Arrows through time

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Harry entered the leaky cauldron at around midnight, or so it seemed to him. The familiar waft of noise attacked his ears as people chatted at nearby tables. He looked around a bit before walking up to the bar.

"What can I do for ye?" The bartender asked as he looked up.

"Tom?" Harry asked in shock.

"No me boy-o, Tom's me son." The man shot him a toothy grin. "Be taking over this place when I die."

Harry could have sworn he heard a voice in the back mutter 'Hope it's soon!'

"The names Magnus." The man continued as if he hadn't heard a word from the back room. "And what can I be doing fer ye?"

"I need a room for the night." Harry told him.

"Ah a room. Well I believe room ten is available fer the night." Magnus grinned even wider.

"Does it have a fire place? I was hoping to have a nice fire to sit in front of." Harry said quickly.

"Well, no that room doesn't me boy but room sixteen has one and that is available fer the night for a little bit more gold." Magnus seemed to be sizing the boy up. "If yer good fer it that is."

Harry reached into his pocket and brought out his pouch he had gotten from gringotts before he had taken the time trip and pulled out ten galleons. "Will this be enough?" He acted kind of unsure, as if it wouldn't be enough.

Magnus beamed at the galleons, then cleared his throat and took the coins from Harry. "Yes well, that's just about right." Magnus put the coins into his pocket, then yelled. "TOM!"

"What!" A surly looking but much younger tom came out from the back room and glared at Magnus.

"Take Mr." Magnus started then blushed and turned back to Harry. "Er, what did you say yer name was?"

"I didn't." Harry smiled. "But you can call me Mr. Neville Longbottom."

"Right then, Tom take Mr. Longbottom to room sixteen and make sure he has a nice fire going." Magnus told Tom.

"Do you want me to fluff his pillows and leave a nice minty chocolate as well?" Tom retorted.

"This man is a paying customer Thomas and if he told you to jump off the blooming roof I would expect you to say "Yes sir, right a way sir!" and then do it! Now off with ya!" Magnus shouted.

"Fine!" Tom grumbled and then picked up Harry's bags, then turned up the stairs.

"I never would you know." Harry said as they left Magnus's earshot.

"Wouldn't what?" Tom asked annoyed.

"Tell you to jump off the roof." Harry smiled.

Tom sighed. "Yes I know and My father knows that too. He just likes to exaggerate a lot." Tom chuckled. "Seems to think it keeps me in line and what he doesn't know won't kill him."

Harry chuckled. "True."

"Right then, room sixteen." Tom said as they came to a stop in front of the double doors at the top of the stairs. "Or as I like to call it, the penthouse suite."

Tom opened the doors to reveal a magnificent room full of lavish decorations and a humongous bed draped in red and gold."

"I think I underpaid your father." Harry blurted as he looked about.

"No, if anything you over paid him. This is actually his room and he will be sleeping in the one that he was going to sell you for the night." Tom explained.

"This is his room?" Harry was at a loss for words.

"Yes, he only rents this one out when some bloke wants to sit by the fire or fulfill some sort of fantasy, but please don't ask me about that one. He generally only offers to the ones that can pay." Tom explained. "And he must have seen something in you or he wouldn't have offered, if you catch my meaning."