𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝟑.𝟏 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲

It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.

Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes.

As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron, Hermione or Y/n. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. 

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron, Hermione, and Y/n tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.

"Harry! HARRY!"

They were there, all three of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, and Y/n quite pretty, all waving frantically at him.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and —"

"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Dad," said Ron simply.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice. Y/n had stayed silent and now looked quite angry at Harry.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just — lost control."

"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"And I'm amazed that he didn't ask or tell me anything about it! I would have loved to see that." exclaimed Y/n.

"I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione and Y/n are there as well!"

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."

"I suppose I came willingly too" said Y/n while smiling at her friends.

"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books —" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted three"

"What's all that, Hermione and Y/n?" Harry asked, pointing at not two but six bulging bags in the chair next to them.

"Well, we are taking more new subjects than you lot, aren't I," said Y/n. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, —"