Chapter 3
The fourth of February, quarter past seven. It was a late meeting time, which Remus had insisted would be for the best. Harry had been around small groups of wizards in the past, yes. There was a big difference between a small wizarding community in the countryside and Diagon Alley though. Harry knew this, so he did not fight the timing when it was insisted.
“You look fine, Harry.” Severus insisted. Harry froze his constant fidgeting with his sleeves. “Plus, if there are people there to take pictures, they will surely be focusing on your face.” He drawled out before continuing with the scratching of his quill on paper.
Remus had said he looked charming. He did feel it, ever so slightly. Ten minutes he had spent squinting his eyes in the mirror, trying his best to calm down the glows of red and silvers. Once he finally got them to shrink inwards, he made quick work of moving his hair out of his eyes and brushing down any stray strands. He could not see the finer details of his hair, so it probably still looked a bit messy, but he settled on the fact it probably looked miles better then usual.
The suit he was wearing had begrudgingly been custom ordered by Severus. While he did not like the idea of trying to impress Goblins (which he had made a point of mentioning far too often), he knew it was for the best. They would most definitely give a lot of support for the boy if he was able to get into their good graces. The slacks were black and decently thick to ward off the cold that still hung in the air. They went to his mid waist and hugged tightly there. His shirt was a matt silver and tucked loosely into his trousers. He got the choice between two shirts with different sleeve types. Of which he chose sleeves that did not suffocate his skin, but did hug his wrists nicely. The shoes were a simple black formal pair that did not dig into his ankles, thankfully. It was not insisted that he wear a tie or any sort or a waistcoat, so he decided to not put those on. They would probably sit in the set of draws for far too long. Remus did however drop a coat over his shoulders before he went to finish drinking the remainder of his coffee. From what Harry could make out without his glasses, it was a blazer inspired one. Black on the outside, with a dark red inside. It was long, reaching down to the back of his knee. Harry decided against fastening it up, instead he let it hang from his shoulders. The heating charm placed on his shirt was sure to keep him from freezing.
Remus took one final look over at Harry before leaving his cup in the sink, knowing Snape would clean it the moment after they left. “Ready?” Harry stood up immediately, letting out a big huff. Slowly, he dragged himself over to their floo, which glowed a dim dark green. “Remember, say it clearly and step out. Then wait for me. I won't be more than twenty seconds, I promise.”
Nodding in response, Harry stepped into the floo. Reaching over he grabbed some of the floo powder. With a deep breath, he let it fall to the ground. He sensed the moment it hit the ground. Feeling the warmth reach his feet, he said “Diagon Alley!”
It was horrible! The slight warmth turned into a burning heat. Bright colours flashed in front of him. Even closing his eyes would not put a halt to the barrage. His legs felt shaky and with a start, he realized he could not feel the ground beneath him. He tried to move his body to feel anything but nothing around him, to no avail. When he finally did feel solid ground beneath his feet again, he rushed a few steps forward.
That felt much longer than it should have, Harry lamented. He leaned a hand against the wall next to the floo. Within a few seconds the dark green of the floor morphed into a bright green and two long legs appeared.
“You okay, Harry?” Rushed steps flowed to his ears, before a hand was slowly and gently placed on his shoulder.
“Mhm.” Harry leaned into the hand. “Can we never do that again please?” Remus let out a short chuckle, rubbing his hand into his shoulder.
“Sorry, but it’s the fastest way to travel.” Remus dusted off his clothes, with Harry quickly following suit. Once, they were both presentable. Remus walked to the door that separated them from the busy Leaky Cauldron. “Harry, it is going to be busy out here.” He turned to Harry, who was a step behind him. “Follow my magic okay? Just focus on that and nothing else and you will be fine.”
Harry slowly nodded. Closing his eyes, he focused on his surroundings, the way that Lupin had taught him. Soon everything mundane began to slip from his senses. Left only with the smell of burnt paper and chocolate. Steadily he opened his eyes. There were a plethora of dark and dull hues surrounding them. Center of them, however, was a radiant gold. He glued his eyes to that.
“Got it.” He responded. Remus was silent for a few moments. Harry’s features scrunched as he looked up to wear he presumed Remus’ face would reside. The older man’s eyes widened as he was met with the glowing green eyes Harry took on as he searched for magic. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Remus, whose voice was slightly muffled, smiled and schooled his features. “Just relax a little. You’re focusing too intensely.” Harry nodded, taking a few deep breaths until the luminous gold settled into a bronzed hue. Once he heard Remus shuffle, he set to following.
The door handle was turned and the door pulled towards them. The sound was the first thing to hit, soon followed by the colours invading through the doorway. Before he could let his focus slip, he walked closer to Remus, keeping his eyes trained on the center of his magic. Their steps were quick as they maneuvered their way through the patrons, all while feeling eyes peering into them. It had Harry’s chest moving faster than usual. At the reassuring touch of Remus’ hand, his chest thankfully eased back to normal. He focused on that. The heat of his fingers grazing against his. Before he knew it, he was once again graced with silence and hit with fresh air.
“Good job there.” Remus complimented as he tapped his wand on the brick wall.
While Harry wanted to take a short breather, he knew it would be much better to get through the walk fast. Get it over and done with, he thought to himself. He would have plenty of time in the future to look around and adjust better. Plus, if Remus was not asking him if he needed a moment, they were most likely close to the meeting time.
So when Remus immediately began to walk once the pile of bricks had moved, Harry followed right behind him. Eyes peered from inside closing shops. A few people still walking around, smiled at Remus as he passed. When eyes met Harry however, they widened. A few people stopped in their places for a few seconds. Remus paid no mind to them, other than looking back occasionally to make sure they were not affecting the teen behind him. Upon seeing Harry’s eyes glued to his back, he continued the walk.
Harry found himself pausing in his steps as the towering white building stood in front of him. He found himself suddenly unable to focus on Remus’ magic. The older man turned back from his spot a few steps in front of Harry. Noting Harry’s eyes fading back to their normal ivory green, he spoke.
“Goblins are proficient at wards against certain magics.” Remus did not need to say more for Harry to understand what he was saying. He would not be able to sense magic there. Once he stopped trying to focus on the magic, his vision sharpened. Better than usual, he noted. There were still blurs in the distance, but he was able to see details that were closer to him. Harry took in the stocky short goblin guards at either side of the door. They both held large axes in their hands. Not to be messed with, that was for sure. If Harry didn't already know that, he knew it now.
Harry ran his hand gently through his hair, before walking back to Remus. This time, he stood by Remus’ side. The man patted his back before walking through the entrance of the bank.