Chapter Text
Harry was doing his shopping for the new year at Hogwarts. Diagon Alley was buzzing as it was normal. All types of colourful robes levitating bags around, children running to Zonkos and opinty hats all around.
His plan was first going to Gringotts and then meeting Ron and Hermione down at the Leaky. When he was right at the corner of the bank, where the lively street ends and if you turn your body just a little around you could see Konckturn Alley, he hears a laugh. A very distinctive laugh he has heard most of his life. Aunt Petunia loved to gossip about the owner of it, about his problem with alcohol and how he shouldn’t be around The Good People of Privet Drive. The laugh he used to hear coming back from school, when he could hide under the porch of Number 20 after running from Duddley. A merry, kind of drunk, laugh that sometimes would offer him some bread and pop after he came out of hidding.
Intrigued, he started walking down the dark street and as he got closer the surer he was that he was in fact correct about the owner of this laugh.
They were all in a group of about five. They turned his way after he spoke.
“Mister Turner, is that you?”
With wide eyes the middle aged man opened his arms and greeted Harry with a half hug half stumble.
“My eyes deceive me! Harry Potter, lad! Long time no see.” They both were too caught up in the unexpected meeting to realise that all the others around them that were previously merrily laughing tensed.
“Since you moved from the street! I thought Aunt Petunia would through a party that day!”
“Ah, yes, your aunt. Always a detestable woman.” he sighs “Thank God I haven’t seen her after divoncing Marcie and moving away” he perks up, slapping Harry on the back.
“I wish I could do the same” Harry said, and his smile was a bit strained now.
“Now now, lad. No need to look so grim. Let me introduce you to my drinking buddies here” At this every other person in the group that expected, actually hoped, to be ignored startled.
“Oh, I’m sorry” Harry scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish for his gafe.
“No problem, lad. We’ll fix it, we’ll fix it! Have you ever met werewolves before? I could never imagine they were real when I was back at Privet. Who would have thought, right?”
The other man around then got even more tense, if that was even possible. Harry Potter, down at Knockturn Alley, being introduced to unregistered Werewolves. They would have to think fast. The boy would surely contact the Aurors and it would be an one way ticket to Azkaban. Oh, no.
“Wait. You…” he looked wide eyed to the other four man around them. A look of uncertainty growing on his face. He got a little pale.
The werewolves were getting ready to sprint, to fight, whatever they had to do to get the fuck out of this situation. If The Boy Who Lived called on their heads, it would be their doom.
Harry finally opens his mouth again.
“You are a muggle?” He starts stuttering “How are you in Knockturn? Oh no, I fucked the Statute of Secrecy AGAIN?” Now he turns to the other four man in the group. “I just blew up my muggle aunt” He turns to Old Turner “Vernon’s sister? I cannot fuck up again and I just…”
Suddenly there are pearls of laughter around him. It starts with Old Turner and then spreads to the others around him.
“You blew up that HAG? Oh Harry, my boy, you were always the best child in the neighbourhood, no matter what they used to say!”
“It is not funny! Vernon was so mad. I had to run to Alley otherwise I think he would he broke my neck” he huffs, annoyed that Old Turner could not see how serious this was, until he also started laughing, remembering the scene now without all the adrenaline he had coursing through his body at that time.
When the laugh died down, Harry turned to the others on the group and extended a hand.
“It is nice to meet you all, I’m Harry.” And the first wolf shook it slowly, as if waiting for something. When it didn’t come he introduced himself. Same method for all the others. They were named Jack, Octavius, William and Jonas. All really tall, hugged, furry man. Completely different from Lupin.
“So… I did not fuck this up, right? You are aware of magic and where you are and has been for some time?” Harry asks cautiously.
“Oh yes! I walked here a few times. Found my way while drunk. People were strange but nice. They tried several times to make me go away but you know how stubborn I can be. I would always find my way in after a time. Now I rent a place above The Hag Shop, the one that sells toe nails.”
“Ah, yes, I remember her.”
At this everybody looked at him.
“And how would Harry Potter end up in the middle of Knockturn Alley?” asked one of the werewolves, still wary, but now an itsy bitsy more relaxed. Well, relaxed enough and curious enough to ask that at least.
Harry flushed bright red.
“Floo accident. I had never flooed before and as I was nervous I enunciated the words wrong and ended up inside Borgins and Burke.”
Here there was laughter from the werewolves.
“Yeah yeah laugh all you want. It was pretty scary at the time. Aunt Petunia would die of heart attack if she saw the amount of dust there is in that store”
More peals of laughter.
“I still have an hour before meeting my friends for Hogwarts shopping. What do you think I buy you a butter beer for all the pop cans you bought me back home?”
Old Turner perked up. “Oh, that is a great idea. But what about something a little stronger, and I can’t leave my friends behind, of course!” he waggled his eyebrows. He knew Harry knew what he meant. But harry thought it was no problem, Old Turner had always been nice to him and he could pay for some of their drinks.
“Pfff Only you, Old Turner.” he said, exasperated. “Okay, so, I can’t go into Knockturn because if someone see they will freak out so… where to?”
“HMMM, werewolves can’t get into the Leaky so… The Hogshead it is!” And he marched ahead, the others followed, all in good humor.