Chapter 2 - The End of Summer
-- Several years earlier--
Harry entered the door of the Leaky Caldron from the muggle street outside and walked through the room towards his friends. Ron and Hermoine were enjoying a hot mug of Butterbeer while they had waited for him.
"Oh my God! Is that Harry?' Hermoine asked. Ron turned his head to see.
It was not the short skinny kid with the cheap glasses and bad hair that had left Hogwarts last year. Harry had had a growth spurt and put quite a bit of meat on that frame as well, not fat but muscle. He also was not wearing any glasses and his hair had been cropped short. But all of that was not what Hermoine had really reacted to. No, it was simply the way Harry was moving across the room towards them. Every step spoke of a grace and confidence that simply was not Harry but there was the scar on his forehead.
"Ron, Hermoine, great to see you. Shall we get going? Hi Tom, Hi Doris, don't you ever go home, ha ha." Harry's deep new voice reverberated around the room.
"Harry, What happened to you? And where are your glasses?" Ron exclaimed
"Had a good summer for once Ron and I don't need glasses anymore" Harry's vivid green eyes, now unfetter by glasses, twinkled as he enjoyed his friends' confusion.
"Let's get going" Harry continued and he began to stroll through the room smiling as people in the bar said hello. No sign of that other Harry, the one who shied away from all the attention his scar generated was evident. This Harry was a confident young man who met all stares at his forehead with a kindly smile and polite word of greeting.
Ron and Hermoine followed perplexed. What on earth had happened to Harry?