Chapter 5

Chapter five, Diagon Alley.

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for sorcerers. When I open my eyes I'll be back at the Dursleys, in my cupboard."

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right, " Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

"Oh Harry." Lily said. She came over Harry, and enveloped him in a motherly hug. Harry was slow to hug her back, as a part of him was convinced that this was all a very elaborate prank and the other shoe was about to drop.

...

"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl -"

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags ... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.

"Wait, wait, wait," Clint snorts, "nuts?"

McGonagall frowns disapprovingly at him, "K-N-U-T, not N-U-T. In the wizarding world we have our own currency. There's the Galleon, the Sickle, and the Knut."

"You guys actually have a currency called a 'knut'. How do teenagers, and let's be real 20 year olds deal with this?" Clint asked, trying to suppress his laughter.

Many people look at Clint in confusion.

"For example," Bucky provides, "'And how would you like to pay for your copy of, 'Totally Rad and Probably dangerous creatures and where to totally find them, by Rubeus Hagrid?', 'With deez nuts!'"

The younger students, the male half of the audience in attendance and those who hung out with boys and men more than girls broke down in laughter once again. While the female half who weren't laughing, shook their heads in disgust.

"Boys." Lily shook her head at her husband and his friends who were all laughing.

...

"Wizards have banks?"

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

"Goblins?!" Peter says in excitement.

"Goblins exist?!" Shuri asks, grinning.

"Yes they do. And, no I will not tell you, as the books will more than likely tell you in due time." Professor McGonagall says.

Peter and Shuri didn't know whether to be annoyed or to pout. So they settled for just turning back to the book.

"Goblins?"

"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you - getting' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see."

"Oh, foreshadowing." Tonks was heard saying quietly.

"I have a question. This has been bugging me for a while. Why did you send Hagrid? I mean, I had Professor McGonagall come to my house and explain to me and my parents about magic. Do you usually send people other than teachers to new students who were raised in the Muggle world?" Hermione asked, her hand up in the air.

Dumbeldore opened his mouth to say something when Mcgonagall jumped in, "No, we don't. The heads of houses and the headmaster are the ones who are supposed to do that. We divide the list up between the five of us and go from there. Dumbledore was the one who was supposed to go to Mr. Potter's house." Mcgonagall throws a glance at the tied up Dumbledore. Then looks at Hagrid "Hagrid, why were you the one to go fetch Mr. Potter?"

"Dumbledore asked me to go get him. Said he was much too busy ter do it himself."

"Too busy?" Professor Flitwick asks, "Too busy to do your job?"

"Albus, what could you have possibly been doing that made you, 'Too busy'?" McGonagall asked.

The hall waited for an answer, but Dumbledore refused to say anything.

...

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons gaurdin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

...

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"

"Well, so they say," said Hargid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

"But Hagrid," Bill says at Hagrid while looking at Charlie, "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709."

"That's what I said." Ron said, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"See Charlie," Bill pointed to his youngest brother, "even Ron knows this."

"But-"

"Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, Charlie." Every single Weasley said loudly, all together.

"...It's like they've had to tell Charlie the same thing over and over again for years." Harry leans over and whispers to Hermione.

Hermione nods back and giggles.

"We did." Ron said. "We even had an intervention a couple years back."

"Did it work?" Harry asked.

Ron shook his head sadly, "Unfortunately, no."

"Emma would have agreed with me." Charlie muttered morosely under his breath.

...

"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.

Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, 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 Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scammender

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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Wait. Hold on. The first years can't have their own broomsticks at school?!" James and Sirius both said dramatically.

"James, you and Sirius are the ones that got them banned for the first years in the first place." Remus reminded them.

"Oh yeah..." James and Sirius said in a thoughtful voice, then they became sheepish, as they looked out at all of the frowning students, who had wanted to bring their brooms to school in their first year but couldn't. And had wanted to try out for their house teams when they had first come to Hogwarts. "Sorry."

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

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

...

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" Said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all frowned and growled a little bit, at the mention of Quirrell.

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

"What sort of magic 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.

Harry snorted at the ruse that Quirrell had used. Hermione and Ron both made motions of agreement with Harry.

...

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

All of the students cheered at this. As they were all getting that much closer to Harry leaving the Dursleys behind and going to Hogwarts. But also because Diagon Alley is truly amazing.

...

"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 Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. 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 your,

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.

...

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

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

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

"Hagrid, why did you have Harry's vault key?" James asked.

"... Dumbledore gave it ter me." Hagrid said, looking down at his plate. Knowing that he was just getting Dumbledore into even more trouble.

"Dumbledore," James asked slowly, holding back his anger, " why did you have Harry's vault key?"

"... I've been keeping it safe," said Dumbledore.

"Safe? Safe from what?" Lily asked.

Dumbledore wouldn't elaborate further on the subject.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"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."

"What's in vault 713?" asked Cho Chang.

"Shhhh." Zacharius Smith from the Hufflepuff table shushed her in annoyance.

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

...

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late - they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

Harry gazed up at the glittering stalactites, hanging from the ceiling. Thinking that they looked like stars.

...

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than he could blink. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.

"Don't worry Harry, they couldn't get into your vault even if they tried." Bill assured.

"How could you possibly know this for sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm a Curse Breaker for Gringotts." Bill grinned.

"Wow." Harry breathed.

"Really? That sounds really interesting." Hermione said. She was about to say more, but Professor McGonagall stopped her with her "Professor Stare".

Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, It's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." As Hagrid turned to Griphook, Harry spoke up.

"Wait. Mr. Griphook." Harry said.

"MR. Griphook?" Malfoy sneered.

"I didn't know what kind of honorific should be placed in front of his name, so I just put the only one that I knew was most common." Harry explained.

"It's a goblin! It doesn't need, nor does it deserve an honorific!" Malfoy shouted back, to gasps across the hall.

"HE, is a living being! HE deserves an honorific, you stuck up, air headed, bleached blonde!"

Malfoy stood there like a gormless fish. Just as he snaps out of it, and about to retort something back, Snape speaks. "As amusing as it is to watch the two of you bicker, I have no interest in watching the two of you argue over something like this, at a time like this. So sit. Down. Both of you."

Malfoy sits back down in a huff, glaring at Harry. While Harry sits back down, smirking in triumph.

"Yes Mr. Potter." Griphook said after a moment of shocked silence.

"I was wondering." Harry points to the bag of coins in his hands. "Do you think this will be enough to buy my school things, as well as buy a fair amount of things in the muggle shops? Also, would it be too much trouble to have some of the coins exchanged for muggle money?"

There is some muttering around the hall. As everyone was wondering what Harry would buy in the muggle world, that he couldn't buy in the wizarding world.

Griphook steps forward, and peers into the bag, mentally doing the math for what Harry asked of him. "What you have here should be enough to last you a couple of terms like Mr. Hagrid said, and to buy your school supplies. And if you wish I can have some galleons exchanged for muggle currency."

"Yes, thank you. That would be perfect."

"We will take care of that once we are on the main floor."

Just as they are about to get on the cart, Hagrid turns to Harry and asks, "Harry, why do you want muggle money?"

"There are some things that you can't buy in the magical world." Harry shrugs.

"Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

...

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers,

"...Is nobody going to point out the fact that he 'Stroked the door'?" Clint questioned.

"Clint?"

Clint looked at Nat, "Yeah?"

"Shut up." Nat pinched the bridge of her nose.

And it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

"Duly noted." Clint whispered to Natasha.

Nat nodded her head by a fraction of an inch.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.

"That's it?" a first year Hufflepuff asked.

"What do you think was in it?" a second year Ravenclaw asked her friend. Who shrugged their shoulders.

Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

"Come on, back on this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

...

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"My father's next door buying my books and Mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

Snide remarks spread throughout the hall, about how Malfoy gets whatever he wants, just because his daddy's rich.

Snape just pinches his nose and mutters about how Draco is a loud mouth, and how it's a miracle that he got into Slytherin in the first place.

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.

"YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO A MUGGLE!" Malfoy screams across the hall at Harry.

"Well, if the shoe fits!" Harry yells back.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Silence! I have no desire to hear the