Albus Potter and the Cursed Legacy | Scorbus

14. The Leaky Cauldron

Ron was already sat down in the far corner of The Leaky Cauldron when Harry arrived, slightly dishevelled from rushing over from his office. His black hair was touseled like always but his robes were askew and his the dark circles under his eyes even more prominent than usual.

He plopped himself in the seat across from Ron, still puffing but happy to be off his feet.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"Nah, no worries, mate. Got you a pint already," Ron nodded to the amber filled glass across from his own half-empty pint.

"Thanks," Harry took a big swig, releasing a sigh, "You don't know how much I needed this."

"Oh, I'm sure. Hermione's been keeping me updated. You deserve a good break."

Harry let out a small scoff, "I certainly need the break but I wouldn't say I deserve it."

He'd been working tirelessly since the night before, spending sleepless nights at the office overwhelmed by mountains of paperwork, constant meetings with the Aurors, and on the field investigating. Not to mention the flood of letters and complaints that had been showing up at his door from people who had read the most recent article published about him in The Daily Prophet--almost all of them criticizing his choice to show up at Hogwarts instead of apparating to the scene of the crime as soon as it was discovered. His visit with Ron at the pub was the first break he'd gotten in the last 24 hours. While his aching feet and throbbing head were thankful for rest, he couldn't really enjoy his pint with the looming feeling of guilt prodding him that he should still be working.

"It's because of the bloody article, isn't it?" Ron said, taking a sip of his drink and leaning back in his chair. "You can't take that to heart. The Prophet has never been your biggest fan, one more rubbish story shouldn't be bringing you down. Not to be too blunt but you look like you're second from falling apart, mate."

Harry rolled his eyes, trying to straighten his cloak, "Gee thanks, Ron."

"I'm just saying," He raised his hands in defence. "But it's a new low to be targetting you for trying to just be there for your son. Writer must not have any kids of her own."

"I believe the issue is more of my so-called entitlement," Harry scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "for being allowed to go to Hogwarts to talk to Al. If they only knew the whole story, maybe I wouldn't be receiving as much criticism as I am. The problem is they make judgments on something they know nothing about just because some ridiculous journalist tells them they should be upset."

There was no way Harry could please everyone; The entirety of Britain were all bond to hold different opinions on different situations. But as the former saviour of the Wizarding World, Harry was expected to somehow put everyone else's needs before his own. If he did something that someone disagreed with, he'd surely hear about it.

If the people knew about the real reason for his visit and the worry he had for Albus, perhaps they could sympathise. But of course, they only cared to point out Harry's wrongdoings and never the good he was trying to do. They saw him bending the rules to talk to his children at Hogwarts instead of being on call for his job, labelling him as entitled because of his status and ability to do so. Had something actually happened to Albus or they had published more about the reason Harry was so concerned, he would have been attacked by the media, called a bad parent for not caring more for his son. It was a lose-lose situation. No matter how hard he tried to balance his work and family life, people would always scrutinise him for leaning too far in one direction or the other.

"That's the press for you," Ron raised his glass up in a mocking toast. "People still want to see you as the hero of the Wizarding World rather than a father with kids who need and rely on you."