Nothing Without You (That Special Something sequel)

Chapter 5: I saw him

31st July 1991. 10:32.

"Good morning, Mr. Smith!" I said chirpily to the old man coming down the stairs into the leaky cauldron main bar. I put my tray down and helped him get down. He nodded to me.

"Dorothy." he croaked. "You're so sweet!"

"It's my job, Mr. Smith." I told him gently. He shook his head.

"Your job is to wait on people, not to help old folk like me down the stairs." he wheezed. We reached the bottom of the stairs and I led him to the table.

"Usual breakfast?" I asked him, getting out my waitress notepad.

"Of course." He sighed.

"Coming right up!" I chirped. I weaved my way through a bunch of six years walking around groggily, and got my tray. It was a huge day that day. Students were going to Hogwarts tomorrow, so any last minute shopping would be done, so people would be in and out all day. Not to mention all of the older students sleeping here tonight so they could leave in the morning. I remembered when that was me. I missed those days.

"Excuse me!" I heard a young voice say. I turned. One of the sixth years, a girl, had called me.

"Yes?" I said, stepping towards her.

"Weren't you in azkaban?" She said. My heart skipped, and I felt a pang of anger.

"Yes." I said through gritted teeth. "But  was freed, because I was innocent."

"Oh, so you're the girl that's in love with that Sirius guy?" She asked, nodding.

"Mm-hm." I answered, my insides burning with anger. "Anything else?"

"Nope." She said, shrugging and turning back to her friends. "Oh wait."

I turned to see her face again, my fingers turning white against my tray, which was choking against my tight fingers.

"Yes?" I breathed.

"Can we have an alarm set for us tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'm a waitress." I snapped. "I don't do those things. You will have to find Tom the landlord for that."

And without another word, I turned away from her and flounced away. When I reached the bar where Tom was making some drinks, I put my tray down and breathed deeply. He looked at me confusedly.

"Mr, Smith's usual and two butterbeers for the hags at table six." I told him. He rolled his eyes.

"Those hags are addicted to that stuff!" He sighed.

"Aren't we all?" I chuckled. He passed me two butterbeers and I put them on my tray, balancing them around Mr. Smith's breakfast.

"The day will be over soon, Dorothy." He told me. "Just hang in there!"

I winked at him. "I'll try."

Suddenly the buzz of talk died down, and I knew it meant one thing. Hagrid. The most famous regular at the leaky cauldron. I turned around to see a large giant walking towards us.

"The usual, Hagrid?" Tom asked, reaching for a glass.

"Can't, Tom," He shrugged. He stood up proudly. "I'm on Hogwarts business." He patted a young, scrawny little boy on the shoulder, making his knees buckle.

I gasped. He looked like him. Exactly like him. He was eleven year old James. I looked into those circular glasses and saw familiar eyes. Lily's eyes.

My hands weakened, and I dropped my tray. It clattered onto the floor. It can't be, I thought, not bothering to pick up my tray. It just can't be.

It can't be my godson. Harry Potter. Eleven years old and off to Hogwarts.