Chapter 2
The Diagon Alley trip day came and Severus pulled Harry aside before giving him a bottle of small blue coloured tablets. The bottle was not small and the pills were aplenty. Severus said, “Do not disappoint me Harry. Every time you feel like acting up again, just take one of the blue pills. Don’t abuse my trust – only take a pill when you really want it and not because you think you might need it. Only when it is necessary. Got it?”
Harry nods his agreement. Snape had given one pill to him yesterday when he had felt too overwhelmed by todays trip and he had actually felt the stress leave his body. Smacking his lips, Harry takes the bottles and hides it in his pocket, fearful that Severus could take it back again against his wished. Severus makes no such movement. Instead he confides that, “My mother used to take them so I know they are good for you.”
Harry nods his head again.
Breakfast already done, all four line up against the fireplace, the pot of floo powder standing by the grate. Harry had traveled through floo powder before, when the family had changed houses so he is feeling confident this time. he had also nibbled on a bit of a tablet and is feeling much better as it is. Confident and almost happy to tag along to this new place crowded with people. Maybe one more nibble would not hurt.
Petunia goes first. Dudley leaves second. Severus pushes Harry to follow and comes the last. All of them come out of the floo network ports lining one side of the market in a cluster. Harry is immediately stricken by the number of people just walking about leisurely. They are talking and laughing and just walking with lots of bustle. Unable to help himself, he pops in a whole tablet and feels his limbs loosen from the stiff position he had been holding them in.
First they go to Gringotts. Harry is feeling a bit loopy and light headed from the medicine and finds the sight of the goblins not very scary. Scary yes. But not too much. Severus hands a key to the main goblin and the pair, Harry and Severus, are directed to a vault. When Griphook the goblin opens the vault door, Harry lets out an audible gasp. There are gold coins in the vault up to the ceiling.
Harry feels like diving into the pile, but is restrained by Severus. Severus steps in, takes a few measured handful of the coins and puts them in a pouch. When he steps back, he hands over the pouch to a slightly trembling Harry and steps back into his seat. Harry follows, stuttering over his thank yous to both Severus and Griphook. Severus waves away the gratitude and Griphook does not respond in any way.
The duo meets Petunia and Dudley in the bookstore and for the first time in his life, Harry buys his first thing with his own money. Given those are only his text books, but the purchase makes him happy none the less. They buy cauldrons, robes, more books and quills, a monitor lizard for Dudley, and more. Harry buys an owl with his own money though. They have an excellent meal at the Leaky Cauldron and floo back home laden with purchases.
Harry sleeps a good sleep that night but is awoken rather suddenly by the squawk of his new pet owl. Harry gets up, is momentarily surprised at the new things around him and then quickly takes another blue pill before his heart could ramp up to an another anxiety attack. He had rally gone to a completely crowded place and bough things with his own money. Had used the right cutlery when eating and had even laughed at a joke Dudley made.
The blue pill is magic that Harry does not know, does not recognize straightaway. But they bring in a reprieve to his aching joints and too fast heart beat and his startled expression. He cannot say how grateful he is to Severus for introducing him to this. They leave tomorrow for Hogwarts through the Hogwarts train. Severus will be leaving with them as he teaches at Hogwarts as well.
Harry packs up everything he has into his big trunk and it is sad how everything neatly fits, with space for some more. Harry digs out the small tin from the bottom of his closet that contains his precious treasures. A small marble and a big one, both gifts from Dudley when he had been in a good mood. A small rusted penknife that Harry found buried in their background and a shinny stone that glinted in the sun.
The tin box also held the picture of a family together. It had a mother and father and two sons presumably and the parents were hugging the boys with glee, lips full spread in wide smiles, eyes crinkled, looking at the viewer. It had been a filler picture for a photo frame that Aunt Petunia had bought. It had been the picture of a happy family that had drawn Harry. He didn’t know how his parents had looked as there had been no picture with Petunia.
Harry wrapped the tin in a plastic sheet and sat down on his bed. All his wordily possessions now was held in the trunk. He was really going to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. He had been hearing Dudley go on about how great the school is, how he hoped he would get into Slytherin which had been both Severus and Petunia’s houses in the school and how he hoped to go on great adventures with the friends he would soon make.
This point always managed to stump Harry. He had never had a friend apart from whatever he had with his cousin. To have new friends always sounded strange and impossible to Harry. He hoped that he would be able to make a friend atleast or the seven years he was going to be at the school would be insanely lonely. He certainly hoped that he would get into Slytherin as well to be with Dudley and have one familiar face around.
The robe that Harry had bought as a part of his uniform filled him with hope as well. He had pulled his robe low in Diagon Alley and the thick fabric had muffled the sounds of the people around a bit and this had been strangely comforting. He hoped that his new robe would afford him the same courtesy and help him keep to himself and a bit away from the loud sounds and the like if possible.