Welcome back minna-san! I've been so happy. My inbox has had at least five reviewers, just for this. (might not be much, but its enough to make me happy!) Thank you so much to Samantha Kaharu Kubota, Wydinel Sheergale, Lily of the Shadow, Crazy Hyper Lady and TheBetanWerecat for you're reviews! Hope you like this next chapter!
Disclaimer: still don't own. Waaaaaaaaaaa…
Last time on RuroKen and the Philosopher's stone:
Kenshin and Hiko have to get a portkey to London, but who – or what – has met them at the other end…?
Chapter FiveKeeper of the Keys
Kenshin couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at the stranger who stood waiting in the semi-darkness for Hiko and himself. Nothing in all of his life could have prepared him for this sight.
The person who stood there was easily over seven foot tall – even bigger than his Shishou. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild tangled beard, but you could just make out his eyes that glinted like back beetles under thick, bushy eyebrows. Kenshin couldn't help but think dazedly how a man without bear's blood in him could grow so big!
'...And who are you?' he heard his master ask the other man.
'The name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Dumbledore sent me ter be yer guide.' He held out an enormous hand to them and ended up shaking Kenshin's entire arm. He looked back at Hiko. 'An' yer must be Mr Hiko? Do yer have the letter? I gotta check, see.'
Hiko took out the envelope Kenshin gave him and took out one letter. Briefly unfolding it and looking it over, he handed it to the giant man. Kenshin suddenly realised he was staring at the man and quickly shut his mouth, scrambling to his feet.
'Best be off then. We got lots ter do today an' gotta buy all yer stuff fer school. Follow me'.
Hagrid set off toward the city, which Kenshin assumed was London. Though a big man like Hiko found no trouble in following the giant-man's large strides, Kenshin had to jog to keep up. They weren't silent for long, however, and soon the big man turned round to Kenshin. As Kenshin looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face, he noticed those beetle-black eyes crinkle in a smile.
'An' Yer must be Kenshin.' He said.
'Yes, sir,' he panted as he jogged. The man laughed in a friendly way.
'No need ter call me "sir". Call me Hagrid, everyone does. I guess it was a bit o' a shock when yer got that letter?'
Kenshin felt that he had a friendly ki, even though it was the strangest ki he had ever felt in his life. It seemed to have an almost static quality to it. Was this the ki of a wizard?
'It was a bit,' he admitted.
Hagrid smiled. 'I guess it would be, livin' with muggles'
'Muggles?' Hiko asked. Kenshin remembered how Hiko had told him that he was referred to as a muggle when explaining what was in the letter from Dumbledore. Hagrid glanced back at him.
'It's what we call non-magic folk like yerself'
'Oh,' Kenshin said. This was indeed a strange world he had entered!
As Kenshin and Hiko followed him, they saw that even though it was late, there were still many people out walking around. And also, Kenshin found that the three of them drew many, many curious stares. Not only was Hagrid was a giant of a man – easily twice as tall as the average man – but he kept pointing to perfectly normal things like parking metres or cars and loudly declare 'see that? What these Muggles dream up, eh?' Hiko, of course, was a seven-foot tall Asian man with a huge white cloak on. Kenshin had a white training gi on and light blue hakama. What's more is that Kenshin, in plain view, had a Japanese Katana stuffed through the sash around his waist. The three of them together made a very strange sight indeed. Hagrid seemed oblivious to the stares; Hiko was too preoccupied to notice; however, Kenshin was very uncomfortable.
'I told you we would look out of place, Master,' Kenshin hissed at Hiko.
However, before Hiko could give him his usual aloof reply, Hagrid announced loudly ''ere we are!' coming to a halt 'The leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place,' Kenshin peered around Hagrid's huge form to look.
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub with a sign that looked rather unstable as is swung over the door. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Kenshin wouldn't have noticed it was there. People hurrying by didn't even give it a glance. Their eyes slid from a Waterstones bookstore to a large Virgin Megastores on the other. Kenshin had a funny feeling that they couldn't even see it. Meanwhile, Hiko didn't look like he was fairing much better.
'Where is it?' Hiko said, looking from side to side, not noticing the pub right in front of his eyes.
'Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that,' Hagrid said apologetically. 'I forgot yer a muggle. You'll have ter lead Mr Hiko inside, Kenshin,' with that said, Hagrid ducked through the door of the tiny pub.
'This way, Master,' Kenshin said bemusedly as he steered his master, not understanding how Hiko could not see the tiny, but rather obvious, building.
'I guess I was unable to see the building since I am not a wizard,' Hiko said when they entered the dark room.
'Oh,' Kenshin said absentmindedly, looking around at the curious surroundings. For such a famous place, it was rather dark and shabby, lit up only by a couple of candles. Despite the lateness of the hour, the pub was still quite busy. A group of women chatted animatedly in a corner, while a man in a slanted bright yellow hat was talking with an old barman who's head looked like some sort of wrinkly walnut. As they came in, everyone stopped talking. Noticing Hagrid, everyone waved of bid hello, while the barman asked in a pleasant voice, 'The usual, Hagrid?'
'Ah, can't yet, Tom. I'm on Hogwarts business.' He patted Kenshin on his head, which made his knees buckle. Hagrid looked around and something caught his eye. 'Oh, professor Quirrell!'
Kenshin followed Hagrid's gaze. A man he had not noticed before – which was rather surprising as he was wearing the largest purple turban Kenshin had ever seen – jumped nervously and spun round to look who was calling. Kenshin noticed his eye was twitching. What a strange reaction.
Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by the odd reaction and said, 'Kenshin, this is one of your teachers from Hogwarts'
'Mr Hi-Him-Himura,' stammered the man, stumbling a little over Kenshin's foreign name. 'P-pleased to m-meet you' he grasped Kenshin's hand nervously.
Slightly disturbed by the way the man was acting, Kenshin gave him his warmest smile. 'What is it you teach, professor?'
'D-defence against the d-dark arts,' he muttered, as if he would rather not think about it. Kenshin was a little unsure – the man looked like one good "boo" behind him would send him into a stroke or something.
'Well,' Hagrid said cheerfully 'we've gotta go 'n all ter get all his books. See yer at Hogwarts, Professor,' with that, Hagrid steered Kenshin through a door at the back of the pub. It led out into a small, walled courtyard, where there were only a dustbin and several species of weed. While Hagrid seemed preoccupied searching through his large coat, Kenshin felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up at his master. He was surprised when he was met with, not the arrogant face of his annoying master, but that of a man deep in thought. The change shocked him.
As quietly as he could, so Hagrid would not hear, Hiko whispered in Japanese "Something is wrong with that Quirrell person, Kenshin. I want you to keep an eye on him."
Kenshin was so surprised at being addressed as Kenshin by Hiko that it took him a minute to reply. "What do you mean by that, Shishou?"
"I'm not sure, that's what is bothering me," Hiko said, his eyes narrowed. "Something about his Ki is strange, but I can't figure out what."
Kenshin glanced over his shoulder towards the pub again, but could not sense anything wrong with Professor Quirrell's Ki. "So you want me to keep watch him?" Kenshin asked dumbfounded.
"Yes, just make sure he doesn't try to kill anyone."
"N-nani!" Now Kenshin was really confused. "How do you know he's going to try to kill someone, Shishou?"
Hiko frowned "It's strange. You should be able to feel it if you try hard enough. It's hidden, a very malicious intent."
Trying to dig deeper into Quirrell's Ki, Kenshin finally found what Hiko was talking about. Something was very strange with it. "It's as if he has a dominant Ki and a dormant Ki!" he exclaimed.
"Aa, but that shouldn't be possible. No one should have two separate Ki signatures. That is why I want you to investigate this." Hiko told Kenshin.
"You mean, you want me to spy on a Teacher?" Kenshin asked disbelievingly.
"Not necessari-"
'Ah, here we are!' Hagrid interrupted loudly. Hiko immediately stopped. Kenshin glanced over to see what it was he found. 'Oro?' In Hagrid's large hand was the daffiest umbrella he had ever seen. Not only was it quite small compared to its owner and quite battered, but it was bright pink! 'Now stand back,' he warned them. Unsure what Hagrid was planning to do, Hiko and Kenshin moved back as one.
Hagrid raised his umbrella and, with the end of it, began counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin.
'Three up...two across…' Hagrid muttered, touching the brick he ended on three times with the point of the pink umbrella.
Just as Kenshin was wondering about Hagrid's sanity, the brick in the wall quivered - it wriggled – in the middle, a hole was appearing in front of Kenshin wide eyes. Soon the hole was wide enough for even his Master to step through with plenty of headspace, an archway onto a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.
'Welcome,' said Hagrid, 'to Diagon Alley,'
'Ororororo...' Kenshin said softly in awe.
'Well stop standing there staring and get in, idiot apprentice,' Hiko said, pushing Kenshin through the whole and then following him in. Hagrid followed soon after. Kenshin glanced back over his shoulder just in time to see the archway shrink back into a normal, solid wall.
'It's a little late, but we've gotta get yer money first, before we can get yer stuff,' Hagrid said as they started down the cobbled streets. Kenshin followed after Hagrid and Hiko, trying to look everywhere at once. There were places selling cauldrons, owls, brooms, robes, telescopes, various animal body parts, spell books, quills, parchment, and many other things that Kenshin had never laid eyes on before. However, there weren't very many people shopping. Kenshin turned to Hagrid.
'Where do we have to go to change muggle money, Hagrid?' he asked, trying his hand at a little wizard talk. Hagrid looked down at him.
'We've gotta go ter Gringotts wizard bank'
'Wizards have banks?' Kenshin said in surprise.
'Just the one – Gringotts. It's run by Goblins'
Kenshin stopped short. 'Goblins!'
If Hagrid was surprised by Kenshin's behaviour, he didn't show it. 'Yeah – so yer'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yer that. Never mess with goblins, Kenshin. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yer want ter keep safe – 'cept maybe Hogwarts. Ah, here we are. Gringotts.'
Kenshin and Hiko looked up at what Hagrid had pointed to. They had reached a snow white building, much larger than any of the other shops around it. Large burnished bronze doors towered over even Hagrid, and standing next to them, wearing a tiny uniform of red and gold was-
'Yeah, that's a goblin' Hagrid nodded, seeing Kenshin's wide, amethyst eyes. A goblin. If anyone had told him a few months ago he would see a real live goblin; he would have laughed in their faces, knowing they were just in fairy tales. But magic used to be only in fairy tales too, Kenshin mused. Walking up closer to the goblin, Kenshin noticed that it was even shorter than he was and had a swarthy, cleaver face, a pointed beard and very long fingers and feet. It bowed as they walked inside. Then, they were facing a pair of silver doors bearing the inscription:
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.
'A very heart-warming greeting,' Hiko remarked as they walked through, past another two bowing goblins.
'Like I said, yer'd be mad ter try an' rob it,' Hagrid said. Kenshin suppressed a shudder.
As Kenshin and the others walked through the silver doors, they found themselves in a vast marble hall. Kenshin was sure that, if you could move a whole house, you'd be able to put Hiko's cabin in several (hundred) times. About a hundred goblins sat on high stools behind a counter larger than Kenshin was, scribing in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining large gems through eyeglasses, holding them in cleaver hands. Around the hall were more doors than Kenshin could count in one sitting, and even more goblins showing the odd person through them. Hagrid glanced around and pointed to the free goblin near the middle. As they approached, it looked down at them with narrow eyes.
'Hello, we'd like ter exchange some muggle money fer wizard's money,' Hagrid informed him.
'What kind of muggle money is it, sir?' the goblin asked.
Hagrid swore slightly under his breath and turned to Kenshin and Hiko. 'I dunno anything about Muggle money.' He mumbled. Kenshin and Hiko glanced at each other. Taking this as a hint, Hiko said 'Japanese muggle money: yen.' Hagrid smiled sheepishly in thanks.
'Very well, may I see the amount to be exchanged sir?' asked the goblin with an out-stretched hand.
Hiko grabbed the bag from somewhere in his mantle and handed it to him.
'Thank you, sir. This will only take a moment,' said the goblin, counting the many coins and bills in the bag.
'It is surprising that people would pay so much for your pottery,' Kenshin muttered to his master, watching the goblin count all that money.
'How is it surprising, idiot apprentice?' Hiko muttered back, also watching. 'I told you that my considerable skills were not limited to swords.'
'Mm-hmm,' Kenshin hummed disbelievingly.
Waiting for a few more minutes, the goblin finally finished counting. He then jumped off of his stool and disappeared underneath the counter, apparently looking for something. He reappeared with a small roll of parchment and a fancy black quill in his hand. As he wrote something on it- without dipping it in ink first, Kenshin noticed- the goblin nodded slightly. 'Everything seems to be in order' he told them, and then called out, 'Griphook!'
Another goblin walked over to the part of the counter the goblin serving Hagrid, Hiko and Kenshin. The first goblin gave Griphook the parchment and instructed him, 'Take these gentlemen to the foreign exchange vault and give them the amount I have written.'
'Yes, sir,' Griphook said. Turning to the three with a low bow, he said 'Follow me sirs.'
Griphook lead them towards one of the many doors and held it open for them. Kenshin had to blink several times to get used to the suddenly dim lighting. They had been lead into a dark, stone passageway, lit with several flaming torches. It sloped downwards steeply and ended in what looked like a small railway line, which swerved around a corner into darkness. Griphook looked them over and gave two, short, loud whistles and, out of nowhere, two small carts, locked together, hurtled to a stop right in front of them.
'In we go, sirs,' Griphook told them as he climbed in. Kenshin climbed into the first cart with the goblin without difficulty, but Hiko had to suffer a little discomfort considering his size. Hagrid, being even bigger than Hiko, had the second cart to himself, but was still squashed. He looked, in Kenshin's opinion, rather apprehensive. When they were all comfortably- or as comfortable as they could be in Hiko and Hagrid's case- inside the cart, they sped off into a maze of tunnels.
Kenshin attempted to remember right, right, left, middle, left – but it was going so fast, it was impossible. All Kenshin had to show for it were rather swirly eyes. Kenshin started to wonder where exactly they were going, but when he turned to ask the goblin he realised Griphook wasn't even steering. The ride wasn't very long and before Kenshin knew it, they had stopped.
Stumbling out of the cart, Kenshin turned to see how Hiko had made of the roller-coaster-like trip. However, Hiko, as usual, didn't even bat an eyelash. Hagrid, on the other hand, looked quite green and Kenshin had a horrible feeling he was going to be sick. He had to lean against the wall, while Kenshin patted him on the back awkwardly until it looked like he had recovered a little.
The goblin waited patiently, holding a small lantern, until they were ready and lead them up to a large door in the wall. Griphook fished into his pocket and brought out a ring of tiny keys. Selecting one, Griphook stuck it into the lock. As it gave a dull click, Griphook explained 'the personal vaults are down below, but since this one doesn't belong to one specific family or customer, it doesn't get exactly the same security.'
Kenshin understood their thinking, but he wondered, wide-eyed with wonder, if the vault should be down deeper when he saw what was inside. There were small mountains of gold, silver, and bronze coins inside the vast vault.
'Oro…' he gasped in amazement.
'The gold ones are Galleons' Hagrid explained, noticing Kenshin's dazed expression with a small smile 'Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle, its easy enough.'
Kenshin turned back to the goblin and watched as Griphook counted out coins unbelievably fast and putting them in a small, leather bag. He soon filled one and took out another bag that looked exactly like the first and started filling that one too. When he was halfway through the fifth bag, a few minutes later, he stood up and tied it. '1568 Galleons, 7 Sickles and 17 Knuts in all - a very large amount. I exchanged a few Galleons for Sickles and Knuts so you'd have a more even amount, sir,' Griphook said, handing them the five bags.
'Thank you,' said Hiko as Kenshin just stared incredulously at the bulging bag of gold he had.
They made their way back to the carts, with Hagrid looking rather sick again. I hope he doesn't throw up, Kenshin thought in a slightly dazed way. They rode a cart back and Kenshin recovered enough from his astonishment to say 'thank you' to Griphook. Soon they were once again standing in the cool night air, and it was probably getting close to midnight by then. Kenshin realised how tired he was for only being up for a few hours. 'Master, where will we stay for the night?' Kenshin asked sleepily.
'Tired already, idiot apprentice?' Hiko asked in rare sympathy. 'It's understandable.'
Hagrid chuckled. 'The Leaky Cauldron doubles as an inn; yer can get a room from there.'
'Th-Thank you,' Kenshin said, stifling a large yawn behind a hand.
'Tomorrow, I'll take yer round ter get yer stuff fer Hogwarts, okay?' Hagrid said.
Kenshin was barely awake through the walk back to the Leaky Cauldron; he was so tired. When they got into the room Hiko rented, Kenshin literally collapsed on the bed. He only had one thought before he surrendered to unconsciousness. If today was this exciting, I wonder what tomorrow has in store. With a small smile, he surrendered himself to sleep.
To be continued…
Chosha's notes.
I had to think of the time difference, but I'm not sure I got it quite right. If I haven't, I'm sorry, but I wanted to have Kenshin have a full day in Diagon rather than spend it in the bank. I don't think I have much else to comment on, only that Hiko and Kenshin would get suspicious of Quirrell for two ki signatures. As Hiko explains, no one should have two life forces. Of course, with Harry, he never had ki sense, so would just take him the way he appears. Any Questions, comments or criticisms? Please REVIEW!
Next time on RuroKen and the Philosopher's stone:
Kenshin gets a true feel for wizarding life, along with the wand and the owl to boot! Plus what mischief would a red head with a magic stick come up with? Find out next episode: Diagon Alley - Revisited