Harry waited until he was let out at lunch to both cook and perform his afternoon chores, backbreaking labor in the garden weeding, cutting, and planting. The owl that delivered the letter patiently waited on a nearby telephone pole. He took a scrap of paper from his cupboard and a worn down pencil and wrote his acceptance, giving it to the owl. He watched it fly off long after it had left his vision. Hearing Aunt Petunia scream his name from the house Harry went back to work. Later that afternoon left to his own devices with Dudley off to his friends house and Petunia off to gossip with horrible neighbors and Vernon still at work he shimmied the door to his cupboard open.
He knew where Vernon kept his drinking stash. Though Petunia kept an iron grip on alcohol in the house, and she had no control over the local bars in the area. So Vernon kept a hidden stash of cash in a work boot he had not used since he had been promoted to a managerial position in Grunnings. He would not notice a 100 pound note missing. And even if he did the Freak most certainly never knew about it. In any case he was leaving and he was not coming back. Not knowing a magical way to get there he took public transport to Charing Cross Rd. getting odd looks as a child traveling alone. He ducked into a local tourist trap and bought a child's baseball cap. Nicely hiding his scar.
He stood in front of the leaky cauldron. Muggles walking around a bubble of non-awareness. Gathering up his courage he entered. It was not yet the school season so the leaky cauldron was mostly quiet. Tom was of course at the bar. A smattering of patrons sat at various tables and kept to themselves and their own drinks. No one looked up at his entry. Thinking of his excuse he walked up to the bar getting Tom's attention.
"Excuse me sir my father is at the bank and forgot something at home can you open up the back way to the alley for me?"
Tom had a good-humored smile on his face obviously thinking Harry had poorly tried to blend in with Muggles.
"Sure thing little lad just let me pour this last drink."
Tom did so collecting some Knuts for his trouble.
"Follow me then little one."
They both exited the back of the bar and encountered the brick wall that hid Diagon alley. Pulling out his wand he prepared to do the combinations that opened up the brick wall before he stopped and turned to Harry.
"Are you not from around here then? Usually children and squibs are given dud wands that can open up the alley."
He paused to think for a moment.
"And I suppose also the occasional enterprising and wealthy Muggle parent to a muggle born."
Having not known about this Harry quickly scrambled to think of an answer.
"We've been out of the country for a while sir I'm due to start Hogwarts soon this is my first time seeing the alley."
He helped the bartender did not think too hard about his excuse.
"Then little lad welcome to wizarding Britain and welcome to Diagon alley!"
As he tried to put on a show of tapping the bricks which began to open up Harry for the second time beheld Diagon Alley.
It was just as magnificent as the first time he had seen it although quieter. After receiving some instruction on where the bank was he thanked the Bartender and stepped into the Alley in the late afternoon. Mindful of the time and his age making things difficult he quickly made his way to the bank. If he was going to start his plans he needed to get Money before they closed for the evening. Knowing Dumbledore had his key he hoped they had some way of making a new one. Dreading having to wait or return to the Dursleys. He stood in a rather short line at the main teller. Thankfully there was a set of what Harry assumed were children's steps or more likely step stools for the goblins. The goblin sneered and looked down at him unimpressed. Lazily beginning to motion to some armored guards just out of View. Nipping that in the bud Harry lifted the muggle cap and moved his fringe showing the hated scar. If anything the goblin seemed even more unimpressed and incensed. Harry would a great many loops later realize that a good many had probably tried to masquerade as him to steal his money already.
"My name is Harry Potter sir and I don't have my key, Is there anyway I can get a new one issued? I would like to make a withdrawal."
Darkly chuckling as the armored guards slowly approached, he asked.
"And do you have anymore proof than a scar that may well be a glamour?"
He placed his open Hogwarts letter on the counter. Just as they were nearing, he raised his hand and the armored guards stopped. He reached down and placed a magnificent Ruby the size of Harrys Fist on the letter where it glowed with a Golden light. Reading the name carefully he nodded and waved his hand shooing away the guards. Returning the letter he got up from his seat and said.
"Follow me Mr. Potter."
He led him back through some offices till he stood before a Mahogany door.
"Step in and keep walking to the counter, do not stop."
Opening the door Harry complied and was immediately doused with Freezing cold water as he quickly moved ahead out of the stream. Soaking wet Harry shivered wondering if this was a Goblins idea of a Practical joke noticing he was already drying. Mysteriously the parchment the Hogwarts letter was written on was unwet. Looking around except the path forward the room was pitch black. Reaching a counter of black marble with various contraptions and key molds an ancient looking Goblin stepped forward and beckoned him. In highly cultured English he instructed.
"Place your hand on this stone."
Not thinking Harry did so and screamed immediately as it felt like his hand was stabbed from below, rivulets of blood running down grooves in the rock to a key mold. Lifting his hand immediately he saw no wound. Confused and in tears he looked up and saw the goblin smile cruelly muttering lowly.
"I love it when they scream."
He turned around and cutting some metal off of a hunk of gold with his incredibly sharp looking steel knife he threw it into the mold where it instantly melted and melded with the blood. Closing the mold he muttered something in Gobbledygook. Opening the mold a key popped out.
"Key re-issues are 30 Galleons and it has already been deducted from your account. Griphook will escort you to your trust vault ."
From the shadows came an unseen but familiar Goblin.
"Follow me . Key Master." He bowed his head in deferment to the venerable old Goblin.
He was led back into the vaguely familiar part of the bank and the roller coaster that was the ride down. Reaching his vault he was handed a sack and promptly shoved as much money as he could into the sack Griphook waiting in the cart. He took maybe a 20th of the vault. The sack never got any bigger but must have held over a thousand galleons and hundreds of sickles and knuts. Back at the counter he exchanged some of his Galleons back into muggle money some 300 pounds worth. Leaving the bank holding more money than he had ever held in his life he looked around. It was nearly evening and shops were beginning to close and he needed a place to stay. Unless he wanted his identity with his excuse, going back to Tom was not an option. Thinking hard he walked to Ollivanders who had just stepped out to change the sign and close for the day he immediately glanced at Harry with piercing eyes zeroing in on his wrist. Mildly fearful Harry gulped. Olivander beckoned Harry inside with some urgency. After entering he rounded on Harry with an intense gaze.
"Stumbled into deep and terrible magics haven't we ?"
Reassuring himself the loop was absolute but despairing where he could get a wand on the next one he asked.
"But how did you know Mr. Ollivander?"
The man raised his own sleeve exposing a similar hourglass on wrinkled skin.
"Only the desperate and the learned engage in what you have invoked Mr. Potter. What is the muggle saying? "It takes on to know one?". In any case I suppose based on your reaction this must be your first loop."
Feeling exposed Harry had never considered another person would be in their own loop. So he asked.
"Are you still…?"
The man waved him away already walking back to get a particular wand.
"Yes though you being in your own loop is new."
Harry's brain hurt.
"But how sir? Are you in your own first loop sir?"
Olivander placed Harrys Holly Wand on a pillow on the counter gesturing that Harry should pick it up where he felt a rush of loving greeting as golden sparks rushed out. Nodding the man shook his head.
"I tested the limits of how far back the starting point could be. The future before I started was extremely grim. Too grim for your young virgin ears. So, I went back to my own Hogwarts days and started experimenting and subtly changing things. A great many times I have gone through until I perfected a future I deemed good enough. Before you started your loop I had just tested the changes that led to what had happened. My choices have inadvertently led to yours it seems. From my perspective I am still in that loop. And it seems it will remain that way to your perspective until you finished yours. Was it desperation or knowledge that led to yours?"
Harry's mind had difficulty keeping up with the changing perspectives so he answered more honestly than he probably should have.
"I just wanted a childhood sir…"
He answered timidly.
"I had never been able to play before sir the Muggles were horrible to me and I probably would not be able to again as I got older. I had three murder attempts on my life between learning of the ritual and performing it with Dumbledore's blessing."
The man snorted.
"7 Galleons . It figures it would not be some momentous and terrible future that must be changed but the whims of a petulant child. Figures that other petulant man would enable him."
Intimidated Harry gave the man his money.
"Hmph Enjoy your 'cough' 'extended' childhood Mr. Potter. Do let me know how it turns out after you break the loop."
The man began ushering him out but mindful of his lack of place to stay he interrupted.
"Mr. Olivander my muggle relatives are horrible do you know anywhere I could pay to stay long term other than the leaky cauldron?"
The man stopped thoughtful.
"Give me a moment Mr. Potter."
Olivander walked into a backroom where he heard a rush of fire and a calmly spoken.
"13 Diagon Alley, Charles Munger residence."
A few seconds passed as a muffled conversation took place. Mr. Olivander walked out and told Harry.
"Walk to the right of Gringotts down a side alley until you reach number 13. A man will be waiting for you. Negotiate your own housing and unless you would like an apprenticeship considering your unlimited time, I wish you good luck Mr. Potter."
Harry left the wandmakers shop, the alley shrouded in twilight. And quickly made his way to the designated address where a plain looking man with brown hair and black eyes greeted him ushering him inside. If Harry were a little older and more world wise he would have been more weary but that was not the case.
Entering a Hallway on the ground floor they entered an apartment and Harry and the man sat down in front of a fire.
"So Mr. Potter Olivander informs me you would discretely like a place to stay. I have a number of apartments for rent on a monthly basis and I have three free no questions asked. Though I will expect payment up front. This is Diagon Alley."
Harry nodded.
"Are they all like this sir?"
The man shook his head.
"No this is my own apartment. I have a studio available on the second floor, a two bath three bedroom on the third floor and the penthouse at the top. Going rate for the studio until September 1st is 40 Galleons. For the three bedroom 70."
Curious Harry asked.
"And the penthouse sir?"
The man smiled indulgently.
"100 Galleons. Deposit is 50 Galleons."
Later Harry would realize that he was consistently being fleeced but it was of no consequence due to the loop. Thinking Hard and fresh from the cupboard he had tried desperately to suppress in his memory he blurted out.
"The penthouse sir!"
He started counting out the Galleons the man had quoted to the mans shock. Until he shook himself and took the money leaving the room for a moment. Coming back with a key with a broom fobble he beckoned Harry to follow him. He spoke as they climbed the stairs of the complex.
"It's the only door at the top, the bath and bathroom is enchanted and it has a balcony looking over the alley. Its fully furnished though the kitchen is unstocked. It's the only unit with a floo. For an additional 30 sickles I can stock you with some essentials and bring you dinner tonight."
Wordlessly Harry counted out the money as they finished climbing 8 sets of stairs. The man opened the door revealing a plush sitting room with a moving painting of constellations on the ceiling. The kitchen could be seen through an open door opposite the entrance. The balcony was visible to the right as twilight was making way for night. The man showed him to two doors on the left Opening both Harry saw the palatial bathroom and his eyes bugged out seeing something out of a muggle fantasy novel. The bathroom was entirely done in stained glass with motifs of fauns and satyrs every which way. At the center was what could only be described as a Jacuzzi made from multicolored crystals with golden spiggots put every which way. A statue of a faun held up a generous set of the plushest towels Harry had ever seen.
"The three on the left are different soaps and oils and the right are hot and cold water."
Exiting, he opened the other door showing the largest bed Harry had ever seen.
"Don't think I need to explain how a bed works. Here are the keys Mr. Potter you can drop them off in the box by my door on Sep 1st don't worry about cleanup. Any damages will of course be deducted from the deposit. The rest will be returned to your vault. And I will come by with dinner at 7. I wish you a pleasant evening Mr. Potter."
The man Charles left Harry to his thoughts and closed the door.
Staring, Harry did the first thing that came to mind which was to whoop and jump on the bed which felt like the softest marshmallow able to swallow him whole. It was really bouncy. Harry kept doing this until exhaustion finally gave way seeing as he was still effectively starved. He laid there nearly catatonic for a time. Until getting up he walked to the balcony looking over the darkened alley. Lights peeked out from upper windows and the leaky cauldron looked inviting. Fairy lights danced in patches above the street at Harrys level. Holding his want to his chest Harry realized that everything he owned really was with him. He had no pajamas or other possessions to really think of. He would probably have to sleep in the buff tonight now that he thought about it. Though he could not wait to test out the bath tonight.
Soon enough Charles came by with Dinner. An appetizing shepherd's pie with bread, butter, fruit and Pumpkin juice. Thanking him he bade him good night. Digging in Harry finished everything over the course of an hour though his stomach really was stretched and uncomfortable unused to ever getting enough food. Tired he stripped and left his clothes where they were. The bathroom and crystal tub looked incredibly inviting and the fauns looked on encouragingly. He turned on the faucets first the hot Water until it was a quarter full then the cold to keep a hot but not scalding temperature. Next were the soap spigots spewing rainbow colored soap which made rainbow bubbles causing Harry to giggle. Stepping in was like stepping into a warm cloud. Harry imagined for a moment diving down into a crystal cave and briefly submerged, aiming to pretend. Only… It was not pretend. There did not seem to be a bottom as Harry inadvisably opened his eyes. Only there was no sting of soap and there was a wondrous world of crystals with no end it seemed, but the surface always seemed to be right above him. Swimming up he broke the surface immediately. Still no sting of soap. Light reflected off of the water in a rivulet of colors.
The fauns looked on approvingly as Harry again whooped and dove back down exploring blue crystal caves. Red crystal grottos were where he simply lay suspended in the water enjoying the flow of water across his body like a massage. Green crystal raceways had currents that carried him along at a breakneck speed. And always he only needed to kick up once to break the surface no matter how deep he seemingly went. Finally when his whole body was pruned and exhaustion was catching up he surfaced for the last time and climbed out. The water vanished and a deluge of warm rain covered him and carried off the remaining soap. To Harry this alone was almost more magical than that first night in Hogwarts. Almost.
The faun holding the towels held out an arm proffering a towel returning to its previous position. Taking it Harry was surprised when the towel moved on its own causing Harry to yelp and fall on his butt as it began drying him more thoroughly than he had ever been in his life it seemed. Not knowing how to feel about that Harry took care of the rest of his business and as he got under the covers of the bed that could fit every boy in his year he fell asleep smiling. The hourglass gave off a dim glow in the darkness.