Chapter 10: The girl who survived.
For Nova, the morning had started with an owl somehow finding its way in and attacking a heavy jacket that had been placed over her in the night. It smelled too.
“If you are looking for mice you’re not going to find them,” Aerie said groggily. Well, no, the owl more than likely wanted to be paid for the delivery of the morning paper it had brought in, and Hagrid was still asleep. How it even got in, no, the fire was dead cold. Nova rummaged around, found Hagrid’s bit bag, and dropped a gold coin in a small pouch the owl had. The owl looked at her funny like. “Not enough?” She said knowing full well it was more than enough, got out another coin, a silver one this time, and dropped that in. “More?” This time four bronze bits went in. The owl now satisfied it had the appropriate coins flew up the chimney and away from the island. Hagrid woke up a short time later.
“An owl brought in a paper.” Aerie informed him.
“Did you pay it?” He asked. As if someone who knew nothing of wizards would know what to do.
“It was pecking at your jacket, so I fished out some coins and gave them to the owl. They seemed happy.”
“I guess it’s alright then. Got a busy day ahead of us. Want some sausages?”
“I, ah, well I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings or anything, but I’m not too keen on eating something that’s been in your pocket, and I only eat fish, rabbit, and chicken with bacon being my one indulgence that’s not one of those three.” Mice and other small rodents were also on the menu in a pinch, but Hagrid didn’t need to know about that. Bottom line, she just didn’t want to take a chance on anything coming out of his pockets. With the possible exception of mice babies. Tasty little pink mice babies. Truly a fox's guilty pleasure.
“More for me then,” he replied and gobbled up what was left. “Come on then.”
A moment later he had his overcoat back on and was prying the door loose which had swollen up due to the rain. A short time later he had it open and Nova went out the door. Hagrid followed.
A shriek could be heard coming from inside the cabin as the two made their way down to the boat, and Nova couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them. Dudley’s transformation was more than likely near complete by this time while still being recognizable as human. Nova was playing a very dangerous game with Dumbledore, and if that meant Sacrificing the Dursleys, or Hagrid for that matter, to get Dumbledore off her back then so be it.
From there they went down to the dock where the rowboat was, with Moonie tagging along behind. Hagrid announced that they’d be using it and climbed into the slightly flooded boat and as soon as he’d sat Moonie chose to jump up onto his shoulders. The seawater had come up to within half a foot of the lowest part of the sides of the boat and it was making her mighty nervous what with all the water already in the boat from the night before and the waves coming up to just tickle the top of the gunnels. Nova climbed in without a word wishing she’d had a Mount Eris pendant. Aerie looked about and then started bailing water as Hagrid started rowing the boat.
“If I was to say, speed things up a bit, you wouldn't mind not mentioning it at Hogwarts?”
“So long as you don’t swamp us any more than we already are,” Aerie replied.
So the boat started to move along on its own accord. Hagrid pulled out his paper and started to read while he jabbered on about this, that, and the other thing. All the while oblivious to fishermen in other boats and the people on the docks as they approached giving the big man, cat, and little girl strange looks. And that included a BBC News van who had their camera trained on Hagrid. Nova waved cheerfully.
Hagrid completely missed it when helicopters flew out to the island.
From there they walked along until they got to the railway station where Aerie was forced to explain what spending a penny meant, and no, he couldn't follow her into the loo. Along the way, he’d been pointing out fairly ordinary things, like parking meters while commenting on how clever muggles were.
“And how do you know it’s not the Goblins putting the parking meters up?” Nova quipped along the way. Hagrid hadn’t even slowed down. In fact, getting him to talk about things best kept quiet in front of Muggles proved ridiculously easy.
Lots of people were watching the two pass, but being he was at least twice the height of everyone there, no one dared to approach. When they’d arrived at the station Hagrid gave Aerie a big wad of what he called Muggle Money, half of which was useless in the UK, and had her pay for the train tickets while he stood off to one side. She paid for his and pocketed the rest. After all, she had a transit pass, and it paid for all trains throughout the United Kingdom.
People kept giving her furtive glances. Aerie figured it was because of how big Hagrid was and how she was dressed along with the fact that the lower portion of her trousers was soaked. At least that’s what she thought until she saw her picture on the front page of the London Times on a newsstand. Headline: Husband has nervous brake down and kidnaps his own family and young Pimlico student. Looking about she could see several officers who seemed to be at a loss. No one wanted to challenge the big man. Several followed onto the train.
On board, the train Hagrid set to knitting something colored canary yellow that was big enough to be a smallish tent while complaining about this and that along the way as well. The seats were too small, and he even managed to get stuck in a ticket barrier busting it all to pieces when he could have simply stepped over it. There’d even been a busted escalator that would slide down as he climbed it forcing him to work extra hard to get to the top.
Why they hadn’t been stopped by a swat team along the way was a complete mystery to Nova, and yet they somehow managed to make it to the Leaky Cauldron without incident. Granted that the escalator fire she’d read about later may have had something to do with it. Fortunately, the fire had been quickly suppressed and no one had died.
“And we’re here. Still got that letter?” Hagrid announced. “Yer gonna need it to get everything you need.”
“Yes, it’s right here.” Nova offered, flashing the letter as they stepped inside. She was also well aware of the need for that letter to be able to buy certain items.
Once inside the innkeeper had asked him if he wanted the usual. “Can’t, Tom, I’m on Hogwarts business,” Hagrid said clapping a hand onto Nova’s shoulder sending her to her knees.
“Have a care, she’s just a little girl, Hagrid.” Tom the barman scolded as Nova scrambled away from Hagrid. Tom was a middle-aged balding man who struck Nova as the sort who’d stand by quietly while others told him their woes and then offer sage advice. She’d also met him on her previous trips though he’d never connected her to the famous Harry Potter. At least not until recently.
“This here is Aerie Potter…” Hagrid announced and started towards Nova.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” Nova demanded.
“So it’s true?” a patron asked. “She’s been in all the papers.”
“I am not some prize for you to be showing off. I am not the ‘boy’ who lived. I am the girl who survived. And this scar on my forehead, it was a piece of junk embedded there that no one bothered to even look at. Pulled it out myself a while back.” Nova stated flatly. “And you know what, I don’t actually need you to get my school supplies.” The Leaky Cauldron had gone completely still.
“I’m sorry, um, Diagon alley is out back.” Hagrid offered quickly. “Right this way. It’s, um, a secret door.”
“I was here just the other day with Lavender Brown,” Nova informed him.
“You was?” Hagrid asked. “Of course you were. Professor Dumbledore wanted me to escort you. Ta keep you safe from certain types of people.”
“I suppose now that so many people seem to know who I am that just might be advisable. Lead on then. Lead on.”
“Welcome back… Miss Potter,” Tom said as a tear shed from his eye.
Suddenly there was the sound of scraping chairs as people stood up and asked if they could shake her hand.
“Doris Crockford, Miss Potter, I can’t believe I’m meeting you at last.”
“We’ve met. You told me to mind my betters.”
“Ah, so I did.”
“Delighted, Miss Potter, just can’t tell you, Diggle’s the name, Dedalus Diggle. I saw you in a shop once.”
“Ah, well, there have been so many, and each time resulted in Aunt Petunia whisking me away to safety and I’d have to use Dudley’s old things.”
“I’m so sorry, I should have never done that,” Diggle offered.
Aerie shook one hand after another. That was until a pale young man made his way forward. To Nova’s horror, her fox fire erupted covering her body at his approach.
“Corpus Sancti,” someone whispered. A different kind of hush fell over the pub.
“The divine light.”
“Professor Quirrel, that vampire you encountered, it didn’t bite you did it?”
“Maybe it’s because he’s a dark arts instructor,” Someone whispered.
“No, the divine light, while exceedingly rare, isn’t going to react just because someone associates with dark things,” whispered another.
“That’s got to be how she survived the killing curse,” offered another whisper.
“I’m sorry,” Nova offered as she processed everything that was being whispered. “I’m usually better at keeping that in check. I’m sure it’s just me because I’m kind of worn out.” She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as she suppressed the fire. The last thing she wanted was for Quirrel to be outed so soon. “We really should get going.”
Quirrel backed away, and Nova made her way to the back of the pub feeling embarrassed that she’d allowed that to happen. She would miss hearing someone speculating that Dumbledore must have known and sacrificed the Potters to defeat You Know Who.
“Three up, two across…” Hagrid muttered as he tapped bricks with his umbrella out in the courtyard behind the pub. He tapped the key brick three times and then the bricks folded away to form a large arch.
“Welcome to Diagon Alley.” Hagrid offered sheepishly. “We, um, need to go to Gringotts.”
It wasn’t long before Hagrid started in on how safe Gringotts was. Nova just let him ramble.
“Ya, that’s a goblin,” Hagrid said as they climbed the white steps up to Gringotts. The goblin was shorter than Nova’s present form and bowed as they approached. Aerie returned the bow, but Hagrid just kept right on going oblivious to the courtesy.
“Wizards, eh?” Aerie whispered as she followed Hagrid through the doors.
*“Like I said, yeh’d be mad to rob Gringotts,” Hagrid rambled on as they were bowed through a set of silver doors. “Noth’n safer, save Hogwarts of course.”
Aerie bowed to the goblins and rolled her eyes at Hagrid. Little did anyone know that she’d successfully robbed the bank twice thanks to Moonie who she now understood to have been based on a Tantabus. All Moonie ever needed was a spell matrix to give her a proper form and a chance to make up for Princess Luna’s past regrets. As for breaking into Hogwarts, all a person had to be was be smarter than a first year.
Beyond the silver doors was a vast marble hall with over a hundred goblins sitting on high stools scribbling away at ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, and examining precious stones. It also looked like there were as many doors as goblins from which people were being shown in and out.
“Morning,” Hagrid said to a free goblin as he approached the teller counter. “We’ve come ter take some coin from the Potter vault. It’s for Miss Aerie here.”
“And do you have the key to the Potter account?” The teller asked without even bothering to look. Now if this had been Nova’s first trip, she might have been a little nervous about going into anyone’s vault. But as it turned out, she really did count as both a Black and a Potter.
“Ang on, got er right here…” Hagrid offered as he started scrounging through his pockets.
Elsewhere in the room, two goblins watched through monocles attached through long staffs. “Definitely an Equestrian.” One whispered to the other. “I get the feeling the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing though and her also being the child of the Lily Potter kind of suggests there was a little hanky panky going on.”
“This one’s a hunter. Can’t help but wonder who she’s ultimately after though. She won’t tell us. Might Prove interesting. She’s the one who returned the cup.”
Hagrid eventually found the key and then he was on about a letter from Dumbledore about the you know what in vault seven hundred and thirteen.
Not like the people in line couldn't hear him.
Nova couldn't help but roll her eyes at how obvious Hagrid was to anyone who knew what he was talking about and even caught a glimpse of the goblin helping them give her a wink.
Hagrid did eventually locate the key to the Potter vault, after pulling out an assortment of junk including a large number of moldy dog biscuits. And then he had to put it all away again.
Finally, they were on their way, and their guide was a little goblin named Griphook.
Naturally, Nova couldn’t resist standing up and leaning out over the front of the cart as they raced along, which was something the Goblins delighted in. Hagrid was in for the ride of his life.
“One speed only,” Griphook informed Hagrid at his requests to slow down. Suddenly it was up and up and down and down, then left, then right, back to left, then right again, down track B, and then onto track A.
“So what’s this super top secret mission you are on?” Nova shouted back as they raced around a sharp bend, the wheels squealing and the track flexing.
“Can’t tell you.” Hagrid managed. “Hogwarts business.”
“If it’s so secret why were you so bloody obvious about it upstairs?”
“What? Was not.” Hagrid said softly and Nova couldn't help but laugh out loud.
“So what’s the difference between a stalactite, and a stalagmite?” Nova called back.
“I don’t know, one of ems got an M in it.”
“One’s sober and the other one’s tight.” Nova offered and then laughed.
“Don’ ask me questions now, I think I’m going to be sick.”
Nova just smiled and then made a hand gesture to Griphook indicating that Hagrid had been drinking. He smiled, the cart switched tracks, and then dropped so fast Nova went adrift and had to deploy wings to catch up. Fortunately, the maneuver had made Hagrid so sick he hadn’t even noticed. Griphook noticed by the twinkle in his eye but made no indication that he had.
“Why Hagrid, what a lovely shade of green.” Nova offered as the cart lurched to a stop a short time later. Hagrid had to crawl out on his hands and knees and then just sat there while Griphook went to unlock the Potter vault. Nova went in, Dropped an Equestrian Royal, a big Equestrian gold coin worth a hundred bits, and helped herself to a fair amount of the wizard money. Sure the money was technically hers to take, she just didn’t feel right about taking any money out without compensating the account.
“Come on Hagrid, time to get back in, you’ve got that special assignment Professor Dumbledore gave you.”
Hagrid moaned and climbed back into the cart. “Vault… vault seven hundred and thirteen, and can you go a little slower? Please?”
*“One speed only.” Griphook repeated.
Evil laughter. 
Stats
Page generated in 0.055 seconds
Total duration
1,111 users online
1,744,489 hits today, 1,872,792 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
11347345
More along the lines of will nagini be in the story(and cured by nova?)but not a horocrux.
And everyone but the wizards and the regular government have no clue why is going on.
i almost feel bad for Hagrid almost he it not even a pawn on this chess board he is just a no pony.
a awesome chapter..
so KittyrinnAiko how goes the story? are you more relax and able to put pen to paper?
11348305 Well you can blame or maybe credit Dimbledore for that. He knows what Ministry of Magic especially Fudge and Umbridge think of muggles. He is playing them or trying to play them like a harp
11348517
I've been plugging away, but the heat isn't conducive to thinking.
11348708
i know how that is i was just in a heat wave of 95 f+ for two weeks.
Mine has two: fast and faster
11376738
I'm quoting the Konami code. It's a classic cheat code.
11376964
Komani Code, is this a new Film or Game(maker) ?
11376738
I think this is mostly a reference to If Wishes Were Ponies by tkepner (another mlp/hp crossover) where Harry slips a Gallion into Griphook's grip saying the other 2 were his if the trip back was faster,
11614414
The line "One Speed only," is from the book.
"Up and up and down and down, then left, then right, back to left, then right again, down track B, and then onto track A." Is the Konami code. (⬆⬆⬇⬇⬅➡⬅➡BA) It's a classic cheat code.
Pretty sure everyone who has done the cart ride has done a variation on one-speed only and it's even a meme. The way I tackled it Aerie doesn't bribe the guard, she doesn't have to. Goblins have a considerable dislike and resentment of wizards. And that includes Hagrid. It's entirely possible they make the carts go as fast as they can just to torment the wizards. The way I'm approaching it is that they don't see Aerie as just another wizard and even delight at her delight in speed.