NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: chapter: 3
The man in business suit hurried forward as he kept looking at his gold watch as he carried his bag in one hand while a rolled up newspaper was tucked under the other arm. He was getting late... if he didn't catch a taxi now he would miss his special date with his mistress. He had even reserved a special room in an expensive hotel for some fun.
"Taxi! Taxi!" The man shouted but the cab was occupied.
"You need a taxi sir?" A young boy asked as he stepped beside the man.
"Yes... I'm late for a meeting..." The businessman said as he stared hopefully at the cars passing by.
"Well, you should head back a few blocks, the cabbies usually have their lunch at a local diner. You might get lucky there." The boy suggested as he pointed a few blocks ahead where a cluster of taxis were parked.
The businessman grinned and he looked at the boy with a relieved smile. "You've been helpful" He put down his bag and fished out a ten pound note for the young helpful lad, and in the process the newspaper fell from its secure spot.
He handed out a ten pound note to the boy. "Go on take it... you've been really helpful."
"Thank sir!" The boy said cheerfully. "Here's your paper sir, you might forget it..." the young boy placed the newspaper on the a pocket on the man's coat.
"Good lad! I better be off then." The man said as he headed towards the diner in a better mood. He was lucky as one of the cabbies had finished lunch and was willing to take him to London.
When he reached his destination the business fished his pockets for his wallet to pay the tab when he realized that it was missing. He thought that he might have placed it in his bag when he realized that his bag was not with him.
Panicking he began to draw out the what was in his pockets and realized that he only had the rolled up piece of news paper in his person.
He remembered the boy who so helpful earlier and his expression turned to irritation when he realized he's been had.
"That son of a bitch."
#4 Privet Drive, Surrey
August 4, 1991
"Yer a Wizard Harry!" The Half Giant's voice boomed across the living room, making the Dursleys flinch with fear. The large intimidating man had bent Vernon's shotgun like rubber and scolded them for saying lies about the true nature of Lily and James' death.
"I figured it out from the letter you sent a week ago." Harry said simply.
"ERR" Hagrid didn't know what to say next. He was prepared to for the skepticism on the young boy and was ready to answer questions about the wizarding world, but this complete acceptance was baffling.
"Ye didn't think de letter was a prank?" Hagrid asked as he tossed the bent shotgun to the coffee table, breaking Petunias' vase. "Yer didn't doubt it for a moment?"
"Well no... It always explains the weird stuff that's been happening all my life." Harry said as he grinned. "Now... tell me more about my parents... "
Hagrid drew odd looks when they took the underground towards Diagon Alley, but Harry enjoyed the attention on his companion as he was able to pick a few more pockets while passengers stared warily at the large man. He was worried that he didn't have enough money for the tuition or to buy supplies for the magical school.
The money he had accumulated over the years only reached to 2,000 pounds, and he knew a boarding school in Scotland would have to cost more than that per year. When he asked Hagrid about the tuition he was surprised with the answer.
"Yer don't have to worry about its Arry! Yer parents left you with money I expect." Hagrid said, dismissing his worries about his finances. "And I tell you, yer family's an old ancient house"
"I have an inheritance?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Of course! And it's placed in Gringgots, that's the Wizard's bank run by goblins." Hagrid said.
"Wizard's bank?" Harry's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Tell me more..."
"Well... it's run by Goblins... very competent, the lot of them." Hagrid began. "Most people feel safe with their money on Gringgotts, cause you'd be mad to try and steal from a Goblin."
"No one was ever successful at robbing the bank?" Harry asked curiously.
"No one... and those who tried... well... any robber that tried to steal from Gringgotts never came out again." Hagrid said. "Now... 'ere we are! The Leaky Cauldron!"
Harry smiled with excitement as he followed Hagrid into a new world.
"Bless my soul! It's Harry Potter!" Dorris Crockford said as she shook the wizarding world's savior's hands eagerly.
"Uhh yeah... pleased to meet you too." Harry said, unsure of how to treat this woman. Nobody has ever shook his hand before.
"Oh so polite!" The middle aged woman said.
A few minutes later Hagrid ushered the young Potter to the entrance of Diagon Alley and Doris Crockford went back to the bar to finish her drink. It would be hours later when she got home when she realized her gold ring was missing from her finger.
Hagrid noticed that his young charge was observing the apparition area for arrivals and decided to continue his lecture on the daily lives of Wizards in the Magical World.
"That's apparition." Hagrid said as he saw the boy's face smile with delight at the sight of dozens of wizards materializing in thin air one after the other.
"Can anybody do it?" Harry asked as he observed one tall wizard with a red ponytail appeared.
The man wore leather boots and a jacket, and he wanted one. He also noticed that these wizards and witches did appeared instantly with small sound, unlike his own method where he usually faded for a second or two before appearing in the destination he imagined in his mind.
"Well not all can do it... It's fairly hard to learn... and It's dangerous when you make a mistake while apparating." Hagrid said.
"Can you do it?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well I did pass the exam... but I'm never fond of it. I only disapparate and apparate in emergencies." Hagrid admitted. "Apparating gives me a bad stomach... Yer feel like yer being squeezed through a narrow tube."