𝐀𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘┊ᴴᵃʳʳʸ ᴾᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

2 ★ Diagon Alley

࿔₊°༺★༻࿔₊°

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

Hagrid grinned at Crystal's amazement. He noticed how rarely the girl gave any reaction to something, just by talking to her since yesterday.

They stepped through the archway. Crystal looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.

"We gotta get yer money first," said Hagrid, their next stop being Gringotts. Crystal looked around at every shop, curious about what they were selling as she followed Hagrid.

"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. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them as a warning.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid after reading the warning.

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

"You have her key, Sir?"

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a golden key with a big orange gem surrounded by smaller blue gems in the middle of the bow of the key.

The goblin looked at the key closely.

"All the Sapphires of the Calistos. 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 YouKnow-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 both vaults. Griphook!"

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Crystal asked as they followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

After the rollercoaster ride through a maze of twisting passages, on which Crystal was counting seconds on her watch and analysed their velocity to figure out the depth and distance of the vault.

"At least the gravity works the same here... " Crystal breathed as soon as they reached a halt.

The cart stopped in front of vault number six hundred and twenty-four.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Crystal was amazed at the sight. She never had any expectations but she had an idea to make good use of it looking at all the money inside.

There were mounds of millions of gold, silver and heaps of little bronze Knuts. This was all left for her by her mother.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

Hagrid helped Crystal pile some of it into a bag all the while he explained the values of each of the different coins to her.

Next, they went to the high-security vault, Vault seven hundred and thirteen. There was only a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Crystal was curious to know what it was but knew better than to ask and left the bank behind.