Harry watched Will get into the car in despair. He had a thousand things he wanted to say. He had just broken the law, and now the Minister for Magic had caught him.
Will—Will—come back!
But Harry soon discovered that Fudge had no intention of snapping his Wand or having Hogwarts expel him. Fudge said the Wizarding World was not safe enough right now and that he would arrange protection for Harry. So Harry settled in at the Leaky Cauldron.
After several days in Diagon Alley, Harry finally adjusted to his new life—a life of freedom. At the Dursley family's house, he had lived under harsh rules and had to do all their chores, from cooking to laundry.
Now he could do whatever he wanted. He could go to bed whenever he liked and get up whenever he liked. He could even read magic books in plain sight—something he could never do at the Dursleys'.
He could write to his friends. He told them he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron and was quite comfortable. Hedwig had not been too happy lately, though—she had to deliver all those letters.
Fudge had told Harry to stay in Diagon Alley for his own safety. Grateful that Fudge had not had him expelled, Harry actually listened to him this time.
Harry ate breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron every morning. Strange would chat with him about this and that, sometimes complaining about odd guests—like a wandering Wizard who looked as though a Jinx had left him half-blind, or a young man as pale as a Vampire.
After breakfast, Harry usually went into the back courtyard, took out his Wand, and tapped the third brick from the left above the dustbin to open the way into Diagon Alley.
Harry spent some time wandering Diagon Alley