Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Four

When the train pulled into Kings Cross, they slipped into the crowd and left the platform before the Weasley's could corner them. They headed for Diagon Alley, crossing London on the Tube. They moved through the Leaky Cauldron keeping in the crowds where they would be less likely to be singled out. They walked up the street slowly taking in the sights and sounds mentally saying goodbye.

The bank took his key and wand, and lead them to a cart. In the vault, Hermione handed Harry two bags while the goblin waited outside. "Here," she said. "Fill them both." She started pouring gold and silver into the bags. They took some time to fill, then she took a third bag and filled it with only gold coins. Shoving the other two bags into her book bag, she handed Harry the third. "We didn't make a dent did we?" she asked, looking around at the piles of coins.

"No," Harry said. "And this is the trust vault. I don't get whatever else there is until I'm of age."

"Wow, feeling slightly like a gold digger over here," she said.

"Don't be daft," he said and led her to the door. "You didn't know about this did you?"

"No, I had three bags just in case. I only knew what Ron said, and well, my parents are better off than his so…" Hermione explained shrugging.

Harry nodded in understanding. "Come on, let's go."

The cart returned them to the surface, and Hermione led Harry over to the counter to get the third bag changed into Muggle money. The goblin sneered but said nothing as he handed over the paper notes. Hermione shoved the notes into the pouch before putting it into Harry's bag.

"Right come on one more stop," she said, taking the lead.

They left Diagon Alley and returned to London, pulling a list out of a pocket she checked it before leading him by the hand.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked.

"Every travel agent in a five-mile radius, we're going to exchange the money."

"All of it?

"Yes, well, we're going to put some in a bank account as well," she said.

"Bank account? I don't have one."

"No, but I do. My parents wanted to open one for you but couldn't. The rules are tightening up you see. So we'll bank half of it and the rest we're going to exchange. We're going to need my parents at the bank as its a cash deposit, and we don't want questions."

"How much was it? I didn't see."

"About four thousand pounds, that's under a thousand galleons. The other bags are holding more than twice that amount each," Hermione replied. "That's why they took so long to fill."

"So we've just taken five thousand galleons from my vault?" Harry asked, staggered.

"Yes."

"But it hardly made a dint!"

"I know," she said. "I imagine a sum is tithed over from your other accounts to cover your school costs whether you spend it or not. Don't your statements tell you?"

"If I get them I don't read them."

"Well let's hope no one else does either."

They stopped outside the first travel agents, and Harry pushed the door open, gesturing her in first. Hermione smiled at him as she passed into the first travel agents to start exchanging their currency.

It took hours, and they were tired of walking before Hermione called her parents from a phone box so they could come to collect them. When the car pulled up, Hermione's parents both got out and approached the teens.