Chapter 6

A quick change into what he was told was basic casual wizard wear and he was back downstairs. He retained his money pouch, document pouch and his Hogwarts letter with the intent on gathering up the rest of his Hogwarts supplies, just in case. He watched as a wizard ahead of him tapped certain bricks on the wall in a certain order and waited for the man to pass through, sticking close behind as he did so.

Once back in the Alley proper Harry headed back down the Alley.

On the way, he spotted a sign on a small building that said 'Owl Office' that had owls flying in and out of high skylights. He had to send off his acceptance letter back to Hogwarts, so used the opportunity to get it done right away. He found the concept of using owls to send mail both quaint and amazing. The man behind the counter said that many in the wizarding world also kept their own personal owls so they didn't have to keep coming into the Office.

Harry thought it was a good idea to have one, and would get one as soon as he had time. The letter from Hogwarts even said he could have an owl as a pet, if he wanted one. So, he knew he could take it with him.

After he'd unshrunk his purchases, he realised just how much 'stuff' he now owned; and that he'd also have quite a bit more of his school supplies to add to it. Remembering the dimensions of the school trunks in the store he wondered how he was going to fit it all in. He thought he might have to buy two and hoped he'd be allowed both at Hogwarts. He'd ask Mister Porter, the store proprietor.

Continuing his walk down the Alley he returned directly to Porter's Portmanteaus. 'Trunks, first, to put everything in; then, the rest of the shopping,' he thought.

When Harry explained to the portly Mister Porter - and he gave himself a wry grin for that alliteration - his need for more luggage, and being congratulated on his 'proper' wizarding attire, the man took Harry over to another area within the store.

"Here, we have mokeskin lined trunks," explained the man. "They're more expensive than the standard school trunk but they're charmed to be multi-compartmented and to have more room inside than what's apparent from the outside."

Mister Porter demonstrated by opening one trunk and showing Harry what they looked like.

Pleased that his space requirements would be so easily met, Harry asked, "What else can be done with them?"

Mister Porter quickly went through some of the extras available with Harry carefully noting everything the man said. In the end, Harry purchased a standard black school trunk with two compartments, both enlarged. For safety's sake, he had it keyed with a keyless lock that only opened to his own magical signature by him pressing his thumb on a metal plate where a mechanical key would normally be fitted. He also had wheels fitted to one end, plus a permanent Featherweight Charm - as suggested by the lass in the bookshop - that was activated and deactivated by pressing on what he learned to be an embedded rune stone.

Harry ended up paying almost a hundred galleons for the trunk and organised to have it delivered to his room in The Leaky Cauldron. When the man asked him what his name was, Harry was, at first, hesitant to tell him. However, he remembered he had to give it so it was printed on the trunk.

With a sigh, he said, "It's Harry Potter. But please keep it to yourself. I'm trying to remain incognito here."

Recoiling a little in shock the man then bent down to take a closer look at Harry's face. The shopkeeper clearly searched for, and found, the scar on his forehead.

Straightening back up and looking at Harry curiously, he said, "Well, Lordy be. So you are. If you'd told me your name when you first came in I would have known right away you'd be able to purchase one of our more upmarket models of trunk."

With a scowl, Harry said, "I really am trying to remain incognito here. I don't like the fact I'm famous and don't want it bandied about I'm in the Alley. I'd not be able to get anything done, otherwise."

Nodding in response, Mister Porter said, "Well, as you're a high paying customer, I will keep your confidence, Mister Potter. If folks knew you were here you'd get mobbed pretty quickly."

Harry just deepened his scowl.

"However, are you aware you're entitled to have your House crest on your trunk, as well as your name?" the shopkeeper asked.

"No, sir," replied Harry. "However, if everyone else just gets their name, then I'll have that, too." Thinking a bit Harry then asked, "And can it be covered up for the time being? I don't want anyone to see it until I go to Hogwarts."

Thinking a bit, the shopkeeper said, "Certainly. I can put a Wizard Notice-Me-Not Charm on that small area that will mean people won't look at it. And you can remove it with a simple Charm Cancelling Charm when you board the Hogwarts Express on the 1st of September. It's a simple spell that you can do by simply waving your wand across the area and giving the incantation, 'Finite Incantatem'."

Harry gave a nod and said, "Yes, please. Do that. And, when the trunk's ready, can you have it delivered to The Leaky Cauldron in the name of Harrison Smith? That's my guardian. Tom has been kind enough to hold my things for me in my guardian's name until it's time to leave."

"I can certainly do that for you, Mister Potter," replied the shopkeeper. "Tom often avails others of that service."

"Thank you," said Harry with a bit of relief. He hated lying about himself but he needed to do it if he was not going to get caught and sent back to his unloving relatives.

After paying for his new school trunk Harry exited the store, withdrew his sheet listing his school supplies, and read down to see what to do next. While he didn't actually need the list, as he had it all memorised, it gave him the excuse of keeping his head down and face covered.

'Hmmm - wand, telescope, cauldron, potion supplies, quills and parchment, and an owl plus things to take care of an owl,' he thought. 'I'll start at the bottom of the Alley and work my way back to The Leaky Cauldron, picking up things along the way.'

Harry turned down the Alley and headed for the end.

Though he'd spent quite a bit of time sorting out new clothing and his trunk, the rest went pretty easily. The only delay was in purchasing his wand. He spent about half an hour in the store of the creepy old man before he found a wand eleven inches long, made of Holly with a phoenix feather core. According to the old man, it was supposedly the 'brother' wand to Voldemort's. That, too, he thought creepy.

Harry was glad when he was finally out of the store. He'd purchased his wand, a wand care kit and a wrist holster for it that he could affix to his off, left, arm. He donned the holster, pushed the wand into it and made a few practice draws with it before he left the store.

The rest of the trip back up the Alley meant he was able to collect the rest of his school supplies even quicker than he expected. Many of the shops he visited had already prepared 'kits' of what students would need for Hogwarts.

When he was finally able to return to The Leaky Cauldron he was able to use his own wand and open the portal himself.

Once back in The Leaky Cauldron, Tom saw him walk in and told him his new trunk was already in his room; and that dinner would be available from 5.00pm. Harry - Harrison - was just to come down and let him know what he wanted and he'd have it all ready for him in a jiffy.

Harry gave his thanks and headed up to his room. He'd just had a pretty stressful day and knew he'd have an early dinner before finally getting to sleep in a real bed.

Once back in his room he unshrunk the rest of his things, unpacked them and repacked them into his trunk. All his school supplies went in one compartment; his normal wear and toiletries in the other. He left his books out for something to read.

Just after 5.00pm he picked out the books Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived and An Introduction to the Wizarding World and carried them back down to the pub's common room. As soon as he sat, Tom came over and gave him a short menu of what was available for the dinner session.

He gave his order, and ordered a butterbeer when told the wizarding world did not stock 'fizzy drinks', and settled down to read.

After enjoying his first proper meal - ever - Harry remained at the table for a while and continued to read. He'd already filtered out listening to the sounds going on around him and was deep into the fiction-masquerading-as-fact that was Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived. The book contained just enough fact about what actually happened to make the rest of it - the fantasy - appear real. And he was livid.

On a couple of occasions while reading he had to set the book aside and firmly push his anger back into the background using his meditative techniques. At those times he also switched books to An Introduction to the Wizarding World, which he found dry but still interesting. It was while reading that book he came to understand a lot of what he saw and experienced while moving about the Alley and the pub.

It was also the second book that gave him an insight in how to deal with the first book. While it appeared laws regarding libel in the wizarding world had not caught up to it's counterparts in the muggle world, a good solicitor/barrister could still go after those who were using his name to profit. And Harry had a particular hate for those who wanted to use him - the Dursleys, included.

However, that was for another day. As the books clearly had a very good description of just what Harry Potter looked like, the next day would be used learning from Simple Cantrips for the Beauty Conscious for methods by which to disguise his appearance.

Noticing the common room emptying, Harry made his way back upstairs to his room, giving the old bartender a little wave as he walked by.

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