Unlikely Companions

Chapter 11 Renewed Friendship

"What was that thing, the other day?"

"Where?"

Credence rolled his eyes and smiled, despite himself. They were walking slowly, arm in arm, through the undulating streets of Diagon Alley. Mathilda was slightly happier, and definitely calmer than she'd been in days. It felt nice, he thought, to have his friend back.

"At that grim old house," he said. "A very ugly creature greeted us..."

"Oh!" she yelled. "Yes, yes. That was a house elf, a servant."

"Do they have names?"

"They do," she said, nodding slowly. "That one was called Kreacher, and he's probably the nastiest of them all."

"Why would you say that?"

"Come on, Credence! You saw him!"

He scrunched his nose, pretending to think about it.

"You're right."

She suddenly let go of his arm and walked a few steps ahead of him to inspect a sign in one of the stores. He watched her from a few feet away, noticing the sparkle in her eyes that he had missed. Mathilda wasn't sad anymore, everything about her said so.

Her dress was plain but nice, in a deep violet shade that brought out her eyes. Her hair was, once again, floating messily around her head in a shock of dark brown curls. She looked beautiful to him, almost unbelievably so.

"Are you hungry, Credence?" she asked, taking him out of his stupor.

"Me? No, not much. Why? Are you?"

"Not really," she said. "But the ice cream at Fortescue is really good, so maybe we could stop by later."

He nodded, feeling a strange flutter in his chest when her hands touched his arm again.

"Let's go to Gringotts," she suggested. "You'll see the magical bank, meet some more nasty creatures, and maybe see a dragon."

"A dragon?" he asked, incredulous.

"We might have had more chances of seeing it if we had come before, but alas... I don't know where my chamber is, so there might still be an opportunity."

"Mathilda, there's no way a dragon could fit inside of a building in this alley. Aren't they big?"

"Oh, they're huge. but they're not inside a building. They are below."

"Below?"

"Oh, yes. Gringotts' vaults are underground, deep in the caverns that support this alley. That's why it's the safest place in the world."

"I bet dragons have a lot to do with that, too..."

"Quite possibly."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Definitely. But some people are trained to deal with them. I've learned most of what I know about them from Newt."

"In his book?"

"Yeah."

"I wish I had it. He promised me a copy but we haven't had time..."

"It's hard, I know," she said. "But, when this is over, I promise it'll be better. In fact, if Flourish and Blotts carries them, I'll get one for you."

"What was that thing, the other day?"

"Where?"

Credence rolled his eyes and smiled, despite himself. They were walking slowly, arm in arm, through the undulating streets of Diagon Alley. Mathilda was slightly happier, and definitely calmer than she'd been in days. It felt nice, he thought, to have his friend back.

"At that grim old house," he said. "A very ugly creature greeted us..."

"Oh!" she yelled. "Yes, yes. That was a house elf, a servant."

"Do they have names?"

"They do," she said, nodding slowly. "That one was called Kreacher, and he's probably the nastiest of them all."

"Why would you say that?"

"Come on, Credence! You saw him!"

He scrunched his nose, pretending to think about it.

"You're right."

She suddenly let go of his arm and walked a few steps ahead of him to inspect a sign in one of the stores. He watched her from a few feet away, noticing the sparkle in her eyes that he had missed. Mathilda wasn't sad anymore, everything about her said so.

Her dress was plain but nice, in a deep violet shade that brought out her eyes. Her hair was, once again, floating messily around her head in a shock of dark brown curls. She looked beautiful to him, almost unbelievably so.

"Are you hungry, Credence?" she asked, taking him out of his stupor.

"Me? No, not much. Why? Are you?"

"Not really," she said. "But the ice cream at Fortescue is really good, so maybe we could stop by later."

He nodded, feeling a strange flutter in his chest when her hands touched his arm again.

"Let's go to Gringotts," she suggested. "You'll see the magical bank, meet some more nasty creatures, and maybe see a dragon."

"A dragon?" he asked, incredulous.

"We might have had more chances of seeing it if we had come before, but alas... I don't know where my chamber is, so there might still be an opportunity."

"Mathilda, there's no way a dragon could fit inside of a building in this alley. Aren't they big?"

"Oh, they're huge. but they're not inside a building. They are below."

"Below?"

"Oh, yes. Gringotts' vaults are underground, deep in the caverns that support this alley. That's why it's the safest place in the world."

"I bet dragons have a lot to do with that, too..."

"Quite possibly."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Definitely. But some people are trained to deal with them. I've learned most of what I know about them from Newt."

"In his book?"

"Yeah."

"I wish I had it. He promised me a copy but we haven't had time..."

"It's hard, I know," she said. "But, when this is over, I promise it'll be better. In fact, if Flourish and Blotts carries them, I'll get one for you."