CRASH!!!

The door of the shack thundered down and left a big, hefty shadow in its place. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ran down the stairs and, seeing the door, grabbed the sleepy Dudley from the couch and pulled him into the corner opposite Harry.

The burly figure walked in and surveyed the room. His face, almost completely hidden by his unruly mane of hair and thick beard, entered the haunting light of the fire. His small, dark eyes surveyed the room and landed on the Dursley's.

"Wer's 'Arry?" He asked slowly. As he said this Harry, who was curled into a tight ball in an attempt to hide from the giant, realized that the man hadn't seen Harry yet. Petunia slowly rose a trembling finger in the opposite corner. The figure turned and, seeing Harry, walked towards the small boy. The giant's boots thundered against the floor.

"'Arry?" Harry flinched at the voice but didn't look at him. "Look 'ere. I didn't come all this way for yeh ter not look at me." Harry slowly looked up at emerald eyes met the intense glare of beady black ones. "'Ere we go. Now, 'ere's yer letter. Best to open it now."

Harry frowned. "Letter? Letter for what?" Harry heard Vernon and Petunia suck in a sharp breath and wondered briefly if they knew.

"Fer 'Ogwarts, of course. 'Urry up now, haven't got all day."

Harry's frown only deepened. "What's Hogwarts?" He mumbled as he moved to open the letter.

"You don't know what 'Ogwarts is?"

Harry paused and looked at the tall man. He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry sir."

The man spun around and looked at the Dursley's. "He know any thin'? 'Bout any thin'?" Vernon and Petunia shook their heads firmly with an odd look on their faces. The man sighed heavily. "Go upstairs, the bloody lot of you!"

Harry watched as the Dursleys ran up the small set of stairs and onto the second landing. He was temporarily relieved before he realized that he was now alone with this stranger. The said stranger sat heavily down of the rickety couch and gestured for Harry to come closer. Harry slowly stood and walked towards the fireplace, choosing to sit right at the edge of it.

"So," the man promptly. " 'Arry there are a few things you need to know. One is that you're a wizard. You can do magic an' all that. Two is that your parents were murdered by an extremely powerful dark wizard who's name I will not speak so don' ask and third 'Arry, you are to attend a wizarding school called Hogwarts. I am to take you to the wizarding bank called Gringotts to collect money and to buy your school supplies. We leave at seven- thirty sharp tomorrow mornin'. Got it?"

Harry was still in shock about what the man had told but seeing the man's stern and an expectant look he quickly nodded his head and mumbled a quiet 'yes sir'. Harry awkwardly stayed on his forced spot in front of the couch not really knowing what to do until the man raised a bushy eyebrow and pointed into Harry's original corner. Harry, taking the hint, got up and practically ran to the corner and curled himself into a tight ball spending at least an hour thinking about all the information he had received and when he eventually fell asleep his last coherent thought that flashed through his mind was

'Maybe now my life will be better now'

The next morning, Harry wakes with a start. His eyes dart around and land on the stranger, who is staring right at him.

"Ready to go?"

Harry nodded once and quickly stood, making sure to grab his letter.

He followed the man outside and shivered lightly as the harsh wind blew right threw his clothes. "Sir, how are we going to get there?" Harry asked quietly.

"Something called a Portkey. Grab on to the stick." The man said simply and he thrust out a beaten up looking stick. Harry hesitated for a moment before grabbing onto the stick tightly. Not a moment later he felt a strong pull on his navel and the world spun.

When the world stopped being a blur, Harry felt his balance away and tripped when they landed. He put his hands on his knees and took deep breaths, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

Harry looked up and felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop. The pair was standing in the middle of what looked like an over-crowded alley with bustling groups of people dressed in long robes in various colors, shops of all different kinds with various items displayed in the windows. There were at least two hundred people just in the streets that Harry could see. The man put a hand on Harry's back and started walking quickly to an all-white building with tall columns and the phrase 'Gringotts Wizarding Bank' at the top in gold letters. When they got towards the front of the building there were two people in blue uniforms guarding the entrance.

"Rubeus! My friend, how are you?" The guard on the left greeted the giant next to me. So his name is Rubeus!, Harry thought.

"I'm doin' good, Frank 'bout yer?" Rubeus and Frank continued their small chat while young Harry continued to admire the structure. His emerald eyes landed on marble plaque next to where the right guard was standing. Engraved in gold, the plaque read;

'Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there'

Harry shivered at the warning, he would hate to see what happened to thieves. Rubeus prodded Harry through the doors and what was inside made Harry's shock-o-meter nearly break. Inside there were two high counters that ran all the way down the room to a set of oak doors at the end. Behind the counters were high stools and what sat on top of them is nearly what drove Harry over the edge, there were short creatures with pointed ears, long noses, and sharp teeth. Goblins! Harry realized that these were probably the guardians of the bank and were very dangerous creatures. Rubeus led Harry to a goblin in the middle of the right side.

"How may I help you, Mr.Hagrid? And welcome, Mr. Potter we've been waiting for you."

Harry flushed and spoke as politely as he could muster through his shock, "Just Harry, please, sir."

The goblin's eyes widened for a quick moment and raised a surprised eyebrow before replying, "Very well then Harry, you may call me Griphook." Harry nodded and looked to Rubeus for him to continue.

"Right, well, 'Arry 'ere needs to collect some money from his vaults for school." Griphook nodded and asked for the key. Rubeus pulled out a pure gold key from inside his robes.

Harry frowned at this and thought, 'Shouldn't I have my key or at least a family member? I just met Rubeus.'

Griphook told them to meet him at the set of doors at the end of the hall. When Griphook opened the doors, Harry was a bit confused to see a simple iron train cart sitting on a wooden track. Rubeus gestured for Harry to get inside and when Harry did Rubeus followed stiffly behind obviously not looking forward to what was coming. Griphook stepped onto a small pedestal inside the cart that was connected to a short lever before grinning wickedly.

"To Vault 687." And with that, he pulled the lever and the cart zoomed away at breakneck speed taking the breath away from Harry. They made impossible twists and turns and dives and dips until they came to an abrupt stop nearly throwing little Harry out of the cart. Harry let out a breathless laugh and looked at the amused goblin.

"Wicked," Harry said grinning. Griphook gave a sly smile and ushered Harry out the cart and in front of a door with a complex of twisted iron rings forming a reliable lock on the door. Griphook put the key into the lock hole at the bottom of the door that was practically invisible. Griphook pushed the door open and Harry's jaw dropped at the piles of gold, the heaps of silver and stacks of bronze.

"The gold ones are galleons, the silver ones are sickles and the bronze ones are knuts. You can only use them in the wizarding world. And when we get upstairs I can give you a special pouch to collect money directly from the vault so you don't have to come back and forth. Otherwise, you can look around and keep whatever you find in here."

It was only after Griphook finished talking that Harry realized there were items in the vault other than the money. When Harry looked around he could see trunks filled with books, cabinets filled with jewelry, and crates filled with antiques. But none of that drew a second glance from Harry. what did though was enough to catch anyone's eye.

Harry locked on two glass boxes with one egg inside each. When Harry got closer he could see that both eggs were as big as his head, one pitch black and the other pure white. Harry carefully lifted both lids and nearly jumped back in shock when they both started to hatch. Harry watched in amazement as the black egg fully hatched first to shockingly reveal an albino snake with black eyes.

~My master is here! Finally! I have waited so long!~ Harry stared at the snake, entranced by its beauty, before realizing it was talking to him.

~ I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I have just learned of magic. I am very sorry.~

~Master is a speaker! Oh, this is going to be much fun Master!~ Harry was just about to reply back when the top of the white egg popped off to reveal a black snake with crimson eyes.

~ Hello Master.~

~ Please don't call me master my name is Harry. What are your names?~

~Our names are whatever you please Master Harry~ Both snakes spoke in unison which thoroughly freaked Harry out but not wanting to be rude he hastily replied.

~ Umm... Ok, you~ pointing to the white snake, ~ shall be Anguis and you shall be Nigrum~ Harry said pointing to the black snake. Both snakes made happy hisses and attempted to climb onto Harry but failed due to the distance. Harry giggles and held out his hands for them to slither on.

~ Thank you, Master Harry~ both snakes said in unison ~ We will be with you wherever you go, now let us leave before your friends behind you faint~

It was then that Harry remembered that he wasn't alone, he quickly turned around to see the pale and shocked faces of Rubeus and Griphook. " So you're a Parselmouth, I can say now that I was not expecting that."

Harry smiled sheepishly and shook his head," I didn't know either."

"Have you named them?"

"Yes, the black one is Nigrum and the white one is Anguis," Harry said indicating to the two different snakes that were now slithering around Harry's chest and stomach.

"Well, then shall we go?" Harry nodded and walked out to see Rubeus waiting in the cart ready to leave. When they got back to the surface after a dizzying ride, they went back to Griphooks' space.

"So Harry this is a magical pouch that will connect directly to your vault, only you can take anything out of it and you can only take money so don't go trying to pull out a book. To activate or pull anything out just say the amount. Got it? Good. Ok, here you go. Enjoy!" Griphook handed Harry a small burlap drawstring bag but as soon as Harry touched it changed into an elegant emerald green pouch with silver a clasp. Harry's eyes widened in shock at the pure elegance as he and Rubeus walked out of Gringotts. Rubeus pulled Harry to side making Harry pocket the pouch and look at Rubeus.

"Right, so I brought yeh here and got yeh yer money now off with yeh." With that Rubeus turned around and walked off leaving Harry alone in front of a shop called Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

Harry sighed in frustration and turned to walk away. He stopped, however, when he got a strong urge to go into the store. He internally shrugged and walked in. He had nothing better to do anyway.

Harry looked around with curious eyes and he spotted a family of blondes. They all wore high-end robes and looked way too distinguished to be in this store. Harry's eyes fell on the youngest of the three and his breath caught ever so slightly.

The boy was looking right back at him, and Harry felt his thoughts go blank as those silver eyes watched him.

***

Words~ 2196