Julia looked around the shop. It was full of weird looking people
wearing robes, and they were looking at the strangest items, "Uh, Mom?"
"I'll explain what everything is as we buy your stuff. Right now we're
going to Gringotts, the wizarding bank." "Oooooookay then." Her mom led her
out of the shop and onto a cobbled street.
As they walked, Julia looked at the shops as they passed. Most of the names of the shops consisted of words she had never seen before in her life, and the things inside that she saw through the windows were things she had never imagines seeing before in her life. Her mother stopped infront of a large marble building, "This is Gringotts." "Daaaang."
Julia looked up towards the two great bronze doors and noticed two impish little creatures standing there, "What are those?" she asked. Her mom smiled, "Goblins, very clever ones too. Now hush." She added as they neared the doors. Julia listened and fell silent, inspecting everything closely with her eyes, and holding questions for later.
They walked through the first pair of doors, and found themselves facing a second pair. The first pair had been bronze, but these were silver with writing engraved upon them. Julia read the poem on the doors, "Not very fond of bank robbery, eh?" Then she saw the look her mother gave her, "Oh, yeah, uh, silence. Sorry." They continued through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall.
Julia looked around and guessed that at least a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools at a long counter. They were writing ledgers and weighing coins on brass scales. Julia's mom walked up to a free goblin, "I wish to withdraw some money from vault 405." "This way." The goblin led them through a door where a cart on tracks was waiting.
They all climbed in and the cart took off, hurtling through a labyrinth of twisting passageways. Julia was thoroughly enjoying herself; she had always been a rollercoaster lover. After a while the cart came to a stop infront of the door to the vault, "May I see your key please?" the goblin asked. Julia's mom nodded and handed him the key. The goblin unlocked the door and opened it, handing the key back to Julia's mother. Inside the vault, Julia's eyes fell upon a large fortune of gold, silver, and bronze coins, "Wow." She whispered. Her mom explained the wizarding currency as she filled her purse and then handed Julia a small sack of Galleons, "That's for you to spend when you're allowed to visit the village outside the school." "Thanks!"
As they left Gringotts, Julia skipped down the steps ahead of her mother. She was going very quickly and almost ran head on into a girl about her age. "Hey watch where you're going!" the girl demanded. "Sorry." "You're not from around here." The girl observed. "Yeah I came here from the United States not long ago." "Oh I've lived here all my life. I'm Samantha." The girl stuck out her hand. "Julia." She shook Samantha's hand, "Do you go to Hogwarts?" "Yup." "Great! I need someone to show me around." "You're starting in your, what, fifth or sixth year?" "My fifth. Professor McGonagall wrote me a letter saying she was sure I could catch up." "Yeah right. Only if you have a 4.0 grade point average." "3.8 actually." "You're kidding." "Basically. I'm probably about a three point something though." "Wow you're still pretty smart. You're gonna be in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." "Huh?" "Those are house you get sorted into according to your traits." "Oh, I see." "Yeah, I'm in Gryffindor. Who knows? You might end up with me!"
By this time, Julia's mother had caught up with them. "Do you wanna come with us as we shop for my school supplies?" Julia asked Samantha. "Sure! My parents are busy buying my brother's thing for his first year anyways. I've already gotten my stuff and I'm bored out of my mind." "Cool. You can tell me about Hogwarts as we shop." "Okay!"
As they walked, Julia looked at the shops as they passed. Most of the names of the shops consisted of words she had never seen before in her life, and the things inside that she saw through the windows were things she had never imagines seeing before in her life. Her mother stopped infront of a large marble building, "This is Gringotts." "Daaaang."
Julia looked up towards the two great bronze doors and noticed two impish little creatures standing there, "What are those?" she asked. Her mom smiled, "Goblins, very clever ones too. Now hush." She added as they neared the doors. Julia listened and fell silent, inspecting everything closely with her eyes, and holding questions for later.
They walked through the first pair of doors, and found themselves facing a second pair. The first pair had been bronze, but these were silver with writing engraved upon them. Julia read the poem on the doors, "Not very fond of bank robbery, eh?" Then she saw the look her mother gave her, "Oh, yeah, uh, silence. Sorry." They continued through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall.
Julia looked around and guessed that at least a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools at a long counter. They were writing ledgers and weighing coins on brass scales. Julia's mom walked up to a free goblin, "I wish to withdraw some money from vault 405." "This way." The goblin led them through a door where a cart on tracks was waiting.
They all climbed in and the cart took off, hurtling through a labyrinth of twisting passageways. Julia was thoroughly enjoying herself; she had always been a rollercoaster lover. After a while the cart came to a stop infront of the door to the vault, "May I see your key please?" the goblin asked. Julia's mom nodded and handed him the key. The goblin unlocked the door and opened it, handing the key back to Julia's mother. Inside the vault, Julia's eyes fell upon a large fortune of gold, silver, and bronze coins, "Wow." She whispered. Her mom explained the wizarding currency as she filled her purse and then handed Julia a small sack of Galleons, "That's for you to spend when you're allowed to visit the village outside the school." "Thanks!"
As they left Gringotts, Julia skipped down the steps ahead of her mother. She was going very quickly and almost ran head on into a girl about her age. "Hey watch where you're going!" the girl demanded. "Sorry." "You're not from around here." The girl observed. "Yeah I came here from the United States not long ago." "Oh I've lived here all my life. I'm Samantha." The girl stuck out her hand. "Julia." She shook Samantha's hand, "Do you go to Hogwarts?" "Yup." "Great! I need someone to show me around." "You're starting in your, what, fifth or sixth year?" "My fifth. Professor McGonagall wrote me a letter saying she was sure I could catch up." "Yeah right. Only if you have a 4.0 grade point average." "3.8 actually." "You're kidding." "Basically. I'm probably about a three point something though." "Wow you're still pretty smart. You're gonna be in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." "Huh?" "Those are house you get sorted into according to your traits." "Oh, I see." "Yeah, I'm in Gryffindor. Who knows? You might end up with me!"
By this time, Julia's mother had caught up with them. "Do you wanna come with us as we shop for my school supplies?" Julia asked Samantha. "Sure! My parents are busy buying my brother's thing for his first year anyways. I've already gotten my stuff and I'm bored out of my mind." "Cool. You can tell me about Hogwarts as we shop." "Okay!"