“What did you do to annoy your grandfather?” Yule led David through the crowded streets until they stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron.
David didn’t answer.
Instead, he pointed at the sign overhead.
“They don’t sell robes here.” “Obviously.” Yule threw an arm around his shoulders and steered him through the door.
“We’re stopping for a drink first.” He grinned.
“And I’m meeting a friend.” David had been inside the shabby pub before, so its appearance no longer surprised him.
Yule, meanwhile, walked up to the bar as though he owned the place.
“Hello, Tom.
Brandy.” The bald, hunchbacked barman greeted him with the same unsettling smile David remembered.
“Oh, right.” Yule gestured towards his nephew.
“This is David.” “Get him a Butterbeer.” “We’ve met, Young Master Rowle.” Tom waved his hand.
A mug topped with white foam landed on the bar in front of David.
Then he poured Yule his brandy.
David looked down.
There was a visible lip mark on the rim of his glass.
He slowly raised his eyes towards Tom.
“The fact that this pub has remained open this long is genuinely impressive.” “David.” Yule gave Tom an apologetic smile before turning towards his nephew.
“If you insist on being this difficult, you’re going to end up without any friends.” David respected British wizarding customs.
He simply had no intention of personally experiencing all of them.
He pushed the Butterbeer aside and pulled a copy of Sites of Historical Sorcery from his bag.
“I’ll read.” “You enjoy yourself.” Yule stared at him.
“You’re reading for entertainment?” He shook his head sadly.
“What happened to you?” David ignored him.
“A man’s happiness should be simple.” Yule lifted his brandy.
“Drinking.” “Causing trouble.” “Women.” Then his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Hello, Tina.” A young witch had just entered the pub.
David glanced over.
She was pretty, with a sweet face and a glittering fashionable dress that immediately stood out among the Leaky Cauldron’s usual clientele.
Yule was six years younger than John and David’s third uncle.
He had inherited the Rowle family’s good looks and apparently considered himself irresistible to witches across the wizarding world.
Judging by his lifestyle, his personal philosophy could be summarised very simply: Enjoy life now.
Preferably with someone else paying.
Tina approached.
Her eyes moved to David.
“And who’s this handsome young man?” “My nephew.” Yule smiled.
“David.” Then he slipped an arm around Tina’s waist and led her towards a nearby seat, where the two immediately began whispering together.
David returned to his book.
There was little point remembering the names of women Yule dated.
Yule changed girlfriends faster than David could forget them.
Tina’s entrance had briefly caused a few whispers around the pub, but soon the room settled again.
Several elderly witches sat in one corner drinking tiny glasses of sherry while smoke curled from long-stemmed pipes.
Three middle-aged wizards crowded around a circular table playing cards, apparently gambling.
And David wasn’t the only person reading.
A strange man in a turban sat quietly with a book and a drink nearby.
The peace lasted until the door opened again.
“Oh—good heavens!” A witch near the entrance gasped.
An enormous figure squeezed his way inside.
Calling him tall didn’t really capture it.
He was practically a giant.
The thin little boy walking beside him looked almost like an accessory by comparison.
“Hagrid!” Someone laughed.
“Hagrid, you frightened Selina!” The pub erupted into friendly noise.
Apparently the giant was well liked.
Tom placed a mug on the counter.
“The usual, Hagrid?” “Oh… no.” Hagrid’s refusal lacked conviction.
His eyes lingered longingly on the drink.
Yule noticed him too.
“Hagrid!” He waved across Tina.
“What are you doing standing there?
Come have one.” “No, better not.” Hagrid gave Tom a huge pat on the shoulder that nearly drove the poor man into the floor.
“I’m doing something for Hogwarts.” Then he noticed Yule.
Hagrid leaned down conspiratorially.
Unfortunately, his idea of whispering was still loud enough for half the pub to hear.
“You got any more Fluffys like the one you sold me last time?” Yule nearly dropped his glass.
“Oi!” He glanced around quickly.
“Keep your voice down!” Then, more loudly, he declared, “I quit that business ages ago!” Hagrid straightened and spread his hands.
“What’re you doing here, then?” “My nephew.” Yule introduced David for what felt like the tenth time that day.
“David.” “I’m taking him shopping for school supplies.” He paused.
“Hogwarts.” Then he wrapped an arm around Tina.
“And I came to meet a friend.” He gestured between them.
“Tina, Hagrid.” Tina stared at Hagrid with roughly the expression of someone seeing a gorilla in formalwear.
Hagrid greeted her politely enough.
Then he looked back at Yule.
“You’ve always had a way with women.” Tina smiled.
Then Hagrid turned towards David.
“New Hogwarts student?” His eyes moved back to Yule.
“Another one from Greece?” “No, no.” Yule answered far too quickly.
“He’s transferring.” “Everything’s already been arranged with Dumbledore.” Tina immediately frowned.
“Greece?” She turned towards Yule.
“What does he mean, Greece?” Yule ignored her.
Whatever story he had previously told Hagrid about Greece was clearly complete nonsense.
And naturally, Hagrid had believed every word.
Yule hurriedly pointed towards the boy beside Hagrid.
“And this is the Hogwarts business you mentioned?” “Oh!” Hagrid looked startled.
“Nearly forgot.” He reached behind himself and pushed the boy forward with one enormous hand.
“This is Harry Potter.” “He’ll be starting at Hogwarts this year.” Tom froze.
“My goodness!” He had clearly been watching the boy ever since he entered.
Now his eyes widened.
“Harry Potter?” He stared.
“You mean… the Harry Potter?” The pub fell silent.
Every face turned towards the thin, nervous-looking boy.
Then Tom rushed out from behind the bar.
“What an honour!” He grabbed Harry’s hand with both of his.
“Welcome back, Mr Potter.” “Welcome back!” Harry looked mortified.
Before he had time to react, the rest of the pub descended upon him.
“I can’t believe it!” “Mr Potter, what an honour!” “I’ve wanted to shake your hand for years!” The quiet pub became as noisy as a festival.
People crowded around Harry, reaching for his hand and speaking over one another.
David was gradually pushed away from the bar until he ended up standing beside Tina.
Yule was watching Harry too.
David studied the boy from a distance.
“So that’s the saviour of British wizarding society?” Tina turned sharply.
“What?” She stared at David as though he were the strange one.
Yule leaned around her.
“He disappeared for eleven years.” He lowered his voice.
“Probably hidden somewhere for his own protection.” Yule glanced meaningfully towards Harry.
“So what you’re seeing might not tell the whole story.” Perhaps.
But at that moment, the Boy Who Lived looked distinctly miserable.
His clothes had already been worn thin, and after being crushed between half the pub’s population, they were now badly wrinkled as well.
David frowned.
He ignored Tina’s strange expression.
“For an orphan whose parents died in a magical war…” His gaze remained fixed on Harry.
“…the British wizarding world doesn’t appear to have taken very good care of him.” Tina’s expression shifted.
David continued quietly.
“They treat him as a symbol.” “A symbol of victory.” “Or perhaps proof that they survived.” His eyes remained on the uncomfortable eleven-year-old surrounded by celebrating strangers.
“But not as a child who lost both his parents…” David closed his book.
“…and might actually have needed someone to care about him.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS SYSTEMATIC_MANIAC Enjoying the novel?
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