Disclaimer: I still don't own anything! First song is It's a hard-knock life from the musical Annie! I also didn't write the Gringotts poem, but you should already know that. Ojala (I hope) is by Silvio Rodriguez, and since not everyone who is reading this can speak Spanish, underneath the Spanish version is the English version. The English version is not sighted because unwillingly, I was forced to translate it myself.
It's the hard-knock life for us!
It's the hard-knock life for us!
'Steada treated,
We get tricked!
'Steada kisses,
We get kicked!
It's the hard-knock life!
Got no folks to speak of, so,
It's the hard-knock row we how!
Cotton blankets,
'Steada of wool!
Empty Bellies
'Steada of full!
It's the hard-knock life!
Don't if feel like the wind is always howl'n?
Don't it seem like there's never any light!
Once a day, don't you wanna throw the towel in?
It's easier than puttin' up a fight.
No one's there when your dreams at night get creepy!
No one cares if you grow...of if you shrink!
No one dries when your eyes get wet an' weepy!
From all the cryin' you would think this place's a sink!
Ohhhh!
Empty belly life!
Rotten smelly life!
Full of sorrow life!
No tomorrow life!
Santa Claus we never see
Santa Claus, what's that?
Who's he?
No one cares for you a smidge
When you're in an orphanage!
It's the hard-knock life for us
It's the hard-knock life for us
they spit at me when I pass
Cuz I'm in a lower class
It's the hard-knock life
It's the hard-knock life
It's the hard-knock life!
Three girls sat on the rocks at the edge of the street. They sang to keep themselves occupied, they didn't have anything better going for them. The two older girls sat farther back by the street watching as the younger one danced on her rock. Addy Mae was quite a character. She raised her voice and danced faster. The two older girls dropped out and shook their heads at the nine year old. People were starting to turn their heads and look at her on the street. Addy smiled. That was just the reaction she wanted. She went faster. Making her steps quicker. Then, in a flash she lost her footing and went tumbling down into the melting march snow.
Stifled laughter came from the street. Addy tried to pull her up from the rocks. Pain emerged from her leg and she plopped back down. She had been hurt before. This had nothing on some of her other falls. She tried to heave up again. And failed. She wiped the small tear that was forming in her eye away. She didn't cry. Her two friends ran over to her.
"Addy! Oh my gosh are you all right" the taller of the two girls asked, rushing over. She had black hair tied up messily in a knot. Her name was Jennifer.
"Yeah I'm fine" Addy lied. She started to try and support her weight on her leg. She collapsed on the sand and was rewarded by a mouth full of sand.
"Yeah right." Said her other friend, Megan. Between the two of them they picked up the younger girl and supported her on their back. Despite Addy's protests they led her to Jennifer's mothers robe shop.
"I'm really ok, honestly it doesn't matter it'll heal by itself. I'll be ok. Just drop me please! Bloody hell! Leave me alone I don't need help."
"Well, I thought I heard your colorful little mouth." Said the plump figure of Madam Malkin.
Mandy scowled. "It's not that little."
"Do you own I mirror?" said Megan.
"Megan" scolded Mrs. Malkin. But it was true. Even for and ten year old, Addy was small, still wearing a 6X in clothes and an eleven in shoes.
"So what did you do to yourself today." Mrs. Malkin asked sincerely examining her leg. "This is broken, you're gonna need to see a healer."
"A healer?" asked Mandy, "How much is a healer?"
"I don't know, expensive though."
Mandy took off her shoe and counted her money. "Would three sickles and twelve knuts be enough?"
"No." said Mrs.Malkin shaking her head. Addy put her shoe back on and looked at the floor. Suddenly she had an idea. She jumped off of the table and onto her feet. A searing pain was felt as attempted to limp towards Quality Quidditch Supplies. Once inside she leaned against the merchandise to push her way towards the counter. People in line looked at her with mixed pity for her limp and anger for deliberately going in front of them in line.
"Mr. Potter!" she said to the man behind the counter.
"Yeah, what can I do for you little miss?" he asked leaning against the counter to be at her eye level.
"I'm not little," she stated for the second time that morning, "I need to see James."
"Who are you?" he asked
"A friend of a friend," she said.
"I'm sorry but James is asleep."
"Could you just go and tell him that a friend of friend is here, I'm sure he'll get up."
Mr. Potter went upstairs, still not believing the little girl. Five minutes later James Potter skipped down the stairs followed by his confused father.
"You go back to bed after our meetings?" Addy scolded hit him playfully.
"Of course!" he said laughing "I need me beauty sleep."
"I second that," she said laughing
"So what did you need me for?" asked James getting to the point.
"I need your help."
"With what?" he asked eyeing her suspiciously.
Addy pointed to the bank, Gringotts.
"I need money," she said.
"Ok, I'll lend you some," he said.
"No, I will not take someone's money. I'm going to earn it, I will steal, but I will not borrow. Stealing is, in a way, earning."
"Fine, what do you want me to do?' he asked.
"Just make a distraction in the lobby of Gringotts, I'll take it from there."
The two walked out of the store and towards the bank. Addy balanced her weight by leaning on James. As the two entered Addy looked up at the door. There in big letters was written-
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
Addy shuddered at the thought of what could be under there. Addy parted with James and made her way towards the counter suddenly an expolsion was heard and she took off. She jumped onto a small cart and watched as she whizzed past vault after vault. Suddenly it occurred to her that she did not know how to stop. Just as the thought came to her she felt the cart lunge to a hault in front of vault 713. She saw a large figure aproaching her. It was cloacked in a black robe and a mask. It was speaking in a low, incomprehinsible hissing noise. She crouched down and made herself as small as possible. The figures grew closer.
"It'ssss here master," said the figure to something it apeared to be holding.
"Thank you, Tom.." said a small figure in the mans arms.
"No, thank you Grindelwlad… Thanks to you, I am immortal… however, without that, you are not goodbye, master… It's my turn to be the best… and I will not fail as you did…. I'm the master now…"
"Tom," the figure stuttered in fear.
"I am not Tom, I am Lord Voldemort! The undisputed dark lord" the man pulled out a knife and stuck it into the small creature before casting him aside. The man smirked and turned around before leaving the way he came.
It took a moment for Addy to regain composture enough to get what she came here for. She turned and looked at vault 713. There was nothing in there but a small package. That would do her no good. She turned and looked at the next vault, 711. It was full to the top with gold. She was sure they wouldn't mind if she took a few. Addy walked up to the vault. She stuck her fingers in between the bars to grab some gold. Her finger moved a little to the right side, hitting against the bars. In a flash she found herself inside the vault. She ran to the bars and gripped them, shaking them forcfully, but nothing helped. Finally she sunk to the floor. She leaned against the wall and gripped onto her knees. A small tear trickled down her cheek. So this is how it's going to end. she thought
Ojalá que las hojas no me toquen el cuerpo cuando caigan
para que no las puedas convertir en cristal.
Ojalá que la lluvia deje de ser milagro que baja por me cuerpo.
Ojalá que la luna pueda salir sin mi.
Ojalá que la tierra no te bese los pasos.
(TRANSLATION-)
I hope the leaves don't hit my body as they fall,
So that they won't be able to transform into cristal
I hope by some miracle, the rain can reach down to me
I hope the moon won't come out without me
And that the earth will not kiss your steps
Suddenly, a noise came from down the hall. Addy jumped up and hid behind an excepioally large pile of gold, taking a chance to slip about twenty of them into her pocket. The voices came nearer, their footsteps echoing with her heart. Addy was unsure of what she wanted. If they came here, there was a big chance she would get caught, what then? But if they didn't come here, then what? She would die here, die slowly of stravation, and of boredom, if that was possible. As fate would have it, the people took a sharp turn to land themselves right in front of vault 711. There was a lady and two boys. The lady was absentmidedly puffing away at her cigarette while eyeing the goblin suspiciously. The younger of the two boys had a look of distaste on his face and if it wasn't for her current situation Addy would have burst out laughing because his overall look was that of someone who had just eaten an exceptionally sour lemon. The elder however, was the one that captivated Addy's attencion. He was leaning against the cart that Addy had taken down here with a look of boredom on his face. There was also something else. He seemed as if he could not stand the people he was with, which Addy could understand having only just met these people and already had a great dislike of them.
The goblin walked up to the vault and unsealed it with his fingers. It was now or never, she thought. Addy crept over towards the door. Just as she was about to sneak out the older boy took sight of her. Trying to keep calm she placed a finger to her lips. The boy just shrugged and looked back at his parents. Addy crept down the hallway.
"Hey!" came a suddenly noise directed at Addy. Addy didn't stop to find out who it was she just took off running as fast as her hurt leg would alow her. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see if her pursuer had followed her and in that instant, she slammed into something solid. She turned and looked at a blonde boy sprawled against the floor.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, she glanced over her shoulder again to see that she was not being followed. Two adults came over to check on the children, she assumed they were the boy's parents.
"Let me help you up," said Addy sticking out her hand for the boy to pull up. However, just as she tried to pull up, she felt her leg crash underneath her.
"You know, the poin tof the hand thing is so that I come up, not you go down," he said. Addy turned to appoligise to find the boy chuckling merrily.
"Remus, Remus Lupin," he said sticking his hand out for her to shake.
"Addison, or Addy Mae," she said returning his hand.
The two adults finally reached the children sprawled on the floor.
"What happened?" asked the man giving his son a hand up. Remus recounted the story from his point of view before turning to Addy and asking-
"What were you running from anyway?"
"My brother," Addy lied cooly, "I'm supposed to meet him on the street so if it would be too much trouble could you poin tme in the right direction?"
"Nonesense, we are going there right now you can come with us," said the lady kindly giving Addy an arm up forever, just as she left her on her only feet she tettered and fell. "whats the matter with your leg?"
"Nothing," Addy lied.
"Let me see it," Mrs. Lupin said bending down to look at it. "It's broken.'
"So I've heard," muttered Addy.
"I can fix this!" she took out her wand and tapped it before giving Addy a hand up. Miraculously, she felt no pain whatsoever.
"Wow," she muttered, vowing to herself then and there that the moment she entered Hogwarts she would learn how to heal a broken bone.
"How did you get that?" asked Mr. Lupin with a tone of concern.
"Playing quiditch," Addy lied beginning to wonder if she was ever going to tell these people something that was remtoly true.
"Well, those brooms can be dangerous," Mr. Lupin said chuckling as they made their way towards the cart.
"Do you play any Quiditch?" Addy asked Remus.
"Not much, I live to close to the muggles, but I love to watch!" he answered
"What's your favorite team?"
"Chudley Canons," he answered simply.
"Aw, Remmy you have a lot to learn about fashion, red clashes with blonde hair. My friend James supports the Chudley Canons and I always tell him orange makes him look like halloween. I don't think orange really goes with any color hair except maybe brown. Me? I support the Wimbourne Wasps. They have Ludo Bagman. I met him once," she bragged proudly puffing out her chest.
"Really what did you say?" asked Remus
"Not much, actually he didn't talk much at all. Card Board Cut Outs don't tend to talk."
"Oh, you met a card board cut out of him! That doesn't count!"
The four people piled into the gringotts cart and made their way back up to bank. Once they were inside, Addy felt well enough to start conversation back up.
"So when are you starting Hogwarts?" she asked.
"I'm not sure if I will go to Hogwarts," he said, with an aparent air of self pity.
"Why?" asked Addy
"He's looking at other options," Mr. Lupin said with a tone that specifiacally told Addy it was time to drop that subject.
"So where is your brother?" asked Mrs. Lupin
"Oh, well I'll go find him. Thanks for helping me, bye!"
"No, no dear don't be silly! We wouldn't let you wander around Diagon Alley alone. We'll stay with you until you find your brother," Mrs. Lupin assureed her.
Addy scanned the crowd and luckily, standing right out side of Quality Quiditch Supplies, was James Potter.
"James!" she called. He turned around to see where the voice was coming from. Seeing Addy standing by gringotts he ran over to meet her.
"Here he is Mrs. Lupin! This is my brother, James Mae," Addy said giving a look to tell him to play along.
"Oh, yup that's me Addy's brother, come on Addy mom and dad are looking for you inside the store," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her inside.
"Goodbye!" she called to the Lupins, "Thank you!"
Finally out of site James and Addy changed course and went to Florean Fortescue's Icecream Parlor.
"What do you want?" James asked her.
"No this time I'm asking you. I'm paying," she said showing him the twenty galleons she had stolen from vault 711.
"Wow!" said James "that's more than my month's allowance!"
"I know!" she said with a huge smile
"I can't believe you robbed Gringotts!" James said grinning largly
"Not so loud!" Addy scolded grinding her teeth
"Why? No one would believe you anyway?"
"I guess."
After icecream the two children went there seprate ways. Addy went back to the orphanage, thinking of the boy with sandy hair and why he wasn't going to Hogwarts, but more importantly where was he going?
N/A: wow that was long (for me) so what do think? review!