The Other Cullen (Book One)

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The next morning, I laid on my bed waiting for Dumbledore to get here and take me to Diagon Alley. I had dreamed about someone taking me away from the Cullens for as long as I could remember, and it was finally happening. Nobody has bothered me since yesterday, not even to hit me or yell insults. I think they are afraid of me. At least, for now they are.

"Ellie, are you ready to go?" I heard Dumbledore's voice say through the door.

"Yes!" I yelled, running to the door. "Um..How are we getting there?"

The Professor smiled amd held his arm out to me. "If you please take hold of my arm."

I grabbed his arm and everything went black. His arm was ripped away from my grasp and it felt like my eyes were being forces really far into my skull and my eardrums felt as if they were being shoved into my head. And then, it stopped and I felt sick to my stomach.

Dumbledore noticed that I looked green and pointed towards a bush nearby. I ran to it, puking my guts out. I never want to do that again.

"What was that?" I asked, wiping my mouth.

"That is called Apparition. It is used by means of travel for wizards," Dumbledore explained. "Most throw up on their first time. "

"Yeah, it was terrible!" I saod before gasping at the sight before me.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons--All sizes--Copper, brass, Pewter, Silver--Self-stirring--Collapsible, saod a sign hanging over them.

" Yes, you'll be needing one," said Dumbledore, "But we've got to transfer your muggle money for Wizard money first."

I wished I had about eight more eyes. I turned my head in every direction as we walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside the apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen sickles an ounce, they're mad . .. . ."

A low, soft hooting sound came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium---Tawny,Screech, Barn, Brown and snowy. Several children about my age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," I heard one of them say,"the new nimbus 1974-- fastest ever--" there were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments I had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon.....

"Gringotts," said Dumbledore,

We had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was---

"Yes, that's a goblin," said Dumbledore quietly as we walked up the white steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than me. He had a swartht, clever face, a pointed beard and, I noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as we walked inside. Now we were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

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.

"You'd be mad to try amd rob them." Said Dumbledore.

A pair of goblins bowed us through the silver doors and we were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weoghimg coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Dumbledore and I made for the counter.