The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 7

When they left, Hagrid took them to the pub's courtyard. "Is Mr. Quirrel always so nervous?" Anna asked Hagrid.
"Oh yeah. Poor bloke." Hagrid shook his head regretfully. "Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag- never been the same since." Anna felt even more pity for him. Quirrel couldn't couldn't seem to catch a break, the poor man. Anna's thoughts turned from Quirrel as she watched Hagrid tap the courtyard wall with his umbrella, and her eyes widened as a hole appeared in the wall, growing bigger and bigger until it was bug enough for even Hagrid to comfortably walk through. Anna gasped as she looked around. It was like she had stepped into a whole different world. There were all kinds of shops, advertising things like wands and cauldrons.
"We gotta get yer money first." Hagrid said as they passed a shop advertising collapsible cauldrons. Anna couldn't take everything in, there was so much to see. A plump woman sat outside of an apothecary, advertising dragon liver. Then there was a shop filled with owls, another selling broomsticks. Anna thought her head might explode. More shops, selling robes and telescopes. Finally they reached a white building. Gringotts. Anna wasn't going to lie, she was a bit excited to see a goblin.
Goblins turned out to be short, maybe four or five inches shorter than Anna. The one standing in front of her had a pointed beard, and very long fingers and feet. The goblin led them to a pair of doors, and Anna read the words engraved on the door:
'Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay dearly in their turn
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there'

"Like I told yeh," Hagrid said in a quiet voice. "Yeh'd be mad ter try and rob it."
As they walked through the doors, a pair of goblins bowed to them. About a hundred or so more goblins sat perched on high stools behind a long counter, writing who knew what and ledgers. Others were weighing coins, or examining precious stones. Anna walked with Hagrid and Harry to a free goblin. "Mornin'." Hagrid greeted him. Her? Anna wasn't sure if the goblin was male or female. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. and Miss Potter's safe."
The goblin eyed them somewhat suspiciously, as though trying to decide whether or not they were robbers. "You have your key sir?"
"Got it here somewhere." Hagrid pulled out a bunch of moldy dog biscuits before finally taking out a tiny golden key. The goblin closely inspected it. "That seems to be in order."
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore. It's about the you-know-what in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
Anna's ears immediately perked up. What was Hagrid talking about? What could this mystery object be? Hagrid obviously didn't want Anna and Harry to know what it was. Anna would have asked, but she knew what happened whenever she asked questions. She doubted Hagrid would do anything, certainly nothing to the extent that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had, but Anna would rather be safe than sorry, so she kept silent. The teller called out for someone named Griphook, who turned out to be yet another goblin. Griphook led them through yet another door and down a narrow stone passageway that felt like it should have been in a dungeon. Little railway tracks were on the floor. Griphook whistled sharply, and a little cart came flying towards them. Everyone climbed inside, and they were off. The cart hurtled at a breakneck speed, and Anna laughed in delight. Hagrid, however, looked like he might puke at any moment. At last the cart stopped, and Hagrid quickly scrambled out, his legs trembling. Griphook unlocked the vault that stood in front of them, and the door swung open. Anna felt like she might faint. Inside were mounds upon mounds of coins. All of it theirs. Anna couldn't speak, only utter little squeaking sounds. Not even the Dursleys had this much money. Hagrid chuckled softly as he filled two little bags for them. "The gold ones are Galleons, and the silver ones are Sickles. Right, that should be enough for a couple o' terms." He turned back to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred amd thirteen, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only." Griphook replied and Anna patted Hagrid's arm sympathetically. "Tough luck."
Vault seven hundred and thirteen was odd in the fact that it had no keyhole. Griphook touched the door and it melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried to do that, they'd be sucked through the door and would be trapped in there." Warned Griphook, and Anna gulped nervously. She didn't know why Hagrid was being so secretive, the only thing in the vault was a shabby looking package.
"Come on," Hagrid said as the twins peered inside. "Back inside this infernal cart, and don't talk ter me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut."