Waltz of Sinners

2

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-stirring - Collapsible said a sign hanging over them. Seraphina eyed them with interest as she walked taking everything around her at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an apothecary's was shaking her head as she passed by, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen sickles an ounce, they're mad ..." A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. Several boys of about Seraphina's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it.

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry 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... Seraphina speeded up walking with purpose towards the bank.

It was a snowy-white building, which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was a creature-goblin that was what Professor Snape had called them. They had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Seraphina noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as she walked inside and Seraphina bowed back and noted the slight surprise in their eyes. A pair of goblins bowed her through the silver doors and Seraphina bowed back politely and moved forward into the vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on 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.

Seraphina eyed the room taking everything in. She quickly moved forward with as much grace as she could but Seraphina knew that she looked completely out of place in the rich building with equally rich people moving with grace and posture of someone of high class. It would seem she has a lot of work cut out for her if she wanted to fit in. Shaking her head she went to the nearest empty teller and peered up at the goblin clearing her throat and he peered down. Seraphina offered him a polite smile as she spoke "I would like to access my vaults please"

"Vault key?" the goblin requested returning back to his work and Seraphina felt her smile freeze.

"Well you see I don't have a vault key, I was never given one"

"No key, no vault" the goblin said sharply seemingly taking pleasure in Seraphina's struggle and she resisted the urge to sneer right back at them.

"Is there a way to prove my identity?" Seraphina requested hoping it would work. The Goblin looked up then, studying her.

"A blood inheritance test would do the work" he spoke

"And how much would that be?" Seraphina questioned warily, the goblin bared its teeth in what Seraphina thought was a grin.

"3 galleons will be taken from your vault, if you have one"

"And if I don't" Seraphina questioned and the goblin grinned "Then you would pay it with you blood" The grin looked much more sinister now. Sera steeled herself, and nodded. He gestured to another goblin and Seraphina followed him as he let her through the bank, the white marble halls took many twisting turns and Seraphina knew without him she would be hopelessly lost. The goblin brought her into an office, another surly looking goblin sat behind it and gestures for her to sit down. Seraphina peered at the name plate as the other goblin left her alone.

"I'm here for a blood inheritance test Griphook" Seraphina said clearly meeting the goblins beetle black eyes. He smiled nastily or maybe all their smiles looked like that? and pushed a blank sheet of parchment and a ceremonial dagger across the table. Seraphina eyed the dagger warily gingerly picking it up