I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Happy New Year's everyone! Hope everyone has a wonderful start to the new year.
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A Taste of Magic
112th Course – Very Far Down
"Wow," Harry gasped, looking out the window of the train car.
"Quite the sight, isn't it?" Flitwick said proudly. He joined Harry at the window and sighed softly. "I never tire of it despite seeing it many times."
Harry was finally visiting Thalga, the main goblin city in Britain and the one beneath the bank. The bank had a long weekend and Main Kitchen One was closed as well as many other parts of the bank. It was a Goblin holiday, one where families usually met together for a little rest, and Harry was invited to visit the city and spend time at the StoneHeart family home, something that touched him deeply.
Flitwick's goblin side of the family also lived in Thalga, next door to the StoneHeart clan estate actually, and he was more than happy to serve as Harry's escort to and from the city as well as show him about alongside members of the Crew and Diglin and Dee of course.
They started the journey from the bank itself, a grand elevator reserved for the higher officials. It was very comfortable with chairs and benches and a well-secured lantern hanging down. The elevator took them about a third of the distance to Thalga and they then boarded a train to take them the rest of the way.
Flitwick had told him that there were elevators that took them straight to the city or they could use the Goblin Floo, but they decided on the scenic route for Harry's first visit, something he was grateful for. The train was a lot like the Express with the station much like King's Cross. Goblins and a few humans walked about and waited at platforms and boarded different trains going to different places. The train taking them to Thalga was once again a nicer example of some others and they had a very nice compartment for them to sit in comfortably.
"What do goblin trains run on?" Harry asked,
"All of them can run on fuel of some sort," Flitwick explained. "Coal, different fuel sources that provide steam-power, and others can run on goblin magic like the small minecarts the bank uses for local transport. The bigger ones like this one are typically a combination of magic and a fuel source."
For the first part of the train ride, the windows looked at blank stone walls. The tunnels were dark and somewhat claustrophobic with dangling lights making many small oases of light in the dark desert. However, suddenly, the car was filled with a bit of light and Harry looked out and gasped.
The ground to the side was a slope and it went into an immense underground sea. The water was greenish-blue and it glowed, giving off a light that was clear and cold. He could no longer see the opposite wall and the space was a gigantic cavern. The roof was too far high to see and the fact that there was a bit of an ever-prevalent gloom reminded Harry that he was underground. The sea disappeared into the dark. The train chugged along the track and it was going to a place with more lights and structures.
"This is the Undersea?" Harry asked excitedly.
"It is! Biggest one in all of Britain and bigger than many in the rest of the world," Flitwick smiled. "In fact, the southern edge of the Undersea is in France. Thalga was a port city at first, a place for ships that travel the Undersea to dock and repair and refuel. When Gringotts Britain was founded, it used Thalga as a base to obtain materials and where the majority of her employees reside, which persists to this day. It is the capital city for British goblins and all material and visitors from Goblin places from the continent and other parts of the world come through Thalga."
"It's beautiful," Harry breathed, looking at the sight.
Flitwick beamed. "The light coming from the Undersea is from creatures and algae and lichens that give off natural light. Also, look there." He pointed at an orb that hung in the air above the city. "That is the SunDrop. It was made to mimic the day and night cycle of the world above for those that depend on that. Much less bright of course. Oh, before I forget. Here you go."
Harry took the glasses case from Flitwick and opened it and saw a pair of glasses much like his. "Thank you, Sir. Is this to help me see better underground?"
Flitwick nodded. "I made a copy of your prescription and had these made for you. The lenses are darkglass, they provide a better contrast for you in low-light conditions which is well everywhere down here. The lights we use down here are better suited for people who live underground and these respond very well to them. Oh and be careful how you use a light charm here. It can be too bright and these lenses will also react strongly with that kind of light."
"I brought my darklight that Chef gave me," Harry said, patting the small lantern on his belt. He slipped on the new glasses and exclaimed with delight that things were indeed easier to see. "Thank you, Sir! I really appreciate it!"
"You're very welcome, Harry," Flitwick smiled.
The train came to a busy station and they disembarked. Harry was used to being stared at by people by now. At the Showcase, many people kept sneaking looks at him after the duel and more so after his presentation. When he first got to Hogwarts, back as a first year, a lot of people stared at him for being Harry Potter and as the news spread about how much he liked to cook. Here and there at Diagon Alley, there would be people that stopped and stared at him, or more accurately, his scar.
When he first started working at Gringotts, the goblins there had stared at him too. He was strangely okay when that happened because he knew he was an oddity at Gringotts. While the bank employed humans, they were more on the fringe of the bank and were liaisons between the bank and other human companies and groups, or part of the curse-breakers, charmers and enchanters, and other types of professions. He was the only human that worked in the food services, especially Main One.
That had changed for the most part by the end of the first summer. Sure, there were still a few goblins that did not like him for the sole reason that he was human and there was a lot of bad blood and history between goblins and humans. Visiting goblins also first saw Harry with suspicion. The majority of the goblins at the bank had come to like Harry a lot. They appreciated his work ethic and his kind demeanor, as well as thoroughly enjoying his food.
An audible hush fell over the bustling train station when people noticed Harry getting off the train. There were no other humans in immediate sight and goblins turned and stared seeing Harry there. However, before any kind of self-conscious embarrassment could set in, there were some friendly hails and greetings from various others, ones who he knew from the bank.
"Harry! You're visiting Thalga?" a goblin asked, pushing through the crowd to smile broadly at him and shaking his hand energetically.
"Sure am," Harry smiled back, grateful for the greeting and the good feeling. "It's beautiful here!"
Quillon grinned back. "Glad to see you here. You staying with Diglin and his family?" He nodded when Harry did. "They'll take good care of you. Enjoy the sights and make sure you visit the Bizarre!"
"Oh stop by Pitty's if you go to the Bizarre," another called out. "Best skewers in the city there."
"No it isn't, Hook's has better," another disputed.
"Hook's has better drinks and it should 'cause it's a bar," the former sniffed.
That broke the awkwardness and the usual sounds and business of the station returned with discussions and arguments erupting and growing in strength. More than a few seemed more at ease with Harry's presence, but they still murmured and stared.
"There you are!" Dee pushed her way through and many actively got out of her way when they recognized her. She hugged Flitwick and Harry strongly as she normally did. "How was the trip?"
"Very cool," Harry said, rubbing his ribs and smiling. "The view from the train of the Undersea is gorgeous."
"You'll like your room's view then," she said with satisfaction. "Our home is cliffside. Come come, do we need to get your luggage?"
"We have it, shrunken," Flitwick said, patting his pocket while Harry had his school bag on.
"Then let's go!" Dee shoved her way through the crowd once more with ease, trading blistering remarks with others that made Flitwick laugh and Harry gape. She led them out of the station and they walked up a broad street. The street was made of tightly fitted cobblestones and carts and wagons and carriages moved down the center while pedestrians walked along the sides.
"What are those?" Harry asked, seeing what was pulling a cart. They were large beasts with shaggy hair, looking very similar to oxen.
"Deep bull," Dee explained. "A species of ox that lives beneath the earth. Good natured for the most part but stubborn. They are the usual way of moving carts and things if you aren't going on rail. There are small rails like the ones they use at the bank for personal transport, and bigger slower ones for people who don't own a small cart and want to go faster than deep bull."
Harry's eyes constantly moved as they walked. A lot of the buildings were built from stone and they all had variations of the darklights they used underground. Lanterns, lamps, little torches that burned blue, all gave decent illumination that was enhanced by his new glasses. Mushrooms of all colors lined the ground and some were very large and tall, acting like decorative trees along the walkways. Here and there, immense stalagmites from the ground had either buildings built around them or had buildings built into them.
It was also never completely quiet. Chatter and laughter and words filled the air and there was a constant clacking of rail cars moving at different speeds along railways that cut through the city or were on elevated platforms. Deep bulls lowed and made noises as they plodded along and Harry saw other forms that skittered about, making their own sounds. As they walked on, the sounds of water hitting rock could be heard.
"Is that the Undersea?"
Flitwick nodded. "It has its own current, much like the seas and the oceans above."
"And here we are!" Dee puffed her chest out and pointed ahead. "Welcome to the StoneHeart home, the Spire!"
Harry looked at the large structure ahead of them. It was a giant stalagmite, much like ones he had seen on his walk over. Windows carved into the stone shone with bluish light and the grounds around it had not only mushroom trees, but other trees. It was unlike anything Harry had ever seen before and yet, it had a familiar air to it, a comfortable one.
"I really like it," Harry smiled.
"Good! This is your home down here," Dee said. She tucked her arm into Harry's and practically dragged him along. She waved a hand and a large iron gate opened before them. "Filly's family is that one over there." She pointed at an adjacent stalagmite that was close by. "And that's Raggy's family," she said, pointing at another one.
Harry blinked at them. "Is this…like, a really important area?" he asked, slightly overwhelmed.
"More or less," Flitwick smiled. "The area is called Tri-Point, named after the stalagmites. They have belonged to the families since the founding of Thalga."
"We're all related to different degrees," Dee said comfortably. "Strong family ties are important."
After bidding Flitwick farewell, Dee and Harry entered the Spire. It was well-lit within and there were many large paintings of places as well as goblins on the walls, statues and shields and weapons were on the walls too. Everything was made from stone but there were different kinds of stones plated on as decoration, as well as mushroom stalks and wood here and there. Dee introduced the various people as they passed and Harry was overwhelmed by the amount of names and faces but they were all kind to him and welcomed him warmly.
She finally opened a door and led Harry into a room. It was small but well-furnished and quite comfortable looking. A thick rug covered the ground and the bed was made from stone once more but the mattress on top was very soft with lots of blankets. A fireplace was in the wall and Dee flung open the shutters, showing an incredible view of the Undersea.
"Gets a bit cold down here," Dee said. "But the fire responds to magic and there's plenty of wood and kindling. And like I said, made sure to give you a good view."
"Thank you so much," Harry said, enthralled by everything. "This is so wonderful."
"Good! Like I said, this is your room from now on. We have plenty of spares at the moment so it's yours, whenever you visit."
"Really?" he gasped.
"Of course! You're family." She patted him on the cheek lovingly. "You must be tired, get some rest. You'll need it!" She walked out and closed the door behind her and while it was indeed a bit chillier down here, Harry felt nothing but warmth.
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"Sleeping about, eh?" Diglin had knocked on the door and opened it to grin at Harry.
"Just a bit," Harry smiled back, sitting up on the bed. "I'm up and feeling great now."
"Good, come on then Harry, let's get cooking."
"Lead the way Chef!" Harry said eagerly, following after Diglin after grabbing his knife roll and a bandanna. Diglin led him to the base of the Spire and he looked around at the gigantic kitchen and dining room that was all one giant room. "Wow, I love your kitchen!"
Diglin preened. "It's a good one. Other places have separate eating rooms but when I became head, I did away with the wall. More fast this way and it's nicer in my mind."
"That's how I like it in Grimmauld," Harry said. "We almost always eat at the big table in the kitchen, though we do have a fancy dining room."
"We have a ballroom for events and things but it's usually used for giant game days between the clan families," Diglin snorted.
"How many people live in the Spire?" Harry asked as he put his apron on and tied his bandanna.
"We have a lot of members in the clan and they all have a room here, this is the center home for the clan. But the majority live around the world so it's never full unless for clan meetings and the like. There's about a consistent 20ish people here full time." Diglin walked into the cold room and wheeled out a large caddok already hanging off a frame.
"Diggy! Harry is our guest!" Dee walked in later and frowned at her husband.
"No he's not, he's family," Diglin snorted, dodging her irritable poking. "And no one lazes around doing nothing, especially family."
"I don't mind," Harry smiled. "Really."
"I know that," Dee sighed. "I hope you've been developing other interests aside from cooking."
"Isn't that why you taught me Gemcut?"
"I can't believe you taught him that by the way," Diglin said with mild disapproval.
"You shouldn't," Dee snorted. "And he's pretty good at it."
Diglin shook his head but smiled broadly when a few people walked in. "Hey! You got back early!"
"Of course, you rarely take breaks, need to take advantage of it." A goblin woman that looked like Dee and Diglin hugged them strongly and flipped a braid of rust-red hair over a shoulder. She looked up at Harry with interest. "Oh, are you Harry?"
"Sure am, it's nice to meet you," Harry said, wiping his hands clean and shaking her hand.
"Dad talks about you a lot," she said, confirming her relationship to Dee and Diglin. "Nice to meet you too! I'm Rubi. This is my husband, Granite." Harry greeted the stocky tough-looking goblin male beside Ember who greeted him warmly. "And this is Emmie."
A smaller goblin girl looked up at Harry with some apprehension. Harry smiled kindly at her. He had seen young goblin children before at the bank here and there, but never really interacted with them. He knelt down until they were eye to eye. "Hello Emmie, I'm Harry," he said.
"H-Hi," Emmie stammered, clutching her mother's leg. "Emmie is short for Emeralda," she said shyly.
"That's a very pretty name and I like the color green too," Harry said. He smiled at her. "My mum had green eyes, like mine."
"Like emeralds?" Emmie said, looking slightly less shy.
"Just like them," Harry nodded.
Dee held a hand to her heart while Rubi and Granite looked on with wonder and Diglin looked proud.
"What are you?" Emmie asked, frowning a little.
"Emmie!" Rubi groaned while Dee and Diglin laughed and Granite winced a little.
"I'm technically human, but you can think I'm a stretched-out goblin," Harry said and Diglin laughed even louder at that.
"I made that joke to Sylver," Diglin said, chuckling. "When he asked what Harry was."
"Sylver is a prick," Rubi said in French, making Harry and Granite and Dee and Diglin laugh while Emmie looked confused. "We currently live in Paris and are working there but hope to move back soon," she explained, switching back to English.
"He doesn't like me because I'm human and English," Harry said. "And that I learned how to cook from a Robuchon."
"Oh yeah, he probably really doesn't like you for all that," Rubi laughed.
Diglin threw an arm around Rubi's shoulder, his pride evident. "Rubi is my oldest daughter and Granite our first son-in-law. And Emmie is our first granddaughter."
"I'm also the best of the Mum and Dad's kids, don't let anyone tell you different," Rubi said smugly.
"I haven't met any of the others yet so I believe it," Harry said easily.
"I like him," Rubi laughed.
"Told you," Dee said with pride.
"Are you cooking like Grandpa?" Emmie asked Harry.
"Chef has been teaching me," Harry said proudly. "I never had a real teacher for cooking before and he's really helped me a lot. I can't cook like him but I try my best." He pointed at the large caddok hanging from the hook and chain. "He taught me how to butcher those."
"It's so big!" Emmie squeaked. The caddok was many times her length and weight.
"Want to help me?" Harry asked her. "You can hold the trays for me and help me move things about." At her eager nodding, he walked over to the large fish with her following, chatting away with each other.
"She's normally incredibly shy with strangers," Granite gasped. "It took her over a week to talk to her preschool teacher and those were only one-word responses!"
"Harry is a wonderful young man and a valuable member of the family," Dee said smugly and proudly.
"He's a good kid," Diglin said comfortably. "Oh, he has a good grasp on Gobbledegook, just so you know."
"Good to know. You warning anyone else?" Rubi asked.
"Not until they shove their foot in their mouth," Diglin chuckled.
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"Wow, you weren't kidding," Rubi said, chewing appreciatively. "He really does cook like you Dad."
"He learns well," Diglin said proudly.
"Cooks better than you," Rubi said, giving a young goblin to her side a look.
He flushed, glaring at her. "I'm working hard at my apprenticeship!" Cuttlyr growled.
"You sure? Might need to work harder," Rubi said.
"Don't worry dear," Dee said to Harry. "They always talk like this."
Harry and Diglin had made a large dinner for the clan. The first night of the holiday was one where they traditionally shared a big dinner together and Harry was honored to be included. He and Diglin worked together like they would in Main One and prepared a large spread of many different foods. Emmie had stayed to help when she could, much to everyone's delight, and the large table was covered in many different dishes.
"I never thought a human could make a crake chowder like this," a third young goblin said, chowing down the chowder with gusto. "Definitely better than yours."
"Shut your gobhole, arsehole," Cuttlyr hissed.
"Make me," Minla hissed back, glaring at her older brother.
"Children," Diglin sighed, "behave."
Jaspyr sighed and rolled his eyes at his older siblings. "Harry must be embarrassed by us."
"Not at all actually," Harry smiled easily and sincerely. "You guys act like my friends and their siblings. It's really refreshing to know that lots of families are like that."
"Do you have siblings?" Minla asked.
"Parvati and Padma and I are unofficial sibs," Harry said. "But not any official ones." He hesitated for a moment. "I have a cousin but he's not very nice at all."
"Really? But you're so nice," Jaspyr said with surprise.
"I learned not everyone gets along for various reasons," Harry said with a hint of sadness, one that did not go unnoticed by the older goblins. "But it's okay, really. I've made a lot of amazing friends and there are a lot I consider to be family. Thank you so much for having me. It's incredible visiting Thalga and getting to know all of you."
"We're happy to have you," Dee said with a wide smile. "Do you want me to take Emmie so you can eat in peace?"
"She's not bothering me at all," Harry said. "As long as she's fine." Emmie had installed herself at his side after she 'helped' with cooking.
"She really is," Rubi said with genuine fondness.
"She's not that friendly with us, her blood kin," Cuttlyr snorted.
"That's because you're an arsehole," Minla said sweetly.
"And you're a double arsehole," Cuttlyr growled.
"Did you bruise your brain thinking of that one?" Minla hissed back.
"I do love it when the whole family is home," Dee said happily.
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"I still can't believe you thought these bees were only a little bigger than regular bees," Harry snorted softly.
Amythyst shrugged. "I never saw bees above ground before! I always forget that some above-ground critters are smaller and easier to handle."
They were visiting the Honeycombs. On the surface, it looked like a series of tunnels cut through yellowish stone but it was actually an immense hive that rivaled any of the mines in size and intricacy. Bees the size of minecarts flew about and carried large blobs of honey and beeswax all over. The thrum of wings filled this part of the cavern and it was an impressive sight.
Specialist beekeepers walked about, respectful of the giant bees, and helped care for them while helping maintain the hive. They also transported the wax and honey and combs the bees allowed them to take, processing them and preparing them for all sorts of uses and destinations.
"I mean, look at us for example," Amythyst continued. "We're small and live underground. You are taller and bigger and live above ground. I've seen pictures of whales and elephants. They're huge! Why are our bees bigger than yours by like a million times?!"
"Well you said they're meaner. Maybe mean things are bigger," Harry said. He had seen a large lizard predator eat a bee and was subsequently stung to death by a vengeful swarm of them. They had also taken the lizard apart and apparently ate it too.
"Nah, goblins are mean shites and we're small," Salta snorted.
"You lot are nice to me," Harry grinned.
"Eh," Amythyst drawled teasingly. "It took us a bit to warm up to you, but you're a special case. Now come on before we drop you in a barrel of honey."
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"Wow, you are terrible at this," Rubi said with a laugh. "Who are you apprenticing with?"
"I really wish you would fuck off and go back to France," Cuttlyr sighed.
"No seriously, Harry didn't just beat you, he embarrassed you." Rubi shook her head. "Like, incredibly so. Like, to the degree where you should quit to hide your shame."
"Should I have…uh…done something differently" Harry asked nervously.
Diglin patted him on the shoulder. "Nope, you did just fine and this is fine, don't worry." Diglin had Harry and Cuttlyr do a cooking contest of sorts in the Spire kitchen and it had gone to Harry's favor. They did a lot of prep work and made several dishes and Harry had beaten Cuttlyr out by nearly unanimous vote.
"No really, he made goblin food better than you, an actual goblin!" Minla laughed. "I agree with Rubi, that's just humiliating!"
"To be honest, I figured this would happen," Diglin said comfortably as Cuttlyr, Rubi, and Minla dissolved into a loud argument. "I love all my kids but I'll never lie to or about them. Cuttlyr's a little lazy. Where he is apprenticing is a fine place, it's busy, I know the cooks and chef there. But it gets by on solid work and reputation. I figured he'd be okay and he is okay, but it's good to see how he stacks and now how outstacked he is."
"Why doesn't he work with you?" Harry asked.
"Doesn't want to work with his old man and be under his eye," Diglin snorted.
"Oh, I'd really like that," Harry said wistfully. "Besides, you're an amazing chef, Chef."
Diglin looked at Harry fondly with a trace of sadness to it. "Well, I guess he was eager to get away from me for a bit. I can be a bit stern as a parental figure."
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," Harry said blandly, making Diglin laugh. "Not with how the Crew is."
"Hey you work with them, you know they need it," Diglin said seriously.
Harry looked down at Emmie's tugging on his shirt. "Yes Emmie?" He looked surprised when she opened his arms to him but at Diglin's encouraging nod, he picked her up and held her like he saw Rubi, Granite, Dee, and Diglin do.
"Can you tell me more stories about up there please?" Emmie asked, snuggling comfortably against him.
"I sure can! Let me tell you about my best friend. Maybe she can come with me next time I visit. Her name is Hedwig and she's the smartest and best owl." Harry walked around the counter carrying Emmie and chatting with her and Diglin watched on proudly.
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"I really like the Bizarre," Harry said.
The Bizarre was also a bazaar, an open market filled with colorful stalls and stands and tents. Each tent or stall had all sorts of things in them and there was open haggling and bartering as people bought and traded for things. The air was filled with noise and smells that were both familiar and foreign to Harry.
He had already bought all sorts of things, souvenirs and gifts for his friends and family. He had also seen a lot of other familiar faces, other bank employees, and they had greeted him warmly and enthusiastically, drawing the eyes of other goblins who looked on with surprise.
Phrog and Gates had taken him to Pitty's. A very wide and shallow pit was carved into the base stone and it was a very large grill. It was filled with smoldering coals and a large grate was elevated over them. All sorts of things were grilled on long skewers or on the grill and the air smelled delicious.
"How've you liked Thalga?" Phrog asked.
Harry nibbled on a skewer of grilled nicken. "It's amazing down here. I thought I'd be really thrown off without the sun but the SunDrop is really cool and these darkglass glasses are a lot of help."
"Oh good, glad Filius thought to get you those," Gates said, munching on a mushroom and ox skewer. "I always make the human delvers get a pair of goggles for delves and dives. What else have you done down here?"
"The Honeycombs were really cool and the honey is so good. I brought my broom and flown around the Cliffs some. That's a little scarier in a cavern, even as big as this one," Harry laughed while the other two nodded with understanding. "Exploring the Bizarre has been wonderful and otherwise getting to know Chef's family and meeting Professor Flitwick's relations and the Director's."
"You're basically rubbing elbows with the Thalgan elite," Phrog smiled. "You know how many would kill for that?"
"About the same as ones who'd kill to not be there," Gates chuckled. "Whole lotta pressure there."
"They've all been really nice to me," Harry smiled. "Thank goodness. Crake hunting has to be postponed to a different time sadly. The Undersea is having a rough tide right now and Dee said it wasn't safe."
"Just shows how much she cares," Gates snorted. "I've seen her wade into a tomb covered in bones without a worry. That was before she had her kids, though to be fair."
"Not to mention she fights with wild crakes on the regular, and not the little ones we usually eat," Phrog said. "Big ones. Like deep bull size at the smallest and bigger than that."
"Dee's great," Harry smiled. "She's been teaching me how to play Gemcut."
"Oh yeah? You any good?" Phrog asked with interest.
"He's pretty good," Gates said. "Lacks the blood-thirsty nature though which is a good and bad thing though."
"It's why we like you," Phrog said comfortably. "Hey, three open backed crakes please." Phrog got the three crakes fresh off the grill, the insides steaming and fragrant with butter and herbs. "Here you go lad."
"Thanks! Did I tell you two what I accidentally did on my Care O.W.L.?" He soon had them howling with laughter as he recounted his accidental butchering and they enjoyed the sweet and salty crake meat in the middle of the busy Bizarre.
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"Thanks again for having me," Harry said, hugging Dee warmly. "This has been amazing."
"You're always welcome," she said, hugging him until he coughed. "Like I said, you have a permanent room here now. And you can always use our private connection from the Spire to Gringotts. Saves a lot of time."
"It was awfully nice to meet you," Minla said brightly, also hugging him and Jaspyr did the same.
Cuttlyr shook his hand. "I'll get better and beat you next time," he said wryly.
"Looking forward to it," Harry said sincerely.
"Can't you come back to France with me?" Emmie pleaded plaintively, latching onto Harry.
He hugged her fondly. "I can't, I'm afraid. My home is here and above ground but we can send messages and we will see each other when we can. I also visit France now and then to see my Grandparents, but if you and your family move back here then that will be good too."
"Okay," she pouted briefly before hugging him again and kissing him on the cheek. "Bye-bye Uncle Harry!"
"Thanks again for being so good with her," Rubi said gratefully. "Seriously, she's not been this close to a lot of people, not even everyone in our families."
"She's really sweet," Harry said with utter surety. "I had no problem hanging out with her. She taught me a lot about goblin culture."
"Make sure you fact-check some of it," Granite chuckled. "Goblings do not get triple dessert on the regular."
"But they do drink alcohol apparently," Harry said wryly.
"No yeah, that part is true though she isn't quite there yet," Rubi laughed.
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"Did you enjoy the holiday?" Flitwick asked as they left on the train once more. It was a slightly faster one but still provided a good view to enjoy.
Harry nodded emphatically. "I really did. It's so cool being in a different culture and seeing so many new and different things."
Flitwick smiled proudly. "Not many magicals share your point of view. Not many at all."
"I feel bad for them," Harry said seriously. "Missing out like that."
"You're a good soul," Flitwick said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm proud to have you as my student and a friend."
"Thank you for introducing me to Gringotts and everyone," Harry said soulfully. "I would be so worse off without having experienced all this."
"It was my sincere pleasure," Flitwick said happily. "And the pleasure of many others."
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alix33 - Of course Cokie would be catered to as well. She's a member of the family.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - I thought it would be nice to see more of Lavender's family history. Thanks for reading.
poka - That was part of the goal. Seeing Harry be more open about his past and his mindset after years and years of no one asking and listening and caring. I also wanted to show how much he thinks of Lavender and how she has genuinely helped him open up and see right and wrong.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - I go by the sandwich method. Start funny or light hearted, then go deep, then end with funny or melancholy again. Feels more natural that way.
odonnellzoo99 - I knew I wanted to end it with that. I can see the twins doing that to their older sister and of course Daniel wouldn't actually say anything but still groan and Leena be amused by it all.
TheSphynx - House elves cheeking Aberforth will never not be funny. No I don't think it won't be, but Harry will help curtail them a little. Hopefully.
DarkRavie - Thank you.
- Thank you very much.