Chapter Forty-One: The Leaky Cauldron

A quick note from the author: Sorry for the long delay in updates, but I was having a bit of writer's block, but I sure hope that you enjoy it though.

Just as scheduled Harry and his family went to go see Petunia, Marge, and Dudley over at Petunia's house for supper. Harry had also brought his dog Patches, while Marge had brought her bulldog Ripper. Ripper was a lot more spoiled than Patches was and Harry loved his dog like he was his own child, neither of the two dogs seemed to like each other very much though. Which that was just fine with Harry, because nobody in his family really liked Ripper or his owner.

"Hey Harry, want to go play videogames?" Dudley questioned him.

"Sure, anything to get out of here." Harry muttered underneath his breath but unfortunately for him, it wasn't quiet enough for his mother not to hear him.

"You better watch your mouth young man." She warned him as she pointed a stern finger at him before the boys went into Dudley's bedroom to play videogames.

"I don't like teenagers." Marge began. "Except for my nephew Dudley they're all extremely hot tempered and undisciplined." She finished.

"What about me?" Tobey inquired. "I'm only eight and I'm a good boy." He told her as she simply just looked at him.

"Yes,.. I'm sure you are." She replied even though she didn't seem all that convinced of it herself and it was probably because she hated his parents while Lily silently reflected on the fact that in another few years it would be Tobey's turn to go to Hogwarts with his two siblings.

..

Evie and Gia stared down at the food down in front of them in complete and utter disgust. "I hate spaghetti!" Gia snapped. "Me too!" Evie exclaimed and that's when their mother looked at them rather cross.

"Girls that's enough." She began. "And Evie since you're older than her it would do you well to set a good example." She told her before Sarah opened up her mouth.

"Yuck! I can't stand garlic bread." She said with a shake of her head and that's when Lily looked over at her and glared at her.

"Alright that's it, the next person that says something will just have to go to bed without any supper." Severus threatened.

"At least somebody in this family knows how to show some discipline." Marge said. "And this man is a lot better than the last bloke that you were married to. What did you say the man did Petunia?" She wondered but Petunia just simply shook her head.

"Nothing, I didn't,.. he was unemployed." She lied.

"Ah I see, and he was a drunk too no doubt?" Marge inquired before Harry quickly leapt to his feet in a sudden rage of anger.

"That's a lie! My dad wasn't a drunk." He growled while glaring over at her as she picked up her drinking glass but that's when it shattered into a million pieces.

"Harry,.. calm down sweetheart." Lily told him as Petunia gasped and widened her eyes as she turned to look over at Marge.

"It's alright, I just have a very firm grip." She told her before she turned to look back over at Harry. "Hey, you, cleanup." She instructed while pointing down at the bits of broken glass. When Harry didn't respond his father turned to look at him really seriously.

"Do what she says." He growled and Harry quickly nodded.

"Yes sir." He replied and he went to go sweep up the broken bits of glass with a tiny broom.

"You know that boy of yours is so much like his father, lazy, arrogant, and very snobbish,.. not to mention there seems to be something wrong with that one over there." Marge said and gave a slight head gesture over at Lily which was finally the straw that broke the camel's back for Harry.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Harry hollered angrily when suddenly the power started to flicker on and off and Patches started to bark while Harry's mother continued attempting to try to calm him down softly and soothingly.

"Right, let me tell you." Marge began as she pointed a rather stern finger at Harry but that's when Harry widened his eyes in shock and disbelief as her finger started to swell up and before he knew it her whole entire body was expanding as well. Dudley shared the same shocked look that Harry had. "Petunia, Petunia do something!" Marge cried out as her necklace began to shatter and a couple of the beads wound up hitting Dudley in the face.

"Are you okay?" Harry questioned him out of concern as Dudley silently nodded and Patches quickly darted out of the way dodging a bead himself. As Petunia started to float up towards the ceiling Harry's heart started pounding frantically against his chest and that's when he ran out the back door and Patches ran after him.

"Harry!" Lily cried out while Severus didn't even notice as he was too busy trying to help Petunia get Marge down as she started floating towards the front door. As he walking down the street that's when suddenly a couple of bright headlights shone inside his eyes and as his eyes widened and he prepared to finally meet his biological father, the purple triple-decker bus directly in front of them slammed on its brakes.

"Oops, sorry about that." A young wizard began as he stepped out of the bus. "Welcome to The Knight Bus, I'm you're conductor Stan Shunpike." He said as Harry scooped Patches up inside his arms.

"The what?" He questioned while scrunching his face up with confusion.

"The Knight Bus, we'll take you anywhere through the city of London." Stan began while he glanced over at Patches. "And although we usually don't take pets, I think we can make an exception since he's a cute little guy." He said as he reached out his hand and started scratching him behind the ears.

"Thank you." Harry began. "Can you take me to The Leaky Cauldron?" He asked him.

"Sure, climb aboard." Stan replied before he allowed Harry and Patches onboard.

"Go ahead in and make yourselves comfortable, just make sure that Spot doesn't tinkle all over the floor." Stan told him.

"Actually, his name is Patches and he's eight years old. He was house broken a long time ago." Harry told him before paying him for the ride.

"Ah well in that case better get Sparky to sit down with you it's going to be a bumpy ride." Stan told him.

"Patches." Harry repeated before he sat down and sure enough the bus took off at lightning speed flying down the streets of London making Patches whimper a little bit. "Ron drove better than this." He said to himself as he grabbed onto the bar of the seat in front of him and glanced up at Stan who was now currently reading The Daily Prophet.

Harry recognized him to be his godfather Sirius Black. "Hold on, what is my godfather doing on the front page of the newspaper?" He questioned him with uncertainty before Stan quickly turned the newspaper around to face him.

"Hold on? Sirius Black is your godfather?" He questioned him with disbelief. "He's a murder and got himself locked up for it in Azkaban as well. He's also a big supporter of,.. you_know_who." He whispered but Harry just simply narrowed his eyebrows and glared at him.

"That's a lie!" He snapped as Stan just simply raised his eyebrows at him in complete and utter shock and surprise.

"Well, somebody sure killed the Potters, and somebody has been giving little muggle girls the scare of their lives recently." He told him and this time it was Harry's turn to be surprised. However, before Harry could have a chance to ask him what he meant the bus came to a complete stopped and he accidentally hit his face against the window.

"The Leaky Cauldron." Stan said as an old hunchbacked wizard came up the stairs and grabbed Harry by the arm and then dragged him down it. Harry called Patches to him and as soon as he entered a room, he saw his feathered companion Hedwig sitting on the arm of a chair. A very excited look grew onto his face as he was told to sit down by the man in the corner of the room who had his quill magically writing upon a piece of parchment.

"Ah there you are Harry, Tom and I have been expecting you." He began. Harry really wanted to ask him who he was but thought that would have been too rude of him so he decided to go for a different question instead.

"So then,.. what are you doing here?" He wondered.

"Well as minister of magic I have been sent here to tell you that that was a very dumb thing that you did indeed Harry." He told him.

"I know Sir,.. so I expect that you've come to tell me that I've been expelled." He said but the minister of magic just simply shook his head at him.

"No Harry don't be ridiculous. The ministry doesn't send wizards and witches to Akaban for blowing up their aunts." He told him as Tom let out a great big belly laugh. "No, even though you've already received your wand, accidental magic still happens with young witches and wizards. I'm talking about running away from your family." He explained. "Especially since we have a killer on the loose." He told him as Harry glared.

"My godfather is not a killer! My mum already declared his innocence when I was a baby." He told him.

"Yes of course Harry as it's not Sirius Black that I am referring to. Now, Tom will go ahead and show you to your room." He told him as Tom grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him off the chair and Harry called Hedwig to his arm before he was warned to be careful and left the room.

..

The next morning Harry woke up and then carried Patches downstairs to the pub area where his father was already waiting for him. "Where the hell have you been boy!?" He cried out before smacking him a crossed the head with a book.

"Ow,.. that hurt." Harry said while gently placing his hand to the side of his head.

"You're just lucky that I didn't wind up doing worse to you." His father growled at him. "Your mother and I were worried sick." He told him.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just got scared." Harry confessed while Patches glanced up at Severus and whimpered while tucking his tail in-between his legs and that's when Severus just simply sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. You're safe now and that's all that matters. Granger and Weasley are over there looking for you. Why don't you go say hullo to them and I will go ahead and alert your mother of your whereabouts." He told him. "Oh and expect to go to bed early every night this week and just be glad that I've decided not to ground you this weekend for your first trip to Hogsmeade. Don't disappoint me again." He warned him before he walked away.

Harry was actually rather amazed how easy his father had let him off before he went to go find Ron and Hermione and started telling them all about what had happened. Hermione had gotten a new ginger cat that she had decided to name Crookshanks and Patches wasn't very thrilled at all with having to share the room with a cat. The dog and cat both leapt out of their owner's arms and Patches started chasing after the male feline barking and slobbering.

Meanwhile, Scabbers had taken off out of Ron's arms and Crookshanks was now chasing him while Hedwig flew down into the room and landed on Harry's shoulder right when his father re-entered the room.

"I miss the days where the only things allowed at Hogwarts was literally an owl, a cat, or a toad. Now it's turned into a freaking petting zoo around here." He said with another roll of his eyes.

"Don't look at me." Hermione began. "I only have a cat."

"More like a pig with hair." Ron replied as Hermione just simply scowled at him and narrowed her eyebrows and glared.

"I don't have time for this." Severus began. "Harry, there's something else I need to speak with you about." He finished before leading him away.

I just really wanted to apologize for such a long delay. I had a very bad case of writer's block but the great news is that I seem to finally be at it again! :D