Luck of Nines

17

Harry J. Potter
2nd Abbey Road
Between 'The Curl Hairdressers' and 'Dynamite's Donuts'

The letter clearly read, each letter elegantly written out in carefully penned, green ink, the envelope stamped with the official seal of Hogwarts, written on heavy parchment. It was all correct, except he couldn't make sense of it. For there was no house, building, or any shelter whatsoever- not even a cardboard box or a tent- between The Curl Hairdressers and Dynamite's Donuts. Only a small gap, not even wide enough for a person to walk through except by turning to the side.

He checked the letter again, perhaps Dumbeldore had neglected to inform him of additional protections that had been set in place to protect the boy wonder. If so, he had overdone it, because not a trace of magic could be found on this street. If he hadn't known better, he would have liked to think that Dumbeldore would have warned him about the extreme precautions after Minerva had rushed into the staff meeting worriedly, an unopened envelope in one hand, and a harried looking owl perched on her shoulder.

With a sigh, he gave the gap one last dubious look before turning sideways and inching it. He did not like it for one moment, but if he was going to have to put up with Dumbeldore's magnanimous speeches, than he wouldn't return without being able to thrust the blame back on Dumbeldore's shoulders where it likely belonged. There was no way the golden boy was living in a narrow gap between two storefronts. There was no way anybody willingly would.

Of course he would still likely be brushed aside with a 'well why didn't you come back and tell me, my boy, there was no need to go to all that trouble when he's right here!'

His scowl darkened. As he reached the end of the gap.

Nothing. He'd done his part then, inching back he froze when suddenly a human voice spoke, deep, male, and most decidedly an adult.

"What brings you here, wizard?"

His grip on his wand tightened as he got ready to put up a fight in the confined area, "Perhaps you should show yourself first rather than cowering in the shadows." He challenged.

       Rough, rasping laughter answered him, the grating noise echoing quietly for a short while before they spoke again, "No one sent you, go crawl back to whatever master you ran off from."

       "Lumos." He cried, quickly filling the dark crevice with light. Chuckles, of the same rough quality, returned, but quickly faded away, no one was there though.

         Scowling even fiercer than before, Snape returned to Dumbeldore.

        Dumbledore responded pretty much how he had expected. A few "don't worry, my boy, I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding's here, a few accusing looks over spectacles later, and he was sent back out to look around the area again.  As if he had nothing better to do with his time than search.

      So, the next day he returned.

      Once again he dressed in muggle clothes. A dark grey suit, a white collared button up, his hair tied back, and a folder in hand with the pamphlets needed to convince muggles that, yes, their child would be happy here. There was no way to tell, if one was a muggle born or not just based off of the letters. So long as the location was not a magical community and the name was not recognized by the deputy, the letter was delivered by hand by one of the professors, folder or briefcase filled with colorful moving pamphlets in hand. He had received a visit from a professor himself, seen the pamphlets.

     He could say first hand that they were not at all accurate. Just another colorful illusion to keep the muggles separated from the students. If they were particularly close with their families, there was no way that they would give it up for the unknown of the magical world after all.