Chapter - 6 : A New Beginning in Diagon Alley part - 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoying the fanfic and hungry for more?

Dive deeper into the story with over 85+ chapters ahead! Your support on Patreon keeps the adventure alive. Visit my Patreon page to unlock exclusive content and support the continuation of this fanfic journey!

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

http//patreon.com/Cosette750

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom chuckled at Harry's childlike enthusiasm, but his worried expression soon returned. "What're you doing by yourself though, lad? Won't the adults at the orphanage be worried?"

Harry scoffed. "Them? They don't care. They just want us out from under their feet every day. That's why I'm here. I'd hoped I could, you know, spend time in the Alley after school every day, maybe earn some money to buy myself lunch and stuff. I love being around magic, you see."

"Why, of course you do!" Tom exclaimed, patting Harry on the shoulder. "A young wizard like yourself should be amongst your own kind, not surrounded by muggles all day long! You come by whenever you want, lad - I'll let the other shopkeepers know to keep an eye out for you, and perhaps they'll have a few errands you can run."

Harry was relieved that Tom had bought his story. He felt a bit guilty about misleading the kind-hearted barman and using the widespread distrust of muggles to do so, but shrugged it off. This was the best way he could think of to stay close to the wizarding world and learn more about the society he found himself in. "Really? Thank you!" he said. "Can I begin working right away?"

"Eager to start, eh?" Tom smiled knowingly. "Tell you what, how about I bring you a bite to eat first and then later you can help me out in the kitchen in exchange. Sound fair?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, sir!"

"Then take a seat and I'll get you some shepherd's pie," Tom said. "It'll take but a minute."

Harry settled down at a table in an out-of-the-way corner where he could sit with his back against the wall, and within a few minutes Tom returned as promised. The barman ran a wet rag over the table before setting a huge plate of food down on the still grimy surface. Harry was quick to thank him and dug in hungrily - his small body was starving and it had been years since he'd last had the opportunity to eat Tom's hearty cooking.

After he had eaten his fill, Harry was put to work washing dishes for an hour, giving him time to consider what his next step should be. The Wizarding World was more lax when it came to children working so Harry should be able to earn a few Knuts with which to buy food, but that still left him without a roof over his head. He couldn't stay at the Leaky Cauldron - for one thing it would be too expensive and for another it would make people suspicious. Harry didn't want Tom to question his orphanage story, since otherwise he could find himself actually ending up in one. Living under close adult supervision would interfere with Harry's plans and would be bloody annoying to boot.

He thought he could handle acting like a child for short stretches - he'd managed to convince Tom easily enough after all - but he didn't fancy having to keep up the act full time.

So once he was finished in the kitchen, Harry sought out Tom to thank him for his help and then made a big show of having to get back to the orphanage before dark. He left the pub by the door to muggle London, but as soon as he was out of sight he made several short apparition jumps to the Shrieking Shack on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. It was the only place Harry could think of where he could stay without fear of discovery.

The Shrieking Shack was old and dilapidated, having been home to a rampaging Werewolf on a monthly basis, but it was safe. Since it was considered to be haunted by violent spirits, no one would dare investigate any loud noises or strange sightings. Harry would be able to do almost whatever he liked there and no one would notice.

There was no indoor plumbing and water was leaking through the roof, but Harry told himself there were much worse places to live. When compared to the Dursleys' unwelcoming home, the Shrieking Shack might as well be a palace. With his basic needs met - food, clothing, shelter - Harry could concentrate on other things, such as what the hell he wanted to do with his new life.

He made himself comfortable on the grimy floor and tried to remember exactly what Dobby had told him about the world he was in. The elf hadn't been very informative, but he'd said enough for Harry to know that, while some things were no doubt very different, Trelawney had still made a Prophecy and Voldemort remained a threat.

Harry wondered whether the Prophecy in this world applied to him, but in the end decided it didn't really matter. Right now his number one priority was not to let himself be turned into the Wizarding World's favourite symbol, celebrity, and scapegoat. While he was prepared to fight Voldemort, he wanted to do so on his own terms. If people knew the truth, Harry could easily find himself being interrogated by Aurors, vilified by the press, and hunted by Death Eaters. Secrecy, he decided firmly, was the better option.

Which meant that Harry had to create a new identity for himself and, since he was stuck as a ten-year-old, that identity should preferably include an appropriate parental figure. He didn't want to have to hide out in the Shrieking Shack for the next seven years until he came of age and his lack of money was already an inconvenience.

Fortunately, Harry thought he knew a way of solving most of his problems in one fell swoop. It was likely that Sirius Black was currently rotting away in Azkaban and Harry was determined to get him out. The man had suffered so much; he'd fought in a war against his own family, lost his best friends, and then been turned on by the very people he had fought alongside and tried to protect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoying the fanfic and hungry for more?

Dive deeper into the story with over 85+ chapters ahead! Your support on Patreon keeps the adventure alive. Visit my Patreon page to unlock exclusive content and support the continuation of this fanfic journey!

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

http//patreon.com/Cosette750

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~