A/N: Chapter seven! Read and enjoy!
---
After turning several more corners and walking down long streets, Charlotte found herself facing a building as white as fresh snow that towered high above the other tiny shops. Waiting next to the large bronze doors stood a small creature with a clever-looking face and long fingers wearing a uniform of gold and scarlet. As Charlotte and her father came closer to the great doors, he bowed at them.
"Dad, what was that?" Charlotte asked as they walked inside, only to find yet another pair of doors.
"A goblin. Very smart beings, but not the most friendly you'll meet." he replied.
As they came closer to the silver doors, Charlotte noticed something engraved on them.
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.
Another two goblins bowed to them as they passed through the large silver doors, leading them to an enormous hall of marble. Standing in front of a particularly large counter stood an exceptionally tall man and a boy with messy jet-black hair.
"Hey!" Mr. Talon suddenly called out. "Hagrid! Over here, old friend!"
"You... know that guy?" Charlotte asked.
"I attended Hogwarts with him for a little while. Imagine, seeing him here after all this time!" he responded.
"Is that his son, Dad?" she questioned, pointing to the boy beside him.
"I don't think Hagrid had any children..."
Hagrid turned around, searching for the person who had called his name. The boy standing next to him turned around as well, and Charlotte noticed he had glasses. She wasn't paying much attention to anything, because her mind was on the fact that she had never seen a taller man than this "Hagrid." It was a little intimidating.
"Over here, Rubeus! It's Frank Talon!"
Hagrid looked straight ahead, his eyes meeting Mr. Talon's. He grinned widely and walked over. It looked like he was carrying a small brown-paper bag, which he quickly stuffed into one of his many coat pockets. The boy behind him quietly tagged along.
"Great ter see yeh, Frank! Put 'er there!" Hagrid said, extending one of his very large hands out for Mr. Talon to shake.
"It's been too long, Rubeus." Frank said.
"Too long. And who's this 'ere young lady?"
"My daughter, Charlotte. She recently got her Hogwarts acceptance letter."
"Good afternoon, Charlotte. This 'ere is Harry. We've just made a withdrawal outta his account."
"Hello," Harry sad.
"Nice to meet you, Harry," Charlotte said with a smile.
Harry smiled back, and that was when she noticed his forehead. A thin, lightning bolt-shaped scar could be seen on his pale face, though she said nothing about it.
"Where did that scar come from?" she thought.
"Wait one moment," Mr. Talon said. "Is this Harry Potter?"
"That he is," Hagrid responded.
Harry quickly covered his scar with his hand and bit his lip. Mr. Talon eagerly stuck out his arm for a handshake, which Harry reluctantly gave, or so Charlotte thought.
"What's he covering his forehead for? And why did Dad make such a big deal out of his name?" she wondered.
"Well, we got ter git goin' now. Gotta take Harry ter get his robes fitted." Hagrid said.
"Yes, and we need to make our withdrawal as well. We still have to buy Charlotte's supplies," Mr. Talon replied.
"Alrigh', then. C'mon, Harry. Nice ter see yeh, Frank," Hagrid said.
"Bye," Harry said, looking at Charlotte.
"See you in school," Charlotte replied.
The two walked out of the silver doors at the end of the hall and disappeared into the streets of Diagon Alley.
"Next," the goblin at the counter called out.
"That's us, Charlotte. Come on, now." Mr. Talon said, taking hold of his daughter's hand.
They walked toward the counter and Mr. Talon said, "We would like to make a withdrawal from the account of Frank Talon, please."
"Do you have the key, sir?"
"Yes," Mr. Talon responded, digging in his pocket for it. A few moments later, he held out a tiny copper key, and handed it to the goblin.
After a brief examination, the goblin said, "Everything seems to be in order." He then cleared his throat and called, "Griphook! Please take these two to vault 1529."
It was then that another goblin walked over to the counter and said, "Follow me, please."
Charlotte, still having her hand in her father's, kept close attention to the things around her. Even after she was sure that magic was truly real, she could not help but think that she was only having a dream. A fantastic, wonderful dream like none she had ever had before.
Griphook led the two of them to a cart in a small, narrow stone passageway. The hall was lit dimmly by several flaming torches along the walls. When all of them got into the cart, it began to move right away. It was also going very fast, and that made it difficult for Charlotte to keep track of where they were going. She was also beginning to feel a little sick, and she was delighted when the cart stopped moving.
"Key, please," Griphook said as he got out of the cart. Mr. Talon stood up, and motioned for Charlotte to do the same. Finally, they had both gotten out of the cart as well, and her father handed over the key.
Griphook took the key in his hands and thanked Mr. Talon. Then, after sticking the copper key into a hole that Charlotte could barely see, green smoke poured out as the vault opened. To her amazement, she saw piles and piles of gold, silver and bronze as the smoke cleared.
"Oh my goodness," she sighed.
"Thank you, Griphook. We'll be done in a moment." her father said, and Griphook walked back over to the cart to wait.
"Dad... this is all your money?" Charlotte asked in astonishment.
"Ours, Charlotte. And don't worry. There's plenty." Mr. Talon replied. "This should be enough to cover the cost of your school supplies and whatever else you may need during your terms." he said as he piled coins into a burlap sack Griphook had handed him.
With that being done, Charlotte and Mr. Talon walked back over to the cart, and again, it moved immediately. Charlotte turned around just in time to see another goblin close their vault, before the cart jolted and forced her back into her seat.
"Best not turn around, Miss. You may become ill," Griphook called from the front.
"Yes, thank you, Griphook," Charlotte responded. She could feel her face turning green, and even though she didn't want to get sick, she was so intrigued by what may be under the cart's rails. After Griphook spoke, Mr. Talon took hold of Charlotte's arm, making sure she would not get a chance to find out.
The cart turned more bumpy corners, until they were finally back at where they had started. The sack of money was at Mr. Talon's waist, and the two left the building, off to purchase the items Charlotte would need for Hogwarts.
As they walked through both sets of doors once more, she smiled widely. The sun was shining, and nothing was going to dampen her spirits today.
---
After turning several more corners and walking down long streets, Charlotte found herself facing a building as white as fresh snow that towered high above the other tiny shops. Waiting next to the large bronze doors stood a small creature with a clever-looking face and long fingers wearing a uniform of gold and scarlet. As Charlotte and her father came closer to the great doors, he bowed at them.
"Dad, what was that?" Charlotte asked as they walked inside, only to find yet another pair of doors.
"A goblin. Very smart beings, but not the most friendly you'll meet." he replied.
As they came closer to the silver doors, Charlotte noticed something engraved on them.
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.
Another two goblins bowed to them as they passed through the large silver doors, leading them to an enormous hall of marble. Standing in front of a particularly large counter stood an exceptionally tall man and a boy with messy jet-black hair.
"Hey!" Mr. Talon suddenly called out. "Hagrid! Over here, old friend!"
"You... know that guy?" Charlotte asked.
"I attended Hogwarts with him for a little while. Imagine, seeing him here after all this time!" he responded.
"Is that his son, Dad?" she questioned, pointing to the boy beside him.
"I don't think Hagrid had any children..."
Hagrid turned around, searching for the person who had called his name. The boy standing next to him turned around as well, and Charlotte noticed he had glasses. She wasn't paying much attention to anything, because her mind was on the fact that she had never seen a taller man than this "Hagrid." It was a little intimidating.
"Over here, Rubeus! It's Frank Talon!"
Hagrid looked straight ahead, his eyes meeting Mr. Talon's. He grinned widely and walked over. It looked like he was carrying a small brown-paper bag, which he quickly stuffed into one of his many coat pockets. The boy behind him quietly tagged along.
"Great ter see yeh, Frank! Put 'er there!" Hagrid said, extending one of his very large hands out for Mr. Talon to shake.
"It's been too long, Rubeus." Frank said.
"Too long. And who's this 'ere young lady?"
"My daughter, Charlotte. She recently got her Hogwarts acceptance letter."
"Good afternoon, Charlotte. This 'ere is Harry. We've just made a withdrawal outta his account."
"Hello," Harry sad.
"Nice to meet you, Harry," Charlotte said with a smile.
Harry smiled back, and that was when she noticed his forehead. A thin, lightning bolt-shaped scar could be seen on his pale face, though she said nothing about it.
"Where did that scar come from?" she thought.
"Wait one moment," Mr. Talon said. "Is this Harry Potter?"
"That he is," Hagrid responded.
Harry quickly covered his scar with his hand and bit his lip. Mr. Talon eagerly stuck out his arm for a handshake, which Harry reluctantly gave, or so Charlotte thought.
"What's he covering his forehead for? And why did Dad make such a big deal out of his name?" she wondered.
"Well, we got ter git goin' now. Gotta take Harry ter get his robes fitted." Hagrid said.
"Yes, and we need to make our withdrawal as well. We still have to buy Charlotte's supplies," Mr. Talon replied.
"Alrigh', then. C'mon, Harry. Nice ter see yeh, Frank," Hagrid said.
"Bye," Harry said, looking at Charlotte.
"See you in school," Charlotte replied.
The two walked out of the silver doors at the end of the hall and disappeared into the streets of Diagon Alley.
"Next," the goblin at the counter called out.
"That's us, Charlotte. Come on, now." Mr. Talon said, taking hold of his daughter's hand.
They walked toward the counter and Mr. Talon said, "We would like to make a withdrawal from the account of Frank Talon, please."
"Do you have the key, sir?"
"Yes," Mr. Talon responded, digging in his pocket for it. A few moments later, he held out a tiny copper key, and handed it to the goblin.
After a brief examination, the goblin said, "Everything seems to be in order." He then cleared his throat and called, "Griphook! Please take these two to vault 1529."
It was then that another goblin walked over to the counter and said, "Follow me, please."
Charlotte, still having her hand in her father's, kept close attention to the things around her. Even after she was sure that magic was truly real, she could not help but think that she was only having a dream. A fantastic, wonderful dream like none she had ever had before.
Griphook led the two of them to a cart in a small, narrow stone passageway. The hall was lit dimmly by several flaming torches along the walls. When all of them got into the cart, it began to move right away. It was also going very fast, and that made it difficult for Charlotte to keep track of where they were going. She was also beginning to feel a little sick, and she was delighted when the cart stopped moving.
"Key, please," Griphook said as he got out of the cart. Mr. Talon stood up, and motioned for Charlotte to do the same. Finally, they had both gotten out of the cart as well, and her father handed over the key.
Griphook took the key in his hands and thanked Mr. Talon. Then, after sticking the copper key into a hole that Charlotte could barely see, green smoke poured out as the vault opened. To her amazement, she saw piles and piles of gold, silver and bronze as the smoke cleared.
"Oh my goodness," she sighed.
"Thank you, Griphook. We'll be done in a moment." her father said, and Griphook walked back over to the cart to wait.
"Dad... this is all your money?" Charlotte asked in astonishment.
"Ours, Charlotte. And don't worry. There's plenty." Mr. Talon replied. "This should be enough to cover the cost of your school supplies and whatever else you may need during your terms." he said as he piled coins into a burlap sack Griphook had handed him.
With that being done, Charlotte and Mr. Talon walked back over to the cart, and again, it moved immediately. Charlotte turned around just in time to see another goblin close their vault, before the cart jolted and forced her back into her seat.
"Best not turn around, Miss. You may become ill," Griphook called from the front.
"Yes, thank you, Griphook," Charlotte responded. She could feel her face turning green, and even though she didn't want to get sick, she was so intrigued by what may be under the cart's rails. After Griphook spoke, Mr. Talon took hold of Charlotte's arm, making sure she would not get a chance to find out.
The cart turned more bumpy corners, until they were finally back at where they had started. The sack of money was at Mr. Talon's waist, and the two left the building, off to purchase the items Charlotte would need for Hogwarts.
As they walked through both sets of doors once more, she smiled widely. The sun was shining, and nothing was going to dampen her spirits today.
