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Chapter 57 - Welcome in the Pub
We all stood there for a moment as the mood finally lightened. Hagrid wiped his eyes after laughing so much and then pulled out a large, old-looking watch from his pocket. It looked tiny against his huge hand.
"Well," he said, squintin' at it, "time we should be goin'. Got a lot o' shoppin' ter do. An' now yer here, Arthur, it'll make me work easier. Come on now. The boys need ter get ready. We've ter depart soon or it'll be very late. Wands ter choose, robes ter fit—blimey, they're excited as crups in a chicken yard."
Harry and Dudley really were excited. They nodded so quickly it looked like their necks might snap, then both turned toward Mum and Dad. Mum still looked a bit pale, Dad a bit tight around the mouth, but they finally sighed and said, "Okay, go."
Mum pointed her finger at me.
"And Arthur, you have to take care of your brothers."
"Don't worry, Mum," I said. "They won't get lost. I'll take care of them. Even if someone wants to sell them, I'll buy them back."
This joke did not sit well.
Dad smirked.
Mum smacked the back of my head.
Hagrid burst out laughing again, one of those deep laughs that made his whole chest shake. But Harry and Dudley froze. They both looked at me as if I had actually sold siblings before. They shuffled closer to Hagrid, almost hiding behind his great coat.
"See?" I said with exaggerated sadness. "No brother trusts a brother these days. What has the world come to?"
Hagrid roared again. He really was in a very good mood today, laughing even at my poor jokes.
Dad cleared his throat. "Arthur, don't scare your brothers too much. They're still children."
I lifted both hands. "Alright, alright. I won't. Come on, we have to go."
We stepped outside, walked a short distance, and turned into a small alley. Before Hagrid could haul out his pink umbrella, I raised my wand. Moments later the purple blur of the Knight Bus screamed into existence.
The ride was as wild as always. Hagrid staggered when we finally stepped off in front of the Leaky Cauldron. He grabbed a lamp post to steady himself.
"Merlin's pet!" he groaned. "That bus gives me worse nightmares than any creature in the forest."
Harry and Dudley looked barely bothered. They had travelled on it a few times already. They only swayed a little.
We walked toward the entrance, passed the crooked sign, and stepped inside the Leaky Cauldron. The air smelled of old smoke, warm bread, and something slightly sour.
Tom, the toothless old owner, stood polishing a glass with his rag.
The moment he saw Hagrid, his face brightened.
"Good mornin', Hagrid! Same as usual?"
"Good mornin', Tom," Hagrid said. "Not today. I'm out on official duty—got some children with me. 'Specially our little Harry and his family."
Tom blinked and leaned forward. His eyes searched us slowly.
I stepped ahead. "Good morning, Mr. Tom."
"Ah! Mornin', lad," he said, remembering me. "So these're your brothers, eh?"
"Yes," I said. "Harry and Dudley."
The moment I said Harry, Tom's whole face shifted. His eyes went wide. He leaned even closer, staring at Harry's forehead, where the faint scar could still be seen if one looked long enough.
"Bless my soul," Tom whispered. "Blimey—it really is Harry Potter!"
The moment Tom said Harry's name, the whole pub went very still. It was like a spell had swept across the room. A chair scraped. A witch in a green shawl froze with her cup halfway up to her lips. Then someone whispered, too loudly to be a whisper, "Harry Potter? Did he say—Harry Potter?"
And it happened exactly the way I remembered from the film and the books, only a little more real, a little more human.
One by one, people stood. A short old wizard with a crooked hat stepped closer. A man in travelling robes lowered his newspaper. A witch near the fireplace gasped. Then, as if an invisible line pulled them all forward, the customers began to gather around Harry.
Tom hurried out from behind the bar, rubbing his rag on his apron, squinting at Harry's face like he wanted to be absolutely certain. "Bless my soul," he whispered, almost trembling. "It is you… Harry Potter. Welcome… welcome back to our world."
Harry looked overwhelmed already. His shoulders stiff, face turning a nervous shade of pink. Dudley pressed closer to him, as if suddenly protective. Hagrid put a large, comforting hand on both boys' backs and guided them gently forward.
"Easy there," Hagrid said with a warm laugh, "don' crowd the lad. Give 'im a bit o' room, won't yeh? He's still jus' a kid, after all."
But of course, wizards being wizards, they ignored at least half of what Hagrid said. They kept inching closer, eager and curious.
A tiny pale man with a trembling hand reached forward. "M–Mr. Potter… an honour… a true honour."
Harry shook his hand because he was polite by nature, but he shot me a pleading look. I stepped closer to him, placing a light hand on his shoulder so he wouldn't feel cornered.
Then a plump witch wearing a large lilac hat dabbed her eyes with a lace handkerchief. "To think I'd live to see the day… Harry Potter, right here. Oh, my dear boy, what you've been through…"
A few more wizards murmured things like:
"Marvellous boy."
"Brave family, the Potters."
"Tragic night… tragic…"
Another wizard held out his hand, and Harry shook it too, though his smile looked strained. Dudley stayed very close, glancing around as if to make sure no one touched his brother too much. Even Dudley seemed a little overwhelmed.
Tom stood behind them all, beaming like it was his best birthday. "Imagine that," he said proudly to everyone. "Harry Potter in my pub! And look at him, growin' strong, healthy lad he is."
Hagrid chuckled. "Aye, tha's right," he said, thumping his chest. "Told yeh he'd be in good hands. An' now he's goin' ter Hogwarts, as he should've been."
The crowd murmured in excitement at the mention of Hogwarts. A witch wearing bright yellow gloves nodded at Dudley too. "And this must be your brother? Lovely. Looks like both of you will do well at school."
Dudley blinked, unsure whether to smile or hide behind Hagrid.
I laughed softly. "Yes, these are my brothers," I said, gently guiding Harry and Dudley a step back. "They're still getting used to all this. Please don't scare them too much with all the attention."
Several people chuckled at that. Thankfully, it eased the atmosphere.
Harry whispered up at me, "Is it always like this?"
"No," I whispered back. "Only when you enter a pub full of wizards who have nothing better to do."
He snorted lightly, and Dudley relaxed just a bit.
Hagrid raised his large hand again. "Right then," he said cheerfully, "Tha's enough greetin' fer now! Yeh can say hello proper once they get their wands. Time's runnin', an' we got a whole day's shoppin' te do."
Tom nodded quickly and stepped aside. "Of course, of course. Let the children go. Have a good day, Hagrid. And lads, welcome again."
The crowd parted slowly, some still staring, others waving politely. Harry waved back shyly, and Dudley copied him with a stiff little motion that made a few witches chuckle fondly.
As we moved toward the brick wall leading to Diagon Alley, Hagrid wiped his forehead with one large sleeve. "Blimey," he muttered, "forgot how fast word spreads 'bout yeh, Harry. Yeh barely stepped foot inside the pub an' half the wizardin' world wanted ter shake yer hand."
Harry winced. "Do they always stare like that?"
"Only fer bein' famous," Hagrid said, almost indignantly. "Nothin' yeh did wrong. They're jus' grateful, tha's all."
Dudley looked up at Hagrid. "But isn't it scary?" he asked. "Everyone looking at you like that?"
Hagrid shook his head, smiling kindly. "Nah. They ain't scary. Just excited. But tha's why we'll stick ter Arthur 'ere—" he patted me on the shoulder "—smart lad, keeps a good head on his shoulders."
I nudged him lightly. "Trying to flatter me so I'll pay for a drink?"
Hagrid grinned. "Wouldn' say no ter a bit o' drink later."
The boys laughed, and the tension faded away again.
We reached the famous brick arch. Harry and Dudley looked eager now, the excitement returning to their faces. Hagrid tapped the wall in the familiar pattern with a dignity that made him look like he was performing an ancient ritual.
The bricks trembled, shifted, and pulled themselves aside.
And there it was, Diagon Alley.
The shops shone in the morning light. Cauldrons gleamed in stacks. Owls hooted from their cages. Robes fluttered in windows. The smell of pastries drifted from the bakery, mixing with that old magical scent you never truly forget.
Harry gasped softly. Dudley grabbed his arm in pure amazement. Even after three years, I felt that same warm shock in my chest. Magic was always new, no matter how many times you saw it.
"Well then," Hagrid said proudly, "off we go! Wands first, I reckon. After tha', books an' robes. And maybe a bite ter eat if we behave."
I glanced at the boys. "Ready?"
They nodded together, wide-eyed, eager, and finally at ease.
We stepped through the archway and entered the magical world again.
End of Chapter 57 - Welcome in the Pub