Do You Reject Them Because You're Not Good Enough?

Arriving at Gringotts, Hagrid needed to take Harry to the vault, so the group split between two counters.

At one counter, Hagrid paid no attention to the goblins' usual deadpan expressions and greeted them warmly. "Morning! We'd like to withdraw some money from Mr. Harry Potter's vault."

Hearing the name Harry Potter, the goblin pushed himself up from behind the counter in surprise and leaned over to look at Harry.

Perhaps because they were so short, the goblins had deliberately made their counters very high, even taller than a normal adult.

Harry lifted his hat, revealing the lightning-shaped scar.

"It really is Potter..." he muttered, sitting back down at his station. Then he asked, "Do you have his key, sir?"

"Brought it." Hagrid emptied everything from his pockets onto the counter. The goblin frowned, finally waiting until Hagrid pulled a small, glittering golden key from the pile of clutter.

"There shouldn't be any problem." The goblin inspected the key.

Hagrid suddenly added, "I also have a letter from Professor Dumbledore. It's about 'that thing' in Vault 713 underground."

After carefully reading the letter, the goblin nodded and called over his shoulder, "Griphook! Take them to the underground vaults."

Only then did Harry finally see why the vaults hailed as the safest in the world had the confidence to make such a claim.

The maze-like underground passageways twisted and turned as if they had no end. The high-speed cart reminded him of the first time he had been carried away by a dragon.

Wait?! Was that really a dragon?!

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry caught a dragon-shaped shadow, with firelight around it. But before he could react, the cart had already shot past that stretch of tunnel.

Before long, they stopped beside Vault 687. Once the door opened, Harry saw mountains of piled-up Gold Coins.

Hagrid led Harry inside, took out a bag, and stuffed a large handful into it. "All right, that's enough for two terms. I'll keep the rest for you."

"Wait!" Harry suddenly said. "Hagrid, can you give me the vault key?"

"Ah... well. Harry, you don't understand. Money is still too much of a temptation for you right now..."

"I can give it to Uncle Mu En," Harry said. "After all, magic always costs a lot of money, doesn't it? I can't keep bothering Professor Dumbledore or you whenever I run short."

"Of course you can, you can always bother me!" Hagrid said earnestly.

Harry's eyes widened as he stared straight at Hagrid.

"Oh, all right! Stop looking at me like that. I'll give the key to Jones, okay?" Hagrid had no choice but to give in.

As he spoke, Hagrid handed the bag of Gold Coins to Harry, then gave the vault key to Mu En.

After that, they arrived at Vault 713, the one Hagrid had mentioned. Looking at the vault, which had no keyhole and required a special spell to open, Harry could not help wondering what was inside.

But to his disappointment, all he saw was a small cloth package.

Then he noticed the half-smiling expression on Uncle Mu En's face.

"Uncle Mu En, did you find something?" Harry asked curiously.

"Nothing. I just find it a little amusing. Oh, right, this is for you!" Mu En handed the vault key to Harry.

Harry quickly took it and smiled. "I knew you'd do this, Uncle Mu En."

"It's only money." Mu En looked utterly unconcerned.

After thinking it over, Harry still said, "You should keep it, Uncle Mu En, all right? Honestly, I'm not sure I can resist such a huge temptation.

Besides, it just feels a little...

Like having the key to my own family's vault kept by an outsider.

I can tell Hagrid genuinely means well, but it still makes me feel too uncomfortable."

"Whatever you want." Mu En took the key back.

By then, Hagrid had returned as well, and the three of them, along with the goblin, quickly went back up to the surface.

Hermione had finished exchanging her Galleons by then.

Hagrid came out almost clutching his head. The cart had clearly shaken him up badly, reminding Harry of his first ride on the Knight Bus.

"Ugh... let's go buy robes." Hagrid said, and the group made their way grandly toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

After sending the two children into the robe shop, Hagrid immediately looked at Mu En and Chris, shaking his head. "Want to get a drink... Honestly, I'm feeling awful after all that shaking. I desperately need something refreshing."

Chris and Mu En agreed almost without thinking.

"Sweetheart, we'll be right back." Chris turned and told Hermione, "You and little Peter go in first and order your clothes."

He had already grown accustomed to Harry's false name, "Peter."

Hermione helplessly watched the three men leave, then entered the robe shop with Harry.

Madam Malkin was a short, plump witch with a beaming smile, dressed in purple. "Here for Hogwarts uniforms, dear... Oh, you're Harry. It's an honor to meet you. You're starting Hogwarts this year?!"

"Yes, Madam." Harry nodded.

Madam Malkin led the two of them toward the back of the shop. Inside stood a pale, thin young man.

Madam Malkin had Harry and Hermione stand on footstools beside the young man. After having them remove their coats, she slipped robes over them, then began pinning them to the proper length with another assistant.

"Hey!" the skinny boy suddenly said. "Are you going to Hogwarts too?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"My father and mother are next door buying my books." He spoke slowly, dragging out his words in an irritating way, as though something were clogging his throat.

"Then I'm going to drag them off to look at Flying Broomsticks. I can't understand why first-years can't have their own Flying Broomsticks. If I could, I'd make my father buy me one and find a way to sneak it in."

"Wouldn't that break the rules?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" The boy shrugged, looking unconcerned. "Do you have your own Flying Broomsticks?"

"No..." Harry replied casually. He disliked the way this person spoke, that air of superiority.

Afterward, the boy rambled on about a great many things, but neither Harry nor Hermione listened to him.

"Oh, look at that man." The boy suddenly pointed toward the large window by the entrance.

Harry and Hermione looked over to see that Mu En and the others had returned to the door. Through the window, Hagrid happened to meet Harry and Hermione's eyes, then held up two enormous ice creams. Clearly, they were for them.

"And the man beside him... that's a watch, isn't it? One look tells you he's Muggle-born." The boy continued.

He was talking about Mr. Granger.

"I've always thought they shouldn't let that sort into school. Don't you agree? I think the school should only admit people from old wizarding families—"

"Do you reject others because you're not good enough?" Harry cut off his endless prattle and shot back.

"What?!" The boy had not expected the person beside him to suddenly say something like that.