Dance Lessons - Scorose

Shopping in Diagon Alley

At ten o'clock in the morning, a week before the Hogwarts Express would leave from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Harry took Dudley and his family to visit Diagon Alley. It was a strange experience for all of them. Their two worlds had finally fully crossed over; no longer blurred but perfectly crystal cut in their overlapping existence. 

They walked down Charing Cross Road, young Harry skipping out in front of the group. The rest of Dudley's family had paired off, Joe and Ivy together, Alex and Liza lagging behind and Dudley and his wife, Sally, walking in step with Harry, asking him half a dozen questions about the wizarding world.

"Where is this Diagon Alley?" Harry called over his shoulder to his namesake.

"You have to go through this little pub, it's up there on the left," Harry called back to him.

After another minute or so of walking, Dudley's youngest suddenly slowed down and stood looking at the building to his left. Harry cracked a small smile. He remembered what it felt like to see the Leaky Cauldron for the first time. It was so clear, so obviously squashed between two shops that he couldn't believe everybody else walked past it like it was nothing. 

When the group caught up with the young Harry, Dudley and his wife didn't stop at all for they were used to their youngest son stopping and starting whenever something caught his eye. Harry grabbed his cousin's elbow and prevented him from walking straight past it. 

"It's through here," he said. A look of confusion momentarily made it's way onto Dudley's face.

"Oh, right. It's just - it looks a bit shoddy, doesn't it? It's all broken down," he replied.

Harry gave a small laugh. "It doesn't want to be seen," he said, "Harry can see it just fine, can't you, kid?"

The little boy nodded his head. He was a skinny, freckled boy, not very tall, who had light brown hair that was neatly combed. Had it not been for the clothes he was wearing, he would have looked as though he had come straight out of the 1940s.

Harry led the Dursleys through the door into the pub. Once inside, the hesitation on their faces disappeared. They expected the shabby pub that had fallen into a state of disrepair and not the cosy little inn that was presented to them.

Harry smiled awkwardly as several people came to shake his hand.

"Harry! How're you doing?" someone asked. They all looked towards the bar to see Hannah Longbottom, the landlady.

"Hi, Hannah, I'm good thank you, yourself?" 

"Can't complain," she replied with a smile.

"What'll it be then? Tea? Butterbeer? Firewhiskey?" Neville asked, appearing at his wife's side.

"Neville, it's not even noon!" Hannah protested.

"Didn't stop him last time," he replied with a wink.

"Ha. Ha." Harry laughed sarcastically, "No drinks today, Hogwarts business,"

He jerked his head left to direct the Longbottoms' gaze towards the Dursleys and the little Harry.

"Ah, well, maybe on the way back," 

*          *          *

Scorpius and Rose were out shopping in Diagon Alley for baby supplies when they bumped into Harry and the Dursleys. They didn't know that they were going to be there, honestly. They might have suspected and therefore planned their trip accordingly in order to be a little nosey but it was no more than that. They really did need to be in Diagon Alley that day and lo and behold, the Dursleys were there too.