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Chapter 8: The People at the Leaky Cauldron
🕑 Added 2024-12-02 18:01:48 +0000 UTCWithin the first week of arriving in this world, Victor passed by the Leaky Cauldron many times but never entered. The pub always seemed crowded with wizards and felt oppressively warm.
The Leaky Cauldron was a narrow, old building with creaky stairs that groaned underfoot and an oily sheen on every surface, giving it a perpetually grimy appearance. Victor and Harry entered through the back door, descended two flights of stairs, and arrived at the bar area, which was packed with young witches and wizards preparing for the start of the school year.
"Father! I want the Nimbus 2000!" a young wizard exclaimed as he darted past Harry, tugging his parents along the stairs.
"You can't. First years at Hogwarts aren't allowed broomsticks, but you can use your brother's at home," the father replied firmly.
Harry cast a wistful glance their way. How he wished he could prepare for school with family too. Oh wait—he was doing just that. Well, sort of.
Feeling slightly consoled, Harry stole a glance at Victor beside him. Despite Victor's perpetually cold demeanor that seemed to clear paths wherever they walked, Harry still preferred his company to navigating unfamiliar places alone. At least now, he looked no different from any other first-year accompanied by an adult.
"Do all those kids already know magic?" Harry wondered silently, letting his thoughts wander as they moved toward the main hall. Abruptly, Victor came to a halt.
Harry looked up in confusion and saw a white-haired old man sitting in the pub's hall, gazing at him with gentle, kind eyes. The room fell silent, the bustling patrons now eerily quiet. Even the barkeeper was stealing nervous glances at the elderly man, who seemed to command an air of great authority.
"Harry, there you are," the old man, Albus Dumbledore, spoke warmly.
"It’s been a long time since I last saw you. You were only this tall back then," he continued, holding his hand just above his knee, his tone light and teasing. He was wearing a whimsical blue robe adorned with various patterns, giving him an almost playful appearance.
But instead of elaborating further to Harry, Dumbledore’s attention shifted to Victor.
"Mr. van der Boom, I didn’t expect to meet you here. May I ask why Harry is with you? As far as I recall, you don’t live near him, and he’s been missing for two days now. His family is very worried."
Harry couldn’t suppress a muttered retort. "Aunt Petunia would never worry about me."
Behind Dumbledore stood two other figures: a stern-looking wizard in black robes, exuding authority, and a towering, burly man with a thick beard—Rubeus Hagrid. The wizard's expression was sharp, while Hagrid's bore traces of recently shed tears.
Victor's expression remained impassive. "Harry accidentally wandered into my home. I was just about to return him."
"Accidentally?" The black-robed wizard raised an eyebrow. "Was your address unprotected? If it was, how did Harry end up staying there for two days without leaving?"
"My home is secured by a unique form of protective magic, different from the Fidelius Charm. It isolates itself from both Muggles and wizards. Harry must have some special talent," Victor explained calmly.
"But the wizarding law states—" the wizard began, his voice growing sharp.
"That’s enough, Rufus," Dumbledore interjected soothingly. "This isn’t the time to investigate. Hagrid, please take Harry home. It’s not safe for him to stay outside any longer."
Hagrid sniffled loudly, wiping his nose with a handkerchief that looked more like a bedsheet. "Of course! Poor little Harry—he must be exhausted after spending so much time out here!"
"Actually, I slept pretty well last night," Harry muttered, inching away from Hagrid’s emotional outburst.
The sheer speed at which everything was happening left Harry disoriented. He didn’t recognize any of these people, yet they all spoke as if they were close relatives. Compared to their overwhelming presence, Victor's reserved silence felt oddly comforting. At least Victor wasn’t bombarding him with questions or claims of familiarity.
Noticing Harry's hesitation, Victor leaned down slightly and spoke softly, "Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts. You'll see him often in the future."
Victor then turned back to Dumbledore. "Harry arrived near my home yesterday morning. I was away at Hogwarts for an interview at the time, and my housemate, Baba Yaga, only found him in the evening. Since he was exhausted, we let him rest overnight and planned to return him today."
"I recall you were indeed at Hogwarts when Harry went missing," Dumbledore said, nodding thoughtfully.
Victor returned the gesture with a slight nod of his own. "If you have further concerns, you’re welcome to visit my home. I don’t mind if you place additional wards nearby to prevent future intrusions."
"Thank you. That would be most helpful," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Harry, meanwhile, tried to voice a question, but Dumbledore preempted him. "Harry, I know you have many questions. Don’t worry—Hagrid will answer them all for you later and give you your Hogwarts acceptance letter."
"But you’ve been away from home for too long. I believe it’s important for you to return to your aunt and uncle first," Dumbledore said kindly.
"Take him back via the Underground, Hagrid," Dumbledore instructed.
"Oh, right! Got it!" Hagrid replied, his voice attempting to sound gentle despite his sheer size and exuberance.
Harry couldn’t shake his unease as he glanced around at the adults. He wanted to protest, to ask for more information, but their authoritative demeanor left no room for argument. He cast one last, hesitant glance at Victor.
To his surprise, Victor was looking back at him.
…Was Victor feeling a bit reluctant?
After a moment of silence, Victor reached into his pocket and handed Harry a small, old-fashioned pocket watch with a bronze casing.
"A parting gift," Victor said quietly. "If you ever have questions you can’t resolve, its hands will guide you to answers. Consider it a complimentary gift for our future dealings, Mr. Potter."
"You can’t afford the price now, but you will soon enough."
