A World Hidden in Plain Sight
Chapter 6: A World Hidden in Plain Sight
The Leaky Cauldron was nothing like Harry had expected.
He had imagined something grand—maybe a towering building with golden signs and enchanted torches. Instead, the pub was small, dimly lit, and slightly rundown. The wooden beams overhead were dark with age, and the stone floor was uneven, worn down by countless footsteps over the years.
It smelled strange—a mix of old parchment, burning wood, and something vaguely herbal. Bottles of brightly colored liquid lined the shelves behind the bar, their contents bubbling or swirling as though alive.
The place was nearly empty at this time of the morning. A hunched old wizard sat in the corner, muttering to himself over a tankard of something steaming. A group of witches in deep purple robes whispered in low voices near the fireplace. The bartender—a bald man with a toothy grin—wiped a glass with a rag that didn’t seem to be making it any cleaner.
Harry lingered near the entrance, hesitant.
This was the wizarding world.
Not just the idea of it, or stories from Hagrid, but real.
His stomach twisted. He didn’t belong here—not yet. He was still wearing Dudley’s old clothes, too big for him, too shabby. He had no wand, no knowledge of this world beyond what little he had been told.
For the first time since leaving Privet Drive, doubt crept in.
Maybe this had been a mistake.
Maybe Cassia Black was wrong.
Maybe he wasn’t meant to be here at all.
And then, he felt it—a gaze.
Someone was watching him.
A Familiar Stranger
At the far end of the pub, seated at a shadowed corner table, a girl was staring at him.
She wasn’t dressed in robes like the others—her attire was more practical. A fitted black jacket over a dark green tunic, tall leather boots laced to her knees. Her long black hair was pulled back into a loose braid, though a few strands had slipped free. Her eyes—piercing grey, sharp and intelligent—were locked onto him.
Harry tensed.
Then, she smiled.
Not the polite, distant kind he had seen from strangers. It was small, knowing—like she had been waiting for him.
She gestured subtly toward the empty chair across from her.
Harry hesitated only a second before walking over.
As he slid into the seat, she leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table.
“So,” she said, voice smooth and measured, “you made it.”
Harry nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, she smirked. “You look like you’re expecting me to pull out a wand and curse you.”
Harry blinked. “Should I be worried about that?”
Her smirk widened. “Not unless you give me a reason to.”
Despite himself, Harry let out a short, breathy chuckle. He hadn’t realized how tense he was until that moment.
The girl—Cassia, he reminded himself—tilted her head slightly, studying him.
“They really kept you in the dark, didn’t they?” she murmured.
Harry shifted in his seat. “Yeah.”
She nodded, as if she had expected that answer.
“Well,” she said, sitting back, “you’re not in the dark anymore.”
Harry wasn’t sure why, but the way she said it made something in his chest loosen.
For the first time since stepping into the wizarding world, he felt like he wasn’t alone.