Chapter 5: 04. A Touch of Ash: A Haunting Inheritance
"Blimey," Hagrid exclaimed, while staring down at the pile of ash on the floor that used to be one of the school teachers. "I think we need ta get going, Harry. Lots of things ta buy in the Diagon Alley."
No one uttered a word as Hagrid seized Harry by his shirt, tucking him under his arm, and strolled out the back door of the bar. Once outside, Hagrid utilized his umbrella to poke a series of bricks on the back wall of the Leaky Cauldron. The wall shifted and folded back out of the way to reveal a noisy alleyway that was crowded with both people and shops.
Hagrid ignored everyone's stares and briskly walked down the alleyway while apologizing "Pardon. 'Scuse me. Pardon."
"H-Hagrid," Harry finally managed to speak. "What happened to that man back there?"
"I don't rightly know, Harry," Hagrid said. "I ain't never seen anything like that ever before."
"But..." Harry looked at his hands and wondered what had happened. Did he do that? Was that the work of his magic? Was he powerful enough to melt someone, just by touching them? He shook his head and knew that it wasn't true. Dudley would have been a pile of ashes years ago if it was. Also, none of the others had reacted like that when they shook his hand. It was only that professor. "Something is wrong and I still feel cold thinking about it." Harry thinks. "Hagrid, will I be arrested or taken away" Harry pours out his concern, but gets scared at the outcome. when Hagrid naively mumbled with great fervor "I don't think so.. I'm sure Dumbledore would know. Great man, Dumbledore. Knows lotsa stuff," and carried Harry down the alley and stopped at the large stone and brick building with the word 'Gringotts' on a sign that was over the large front doors.
Harry could only go along as Hagrid walked up the steps and went inside. Hagrid didn't wait in line like he was supposed to and walked right up to one of the tellers.
"Hey, no cutting in line," one of the people in the short line said.
"Sorry," Hagrid said, flustered. "Hogwarts business. Very important." He looked at the unhappy goblin behind the teller window. "Fergive meh brashness. I'm in a bit of a rush." He said. "Young Harry here needs to make a withdrawal."
"You committed a breach of etiquette and jumped the line for a student?" The goblin asked.
"No, no. I'm just doing that for the first time," Hagrid said while taking out an envelope. "This is from the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. It's about you know what in the vault you know which."
The goblin's eyes flicked over the letter as he took it. He didn't read it, however. "Very well," he said and looked at Harry. "I assume Mr. Potter has his key?"
"Oh! I got that here somewhere," Hagrid said and gently put Harry down, then he started to empty his pockets. When a large pile of various items was on the counter, a few of them tried to crawl and wiggle away. "Here it is," he said and held up a small brass key that he had scavenged from the pile. The goblin looked at the key disgustedly and wiped it, then with both the key and the letter, he stepped down and came around the counter.
"Follow me, please," the goblin said and waved for them to follow.
Hagrid quickly scooped up most of what was on the counter and stuffed it back into his pockets, then he patted Harry's back and made him stumble and fall. He stood the boy up on his feet and the two of them followed the goblin to a large door at the back of the bank. Two armored goblins there came to attention and opened the doors for them.
Harry was glad that his mind was clear and he could see the creatures in front of him without freaking out about something like that existing in the world. It was a little disgusting, considering he had never seen anything like it before, and he was more than fascinated to know how something so odd had come to be in the world.
The arms, legs, and faces were distorted, shortened, and slightly twisted versions of humans. As far as he could tell, if it wasn't for the large pointed ears and the slightly off skin color, they could be what some uncharitable and disparaging people called 'midgets' and everyone else that had some common sense called 'little people'.
They piled into a mining cart and took off, even though no one had pushed them and no mechanical sounds had been heard, like on a roller coaster. Harry's eyes widened as the ride actually turned into a roller coaster and they went deep underground. He had never been on one before; but, thanks to the ridiculous ride he had survived on the flying motorcycle, the ups and downs on a mining cart were almost laughable in comparison. The goblin had his hand on the brake handle and brought them to a stop in front of a vault.
"Come here," the goblin said and Hagrid and Harry went with him to the door. "Hand, please."
"Go ahead, Harry," Hagrid said. "You're taking over the vault from yer parents."
Harry held his hand out and the goblin put the key into his hand, then used his hand to turn the lock. The goblin's hand glowed and then Harry's hand glowed. In the next moment, the key faded away and disappeared. Before he could ask what happened, the vault made several clicks and unlocked.
"You don't need the key anymore," Hagrid smiled. "And you don't have to worry about losing it now."
Harry was going to ask how that worked, then the vault door opened up and he saw what was inside.
Piles and piles of gold coins filled it.
Even with a clear mind, Harry couldn't fathom how much money was inside the vault. Thousands of coins. Hundreds of thousands of coins? No, maybe... maybe millions. He thought, shocked. He honestly didn't know how much was there and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to know. He pinched his arm again and knew that he wasn't dreaming. He blinked his eyes several times, rubbed them twice, and all of that shiny and glittering gold was still right there.
"You'll be needing a few handfuls for your school things," Hagrid said.
"A... few... handfuls," Harry whispered, and he knew that he wanted to take a lot more than just a few handfuls. He had never been given a single penny for the entire time he had been at the Dursleys. He had always been filled with envy as Dudley was given lots of money for an allowance. He spends it and wasted it, knowing full well that he would get another pile of money the next week, and he lorded it over Harry that he never got anything.
"Not this time," Harry thought and looked at Hagrid. "Do you have any big bags I can borrow?"
"Harry, galleons are heavy. Taking a large bag of 'em would be hard fer you to carry around," Hagrid said and was about to pat him on the back, then remembered Harry falling the last time he did it and stopped.
"You can use magic," Harry said, unperturbed. "Give me a magic bag."
"Sorry, Harry. I don't have one," Hagrid said. "Just take a few handfuls and put 'em in your pockets..."
"Mr. Goblin," Harry said, which surprised the goblin. "Do you have, or can you sell me, a magic bag? I need to take more than a few handfuls of my money with me."
"Certainly," the goblin said and blew a whistle. A few moments later, another mining cart with another goblin appeared and parked behind their cart.
"What can I get you?" the goblin asked.
"A medium..." the goblin started to say.
"Large, please," Harry corrected, extending a silver coin to the goblin.
"Are you attempting to bribe me?" the goblin exclaimed, feeling insulted and belittled as he glared at Harry.
"I am just looking to show my appreciation for your help," Harry said, placing the coin back in the bag.
"The bank compensates me," the goblin retorted, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Please accept my sincere apologies," Harry uttered as he ascended into the cart. Hagrid trailed behind him, and the goblin followed suit, without uttering another word. Subsequently, he proceeded to drive the cart back up to the surface.
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