[a/n]Another look into the postwar world

Harry Does Different CDLXXIII

Wedding at Tom's

Harry Potter's life had been busy since the Battle of Hogwarts. A very good sort of busy. The Reconstruction; joining the Auror squad and training; watching his girlfriend, now fiancée's rookie year with the Harpies. He'd only rarely visited Diagon Alley, not deliberately, it just didn't happen much. Moreso by circumstance, that landmark known as the Leaky Caldron. What he saw made him frown, which only grew as he walked through the dilapidated door.

"May I help you sir?" asked a solicitous voice.

The still fairly new Auror tensed as he spun, then cursed himself and managed to smile "Hello Tom. Forgive me, but I hope you're doing better personally than the place is."

"I am sure you did not come in to discuss my problems Mr. Potter." Replied the hotelier cheerily enough.

Harry's life experience and training told him a different story, but he didn't press. Instead saying "How about a firewhiskey shot and a butterbeer? I'll join you at the bar."

"By all means." The host brightened visibly. He scuttled across the empty room and went for the customer's order.

Harry followed, learning more and drawing conclusions. He sipped from the shotglass then gulped from the mug. Offering a grin he said "Good stuff there. Not that I'm an expert. You'd think this'd be a draw."

"Such as it is, sir." Replied Tom with a smile.

After taking another helping of his drinks Harry grew serious "I'm not especially smart, and I'm NOT a legilimens, but thanks to my life… I understand people. Let me tell you what I see here. You're generally happy Voldemort is dead. Good job, by the way, most everyone still runs from the word. But you, yourself, are miserable. It's obvious that business is hurting. You said you're happy to see me but that's a half truth. On some level you blame me for your current troubles." On concluding, he tossed down the rest of the firewhiskey and drank deeply from his butterbeer.

"I have the greatest respect for what everyone did at the Battle of Hogwarts and only wish I'd been young and powerful enough to help." Said the older man "I am, at best, an adequate wizard."

With a gesture, Harry asked for a refill and said "Thank you. We all did our part. But that doesn't answer my question."

"You publicly disclosed the Dark Lord's name. His FULL birth name. Customers don't like to be associated with such things. Even indirectly." Replied the hotelier, visibly annoyed.

To this, Harry rolled his eyes "Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it. But my friends tell me I have a saving people thing. Are you honestly telling me that people are staying away from The Leaky Cauldron because of you having the same first name? I'll have to see what I can do about that."

"I wouldn't expect you to put yourself out for me." Tom's tone was all kinds of emotions, all contradictory.

Harry nodded and smiled "My friend Hermione once said I'd jump into a lake without seeing if it was full of lava. Now I check with her as often as possible."

Abcij

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! How could you hold your wedding in such an ill-omened establishment?" asked the famed, or rather infamous, scandalwitch as the newlyweds came out to cheers and a virtual hurricane o f rice.

After obliging the shouts of "KISS! KISS! KISS!" the groom signalled she should approach and "I'll be happy to answer that, Rita. As long as you print exactly what I say. And remember there are tons of witnesses. All my friends. Who will gladly discredit you if I say the word."

"Understood." She grumbled.

After kissing his wife, for the nineteenth time in as many minutes Harry answered "The Leaky Cauldron is my first memory of the Wizarding World. The smells and the ambiance fill me with joy. I couldn't imagine the most happy day of my life, to date, happening anywhere else. And Tom's menu is second only to my new Mother-in-law's. I'll be eating here regularly now that Diagon is on my patrol route."

"But he's got the same name as You-Know-Who!" exclaimed the scandalwitch.

Harry waved dismissively "I've a policy never to let Voldemort get in the way of a good swig of butterbeer. Now, if you'll excuse us …. Time to start on the next generation of Potters." A pop of dissaparation punctuated the end of the interview.