Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swing
ing wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.
"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been any
where -"
Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her
bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to
beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his
wand, and returned them, good as new.
"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand
wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found
him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head
and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and
Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his fa
ther."
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply
behind them.
"No, he was selling ='
"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh,
I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something ......
"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were
bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trou
ble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew -"
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr.
Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the
sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the
counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for
Hermione to introduce them.
49
,5 s
"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink!
What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly,
look!" He pointed excitedly at the tenpound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry
were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped
along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels.
Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt
dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened.
There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon.
Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into
her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to
block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a
leather bag.
Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered
vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their
friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to
a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers
off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks,"
said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down
Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.