Ten minutes later, after having left his stuff in the room, with the key in his pocket and some change ready, he went back out. He first bought himself a hamburger nearby and then looked for a public phone. He assumed that once the reason for the Dursley's unexpected journey was no longer valid, his relatives had returned home. Uncle Vernon never liked sleeping anywhere but at home.
He didn't need to wait long. He heard his uncle answering immediately after the first ringtone. "Dursley residence, Vernon speaking."
"Uncle Vernon, it's Harry…"
"Don't you dare come back now! And don't expect us to keep caring for you either. You're on your own now and good riddance!"
"Well, uncle – that's exactly what I had in mind. Your house is no longer my home and I don't intend to ever come back there, except, maybe, to take a few things of mine from the cupboard under the stairs. I only wanted to tell you not to wait for me. And don't worry – I'll do just fine."
"Good, and never come back!" Vernon slammed the phone.
Harry couldn't know, but a few seconds later, the wards surrounding his relatives' house collapsed. A flash of light and a thunderous noise were ignored by whoever saw or heard it, considered as some effect of the unstable summer weather.
With that taken care of, Harry didn't really have anything else to do. He wandered a bit longer, but it had been a very busy day and he felt tired. He returned to the hotel, took a long bath – another luxury he had never been permitted to have – and then fell promptly asleep.
1 August 1991, Thursday
It was the best night's sleep he could remember. The bed was soft, yet not too soft, the pillow just right and the room was warm enough to let him sleep in only his underwear without needing a blanket. Still, he woke up as early as usual. At first, he was scared of not identifying anything. Then he remembered the previous day and that made a wide grin appear on his face. He just stayed in bed, looking at the ceiling and dozing a bit, until some pecking on the window made him get up.
He was surprised to see his white owl, and quickly opened the window, letting it in. He half-filled a glass of water and presented it to the owl. He then looked through the few things he brought along and found some owl treats. Hedwig, as he decided to call his owl, seemed content. She perched herself on top of the cupboard, tucked her head under a wing and was soon asleep.
Harry was also getting hungry. He got dressed, moved his fingers through his hair, in a hopeless attempt to make it behave, and then went to the dining room, where breakfast was served. He was surprised to find only the girl from last night – Selma – sitting there, obviously daydreaming. He coughed slightly, to attract her attention.
"Oh, it's you! Harry – is it not?"
"Yes, I'm Harry. May I have breakfast now?"
She smiled. "Sure. I'll bring you some eggs and bacon. Would you like coffee or tea?"
"Tea would be fine." He had never even tasted coffee and didn't want to try it, having already heard it was very bitter.
While waiting for his meal, Harry thought some more. This small hotel was nice enough for him and not too costly. Despite the goblin's reassurance, he didn't yet know how much he really owned, which meant that he couldn't do the Math, so he preferred to be cautious. Yet, what excuse could he give for staying alone at a hotel at his age? He wondered if the goblins could give him any advice on that.
"Here's your breakfast," the girl said, putting a large tray in front of him. It held, in addition to what he had asked for, some orange juice, cereals, milk, some kind of jam, a bit of honey, a few slices of bread, some of them lightly toasted, and also a soft egg. "A young boy needs some food to grow up," she added as an explanation, dropping on the chair opposite his.
As he started eating, he glanced a bit at the girl. Judging by her figure and her face, he assumed she was about fourteen. She looked quite nice, even if not really beautiful. She was also looking at him as if expecting an explanation. He preferred to concentrate on his food – he had never had such a big breakfast. He had never had such a big meal of any kind, really. Still, while eating heartily, he started thinking of what he could tell her. He wanted to stay as close to the truth as he dared if only to make it easier for him to remember. He could safely say he was an orphan, he decided. He could also say that the family he had stayed with would no longer keep him and that he was going to a boarding school in September. He still wasn't sure about the rest, though.
"So, your name is Harry. How old are you, Harry?" she asked, as he was finishing his last bite.
"I'm eleven. Yesterday was my birthday. That's why I came to London. How old are you?" Maybe talking about her would save him some of her interrogations.
"I'm fourteen. Almost fifteen, really. My birthday is due in less than three months."
"And you're handling this hotel all alone?"