Gasping for breath Mum pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot clinging to Harry's clothes. Dad took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.
"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Dad "I've told Edgar I'd be meetin' 'im around 'ere. See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron Hermione and me as we climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Dad sharply behind them.
"No, he was selling —"
"So he's worried," said Dad with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."
"You be careful, Arthur," said Mum sharply as we were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —"
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Dad indignantly.
"You could take him easily Dad!" I goaded him,
but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.
"But you're Muggles!" said Dad delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!"
He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand. I thought this was a bit too much as I glared at Dad. He treating them like they were children.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. I always loved the breakneck journey down to our vault, but I always got annoyed at Ron, he'd always go pink in the face when we opened the vault.
There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mum felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag.
Things got worse however when we reached Harry's vault, as he tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag. I couldn't believe he was trying to hide his money from us. I mean honestly he had so much of it, the least he could do was share a little. I glared at him as we got back into the cart, and he looked away clearly uncomfortable.
Back outside on the marble steps, we all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mum and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Dad was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mum, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.
"And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" The twins repeated in a mock impersonation of mum.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling mockingly in Harry's pocket as he walked, although he did buy us a large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice cream each, which we slurped happily as we wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows.
Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until I had to drag him away from the window. Then Hermione dragged us off to buy ink and parchment next door.
YOU ARE READING
The Weasley of Slytherin: The Chamber of Secrets
Fanfiction(Y/n) Weasley. The only of the Weasley children to be sorted into Slytherin. After a break full of mischief with his brothers he is returning to Hogwarts for his second year, although what awaits him is beyond his imagination.
