Harry Potter felt dizzy as he followed Hagrid to the second floor at the Leaky Cauldron. He thought about everything that had happened to him.
Just yesterday he was a normal boy. Today he was pretty much the most famous wizard in the world. Not that it was bad, in fact, it was wonderful! Although he hadn't got used to all the commotion around him. That everyone in the bar downstairs had made an effort to shake his hand and talk to him, was somehow scary. Hagrid almost had to drag him out from the crowd in order to get here.
"Hagrid, what we're doing up here?" He finally asked, looking curious to the two sides of the hallway full of doors.
"Well, yer not the only student that I'm in charge of helpin' with shoppin'. Luna Stars came to town two days ago. Her parents were killed in an attack by Voldemort. Her sister managed ter hide her and her aunt took her ter live in Romania. She sent her back in time fer the school year, but she don't know much o' our world. She's a bit differen', but don't be alarmed. And be careful with questions."
Harry nodded, wondering what "different" meant in this case. Hagrid stopped in front of a door and knocked.
"I'm coming!" Luna shouted, hearing the beat. She checked herself in the mirror, having found some clothes in the room that morning, probably a gift from Star Gate. The dark blue shirt and the sides of her jeans had the symbol of a crescent moon, just like her Cutie Mark, which led her to that conclusion. Satisfied she went to the door and opened it.
Harry looked surprised at the girl standing in the doorway. Should was roughly the same age as him and was a little taller. Her short blue hair was probably dyed, though he didn't understand why such a young girl would dye her hair. What really startled the boy was the pair of ears that sprouted on top of her head.
Luna watched the boy in front of her for a few seconds, not expecting his presence. His clothes were too big for him and he had a scar on his forehead in the form of lightning. Then her attention turned to Hagrid. He was bigger than she expected, different from any human she had ever seen. He should be the visit Star Gate mentioned in her last letter.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Luna Stars?" Hagrid asked.
"Exactly. And who are you?"
"I'm Hagrid."
"And I'm Harry Potter." Harry replied, somewhat insecure.
He expected her to be like the people in the bar, but she only answered politely:
"Enchanted!"
Harry noticed that her voice sounded somewhat deep, in a solemn way and a bit louder than he was used to, but also noted that she seemed insecure, confused, lost. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked at him a few seconds when he extended his hand before shaking it. She didn't just seem to be unfamiliar with the world of magic, like him; she seemed to be unfamiliar with the world in general.
But remembering Hagrid's warning, he held in his curiosity to ask about the ears and the confusion, and just smiled.
A heavy silence fell over them for a few seconds until Hagrid broke it.
"Well, we'd best be goin'. Want ter finish shoppin' before night, no?" Hagrid called, laughing.
The two just laughed and followed Hagrid until the courtyard, with some difficulty because of the crowd that had formed again when they tried to pass through the bar.
The two younger exchanged a confused look. There wasn't anything there; it was a simple small, walled courtyard, with nothing more than a rubbish bin. Why were they there?
Then Hagrid picked up his umbrella and started hitting some bricks, muttering to himself, too low for the two to understand.
Then, like magic, and there was no doubt that it was exactly that, an arch opened, revealing a crowed street lined with shops.
Luna laughed at Harry's amazement when crossing the arch. She herself was delighted with the place, but not so impressed. The place reminded her of Canterlot's Fair, with building shops instead of tents. The items were a bit exotic, ranging from cauldrons, feathers, animals, brooms and herbs, among many other things.
Harry could barely keep up with everything, completely fascinated. He had never seen anything like this before.
"Well, here we are. Gringotts, the wizard's bank!" Hagrid announced.
They were standing in front of a large white building with bronze doors. In front of these doors was...
"What is that?" Luna asked, surprised.
It was shorter than Harry and Luna and had long hands and feet. She had never seen anything like it, and judging by the look on Harry, neither had he, though he seemed to see it more like a story creature than something totally new.
The truth was that Harry knew what it was, he just couldn't believe it. So it was a goblin? They seemed unfriendly, although quite intelligent.
"It's a goblin." Hagrid whispered in answer to Luna. "They're very intelligent, but not so friendly."
The goblin bowed to them as they passed, Luna decided to consider Hagrid's note.
Up ahead there was a new pair of doors, silver this time, with unfriendly words.
"I told you? Only a fool would try to rob the bank." Harry remembered what Hagrid had said.
"It doesn't look so dangerous." Luna protested. "It never looks." She muttered to herself, watching the goblins working. There was magic in the air. A different but very strong magic. "The goblins are very different where I come from."
"Really?" Hagrid asked, concerned.
"They are small and made of ice, harmless but very messy."
The three approached the counter and Luna was silent.
"Good morning." said Hagrid to a vacated goblin. "We have come to withdraw some money from Mr. Harry Potter and Miss. Luna Stars' vaults."
"You have the keys?"
"I have Harry's somewhere." Hagrid said and began to empty his pockets. "Found it!" He finally exclaimed, showing a little gold key. "Luna d' yeh have yer key?"
Luna remembered the key that came with Star Gate's last letter, took it from her pocket and handed it to Hagrid, who handed the two keys to the goblin, who examined them carefully.
"They seem to be in order."
"And also I have a letter here from Professor Dumbledore." Hagrid said with important air, taking it out of his coat pocket. "It's about You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter carefully.
"Very well! I'll have someone take you to the two vaults. Griphook!"
The new goblin accompanied them to one of the gates that were in the lobby.
"What's You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.
Luna was also curious, but she knew better than to meddle in others' private affairs.
"Can't tell yeh." Hagrid replied. "Top secret. Hogwarts businesses. Dumbledore entrusted it ter me. My job's worth more'n the desire ta' tell yeh."
The door led into a narrow stone passage, lit by flaming torches, where rails fell off a steep descent. They boarded a trolley, Hagrid with some difficulty, and departed.
The place was a maze of tunnels, full of curves. Harry tried to memorize the way but it was impossible. Luna was more interested in the strange vehicle that carried them. Was it driven by magic? It wasn't pulled by anything, apparently, and despite being easy to push down the slope, they had to climb up somehow, right? Harry also wondered if the trolley knew the way by itself. Griphook didn't seem to be driving.
When they finally stopped, Hagrid was the first to jump off, rushed, followed by Harry and Griphook. Luna leaned on the edge of the vehicle to try to see the bottom, but Hagrid pulled her out quickly.
Griphook unlocked the door to Harry's vault and green smoke escaped from within. Magic. Luna noted. The place was full of tricks. She decided it was best to be aware.
Inside were mounds of gold coins, columns of silver and heaps of bronze. Harry was breathless. He never had anything at the Dursleys and now...
"It's all yours." Hagrid smiled.
All his! If his relatives knew that they would go crazy.
Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.
"The gold coins are galleons." He explained to the two. "Seventeen silver Sickles to make a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts make a sickle, is pretty simple." Luna didn't think so. He turned to Harry. "Okay, tha' should be enough fer a couple semesters. We'll keep the rest safe fer yeh."
The journey to Luna's, or rather, Star Gate's vault, was short. It was, if possible, more full than Harry's. Star should be someone very rich, very powerful indeed, to have brought Luna there, and possibly dangerous. Luna wasn't too sure about trusting her, but so far, she had no choice.
Hagrid also helped pile a little money into a bag for her, then turned to Griphook.
"The vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, an' can we go more slowly?"
"There's only one speed" Griphook replied, which didn't leave Hagrid very satisfied.
The vault seven hundred thirteen had no lock but Griphook ran a finger through the door and it just dissolved.
"If someone who wasn't a Gringotts goblin tried the same, they would be swallowed up by the door and would be trapped inside." Griphook explained when Luna approached, curious.
"How often do you come to see if anyone is there?" Harry asked.
"Once every ten years." Griphook replied with a smirk.
The vault had only one small round package. Luna felt the energy emanating from it, renewing her own energy, undoing her illusion spell, her eyes twinkled, then Hagrid put the package in his pocket and everything returned to normal. Luckily nobody noticed. Or had they? Luna had the impression that Griphook had given her an odd look, but it could have been just her imagination, because he said nothing.
Harry wanted to know what was in the package, but felt it was best not to ask.
The trip back didn't take too long and soon they were back in the sunlight. Luna never imagined being so happy about it. She preferred the darkness of night, but there was a great difference between the illuminated night sky and a dark and closed cave.
"Go buy yer uniforms." Hagrid nodded to a store: Madame Malkin's - Robes for All Occasions. "I'll make a run to the Leaky Cauldron fer a pick me up. Hate them Gringotts' carts."
Harry was a bit nervous entering the store without Hagrid, but Luna was anxious and pulled him toward the store.
Madam Malkin was a short, fat and smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" She asked when Harry started to speak. "I have everything here. Actually, there's another boy now being fitted."
Behind in the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch shortened his long black robes. Madame Malkin put Harry on a stool next to the other boy, put a robe over his head and began to mark the hem at the right length, while another witch came to help Luna.
"Hello." greeted the boy. "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes." Both confirmed.
"My father's in the store next door buying my books and my mother is further along looking at wands." said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'll drag both of them to take a look at racing brooms. I don't see why the first year's can't have their own brooms. I guess I'll bully father into buying me one and I'll smuggle it to school on the sly." The boy reminded Harry very much of Dudley. "You have brooms?" the boy asked.
"No." The two responded.
"You play Quidditch at all?"
"No." they replied again, both wondering what would be this Quidditch.
"I do. My father said it's a crime if they don't choose me to play for my house, and I have to say that I agree. Already know what house you'll be in?"
"House?" Luna asked confused.
"You don't know?" The boy asked in a tone of superiority.
"She arrived from Romania two days ago." Harry defended her, the pale boy shrugged.
"Well nobody really knows until you get there, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family was there, imagine staying in Hufflepuff, I think I'd quit school, don't you?"
"Uh-huh." said Harry, wishing he could answer with something a little more interesting.
"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the window. Hagrid was standing before it, grinning at Harry and Luna and pointing to three large ice creams to explain that he couldn't enter.
"That's Hagrid." said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."
"Ah, heard of him. He's a kind of servant, isn't it?"
"He's the gamekeeper." Harry explained, every second liking the boy even less. Luna's look told him, she thought the same.
"Yeah, right. I've heard he's kind of wild. Lives in a shack on the school grounds and occasionally gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up torching his bed."
"I think he's brilliant." Harry replied coldly.
"Do you?" the boy said with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you two? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead." The two responded dryly. They didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.
"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine." He talked to Harry and threw a dirty look at Luna. "I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"
But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said:
"That's it, you're done, my dear."
And Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose." said the drawling boy.
Luna had to stand still, the witch who took care of her clothes was having trouble pinching a hat to fit with her ears that she insisted on keeping.
"And what's that on your head?" The boy seemed to have finally noticed that little detail on the girl.
Luna struggled to ignore him, but all she wanted was to throw a spell to shut him up. He seemed to her like a cocky Unicorn, who felt superior to the other ponies.
"What is your name?" He insisted.
But the witch was finally done and she left the store running.