Harriet Potter book 1

Leaving the Shack

Okay so the votes are over for the sorting chapter. Just so everyone knows. I wrote this in a bit of a hurry when on vacation so enjoy.

Harriet woke up early the following morning. Although it was clear to her it was daylight, she stubbornly kept her eyes shut.

"It was only a dream," she told herself firmly. "I simply dreamed a giant named Hagrid came to tell me that I was going to go to a school for witches. When I open up my eyes I'll be at home tucked away in my cupboard."

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

That's just Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harriet thought, her heart sinking. But she still refused to open her eyes. It had been such a good dream she didn't want to leave it behind.

Tap.Tap. Tap.

"All right, all ready," Harriet mumbled, "I'm getting up."

She sat up and Hagrid's giant coat fell off of her. The shack was full of sunlight, the storm outside was finally over, Hagrid himself was sound asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping it's beak on the window, a newspaper held in it's claws.

Harriet stumbled to her feet, so incredibly happy she felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside her. She went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper right on top of Hagrid, who didn't even stir. The owl then fluttered down to the floor and began attacking Hagrid's coat.

"Stop that."

Harriet tried to wave the owl away from the coat, but it snapped its beak fiercely at her and continued savaging the coat like nothing happened.

"Hagrid!" Harriet said loudly. "There's an owl here-"

"Pay him," The Giant grunted into the couch.

"What?"

"You haf ta pay 'im fer deliverin' the paper. Get it from in the pockets." His coat seemed to be nothing but pockets- tons of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, teabags, peppermint humbugs....and finally, Harriet pulled out a handful of bizarre-looking coins.

"Give 'im five Knuts," Hagrid drawled sleepily.

"Knuts?"

"The little bronze coins."
Harriet carefully counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held one of his legs out so she could slip the money into a small leather pouch that was bound there. Then he flew out the open window.

Hagrid sat up with a loud yawn and stretched.

"Best be off, Harriet, lots ter do before school. Gotta get ter London an' get all yer stuff fer school."

Harriet turned the wizard coins over, examining them. She had a thought that made her feel like there was a hole in their plans.

"Uh- Hagrid?"

"Mm?" Hagrid hummed, he was pulling his huge boots on.

"I don't have any money- and you heard Uncle Vernon last night....he refuses to pay for me to go and learn magic.

"Don't yeh worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh really think yer parents wouldn' leave yeh anything?"

"But you said their house was destroyed-"

"They didn' keep their gold in their house! Nah, first stop fer us today is Grangotts. Wizards' bank. Go on have a sausage, they're not bad when cold- an I wouldn' say no if yeh offered me some birthday cake, neither."

"There are wizard banks?"

"Just one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Harriet dropped the bit of sausage she had been eating. "Goblins?"