Chapter 3
Harrie set off briskly in the direction of the post office, wishing to drop off the mail first and then do a bit of exploring. She was determined to enjoy her day of freedom in London, away from Lowood, away from other orphans, but most of all away from anyone who knew her at all.
As Harrie turned onto a street she had never been to before, she noticed something funny. There was a little pub with a cauldron on the sign. But what was funny was that the people hurrying by didn’t even glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn’t see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harrie had the most peculiar feeling that only she could see it. She wanted to know more about the pub, especially why no one else could see it, but she had no money and would have no reason to go into the pub other than to order something to eat or drink.
She paused on the busy street, trying to think of a way to find out more. She channeled that warmth inside her to keep anyone on the busy street from noticing her either. She stood there quietly, watching the other people on the busy street, and when none of their eyes landed directly on her, she was satisfied it was working. Harrie cautiously made her way into The Leaky Cauldron, making sure to keep focusing on being invisible. Inside was a dark and cozy pub, setup with a normal bar and tables. However, none of the patrons were normal at all. No one seemed to notice Harrie, as she looked around. Everyone was wearing a funny sort of clothes she hadn't seen before, but otherwise it seemed like a normal pub.
As Harrie was thinking this, the large fireplace in the back suddenly burned with bright green flames and a tall man with long blonde hair stepped out as if it was something he did everyday. Perhaps, he did, Harrie wouldn't know. He nodded at the barman before stepping up to what looked like a plain brick wall. Harrie watched as he took what looked like a stick from his sleeve and tapped on the bricks in a certain pattern. Just as Harrie was thinking nothing would happen, the bricks melted away leaving a doorway onto a bustling, cobblestone street.
Harrie quickly moved to follow the man, not knowing how long the door would stay open and wanting to find out as much as possible. She was a bit dazzled by what she was seeing. Everything seemed brighter and more colorful than before, and even the names of the shops seemed to be unusual. She passed Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, Harrie thinks the funny clothes must be called robes, and Eeylops Owl Emporium, which did truly seem to only be selling all types of owls. Harrie is beginning to think she has stumbled upon a whole new world. However, the blonde man she had followed seemed to be heading directly for the building at the end of the street. The building looked like it had been there for centuries and was the only building that seemed to be made entirely of marble. Harrie quickly caught up with her involuntary guide to see if she could find out more.
As they pass through the double doors, Harrie sees a sign posted that reads:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most 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.
The blonde man doesn't even glance at the sign as he makes his way over to the only teller at the long counter. Harrie is glad she has learned to keep her reactions inside, because there at the counter is a very strange looking creature with large ears and what look to be very sharp teeth. The man demands to meet with his account manager, in what Harrie thinks is quite a rude tone, but the creature does not appear to be surprised or offended. Between the sign about treasure and the man's request for an account manager, Harrie thinks this must be some sort of bank, she remembers Uncle Vernon ranting about his account manager at least once a month. The teller says something in a harsh, guttural language and another creature comes forward to lead the blonde man away. Harrie is about to follow the man again when the teller looks directly into her eyes, pinning her in place.
Harrie knows she isn't actually pinned in place, but she is so surprised that he sees her that she freezes, unsure what to do next. Looking around the room, she notices that she has been frozen long enough for the blonde man and his guide to have disappeared and there is no one else in the room other than Harrie and the teller. She stands up straight, holds her head high and opens her mouth to say, she doesn't know what, but before she can even get one word out, she is interrupted.
"Who dares enter Gringotts Bank attempting to conceal their presence?" he demands, leaning over the desk. Harrie was right, it is a bank.
"My name is Harriet Potter," she says, after a moment. She's not entirely sure she has done the right thing giving her true name, when he sits back abruptly and his eyes scan over her face rapidly, but her instincts were telling her it was not a good idea to lie.
"Harriet Potter..." he mumbles, not looking away from her. He mutters again in that same harsh language from before, but Harrie doesn't have a clue what he could be saying. "Follow me," he demands abruptly.
Harrie, beginning to feel the stirrings of fear she probably should have been feeling before, is debating turning around and making a run for it when the creature turns back to look at her. "Well, Harriet Potter, are you coming?" he said, in such a way that she felt the only option was to say yes.
She nodded and followed him through the door he was holding open for them. Harrie, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches on one side and doors along the other. The creature passed by what seemed to Harrie to be a random number of doors before opening one and leading her inside.
The door flicked shut behind her with a quiet snick, leaving Harrie in what appeared to be an ordinary office with her new guide. She wanted to ask what sort of creature he was, but even she knew that was rude, and being rude to a creature who had what looked to be very sharp teeth did not strike Harrie as a wise thing to do. So, she sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and waited for him to speak.
"You claim to be Harriet Potter, yet you look nothing like a Potter," he said after a lengthy period of time.
Harrie was not sure how to respond to this, as she did not want to change her appearance in front of this stranger, and she wasn't sure what a Potter was supposed to look like. For all she knew, she normally didn't look like a Potter. "Is there a way to prove I am Harriet Potter?" she asked, instead.
He bared his teeth in what could be considered a shark-like grin. "Of course. Place three drops of your blood onto this parchment," he replied, sliding a thick piece of paper across the desk to her. Harrie didn't like the sound of that but also didn't know how to refuse.
"How?" she said.
"Simply place your palm flat on the parchment. You will feel a small prick, but it will take only the required three drops and no more."
Harrie nodded and placed her right palm directly on the parchment. The prick was over almost before she even noticed, and she removed her hand. Her eyes widened as before her eyes words seemed to write themselves across the page.