A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic Chapter 7
It was in the early morning hours not long after sunrise where Bailey was awoken from her slumber by an annoying tapping noise coming from the window. The storm had died off sometime hours before so she knew it couldn't have been from that. When the tapping wouldn't desist on its own Bailey opened her eyes. Stretching her mouth wide tiredly in a yawn Bailey lifted her head to look at the window.
There Bailey saw another owl rapping its talons on the glass carrying a rolled up newspaper in its beak. It's small body casting a shadow in the brunt of the sunlight. Standing on all fours Bailey shook out her fur and trotted over to the window. She rose onto her hind legs and nudged the window open with her nose. The owl invited itself in swooping over Hagrid's snoring form to drop the newspaper onto his chest and descended onto the floor beside the man's coat. Without delay the owl began to attack the overcoat.
Bailey rushed over whining and pawed at the owl to get it to stop. In response to her efforts the owl merely snapped its beak fiercely at her and continued to savage the coat. From what Bailey gathered the bird is clearly searching for something, but she had no indication to what it was. She needed help. So Bailey barked loudly hoping to scare the owl off waking Hagrid and Harry in the process.
"Bailey, what are you going," mumbled Harry, sleepily rubbing his eyes from underneath his glasses. "It's still early."
Bailey barked again drawing attention towards the undeterred owl. This time she snapped at it causing the owl to screech warningly at her.
Throwing the coat off of him, scrambling to his feet as he tried to shoo the owl, Harry said "Don't do that. Hagrid. There's an owl-."
"Pay him," grunted Hagrid, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat up on the couch.
"What," said Harry, having no idea what Hagrid is talking about.
"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in that pocket," said Hagrid, pointing at one pocket in particular.
Harry reached inside and pulled out a handful of coins that were definitely not pounds. He didn't recognize any of them.
"Give him five Knuts," instructed Hagrid.
"Knuts," said Harry.
"The little bronze ones," said Hagrid.
The owl held out a leg that held a tiny leather pouch as Harry counted out the correct number of bronze coins. The moment the coins were handed over the owl flew out the window into the open air.
Hagrid yawned and stretched as he rose to his feet, saying "Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."
"But Hagrid I haven't got any money. You heard Uncle Vernon last night…he won't pay for me to go and learn magic," said Harry, worriedly.
"Don't worry about that. D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything," said Hagrid, offhandedly.
"But if their house was destroyed-," persisted Harry.
"They didn't keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us in Gringotts Wizards' bank. Have a sausage. Best not to let food go to waste. They're not bad cold and I wouldn't say no the a bit of yer birthday cake, neither."
Harry wasn't too hungry, but he did have some of the cake. So Bailey made quick work of the leftovers. When she was done Bailey licked her lips and burped. Both Harry and Hagrid laughed at her antics.
"Wizards have banks," said Harry, licking the icing off his fingertips.
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins," said Hagrid.
Eyes wide, Harry said "Goblins?"
"Yeah so you'd be mad ter try and rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep sage except maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o'fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business. He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you, getting' things from Gringotts, knows he can trust me, see."
This is a fact anyone could see that Hagrid is quite proud of.
Harry gathered what little belongings had had with him. Then once he'd put Bailey's emotional support animal vest on they left the ramshackle shack. The boat Uncle Vernon had used to bring them there survived the storm now loaded with a lot of water in the bottom. Hagrid emptied the boat easily by turning it over dumping the water.
"How did you get here," asked Harry, not spying any other floatation devices docked.
"Flew," said Hagrid.
"Flew, repeated Harry, incredulously. Even Bailey was confused. The man had no wings so how could he fly?
"Yeah, but we'll go back in this. Not supposed ter use magic now I've got yeh," said Hagrid, holding the boat still as Harry and Bailey got one together.
Hagrid sat down and the boat visibly sunk a bit more into the water under his massive weight.
"Seems a shame ter row, though. If I was ter…er…speed things up a notch, would yeh mind not mentioning' it at Hogwarts," inquired Hagrid, apprehensively.
"Of course not," burst Harry, eyes sparkling. He's very eager to see more magic. The more there is the happier he becomes.
Hagrid beamed using his pink umbrella to tap twice on the side of the boat. Instantly the rowboat speed off straight for land without the use of a sail or motor to aid it.
Bailey sat content at the bow of the boat thoroughly enjoying the ride. While Harry and Hagrid talked further Bailey had the wind flowing through her fur and making her floppy ears hover in the air. Honestly this was better than sticking her head out of a moving car to feel the breeze.
Time went by fast and before any of them knew it they hit land. The boat automatically slowed when it got within a hundred feet of the shore. Luckily it was early enough in the day where not that many people were around so they weren't seen.
As they departed the boat Harry looked at it perplexed.
Skeptically, Harry said "Hagrid, what are we going to do with the boat? Are you going to send it back?"
"No," said Hagrid, eyes flashing mischievously.
"But…how will Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley get back home," said Harry.
Grinning, Hagrid said "Well now that's certainly a bummer for them, isn't it?"
Bailey snorted nodding her head in agreement. Served the Dursley's right!
Authors Note:
Wonder how Bailey's going to react to Quirrell when she sees him.