First Stop, Gringotts!
June 25th, 2025 - Noon
Her mother grabbed her hand as they made a beeline straight for the towering marble white building at the end of the street-Gringotts, the wizard bank.
Her mother opened the heavy doors as Noa glanced at an engraved poem that 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.
She wondered what a thief would find beyond treasure...guards? Fire? A dragon, perhaps?
But her reverie was broken with the sharp "ding" of a bell.
Noa jumped slightly at the sight of the goblin at the podium. Her mother told her about magical creatures, but this was her first time seeing one.
"Good day to you, sir. I'd like to visit my vault."
"Key, please," Commanded a scratchy voice.
Her mother dug in her purse.
"I know it's here somewhere... ah! Here we are!"
She pulled out an ornate golden key and handed it to the goblin.
"This way, please," Instructed the goblin.
They entered through a door at the far side of the building and found themselves in a vast cave, with a platform leading to some sort of vehicle contraption suspended on tracks that seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see.
The goblin casually stepped onto the vehicle, gesturing the two to follow suit.
Noa froze in fear. She hated rollercoasters, and this seemed worse. Her mother held her hand.
"I assure you, it's perfectly safe. I've been on this countless times."
"So?" Noa argued. "Murphy's Law! If something can go wrong, then it inevitably will!"
"Just close your eyes and hold on tight to me, okay? It'll be over before you know it."
Heart racing and nearly hyperventilating, she stepped onto the contraption and sat down, clinging to her mother. To her immense dismay, her feet were dangling over the seat, and there were no seatbelts.
Before she could get off and tell her mom to go on without her, they sped off, the momentum gluing her to her seat. She squeezed her eyes shut and clung to her mother, who held her hand soothingly.
After a journey that nearly made her hurl, and definitely made her nauseous, they arrived at:
"Vault 727."
They stepped onto the platform, grateful to be on solid ground once more.
The goblin waved its hand around, and the gate and vault door opened up to reveal a modest pile of gold, silver, and bronze. Galleons, Sickels, and Knuts, she recalled.
Her mother grabbed a handful of galleons and stuffed them into a velvet coin sack.
They entered the contraption once more as the vault shut behind them.
Noa shut her eyes as they sped off once more.
Her mother grabbed her hand as they made a beeline straight for the towering marble white building at the end of the street-Gringotts, the wizard bank.
Her mother opened the heavy doors as Noa glanced at an engraved poem that 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.
She wondered what a thief would find beyond treasure...guards? Fire? A dragon, perhaps?
But her reverie was broken with the sharp "ding" of a bell.
Noa jumped slightly at the sight of the goblin at the podium. Her mother told her about magical creatures, but this was her first time seeing one.
"Good day to you, sir. I'd like to visit my vault."
"Key, please," Commanded a scratchy voice.
Her mother dug in her purse.
"I know it's here somewhere... ah! Here we are!"
She pulled out an ornate golden key and handed it to the goblin.
"This way, please," Instructed the goblin.
They entered through a door at the far side of the building and found themselves in a vast cave, with a platform leading to some sort of vehicle contraption suspended on tracks that seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see.
The goblin casually stepped onto the vehicle, gesturing the two to follow suit.
Noa froze in fear. She hated rollercoasters, and this seemed worse. Her mother held her hand.
"I assure you, it's perfectly safe. I've been on this countless times."
"So?" Noa argued. "Murphy's Law! If something can go wrong, then it inevitably will!"
"Just close your eyes and hold on tight to me, okay? It'll be over before you know it."
Heart racing and nearly hyperventilating, she stepped onto the contraption and sat down, clinging to her mother. To her immense dismay, her feet were dangling over the seat, and there were no seatbelts.
Before she could get off and tell her mom to go on without her, they sped off, the momentum gluing her to her seat. She squeezed her eyes shut and clung to her mother, who held her hand soothingly.
After a journey that nearly made her hurl, and definitely made her nauseous, they arrived at:
"Vault 727."
They stepped onto the platform, grateful to be on solid ground once more.
The goblin waved its hand around, and the gate and vault door opened up to reveal a modest pile of gold, silver, and bronze. Galleons, Sickels, and Knuts, she recalled.
Her mother grabbed a handful of galleons and stuffed them into a velvet coin sack.
They entered the contraption once more as the vault shut behind them.
Noa shut her eyes as they sped off once more.