09. An Investigative Mis-step: Harry's Escapade

Hagrid led Harry out through the opening in the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron. It shifted and closed behind them, and they went in the back door of the bar. Inside were several brightly robed wizards, and they were using various spells on the dust pile. A few others were talking to the customers and writing things down.

"There he is!" Tom the bartender said and pointed. Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked at Hagrid and Harry. Hagrid immediately took Harry into a hug and bent over slightly. Harry almost completely disappeared from sight inside the large open coat that draped over him.

One of the bright robed wizards walked over to them. "Everyone here believes that boy is responsible for the death of a man," he said in a stern voice and glared at Harry's back, as if willing him to admit to being a murderer.

"Now, jus' a minute. Yeh can't jus' go accusing a kid of..." Hagrid started to say when Harry mumbled. "Whassat?" He asked and let Harry go.

"I said I'm not," Harry said and turned around to face the wizard. "No one else died touching me, so I know it wasn't me."

The wizard looked surprised by the answer. "You... but they said..."

"Ask them all," Harry motioned to everyone. "Even the bar man shook my hand several times and he's fine."

"Well, that's true," Tom said, a little sheepishly.

"I've touched a few people since then, too," Harry said as he remembered the hug Madam Malkin had given him, and his face flushed slightly red.

"Maybe he was... ah... allergic to muggle clothing or something?" Hagrid offered. "Professor Quirrell was an odd duck, ta be sure. He's nothing but a pile of ash, for Merlin's sake!" The wizard said, heatedly.

"No, he's a ghost," Harry said. "A big cloudy thing with a face." He took a breath and made his face look bloated. "Like this."

The wizard just stared at him. "Are... are you joking?"

"Nope. It scared me so much that..." Harry stopped talking. "I'm glad I didn't need to pee."

Hagrid looked at the other eye witnesses. "They didn't tell yeh that?"

A few of them turned away and none of them spoke.

"It's true," Hagrid said and held his hand up. "It was this high and it howled and flew out the door."

The wizard frowned. "No, no one told us that," he said. "Would you be willing to testify..."

"I'll be tellin' Headmaster Dumbledore all about it as soon as I drop Harry off at home," Hagrid said. "I woulda told 'im already if Harry hadn't taken so long gettin' his school things."

The wizard had to agree that the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot was the best lie detector that could ever exist, so he nodded. "I'll contact him later about this."

"Tha's fine. I'll only be an hour and I'll be heading back to the castle," Hagrid said. "Come on, Harry."

Harry was led out of the bar and over to Hagrid's motorcycle. He easily put the trunk into the sidecar with him, now that Hagrid's coat wasn't taking up most of the space. Luckily, the rain had let up and it was only cloudy. I didn't think about buying an umbrella, Harry thought and looked at Hagrid's. "Hagrid, where did you get your umbrella?"

"Huh?" Hagrid looked at Harry and seemed to be preoccupied about something. "What?"

"Your umbrella. Where did you get it?" Harry asked.

"Oh! I... ah... found it," Hagrid said, his face slightly red, and he patted more of his pockets. "I jus' wish I could find the blasted keys."

Harry pulled them out of his pocket. "You mean these? I found them," he said and held them up.

"Ah! Yer a lifesaver, Harry," Hagrid took them and climbed onto the motorcycle. He put the key in and turned it, hit several buttons on the gas tank, and it started with a rumbling roar. "I don't know what I woulda done if'n I'd lost them keys," he said and they flew up into the air.

"Drop me off at the end of the street," Harry said when they approached Privet Drive. "I think that's Uncle Vernon's car in the driveway."

Hagrid mumbled something that sounded like a curse. "I wanted ta get yeh home before them."

"It's okay. I'll sneak in the back and they'll never know I was gone," Harry lied. He knew full well that he would be immediately assaulted as soon as he stepped into the house because he wasn't allowed to be seen outdoors.

"Good thinkin'," Hagrid said and flew all the way down the other end of the street and came in for a landing. "There yeh go," he said and came to a stop. "Do yeh need a hand with yer trunk?"

"No, thanks," Harry said and stepped out of the sidecar and put his trunk on the ground. He had been watching the people on the street and none of them saw them land, to his immense surprise. They could still hear the roar of the engine and looked around, except they thought the thunder sound was coming from the sky and looked there, just like he did at first.

"Oh before I ferget," Hagrid said and searched his pockets for something, then he smiled and pulled out a small envelope. "That's yer ticket fer the school train."

"For the what?" Harry confused at the new info being told to him.

"The train," Hagrid said. "On September first, head ta the train station and take the Hogwarts Express."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Harry asked. "I haven't been allowed out of the house except for school."

"Don't worry. Yeh'll figure it out. Yer eleven now, after all," Hagrid said.

"Huh?" Harry looked at him in confusion. "What did you say?"

"It's yer birthday," Hagrid said, then he grunted and slapped a giant hand over his face. "I fergot ta buy yeh a present," he said and started to rummage through the lower pockets of his coat. "Ah, here it is. I nearly fergot this, too." He pulled out a fairly large box. "I'm afraid I might have sat on it once 'er twice."

Harry opened the partially squished box and inside was a slightly compressed birthday cake with his name on it. "Um... I think there's been a mistake," he said. "My birthday isn't until Christmas."

"Wha?" Hagrid looked at him in surprise. "Didya say Christmas?"

Harry nodded. "Dudley told me once that it was great because they only had to give me presents once a year and not twice," he said and then mumbled. "I could have used the extra cleaning supplies and sponges, though."

Hagrid stared at the boy and wasn't sure what to say. The words coming out of his mouth didn't make sense. Did he just hear that Harry's birthday is on Christmas? Cleaning supplies as presents? He shook his head to try and get the ridiculous words out of his head, then he gathered his words to say.

"Yer birthday is today, July thirty-first, not Christmas. Hagrid asserted firmly. That's why I came with yer letter. When yeh turn eleven, 'veryone gets their letter," Hagrid said with pride in his voice.

"I'll be tellin' Dumbledore about alla this, be sure about that." he added with determination.

Harry wasn't sure what to say.

"I'll be sending yeh a gift later, so be expecting it," Hagrid said. "Keep yer window open."

"There's no window in the cupboard," Harry huffed. "You saw it. There's barely a door."

Hagrid opened his mouth to say that owls were the magic kind, then sighed. "I'll thinka something," he said and looked at the envelope in Harry's hand. "Remember your ticket, Harry. Stick to your ticket."

Harry opened his trunk and put the cake and the envelope inside. "September first, train station."

Hagrid nodded. "I better be goin'," he said and Harry stepped back out of the way. The motorcycle revved up and then shot up into the sky with the loud thunder sound. Both Hagrid and the bike faded away a few moments later and Harry was left alone on the street.

Which was exactly what he wanted.

Harry had learned as much of the neighborhood layout as he could while staying on the strict path that his aunt and uncle had given him to walk to and from school, so he picked up his trunk and headed out that way. As he walked, he kept looking around to see if there was a taxi. He knew they would take him anywhere he wanted to go and he had a few things that he wanted to do.

Harry was only five streets away from Privet Drive when he heard a shout. "Oi! There he is!" A boy's voice exclaimed.

Harry turned to see one of Dudley's friends was at the other end of the street. He knew he didn't have a lot of time now, so he took off running. He was very grateful that the trunk was so light because he would have had to drop it otherwise. Unfortunately, he was still small and weak, so running full out was draining what little strength he had.

Please! Please! Harry thought desperately and started to run out of breath. Let there be a taxi! Please!

Harry's steps slowed down and he couldn't seem to catch is breath. He barely trotted across another street when a horn honked. It startled him and he jumped, then he almost shouted in joy. It was a taxi! He waved at it and climbed into the back, dropped his trunk on the floor, and flopped onto his back on the seat.

"I wasn't offering a ride, kid," the driver said. "I nearly hit you."

"Take... me to... store," Harry panted.

"Hey, are you okay?" The driver asked and turned around to look at him.

"G-go. Go. Bullies... chasing me," Harry said.

"You know you should confront them and..."

Harry took out a ten-pound note. "Store."

The driver sighed and took the tenner, then put on the signal to take a turn instead of going home. "What store?" He asked and drove around the corner.

Harry almost laughed as he saw Dudley and the others running by the spot he just was. "I need a hair cut," he said and laid back down. "And clothes." He took a breath. "And a ladder."

The driver laughed. "Okay, kid. Whatever you say."

{"Hey there, reader. Yes, you. It's time. I've kept my word."}