Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
For the first time in almost 10 years, Harry James Potter, age 11, stepped into the magical world. Like almost all of the muggleborn students, his entrance was by way of The Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron wasn't particularly magical at first glance, but the astute observer would notice a number of odd things about this establishment. There was no electric lighting like in a muggle tavern. Instead, there were various lanterns placed in a number of places, most notably on top of the various sized tables. Another odd thing was the patrons of this tavern. They were adorned with odd clothing: pointed hats and long cloaks being the most popular. Other than the choice of clothing, most of the patrons looked fairly normal except for an old hag sitting at a table in the far corner whose skin seemed to be green. A full-fledged witch or wizard would have also noticed the containers of butterbeer and firewhiskey, neither of which were muggle drinks, sitting on top of the tables. Most of these odd things were not noticed by Harry, though, as he was only 11 and not quite fully indoctrinated into his wizard heritage. The only odd thing he did notice was the aforementioned clothing choices of this tavern's patrons.
So caught up in the odd clothing, Harry didn't quite catch what Rubeus Hagrid told the bartender. Whatever it was must have had to do with him as almost everyone got up and headed towards Hagrid and him. Harry soon found himself in a flurry of introductions and handshakes. The only people he would remember afterwards would be Dedalus Diggle, a wizard who had bowed to him once in public. His aunt had been quite upset at him for that offense, even though he hadn't actually done anything but stand there confused. The other person he would remember would be Doris Crockford, and the only reason he would remember her was because she came back three times to shake his hand again. The rest of the patrons were swept from his mind when he stepped into Diagon alley.
Harry really wished he had more heads or 360 degree vision because he wanted to look at everything at once. He saw blue and green smoke rolling in waves out of a tent to his left. A loud popping sound to his right caught his attention, but when he turned his head to look he noticed that whatever had happened was over as three wizards were standing around a wooden box muttering to each other and waving their wands. To the left of the wizards, a witch was coming out of a rainbow tent with what looked like a cat on a leash. To the right, Harry noticed another wizard wearing very large golden glasses grasping at what looked like nothing but air. Turning his head back to look in front of him, Harry saw a sign farther ahead that said something about cauldrons being on sale.
"Two-for-one-sale, pewter cauldrons," Harry read.
"Can't get your cauldron yet, Harry. Got to get some money first, which is why we need to head to Gringotts," Hagrid said as clapped Harry's shoulder.
The force of Hagrid's blow nearly brought Harry to his knees, but he was too preoccupied with what Gringotts could be. It sounded like the name of a monster to him. The image of a fierce dragon protecting a pile of gold came into being in Harry's mind. He was soon imagining Hagrid and he having to fight the dragon to get to the gold.
"Yep, Gringotts. The best, well, only wizard bank there ever was."
Hagrid's statement brought reality crashing onto Harry's shoulders as forcefully as Hagrid's earlier attempt at camaraderie.
"But Hagrid, I don't have any money," Harry said, panicked.
"You think your parent's left you nothin'? Nah, don't worry about that, Harry. You'll have plenty of money to get through your schoolin'," Hagrid replied. "Now come on. Gringotts is off this way."
The panic bubbling inside Harry quickly went away at Hagrid's words. Instead the excitement that had been there before seemed to be coming back, so Harry followed Hagrid with a spring in his step.
Gringotts was massive on the outside. The entire building, or at least the outer shell of it, was made out of white marble. The design was reminiscent of some of the buildings made in the Roman Empire that Harry had learned about while in school. Stepping through the dark, glossy doors, Harry noticed a sign about trespassers.
"Is Gringotts really that dangerous Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"Oh sure, don't want to mess with them goblins. That's for sure. They protect those vaults quite well. I even heard they had some dragons protecting some of the vaults down at the bottom levels. That's where the most valuable stuff is kept."
"Dragons? Those are real?" Harry's look of amazement brought a smile to Hagrid's face.
"Yep, though, they're a protected animal so you can't have one without going through a lot of trouble. I know 'cause I tried. I always wanted a dragon." Hagrid's smile settled into a kind of whimsical look before he slightly shook his head. "But yeah, dragons are real and pretty dangerous, so that's why you'd have to be crazy to mess with them goblins. Nothin's better protected if it's in one of Gringotts' vaults except if it was in Hogwarts."
Harry only took small note of Hagrid's last words as they finally finished walking through what was a kind of foyer into the main room. Huge rows of desks lined the walls. Behind every desk was a short pale creature. Their small stature evoked a kind of harmlessness, but the cruel smiles on their faces made Harry wonder if goblins liked to nod and agree at a person then stab them in the back a moment later. The goblins were doing a variety of things. Harry could see some looking at gems through jeweler's loupes, some counting money, and some doing paperwork.
"Hagrid?" A Scottish voice called out from the left.
Harry turned to see a tall, older woman coming towards them. Something about the way she looked and moved gave Harry a sort of no-nonsense, strict look about her. Perhaps it was her glasses and black hair worn in a tight bun, or maybe it was how briskly she was walking.
"Professor McGonagall! What are you doing here?" Hagrid said as the woman finally stepped in front of them.
"I should ask the same thing, Hagrid. I thought you left to take care of Mr. Potter days ago."
"Didn't Dumbledore tell you? I had some trouble with the relatives. Bad lot, them Dursley's."
McGonagall frowned and said, "I told Albus about them, but I guess there was no helping it."
McGonagall turned to look at Harry and her frown disappeared to be replaced by a look of slight embarrassment. "Oh, I apologize for my rudeness. I completely forgot to introduce myself. Mr. Potter, my name is Minerva McGonagall. I teach Transfiguration and am also the head of the Gryffindor house, the house your parents were in."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor." Harry replied as he shook her hand. "Um, sorry, but what do you mean Gryffindor house, and what did you say you taught?"
"Hasn't Hagrid explained about the houses and the classes you'll be taking?" McGonagall replied with a slight glare toward Hagrid.
"Aw, I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall. I didn't tell him about that stuff. Sometimes I forget that Harry's new to our world," Hagrid said as he scratched the back of his head and looked down in contrition.
"You really should take more pride, Hagrid, in indoctrinating our new students into the magical world," McGonagall replied.
Harry didn't think it was possible to look even sorrier, but Hagrid somehow pulled it off after McGonagall's sharp words. He didn't like this feeling. Hagrid was becoming a friend of his after rescuing him from the Dursley's, and Harry didn't want him to feel bad.
"I think he's doing a smashing good job," Harry said with a bit of force behind his words.
Hagrid looked up to Harry and smiled.
McGonagall smiled slightly at the exchange and said, "Well, this is your first time Hagrid. It's understandable that you could make a mistake. The important thing is to acknowledge it, and then correct it. I'm helping a new muggleborn with her shopping today, so why don't we go shopping together. We can fill in Mr. Potter's gaps of knowledge about our world together, and he can get to know his new classmate at the same time."
Hagrid nodded his agreement and said, "Sure thing, Professor. That sounds like a good idea. A muggleborn, you said?"
"Yes, a Miss Hermione Granger. She's with her parents getting some pounds exchanged. Actually, I meant to take them here days ago, but Albus has been having trouble finding a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and I've been helping him with that."
"What about that Quirrell fellow?" Hagrid asked.
"He messaged us, saying that something had come up and he couldn't fill the position," McGonagall replied.
"Perhaps that curse is taking out the Defense teachers before they can even last the year."
McGonagall was about to reply to Hagrid's statement when a little girl's voice shouted out. "Professor McGonagall, we're done."
Harry looked behind McGonagall to see a young girl with a large amount of brown, frizzy hair come running up. Her two parents were following her at a more sedate pace. The young girl's mouth slowly opened from a smile to a slight gape and her eyes widened when she looked up at the large frame of Hagrid. She must have realized she was staring as she closed her mouth and smiled.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall began, "I'd like you to meet Rubeus Hagrid, gamekeeper and keeper of the keys of Hogwarts, and Harry Potter. He'll be a classmate of yours. Hagrid, Mr. Potter, this is Hermione Granger."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hagrid, Harry. Are you a muggleborn as well, Harry? Wasn't it exciting when you received your letter? I was ever so excited when I received mine. It's amazing to think that magic is real. I mean, odd things would occasionally happen to me like that one time when all of Susan Beagle's hair just fell right off her head after she cornered me after class one time and made me ever so upset, but I would have never have thought that magic is real. I can't wait until I can go to Hogwarts, but I also have so much to learn before I go. Have you looked at all the books we need? I really wish we could have gotten the books much earlier. I mean, it's already the 31st, which means we only have one more month until school starts. I'm going to have to start studying right away."
Hermione's parents smiled in bemusement at their daughter's attempts to communicate. Her mother reached over and grabbed her shoulders. "Remember to breath, Hermione," she said.
That statement brought about amused chuckles from all the adults and a slight embarrassed red color on Hermione's face.
Hagrid's chuckle was more like a booming laugh, but he soon settled down to say, "It's nice to meet ya, Hermione. Please, just call me Hagrid."
"Hagrid, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "these are Miss Granger's parents, Henry and Jane Granger. They're dentists in the muggle world."
"It's nice to meet you Hagrid, Harry," Henry said as he reached over to shake hands. Henry looked down in amazement to see his hands dwarfed in comparison to Hagrid's hands. It was like Hagrid was an adult shaking hands with a small child.
"Now then," McGonagall said, "you don't mind if Hagrid and Mr. Potter join us in getting school supplies? I promised to help fill Mr. Potter's gaps of knowledge about the magical world."
"Oh, we don't mind at all," Jane said. "The more, the merrier."
"Very good. Hagrid, did you still need to take Mr. Potter down to his vault?"
"Ah, yea, but it shouldn't take long. You don't mind waiting for us?"
"You're going down to a vault?" Hermione interrupted, her voice rising in excitement. "Oh, could I please join you? I would love to see the tunnels underneath Gringotts. It sounded amazing when Professor McGonagall described it."
"Well," Hagrid said slowly, a bit unsure, "I don't mind if your parents don't."
"Would that be okay, Professor?" Henry asked.
"Absolutely," McGonagall replied. "Gringotts is one of the safest places in the magical world. Your daughter should find it an enlightening experience."
"Oh, thank you so much," Hermione said, bubbling with excitement.
"Well, let's get going then," Hagrid said with a smile.
The group split up with Harry, Hagrid, and Hermione walking over to one of the desks, while McGonagall and Hermione's parents walked over to the waiting area to sit down. When they reached the desk, Harry was able to get a closer view of what these goblins looked like. Their long fingers, sharp teeth, pale complexion, and very dark eyes reminded Harry of stories about monsters who stole bad children. These stories were, of course, not heard in the Dursley household as anything with fantastical creatures seemed to be forbidden under their roof. Instead, Harry had heard about these creatures while in school.
"Yes?" the goblin asked, a sneer pasted across his face.
Hagrid cleared his throat and stood a little straighter. "We're here to see Mr. Potter's vault."
"Does Mr. Potter have his key?" the goblin asked. His eyes glared down almost daring them to say no.
"Oh, where did I put that?" Hagrid said to himself. He reached deep into his trench coat, pulling out a plastic bag filled with what looked to be dog food. He handed this to Harry and said, "Could you hold this a second?"
Hagrid reached back into his trench coat, pulled out a red plastic ball, shoved it back inside, and finally pulled out a small golden key.
"Ah, here you go," Hagrid said as he handed the key to the goblin.
As the goblin looked over the key, Hagrid grabbed the bag from Harry and shoved it back inside one of his pockets.
"Everything seems to be in order. Griphook will show you down to your vault, Mr. Potter."
A new goblin suddenly appeared between Harry and Hermione. Taking the key back from the goblin, Hagrid turned to face the new goblin.
"Follow me, please."
They followed Griphook to the side of the main hall where a number of doors were. He opened one and gestured through the door. Hagrid went in first, followed by Harry and Hermione. They entered what looked to be the side of a tunnel. This part of Gringotts wasn't made of marble; instead, it was made of rock and dirt just like in a cave. Looking to the left, Harry saw torches lining the tunnel. The tunnel, itself, seemed to slope downwards before veering around a corner. Looking to the right, he saw a similar scene except the tunnel sloped upwards. Tracks were laid out in front of him on top of which was a cart waiting for passengers.
Behind Harry, Griphook cleared his throat and walked around them. Grunting slightly as he pulled himself into the cart, Griphook looked back to the three of them. Gesturing to the empty part of the cart, he said, "It'll be tight, but all of you should fit."
Hagrid got into the cart and helped Harry and Hermione into it as well. Once everyone was inside, Griphook pulled a lever, and the cart started moving. Veering around the corner, the cart sped up until the torches lining the tunnel started to look like a line of light to Harry. It was a bit bumpy, but Harry was enjoying himself. He looked over to Hermione, who had a slight queasy look. Looking up, Harry saw a similar look on Hagrid.
Leaning down to Griphook, Hagrid muttered, "Doesn't this thing go a little slower?"
"One speed only," Griphook replied.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them opened into a massive cavern. Harry tried looking over the edge of the cart and down into the abyss, but Hagrid pulled him back, looking even a little sicker. Harry hoped Hagrid didn't vomit. His massive size probably meant that when Hagrid did get sick, it would be quite a big mess.
The ride kept going, farther and farther down, but after what seemed like five minutes, Harry wondered what was taking so long. Could the tunnels be that deep? Hagrid seemed to think the same thing as he leaned down again and muttered, "It's been some time. Are we nearing the vault?"
"Almost. A tunnel collapsed just a little while ago, so we had to take a detour," Griphook replied.
A few minutes later, the cart finally started to slow down. Harry suddenly noticed how cold it was. It made sense though that it would be colder this deep in the ground. He almost wished he had a jacket.
"Finally," Hagrid groaned.
"Actually," Griphook said, "we're not there yet. There seems to be an object on the tracks coming up. It's in the way."
Veering around another corner, the cart continued to slow down. Harry looked around Hagrid to see what looked like another cart sitting on the tracks. There were two stone platforms on either side of the tracks. The lighting was minimal with only one torch on a column to the cart's left. Shadows played at the light's edge, and darkness continued beyond that. A cold wind blew across them, raising the hair on the back of Harry's neck.
When the cart finally stopped behind the other cart, figures flew out of the darkness. Black capes and skull masks surrounded them. Darkness encroached them.
"Get down!" Hagrid cried out.
Harry and Hermione were pulled underneath Hagrid's massive body. Harry grabbed onto Hermione's hand, squeezing tight, not knowing what was happening but feeling fear rise inside of him. He heard loud bangs around him, and then Hagrid's body jerked back and forth. His body grew limp, landing heavy on them. The massive weight was too much for Harry. He could hardly take in a breath. Suddenly, the weight vanished. Harry looked up to see an unconscious Hagrid floating in the air. At the front of the cart, Griphook lay unconscious. The figures in dark clothing and skull masks surrounded them. Red lights flashed, and then Harry's sight grew dark.