Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Bailey and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic Chapter 9
If Harry's eyes grew any bigger they would pop out of their sockets. If Bailey were human then her jaw would've dropped down to the cobbled stone street.
There were shops lining both sides of the street. As they walked up the street with Bailey sticking close to Harry in this sea of legs he tried to look at everything at once. There's so much to see and sample here, but he had too few eyes to drink it all in. The shops, the merchandise put on display outside them, and then the different varieties of people doing their everyday shopping. There were shops selling animals, robes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, potion bottles, globes of the moon, telescopes, and strange silver instruments he'd never seen before. And this was just what he could see with the naked eye!
The people moseyed about on their business as if being around such wondrous things was normal. Harry debated with himself on whether to move incredibly slow to see it all and keeping pace with Hagrid so as not to get lost in the horde of people. To him, it's a very difficult choice.
"Don't worry, yeh'll be going in them soon enough," said Hagrid, discovering Harry's dilemma. "But we gotta get yer money first. Gringotts."
Hagrid pointed at a snowy white building taller than all the rest. It left Harry perplexed wondering how Muggles couldn't see it so high, but then he realized that magic kept it disguised. As they got closer Harry saw a creature wearing a uniform in front of the bronze doors. A creature with a height about half Harry's size.
"Hagrid, is that…," asked Harry, apprehensively.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid as they walked up the stone steps. "Clever as they come, goblins, but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stay close."
Harry took that to heart practically gluing himself to Hagrid's side. Bailey copied her master's caution in a totally alternate way. Anxious she skirted around the bowing goblin with her tail in between her legs and head lowered with ears pinned to the head. The goblin caught on to her discomfort and grinned wickedly revealing teeth sharpened to a point. The goblin snarled lunging at her and Bailey yelped scampering to her boy's side. The goblin's laughter followed them into the bank.
Where stood a second pair of doors was a single pair of goblins. Unlike their counterpart outside these just bowed opening the doors to allow them entrance into a vast marble hall. Inside an estimated hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind long counters on either side of the room scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through special eyeglasses, and providing customer service to various customers.
Hagrid led Harry and Bailey towards the counter all the way at the back of the hall where a goblin was writing on some parchment with no patron to attend.
"Morning," said Hagrid. "We've come to take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."
Putting down his quill, folding interfolding his fingers, the goblin said "You have his key, sir?"
"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, emptying his pockets onto the counter, and scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin ledger. The goblin sniffed in disdain at them and he wasn't the only one. Bailey sneezed in revulsion at the odor coming off of them. Honestly, she couldn't fathom the reason why he'd be carrying such distasteful and spoiled dog treats in the first place. He should've thrown them away by now. Finally, Hagrid obtained a tiny golden key from the folds of his coat. "Got it."
The goblin accepted the key examining it closely for authenticity.
Nodding in satisfaction, the goblin approved "That seems to be in order."
"And I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid, holding the envelope to the goblin, lowering his voice to a whisper. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
"Very well," said the goblin, handing the letter back to Hagrid once he carefully read it over. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. And will one of you please get this mutt off of my desk!"
While Hagrid and the goblin had been conversing with each other Bailey had stood up onto her hind legs to get a better view of what was going on. Her nose and eyes peeked over the edge with her front paws leaning on the marble. Neither Harry nor Hagrid were fast enough to give her a command so the impatient goblin took matters into his own hands. Annoyed by the red retriever's behavior the goblin slammed the palm of his hand in front of Bailey's face. Bailey barked dropping to all fours.
"Bailey, heel," said Harry, tugging on her harness.
Obediently Bailey sheepishly moved to Harry's side head bowed sheepishly.
"Griphook," called the goblin.
A second goblin a bit younger than the first came marching over from his own station. Hagrid scooped up the scattered dog biscuits cramming them back into his coat. The group trailed after Griphook to one of the many doors connected to the main hall. Griphook held the door open for them and then stepped out into a passageway lined with flaming torches for light. There were little railway tracks on the floor resembling that of a rollercoaster that slopped steeply downward. Griphook released a high-pitched whistle and a small cart came rolling over the tracks to where they stood.
Once they were all situated in their seats with Harry wrapping his arms tightly around Bailey for support after Griphook warned them about the speed and all the twists and turns that would be coming their way. Griphook wasn't steering the contraption so the rattling cart must've been led by magic. Harry and Bailey enjoyed the ride as they went farther and farther underground, but Hagrid's skin was turning into a sickening shade of green the longer they were on it.
It didn't take them long to reach Harry's vault.
Griphook unlocked and opened the door. Harry gaped dumbfounded at the amount of money he found inside. There were mounds of gold Galleons, columns of Sickles, and heaps of bronze Knuts spread all across the room, a small fortune all for him. They are in a bit of a rush so Harry hastily grabbed small handfuls to put in a bag to use when shopping for his school supplies. Bailey even attempted to help by pawing at a couple of Knuts nudging them in his direction with her nose.
The second vault was even deeper than the first hurtling them over a ravine beneath the earth that had to be hundreds of feet deep. With these vaults being so far away from the comforting warmth of sunlight it was rather chilly down there. Lucky for Bailey she had fur to keep her warm.
Standing in front of vault number seven hundred and thirteen Griphook warned them to keep their distance from the door while he did his work. Unlike Harry's vault, Griphook did not need a key to open this one. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingernails and the mechanisms in the door slowly opened. Harry eagerly peered around Hagrid to see what wonders were inside this one but was disappointed when all he found was a grubby little package no bigger than his palm wrapped in brown paper lying on the floor.
Hagrid picked up the package tucking it into one of his coat's inner pockets. Bailey whined nosing his coat where she assumed the package would be. But Hagrid gently pushed her muzzle away heading back over to the cart.
None too pleased with the prospect of a long ride returning to the surface, Hagrid grumbled "Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way, it's best if I keep my mouth shut."
Harry didn't doubt him on that.
Little did Bailey know how important this tiny package would become for the duration of how Harry spent in his first year at Hogwarts.
Authors Note:
Just so you guys are aware even though my chapters are somewhat spread out in Diagon Alley now once we head off to Hogwarts it'll be more updates of a single chapter by book the books type of scenario. There's a lot going on it Diagon Alley currently right now.