Hey everyone! It's a new chapter! Hooray! I was being kind of lazy so I buckled down and got it done.
I know that there is more in the book chapter, but you all know that "blah I just wanna be done..." feeling you get at the end of a chapter. So I'm splitting it in half! I guess the next one will be a bit short :/ sorry.
Anyway, This was a whole lot of fun to write! This is my absolute favorite scene in the whole movie series. Its just so bright and magical! I hope Lindy did ok, I gave her a few small lines because I felt that she didn't say much here :/
Disclaimer: don't own it, don't sue!
We made our way to the train station and bought our tickets. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy the tickets.
The train ride was fairly short. I spent it staring out the window. The only thing to look at was a continuous concrete wall, but I had so many things on my mind, I didn't care.
I had been to London before but I hadn't walked around that much. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way.
He complained that the trains were too slow and the seats were too small. "I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic." He said as we climbed a broken escalator even though there was a working one right next to it.
Hagrid led us down a street lined with stores. The only thing that looked remotely magical was a tea and herb shop.
"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place." I didn't get how it was so well known. It was very dark inside and it seemed abandoned from the outside.
It wasn't all too crowded, so people raised their heads to see who had come in. A man in a top hat sat at the bar, which was manned by a bald man with no teeth.
"The usual, Hagrid?" The bartender asked. "Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his hands on our shoulder and making our knees give out.
"Good lord," Tom stared at Harry, "is this – can this be −?" The entire pub was silent. You could hear a pin drop.
"Bless my soul," whispered Tom, "Harry Potter… what an honor." He rushed from behind the bar, took Harry's hand and shook it vigorously.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." Everyone wanted to shake Harry's hand, like he was a famous movie actor. I was swept away, by the crowd, from Hagrid's side.
I squeezed my way out of the fray and hid behind an unoccupied table, all the while hearing people introduce themselves. This went on for a good few minutes. One woman kept shaking his hand every chance she got.
A pale man wearing a turban came forward. He seemed nervous and twitched occasionally. I heard Hagrid call him Professor Quirrell.
After the Professor's turn, he was pushed away and Harry was once again, bombarded by people. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all.
"Must get on – lots ter buy. Come on, Harry. Where did Lindy go?" Hagrid wondered. I squeezed my way back through, my foot catching on a chair and I tumbled into Hagrid's leg.
Hagrid led us through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trashcan and a few weeds.
"Told yeh, didn't I?" Told yeh you were famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh – mind you, he's usually tremblin'" Hagrid grinned down at Harry.
"Wait, Harry's famous? How?" I enquired, turning my head sharply. Hagrid shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think now is the best time to tell yeh." I pressed my lips together into a tight line, but didn't argue.
"Professor Quirrell teaches defense against the dark arts." Harry told me as Hagrid pulled out his umbrella. What were dark arts? Obviously something dangerous.
Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can. "Three up… Two across…" He muttered. "Right, stand back." he warned us.
He tapped a part of the wall with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had tapped squirmed and the entire wall of bricks shifted and rearranged themselves into an archway.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."
Stepping through the archway was like stepping into another world. Bright and colorful shops lined a cobblestone street. Everyone was wearing robes and people streamed in and out of shops.
My eyes couldn't move fast enough. Everything was interesting; owls flying around and cauldrons stacked outside a store front, barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles!
A group of boys had their faces pressed up against a window and I heard on exclaim, "Look, the new Nimbus Two Thousand! It's the fastest model!" Behind the glass were broomsticks and the one in front was propped up.
"Gringotts," said Hagrid. We had arrived at a white building. It looked like it was made entirely of polished marble. A creature with a swarthy face and long fingers stood next to the copper doors.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," Hagrid said quietly. He bowed as we walked inside. There was a second set of doors on the other side, silver this time. And written on them was:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Reading it again and understanding a vague idea of its meaning, a shiver crawled down my arms. "Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.
Two more goblins bowed us through the silver doors. Inside was a massive hall, filled with goblins sitting and long counters on each side of the hall.
Some were counting money or scribbling in ledgers. Others were showing people in and out of numerous doors.
We approached a goblin that was merely waiting for the next customer. "Morning," said Hagrid. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe and exchange Muggle money for Ms. Lindy Owens."
The goblin attended to Harry first, "You have his key, sir?" Hagrid began to pull random things out of his pockets while saying, "Got it here somewhere."
He left a handful of rotten dog treats on top of the goblin's book before finally pulling out a tiny golden key.
The goblin examined it carefully and said, "That seems to be in order."
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid added, straightening up with pride. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter closely, "…Very well," he said and gave the paper back to Hagrid. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults and then you can exchange your money when you are finished. Griphook!"
Griphook (another goblin) led us to one of the doors leading off the hall. "What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" I asked.
"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Griphook opened the door. On the other side was a stone tunnel lined with torches. He gave a sharp "wheet!" and a little cart emerged from the gloomy end of the tracks to our left.
After Hagrid stuffed himself in, the cart lurched forward and took off. It gained frightening speed as it hurtled through the crazy maze of tunnels, but I soon came to enjoy the wind that blew my hair nearly straight back.
"I never know," Harry called out, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?" I turned my head a fraction to hear the response over the noise.
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," Hagrid answered. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick." I leaned away as much as I could just in case.
The cart stopped beside a small door in the passage wall. Since I was closest, I hopped out and helped tug Hagrid out as much as I could.
Once out of the cart, Griphook took the golden key from Hagrid and unlocked the door. A cloud of green smoke billowed out. I coughed and waved the fog out of my face.
When the smoke disappeared, Harry and I gasped. Beyond the door were mountains of gold and silver. It nearly filled the entire room.
"All yours," said Hagrid.
"Hagrid had a small bag and he helped Harry gather enough money for a year or so, all the while explaining to us the wizarding money system. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?" Hagrid asked.
"One speed only," said Griphook. So we piled back into the cart and went off down, deeper into the caverns. I shivered from the wind and leaned into Hagrid's side to keep warm.
The door to vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole or doorknob. "Stand back," Griphook ordered and gently ran a finger down the door. Instead of swinging open, it vanished.
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped there," said Griphook. I swallowed nervously, "How often do you check in there?"
"About once every ten years," He answered with a wicked grin. My eyes widened in fear at the sight of his pointed teeth.
The vault wasn't filled to the brim with money or jewels; all that was in it was a tiny parcel. Hagrid tucked it into an inner pocket. "Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," He said.
Heh, poor Hagrid. I bet my mom would feel the same. Ferret alert! Draco's up next!
Review please! Reviews=motovation and faster typing!
P.S. If you're a reader since the beginning, you probably didn't see the post I put up on the first chapter. I WAS going to have Dean as Lindy's guy, but then my mind started to flip-flop. But thanks to a reviewer/friend, I've decided on Harry and I'll just write a little something for Dean when I'm finished :D