Leaky Cauldron

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Archer: "Let me come with you." 

Y/n: "No." 

Archer: "I will tell the selkies." 

Y/n: "Still a no. I can't take any of you." 

Archer stands in front of the door in his horse form. 

Y/n: "Fine! You win!"

~Leaky Cauldron, Night~

The Knight Bus fishtails into view and squeals to a stop, centimeters from a parked car. The bus settles and -- tink! -- taps the bumper. Instantly, the car's alarm wails.

~Night bus~

The chandelier sways drunkenly as the bus doors open. The steps groan with heavy feet and a figure appears Tom, Innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron pub. 

Tom: "Mr. Potter... at last."

~Outside the Leaky Cauldron~

As the Knight Bus rockets off, Tom and Harry are revealed, Harry glances up and reads the sign above THE LEAKY CAULDRON. Tom drags Harry's trunk inside, then pauses and, with a flick of his wand, silences the car alarm.

~Inside~

Harry trails Tom through the quiet room. The bartender glances up, his gaze lingering perhaps a bit too long. A solitary wizard reads a book while, at his elbow, his coffee cup stirs itself. Tom leads Harry upstairs.

~Backroom~

As Harry follows Tom inside, he finds a snow-white owl (Hedwig) perched atop a chair. 

Harry: "Hedwig!" 

Tom: "Right, smart bird you've got there, Mr. Potter. Arrived only minutes before yourself." 

???: "Sorry, I'm late. This big boy..." 

Y/n points to the kelpie in his horse form standing next to her. 

Y/n: "Wouldn't let me leave without him." 

A man clears his throat. Harry turns, and finds a Pinstriped silhouette at the window, staring at the ghostly shadows beyond. Harry's reflection shivers in the glass, but the man doesn't turn. Tom takes a position against the wall, fishes a pair of walnuts from his pocket, and -- CRACK -- crushes the shells between his palms. 

Fudge: "Glad you could make it, Y/n. So, this is the famous kelpie that was giving us problems?" 

Y/n: "Archer." 

Fudge: "You really do have a way with these creatures. The more dangerous they are to other, the more docile they are to you." 

Y/n: "It's based off of respect." 

Fudge: "I should tell you, Mr. Potter, earlier this evening your uncle's sister was located just south of Sheffield, circling a chimney stack. The Accidental Magic Reversal Department was dispatched and she's been properly punctured and her memory modified. She has no recollection of the incident whatsoever." 

Y/n: "That's what you did?" 

Fudge: "I knew you would get a kick out of that." 

Y/n: "I 'accidently' changed all the clocks to be two hours earlier to make everyone two hours late." 

Harry giggles the waits. A man condemned. Then Fudge turns. 

Fudge: "So that's that, and no harm done. (smiling) Pea soup?" 

Harry glances warily from the steaming tureen of green to Tom, who works a grimy thumb into his gum and frees a walnut sliver. 

Harry: "No thank you. Minister... I don't understand. I broke the law. Underage wizards aren't allowed to use magic at home --" 

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