Chapter Text
Diagon Alley was...I couldn’t seem to find the right words to describe it. There were so many that could fit, yet they wouldn’t be enough.
And this place was real .
It was so, so real and I was here, standing within it. I never got to visit the theme park recreation in my last life - I only had the movies, pictures and YouTube videos to immerse myself in - yet here I was now.
Saying it was magical was such a giggle-inducing cliche for it. There were so many people that, if I weren't so enamoured with being there, in the real Diagon Alley , I would be fighting a mounting anxiety attack. I clutched Daniella's hand just a bit tighter; the support it gave me, even though it was my own fucking clone, helped me immensely to stay grounded.
Each store-front was real and their doorways lead into real shops rather than select facsimiles that only pretended to be real.
Hagrid being so incredibly massive helped with navigation as it was damn near impossible to lose him in the throng. I heard Daniella mutter from beside me, “This is amazing!”
I nodded aggressively. It was beautiful and alien and a dream come true. I recognized many of the different shops Hagrid pointed out; I made a vow right then and there to visit every last one no matter what. If I had to come back every day until school started, I would.
Gringotts was as beautifully looming and lopsided as it had been in the movies and models. White stone dominated the building, a visible difference compared to the much darker-coloured spaces close to it. I took a minute to admire it before I imagined a dragon roosting on top of it, eyeing the people below and every so often letting out a puff of flame and smoke. The guardian of the Wizarding financial world.
Of course this reminded me of the dragon trapped miles below the ground under our feet. Chained and alone.
A fissure of anger pierced through the awe and wonder.
“Come on, you two,” Hagrid called, knocking me from my musings. “We've got important business and lots to do before the day is done!”
Right. Let's do this.
The goblins looked every bit like their movie selves, though I tried hard to not stare; It was rude. I could have sworn that something within me was saying those sharp eyes of theirs lingered on Daniella; it was the same inner-voice that swore Hagrid had purposefully brushed my bangs aside to show off my scar. But this seemed so...weird. Why would they be looking at her? I mean, alright, so she wasn’t dressed like all of the other witches around her as she was wearing muggle clothing rather than robes, but it shouldn’t’ve caught their eyes so thoroughly. I filed the moment away, hoping desperately that nothing would come of it.
We walked up to a free Goblin. Hagrid quickly told the Goblin that they were there to withdraw money from my vault. The goblin leaned over the counter and looked down at me; their sharp eyes were assessing as if they were making some kind of preliminary observance for a report.
“Ah, Miss Potter, is it? Interesting.”
Okay, that was new. The Goblin drawled, “And does the young Lady in question have her key?”
I was about to reply when, of course, Hagrid stated that he had the key before rummaging through his coat pockets. Daniella, the Goblin teller and I just stared at him, seemingly with the same expressions. The teller looked ready to fume; It was doubtful that such a look was normal. He genuinely looked angered. Luckily, Hagrid wasn't depositing moldy dog biscuits and other knick knacks on the desk as he searched. He finally found it, presenting it to the Goblin; the golden key looked ridiculously small compared to the massive size of Hagrid's hand. The teller looked it over and nodded before accepting it.
I had a feeling I was not getting that key back even though it was technically mine. I felt another pang of irritation.
Hagrid, for some reason, even though he didn't trust Daniella and this was a major security risk, decided to still deal with the whole “letter given to him by Dumbledore involving what I could only assume to be the retrieval of the Philosopher's Stone” in full view of both me and my clone. Did Dumbledore just tell him to ignore the potential risk of an unknown witness to get it done? I didn't like it because I knew how I felt about it in my old life. Sowing the seeds of a plan. Doing something secretive in front of a no doubt curious child who would remember this happening when later events occur...
I didn't like it.
I didn't like it at all.
The cart ride was fun though. It was like an amazing roller-coaster ride through the underground caverns. There were several beautiful underground cave systems back in the states but the only one I ever got to visit was called Ruby Falls. There were also a handful of VR rail rides through caverns and caves that I got to traipse around in. This trip on the goblin carts was very much like coasting through those places, the sight of the rocks and the wind whipping over my face was so thrilling! I was glad my glasses didn't fall off, though.
They were actually fake lenses, but I liked how I looked in them. And who was I to screw with Harry Potter’s iconic look, even if Harry was actually Hadriana? Plus they acted a bit more like protective goggles in situations like this.
We slowed down to a stop and Griphook called out, “Vault 687, Potter Trust Vault.”
There were apparently screeching tires in my brain as I tried to comprehend what I just heard; I looked over to Daniella to confirm I wasn't alone. She looked at me wide-eyed and nodded.
So I guess we could claim fanon-confirmed.
But this raised other questions. When, or could , I access the actual Potter vaults? Were they even still accessible? Why and how did Dumbledore have the key that only gave me entrance to the trust vault? Why did the goblins even let him have my key in the first place instead of putting all my vaults - no, sorry, Hadriana 's vaults - on lock-down until she came to the bank?
Once again, my brain was screaming conspiracies and my trip into this world was being ruined by my very adult mind's desire to question everything . I swear it wasn't this bad in my last life. I also kept freaking saying mine/me/I when I talked of things that specifically involved Original-Hadriana. I constantly forgot that I wasn’t her. I only possessed her formerly-dead body, and regrew it until it was perfect again. Poor girl's soul had gone off into the ether, hopefully with her parents.
I was just a freaking squatter in a body that wasn’t mine.
Hello, Depression, my old friend. So nice to see your ugly mug again.
Hagrid, of course, took my silent staring as awe at the sight of the wizarding coins in front of me. “James and Lily left you a right and proper nest egg,” he said proudly. Why was he so proud? “That should be more than enough to get you settled into school, indeed! Maybe yer whole life if you spend it wisely.”
Daniella sniffed, “Given the fact this is the trust vault and not the actual family vault, Hagrid, I think your statement is really undermining the situation.”
He looked at Daniella, suspicion twisting on his face. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, Hagrid, this is the trust vault. It's set up to pay for Hadriana's upkeep and bills through her childhood until she either reaches the age of majority or she fulfills the requirements for whatever was put in place to access the actual Potter vault. All this is just deposited from the main vaults until that time. Is that about right, Ser Griphook?”
The goblin nodded, looking rather pleased. “That's the bare bones of it, Miss.”
Hagrid puffed out his cheeks in irritation. “But Professor Dumbledore said I was s'posed to take you to the vault! He gave me the key! 'E never said nothin' about a trust vault!”
“Why did he have my key anyway?” I asked Hagrid. “He didn't say a word about it during our meeting, nor did he mention I would even need it. And Daniella told him she'd never been here so if he'd given it to me then we still wouldn't have come here without you to guide us.”
“Headmaster was just trying to keep it safe, I expect,” the half-giant replied, to which Daniella shot him a look. “That would mean either Hadriana wasn't to be trusted with her own money or he just completely ignored the statement neither I nor Haddy had been here before now. Which one are you going with?”
Hagrid was getting angry again. Griphook looked like he was torn between irritation at how we were wasting his time, and joy as he watched two people argue. I wondered if the Goblins in this universe were filled with delight at listening to someone quote-unquote “badmouth” Dumbledore and question him so openly.
Better diffuse the situation.
“Do we have a bag or pouch or something I can put my money in?”
Griphook entered the vault with me and turned to the wall where there were a total of three little bags with different cloth designs hanging up on some hooks. “Most trust vaults have pouches ready to use near the door. Standard procedure, Miss Potter. They're twice as big on the inside but you shouldn't need to fill them completely.”
“Well that's helpful and convenient. Thank you, Ser Griphook.”
He nodded as I grabbed one of the bags; it was purple with a soft iridescent shine, a gold rope and clasp fastening finishing it off. It was absolutely beautiful and I loved it. “Pouches are charmed with an anti-theft spell so if it gets stolen it will be sent back to the vault and our people will be notified,” Griphook explained as I looked at my new little purse. I looked at him and smiled. “Brilliant! Even if the thief gets away with my money, I'd hate to lose such a beautiful keepsake!”
“Is that real gold?” Daniella asked as I showed it to her from the doorway. Griphook eyed it for a second. “I believe the rope strap is spun gold fibers but the closing mechanism is Goblin silver reflecting the light from the rope, Ma'am.”
HOLY SHIT!
“I don't know if I should take this,” I declared, looking at Griphook. “Goblin silver is... it's precious, isn't it? This would make it incredibly special and had to have been crafted by some of the most amazing metal workers! I can't wear something that precious for an everyday task like shopping!”
“Blimey, Hadriana, you don't need to get so wound up over it. I'm sure the goblins don't mind! It's a real pretty pocketbook but I'm sure yer just being silly.”
“I don't know. Am I being silly, Ser Griphook?”
The goblin looked at the pouch, then at me. His eyes stared at me sharply again; a likelihood he was accessing me. “The pouches are all designed and crafted when a family opens a trust vault from the main vault. The Goblins involved use our special silver as part of the process. It's our way of blessing the new event. I don't think you're being silly, Miss Potter. I'm sure my superiors would find it entertaining to know a young wix actually grasped how important the use of our silver in such an ordinary bag is.”
“Well as long as I made someone smile, I guess,” I declared, grinning, before turning around and starting to put money in the bag. I suddenly found myself wishing I had something like a bank card or a money slip that worked like cheques connected to my vault so I wouldn't have to lug all this around. Or spend time counting it to make sure I have enough in my bag at all times.
“Daniella, can you help me count?”
My clone nodded and entered the vault. “What amount are we going for?” she asked me.
I thought about it for a moment, “I don't know if we'll get the key after this so I'm guessing 250, 100...100?”
She blinked, “Will it fit that much?”
My face scrunched up in concern. “Get the galleons first then go from there?”
She nodded, “Okay.”
It took a bit of time but we managed to get a nice bit of coins for shopping. I wished I had a bag connected to hammer space or like Mary Poppins bag in miniature form. If I did, It would make everything far simpler. I was pretty sure I could make one, I was not really worried about that. I just would like to see what they have on the market and how much the cost would be before I started such a project.
Griphook tried to hand me my vault key after the door locked behind us after we finished, but Hagrid took it instead. “Hagrid, shouldn't I be getting that? I mean, it's my key.”
“Professor Dumbledore made me swear I'd give it back to him when we were done today. Sorry, Hadriana. But I'm sure he'll give it to you when you get to Hogwarts! He's probably just wanting to make sure it's safe and sound.”
Oh I was not happy and Hagrid picked up on that. “Don't be like that,” he pleaded. “It's nothing bad! He's just looking out for you is all! Albus Dumbledore is a fine man and he wouldn't do anything without there being good reason.”
I wanted to freaking throw a fit right then but instead I just stomped back to the cart with Daniella following behind before crossing my arms in front of my chest. That old bastard wasn't going to be in control of what’s mine for much longer. I don't care what I have to do, this shit wasn't going to continue for long.
We sailed down the caverns again to Vault 713. Hagrid looked like he was going to be sick by the end of all this and I was praying he didn't vomit. This man would not do well at an amusement park, which was a pity because I would have liked to take him to one sometime. Just for the experience. Actually there were several people in this universe I'd love to take to an amusement park. Mister Weasley was at the top of that list.
We coasted to a stop in front of 713 and stood back a little ways as Griphook ran his long finger on the front of the door; I listened to the telltale sound of metal locks unfastening before the door essentially melted away with a hiss and green smoke, just like it did in the book. “If anyone else tried to unlock this, they'd be sucked into the door and trapped inside it,” Griphook explained.
“Bravo to Goblin ingenuity,” Daniella complimented. “Would they live in perpetual agony until someone came to check? Or would the process kill them?”
“They'd be in a state between life and death until extraction,” Griphook replied. “Pain beyond words and death would be preferable should they live after their... rescue.”
So there were people essentially ending up like Han Solo trapped in carbonite at the end of Empire Strikes Back . No, it was more like some kind of horrific parody of that one bit from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure where the Pillar Men were on display and that one dude got sucked inside it and eaten.
I had a very well rounded media consumption in my past life, if you couldn’t tell. Except for horror films. I did not like horror films. I still do not like horror films. I like horror games, though. Mostly. Fatal Frame was a freaking awesome series and the ghosts were fucking terrifying. Never play that series in the dark. Unless you have a cheat device, then go for it.
Why was I giving advice to invisible people again?
I watched Hagrid gather the Philosopher's Stone in it's plain, unassuming packaging and store it in one of his jacket’s inner pockets. “Best not to mention this to anyone, okay, Hadriana?” he asked me quietly while casting a suspicious glance towards Daniella. She stared right back at him and I was starting to realize that I wasn’t very fond of Hagrid. He kept giving my adult-self bad looks and treating her like she'd done something horrible. And then there was the blatant mindlessness that came with worshipping the ground Dumbledore walked on. Never questioning.
“Neither I nor Hadriana have any interest in whatever it was Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to collect from this vault, Hagrid,” Daniella assured him, her cold smile returning to the forefront. “I just hope he knows what he's doing and it doesn't end up putting the children in danger. Now let's get out of here before too much time flies by and we skip lunch and head straight to dinner.”
She took my hand and we all got back into the cart. The ride back to the bank’s Main Hall was very tense despite the roller coaster-induced feelings.
A Goblin I didn't know approached us and handed Daniella an envelope. “Message for you, Miss,” he said before walking off. Daniella looked at the cream coloured envelope with gold filigree around the edges in surprise. What in the hell? She began to open it as I opened my mouth to ask her what it was but Hagrid beat me to it.
“What's that?”
Daniella shot him a frosty glare, halting her actions. “None of your business,” she stated. “Nor is it Dumbledore's. Not that that seems to make a difference.” That last bit was muttered under her breath and she looked at me, stuffing the envelope in her bag. “You ready to go do your first-time Wizarding world shopping?”
“Yup! Let's go!” I held my hand out for her to take. As we left the bank, Hagrid excused himself, promising he'd be back in a bit. The nausea from the cart ride seemed to finally hit him in full force and, much like in the books, he needed a pick-me-up to settle his stomach. When we parted ways, Daniella and I headed over to the first place on my list.
A sudden sense of foreboding hit me as I stood in front of Madame Malkin's. This was it. This was where I was gonna have my first meeting with Draco Malfoy.
“We can do this,” Daniella said; although, I could barely hear her over the blood pounding in my ears. I felt her hands on my shoulders. “If we can get through our meeting with Severus Snape, we can handle an eleven year old Draco Malfoy.”
“And besides, I didn't think he was cute until I got older and read fanfiction,” I added. “I can do this.”
I could do this.
I could do this.
…
Maybe Flourish and Blotts first?