Stepping Into the Unknown
Chapter 5: Stepping Into the Unknown
The sky was still dark when Harry Potter slipped out of his cupboard, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure it would wake the entire house. He moved carefully, stepping over the creaky floorboards he had memorized over the years, ears straining for any sign that Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia had stirred.
The Dursleys were heavy sleepers—thankfully.
His bag, containing only his hand-me-down clothes and the few things he owned, was slung over his shoulder. He had nothing valuable, nothing sentimental. Not even a photo of his parents. But he wasn’t leaving anything behind.
Because Privet Drive had never been home.
The moment he stepped outside, the cool morning air hit his face, and he hesitated—just for a second. He glanced back at Number Four, the perfectly trimmed lawn, the dark windows where his so-called family slept peacefully inside, completely unaware that he was finally escaping.
He should have felt scared.
Instead, he felt free.
He turned away and kept walking.
Nowhere to Go
The problem with running away, Harry quickly realized, was that he had no idea where he was going.
He had left Privet Drive easily enough, walking briskly down the street before cutting through a few alleys. He knew the Dursleys rarely left their safe, boring neighborhood, so he wasn’t worried about running into them.
But now, standing at a deserted bus stop, he felt lost.
How do I even get to the Leaky Cauldron?
He had only been to London once or twice on school trips, and he had never paid attention to how they got there. He knew the Leaky Cauldron was the entrance to Diagon Alley, but he had no idea where it actually was.
He sat on the cold bench, gripping the parchment in his pocket.
Cassia.
She had said he could write back.
He pulled the letter out and ran his fingers over it, feeling the magic hum beneath his skin. Taking a deep breath, he thought the words instead of speaking them.
Where is the Leaky Cauldron?
The ink shimmered, and new words appeared almost instantly.
You got out safely. Good. It’s in London, between a bookshop and a record store on Charing Cross Road. You’ll have to take the bus.
Harry exhaled, relieved. He hadn’t realized how much he needed confirmation that he was doing the right thing until that moment.
Then, before he could write again, more words formed.
Are you okay?
That question. No one had ever asked him that before.
Harry hesitated, then wrote back.
I don’t know. But I think this is the right thing.
Cassia’s response came a few seconds later.
It is. You’re on your way to where you belong.
For some reason, those words settled something inside him.
He folded the parchment carefully and put it in his pocket, then waited for the bus.
The World Beyond Privet Drive
The bus ride was strange.
Not because anything unusual happened—quite the opposite. It was normal.
Ordinary people getting on and off, some talking, some half-asleep. A woman sipped coffee, a man flipped through a newspaper, a teenager tapped away at a handheld game.
Harry sat in the back, his hands in his lap, watching.
And for the first time, he realized just how much the Dursleys had isolated him.
He had never been allowed to wander on his own, never taken public transportation alone, never even handled money by himself. He barely understood how a bus worked.
A sharp bitterness twisted in his chest.
They had made sure he knew nothing. Not just about magic—about the world.
They had wanted him to be helpless. Dependent.
But he wasn’t anymore.
Harry clenched his fists. That part of his life was over.
When the bus slowed and he saw the street sign for Charing Cross Road, he pulled the cord to signal the stop.
His heart pounded again—but not with fear.
With anticipation.
Crossing the Threshold
Standing on the pavement, Harry turned in a slow circle, scanning the storefronts. Cassia had said it was between a bookshop and a record store—but all he saw was a narrow alleyway leading to a plain brick wall.
He took a step forward.
The moment he did, the air seemed to ripple.
A small, weathered sign appeared above a narrow wooden door. The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry stared.
This was it.
He stood at the entrance, frozen for a moment. This was the first real step into the wizarding world. The first step into his world.
A deep breath.
And then, with a newfound resolve, Harry pushed open the door and stepped inside.