Chapter 8:
Show Me the Way
Hand in hand, husband and wife made their way down Diagon Alley. The streets were quiet this morning. Shops were beginning to open up and the local children crowed around the latest broom being displayed in the shop.
To Leona, traveling invisibly under Dalejin's illusions made her feel uneasy. She knew no one could see her, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that they were all aware of her presence.
Dalejin looked at his wife and squeezed her hand empathetically. "Relax Leo, no one can see you," he cooed softly in her ear.
His voice gave Leo a small bit of confidence. If Helen had the face that launched a thousand ships, than Dalejin had the voice that kept them going.
It wasn't long before they came upon Gringotts. Its towering bronze doors stared down at them ominously. The building itself was several hundred years old. Its white stony appearance gleamed in the sunlight. It sparkled with pride at the knowledge of its invincibility.
Dalejin led Leo to the side of the towering edifice's doors. He knew it would arouse suspicion of the doors opened of their own accord. They had to wait for someone to enter first.
Leona looked at him and sighed. She knew what he was thinking. She just wasn't too fond of sitting around waiting for someone to open the doors for them.
Slowly the minutes ticked by. Wizards and witches unwittingly taunted the couple each time they passed by, heading to Knockturn Alley. There were even a few children that considered heading to the bank, but opted against it.
Suddenly and old witch turned the corner and began heading in the direction of the bank. Her tall pointed hat flopped against the wind as she hustled to the door. Leona's palms were sweating as she watched the tall old woman draw near. She looked at Dalejin to make sure he noticed her.
Dalejin did, of course and followed her with his eyes as she opened the door. Her arms were weak so she had a hard time opening it, Even so, she couldn't open the door very wide. It gave just enough room for Dalejin to attempt to pass through.
He wasted no time brushing past the woman. He nearly forgot Leona was holding onto him for dear life, and too petrified to think what should happen were he to let go.
Leona had to duck under the woman to keep from losing Dalejin's hand. He had eagerly cut in front of her, giving Leo just enough room to pass. It was a miracle Leona didn't knock the witch down.
Once inside, Leona yanked on Dalejin's hand and led him to the corner of the marbled room. "You trying to get me caught?" Leona hissed at him.
"I got us inside, didn't I?" He responded back to her but wasn't paying attention. He tightened his grip on Leona and led her down the marble floor of the bank.
There were at least three goblins at work already. They were waddling through the enormous building, shuffling money about, or taking deposits. Unfortunately for Dalejin, this all seemed like normal behavior, nothing suspicious. His eyes darted back and forth looking for some sort of sign, something out of the ordinary; something out of place.
Leona opted for a different mode of thinking. She had it set in her mind that they wouldn't find anything conclusively different around here. So she began to pay attention looking for doors, stairs, or elevators even.
In fact there was a newly installed elevator just ahead that led to the vaults. It was plausible to think that it could take them to a private floor, where potentially there son would be.
Dalejin shook his head at her; there was no way that he would stand around all day waiting for a goblin to use it, especially when he saw the archaic alternative. He pointed his hand to the left, showing Leo a stairwell that looked as if it had been there since the dawn of time.
The stairs went in only one direction, down. It looked as though it spiraled into infinity. Ordinarily, Leona would have been put off by such a stairwell, but this one was different. It was so brightly illuminated that any visible threats would be quickly detected. This was accomplished through the several torches that burned at a hotter blue flame in order to accommodate the goblins poor sense of sight.
The pair precariously made their way downward. Luckily for them their dissension was met without opposition. The lack thereof made the trip seem longer. The biggest complaint to be had was that the pathway was shrinking, forcing Leona to follow behind Dalejin
When the minor trek was finished they were greeted with a very tiny door. Above the door, inscribed in the wall, was some Goblik writing.
Dalejin dropped to his knees, and Leo fell down with him, her hand firmly fixed on his cloak. He opened the door and on the other side there was another passageway and more stairs. This time there was less lighting, and the ascending tunnel was seemed to have been carved from the earth.
Leona relied on her elbows to travel upward. The smell of the earth filled up her nostrils and invaded the senses. The gritty closeness made her feel like she could taste it.
Military crawling upwards took twice as long as the journey downward did. They reached another door that was as impossibly small as the first. Dalejin opened it after taking a deep breath. Fresh air and light poured into the tunnel causing the couple to ravenously climb out into the world. They didn't care if they were seen at this point, now that they were outside again.
There was something about this outside world, Dalejin noted as he dusted himself off. If his calculations were correct, he should have been in the middle of Knockturn Alley. This was decidedly not that street.
They were on top of a hill that over looked a miniature metropolis. The city from this distance looked like it belonged in a Dickens's novel. Its architecture seemed to be from the turn of the century.
Leona had to squint but she could see hundred of goblins walking through the streets of the city. Instantly they knew they were in the right place.
If that wasn't the tip off, then the sign right next to them that read: Goblin City, 1.5 Kilometers, certainly appeased their doubts.
Leona gave a grin.
"Huh, there's less shrubbery than I expected…"
