Aaaaand here's the next one! R&R and enjoy!
Previously on "Into The Pages"...
-o-o-
Victoria and Willow Ostler — yes, we know who you are. You have been chosen to save us and save our world from its impending doom. Now, you don't have much time. This portal will only stay open for sixty minutes, never to open again. Please, save us. You are our only hope.
-H
-o-o-
I'm in 1991!'
-o-o-
We were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
-o-o-
Hagrid's face crinkled itself into a wrinkled smile. "Of course yeh can come along."
-o-o-
We wandered the winding cobbled path in awe, staring at the various magical shops that surrounded us.
"Firs', let's get yer money." said Hagrid. "Victoria, Willow —"
"Vi and Wil," I interrupted. "Please."
"Righ', Vi an' Wil — don' worry about yer stuff, Gringotts has a list o' all Muggleborn firs' years. Dumbledore makes sure all of ye have summat decent," he said, smiling. "Great man, he is."
"Gringotts?" asked Harry. "What's that?"
I glanced at Wil. She seemed to be thinking the same thing. We aren't enrolled in Hogwarts.
"So," said a voice behind me. I jumped.
"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just…"
"It's fine," I said. "There's no need to be nervous." I flashed him a quick smile. "I'm just Victoria. Vi. A Muggleborn. You probably know more about the Wizarding World than I ever will. So don't be nervous." I put on a jealous face.
"No, actually," he said. "I just found out about the Wizarding World yesterday."
"Really?" I said, acting surprised.
"Yeah," he said. "I really don't know anything about it at all."
We were silent for a minute.
"Anyway," I said suddenly, "seeing as you're going to be stuck with me for the whole day, I figured we should probably get to know each other a little better." I cleared my throat. "My name is Victoria Irene Ostler. But I prefer to be called Vi." I did a little curtsy. He laughed.
"I'm Harry," he said, bowing slightly. "Harry Potter."
"Isn't it supposed to go, 'Potter, Harry Potter'?"
"I suppose it is, isn't it," he said, laughing and bumping my elbow with his.
"So it is, Potter Harry Potter," I replied, laughing with him.
"Sorry to break up your little flirt-fest," said Wil, sticking her head between us and causing us both to blush, "but as you two have been sweet-talking each other, we've arrived."
And sure enough, in front of us stood a large marble structure that shone in the light. Two goblins guarded the entrance. We entered the building, coming across another set of double doors that were engraved with the words:
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.
And through those doors was a massive hallway lined with desks and so many doors that it would probably take years for someone to be able to memorize the layout. At each desk sat another goblin, each doing a different task — Hagrid made for a free goblin.
"Mornin'," he said. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe, and get the grant fer these two." He grinned at us. "Muggleborns."
"Names, please?" asked the goblin.
"Victoria and Willow."
The goblin frowned. "Last name?"
"Er-"
"Ostler." I piped up, realizing we had never told him.
He scanned his list. "Hmm…"
"Lemme take a look," said Hagrid, frowning.
I looked over his shoulder as he scanned the list.
Suddenly, near the bottom, the words "Kevin Entwhistle" and "Justin Finch-Fletchley" parted and in between, carefully scripted in neat letters, were the names "Willow Ostler" and "Victoria Ostler".
"Ah, look there they are," said Hagrid, who had strangely not noticed the phenomenon, showing it to the goblin.
"Hm," said the goblin, frowning. "It appears they are on the list. Very well, then."
"Oh, an' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven-hundred and thirteen."
He fished around in his numerous pockets and produced a piece of parchment sealed with a shiny red Hogwarts stamp.
The goblin read it carefully.
"Very well," he said, sealing it again and handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. You two-" he pointed at me and Wil- "-here is your grant." He reached down under the counter and came up with two brown leather pouches that made a clinking sound as he passed them down to us. "Here are your letters. Griphook!"
As another goblin, Griphook, walked over, Hagrid saw Harry's jealous looks at our pouches. "Don' worry," he said, grinning. "Yeh have as much as that in yer vault, an' thensome."
Harry grinned back.
When Griphook arrived, he led us through a door and into a narrow stone passageway that was lit by dancing flames that came from the torches on the walls.
Once he had summoned the cart, we all crammed ourselves in and then off we were.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't as interesting as you expected, but like I said, a lot more interesting than the last chapter… I guess. Anyway, what do you think so far? Like the original better? Like this version better? Who or what do you think caused their names to appear on the list?
Oh yeah, and I'm leaving for Florida on Tuesday, so we're going to be really busy tomorrow, Tuesday, and until the next week, and then Christmas, so I might not be able to update for a while. But I promise I'll try! And I know, I know, the last time I said that I didn't update for… what, three, four months? But this time I really mean it! I do! R&R! :)