Tastes and Tattings
Harry looked around the fairly spacious room he found himself in with contentment. He'd decided to spend the night in the inn he'd first entered when he was searching for a place to shop. turns out it wasn't just a pub, it was a tavern as well. He'd rented the room up until the first of September, when he'd be leaving for school. The best part was that three meals a day were included, as well as any extra bites for a small additional fee. He'd never had this much to eat before in his life.
The quarters he'd been given were, he assumed, a fairly standard set of rooms. He had a bedroom as well as a small bathroom attached in the corner. He didn't have a kitchen or anything of the sort, but he didn't feel very inclined to cook anyway. The bed he was currently sitting on was easily a large upgrade from his old cupboard, which only held a thin, old mattress that had been Dudley's when he was a babe. The bed had multiple blankets as well as very soft cloud-like pillows.
He'd just had a wonderful night of sleep and decided to get some breakfast downstairs before venturing back into the large alley to start getting his school supplies.
Harry reluctantly hopped off the soft sheets and grabbed the pouch he'd gotten from Gringotts, slipping on his old, scruffy shoes as he exited the room. He looked around the narrow corridor of the hall his room was in, seeing he was the only one currently there. He gently closed the creaking door behind him and padded down the wooden hallway. As he reached the stairs, he could already hear the boisterous conversations from the other occupants of the inn.
He walked down the worn, wooden staircase, finally reaching the ground floor. He walked up to the bar, unsure of how to ask for the included meal he'd been promised. Luckily, he didn't have to find the courage to grab the barman's attention as the man had already noticed him.
"Alright, lad? I'm assuming you want sum o' that breakfast included in your stay, aye?" The elder barman chuckled, already whipping up another plate. Harry nodded silently when he was sure the man could see him, watching in fascinating as the foods were levitated onto a floating plate.
He stared in awe at the ease of which magic was used in everything, oozing in the very air he was breathing. He didn't think he would ever get over how warm and welcoming it felt.
The plate of breakfast was set in front of him, still steaming from the heat. He could smell the freshly cooked eggs, as well as the fresh melon in the bowl beside it. He'd been given a light breakfast serving containing a slice of toast with a poached runny egg. Next to the plate was a small bowl and fork with some fresh melon and berries as well as a steaming glass of English breakfast tea with a splash of milk.
Harry thanked the barman, whom he should really ask the name of, for the meal before picking up the fork and taking a bite of the juicy looking melon. It tasted just as good as it looked, fresh and sweet with a floral undertone. He'd never eaten this well in his life. Then again, he used to consider himself lucky most of the time if he'd get even a slice of stale bread at the end of the day, so this was definitely an improvement.
Harry took a sip of the tea, its malty and nutty taste softened slightly by the creamy milk. It was rich and still hot, warming him up inside too. Not that that was necessary, as it was still summer, but it was nice nonetheless. He set the cup down and picked up. the toast, egg yolk running off the bread and onto the plate. As he took a bite he nearly moaned at the taste, salty and nutty flavours entering his mouth. the yolk had soaked into the toast, making the crunchy bread even richer and creamier in taste.
Once he'd finished his breakfast, or, as much as he could stomach of it, he thanked the barman and hopped off the barstool he was sitting on. He took one more glance at the pub around him, noticing it looked much cosier and inviting than last night, and walked towards the already open wall that headed towards the main alley.
Harry reached towards his side as he stepped through, feeling the pouch still secure in his pocket, and grabbed the letter, before hesitating. He needed to get his school supplies, yes, but he also needed to get some basic necessities. He'd prefer to get those first before anything, and it's not like he was lacking in money to do so.
Harry nodded to himself, having made up his mind. He'd get some type of trunk first, to carry all his stuff. As he walked down the alley he wondered if they used magic on things like clothes and books as well to make life easier. He knew he'd probably try it for himself, even if it wasn't the case.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a shop called 'Maxwell's Trunks for a Lifetime' that looked rather promising. He glanced at the display, noticing that the trunks shown all looked shiny and rich in materials. There were a bunch of things written on parchment hung near them as well, talking about all its enhancements.
A 'featherlight, storage-optimizing' trunk sounded rather promising, he thought, as he opened the heavy door and headed inside.
The shop's light was rather dim, leaning towards a calm, comforting atmosphere that Harry found himself appreciating. There were a few dark brown, leather armchairs situated around the store, as well as trunks displayed both on the walls and around the room. The expensive looking check-out counter was located near the back in the centre, standing proudly atop a richly embroidered Persian rug.
A man wearing a well tailored, expensive looking robe was leaning down slightly, back turned to Harry as he tinkered on a trunk, assumedly tweaking its design. The man stood up as he heard the door open, turning to Harry with a polite smile. The man's eyes scanned over Harry's form, taking in his hand-me-down clothes with a small down-turn in his lip.
"Hello, sir. What can I do for you today?" The man asked, smile already back in place.
"Hi.. I need a-a trunk. I'm starting school this year, you see.." Harry answered, uncertainty evident in his tone. He hoped the man wouldn't send him out before he could make his purchase. It would make sense if he did, his uncle always said that a freak like him-
"Ofcourse, sir. Do you have any specific model or modifications in mind, or shall i just show you some of our options?"
Harry blinked out of his spiralling thoughts, eyes snapping up to look at the man. "J-just show me some options if it's not too much trouble, please." He answered, making sure to speak up loud enough for the man to hear him clearly.
The man nodded and turned on his heel, pointing at different trunk models as he spoke, "We have many different standard and customizable sizes, ofcourse. For a first year student like yourself i'd recommended getting a mid-sized, strong leather exterior. We can enlarge its inside anyway, so there's no need to be concerned about a lack of space. For a more personal touch we could get either your initials or a set of runes ingraven for an extra fee. And, speaking of runes, we can, ofcourse, add many protective, weight changing, anti-theft, and many other type of runes based on your preference. Now, for interior.."
Harry walked out of the shop 76 Galleons poorer, and one very secure, feather-light, not-heavy-at-all suitcase heavier. If he converted it to pounds it was an outrageous amount of money, but he was trying to think of it as an investment to justify himself.
As he walked down the street, he decided that getting clothing next would most likely be his best bet. He'd prefer to get out of his cousin's old rags as soon as possible, and now he had something spacious enough to store the amount of things he intended on purchasing. It helped that the trunk was secure enough that no-one could take it from him.
The window displays all had various items on show, many having at least some type of mannequin with some weird dress he'd seen many people wear - a cultural thing, most likely, but none of them seemed particularly attire focused.
Walking down the alley fortunately didn't get boring quick because of all the interesting stuff and people that were everywhere. Still, Harry was glad when he finally saw a fashion based store called 'Twilfitt and Tattings' on the corner near a side alley.
He glanced at the door for a second before entering carefully, closing the door gently behind him as he took in the interior. The shop was, like Maxwell's, rather fancy. Although this one was more sleek and openly luxurious than the trunk shop had been. The interior practically screamed 'rich lords only' with its huge floor space, and yet minimally decorated walls.
The few decorations that were hung on the walls or set up around the room all looked very expensive an coordinated, matching everything else in the room flawlessly. He didn't think he'd ever appreciate an interior, but he thought this seemed like something his aunt strove to be. Not to mention it was undoubtedly way above her league, radiating effortless wealth in ways she could only dream of.
Harry felt strangely vindictive as he thought of the amount of envy she'd be feeling of him if she could she him right now. She'd probably mask it with hatred though, he mused.
In his wishful thinking, Harry failed to notice the man that had come to stop in front of him. "Hello, young sir. What can I assist you with?" An aristocratic voice spoke, deep and authoritative.
Harry immediately looked up. He really had to stop getting lost in his thoughts. That was dangerous. The man in front of him was wearing some long coat-looking cloth, worn over a dress shirt and suit pant. He was adorned with minimal, yet fine and expensive silver jewellery that made him stand out in a rather distinguished way. Harry thought the man looked way too posh to be working in a clothing store.
"Hello, sir. Um- I was wondering if you could help me put together some outfits?" He asked uncertainly, face scrunching with nervousness. He really had no idea how to tell the man he had nothing other than the clothes on his back right now without making a fool of himself.
The man's face changed to a more gentle expression, "A few outfits, child? You seem to need a bit more than that, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrow, "I assume your parents will be paying, or?"
Harry shook his head quickly, "No- no! I can pay. I have money, I promise. I just need enough clothing for.. a while?" He grimaced at his words, hoping he hadn't offended the man. He really didn't want to find another store now that he'd finally found this one.
"Alright, alright. No haste necessary. How about we get you your closet essentials to start with, yes? You look like you could use some of those." The man commented, turning around and flicking his wand to make the measuring tape from his coat pocket float up and towards Harry. "If you'd take those.. worn clothes off for me please? Down to your undergarments is fine."
Harry glanced towards the mirrors in uncertainty, making the man look up in slight impatience. "Cease your worrying, child. They're one-way. No one outside can see us. Now, fais vite!₁ I don't have all day."
Worries appeased, Harry hurried to take off the rags, leaving him standing uncomfortably in his underpants. The measuring tape shot forward, wrapping around multiple parts of his body rapidly, making him wince internally as it bound around his bruised torso and limbs. He glanced up to see a quill scribbling on a piece of parchment, noting down the measurements the tape took. He was glad the man was focused on pieces of fabric rather than Harry, as his body wasn't exactly nice to look at right now.
The tape finally rolled itself back up and dove back into the man's coat pocket with surprising grace while the man turned back to Harry and froze. The man's eyes scanned Harry's - now nearly bare - body with growing concern, before landing on his face again. Something must have shown on Harry's face, because the man merely said, "Help will be given by many more here than you think, should you voice your need for it. No child should suffer, for they are a gift."₂
After his somber statement, the man plucked the piece of parchment out of the air and scanned it, before turning on his heel and walking towards clothing racks. "We'll, of course, be tailoring all of your pieces. But, seeing as we're starting with essentials, we shall get you enough undergarments first. Such as socks, pants, and undershirts. I believe twelve of each, six in white and six in black, shall suffice for now, no? Seeing as you're still growing."
Harry nodded as he put the old rags back on. He didn't want to wear them, but he'd rather not be nearly naked in a store, no matter the privacy windows.
The tailor - whose name Harry should also ask, was sewing fabrics together with his wand in one hand, and making a list in the other. Eventually, the man hummed and spoke, "Alright, so.. You'll be getting four sets of plain white dress shirts, 6 pairs of black wool and linen trousers, a few dress shirts in some colours that work nicely with your colour scheme such as dark green and navy. Next you'll get multiple sets of robes for multiple occasions; winter, formal, spring, and a few school robes, of course. Aswell as a few lighter and wool cloaks. Next up you'll get some acromantula silk woven sleep wear, as well as two pairs of black leather loafers and two pairs of dragon hide boots, one lined with wool for the winter. I believe this'll suffice for the basics, no? It's definitely a lot less than your usual closet, but to start off it's alright. You can just build on top of this as you age."
After processing the huge amount of clothing he'd have now, Harry replied; "That sounds great, thank you so much."
The man gave him a gentle smile, before walking towards the register, "Alright, you'll be able to pick up everything in about three hours, yes? My customers always pay upfront, so we'll get that over with right now. Your total comes down to.. 928 Galleons and 13 sickles."
Harry's eyes widened at the huge amount of money. This shop was high-class, sure, but still! That was an insane amount of money! Could he really ever justify spending that much on himself? Was it really all necessary? The man said that they were essentials, though..
Not wanting to make the man wait, he quickly took out his pouch to begin handing over the many coins. However, before he could get far, a hand stopped him and he heard a chuckle.
"No, silly child. Doing this by the coin would take us much too long, I'm afraid. I see you have an heir ring, yes? Just stamp its head on this cheque right here and the transfer will automatically be taken from your vault." The man smiled, amused by the boy's unawareness. He handed over the papers detailing everything Harry had bought, waiting for the boy to scan over it.
"If I could get a name for the order, heir..?" The man trailed off, waiting for a name.
"Heir potter. Har- Hadrian Potter, sir." Harry mumbled, making sure to use his now preferred name.
The man froze, eyes immediately shooting up towards Harry's forehead, noticing the huge scar scattered across his face. How he hadn't noticed it before, Harry would never know. It wasn't exactly discreet.
"Oh Morgana, you are.." The man took a moment to pull himself together, "Very well, heir Potter. You can return to pick up your order in a few hours, then."
Harry internally frowned in confusion. Why did the man seem so shocked by his name? Not to mention the look at his scar. Sure, it was odd looking.. But why would he look at - that - first, of all things, after hearing his name?
He ended up just nodding, before stamping his Potter heir ring on the cheque, blinking in fascination when an imprint appeared without any use of ink. He didn't think he'd get used to all of this magic stuff any time soon..
Finally bidding the tailor goodbye, he walked out of the store, intend on getting most of his school supplies in the time it would take the tailor to get all of his clothes ready.
At least he'd have more than enough spares now, even if a bully like Dudley were to undoubtedly come along and ruin his clothes. Besides, it was his money, right? Harry thought he was allowed to get himself things, seeing as no one else was ever going to.