Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings

Chapter 3 Vault 764

Harry awoke early next morning to the sound of Hermione's voice.

'Wake up,' she said shaking Ron vigorously causing the whole room to move. Harry opened his eyes to see Hermione standing over Ron's bed.

'Wake Up Ronald.'

'Hermione,' yawned Ron as he tried to roll over. 'It's seven o'clock in the morning.'  

'Wake up! I want to get to Diagon Alley as early as possible.' Hermione stood up right and walked out of the room saying, 'Your mother says breakfasts ready.'

Ron groaned and Harry saw him walk across the floor and out of the room. Harry hadn't been to Diagon Alley since he was 17 and that was nearly a year and a half ago. Harry didn't really feel like he had aged much since then even though he had just turned 19 the previous month. He got up (but not without hitting is head agenised the top bunk) and went down to breakfast. Nothing much was said except the basic communication of hello and how are you and after he and Ron had gotten dressed they went down stairs to find Hermione and Ginny by the fireplace both with handfuls of flu powder. Ginny was intentionally avoiding Harry's eyes and began looking around the house.

'Shall we go then?' asked Hermione gesturing towards the fireplace.

'One question,' said Ron. 'Why is Ginny coming?'

'Because mum wrote to McGonagall and I'm going to be part of the trial year.' Said Ginny with a sense of triumph.

'The what?' asked Harry.

'Oh never mind let's just go,' said Ginny and at these words she stepped into the fireplace, cried 'Diagon Alley' and she was gone, followed by Ron, then Hermione and then finally Harry.

The four found themselves in Diagon Alley where, as usual, many people wore bustling around looking busy. But then a familiar voice came from the crowed.

'Harry,' it was Alice she was this time wearing far less formal cloths. Instead of robes she wore a pair of jeans and a grey hoody with a rather nice pattern on it. 'How nice to see you all.'

'You would notice Harry first wouldn't you,' said Hermione almost gloating. 'What are you doing in Diagon Alley?'

'I'm going to Bogwarts like you are,' Alice replied.

'Why don't you join us, if you're going to Bogwarts as well surely you'd be getting the same things,' said Hermione with what was almost a smile. 

'Alright then,' said Alice and the five of them made their way to Gringotts the Wizard Bank.

 The journey to their vaults was rather enjoyable for Harry. He like the feeling of wind in your face and by the looks of things he wasn't the only one. Alice smiled and let the wind flow thought her hair, she looked like life couldn't get any better but by the time they began arriving at vaults her smile had faded. They arrived at the Weasley's first. Ron and Ginny took a phew handfuls of silver sickles and three golden nuggets each before leaving, then they visited Hermione's vault, Harry noticed Alice looking particularly enviously at Hermione's reasonably sized collection of bronze nuts and silver sickles and even more so when there was still some left after Hermione was done. They journeyed to vault 764 and Harry seemed perfectly normal until the vault door opened. Inside the vault there was almost nothing excepted a small pile of silver sickles on the floor, Alice scooped them all up and put them in a leather bag, she then looked around for a phew seconds before seeing what she was, he assumed, looking for. She went to pick up the last remaining thing in the room, one gold galleon. She then, looking embarrassed and ashamed, walked out and they travelled to Harry's vault. Harry hastily scooped some money into a bag before rushing out again, however he knew Alice has seen the contents because when he came out all she could do was stair into the room.

After they left Gringotts, they headed to the madam malkins' to get their robes fitted. Harry couldn't help noticing Alice was much smaller than him and was surprised that Hermione stood at almost the same height. Though he thought that it must be a coincidence as the two didn't seem alike in most ways even if their hair was the same. Next they went to Potage's cauldron shop, then Mr Mulpepper's apothecary, then Wisecre's wizarding equipment, they even managed to convince Hermione to go into Quality Quidditch supplies with a little help from Alice. Eventually they got to Flourish and blots to get their books. Just as Harry was running his figure agenised the spines of books looking for "Wandless magic: Spell book (grade 2)" he heard an oh too familiar drool from behind him.

'Nice to see you again Potter, you know I'm surprised, I wouldn't have thought you'd be furthering your education after all that had happened at Hogwarts, I would have thought you'd want a break.' It was Malfoy. Harry turned to face the boy of whom he had loathed since the age of eleven. He had half the mind to jinx him on the spot but he didn't.

'You know Malfoy, I'm surprised your even aloud to further your education, given that your dad's a Death Eater and all,' Harry had struck just the nerve he was hoping for and stood there with a sense of self pride as Malfoy thought of something to say.

'The ministry don't hold grudges Potter,' said Malfoy in his usual tone.

'Maybe not,' said a voice from the shadows. 'But I do. Back off Malfoy.' Alice was standing at the end of the row with her arms folded.  Harry had never seen her use this tone before and he immediately knew why. This was a tone of pure malice and hatred. Harry fixed his eyes on Malfoy wanting to see what was going to happen next.

'What are you doing here?' said Malfoy who's tone changed to match Alice's as if to say "I can do that too."

'I'd get out of here if I were you,' said Alice who stared at him, the warmth in her eyes gone. Malfoy froze and looked as though he could burst with fury, but he left the shop all the same.

'How did you do that?' asked Harry who couldn't believe how quickly Malfoy had left. She shrugged, but there was a smile on her face as she did so.  

After they had paid for their books the five of them made their way to Florean Fortescae's ice-cream parlour. Harry had said that he would buy them all ice-cream and the five sat and enjoyed it as they watched other shoppers bustling around with bags full of things.

Alice put down her bags and began to read "Quidditch through the ages" with a large bottle of something by her knee. Occasionally she would put the book down and take a long drink from the bottle before continuing to read. 

'What is that?' asked Ginny as Alice put the bottle down.

Alice looked up, 'oh, this,' she said 'my brother has cranberry vine in his garden so he makes cranberry juice with it. Do you want some?' Ginny nodded and Alice gave her the bottle. After drinking some she past the bottle to Ron, who after drinking some passed it to Hermione, who took a phew sips and past it to Harry. It was like nothing Harry had ever tasted, still cool as tough it had just come out of the fridge and it ran down his throat like liquid heaven. It was amazing. He handed it back to Alice and she smiled at him.

'Where is your brother,' said Hermione. 'Now I mean.'

'Oh, that reminds me; I said I'd meet him in the leaky cauldron in three minutes. I'd better go.' She said as she packed away her things in a hurry. 'He's in the trial year too.' And with that, she ran off in the direction of the leaky cauldron.

Ginny shrugged. 'That makes two of use then.' She said.

When they had all finished there ice-cream they made their way back to the burrow where they ate dinner and went to bed... but Harry didn't sleep. He was too excited. He rolled over and began thinking about Bogwarts once again. He wondered where it was and how you would get there, he assumed at least one of the Weasleys new how to get there. But he couldn't help thinking... what if they didn't?