"Harry Potter!" an excited woman said as she walked to an abandoned looking phone book.
"You don't say?" her husband asked.
"They say that he was spotted at the Weasleys! Look, its right here," she pointed at the front headline of the copy of the Daily Prophet she clutched in her hand.
"I always liked the bloke," the husband said.
"How could you have possibly liked this murderer? Just because you went to school with him," she admonished.
Her husband peered over her shoulder to look at the considerably young picture of Harry Potter. They bickered for a couple of moments as they made their way to the phone booth. As they approached the booth, they noticed a homeless man in gray drabs sifting through the garbage.
The husband wrinkled his nose while the wife looked absolutely horrified at the prospect of searching that waste for food. As they were about to enter the phone booth, the homeless man fell with a sick thud and lay unmoving in a spatter of beer bottles.
The wife looked worriedly at the husband but said, "Let's just go."
The husband stood rooted there for a moment before he said, "You go on ahead, and I'll be right behind you."
She opened her mouth to protest but he quickly waved her off. Her eyes flittered from the homeless man to her husband before acquiescing with a slight nod. Her husband watched as she disappeared out of sight before walking towards the homeless man.
"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"
The man lay unmoving on the ground, still sprawled across the litter of beer bottles. The husband gingerly approached the man in gray drabs, deftly avoiding the sometimes broken bottle necks. He reached out for the man's shoulder.
The man in gray suddenly came to life, twisting the husband's hand awkwardly and forcing him on his knees. As the husband reached for his wand, he heard the soft click of a gun cocking. He froze, knowing quite well what the sound was.
"Listen closely Dennis, I'm not going to hurt you if you just follow what I say. I know you're a Muggle-Born so don't pretend like you don't know what's in my hand," the man whispered quickly in his ear.
Dennis nodded ever so slightly; fear running through his veins as he sought for a way to escape. He was ushered behind the dumpster as the man patted him down and took away his wand.
"Now, I'm going to let you turn around because I have to ask you some questions. Don't yell or else I will be forced to shoot you Dennis," the man said in a slightly threatening tone.
Dennis nodded and slowly turned around and gasped as he saw the flash of green eyes. Although he looked quite different from the photo in the Daily Prophet, there was no doubt it was Harry Potter who was pointing a gun at Dennis Creevey.
"Harry Potter," Dennis whispered in awe. Harry looked surprise at the tone for a moment before his face hardened and he spoke.
"I need to know where Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are," Harry interrogated.
"R-R-Ron Weasley still works in the Auror Division. He's the head now, but you should kn-"
"Shacklebolt?" Harry asked.
"Minister now," Dennis said.
Harry raised his eyebrows ever so slightly before continuing his interrogation.
"What should I know?" Harry asked.
"H-H-He's about to be sacked because he refuses to work on your case," Dennis stuttered.
"What's this rubbish about my case Dennis? Why are they after me?" Harry pressed.
"B-B-Because you're the one behind all the attacks recently! T-T-They say you're the man behind the curtains!" Dennis continued to stutter nervously.
Harry's eyes narrowed in anger as he did not speak for a moment. Dennis continued to regard him nervously but grew less and less afraid with each passing moment. It appeared that Dennis had a revelation of sorts when he spoke again.
"If you're the one behind everything, why are you threatening me with Muggle weapon posing as a homeless man?" Dennis pondered.
Harry did not answer him as the thoughts ran rampant in his head. The silence was unsettling for Dennis who feared that he might have greatly angered Harry.
"Has anyone actually seen me though?" Harry asked.
"Well, no. It's just the reports say th-" Dennis said confusedly.
"Who writes the reports?"
"Rita Skeeter," Dennis said quietly, knowing the implications of revealing the writer.
Harry's eyes narrowed again as the gun fidgeted in his hand. Dennis eyed it warily, hoping Harry would not burst in a fit of anger and shoot him at that spot.
"Even if she wrote them, why do people believe her? After all, I'm the - I mean - I killed Voldemort," Harry countered.
"That was almost a decade ago Harry. Added to the fact that no one had previously seen you since you had disappeared-" Dennis reasoned.
"Disappeared?"
"You disappeared on April 7, 2001 Harry. I reckon I'm the first person to have you seen your face in about six years," Dennis fidgeted.
"If you're the first person to have seen me, why did Mr. Weasley try to attack me last night? What happened to all my friends, all the people I fought with?" Harry asked with growing irritation as the gun pressed against Dennis' chest.
"P-P-Please Harry, don't shoot me, I have a wife now," Dennis pleaded under Harry's furious stare.
"So do I," Harry punctuated each word with a jab of his gun.
"You-you-you don't know," Dennis eyes widened in amazement as the puzzle pieces quickly fell into place in his head. Harry, on the other hand, was as confused as ever.
"Don't know what Dennis? What don't I know?" Harry pressed.
"Harry, your-" Dennis was interrupted by his wife's voice.
"Dennis?" his wife's voice echoed in the small alleyway.
Harry quickly crouched behind the dumpster and eyed Dennis warily.
"Go to her, say you helped the man out and go straight to the Ministry. Do not warn anyone Dennis. I can shoot both of you from this spot," Harry threatened.
Dennis paled considerably in the face of Harry's threat and nodded eager to get away from the crazed individual. Harry held out the wand and Dennis took it, his hand shaking. Dennis straightened his robe and stepped out from behind the dumpster to greet his wife.
Harry watched as his wife admonished him for taking an excessive amount of time and felt a slight pang of jealousy. He needed to find Ginny as well. Harry continued to watch as Dennis led his wife assuredly towards the phone booth. At the last second before he entered the booth, Dennis looked over his shoulder and caught Harry's eye.
As soon as the booth disappeared out of sight, Harry immediately started running, throwing the gray drabs off of his clothes and pulling a hat over his disheveled hair. Underneath the gray drabs, Harry was wearing what looked to be a jogger's outfit. He slowed his pace and kept his head ducked as he jogged away from the Ministry of Magic, melting into the growing crowd.
***
Harry leaned against the brick wall facing the Leaky Cauldron, his head kept low and his face hidden by his hat and long hair. He was carefully watching the different cars that parked in front of the Cauldron, hopeful that a wizard, most likely Muggle-Born by their mode of transportation, would walk inside the Leaky Cauldron. His eyes scanned the passing automobiles as he held a copy of a Muggle newspaper. The headline read 'War Looming'.
"Look at you, Potter. Despicable now," a voice said behind Harry.
Harry did not need to turn around to know it was one of his alter egos. By the tone of the voice, he deduced that it was the slimy haired doppelganger that had confronted him before he left Hogwarts. He stood still as he addressed it.
"Can't you just go away," Harry asked in fake politeness.
"Potter, you're stalking Muggle-Born Wizards and you're' about to take the next one hostage. Tell me, who does that sound like?"
"Spare me the monologue, I already know I'm not him," Harry said in a bored voice.
"Doesn't mean you can't go down the same road," the cocky doppelganger said.
Spinning around to scold him, Harry found that no one was behind him. He was briefly reminded that he was speaking to a seemingly corporeal version of his conscience and that it was ridiculous to expect that anyone would be behind him. Berating himself for his stupidity, Harry resumed his stance and kept an eye out for any cars.
At last, a small, grey car stopped near the Cauldron and the passenger disembarked before the car blended back into traffic. Harry was surprised to see the man take out a cellular phone and speak into it for a couple of moments.
Filthy Muggle-Born.
Harry shivered violently at the sound of the slimy voice and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Tucking the newspaper underneath his armpit, Harry approached the man with his head ducked down. As he approached the Muggle-Born, he noticed that the man was neatly dressed in an expensive looking pinstripe suit and freshly polished shoes.
Deducting the man was certainly well off, Harry quickly formed an attack plan in his mind as neared the Muggle-Born. Quietly slipping behind him in the Leaky Cauldron, Harry kept his head low and avoided Tom the Bartender.
Instead of directly following the Muggle-Born, Harry crept along the adjacent wall and timed his steps so that he would fall directly behind him as they excited the Cauldron and emerged into the portal to Diagon Alley. Harry held his breathe as he passed dangerously close to a pack of hags, brushing his shoulder against one of them.
The Muggle-Born walked out of the door and Harry gave a quick look behind to check if anyone else was coming. Coming to the conclusion that he had enough time, Harry approached the Muggle-Born from behind pressed the barrel of the gun into the man's neck.
"Shhh…don't do anything stupid," Harry cooed. Harry could see that the man was considerably nervous and saw his right hand twitch.
"You know just as much as I do that I can pull the trigger faster than you can get your wand," Harry whispered in the man's ear menacingly. Harry felt a twinge of guilt at his cold nature but quickly fell back into character.
"As long as you do what I say, everything will be alright," Harry said in a slightly softer voice, hoping the man would acquiesce and not put up a struggle. It was important to gain access into Diagon Alley without activating any Magical Traces. Harry instructed him to tap the bricks and he watched in slight amazement as the bricks spun and twirled until he saw the shops of Diagon Alley emerge into view.
Diagon Alley was flourishing in the demise of the Dark Lord. Inhabitants crowded the cobble steps as shops, old and new, were open to all magical folk. Harry moved closer to the Muggle-Born, making sure that the gun was tightly pressed into the man's ribs. He pulled his hat farther down his head as he recognized a few faces.
"What's your name?" Harry asked as they walked to Eyelops Owl Emporium.
"Stein Winkstein" the man said in a think German accent.
"What are you doing all the way in London, Mr. Winkstein?" Harry asked casually as they approached the smelly doors of the Owl Emporium.
"Business in Gringotts," Mr. Winkstein said gruffly, obviously uncomfortable.
"Well, if you stay quiet then you'll be able to get to that business, Mr. Winkstein," Harry said politely as they entered the store. Tiny mops of hair roamed around the busy store; the kids were eager to buy their first owl. Harry felt a knot form in his stomach. Had it not been so long ago when Harry had first purchased Hedwig?
"Pick an owl, a very regular one and pay for it," Harry commanded. The man immediately picked an ordinary brown owl and paid for it with shaking hands. The woman at the register was so preoccupied that she failed to notice Harry by Mr. Winkstein's side.
"Good, two more things."
"I don't want any trouble, Sir," Mr. Winkstein said roughly to Harry. Harry simply jabbed the gun further into the other man's ribs to prove his point. Mr. Winkstein awkwardly walked out of the store and into the direction of Madam Milkman's Robes for All Occasions.
Along the way, Harry saw a group of Aurors clad in official blue robes passing out flyers to anyone passing by. Harry felt Mr. Winkstein jerk forward in a subconscious reaction to escape, but Harry twisted the other man's wrist awkwardly and pressed the gun further into his ribcage.
Mr. Winkstein gasped in pain and buckled slightly.
"No, no, no, don't you dare. Go by the Aurors and pick up one of the flyers. If you indicate that you're being held hostage, I'll shoot you and the Auror you tell first. Don't want that on your conscious now do you, Mr. Winkstein?" Harry said in a quiet and confident voice. Inside, he was quaking with terror as they neared the Aurors.
Mr. Winkstein took a flyer with no problem and handed it to Harry. Harry was surprised to see that Mr. Winkstein was slowly catching on to Harry's wishes. Harry did not Mr. Winkstein to be too comfortable so he resolved to end this matter quickly.
He read the headline of the flyer.
HARRY POTTER SIGHTED NEAR MINISTRY. PLEASE REPORT ANY APPEARANCES OF HARRY POTTER.
Harry was shocked to see a sketch that was not unlike what Harry currently resembled. The long hair and slightly disheveled beard was spot on, and Harry cursed himself for not Obliviating Dennis Creevey (despite his lack of a wand). Tucking the flyer into his tattered robe pocket, Harry continued frog marching Mr. Winkstein to Madam Milkman's store.
"If anyone asks, I have horrible skin disease that doesn't allow me to see light," Harry whispered furtively. Mr. Winkstein looked at him incredulously before inspecting a couple of dark robes. Harry picked a black robe with a large hood and walked with Winkstein to the register. Harry held his breathe as he hoped that Mr. Winkstein would not reveal anything. For emphasis, Harry was nearly stabbing Mr. Winkstein with the gun.
"Hello Sir, will that be all today?" Madam Milkman asked.
"Yes, that's all," Mr. Winkstein said in a shaky voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Madam Milkman give Mr. Winkstein a slightly perturbed look but said nothing.
"Will your friend be getting anything?" she asked politely.
There was a pause as Mr. Winkstein was silent. Harry knew that Mr. Winkstein was contemplating revealing his kidnapper.
"Sir?"
"No, that's all for today," Mr. Winkstein said softly.
Harry let out the breathe he had been holding slowly and relaxed his posture, easing the gun off of Mr. Winkstein's ribcage. They exited the store and Harry quickly wrapped the robe around his body, feeling slightly more at ease with his extended completely. Harry let go of Mr. Winkstein for a moment to put the hood over his head and Mr. Winkstein took advantage of the quick release.
Mr. Winkstein crumpled to the ground and moaned loudly, attracting many of the shoppers that were walking past Harry. Harry's heart jumped to his throat as he spotted a pair of Aurors looking curiously at Mr. Winkstein. Quickly deciding that Mr. Winkstein was of no use anymore, Harry calmly walked away from the fallen man into the direction of Knockturn Alley with the owl cage in his hand.
Harry looked over his shoulder to see that one of the Aurors was following him.
Run.
Harry fought the urge to break into a jog, not wanting to bring more attention upon him. He did, however, walk briskly into the Alley and weaved through the undoubtedly suspicious looking people. He passed by a homeless man and quickly snatched the man's robe.
"Hey!" the feeble man yelled. He made no attempt to get up however as Harry walked further and further into the Alley. He quickly stepped into a small alcove and waited patiently, setting the cage down and hoping the owl would not hoot. The Auror's voice carried across the crowd.
"Has anyone seen a man in black robes?" the Auror asked. Harry almost laughed at the incredulity of his question. Nearly everyone had block robes in the Alley. Someone still answered the Auror though.
"Someone took my robes!" the feeble man yelled, "He went that way."
Harry heard the Auror's definitive footsteps come closer and closer to his position. He saw the Auror's shadow against the light and waited until the Auror was right beside the alcove.
He quickly yanked the Auror into the alcove and smashed him into the wall. The Auror's wand clattered against the ground as Harry continued his assault by smashing the butt of the gun against the back of the Auror's head. With a thud, the Auror fell to the ground.
Harry quickly took off his black robe and put on the other man's tattered brown robe and picked up the cage of the brown owl. He covered it with a black robe so the other Auror would not recognize it and walked into the direction of Diagon Alley. He passed by the feeble man who was now admiring the Galleon that the Auror had undoubtedly given him.
Spotting the Auror heading towards Knockturn Alley, Harry switched the direction he was walking and instead of walking directly to Flourish and Blotts, he walked towards the direction of Gringotts. As soon as the Auror was out of sight, Harry did an abrupt about face and walked towards the direction of Flourish and Bolts.
He walked into the bookstore and calmly started writing on a spare parchment located within the store. He wrote a quick note and walked back outside and slipped into the crowd. Harry walked with a slight hunch as the tattered robe did not fully disguise him. The crowd surged forward in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron and Harry quickly slipped back into the Cauldron with the crowd. Ignoring Tom, Harry walked up the stairs and into the third floor of the Inn.
Harry spotted the cleaning lady exiting one of the rooms and watched as she disappeared into the adjacent room. He slipped into the now empty room and spotted a parchment lying on the table. Harry slipped the letter in a spare envelope and sealed it.
He whispered directions on whom to deliver the letter and the owl let out a soft hoot as Harry opened the window and watched as the owl flew off into the distance. Harry walked back downstairs and left the owl cage and the tattered brown robes on an empty table, hoping that Tom would dismiss it as forgotten belongings.
Outside of the Cauldron, he folded the black robe neatly over his arms and blended into the crowd once more.
***
Eh, long update again, sorry!
Run, Harry, Run!
From years of experience with the Invisbility Cloak, Harry knows how to avoid people. It'd be a lot easier with the Invisbility Cloak though…