AN: Hi everyone, this fic is not abandoned! RL just gets in the way from time to time. Anyway, please enjoy this update.
So far: Harrry and his demonic fairy minion things finally arrive in Diagon Alley. He had a poor reaction to being recognised in the Leaky Cauldron, accidentally disapparated, and met a rather nervous Professor Quirrell.
His first look at Diagon Alley made Harry drop his jaw involuntarily. Even in his wildest fantasies he could not have dreamed up a scenery so surreal and whimsical.
Spitting and grabbing at his mouth, he chased off a fly that had tried to make the cavern of his mouth its home. Irritated that his marveling had been interrupted by his near ingestion of unwanted protein, he firmly closed his mouth and focused his full attention on the sights surrounding him.
The tension and hesitation brought on by the unpleasantness of the pub scene was washed away under the deluge of raucous noise and joyful laughter. The whole Alley was lit up like a Christmas tree as spiralling magic pulsed and flowed, forming intricate fractals that bursting like New Year's Eve fireworks. It was blindingly beautiful, the bursts of colour searing into his retina. Harry knew from that moment on that he wholeheartedly loved magic with all his being.
The burning chaotic magic rippling across the sky and dodging between patrons was in stark contrast to the neat, orderly magic of witches of wizards embedded into the structures and the cobblestone paths.
It reverberated around him, and he almost couldn't keep in the pure euphoria brought on by being exposed to such a primal source of magic. It thrummed through his fingertips and down his very core. His soul was drowning in magic, trapped in the sweetest rapture.
In response, the Darklings practically exploded around him, growing exponentially, whizzing around the Alley. They curiously explored the bright and cheery shopfronts, slipped between cracks, and slithered into the darkest and deepest shadows of Knockturn Alley. They too could feel the purity of the magic which converged in the Alley.
Harry was snapped out of his trance by Hagrid's booming laughter, amusement sparkling in his black eyes.
"Come along 'Arry, there'll be plenty of time for lookin'," he said with a chuckle, "we gotta get yer money first."
"Money?" Harry asked. "What do you mean?" He wasn't sure what Hagrid meant about going to go get his money. If he did have any money, surely the Dursley's would have spent it all by now. Maybe that's how they afforded so many presents for Dudley ever year? They'd get to the bank, and the teller would tell them the account is empty, and Harry would be sent back to Dursley's on account of being too poor to go to school.
The shininess and excitement of Diagon Alley dimmed with each step Harry took, the sense of dread growing the closer he got to his destination. By the time they reached the steps of a towering white structure, his anxiety was a set of gnarled fingers viciously twisting and tying his intestines into knots. Harry's eyesight was blurred and his breathing fast. The goblin guards with their pointed grins went unseen, and he followed Hagrid without thought, concentrating on suppressing the bile that threatened to spill up and out of his mouth.
The conversations around him became a muffled buzz, the word growing far and distant.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he startled so violently that if weren't for Hagrid's strong grip, he would have jumped three feet into the air.
"Are you alright 'Arry?" Hagrid asked, brows drawn with a concern, an unusually serious look on his face.
"Yes," Harry gulped, "just o-overwhelmed." he muttered quietly. Hagrid seemed to take his assurance at face value and began to lead Harry further into the bank.
"C'mon, the goblins are takin' us down to yer vault." Hagrid said.
Slowly regaining his bearings, Harry finally noticed the strange creatures sitting up on high podiums, towering above the nervous witches and wizards conducting their business.
The hall was ostentatious, glittering fixtures, deep polished woods, and thick marble columns supporting the arched ceiling. The interlocking patterns of the crown moulding were not merely decorative, Harry could see the distinct magic of the goblins winding elegantly through the patterns, far more beautiful and delicate than the outwardly hideous creature responsible for their creation.
The goblins watched the magical humans with shrewd expressions, mouths twisted in distaste and the subtle undercurrent of unspoken contempt winding through the atmosphere. Harry had the vague sense that given the chance, they'd eat him alive skin and bones. Even the Darkling's kept their distance, warily slinking around the creatures.
Feeling nervous and confused, Harry walked with Hagrid behind the short waddling goblin. He called his Darkling's back to him, taking comfort from the way they tightly weaved themselves around him. Concern for Harry outweighing their inherently curious and mischievous nature.
Harry warily eyed the rickety looking cart the goblin led them to.
"Get in now, we don't have all day." The goblin groused, rather unnecessarily in Harry's opinion.
Hagrid was the first to climb into welded iron cart. It was a bit like watching a clown car in reverse. How the giant fit into the small space defied all logic, and while Harry strongly suspected magic might have something to do with it, it was still strangely disconcerting. For all his childhood, small spaces had protected him for larger and meaner enemies, and now suddenly a giant could fit into a tiny cart? A tiny, unbidden spark of anger rushed up inside of him at that thought.
Feeling betray and upset, Harry climbed into the magical contraption, leaning as far away as he could from the goblin, and the seemingly oblivious Hagrid.
"Please ensure you keep all arms, legs, limbs, wands, clothing, magical devices, creatures, familiars, and other items inside the trolley at all times." The goblin droned in a way that indicated that the phrase was repeated numerous times daily to various patron.
With a screech, the cart began to move off. For the first few seconds it moved at perfectly pleasant and reasonable pace. However, from one second to the next, the leisurely trip became a nightmare roller-coaster.
The cart whooshed down the railing at incredible speed, a sudden and stomach dropping descent had Hagrid turning green, and Harry himself feeling not much better. The cart careened dangerously around corners, threatening to tip over the edge to send them hurtling into the abyss. Harry clutched onto the cart, half terrified and half thrilled with all the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
When the cart finally came to stop, he lurched forward, coming perilously close to braining himself, and ending his poor life in a rather unfortunately damp and dark cave.
With shaky legs he disembarked, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. The Darkling's were chittering and clicking with excitement. The magic down so far beneath the earth was darker than that of the surface. The strands of magic winding through the stone were pulsing and thrumming, far thicker and stronger than the thin threads and webs above. The goblin magical of the massive vault door before him was tied in and around the dark think ropes but was clearly alien in comparison.
The goblin moved forward, inserting a small golden key into a seemingly random spot and turning it exactly forty-five degrees anti-clockwise. A strange mechanism ground to life somewhere behind the door. Letting out several clicks and high-pitched whirring noises. With a dramatic hiss, the door swung open, and Harry could do nothing but blink in confusion.
Before his eyes was a massive room, piled high with gold, and silver, and bronze coins. In addition, he could also see silver-wear, glittering jewels, dusty old tomes, and several wands on the numerous shelved lining the walls.
"Well then Harry, best get enough for yer school shopping today." Hagrid boomed out with a hint of laughter in his voice, "You didn't really think yer parents wouldna left yer nothin' did yer?" He laughed.
Harry just continued to gape at the sight before him. The goblin huffed rudely and shoved a small leather pouch into his hands.
"Hurry up, wizard, we don't have all day." He grumbled sharply.
Galvanized into action, Harry scrambled forward and grabbed handfuls of the strange coins, stuffing them unceremoniously into the pouch. The Darkling's tittered, a few butterfly shaped ones flapping over to the shelves to perch delicately on the wands and glittering jewels. Their spider-like legs wriggled around the perches, looking far less innocent than real butterflies. A few of them clicked and hissed angrily when one of the wands released a series of sparks.
Hagrid didn't seem to notice, but the goblin eyes the wands warily. As he called the Darkling's back to himself, he could have sworn he was the goblin track the movement of his small companions. Feeling a spike of anxiety, he finished gathering up his funds, and quickly exited the vault.
Hagrid explained cheerily the currency of the wizarding world, leaving Harry a touch confused about how magical people could possibly remember such arbitrary numbers for how many sickles in a galleon and so on. By the time Hagrid finished his explanation as the goblin once more locked the vault, Harry had forgotten everything except for the names of each of the coins.
This time, when the goblin indicated to get into the cart, Harry clambered in with far more trepidation than before. He tried to seat himself in a more central position in the cart, hoping to avoid permanent brain damage or death at the next stop.
"Can yer make these go a bit slower?" Hagrid asked hopefully.
The goblin smirked unpleasantly back at them.
"Sorry, only one speed." He stated.
The next trip was even faster than the first.
Harry wasn't sure what they were doing at this second vault. Then again, he hadn't exactly been listening the earlier, too busy trying to control his panic attack.
The goblin approached the strange door, with its many gears and buttons, and weird protrusions. He ran his sharp, pointed nail down the center groove. Harry could see some strange sucking magic in the door, pulling magic from the goblin itself.
The doors swung open and Hagrid lumbered into the room, picking up a small package wrapped in twine and brown paper. He placed into an inside pocket of his coat and gave it pat.
The journey back to the surface was thankfully quick, although Harry wondered why it is always felt like they were descending even though they were ascending. He got the feeling that maybe goblins just liked messing with people's minds, and not in a fun way. Or at least, not fun for their poor victims.
Exiting the bank and onto the busy street sent his anxiety skyrocketing. After the quiet and dark bank, this lively alley was suddenly a whole new roller-coaster of his own. Barely having begun his shopping trip, he was already feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. From the leaky cauldron, to the terrifying trolleys, Harry knew today was going to be a trial. Let the shopping begin.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if you spot any typos. Follow and review if you are enjoying. I hope to get chapter 10 out, maybe this year considering my track record XD