(Next Chapter :))
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"...And all students are allowed, either a toad, a cat or an owl." Harry finished reading aloud from his supplies list as Hagrid led the Twins down a London street after crossing the lake and passing the woods.
Lucy looked up from her letter. "Hagrid, can we really find all this in London?" She asked with a wrinkle of her nose. Neither Harry or Lucy had ever been to London before, but somehow they both got the sense that things like magic wands, owls, and spellbooks wouldn't be a part of the common goods found in a typical English market.
Hagrid merely nodded his head. "If yeh know where teh look." He smiled as he led the twins through town. Lucy grabbed Harry by the sleeve of his flannel shirt and pointed when they passed by a bookshop.
"This way." Hagrid gently guided the twins towards the entrance to a shabby looking pub with a name scrawled across a worn down wooden sign.
Harry scrutinized it. "The Leaky Cauldron?" Lucy sniffed and recoiled slightly at the smell of alcohol that reeked from the pub.
"Yup! This place is famous you know. Ain't no better place for the wandering wizard to rest his bottom." He pushed open the door with one of his large hands.
The pub was filled even though it was not yet midday and Lucy noticed that everyone was wearing the same kind of different colored long robes some with pointed hats on their heads and others with no hat at all.
An old man was sitting asleep at a table with a pipe still smoking from his mouth and a few old women were gathered at one corner enjoy several glasses of sherry. At the bar counter itself, an old balding man seemed to be deep in conversation with the bartender.
Lucy was about to ask Hagrid why he had brought her and Harry to such a place, when the bartender noticed them first.
Or rather...he noticed Hagrid.
"The usual Hagrid?" Hagrid shook his head, placing each of his large hairy hands on the Twins' shoulders.
"Can't Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business. Just taking young Harry and Lucy to get their school supplies." He beamed clapping the twins heartily. Lucy and Harry nearly fell to their knees on the floor.
"Good Lord,...it's Harry and Lucy Potter." The Bartender exclaimed causing the whole pub to go silent. Lucy felt her cheeks heating up.
"Oh Bless my soul! It is them! Harry and Lucy Potter! What an honor!" The bartender stumbled around the counter towards them and grabbed each of their hands simultaneously for a shake.
"Welcome back you two! Welcome back!" He shook their hands rigorously as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Uh...sure." Harry felt as if his hand might come off. He glanced at Lucy as a woman came up after Tom and grinned when she saw how red she was. Lucy was easily embarrassed and a bit shy to boot. He knew all this sudden attention was starting to overwhelm her quickly.
"Doris Crockford, Mr. and Ms. Potter, I can't believe I'm meeting you at last!" The kindly looking old woman gushed as she shook both their hands much the same as Tom the bartender did earlier.
The Twins smiled politely.
Next was the balding man Tom had been speaking to earlier. "Delighted Potters! Just can't tell you! Diggle's the name! Dedalus Diggle!" The cheery old man grinned a toothless smile.
Lucy finally found her voice. "Hey! We've seen you before!...Haven't we Harry?" She looked to her brother for confirmation.
Harry nodded his head. "Yeah! You bowed to us in a shop once." He remembered, watching as Dedalus's face turned pink with glee.
"They remember! Did you hear that? They remember me!" Dedalus pranced off across the bar.
The Twins shook more hands. Doris Crockford kept coming back for more and just as Lucy felt as if her hand might come off to the next person who shook it, a pale nervous looking young man in a turban made his way towards the twins.
Lucy saw his hands were shaking as he wrung them together nervously. His right eye was twitching as if he were about to have a fit.
"H-Harry..and L-Lucy P-P-Potter! C-can't tell you how p-p-pleased I am to meet you!" The man continued to wring his hands.
"Oh hullo there Professor. Didn't see you there at first. Harry! Lucy! This here is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts." Hagrid eagerly introduced him to the Twins.
Lucy grinned widely when she heard this. "Pleased to meet you Professor." She held out her hand politely for a shake.
Harry did the same.
"F-f-frightfully interesting topic..." Professor Quirrell avoided taking their hands, even taking a step backwards away from the Twins. "..not that you need it, eh Potters?"
Lucy awkwardly lowered her arm at the same time Harry did. "I..suppose." She mumbled, looking down at the floor.
Harry gave her a gentle nudge as Hagrid cleared his throat. "Well! Must get on now then! Lots ter buy. Come along now! Harry!..Lucy!" Hagrid guided the Twins towards a back door in the pub.
Lucy wrinkled her nose again when they got outside. The smell of the garbage in the back alley was almost as bad as the stench of alcohol in the pub.
"There now! I told yeh didn't I? Yeh're famous! Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin to meet ya. Though mind yeh he's always tremblin nowadays..." Hagrid said the last part quietly as he checked the stone wall outside the pub.
Lucy frowned when she heard that. "Why was he so nervous? I thought maybe I had said something funny to him or something..." She though aloud as Hagrid continued to tap the bricks on the wall with his umbrella.
"Oh no! It wasn't you Lucy. See Professor Quirrell is a brilliant man. He did fine studyin out of books and what-not, but then he decided to take a year off from the school to get some firsthand experience. Poor bloke's hasn't been the same since." Hagrid sounded somber as studied the wall once again.
"What happened?" asked Harry, his curiousity getting to the best of him as always.
"Well..no one really knows what caused him to snap. Some say he met a vampire in the forest and others say there was some nasty business with a hag. The point though is this. Professor Quirrell hasn't stopped shaking since he came back from the field and he's scared stiff of everything around him."
Lucy and Harry exchanged glances. "Everything?"
"Everything!...Scared of his students...scared of his subjects...Ah here we are!" Hagrid interrupted himself as he found the correct bricks on the wall.
Harry and Lucy exchanged glances with each other as Hagrid tapped a brick on the wall three times with his umbrella.
Vampires?...Hags?...the Twins' minds were swimming with questions.
The brick Hagrid tapped on wriggled as if it were trying to pop out of the cement holding it in place.
Lucy grasped Harry by the arm again, (a habit Hagrid was starting to notice in her) as the wall suddenly opened up into a thriving shining city metropolis.
More magic. Lucy thought and Harry grinned, prying his arm loose from her. Hagrid came up behind them.
"Welcome..." He said. "...to Diagon Alley."
Harry's mouth gaped open when they passed a shop selling bronze and pewter cauldrons. Lucy gasped and grabbed Harry's attention again when she spotted a shop selling quils that moved and wrote all on their own.
Hagrid smiled at the Twins' amazement. "Yeh...we'll be going into a few of these places. But first we need to get yer money." He patted the Twins on their backs again.
"Dragon Liver?" Harry was intrigued as they passed a street vendor. He wished he had about eight more eyes to see everything with.
Lucy lightly rolled her eyes at her brother. "Hagrid, where are Harry and me to get any money? You heard Uncle Vernon last night, he won't pay for us." She frowned sadly at the thought.
Hagrid merely pointed in front of him. "Well there's yer money, Lucy! In Gringotts! Ain't so safer place for yer valuables. Except for maybe Hogwarts. 'Sides yeh couldn't use any of yer muggle money here."
Lucy and Harry looked ahead at where Hagrid was pointing. Just ahead was a large snowy white stone building that towered over the other little shops. The word Gringotts Wizarding Bank was engraved in gold near the top and at the door, standing guard in a uniform of scarlet and gold was a...
"Is that a...?"
"Yeah, that's a goblin." Hagrid gently pushed Lucy's arm down when she started to point. "Don't point. Goblins don't take kindly to rudeness."
Lucy felt embarrassed. "Sorry."
As the Twins got closer to the bank, they realized that the goblin was only a little bit shorter than either of them were. He had a clever swarthy face with a pointed beard and, as Lucy first noticed, very long fingers and feet.
At first Lucy thought maybe he would search them before they entered, but the Goblin merely bowed as Hagrid led the Twins through the front door.
Inside was a second set of doors, silver this time with a strange passage carved into its surface.
"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 here." Lucy smiled as she read the poem aloud. "I like it." Hagrid nodded his head. "Yeh, like I said. Yeh'd be mad ter try and rob it." A second pair of Goblins came to lead them through the second doors.
Inside Harry and Lucy found themselves in a massive shining hall where about a hundred goblins sat on high stools behind a long counter. Some goblins were counting gold coins. Lucy saw one weighing rubies on a scale and another eyeing some precious stones through a spectacle.
There were too many doors to count in this hall, but as even as they walked the Potters could see Goblins leading people through and out of each of these doors.
Hagrid led them quickly to a counter. "Morning." Hagrid greeted the free goblin brightly. "Mr. Harry Potter and Ms. Lucy Potter would like to make a withdrawal from their vault."
The goblin looked up from the papers it had been sorting through. "And do Mr. and Ms. Potter have their key?" He sat up taller in his stool and eyed the Twins through a single lensed monocle.
Hagrid nodded his head. "I got it here somewhere. Let's see now..." He proceeded to empty the contents of his pockets. The goblin grimaced and wrinkled his pointed nose as Hagrid dumped a handful of mouldy dog biscuits on top of his record book.
"Ah! Here's the little devil!" Hagrid triumphantly laid a little rusted gold key on the counter and the goblin bent to examine it as Hagrid quickly scooped the biscuits back into his pocket.
"Yes..." The goblin murmured as he ran a long finger over the smooth surface of the key. "That seems to be in order." He started to move out of his stool.
"Oh! I've almost forgot! I've got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid suddenly remembered drawing a letter from his chest pocket. The goblin studied it briefly as Hagrid lowered his voice.
"It's about the you-know-what in vault you-know-which." Harry and Lucy exchanged glances at this.
"Very well," The goblin nodded his head. "I will have someone bring you to both vaults. Griphook!" He turned and shouted over his shoulder.
Harry was about to wonder what a Griphook was when another goblin appeared at their station.
He took the letter and the key Hagrid gave to the first goblin and led them off towards one of the many doors leading off from the hall.
Expecting more marble and fine polished floors, the Twins quickly followed Hagrid into what immediately appeared to be a stone passageway, lit only by torches.
A set of narrow steps led them down to a railway wherein there was a minecart parked at the edge.
"Hagrid...what's in vault you-know-what?" Harry asked softly as the Goblin went to retrieve a lantern by the minecart.
Lucy gave him a hard nudge in the ribs. "Can't tell yeh that Harry...worth more than my job ter tell yeh that. Strictly Hogwarts' business."
Lucy stifled a snort. Told you. Harry huffed.
"This way please!" The Goblin called impatiently as he stood at the head of the cart. The Twins quickly boarded with Hagrid's help. Lucy grew slightly nervous when she realized there wasn't much to brace herself on in the cart nor did there seem to be any restraints.
She gripped the thin railing on the right with one hand while grabbing Harry's in another. This time he squeezed reassuringly back.
Suddenly, without any forewarning the cart was off. Lucy shut her eyes when the wind stung against her cheeks. Harry tried to keep track of all the turns they took, but finally gave up once he realized they were going too fast.
Finally the cart stopped beside a small door in the passage wall. Harry and Lucy helped each other out then they helped Hagrid, who was looking very green from the ride in the cart.
Griphook hopped out from the front. "Here we are. Vault 638. Light please!" He held out his hands expectantly. Harry turned to grab the lantern from the cart and carefully placed it into the goblin's hands.
"Thank you. This way!" He lead them to the door and set the lantern down. "Key!" He held out his hand again. Hagrid passed Lucy the key and she hurried to give it to the goblin.
Griphook seized the key and shoved it into the keyhole. The door opened to reveal mountains upon mountains of gold, silver and bronze coins.
Harry and Lucy felt their mouths drop open. Never in their eleven years of living had they imagined such a treasure had been stored for them. If the Dursleys ever found out they'd claim right over it faster than Dudley would throw a temper tantrum. They were always complaining about how much the Twins cost for them to keep.
Hagrid laughed a little at the expressions on their faces. "Well now...didn't think yer parents would go off and leave yeh with nothing, now did yeh?" Lucy felt her cheeks flush.
"Harry! Look at all the gold! How do you suppose Mum and Dad saved so much?" She was near tears. If only she could thank them for being so considerate of their future.
Hagrid gave them a gentle pat. "Well now there's plenty of time for chit chat later. Hurry up and grab a few coins. The gold ones are galleons and it's seventeen silver sickles to a galleon. You'll want to get a few of the bronze knuts as well."
The Twins wasted no time filling up their pockets with as much coins as they could carry. Even the goblin, Griphook looked amused at how they ran from one end of the vault to the other grabbing coins like children in a candy store.
Finally they had gathered enough to pay for two terms, (or so Hagrid said) and Griphook locked the vault for them again as they came out, their pockets full and jangling with wizarding money.
They went back to the cart and this time the Goblin took them even deeper underground to a vault that had no doorknob or a keyhole. The air was considerably colder down here and Lucy had to wrap her arms around herself in order to keep warm.
Harry went to fetch the lantern again as Griphook asked for the letter and they stopped in front of the strange door.
"Stand back." Griphook said importantly as Harry set the lantern by the foot of the door. As he and Lucy watched, the goblin stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers. The door melted away.
Griphook grinned at the looks on the Potters' faces. "If anyone but a Gringotts Goblin tried that, they'd be sucked in through the door and trapped there." He told them.
Lucy swallowed hard. "Um...and how often do you check to see if someone's inside?" She asked timidly.
Griphook shrugged. "Once every ten years." He grinned nastily. Harry gulped. Hagrid gently pushed the Twins to side as he followed Griphook into the vault. The Twins tried to catch a peek anyway, thinking that the vault must be holding jewels or some rare precious stones at the least, but instead there was nothing.
Nothing by a small round table with a small ugly satchel in it. Hagrid grabbed the satchel though and put it into his pocket as Griphook followed him outside and shut the vault.
Harry wanted to ask what was inside the satchel, but he knew better than to ask. Lucy smiled conspicuously.
"All right! Back in the infernal cart. Watch yer heads now, that thing always makes me feel sick." Hagrid grunted as he hopped into his seat.
Harry and Lucy exchanged glances then joined the giant and the goblin in the minecart. They expected to be brought back to the main hall in the bank but instead the cart dropped them off at an exit leading into the main street of Diagon Alley.
The Twins stood gaping at the sunlit city as Hagrid got off staggering behind them, unsure of where to start first with their pocketfuls of money.
"Well might as well get yer uniform first." Hagrid panted as he leaned against a wall. "Yeh'll want to go to Madam Malkins. Right across the street."
Harry and Lucy looked to see where he was nodding at and saw a small shop with fabric in the window marked with a sign that read Madam Malkins' Robes for All Occasions.
"Wicked! Our very own wizard's robes Harry!" Lucy got excited until Hagrid let out a low groan.
"Ugh..listen Harry, yeh and yer sister wouldn't mind if I stopped at the Leaky Cauldron first for a pick-me-up, would yeh? Those Gringotts carts really do make me sick."
Lucy caught him when he tried to lean off the wall and stumbled. "Will you be okay?" She asked worried. Hagrid gently pushed her away. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go in and get measured for yer uniforms and I'll meet yeh there. All right?" He turned and headed back towards the pub.
The Twins watched him go cringing when one of his legs almost gave out again. "Do you really think he's going to be all right?" Lucy asked. Harry shrugged. "I hope so." He grabbed Lucy by the hand. "Come on, let's go in."
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