Harry Potter kicked at a stone lying on the side of Magnolia Crescent, he was bored, it was the second week of summer and the next six weeks of vacation stretched ahead of him endlessly.

"Gosh, I am really glad that Dumbledore sent me home for summer. I mean wandering the streets is far safer than hanging out with Ron and Hermione in the Burrow or Grimmauld Place," he muttered sarcastically to himself.

Although Harry, Hermione and Ron had made impassioned pleas to Professor Dumbledore, Mrs Weasley, Professor Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, anyone they saw to have a little power really, for Harry to stay with his friends for the summer break before seventh year, they had been rebuffed at every turn. It turned out that the adults of the Order of the Phoenix felt that Privet Drive was the safest place for Harry to be at the moment, they felt that the ancient spells placed on the residence to protect him from the crazed mad man intent on killing him and taking over the world, commonly known as Lord Voldemort, were more than adequate to protect him. What they hadn't reckoned on was Harry not being very welcome inside number four Privet Drive and him spending most of his time wandering the streets of Little Winging. Harry had become very knowledgeable about the streets surrounding his home before Hogwarts and was fairly certain he could get anywhere he wanted in less than five minutes, as he knew all the shortcuts and alley ways Little Winging had to offer. It had crossed Harry's mind at the beginning of the holidays that perhaps it was a little unwise to be wandering about unprotected so he had broken into the cupboard under the stairs, where his school stuff had been shoved, at the earliest possible convenience and retrieved his wand. As there was only two weeks til his seventeenth birthday Harry felt no guilt about carrying around his wand as a form of protection, but thankfully there had not been any odd occurrences for the first two weeks of summer.

By this time Harry had wandered all the way down to the park at the end of Aegin Court, he sat on one of the swings and idly looked around swinging softly as he let his thoughts wander, he thought of what Hermione and Ron were doing, he thought of his different classes and how much homework he still needed to complete by torchlight, and he thought of how he could do so much more with a little spending money, he could go to a movie, he could catch a bus to another part of London, he could even go to Wembley Markets and pick up some cheap clothes that actually fit instead of Dudley's cast offs that were miles too big for him.

"What I need is a job," Harry said to himself "It is useless having galleons, I have no way of exchanging them for pounds."

Resolving to look in the newspaper for a job close by, Harry pushed himself off the swing and set off home, wandering past a sweet shop as he went. Cursing himself for looking at the sweets and torturing himself, for he had no money to buy any he stopped suddenly, amazed at what he saw. There in the window, plain as day, was a sign,

"HELP WANTED

(Enquire within)"

Heart suddenly full of hope Harry turned and went into the sweet shop, the bell above the door alerted the clerk behind the counter and he looked up with a welcoming smile.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

"Um, I saw the sign in the window about a job and I thought I would enquire," replied Harry.

"Ah yes, you are the only person I have had respond to my little sign, it has been there a week already and no-one has said anything. I was starting to give up hope." The clerk gave Harry a big smile "I really am quite desperate for the help, I am not as young as I once was and I find I can no longer lift the boxes like I used to." He continued with a rueful smile.

"Well I am very good at manual labour" Harry replied, "And I am willing to work any hours you want me to, doing anything you need."

The clerk smiled again "Well allow me to introduce myself young man, I am Mark Pucey and I am the owner of this establishment. As I am in desperate need of assistance I am willing o give you a trial of two weeks," at this Harry felt his heart leap for joy, a chance at freedom! The clerk continued "I will expect you here Monday to Saturday from eight in the morning til one in the afternoon, your duties will be restocking the store shelves and unpacking the deliveries out the back, these are delivered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Can you come in tomorrow at eight and I will give you some training? What was your name again?"

"Oh! Sorry sir, I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Thankyou so much Mr Pucey, I will be here at eight o'clock tomorrow morning!" Harry gave Mark a beaming grin and turned to leave, mentally counting the hours til his boredom would be ending, as he left the store, Harry heard Mark call out;

"Oh please call me Mark!"

Harry headed back towards Privet Drive his mind whirling, suddenly the summer holiday didn't seem so bad, he had something that would occupy his time for most of the week and give him some spending money. Harry stopped at that thought, it hadn't occurred to him to ask how much he was going to get payed, he shrugged his shoulders, anything would be better than nothing and he could just ask tomorrow morning when he went for his training. Reaching the Dursley's house, Harry ran up the stairs to his room and shut the door; he grabbed some parchment and a quill and sat down to write his weekly letter to the Order of the Phoenix

To Everyone

It is that time of the week again! I hope this finds everyone safe and well, I know you cannot give me information about too much but can you at least give me a small hint of something to take away the boredom! This week I have spent a lot of time counting the bricks on the pathway of Magnolia Crescent (1427) and avoiding Dudley and his gang by the usual means. I am fine, fed and dressed. Nothing else to report except that; Ron and Hermione I miss you!

Love Harry

Harry did not tell them about his possible job for two reasons, one was that he may not actually have a job yet, Mark might not like him and decide not to keep him on after the two weeks and the other was just in case the Order decided that it was not safe for Harry to have a job as nothing was known about Mark Pucey or his shop, he could be a death eater for all they knew, though Harry doubted that as the store owner had not exhibited any signs of recognition when he had walked into the shop, nor when he had told his name and his eyes had not performed the usual trip up to his forehead to check out the famous lightning bolt scar.

That night Harry went to bed early, intending to get a good nights sleep as to be on time to meet Mark at the sweet shop. Unfortunately his mind was too full to settle down immediately, finally after hours of staring at the ceiling, around midnight, Harry felt his eyes start to get heavy and he welcomed the waves of sleep that swept over his body. Just as he was falling into dreamland, on the other side of London, Draco Malfoy suddenly stiffened and began to scream in agony.