Chapter 3:
Alicia didn't see Harry the next day, he didn't come to the park. She assumed it had something to do with his family and the letter. Did he receive another one? If he'd gotten hold of it, he would have done as she'd ask… it was the smartest thing to do after all.
Alicia got up and ran back to the orphanage, just to be sure he wasn't there. Unfortunately he wasn't, so Alicia moved to a corner of the garden with a book, eagerly waiting for the next day, hoping Harry would turn up with news.
Thursday passed and again, no sign of Harry.
When Friday came Alicia went for a walk to his house. She crouched down when passing number three and peaked over the hedge when she reached number four. She was surprised to hear drilling.
Being careful of the windows, Alicia quietly moved around the house, having gotten good at climbing fences and letting through small gaps with all the running and hiding she had done with Harry in order to escape his cousin.
Alicia was surprised to find that the doors had been bolted and boarded up with nails and bits of wood.
What on earth was his crazy family trying to do? Lock him away from the world?
It wasn't until she began to leave that she noticed the letter box was boarded up also. She smirked. Apparently the mysterious writer of these letters had tried again. Were the Dursley's seriously trying to keep such a letter from Harry? What was the big deal?
It did explain where Harry was though. Not only him, but none of the family could leave the house thanks to the nonsense.
Saturday Alicia stayed home. She read through her letter yet again, the excitement building up even more. She hadn't told Harry about her leaving but he had enough problems as it was. She'd tell him after this letter business died down.
Sunday was the day Alicia didn't spend with Harry. Apparently it was easier to leave the house when his Uncle had already left for work. Alicia don't see why someone who hated him as much would want him around instead of letting him leave but… the Dursley's were weird.
Monday, she went back to the house again. Only this time, it was quiet. There wasn't a single sound from the house, which was strange as Dudley was usually watching TV, playing a video game or running around with his friends. Even if the little pig wasn't home, his aunt was usually moving about doing something, like dishes, or peeking over the garden hedge to the neighbours.
Alicia pursed her lips and looked up and down the street before making the bold move of heading for the front door. She first leaned against it listening, but still it was quiet.
Alicia took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
No one answered.
Were they out for the day? If so, Harry would be with Mrs Figg, a lady who lived a few streets away. Harry had informed her of all the cats the old lady made him look at every time he went.
Alicia glanced at the window to the living room before making her way around the house to the back door. She peered in through the glass but her mouth fell open. Scattered across the kitchen floor were around fifty letters.
If Harry's pristine Aunt had left such a mess, and after the trouble of barricading the doors, his uncle had left the letters just lying around, then they hadn't just gone out for the day. They'd left!
Alicia frowned. She didn't know how long they had gone for, when they'd left or when they were coming back.
"I'm going to miss Harry's birthday." she muttered. She didn't care if someone was picking her up tomorrow, she would not have missed to spend the morning with him. Now however, it seemed she couldn't even do that.
Alicia huffed in annoyance. These Dursley's were becoming a pain in her backside.
She moved to the park and laid on the grass beside the wood chip filled park and stared at the sky. As usual her mind moved to her shopping trip tomorrow and what her new school might look like. She'd pictured so many things. At first it had involved people flying on brooms and books flying all around the corridors. But the reminder that first years couldn't have brooms changed that.
The cauldron brought thoughts of bubbly potions, dangerous and possibly smelling terrible, all brewed in a dark corner with a knobbly spoon
… how am I meant to carry a cauldron? she wondered, picturing a huge black bowl.
And what was a crystal phials? she questioned. All she really wanted to do, was go today, look at all the amazing things she pictured she'd see and then sit down and read every book on the list. She wanted to know everything about the world she had spent almost eleven years not knowing about. Everyone was going to know about the world, and she'd know nothing.
But how am I going to get all these books… Dumbledore had told her to go to the bank, but she didn't have an account with the wizards bank, and she had not enough money to hand in… how on earth was going to a bank going to help that? Was money put away for her or something? If so, who by?
What could be in the book on Fantastic beats? she wondered How did you transfigure something? What was the history of magic…? she wanted to books to answer her questions. Could I really do magic with a wand? her excitement only continued to build until the next day.
Alicia visited the Dursley house that evening also but they still weren't home. She decided to try and get Harry a gift while she was in London, if the person collecting her allowed it.
Alicia was up early the next morning, Ms Bane had made an exception and given her breakfast a little early and by eight o'clock the front door's bell was ringing.
A women stood before them. She had her black hair pulled right back into a tight bun and square glasses sat on her nose. Her expression was stern and Alicia suddenly doubted she'd be able to get some normal shopping done at all.
"Good morning." she said before allowing the women to enter the orphanage. The women stepped in and turned to Alicia.
"Good Morning. Ms Evans I assume?" Alicia nodded. "I am Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts." she introduced
"The deputy headmaster?" Alicia asked surprised. McGonagall looked slightly surprised
"That's correct."
"Thank you so much for writing me my letter." Alicia said quickly.
"You're welcome." the professor smiled slightly as Ms Bane walked in. They introduced themselves to one another before Professor McGonagall got straight to business.
"I will be taking Ms Evans to London where a colleague of mine will take her to get her school supplies. He will then bring her back to here at the end of the day."
"Are we not picking up someone else?" Alicia asked confused
"Due to certain circumstances you will be meeting them in London." McGonagall explained. Alicia nodded, at least she still got to meet them.
"When do you expect her to be home?" Ms Bane wondered
"No latter then five this evening." McGonagall must have been approved by Ms Bane, for she did not even seem to think about questioning the professor or pressing for any more details.
After that, Alicia was following the stern Professor down the road and to the corner. The Professor looked around before holding out her arm.
"Take a tight hold of my arm." she instructed. Alicia, confused, did as she was told, but tried not to grip too hard.
Suddenly Alicia's feet left the floor and the breath was sucked out of her. It felt like she was squeezing through a pipe much to small for her, cutting off her breathing and preventing her from taking that desperate breath in, constricting her lungs.
And then the squeezing stopped, the world stopped spinning, her feet hit the ground and she stumbled while taking a deep breath in. Professor McGonagall caught her as she stumbled, the two were now standing in an alleyway.
"What was that?" Alicia asked as she caught her breath.
"Apparate." McGonagall answered. Alicia looked at her confused, not sure whether to ask as to what that was… "It is how we move around. You learn it when you are seventeen."
"Like teleportation?" Alicia wondered. The Professor looked at her and nodded.
She immediately turned to leave the alleyway and Alicia hurried to follow. She almost froze when she walked out to find the busy streets of London before her. Buses, cars, bikes and people travelled along in both directions of the street.
Alicia stared at it all and down the alleyway shocked.
"Come on Ms Evans!" McGonagall called. She was standing a meter or so down the footpath and Alicia hurried to follow.
They walked down the street, followed the path and then turned to cross the road. There was a tiny, grubby-looking pub ahead of them, if McGonagall hadn't headed straight for it with a pointed look, Alicia might have missed it.
She wasn't sure anyone noticed it actually. Everyone didn't even glance at the small building, it was like they couldn't see it at all. Alicia watched as their eyes seemed to just jump over the small pub.
"The Leaky Cauldron." McGonagall introduced as she opened the door. It was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.
"This is where I leave you." McGonagall admitted and Alicia looked up at her "I am leaving you in the care of Tom, the Bartender." McGonagall turned as a man approached them.
"Hagrid should arrive shortly to collect her. I have Hogwarts business to attend to, Hagrid will be bringing her back home this afternoon." McGonagall informed. Tom nodded and the professor turned.
"Good day Ms Evans." she said before turning and leaving, not giving the girl time to answer.
"Would you like a drink Ms Evans?" Tom asked
"Thank you, but I haven't been to the bank to collect any money yet." she sighed "I have nothing to pay you." Tom nodded and offered her a seat at one of the tables before he moved back to the bar.
Alicia sat and watched those in the bar. Cups were stirring themselves, tables wiped themselves down, bottles of refills floated through the air. She found it amazing to see such little things.
It wasn't long before the door to the London street opened again and a huge man walked into the pub. He was about twice the size of a normal man. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
Despite this, he seemed to have a kind face. His jacket was completely made up of pockets and his boots were huge. Beside him was a boy, his shaggy black hair and round sellotape glasses were all too familiar and Alicia gapped.
Everyone seemed to know the giant; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass.
"The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
Alicia's mouth opened wider. Harry was the lad going to Hogwarts?!
She remembered all the letters, his uncle not allowing Harry to read them and treating him like a different race, all the letters over the floor of the Dursley's kitchen, the fact that his cupboard was written on the front.
She practically hit herself in the forehead for not connecting the dots sooner.
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry and breaking Alicia out of her thoughts, "Is this — can this be — ?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. Alicia looked around at everyone confused, her entrance hadn't caused such an action…
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter… what an honour."
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."
Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realising it had gone out. The giant named Hagrid was beaming.
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry was surrounded, Alicia's chair had been knocked a few times as she watched in confusion as everyone got up and crowded the eleven year old.
…eleven year old. Alicia gapped in remembering it was Harry's birthday, and she hadn't gotten him anything yet!
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud." the voices reached her through the crowd and Harry was barely visible through the bodies.
"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."
"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"
Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept going back for more.
Finally Alicia decided to get up from her seat and move over to Hagrid's side, seeing as she couldn't get to Harry's immediately. She crept around the giant before standing beside Harry.
"I don't get it… why are they happy to meet you?" she asked him. Harry suddenly jumped and turned to see her, shocked. He looked her over as she smiled.
"Alicia!?"
"Hey." she said, trying to hold back a laugh.
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you two." she shrugged "I wish McGonagall would have told me who was coming." she rolled her eyes
"Professor McGonagall?" Hagrid asked. She nodded "Well you mus' be Alicia Evans." he smiled
"Nice to meet you Hagrid." she held out her hand and Hagrid shook her whole arm. She moved her shoulder when he released her.
"You never told me you were going to a magic school?" Harry admitted
"Well I was going to tell you I got a scholarship to a school in the country the morning your first letter came. I got a visit from the headmaster of Hogwarts and he explained everything to me." She shrugged
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked
"Because you had letter troubles." She said obviously "It never occurred to me the letter might have been the same one Dumbledore gave me." she rolled her eyes annoyed. "I just knew someone else near to me was also going to the school, he wouldn't tell me who."
The two were interrupted by a pale young man who made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching. The three turned to him and Hagrid smiled.
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Alicia, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you." he looked at Alicia and she smiled "A-A-A-Alicia…? he began
"Evans." she answered. He nodded to her and shook her hand also.
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" Harry wondered
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.
The others in the pub wouldn't let Quirrell have Harry to himself and it took ten minutes for them to get away. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.
"Must get on — lots ter buy Come on, Harry."
Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
"Is he always that nervous?"
"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"
"Why's Harry famous?" Alicia questioned confused.
"It's a bit of a long story." Harry admitted with a bit of a frown.
"We better stop for lunch then." Alicia said strongly looking at the two. Harry glanced at Hagrid but he was muttering to himself and eyeing the brick work before them.
"Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, you two."
He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.
The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
Alicia's mouth hung open as she stared at the archway and then to the small old looking town beyond it.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."
He grinned at Harry and Alicia's amazement. They stepped through the archway, Alicia turning to look in every direction as Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.
"Pewter, standard size 2 cauldron." Alicia remembered pointing at the store.
"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."
"Yeah, I still worry that I have none?" Alicia said. Harry turned to the giant and nodded in agreement. Hagrid only smiled at them.
Alicia and Harry shared a look but their gazes were quickly dragged somewhere else. Alicia pointed to certain shops, and by what was in the windows, guessed if they could get the supplies they needed or not.
A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad."
A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about their age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it.
"Look," one of them said, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"
There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Alicia had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…
"Gringotts," said Hagrid.
"Grin— what?" Alicia questioned. Hagrid pointed to the building before them. It was a snowy white building and towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was a very short man, a head shorter then Harry at least. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and very long fingers and feet.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. Alicia eyed him excitedly as he bowed when they walked inside, she gladly bowed back.
Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
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.
"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.
"How come?" Alicia wondered
"Yeh'd get lost, all sort's o' magic enchantments." Hagrid answered.
"Hagrid said it goes for miles below the underground." Harry whispered. Alicia's eyes widened and she looked down at the floor below her.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these.
Hagrid, Alicia and Harry made for the counter at the very end of the hall.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter and Ms Alicia Evan's safe."
"You have their keys, sir?" Alicia's stomach dropped. She didn't have a key?! What was she going to do? She didn't even have a vault!
"Got 'em here somewhere," said Hagrid. Alicia's eyebrows furrowed together as she watched Hagrid start to empty his pockets onto the counter. He scattered a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblins book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals while Alicia tried to get a peak down the many doors.
"Got 'em," said Hagrid at last, holding up two tiny golden keys. Alicia eyed the two keys, confused as to why she had one…
The goblin looked at them closely.
"That seems to be in order."
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter carefully.
"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to all three vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he, Harry and Alicia followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry 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."
"Hagrid, how come I have a vault?" Alicia questioned as Griphook held the door open for them.
"Come now, yeh didn' think yeh parents would leave you with nothin' now did yeh?" Hagrid smiled at her. Alicia's eyes widened, her parents left her money?
They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.
It was like a roller coaster. The cart whizzed through the maze of twisting passages, it dropped down, sped uphill and threw them all to the side as it turned several sharp corners. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.
Their eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but they kept them wide open, Alicia refused to take her eyes off the path and tried to look down every passageway leading off theirs. Once, Harry thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.
"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."
He did look very green.
"Stalagmite's is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings." Alicia shouted "While stalactite is a type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or manmade structures such as bridges and mines."
"How do you know?"
"I like to read." Alicia grinned "I remember most things I read too."
When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.
Alicia got out and her legs wobbled slightly for the first few steps but she was fine within the minute.
Griphook unlocked the door before them and a lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid. Alicia looked at Hagrid, to Harry and back to the gold. Harry looked at her surprised also.
"God if you get a good sum what about me…?" she muttered, shrinking down in worry.
"I'm sure you'll be similar." Harry said, his words dragging as he stared at the sight.
"Yeah right…" Alicia whispered.
Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.
"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook.
"Next?" he pointed to Alicia and Griphook nodded. He turned, left the cart and moved to the vault next door. Alicia rose an eyebrow.
"It's right next to Harry's?" she asked Hagrid. The giant said nothing and Alicia looked at him sternly but he only turned from her as Griphook unlocked the door.
There was no green smoke from this one, but a fair bit of dust. Alicia stared at it, there were mounds of gold, silver, bronze and jewels.
"I take it back…" Alicia muttered through her surprise.
"Told you." Harry smiled, Hagrid held her a bag also for her money and Alicia took it without looking away from the gold, as if worried it'll disappear the second she blinked.
"Come on Alicia." he hurried. She looked at him slightly annoyed before moving in and took about the same as Harry, a few more for his birthday present just in case.
"Right then. Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?" Hagrid asked Griphook.
"One speed only," said Griphook. They returned to the cart and set off again, Alicia clutched her bag of gold tightly, worried of dropping and loosing it along the trail.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.
Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. Harry and Alicia shared a horrified look as the door opened.
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault. Alicia noticed a very small bundle on the floor of the vault and nudged Harry, pointing to the floor, showing a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat while the two eleven year olds shared a confused glance.
"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, its best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid. Alicia smirked but followed anyway.
