strong hint that the person was a Magi, one with heightened powers and senses beyond the ordinary wizard.
"That was what the book said anyway," Snape thought silently. On a more important note however, such talents were only supposed to develop when the witch or wizard hit their majority. In other words, they had to be in their mid-teens before they could even use their powers.
Resolving to ask Dumbledore about Harry later, and deciding that keeping that particular piece of information for the time being was wiser, Snape pulled out his wand, tapping lightly on the required bricks.
Harry's eyes followed the movement of the wand as he made a mental note of the position of the bricks that Snape touched. It could come in handy later.
Then, as the bricks shifted and the arch formed, the tall Potions Master of Hogwarts and his apparently sullen young charge stepped into Diagon Alley.
Haha, poor Harry, everything does seem to happen to him doesn't it? *grins*
As a side note, Draco will be making an appearance in either the next chapter or the one after that. Can't keep everyone's favourite Slytherin out of the picture too long, can we? *smiles*
Oh, and as for Edward, he will be playing a role later on, so you can more or less expect to see him sometime in the future. When though, is the question. Hee. And I'm not telling when, or under what circumstance.
*sighs* I know I really should be doing my studying, but everytime I finish a chapter I can't help but want to post it up. Lol, I shall be good and hit my physics after this though.
To athenakitty – Lol, that's a lot of questions. Well, as for the house Harry's going to be in, I can say that I haven't quite set my mind on it 100% just yet, but Harry-Slytherin is where I'm heading currently. Harry hasn't brought up his ill treatment with the Dursleys just yet one because he has learnt not to share too much of himself at one go. On the other hand, Snape IS catching on to the fact that Harry had pretty much a horrible childhood. The topic will probably come up in detail sometime later in the story. As for Snape getting guardianship of Harry, I've not really thought much about that yet. I shall though… *smiles* Going back to the Dursleys? Haha, you'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen to Harry when he has to leave Hogwarts for the holidays. =P
To ER – Hi again! =) Yeah, I just love Harry in Slytherin stories. They are just so cool. *smiles* Gred and Forge in Slytherin? Well now, that would be telling wouldn't it? (smiles mysteriously ala Snape) And as for what house Ginny is going to be in… you'll just have to wait. Heh.
To Sapphire Lotus – Updated! *smiles* Thank you, thank you very much…
To Serry – Hey, thanks a lot! All my friends are mugging like mad now, and I'm joining them occasionally. Haha, too many subjects, and not enough time.
Once again, huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and do read and review some more k? I just love reading reviews… (stares dreamily at computer screen) Haha.
(Meanwhile, scurries off guiltily to put in some studying time…)
