On his way out, Harry passed the reception desk, which was now deserted, and took the hotel's business card, thinking that it could be helpful to have it.
The previous evening, he had wandered around, not paying much attention to his exact location. Now, as he wanted to visit Gringotts again, he needed to know where he was and how to go to Diagon Alley and back. Luckily, he remembered the Underground station used the previous day. He found another Underground station a few blocks away from the hotel and it proved quite simple to find how to reach his destination. Half an hour later, he was back at Gringotts, in front of one of the tellers.
"My name is Harry Potter and I need your advice in handling a delicate situation."
The teller looked at him with some surprise. "Most wizards don't associate us with delicacy, you know."
Harry smiled nervously. "I'm not sure whom I can trust, but as your client, you surely have my interests in mind."
The goblin nodded pensively. "Alright, Mr Potter. Please come with me."
A few minutes later, he was sitting in a small room, facing another goblin.
"How can Gringotts be of service to you, Mr Potter?"
When phrased that way, it was quite a difficult question to answer. Harry decided to explain his situation first and then see what help he could get. "You see, my aunt and uncle raised me since I was orphaned, almost ten years ago, yet they disliked me, abused me and never told me anything about my parents or about the way I became an orphan. Now, that I've been invited to Hogwarts, they no longer want me near them. I need to find some other place to stay until school starts. I found a small hotel for the night, but as a child, I'm not supposed to stay there alone, certainly not more than a single night. I'd like to stay there for the whole month, but I don't know if I can afford it and how I can make the hotel keep me, despite being a child. I need your help in this."
The goblin gave it some consideration and then browsed through a thick folder that lay on his desk. "Money-wise, as long as it costs you less than thirty Galleons per day – roughly two hundred pounds – you should be fine, as that's your current daily inflow. Making the hotel keep you, without using magic, is a bit more tricky, though."
The goblin thought a bit longer. "We have some human employees. We could send one of them to pose as your relative if you like…"
Harry had already thought of that on his way. "That could help. He could state that he wants me near, but his apartment is too small or too crowded to take me in, forcing him to let me stay at the hotel, at least for the nights."
The goblin smiled. "I like the way you think. This will cost you a fee, of course, but it's well within your budget."
"Can you arrange this now? I need to leave the room by midday unless I can stay longer. They're sure to ask for some more money as well, I believe."
"It can be done, but let me first check a different idea. Your family used to own a few houses and apartments to let, both in Muggle and magical areas. If one is currently available, you could stay there. I'll be back shortly."
Harry was left alone for a few minutes. He wondered what else he would find about his family, once he had full access to his account. He also thought about which environment would be best. He was accustomed to muggle areas and could fare quite well there. Living in magical areas was more attractive, but was it safe enough? Hagrid, and probably Dumbledore too, expected him to stay with the Dursleys. They could easily find him and force him back if he stayed in magical areas. They'd probably have more problems trying to do that in muggle areas. That made his decision – he'd stay among muggles until boarding the train to school.
The goblin returned, followed by a young man. "I'm sorry, but all your relevant apartments and houses are currently occupied. They give you a nice income, although you'll only be able to access that money after you grow up a bit. We shall currently work with your original idea, of staying in that hotel for the rest of this month. Young Mr Weasley, who's recently joined our apprentice program, is willing to help you."
Harry looked at the young redhead man. Although not a competent judge of character, he thought that the man looked like a nice enough person. He hoped he could trust him. The man, though, seemed surprised as he noticed the peculiar scar on Harry's head. "Mr Potter, it is an honour to do anything to help you. My name is William Weasley, but you may call me Bill, as most do. I promise to do all I can for you and to keep it completely secret."
The goblin nodded its head approvingly. "You can discuss the details in here for a few more minutes, and then you should leave, so that Mr Potter can act on time."
They reached the hotel with half an hour to spare. They found a man, about forty, at the reception desk. He looked at Harry disapprovingly. "My daughter told me about you. Letting you stay for the night was against the regulations. I hope you don't expect us to act illegally, as that may cost us our license."
"No, sir, although I really appreciate your daughter's help. Had she not accepted me, I would have been forced to find some shelter under a bridge or some similar place."
The man sighed. "She does have a kind heart. I only hope it doesn't run us out of business."
Bill found it the right time to speak. "Well, sir, maybe I can help straighten things up. I'm his cousin, and I'm old enough to rent a hotel room. I'd like Mr Potter to move in with me until he starts school since the family he stayed with can no longer keep him, but I live in a very small apartment and there's simply no room for another bed. Will it be alright if I rent the room for the rest of the month and let my cousin use it?"
The man checked through some papers he was keeping in a folder. "I'm not sure it's really right to do so, but it doesn't seem to be against the regulations. I still must insist on having your credit card details, or on a down payment for a week, at least."
Bill seemed a bit unsure. "I don't use a credit card – it's too tempting, making one spend much more than is advisable. I can give you cash to cover the first few days, and I'll send some more by the end of the week. Don't you have reduced rates for long-term rentals?"
The man kept frowning, although he seemed glad that he could help Harry and still obey the regulations. "Well, for long-term rentals, we include breakfast in the basic room price."
Harry smiled at him. "Thank you, sir. You're just as helpful as your daughter."
Bill handed the man some banknotes and got a receipt. They then went back out. Once they walked a block away, they stopped. "Thank you, Bill. I really appreciate your help,"
"It was nothing. I would have helped even if it wasn't a part of my job. I'd like to get to know you better, though, and I think I can also help you learn a bit about the world you're going into."
Harry smiled. "That would be very welcome. I feel like I have a lot to learn."
"Would you like to meet me at Diagon Alley when I finish work?"
"No. Being famous in the magical world makes it safer if we meet somewhere else." He looked around, noticing a small café nearby. "We can meet there if you like."
Bill glanced at the place, noticing some booths that gave better privacy than the regular tables. "Yes, that should be fine. I'll be there shortly after six in the evening."
"Thank you, Bill. I really appreciate this."
–..–
Once they parted, Harry returned to the hotel. He first checked his room, making sure that Hedwig went away. He didn't expect her presence to be welcome. He then checked the rest of the room to see if he could easily stow his school stuff there. Eventually, he decided to leave it in storage at the train station. His big trunk and Hedwig's cage could attract some unwelcome attention, he couldn't let his books be seen by others, and he already knew he could afford to pay for the storage.
With that decision made, he had to see what he could do to occupy himself during the rest of his stay. He wondered if Bill could have any suggestions. Still, he had about half a day until they met again. Instead, he went back to the reception desk. This time, he found a woman there, who was clearly Selma's mother. They almost looked like the same person at different ages.
"You must be Mr Potter," she said as a greeting.
"Yes, I am. I wonder if you could help me. This is the first time that I can leisurely visit London, and I wonder where I should go first."
"There's a tourist map you can take from that stand. It has all major attractions clearly marked. I suggest you first take a 'Tour London' bus, that will give you a good first glimpse at all of them, even allowing you to get down and look around as much as you like. You may then make up your mind how to best spend your time."
He took that map, along with a map of the underground, yet his highest priority was becoming very clear, as his rumbling stomach reminded him of lunch. He found a small diner nearby and browsed the maps while eating, finding that he was not far from one of the stations of the tour bus. He spent the rest of the afternoon on that bus, enjoying the views and the recorded guiding, arriving at the café just in time.
Bill had already secured a booth for them, and Harry joined him. Bill seemed apologetic. "I thought I'd help you to gradually get accustomed to the magical world, yet the bank seems to have other plans for me. They're sending me to Egypt next week, so I won't be able to do what I intended. I'll help you find books that may help you just as much, I hope. But first, I think dinner is in order."
The café also served some modest dinner plates, that Harry considered more than good enough. He enjoyed the meal and the company, as Bill kept talking, telling him bits and pieces of what growing up in a magical family meant.
Remembering his encounter at the robes shop, Harry asked, "Can you tell me about the Houses at Hogwarts?"
"Well, there are four houses, named after the founders: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, ordered alphabetically. Students are sorted into houses according to their tendencies and talents, based on what these founders appreciated most. Gryffindors are brave and chivalrous; Hufflepuffs are hard-working and loyal; Ravenclaws are mainly smart and studious; Slytherins are cunning and ambitious. Actually, each person may possess all traits to some extent, but they are sorted according to the most prominent ones, as far as I understand. There's a long-standing rivalry between houses, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin, mainly because they all compete for the house cup, which is given to the house that gains more house points than any other each year. These points are given for good answers in class or other positive acts and deducted for misbehaviour."
By the time they finished, Harry was already nodding, feeling too tired after another intensive day. Bill escorted him to the hotel's entrance. "Come to fetch me from the bank tomorrow at noon. I'll help you look for relevant books and may also introduce you to some foods you've not tried yet."
"Will it be okay to take you out in the middle of the workday?"
Bill smiled. "It's my lunch break, and they're not too strict about it. They are really very fair with their workers."
Harry felt too tired for a bath or even a shower. He just brushed his teeth and fell asleep almost immediately. He still had a smile on his face, though.