The Rise of The Dark Lord

Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Warnings: this story will be Slash, but seeing as Harry is only eleven, it will take a while for anything to happen.

The day that professors Dumbledore and Snape told young Harry what he was, was a revolutionary day for him. As soon as both professors left, a huge smile spread over Harry's face, he was a wizard! He could hardly contain his joy. He always knew that he was different of course, but now he had confirmation that he was different from all those bugs that he lived with. And better yet, there was a whole society full of people like him, and in a very short time he would be a part of it.

He would have much to do the following day, first he had to see what his parents had left him, after that, depending on what they had left him, he had to go shopping; clothing, books and school things.

He had much to learn about this new society, especially about that war that the professor mentioned. A war doesn't just end because the leader disappeared, but since the professor hadn't answered his questions he would have to find the answers himself. He hated reading about History, because history was written by the victors and the losers were always the bad guys, it was prejudiced, but maybe he could obtain some facts that weren't influenced by the ideas of the author, he could always hope.

And so Harry went to sleep with a smile on his face, dreaming about the time he would leave that place behind him.

The next morning, Harry woke up earlier than usual. He put on his best clothes, although that didn't mean much; they were all second-hand and not the best quality, but at least it was better than the rest that he had. He left a note to Mrs. Brown and took the first bus to London. As it was rather early in the morning he had no trouble locating someone to help him find the street that professor Dumbledore had said that the Leaky Cauldron was on, and before long he was entering the little old pub.

Harry could hardly believe it, he was finally where he belonged. Without losing a second he approached the counter.

"Excuse me." his voice was heard above the noise inside the pub and Tom, at least that was what professor Dumbledore told him the bartender was named, looked over to him.

"Good morning, how can I help?"

Harry made his expression as innocent as possible and plastered a big smile on his face. "Good morning Mr. Tom. Yesterday Professor Snape told me I was a wizard and gave me a letter with all the things I have to buy in Diagon Alley. Can you open the entrance for me?"

This mask that Harry had perfected over the years was ideal for this situation. He admitted to himself that he was excited, but he would never normally behave so childishly or that innocently. It just wasn't him, but he knew how useful it was to convey the idea of an innocent child, and as long as he knew nothing about this new world that he was entering it was the best mask to use.

"Of course lad," Tom told him with a smile, and led him to the back of the pub where they stopped in front of a brick wall, "pay attention to the sequence."

Harry nodded and saw Tom take out his wand and tap several bricks and in front of his eyes a doorway appeared that lead to another street.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Harry tried to control his reaction, he really did, but it was difficult, the whole place screamed magic and Harry didn't even notice that he had left Tom in the back of the pub, he was transfixed.

However, Harry remembered everything he had to do and quickly pulled himself together. Fortunately as it was rather early there were few people in the alley, and those that were there didn't pay him any mind. Following Dumbledore's directions it wasn't hard to find Gringotts, however he spent almost a whole minute near the building observing the strange creatures that were at the door. He had no idea what they were, but he suspected that they worked for the bank. As soon as he entered the bank his childish mask faded away and one that was closer to his true self came to the surface. Harry didn't know it but his gait was perfectly aristocratic, and not even the clothes that he was wearing took away from the natural beauty that he possessed. Without paying attention to the few wizards that were in the bank Harry made his way to a teller.