Warning: There will be a little Dumbledore bashing in this story. He will still have the same personality and purpose as the grandfather figure. But I always criticized his views about how to handle the war and Harry. I mean did he expect to kill the Death Eaters with cuddles and love? I am sorry I sometimes hate Dumbledore because I feel as if he put a little more effort into watching over Harry then Harry's live would have been somewhat better.

Sorry for my rant...

I do not own Harry Potter and I hope you enjoy.

I am trying to find different ways to introduce the chapter so please review your feedback.

Gringotts and the Key

"You cannot create experience. You must undergo it."

Lux was bouncing as she walked. She was in London in for her very first time. She was so excited she didn't even mind the odd stares that she and Hagrid where getting. Hagrid has also been telling her stories about the Wizarding World since they left the shack.

That morning they had left for London a little after dawn. Before they did Vernon made the mistake of insulting Professor Dumbledore and in retaliation Hagrid made Dudley grow a pig tail. Just the memory alone made Lux start to hum a happy tune as she skipped down the sidewalk.

"Still got yer letter, Lux"

"Yes, Hagrid."

Lux pulled out the letter that she got from Hogwarts and reread it with a smile on her face:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard book of Spells (Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic

by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory

by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.

"Can we buy all this in London?" Lux wondered aloud.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops. Meanwhile, Lux wondered if he was trying to be inconspicuous.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Lux had to do was keep close behind him. They passed bookshops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. How could have the Wizarding community stayed hidden when there were wizards like Hagrid? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? What would it look like? What will she learn?

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Lux wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. Lux wondered if there were charms to prevent Muggles from seeing it.

As Hagrid push her into the pub she noticed that it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in.

Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Lux's shoulder and making Lux's knees buckle.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Lux, "is this — can this be — ?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. All eyes were on Lux as she tried to hid behind her hair.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Lux Potter … what an honor."

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Lux and seized her hand, tears in his eyes, "Welcome back, Miss. Potter, welcome back."

Lux didn't know what to say or do. Everyone was looking at her. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming. Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Lux found herself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. To be honest she was a little scared of all the attention.

"Doris Crockford, Miss. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Miss. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Miss. Potter, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

"I've seen you before!" Lux said shyly, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."

"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me!"

Lux shook hands again and again. She was starting to fear the crowd that was surrounding her and wished that Hagrid would just take her to the Wizarding bank he told her about that morning.

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching. His stare made Lux feel uncomfortable or maybe that was just the crowd she escaped from.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Lux, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Lux's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

Lux gave him a small, polite smile, "What do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself."

He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Lux to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble and one witch telling her how she named her cat after her.

"Must get on — lots ter buy Come on, Lux."

Doris Crockford shook Lux's hand one last time and Lux said goodbye to the others surrounding her. Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Lux.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Is he always that nervous?"

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience. … They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"

Vampires? Hags? Lux's head was swimming with excited thoughts of these new creatures. She wondered about werewolves and shape sifters before deciding that she would find a book about them. She was so excited to learn about all these creatures that she didn't even question why Professor Quirrell was teaching if he was afraid of the subject and students. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up … two across …" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Lux."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

They stepped through the archway. Lux looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. She instantly wondered what other ways could you get into Diagon Alley.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."

Lux wished she had about eight eyes like the spiders that lived in her cupboard. She turned her head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump, redheaded woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad."

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium and Lux's attention fell on a Snowy owl in the glass window.

Several boys of about Lux's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Lux heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Lux had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…

Lux saw so many things and places. She wanted to visit them all!

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Lux. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Lux noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Lux gave a slight bow back before Hagrid hauled her further into the bank.

She decided that she wanted to explore Diagon Alley without Hagrid pushing her around. She thought he was nice it's just she didn't want to go shopping with him.

Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

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.

"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid made for the counter and Lux followed him.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Miss. Lux Potter's safe."

"You have her key, sir?" The goblin asked not looking up from his writing of the withdrawal that he just authorized.

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblins book of numbers.

Lux scrunched up her nose and looked at Hagrid with new found suspicion. Lux asked, "Hagrid, why do you have the key to my vault?"

The goblin stopped his writing and narrowed his eyes at Hagrid while awaiting the answer to Lux's question.

Hagrid stopped searching for a moment and turned to Lux, "I have it 'cause Professor Dumbledore gave it ter me."

Lux still did not understand why this man would have access to her money, "Why did he have my key?"

Hagrid said, "'cause he is yer magical guardian", as if that would clear everything up.

Yet, it did not. It did, however, raise more questions."What's that?"

"Well, he is supposed to check on yeh and guide yeh through our world."

Lux thought that Professor Dumbledore was neglectful of his duties, "Then why are you here and not him?"

A couple of goblins came to watch Lux question Hagrid. They watched him with beady eyes and Lux hoped that they would blame Dumbledore and leave the kind giant alone. Hagrid choose not to answer the question and returned to searching for Lux's key.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely, "this seems to be Miss. Potter's key."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to the vault. Miss. Potter, follow me. Griphook!"

Griphook was another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he started protesting, "Now, I 'ave to look after her."

The goblin that Lux was supposed to follow turned and smirked. "You would be able to if you were her Magical Guardian. Yet, seeing as he isn't here and left his duties in the hands of another we will discuss other matters concerning him and what he has authorized. Now, Miss. Potter if you will come with me the Director will wish to sort this matter out as soon as possible."

The goblin was giving her wicked sneer which is what she assumed to be a smile for goblins. Lux gave a reassuring look to Hagrid, "I'll meet you out here." Then she followed the goblin behind the counters and deeper into the bank.

After a few minutes of travel Lux grew tired of admiring the many weapons that decorated the walls of the Bank. She wanted to speak to the goblin who was guiding her, but didn't know how to properly address him. In the end she went with her best guess, "I am sorry master Goblin, but may I know your name?"

The goblin let out a nasally laugh, "I along with most of my kin only give our names to our benefactors."

Lux bowed her head and tried to sound formal, "I am sorry once again. I do not know of your customs because I was raised by Muggles and have no true knowledge of the Wizarding world."

The goblin looked concerned, "Did your Magical Guardian, Albus Dumbledore, contact you on matters involving the reading of parent's will and marriage contracts?"

Lux looked confused before shaking her head once more and feared what the marriage contracts would ensure. The goblin's face grew enraged and started mumbling something about bribes and low life bums taking advantage of a child. Once they reached the door at the very back of the bank the goblin turned to Lux, "My name is Fangdor. Ask for me whenever you return to Gringotts. I am going in to discuss the situation with the Director. When you are called in you will address him as Director Goblin unless he tells you otherwise."

"Yes, Master Fangdor."

He nodded then opened the grand door and walked in leaving Lux to stand outside on her own.

Death thought it was best to speak to the Director of Gringotts about his sister's vault and inheritance. She had been in the muggle world since the death of her parents and her fortune was left to the mercy of the greedy and cunning. He was very surprised when another goblin walked through the door to announce the presence of one Lux Potter. Yet, he was also pleased because this meant that even though she was a child with none of her previous memories Lux still maintained her wisdom.

The director asked him if he would like if Lux would join the meeting.

Death took a moment to weigh his options, while the goblins continued to talk about matters concerning Lux Potter. He did plan to meet her later on and this way he could earn her trust. Yet, he was unsure if she was ready to see him. Death worried that he would trigger a reaction that could potentially destroy her body.

Though his needed for her to see him outweighed the very small possibility that she would be harmed. So he nodded his head, "Let her in master goblin."

A few moments later the goblin opened the door and let in a eleven-year-old mortal version of Death's favored sister. Lux eyes roomed the room locking momentarily on the various goblin artifacts and weapons on the wall before moving on to the next thing. Finally her eyes settled on Death.

Lux felt a sense of familiarity towards the only other human in the office so she gave him a small smile, which he returned. The goblins present looked surprised at Death before having Lux sit next to him. Then they started the meeting.

I plan to answer reviews at the end of each story.

nick (Guest) -

Thank you for being my first reviewer. I do have one pairing planned between Lux and an OC, but they would not get together for a while due to certain circumstances. *evil smile* But the other people I have yet to plan. I do know that some will not be cannon because some of the characters will be OCC. For example, Hermione will be a little OCC.

Penny is wise -

Thank you for complementing my story. I am glad that you liked it.

ALSO a big thanks to all that Favorited and Followed me.

P.S. involving what I said about Dumbledore... I won't turn him into a antagonist because I still like him as a grandfather figure and all that jazz. But he will be told off a couple of times later on in the series because I can.

P.P.S. How do you guys feel about Death?

P.P.P.S. Do you guys like Remus Lupin?

Review

\/

\/

\/