Harry followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass
number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him.
Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak
furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the
wardrobe -
"Hedwig!" Harry gasped.
The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm.
"Very smart owl you've got there, chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five
minutes after you did. If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't
hesitate to ask."
He gave another bow and left.
Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig.
The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue
to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold. Harry
could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago,
that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely
Dursley-free weeks.
"It's been a very weird night, Hedwig," he yawned.
And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows
and fell asleep.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE LEAKY CAULDRON
It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never
before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he
fancied. He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in
Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most
fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break
his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.
Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked
watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for
a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest
article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs;
and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of
raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava.
After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand,
tap the third brick from the left above the trash bit,, and stand back
