AN: Alright, so here is the new chapter, and the first references of something Harry Potter related. I know I said it would be this chapter, but now I think it will either be next chapter or the one after it where the major crossover stuff starts happening. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't own the Labyrinth.

Jareth stared bemused at the flower pot, containing a strange blue powder that Aksel was holding out to him. Being a particularly powerful goblin, he typically had just waved his hand and appeared up above, normally taking several goblins along with him for the ride. He had never needed to take more conventional travel methods and so was understandably confused by the substance.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" he asked, after several minutes of awkward silence.

Aksel coughed and then explained, "It is a special version of floo powder, my liege. You just throw it into the fire, step in and say your destination, and it will take you above."

Jareth looked from the powder to the happily burning fire, and then rolled up his sleeve, and took a pinch of the powder.

"Is this enough?"

The old goblin nodded. Jareth took a determined breath, and threw it into the fire. The flames immediately turned blue. Jareth looked at the encouraging faces of his council, and tentatively put a hand in the flame.

He immediately pulled it out again, with a cry of pain, and began blowing on his fingers, tears being dragged down his face, much to his humiliation.

"What the...ow...oh, fu..."he stuttered, and cried whilst clutching his hand to his chest. The heat radiating from it was unbearable.

The other goblins stared in horror as they saw his hand blister and turn white. Meanwhile, Trygg went running out of the room to retrieve Nanne.

Nanne came in and gently but firmly pulled the hand away from him and began to examine it. Jareth had gone quite white, but other than that, he was doing his absolute best to appear unaffected. He was pretending that his initial outburst of pain hadn't happened.

Nanne tutted, and then pulled out a vial of thick, orange paste, which he massaged into Jareth's hand. As soon as the paste touched, he felt his hand begin to cool, and the tension around his jaw lessened as he relaxed. Then his hand was bandaged and Nanne left strict instructions for the bandage not to be removed for twenty-four hours.

In the mean time the council began discussing just why Jareth had burnt himself in the fire. They had never seen anything like it before, and couldn't quite understand why.

It was Trygg who stumbled across the answer. He let out a loud groan and would have buried his head in his hands if the rest of the council hadn't been looking.

"We are idiots," he said, and at their inquisitive looks, he said in exasperation, "Well we are! Floo powder needs magic to activate."

They shared guilty looks. They had forgotten about that.

"Well how is he going to go above then?" one goblin asked.

There was the dilemma. None of the goblins were powerful enough to take another up with them through their own magic, and the fireplaces were too small for any of them to escort Jareth. The fireplaces had been designed for one person, not for groups. They would have to find a particularly small race of goblins...oh no! There was only one race of goblins which was small enough.

This was why a short while later, after an extensive search to find someone who was not completely drunk, a small imp was led into the room.

Imps were rarely allowed in the above, and for very good reason. So the imp was given a stern telling off before he had even done anything and he was warned that if he misbehaved in any way he would be sent to the bog. This was slightly unfair, as it was simply impossible for an imp to not misbehave, but they hoped that a warning would curb any more outrageous impulses.

Still, the imp did seem eager and keen to help his King and was practically jumping up and down in excitement when he was told that Jareth would have to hold his hand through the transport. Imps were dumb, but they were also loyal and physical contact with the King was likely to make the imp's year.

They had to wait a short while for the imp to calm down and stop jumping up and down. It was only when Jareth himself began to glare and lecture that the imp stopped.

Jareth stood before the grate, and once again took a pinch of powder and threw it into the flame. Once again it turned blue and rose up to a height taller than Jareth. He took a deep breath and heard Trygg mutter, "You'll be fine."

He looked down at the smiling face of the imp, who was holding up one grubby, little hand. This was it. He was leaving his home. It was the only home he had ever known. He didn't know when he would next see it again.

He took another deep breath and took the imp's hand. With one last look behind him, he stepped into the flame.

Ludger had the misfortune to have quite possibly the worst job for the guards of Gringotts. He knew he was young, and inexperienced, but he was pretty sure that he was given this job because his boss hated him. Why else would he have been given the job of guarding the connection room to the underground? It was so boring! Nobody ever used it. Why would they? The underground goblins for the most part took little interest in the above and the Gringott goblins quite frankly preferred it that way. Those goblins which did have interaction with them were normally powerful enough to not need to use the floo to transport themselves at least.

This meant that he spent hours by himself doing nothing except trying not to fall asleep. On the rare occasion when someone did use the floo all he had to do was stamp a few papers, make sure that they were actually allowed above and that was it. Two minutes of interaction with another intelligent being and then back to monotony. It was worse than the job of guarding the front of the bank. Those goblins at least got to sneer and laugh at the ignorant wizards and witches. Ludger had hoped when he joined the guards that he would get to work with the dragons, but no! He was stuck doing nothing because his boss hated him.

Ludger slowly sank into his chair behind the desk that faced the fireplace and took out a pack of playing cards. Strictly speaking he should not have been playing cards and he should have been watching the fireplace, but nothing ever happened and he was not going to spend the next two hours of his life doing nothing.

He'd just turned over the seven of hearts when the fireplace burst into life. He dropped the card, and his mouth fell open and he positively gaped as out stumbled a figure he instinctively recognised. Even if the person was not wearing full regalia, he still would have recognised him. His blood practically sang with awareness.

Seconds later the King was kneeling next to a rubbish bin and throwing up, even as the fireplace flashed blue again and the Captain of the Guard stepped out.

Ludger watched, frozen to his chair as Trygg hurried over to the King's side and began rubbing his back in gentle circles. Then when he was finished his heaving, he aided Jareth over to a seat by the wall murmuring, "There, have a seat, Your Majesty. You need to take it easy in your delicate condition."

Jareth sneered at Trygg, as even more high ranking goblins stepped out of the floo and said, "I am not pregnant."

Trygg did look abashed and started apologising for implying that he was, and that he did not mean to offend and was just looking out for his health. Jareth rolled his eyes and with the colour already returning he looked keenly around the room. His eyes settled on the gaping Ludger. He raised an eyebrow.

Ludger suddenly realised that he was still sitting down, and abruptly stood up, stepped around the table (had a brief moment of wondering whether he should salute like a soldier or not) and knelt.

After getting over the dizzying effects of floo powder, Jareth was very interested in the new location. He had never been to Gringotts before; for all that it was a great source of his own wealth. It was nice he decided. Marble walls, and floor, bloody paintings and tapestries, and runes carved into the very walls, making it all seem nice and safe. Jareth approved immediately.

He looked at the goblin kneeling on the floor, and then got up. Immediately he felt Trygg's arm at his elbow and he sneered down at him. Trygg had not let him go since he found out about his state and already he felt crowded. He was not an invalid, and he didn't like being treated like one.

He shook off the hand and stood up to his full height. Trygg got the hint and took a step back.

"You on the floor, what is your name?"

Ludger looked up and almost began to hyperventilate when he realised that the King was addressing him.

"Ludger, Your Majesty."

Jareth was already walking around to the other side of the desk, where the entrance into Gringotts proper was.

"I'd like to see the head of the above goblins... oh, what is his name again?"

"Ragnarok," Ludger supplied.

"Right, right. Ragnarok. I suppose you know how to get there?"

"Yes I do, Your Majesty," Ludger agreed.

Jareth stood paused by the door, and he raised an eyebrow. Ludger took a moment to realise what he was supposed to do, and hurriedly got to his feet, blushing profusely.

"I'll just show you how to get there, shall I?" he asked, with a bow.

Jareth grinned mockingly, "I suppose that would make sense."

Ludger bowed again, hurried past Jareth to open the door. Bowed again, and held it open as his King and the Council headed into Gringotts.

As the door closed behind them, he caught sight of Trygg sneering at the cards left on the table. He gulped.