A/N: Revised Chapter 3
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are copyrighted to their respectful owners.
Riddles
By PyroMonsoon
Chapter 3: Stupid Diagon Alley
I arrived in Diagon Alley. As usual, the place was bright, sunny, crowed, and over all disgusting. I made a face and walked away from the fireplace. "Ugh . . . people in Europe are so disgusting." I heard another whoosh behind me. 'Oh yay! Draco's here.' I smirked at my own inside joke. 'I love me.' I headed toward Gringotts to get some money from my account. I passed the first set of doors and stopped at the second. I read the inscription for the twentieth time.
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.
"I love that." I passed the goblin at the door and pushed open the door. I headed toward one of the free goblins at a desk. I dug my key out and handed it to the small creature. "Vault eight hundred and ninety nine." The old goblin looked up.
"That vault has not been opened in several years. Usually you take the Malfoy's money Miss Riddle." He grabbed my key.
I grinned. "I know, but there is something more than money in that vault and I want it now." He nodded his head and called for a familiar goblin.
"FOWLER!" A small goblin ran up. The bookkeeper handed Fowler the key to my vault. "Eight hundred and ninety nine - you know the rule." Fowler gave a curt nod and hustled me away.
I raced him to the cart and jumped in. "You like this too much Rilee." Slowly Fowler climbed into the cart and released the break.
"It's just like a roller coaster!" I threw my hands up as we went down a big slope and swerved around another. Fowler shook his head and sharply turned the last corner to my vault.
"Good no one else is around." He got out and placed the key into the lock. I jumped out and ran into the gold filled room. I filled my moneybag with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Then I mad my way through the pool of gold to reach the five dull items. In the corner lay several packages wrapped in brown paper. Quickly I shrunk the larger of the packages and loaded them all into my bag. I raced back across, slipping and sliding on the gold. I flew out the door into the small walkway.
"How long?" I panted.
"One minute five seconds." We grinned at each other. Since I was first able to come to Gringotts, Fowler had always been my friend.
"I get better every time." I returned to the cart. "Come on Fowler. This thing won't move without you." The little goblin ran over and jumped in. The cart lurched foreword and we flew back to the surface. When we came to a stop I leaped out and bowed to my friend. "Good sir. I pray thee to remove thyne self of the wagon," I said in my Old English accent. He nodded and slowly, but delicately stepped out of the cart.
"I thank thee of a much enjoyed encounter young Miss Riddle." We bowed to each other, laughing then walked out into the big front portion of the building. The bookkeeper goblin saw us and called Fowler over for another job. "Goodbye Miss Rilee!" He scuttled away toward his boss.
I smiled and walked out of the huge marble structure. I jumped the last four steps, landing on some person's robe. "Hey watch it kid!" The old man quickened his pace and hurried away as I grinned like a fool. When he was out of sight my fool's smile disappeared into a scowl. 'Jerk.' I walked down the bright alley, purposefully causing trouble every where I stepped. I passed several Hogwarts students, all drooling over the broomstick, the Firebolt.
"Idiots." I pushed one into the glass so hard that his nose started to bleed.
"Neville!" I heard one say. I walked away snickering. "Sometimes Diagon Alley is better than Knockturn." I passed Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and decided that I needed new robes. 'Hey this IS dad's money and the Malfoy's. Why not spend it?' I entered the shop and was immediately seized by Madam Malkin. "I need some new robes ma'am. I'm starting my third year so I need some dresses too." The happy witch smiled.
"Well, why don't we just start with the dresses dear. What's your favorite color?" I stared at her. I really thought my black outfit was dead give away but I answered none the less.
"Black."
"That's it? Oh come now. There must be another color besides that. Perhaps pink? Or maybe yellow?"
"Do I look like I like pink?" I rolled my eyes. "Fine, black, silver and green." She was slightly taken aback by my tongue. She waved her wand and several dresses appeared.
"Try this one on first." Magically the first silver one was placed upon me.
"I look as fat as a cow. No more silver." She waved her wand again and I was wearing a green dress. This one was more like a prom dress and too light in color. "Do you have any darker green?" I asked. With another wand wave, the dress had changed from light green to a deep green satin dress. The skirt reached the floor and kept my feet hidden. The top was a strapless that fit my body curves nicely. I looked in the mirror. It was the first dress I had that wasn't black. "I guess it'll do."
"You guess? Dear that dress looks fantastic on you. It is extremely expensive though."
"I can pay. Don't worry about that." Malkin walked to the front of the store and began to ring up the order. I stayed there on the stool, looking at myself for a few more seconds. I turned to see the back. It laced up, starting at the lower back. I smirked. I looked ahead of me and saw several boys looking in the window and gawking. I made a face and got down. "Dumb idiots."
Two minutes later I was back in the sunlit street of Diagon Alley, with a big bag and lighter purse. I walked into Flourish and Blotts, sighing in the cooler air. I grabbed the required books and wandered around alittle. 'It's been awhile.' I roamed the top shelves searching for something interesting. An old leather bound book caught my eye. I pulled it down.
"Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest" I opened the first page, reading the first few lines. "In the eastern portion of England, lay a vast and dense land, Sherwood Forest. Many legends have been written and told of this famous land, but none as famous as the great outlaw Robin Hood. His fearless valor and brave heart make him a hero in many societies. This is his story and the stories of his men, the Merry Men. This is Robin Hood and his Merry Men."
"It's a muggle book," said a grumpy voice behind me. I turned to face an old wizard.
"I'm sorry sir?" He pointed to the book in my hands.
"That book is a muggle book. It shouldn't even be in this store." His cane came up and whacked the page I was on and walked away.
"Weirdo." I closed the large volume and placed it in my bag. I headed for the counter. I placed my schoolbooks on the counter and paused.
"It's all right. Nothing to be afraid of." The man behind the counter nodded knowingly. I reached into my bag and placed the leather bound book on top of the others. He smiled and I gave him the money.
I walked out of another shop with a bigger bag and an even lighter purse. I sat down at an empty table in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and watched the witches and wizards bustle past. I glanced around me surveying the other people also at the ice cream parlor. At one table a girl of my age was reading a book by herself. Her small stature was almost as deceiving as her concentration. I could tell by the way her eyes fluttered around, that she was preoccupied and was only using the book as a cover. 'I'll probably see her at Hogwarts. Oh yay.' I got out my wand and released the girl from my mind.
My wand was fairly clean and kept but it still seemed . . . I don't know, violated I guess. It didn't seem to feel right. 'I could take it to Ollivander. He would be able to tell me if something was wrong.' I placed my wand back inside my bag and got up. I grabbed my bags and left for the old dusty shop of wands.
Notes : Not many changes in this one, I replaced a few words that I was shocked to find I had used. Bad Pyro bad. Read Blackness by Neppy - it's good and deals with Emi Black, daughter to Sirius Black. It's really good.
Word Count: 1559