"Every student is required to have one standard size number two tin cauldron," Barry read from the list of supplies. "Students may also bring an owl, a cat or a toad if they wish. And you can find these in London?!"
"If you know where to go," Hagrid winked.
The list, as the boy noticed, was quite extensive...
After the scandal with the Dursleys, they decided to head straight to Diagon Alley, even though Barry wasn't supposed to show that he knew where they were going. They entered the Leaky Cauldron, when suddenly (or not so suddenly) the bartender addressed Hagrid.
"Well, Hagrid, the usual?"
"No, I'm helping young Harry get some supplies at Hog...
"Oh, it's Harry Potter!" the man interrupted him, looking at the boy in surprise.
Silence fell in the hall, and everyone turned their attention to the new arrivals. People immediately began to approach him, greeting him and praising him. But Barry quickly pulled Hagrid by the sleeve, urging him to hurry. The giant understood and, saying goodbye to his friends, hurried to the back door. Allen caught a glimpse of Professor Quirrell watching him, the very same one...
"How do they all know me?" Barry asked, even though he didn't really need an answer.
"You're quite famous in the wizarding world," Hagrid replied, then tapped a few bricks, and a portal opened into the very alley. "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Harry!
They stepped forward. At that moment, Barry really felt like he was in a fairy tale. After all, it was time to look on the bright side.
"But... how am I going to pay for all this?" he asked. "I don't have any money."
"Here's your money," the giant pointed to a huge building that stood out for its architecture, "Gringotts Bank.
***
Barry took the money, Hagrid took the Philosopher's Stone, even though Harry wasn't supposed to know about it. They immediately bought supplies, and after that Barry went to a clothing store to buy a robe.
Upon entering, he remembered that according to the books, he was supposed to meet Draco Malfoy there. And indeed, there was a boy standing there, but he didn't even remotely resemble the white-haired Slytherin. It was only when the seamstress placed "Harry" next to him and began taking measurements that he saw his face. Barry barely managed to keep himself from screaming.
It was him. It was him. Or rather, his version from this world. Now the question arises: what the hell is the real Barry Allen doing here?
"Hi," the boy smiled at him. "Going to Hogwarts too?"
Barry stood there, unable to utter a word. Judging by his appearance, he was the same age as Harry and was also going to school.
"Yes," replied "Harry."
"Cool!" Only now did Barry realise that his doppelganger had an American accent, which only raised more questions. The seamstress went back to her sewing, and the boy held out his hand. "I'm Barry Allen, by the way. We'll probably be studying together, so we might as well get to know each other.
"I'm Harry," he shook his hand. "Harry Potter."
"Oh!" The other Barry's face lit up. "You're really Harry Potter?! I've heard so much about you... Do you really have a scar?"
"Yes," Harry lifted his fringe to reveal the mark left by the Horcrux.
"Wow... Oh, I'm sorry for being so abrupt. I'm just from another country and I'm not really from around here.
"It's okay. Where are you from?"
"America.
"Wow, that's cool! Why are you going to study here?"
"My mum was born in England and studied at Hogwarts. She wanted me to study here too.
If he was talking about his mother in the present tense, then she was probably still alive. Barry was truly happy to hear this news; at least on this Earth, his parents were still alive.
"Well, Hogwarts must be a very good school if people come from other countries to study there," Harry shrugged.
"My mum speaks very highly of the school, and it's no surprise, considering how many great wizards have graduated from there..."
"Yeah," Barry immediately thought of the Dark Lord, who was also great in his own way, albeit in the opposite sense.
The seamstress came out with two robes, after which the boys paid for their purchases and left the shop, where standing at the exit were... his parents. No, they weren't his parents, they were other people from another land. Barry could barely restrain himself from hugging them. It was too much emotion, and Potter could barely let them go.
"Well, what do you think?" Burrow asked his son. "Do they fit?"
"Yeah," Barry immediately took his new friend by the hand, which made him flinch slightly. "Can you believe it, I met Harry Potter.And then Barry noticed that Henry and Burrow's gaze seemed familiar, as if they understood everything. But in an instant, the feeling was gone.
"Oh," Burrow smiled. "Hello, Harry.
"Hello..." Barry lowered his eyes, not wanting to look at them and call them anything other than "Mum and Dad."
"I..." The woman scratched the back of her neck. "I can't believe it's you!"
"Yes," Henry confirmed. "After so many years, it's really lucky to see you..."
"I knew your mum," Burrow nodded. Knew? His mum? She must mean Lily Potter. "You have her eyes."
"Harry!" Hagrid's voice carried almost all the way down the street. "There you are!"
"Sorry, Hagrid," Barry said. "I finally bought a robe."
"Hagrid?" Burrow asked. "Is that really you?
"Do we know each other?" the giant squinted in surprise.
"Well, you probably don't remember me... I'm Burrow. Burrow Mayweather... Actually, I'm married now, and I have a different...
"Yes!" smiled Hagrid. "I remember you! You're the potions girl from Ravenclaw... Merlin!
"Hello!
Barry stood there, shocked by what was happening. His mother, damn it, had studied at Hogwarts. And what's more, she knew Hagrid! As far as Allen could remember, his mother was indeed British, not by birth but by nationality. His parents had moved to America when Barbara Mayweather was still pregnant. Albert Mayweather, Barry's grandfather, was a writer looking for opportunities overseas. I wonder what the Allen family's history is in this land?
A little later, "Harry" noticed that his doppelganger and Henry were also looking at what was happening with the same puzzled expression. But he still had to say goodbye to the Allen family and go get the rest of his belongings, because the magic wand was still there. But Barry really hoped that they would meet again someday.
***
It was decided that until it was time to go to Hogwarts, Barry would live at The Leaky Cauldron. Since the Dursleys had literally rejected their nephew, he needed to find a new home. Hagrid, for obvious reasons, could not take him in. Barry secretly hoped that Henry and Burrow would take on the role of guardians, but he couldn't be that lucky. The fact that Burrow knew Lily didn't change anything.
He didn't bother Hagrid with questions about how James and Lily Potter had died, deciding that he would "find out" for himself.
And so they lived out the last few weeks before leaving for Hogwarts. Hagrid left him at King's Cross station and went about his business. Later, Barry found the Weasley family, who once again told him how to get to platform 9¾, after which the boy found himself on the platform itself. The first thing he decided to do was find his doppelganger. The search didn't take long; he found the Allens right away. Barry greeted him with a big hug, and his parents looked at him kindly.
"Well, here you go, you can travel together," Henry smiled. "Hurry up, or the train will leave without you!"
The boys had already run to the last carriage, where his double immediately began waving to his parents. Only now did "Harry" notice that there was another woman with fiery red hair standing next to them, waving to Barry.
"Who's that?" he asked his friend.
"Huh?" Barry didn't understand, but then he realised. "Oh, that's Aunt Sophie, my mum's sister. She came to see me off too."
"You have an aunt too," replied Harry. There were no aunts in his country.
"Oh, I heard you lived with your aunt too, right?" his friend asked sympathetically. "I also heard that she rejected you."
"How did you hear that?"
"I overheard my parents talking. Mum said that Vernon and Petunia Dursley turned out to be such relatives and kicked you out of the house because you're a wizard. They were thinking of taking you in, by the way.
Seriously? Barry Allen was lucky enough to be adopted by his own parents? That's great and scary at the same time, because he definitely won't be able to hide his true identity from them.
"Then we would have been brothers," Harry shrugged.
"That would be cool," Barry sighed.
The train started moving, and they rode off.
***
After a while, another guy entered their compartment. Ron Weasley was impossible to miss.
"Excuse me? Can I join you? All the seats are taken..."
"Sure, of course," smiled "Harry."
Ron entered the compartment with a satisfied look on his face. He sat down next to Barry, directly opposite Harry.
"I'm Ron, by the way," he began, introducing himself. "Ron Weasley."
"Barry Allen.
"Harry Potter.
"Oh," Ron raised his eyebrows. "This is starting to get annoying..." "So, it's true, then?"
Ron didn't have time to finish before Barry opened his forehead, showing "his" scar.
"Wow, the devil!" Ron exclaimed. "I didn't even get to finish. I guess you're sick of that question..."
"Yeah, to be honest," Barry replied sincerely.
"Sorry. I'm just really curious.
"Never mind.
Barry, who was his doppelganger, watched them with a modest smile.
"They won't leave you alone at school, will they?" said the boy.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to put up with it...
"What's wrong with your voice?" Ron asked Barry. "What's wrong with my voice?
"It's not very... English.
"I'm just from America.
"Oh, cool! You have your own school there, don't you?
"My mum decided I'd be better off at Hogwarts.
"Well, I won't argue with that.
And so the kids chatted about this and that. Barry felt calm for the first time. Especially since, despite being an adult man in a child's body, he was actually feeling pretty good right now. He was in a familiar world where he knew more or less everything (not counting the fact that this land was populated by doppelgangers of his friends, family and loved ones, which fundamentally changed the entire structure and history). While there was still time, he decided to enjoy the charms of childhood once again.
***
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