[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

12: sometimes wealth is happiness

The goblin led them to the side of the room to a big iron gate. He pressed his palm against the wall to the left of the gate and it creaked open. Once the gate was fully open, the goblin led them through it into a tunnel made entirely of stone with seven different tunnels branching off from the main one. There was a walkway on their side of the tunnel, extending into the distance on both the right and left sides. A metal track was placed about a foot in front of the walkway, upon which waited a cart. The goblin clambered into the cart, Hagrid following closely behind. Percy and Harry exchanged apprehensive looks with one another, then followed Hagrid onto the cart, making sure not to get caught in the gap between the walkway and track.

As soon as everyone was settled, a sort of seatbelt-like material of rope extended across the group's laps automatically. The two boys once again exchanged looks, this time slightly alarmed. "Make sure to hold on," the goblin said in his nasally voice. Then with a huge jolt, the cart was moving. It was moving so fast, Percy couldn't see the sides of the tunnel clearly. The cart twisted and turned through the tunnels, and it almost flipped upside down at one point. Percy was exhilarated. It felt like he was on a high-speed roller coaster. All too soon, the cart slowed to a stop. Immediately, Hagrid wobbled out, green in the face. Percy and Harry followed with the goblin exiting last. "Vault six hundred and eighty-seven, Mister Harry Potter's vault," the goblin announced.

He strode forward confidently and slotted one of the keys into the keyhole in the center of the door. There was a great grinding noise and the massive door swung open. Once Percy could see inside, his jaw dropped. There were piles upon piles of bronze, silver, and gold coins, all stacked into perfect columns. This was all for Harry? Percy turned to Harry and saw that his jaw had dropped as well. "Harry-" Percy started.

"Oh. My. God. Oh my God," Harry said. "Percy? Is this all for me? Because this is insane."

"I know Harry, I know." Percy turned back to the mountainous pile of coins.

"Percy, I'm rich."

"Yeah. You are." They both stood there gaping for a few moments more until Hagrid broke them from their trances. He handed Harry a worn leather bag that looked it could fit several thick books inside of it.

"Well?" He gestured to the full vault. "Go on, then." Harry immediately took the bag and started shoveling coins into it, trying to get an equal amount of each type, though Percy suspected Harry had taken quite a number more of the gold ones.

Once Harry's bag was jingling and full of coins, he came back out of the vault with a big grin on his face. "Done," he said.

"Right," Hagrid laughed, "back to the cart then." After the goblin had locked vault number six-hundred and eighty-seven, the four climbed back into the cart and were once again whisked away.

The cart went on for some time until it came to another sudden stop. They all climbed out, Hagrid looking like he was going to be sick again. Percy wondered if this next one was going to be his. "Vault number seven hundred and thirteen," the goblin said. Instead of using the other key like Percy had expected, the goblin placed his palm in the center of the door. As soon as he had touched it, a shockwave traveled from the center of the goblin's hand to the outer edges of the door. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the door crept open.

Percy peered around the edge of the door eagerly but was thoroughly disappointed. Instead of the gold he was hoping to see, there was only a small package wrapped in cloth on a pedestal in the middle of the otherwise empty vault. Hagrid quickly made his way into the vault, took the package and pocketed it, and exited. The goblin closed the door behind him and locked the vault door.

They got strapped into the cart once again, Percy still a little disappointed. But then, he reasoned, the next one must be his! The cart zoomed along for quite awhile until it stopped in front a tunnel that had smooth stone walls and a walkway instead of the usual metal track. The goblin got out, gesturing for them to follow him. They did so. They walked along the tunnel for about a minute until they got to the very end, where there was a large chamber. There was nothing special about this chamber, except for the massive vault door across on the other side. They crossed the room and as they got closer, the amount of detail that had gone into making the door was truly spectacular.