History Rewritten

Chapter 3

"I'd like to read please," Remus held out his hand out for the book, excitement was rushing through all of their veins knowing how close they were for Harry to finally go to Hogwarts, "Diagon Alley," Remus read out, a hint of a smile on his face.

A/N: I decided to skip the first few bits of this chapter and start when they arrive in London because nothing much happens until then.

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The screen showed Hagrid as he climbed a broken down escalator with Harry walking behind him, the crowd parting easily for him.

Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow. 

All the purebloods stared at the screen, interest clear in their eyes as they took in the busy Underground and the trains moving in the background along with the escalators. The Blacks and The Hawthorne's sneered at the screen trying to hide their confusion and intrigue.

  "I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," Hagrid grumbled as they screen changed to show muggle London lined with book shops and music stores as the two walked along the pavement.

This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him. 

Hagrid smiled widely, his cheeks blushing as he acknowledged Harry's trust in him. "Oh, I can't wait for him to see Diagon Alley," Sirius muttered, a smile on his face as he stared at the young boy.

"This is it," Hagrid muttered coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place." The camera turned to show a small sign covered in dust with a picture of a cauldron, it moved down to showed blurred figures moving as people walked in front of an old dusty black door not sparing it a glance. 

  It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.

The screen showed Hagrid and Harry as they entered before moving to show the dark and shabby interior with clusters of men and women of all ages drinking and smoking as a low buzz of chatter was heard. Hagrid smiled and waved at everyone they passed, the bartender reached for a glass with a smile at Hagrid's way saying, "The usual, Hagrid?" Hagrid waved him off as he clapped a great hand on Harry's shoulder, "Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." The bartender stopped what he was doing with a sudden jerking motion,  "Good Lord," he muttered, peering down at Harry, "is this — can this be —?" Everything seemed to come to a sudden still as the occupants of the hall stared at Harry with something akin to wonder and amazement in their eyes.

"I've never seen the Leaky Cauldron so quiet," Molly Weasley marveled as they looked at the screen yet Lily and James couldn't help but frown as they glanced at each other. They couldn't help but wonder if this was what the future Dumbledore had been afraid of, they didn't want Harry to be treated differently because of something he couldn't help, because of something he didn't even know he did, being known as the boy who was orphaned on that tragic night.