New Beginnings

Chapter 3

Shivering, Harry half lay on the drive of Privet Drive. The freezing night wrapped around him tightly.

Behind him the house burned, collapsing in on itself as neighbours ran out to gawk at the spectacle. Many held phones, calling emergency services with awed expressions. 

The fire was unusual. It ate away at everything, flammable or not. The house was groaning with every lick, roof already collapsed inwards and walls crumbling. Sometimes the fire took shape as a creature or, disturbingly, a human.

Harry knew that even if the firefighters arrived, the fire couldn't be stopped. Anything used would only fuel it, even water. That was the beauty of magical fires.

Hermione could make waterproof, everlasting flames. But Harry had learnt to make fire that would burn away at the intended target whilst being constantly given fuel from everything thrown its way. Once the house was gone, and everything in it, the fire would dissipate.

Wrapped around his stomach was his invisibility cloak, the shirt pulled over to hide his suddenly see through mid section. The marauders map was tucked into a pocket and wand secured up his sleeve. Those were the only objects taken from his trunk before it and the cage had been dragged into the house and set alight.

Standing gingerly, Harry slipped through the crowd, not needing his cloak to be invisible, the ability learnt from his relatives age six. 

He supposed the blue flames were also very distracting.

Making his way in any direction, a car flew past and Harry glimpsed his aunt before she sped away. Smirking, he went to the playground and swung lightly on the swings, evaluating his current options.

There was a fear of the ministry arresting him for using magic so publicly, but going to Azkaban was by far less terrifying than before the start of the summer holiday. And anyway he hadn't used his wand, it had been wandless magic and Harry wasn't even sure if the ministry could detect that.

He decided to go abroad, having had enough time to know he wanted no part in a war. Harry just needed to get to the leaky cauldron but also having no money to use for transportation. There wasn't any money in his trunk, he'd checked, and unless he begged for it, no one was about to just hand it over.

Which is why he almost fainted when some woman came up to him and handed him ten pounds with the words "you have pretty eyes kid", before wandering off. He saw the woman tottering slightly, swaying in the breeze and figured she was drunk.
H

arry hurriedly stuck his right arm out, covering his ears from the bang the Knight Bus always made. Stunpike barely glanced at him, accepting the muggle money easily and directing him over to a bed.
The conductor seemed exhausted, from what Harry could see nearly every bed was taken and the busy night must've tired him out. Thankfully this meant less questions than last time and he wouldn't have to give another fake name.

He ignored whatever Stunpike said, almost bolting off the bus and through the leaky cauldron to avoid detection. There was the niggling thought that the bank wouldn't be open at night but Harry was hopeful there were night workers otherwise he'd end up sleeping on the streets until he could get into his vault.

Tapping the bricks, Harry walked through briskly before the bricks had even moved aside properly. Because it was night, most of the street was empty and Harry didn't have to squeeze past people. Many shops were still open and from what he saw the servers were as chirpy as ever.