If Shirou was still a child and still studying magecraft, he would see Diagon Alley as a center of the moonlit world. With magic, he could save many people and be the hero he have dreamt of. Of course as he got older and have a teacher in Rin and sometimes Luvia, he could see on how inadequate of him in magecraft. That and a strong debated with his alternate future self in the fifth holy grail war.
Right now, he is walking through Diagon Alley with Hagrid and Iris toward the Gringott. When he first enter Diagon Alley, he saw so many things that would made any magus of his world salivates and yell at the same time. He have a strong sixth sense when it comes to magic and he could tell on how much the magic community of the Alley itself have produced. It is so high that he have to stop sniffing the air itself if he doesn't want to loose his nose via sensory over load.
So he shut his circuits for awhile and walked along.
He turn to see how Iris have holding up in the light of things and saw that she was looking at everything with curious gaze. Then again, she was sheltered for most of her life, without knowing who she really was.
As she walked through the streets with her escort and fellow student-to-be, Shirou could see in her eyes, that she is acting as any child should be. He knew the feeling very well when he first came here
When Tom brought him to Diagon Alley, to teach the where and who of certain places, what he first witness was how much of a difference in magic this world has. It was multiple and strong, as if the age of Gods didn't ended. The amount of prana and mana needed to conjured must be high seeing how freely the magic was wielded. If any of the magus in his world shows up and saw this, they would be very angry. So far him as well. It took him ten FUCKING years for him get his magecraft right!
But this people make it oh so easily!
But that change when he tried his projection training in his room that Tom gave him to stay. He first tried it out on a normal blade and when away for a couple of hours, only to return with the blade still being there. He than structural analyst the projection and discovered nothing change. While being degrading, it was so slow it would take a full week if he could guess. His normal projections back at home only lasted hour or even a day if he fully focused on that blade or item before it was destroy.
So he trace Kanshou and Bakuya and analyst the blades itself. It was degrading but slower than it normally would. So much so he could say he perfected the first True Magic. Than again his fakes are literally a bastard version of said magic.
Huh... Maybe Gilgamesh was right. He is a true Faker. But it was thanks to him he gain more weapons for his Reality Marble, so... Screw on that gold bastard! Ha Ha!
Anyway, the reason why they are at Diagon Alley were to get the two school supplies. But first, they needed to get some money for Iris as Tom already gave Shirou a small bag of wizarding money. Such as the gold Galleon, the silver Sickle and the bronze Knut. Shirou did structural analysis the money only to be hit with a headache.
Apparently, it has magic resistance on them so, he couldn't trace it.
As they were walking towards the wizarding bank called Gringotts, what awaits the children were something that they never expect.
"That there are goblin, yeh' two.", said Hagrid as he turn to the two.
Actual goblin with scarlet and gold uniform standing guard in front of the bank's burnished bronze door doing their job as the two of them greet Hagrid, Iris and Shirou. The goblin were a head shorter than the two together, with a swarthy face and a pointed beard. Iris saw their hand and feet and they were long.
Shirou on the other hand jumped start five of his circuits seeing he need to know about them via smell.
As he suspected, they smell like iron, gold and earth. Back in his own world, he took Phantasmal Zoology seeing that it was a studies of Magical creatures or Phantasmal. While it didn't require much of magecraft, it those take more than enough of knowledge of what, where and which legends, location as well as habits that said phantasmal has. He also learned that magical creatures and phantasmal aren't the same.
Goblins in general are cannon fodders to most in terms of speed and magical abilities. While they are adapt with their kind of spell and crafts, it was their weapons that they are proud of. In mythology alone, they didn't have the same recognition as the drawf or elf for that manners. Even if their weapons were excellently made, they were out shadowed by their Faes counterparts.
Within his Reality Marble, he searched for any weapons belongs to goblins and they were a few. Even some of the weapons he traced from Gilgamesh had a some origin that it was made from goblins.
As they pass the first door, the second door had proof to be more of a warning. The second door it self was silver and it had engraving on it.
"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."
The warning was more both of a promise and ominous in every turn. Hagrid even told them that it would be madness to steal from goblins. Shirou very much knew their history, albeit by their Faes counterparts. One of the blade told the history of a sword stolen by a nameless warrior, only to be curse by the goblin-fae with infertility and died out of old age.
Of course the blade return to that goblin after the man died .
As they enter the bank, rows of goblins either scaling precious jewels, counting the magical moneys or working around the place, work hard on paperwork, were the things the children saw first. The second was the place they work in. Gold cover the hall and collums, polish marbles acting as the pillars and desk. Truly, goblins are creatures of greed and wealth.
Walking the hall, multiple if the goblins work and didn't turn to see who was walking pass them. Although some turn from their work to see Shirou and Iris but return back to it.
Having reach the front desk, the goblin who handle it turn to see Hagrid, Iris and Shirou. The goblin himself had hard look on his face. It wore glasses and was handling some paperwork on top of the desk. Clearing his throat, Hagrid spoke,
"Ahem, Iris potter wanted to do a withdrawal on her account."
The goblin turn to Hagrid and then to Iris and said,
"Does miss Potter have her key?"
"Ah right. It in me pocke'. Let me-"
Hagrid stop speaking as he dug through his deep pocket of his overly large coat. What he dug up was varies. From normal keys, a table cloth (in which Shirou believed to be his version of a handkerchief), wet and rotten dog food and many odds thing.
Soon he found the key and pass it to the goblin at front.
"Ah here it is. Of and uh... Professor Dumbledore said to pass this on. It's about You-know-what." said Hagrid as he pass an envelope the goblin after the key.
The goblin took the key and the envelope and look at the piece of parchment.
"Very well. Griphook, please shows miss Potter and her escort to her vault and that one." said the goblin.
The goblin that was called, Griphook took the key and shows the way to Iris and Hagrid. Iris look at Shirou and the goblin and back at Shirou before she pulled his arm.
"Come on Shirou. Let's go." said Iris.
"What?"
"I just want to shows you my vault. I know I shouldn't but you're my friend, so I don't think it would be wrong. I doubt you don't have much as well."
"I actually have some with me. Mostly it is from Tom and some odd jobs around I did in the -"
Iris however, would not take no as an answer and attack him with the doe eyes. Shirou, knew very well to be weak with doe eyes. With Rin and Luvia keep doing it to him for favours, he had shackle down to their gaze. But Iris is younger than the two, what he seen from her was that of a little sister.
With unwillingness in spirit, he agreed and follow them down to the vault. Let's hope things when well.
He had jinx it! When he expect a simple walk, it turns out to be cart ride through hell! Sure Iris had a small blast going on the the death trap that is known as train cart, both Hagrid and Shirou almost had a heart attack or even puking their lunch.
After gaining both the things that Hagrid was sent for and Iris's money from the bank they went in shopping.
Iris was really surprised upon seeing her family vault. It was feel with many coin of gold, silver and bronze that it was ridiculous. While she was happy to have know that her parents left something for her, she couldn't get the feeling that if her aunt and uncle saw her new found wealth, they could take it.
But then she remembered that she was the owner of her vault so... Yes.
As her, Hagrid and Shirou return to the surface, the shopping began. Sure searching during the busy hours as well with other families shopping as well, it took some time as they shop. Like searching for their books were relatively simple as the store owner knew which books that both Shirou and her need.
While shopping for other stuff took a bit longer. Like potion shopping, while they found all of the ingredients, Shirou had to pull Iris out of her dazed over the golden cauldron which both the boy and half giant scold Iris. "It says Pewter, Iris. I know its shiny but that thing cost a lot. I should know." said Shirou as he scold her.
After all of that, they went to get their uniform at the local magical (Iris word) boutique. The sign says it all.
"Madam Malkin's Robes for all in occasion"
"Okay you two. Go in ther' and get yeh robes. I'll be at the Leaky Cauldron fer a little pick me up, okay." said Hagrid. "Okay Hagrid" said Iris to him. Shirou however couldn't help but shake his head just a little. Soon the two enter the store.
It wasn't long after a small glass of Fire whiskey or three, Hagrid came back to picked up both Iris and Shirou. He even get the two some ice creams. But what he met was an upset Iris and a Shirou trying to calm her down.
Hagrid look at the exchange of the two were having and thought that something must have in the store, so he did one thing that he can do. Ask.
"Hey ther' you two. Finish gettin' yer robes. Good. Oh, I got ice cream. Just in case if yeh hungry
"Oh thanks Hagrid. Come off it Iris, he doesn't him as much as we do, although it doesn't amount by a lot." said Shirou as he took one of the ice cream and pass it to The Girl Who Lived.
Iris took the ice cream gently of course but was still angry about something.
"Thank you Hagrid. And back what I was saying, I don't care! He insult Hagrid! All just be cause he is different."
"I think a small prejudice is hardly mounted."
"Well it does!" said Iris as she ate her ice cream aggressively but to Shirou and Hagrid, it's look like an adorable chipmunk was eating said ice cream.
As they walked to get there next items, which were their wands. Hagrid ask Shirou what happen in the boutique. Shirou reply they ran into an old blood child and said a few prejudice word about him. Of course Hagrid have to had a talked with Iris that he doesn't care about it even if the girl would retaliate.
You know how conspiracy theories about magical creatures like the unicorn or dragons and the like would still exist in the mundane world and not in the reverse side.
Yeah. So any magical creatures are the weaker counterpart of their phantasmal counterpart. While still strong and deadly, they can be harm but unlike their reverse side which need a specific weapon. Oh and did you know that goblins are faeries as well. All those mangas lie to me!
