Rogue Harry

Chapter 4

It was almost nine o'clock in the morning, time for Harry to leave. 'I'd rather be early than late," he thought.

Closing the book on Apparation, he strolled to the fireplace in the hall, making sure he looked presentable in the mirror one last time. He grabbed the new Floo Directory that Dobby had purchased for him and double-checked his destination. After grabbing some Floo Powder, he tossed it in and said, 'The Mad Hat.' Stepping into the fire, he whirled through the Network and emerged in a pub, the only public Floo around. It reminded him of the Hogs Head - not the place for a girl who couldn't take care of herself. The place seemed empty except for the barkeep who was setting up for the day.

"Excuse me," Harry said. "Needed to Floo to the area, and this was the only public one I could find."

:That's 'cause it's the only one here," the barkeep replied in a gruff voice, giving him a hard look.

"Do you serve lunch here?"

"I do."

Understanding, William Jones nodded. "Then maybe I'll try some on my way back. Good day." He left, liking his alias. It was nice not to attract attention because of a scar. Even though he still wore glasses, his almost blond, shoulder-length hair, tied back like Bill Weasley's, might have caught the barkeep's eye. Harry thought about putting a charm on his dragon hide coat to conceal it, though he doubted it would work.

Outside, Harry took out his Firebolt, shrinking it back to its normal size using his grandfather's wand. A Disillusionment Charm on himself and the broom, and he was set to fly to The Burrow.

During his journey, Harry reflected on the books he had discovered in his library recently. Besides learning to do magic discreetly, he also found one about Wizarding traditions. Now he understood why some, like Bill and the Malfoys, wore their hair long - as a way to signify their position in a Wizard house. It was refreshing to have a different appearance and his hair lay flatter, which he liked.

Harry stumbled upon a book regarding Metamorphmagi and Changelings. After some self-reflection, he concluded that he did not possess the same abilities as Tonks, although he did notice a certain level of influence over the growth of his hair. Despite not being entirely intentional, he successfully accelerated the growth of his hair, a skill he had unknowingly possessed for most of his life. Taking a moment to observe the extra eight inches his hair had grown over the past two days, he contemplated maintaining this length, which indeed remained unchanged.

Upon spotting The Burrow in the distance, Harry navigated towards it, reaching Ginny's designated spot around half past nine. Prior to initializing any interactions, he discreetly removed the Glamour Charms to appear more familiar before compacting his broomstick and stowing it away. Once completed, he settled down to patiently await, still concealed by the Disillusionment Charm.

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Upon the stroke of ten, Remus Lupin emerged from the Weasley fireplace. Ginny perceived a sense of fatigue in his appearance, perhaps due to the impending full moon or the absence of Harry - or both.

Molly approached him cordially, inquiring about his unexpected visit. "Hello, Molly. I was hoping to engage in a discussion with your children, as I believe one of them might possess information regarding Harry's whereabouts," Remus disclosed.

Concerned about Harry's disappearance, Molly pondered aloud about the possibility of his abduction by the unsavory Muggles he was residing with.

Remus dismissed this theory, mentioning Severus' assurance to the contrary. Subsequently, he expressed his intention to converse with Ginny first, much to Molly's agreement on the urgency of finding Harry.