By the time the clock struck three, Harry and Ginny had entered the cold,
marble, hall of Gringotts. Approaching the desk at the far end of the room,
Harry's hand earnestly searched the contents of his pocket.
"Merlin, I think I've lost my key." Frustrated, he stopped in his tracks
and let go of Ginny's hand to more thoroughly search with both hands. Heart
racing his fingertips ached for the feel of metal in his hand.
With an exasperated sigh, Ginny reached for her wand. Aiming it at Harry's
left hand pocket, she uttered, "Retrievo." Not a moment later, Harry's hand
emerged with a golden key in his grasp. "Sorry Harry, but I told you not to
do your laundry at my house. Stupid gits they are, Fred and George. I
should've remembered this one. It's the 'Never Ending Pocket' as they like
to call it. The victim's hand won't find the item within the pocket until
many hours later unless the counterspell is said. They've been testing this
and others on Ron and me. It's been great fun!" she said with in an
exaggerated tone. "Harry, you should feel honored to be included in the
torture," she said sarcastically.
With a sigh of relief he handed his key to the goblin behind the desk who
climbed down from his stool with very little ease; after all, goblin's are
only three feet tall. They followed the waddling goblin toward the damp
corridor of vaults. Stepping into the cart first, Harry stuck out his hand
and helped Ginny down into the seat next to him.
When they reached vault one hundred and twenty seven, the goblin inserted the key. A profuse number of latches and locks could be heard releasing from inside the door before it swung open. Once they'd stepped inside, Ginny quickly grabbed hold of Harry's arm. For once in his life, Harry was speechless. His vault, once overflowing with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts contained only a small amount of money huddled far back in the shadows of the corner. "My money..." he whispered. Harry's mind raced in circles, frantically searching for something logical in the situation. He felt as if his world had gone black, as if the ground beneath his feat had disintegrated into oblivion.
"Harry, I-I..." she stammered.
"Ginny," said Harry shakily, "I have to leave." The reality of the situation was taking a hold of him.
"What?" she exclaimed. "You can't leave!"
"I have to Gin. I can't pay my debt. Malfoy, he'll take me to Voldemort straight away." Harry was panicking now, dozens of fears racing through his head at once. "If I stay, I'll just endanger the people around me, Ron, Hermione, you -"
"Harry -"
"They'll find me, somehow they'll find me, they'll hunt down the people I love -"
"Shh... No, it's alright -"
"I - I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they took you - took you away- if they hurt you-"
"Harry." Ginny was much closer to him now. Her hand brushed his hair out of his eyes and outlined the lightening bolt scar on his forehead, sending a shiver up his spine. Her eyes studied the details of his face. "We're going to work everything out. We just need some help," she said reassuringly. "I'm here, okay?"
Harry, slightly embarrassed at his explosion of worry, looked at his feet.
"Look at me, Harry." Ginny lifted his chin with her forefinger and met his uncertain eyes. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione exclaimed after hearing his dilemma.
"Malfoy's always desired to see to my death that should have occurred eighteen years ago," concluded Harry. "Now he's got his chance."
"Don't think that Harry." said Hermione. "We won't let anything happen to you."
Ron stood completely still from shock. From Harry's point of view, Ron looked exactly like a person in a muggle picture; not waving ecstatically at the camera like a witch or wizard, but remaining rock solid.
"I'm so sorry, mate," said Ron. "I never should have asked for your help."
Harry shook his head. "Ron, stop, its not your fault. You didn't steal the money." Harry ran his hands through is hair, laying his head in his hands. "I just need to figure out what to do."
"Well..." Hermione spoke up, "I could pay for it."
Harry and Ron blinked.
"Actually, I'll pay one thousand galleons." Hermione looked back and forth at her astonished friends. "Malfoy wouldn't be able to decline that large of a proposal."
"Hermione, where on earth would you get a thousand galleons?" demanded Ron.
At this Hermione blushed. " Er, remember the N.E.W.T.'s?" she responded.
"Oh, don't remind me." Ron groaned as he recalled the excruciatingly difficult exams all seventh years at Hogwarts must take. "I couldn't think straight for a whole week because of those bloody things."
"Well, I sort of got the highest scores in Hogwarts History," she said sheepishly.
"You WHAT?!" exclaimed Ron.
"Hermione, why didn't you tell us?" asked Harry with an encouraging smile.
"Frankly, I felt I should have kept my scores private, rather than parade them around to everyone like a supercilious valedictorian."
"A super silly vala-what?"
"Oh, never mind. Anyway, I was rewarded with a thousand galleons which I have yet to find a use for."
"Hermione, I - " Harry started.
Inexorable, she held out her hand firmly in front of him. "Don't you even start with me Harry James Potter. I'm going to help you pay the debt with interest and you cannot stop me."
Ron came up from behind Hermione, snaking his arms around her waist. "You are one hell of a woman," he said with a grin.
Harry, though very gracious, was not entirely convinced. "But Malfoy would never give up this chance to see to me dead. I don't see him ever taking the money."
"How 'bout if that nasty git doesn't accept it, I'll punch his lights out?" suggested Ron eagerly.
"Just relax Harry," said Hermione. "You always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Just trust us, we'll take care of it."
Relieved, Harry felt muscles relax in places he had not realized were tense. "I don't know how to thank you Hermione..." Returning from the office having written to her parents to inform them of the current situation, Ginny slipped her hand into Harry's. Closing his weary eyes, he breathed in a sigh of relief, and welcomed the familiar touch of her soft hand in his.
When they reached vault one hundred and twenty seven, the goblin inserted the key. A profuse number of latches and locks could be heard releasing from inside the door before it swung open. Once they'd stepped inside, Ginny quickly grabbed hold of Harry's arm. For once in his life, Harry was speechless. His vault, once overflowing with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts contained only a small amount of money huddled far back in the shadows of the corner. "My money..." he whispered. Harry's mind raced in circles, frantically searching for something logical in the situation. He felt as if his world had gone black, as if the ground beneath his feat had disintegrated into oblivion.
"Harry, I-I..." she stammered.
"Ginny," said Harry shakily, "I have to leave." The reality of the situation was taking a hold of him.
"What?" she exclaimed. "You can't leave!"
"I have to Gin. I can't pay my debt. Malfoy, he'll take me to Voldemort straight away." Harry was panicking now, dozens of fears racing through his head at once. "If I stay, I'll just endanger the people around me, Ron, Hermione, you -"
"Harry -"
"They'll find me, somehow they'll find me, they'll hunt down the people I love -"
"Shh... No, it's alright -"
"I - I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they took you - took you away- if they hurt you-"
"Harry." Ginny was much closer to him now. Her hand brushed his hair out of his eyes and outlined the lightening bolt scar on his forehead, sending a shiver up his spine. Her eyes studied the details of his face. "We're going to work everything out. We just need some help," she said reassuringly. "I'm here, okay?"
Harry, slightly embarrassed at his explosion of worry, looked at his feet.
"Look at me, Harry." Ginny lifted his chin with her forefinger and met his uncertain eyes. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione exclaimed after hearing his dilemma.
"Malfoy's always desired to see to my death that should have occurred eighteen years ago," concluded Harry. "Now he's got his chance."
"Don't think that Harry." said Hermione. "We won't let anything happen to you."
Ron stood completely still from shock. From Harry's point of view, Ron looked exactly like a person in a muggle picture; not waving ecstatically at the camera like a witch or wizard, but remaining rock solid.
"I'm so sorry, mate," said Ron. "I never should have asked for your help."
Harry shook his head. "Ron, stop, its not your fault. You didn't steal the money." Harry ran his hands through is hair, laying his head in his hands. "I just need to figure out what to do."
"Well..." Hermione spoke up, "I could pay for it."
Harry and Ron blinked.
"Actually, I'll pay one thousand galleons." Hermione looked back and forth at her astonished friends. "Malfoy wouldn't be able to decline that large of a proposal."
"Hermione, where on earth would you get a thousand galleons?" demanded Ron.
At this Hermione blushed. " Er, remember the N.E.W.T.'s?" she responded.
"Oh, don't remind me." Ron groaned as he recalled the excruciatingly difficult exams all seventh years at Hogwarts must take. "I couldn't think straight for a whole week because of those bloody things."
"Well, I sort of got the highest scores in Hogwarts History," she said sheepishly.
"You WHAT?!" exclaimed Ron.
"Hermione, why didn't you tell us?" asked Harry with an encouraging smile.
"Frankly, I felt I should have kept my scores private, rather than parade them around to everyone like a supercilious valedictorian."
"A super silly vala-what?"
"Oh, never mind. Anyway, I was rewarded with a thousand galleons which I have yet to find a use for."
"Hermione, I - " Harry started.
Inexorable, she held out her hand firmly in front of him. "Don't you even start with me Harry James Potter. I'm going to help you pay the debt with interest and you cannot stop me."
Ron came up from behind Hermione, snaking his arms around her waist. "You are one hell of a woman," he said with a grin.
Harry, though very gracious, was not entirely convinced. "But Malfoy would never give up this chance to see to me dead. I don't see him ever taking the money."
"How 'bout if that nasty git doesn't accept it, I'll punch his lights out?" suggested Ron eagerly.
"Just relax Harry," said Hermione. "You always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Just trust us, we'll take care of it."
Relieved, Harry felt muscles relax in places he had not realized were tense. "I don't know how to thank you Hermione..." Returning from the office having written to her parents to inform them of the current situation, Ginny slipped her hand into Harry's. Closing his weary eyes, he breathed in a sigh of relief, and welcomed the familiar touch of her soft hand in his.