New Faces
Harry was spinning. He clamped a hand to his mouth, thinking he would be sick. He hit the floor, fell over, and looked up.
He was in the Leaky Cauldron, but it wasn�t the same as he remembered. The lights, usually dim, were bright as day. Everyone in the room was looking at him as if he might go graze and start cursing him. As Harry stood up, a wizard walked up to him, wand in hand.
�What�s your name boy?� he asked.
�Harry Potter,� Harry said slowly.
�Right. Let�s see your scar then,� he said pointing to Harry�s head.
�Okay,� Harry said, pulling back his bangs.
�Wilson,� the man called to a witch sitting at the counter, �check it out.�
The witch walked up to Harry and looked at his scar closely. She seemed to be trying to make up her mind about something.
�It�s real sir,� she said. �He must be telling the truth.�
�Is everything okay over here?�
�Yes, Arthur,� the man said. �I was merely making sure this young man was who he said he was. Can�t be too careful these days, can we?�
�No, I guess not,� Mr. Weasley said grimly. Then more cheerfully, �Harry, this is Joe Lytle. And this is Elisabeth Wilson. She�s going to be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.�
Harry, getting over his shock, now noticed what Mr. Lytle and Professor Wilson looked like. Mr. Lytle was a small man, standing only about four feet tall. His hair was silver and hung down, almost touching the ground. Professor Wilson was the opposite. Standing at over six feet, she was very intimidating. Her long, brown hair was tied in a ponytail.
�It�s nice to meet you Harry,� she said. She turned and walked away, muttering to herself.
�I wonder what�s up with her,� said Mr. Lytle, looking worried. �You usually can�t shut her up. Very strange woman. Well, you probably have some shopping to do.�
They said their goodbyes and left the Leaky Cauldron. Harry took out a list of school supplies he�d received a few weeks earlier. There was a list of books, so Harry stopped at Florish and Blotts.
�Hello young man,� said the man behind the front counter, �going to Hogwarts?�
�Yeah,� Harry said, looking at his list, �I need The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 5, Curses: How to Know When You�ve Been Hit, Advanced Potions, and The Real Tarot: A Study of the Future.�
�Ah, Divination,� the man said as he picked up Harry�s books, �the most controversial subject of magic. Don�t believe it myself. It�s too bad. Dark times are ahead. It would be nice to know if it�s even worth fighting. Well, anyway, here are your books. Have a nice year.�
Harry finished his shopping quickly and set out to find the Weasleys. He needed to ask Mr. Weasley some questions.
He found the Weasleys at Olivanders, buying Icicle a wand. Harry walked back to the Leaky Cauldron with them. He would ask later. How he had to concentrate on the Burrow. He never wanted to end up in a place like Knockturn Alley again.
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