BOOK I: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
CHAPTER X: The abysses of ourselves
Harry still held some distant enthralling in his stare, as the vault was sealed shut behind him and he and Hagrid found themselves back at the dim-lit corridors of Gringotts. It was the very first time in his life he was actually thankful for staying with the Dursleys…
He was positive that it was the way he had lived through these last few years that determined how he'd face piles and piles of coins looking back at him. There was gold, silver and copper spread all over the place: put Dudley in there and it'd take an hour or so before it all vanished. Harry, instead, at the age of eleven, knew better than to do that. He asked the giant that they retrieved only what he assumed was absolutely necessary, and not a single coin above it. There was something nearly spiritual about that treasure hidden deep beneath the city. He knew his family should've worked really hard to build it up. He was not about to ruin it with childish desires he had always managed to get by without.
"Thank you," he said silently to the ceiling, aiming for the skies, hoping anyone could listen. Hoping against hope that they knew how grateful he was. His eyes rolled back to the corridor, where Rofel and Hagrid proceeded east-bound: he suddenly realized they still had to see Hagrid's vault. Catching up, he followed suit, a pouch tied to his belt, ringing from the clash of small coins in its insides.
"He could always wait for us here, you know," said Rofel, glancing sideways back at Harry. Unbeknownst to the boy, there was a general rule in the bank to show the clients only their individual vaults, as to certify that no one would find temptation in stealing from another (as stupid an idea as that would be, anyway). But Hagrid waved his hand in negation.
"I trust an eleven-year boy not to rob Gringotts, Rofel. Besides, he ought to see the cave."
This seemed to ease Rofel's mood somehow. "Ah, yes… it is indeed a sight. Very well."
Deeper and deeper they entered London's foundations, all silent. The air grew colder around them and Harry cursed himself for not bringing an extra jacket. Then again, how was he supposed to know as he left Privet Drive that morning that, by the afternoon, he'd be entering halls and caves several miles beneath the streets?
"This way", indicated Rofel, the echo of his voice booming around them. One last corridor led to a vast room, supported by four pillars carefully placed in the shape of a square. From the core of each pillar, thick chains ran down, tightly clutched around four great metal claws on the floor. The center of the room had silvery symbols spread around in a circle. Harry thought they looked very beautiful but noticed they didn't relate in the slightest to any alphabetical pattern known by him.
"What are those?" he asked Hagrid.
"Runic carving. You'll learn a lot about it at school," he replied simply, stepping inside the circle. Harry noticed, as they all entered the space marked by these 'runes', that they were slightly brighter, almost pulsing with life.
And then Harry realized; a second before the runes on the floor were parted in halves and the chains started to take them on another descent; it was just another lift. It didn't seem to really matter a minute or so later, when his pupils adjusted to the newfound light and he finally understood what the cave was.
The chains suspended them into an enormous, haunting chasm. It was mostly untouched by the dwarves, its natural state highly preserved: spelunking adepts would drop their jaws in reverence to it, thought Harry. He was lucky not to be afraid of heights: Harry had quite a keen eye to judge distances and figured it was about two hundred and fifty feet from top to bottom, large as two and a half soccer fields aligned. A huge, placid lake stood by a corner, running from one wall to another, its gleaming surface lighting up the walls in constant waves, quite a lot like the aurora borealis over the Pole.
"This is amazing," he said, turning around to see a very proud Rofel beaming at him.
"We take pride of our doings, Mr. Potter. But it's always good to have them recognized by someone else."
It was a slow descent. Harry took the time to find his bearings. He noticed there were three large caves in symmetrical positions not far from where they would land. He figured they'd be entrances to another set of endless corridors winding left and right, leading to many more vaults, better protected though. Nothing to it, he thought ironically, considering the fantasy scenario in which he stood ever since he woke up that day.What he found most interesting was that, in a glance, he saw three little wooden boats by a carefully crafted, small 'pier', at the far left end of the subterranean lake. It was quite hard to spot them, since there was a massive rock about ten feet from the pier, and depending on the height of their way down, the boats wouldn't be visible at all.
Silently, Harry's eyes followed the length of the lake, searching the opposing wall. And he finally found what he was looking for; the reason why there'd be boats down there. Another cave, smaller and completely stripped from any lighting. He pointed towards it
"What is…," he started, stopping in mid-sentence, tension running its course up his spine.
He had seen a shadow glide in the middle of the lake. It wasn't a trick of light. There was something down there. Whale-sized. Snake-shaped. And not particularly fast, but emanating an aura that clearly stated speed wouldn't really matter down there. What it was, he couldn't tell, though.
"Anything you want to ask, Mr. Potter?" replied Rofel, calmly staring at the ceiling.
Harry gulped. Something told him that the dwarves knew well of the lake's inhabitant, whatever it was. And he deemed prudent not to ask about it, leaving the drifting shadow he witnessed as it returned to the loch's stagnant depths.
"Nothing, really."
Finally, they reached the bottom. Harry took the liberty to jump out of the lift, aiming as far as he could from the lake.
"Keep going, lad, the vault we're visiting is that way," said Hagrid, following him. It didn't take long before they were, again, engulfed by torches and bare corridors. Breathing more calmly, Harry noticed that, differing from the upper floor vaults, here they didn't have countless false locks added to their surface. Each one had a specific mechanism, each door was unique in itself. Hagrid's, in particular, was plain and solid mithril. Not a single visible opening to it. Just the symbol he had seen before that day, engraved in a tiny locket at the center: four animals entangled, holding an 'H'. He made no immediate comments about it.
"Actually, Harry, if you don't mind waiting here," said Hagrid carefully. Rofel was closing in his eyes in utter concentration, facing the door. Although a bit disappointed (a child's curiosity is, after all, a child's curiosity), the boy didn't let it show. Nodding calmly, he walked his way back into the corridor, facing the dancing blaze of a torch as he heard the unmistakable sound of a vault opening… the muffled sound of things being moved out of place… the joyful exclamation Hagrid let out as he found whatever he was looking for at the moment… and finally, the noises indicating that the vault locks were back at their rightful place.
Harry observed the dwarf and the giant as they made their way back. Smiling, he couldn't help to notice that, while he had been standing at Rofel's place, how strange of a pairing they would be, indeed.
He also noticed a small volume at one of Hagrid's pockets that hadn't been there before.
"Ready to go, then, lad? We have a few hours of sunlight yet, and an entire alley to cover."
PERSONAL NOTES: I know this one came out a bit smaller, much like Chapter II, but I wanted to post something now, since I'm not sure how much time I'll have to spare to writing the next week. I like the whole idea of Gringotts a lot, and tried to add some of my own picture of the place. Hope that it sounds okay.
To AchillesMonkey, thanks! I was a bit afraid of the "dwarf" idea, because even though I like it a lot in my head, as you mentioned yourself, I NEVER seen it anywhere else either! As much as think Rowling's a genius, it is something that always got stuck in the back of my head while I read the books… why goblins? If anything, they are but slicing material for swords in any other fantasy world, while dwarves are usually depicted as skilled engineers, adepts of the deep corners of the world and careful guardians of their possessions. Ringing any bells to an underground bank? I may be falling into the ordinary when it comes to other fictions in other universes, of course, but I figured it was worth the shot, and I was quite glad when you mentioned it as a positive thing. I'm not sure if you realize how much help and strength you give by reviewing all the chapters, but be sure it's highly valued! :)
To rose1041, thanks as well! I really appreciate the kind words, please continue to review! Hopefully more people will follow up and comment, the feedback is stimulating. Not that the story stats aren't… about 1.500 hits so far, yay! (I do realize there are people with far higher numbers, but these are ALL mine! Hehehe!
Hope to hear from you soon.