Everything Elena Jones had ever wanted was behind this door, but for some reason she couldn't even take another step. All she could do was stand on the steps, staring at the door and wondering if maybe she should just leave. Elena had a place to stay, she had people that she cared about, so why did she still want closure so badly? Why did it matter that much, it was just people that were probably dead, or even worse just didn't care about her and left her. Either way, Elena was stuck, swaying back and forth on the steps.

Elena closed her eyes and remembered the start of the day, when she'd gone around looking at shops out of procrastination. The girl had gotten her fluffy new haircut, and a long coat with a high collar, she hoped she looked like a punk aviator, if that made sense. She felt lighter, less like the girl that had walked through these streets only four months earlier, but now she felt a lot like this was another block in her way, and she wished that there was someone that could help her through it. She'd told Bella she'd meet her later, and Elena didn't think any of her other friends would be around here.

She sighed and stood gently sang to the empty air, "I don't know if this is right or wrong. Am I giving up where I belong? 'Cause every station's playing our song..."

Hugh had spent the day in a rather blissful state of mind. With large paces and his hands safely tucked within his pockets, the young man scoured along the many storefronts to if there wasn't anything new that he might be able to pick up for later use. Not that shopping was his thing. By all means, Hugh Lowe would have hated his father the entire day should they have gone hunting for a new set of trousers. the mere thought made the boy's fine mood crackle. He shook it off and wandered onwards down the street. It had been the magic behind it all that allowed young Hugh's curiosity to get the better of him. His father had decided to not accompany him where all the "hocus pocus" people wandered. He wasn't quite used to the fact that his son was starting to explore his wizarding side of life. Hugh smiled at the memory of his father basically choking on his coffee as he explained how the school worked.

His eyes fell upon a familiar tint of blue that made him think of a lakeside view up in the trees. As he approached sideways, there was no doubt. Elena Jones, Slytherin tree climber. He took halt beside the girl and turned his gaze to the door, same as her. "I mean... It's a pretty interesing door..." he smirked as he shot her a sideway glance downwards.

Elena was dragged out of her thoughts by a familiar voice, she turned and looked up to see Hugh Lowe smirking down at her. She smiled a little despite her churning thoughts, ”Hugh. It’s good to see you, a little earlier than I thought I would too! Serendipity is truly a blessing: it occurs when you least expect it and when you need it the most.”

Her eyes darted back to the door, “The door is rather interesting, but sadly what’s more interesting is what’s behind it. Well, what I can find behind it I guess.”

Elena didn’t quite understand why she felt the urge to tell Hugh all about why she was standing by the door to Gringotts and looking vaguely ill. Anxiety was something she’d dealt with before, but the idea of being this close to closure was devastatingly worrying. As if she was being pulled backwards and forwards at the same time. It felt all too familiar now to stand on Diagon Alley’s cobblestone streets and look at an uncertain future. Maybe she should turn back, Hugh being here was the perfect excuse, they could get ice cream, talk, maybe stop and get books. Anything but walk through that door.

Hugh eyed the building. "uhm... a bank? Some goblins?" He turned back to Elena. "What's this about? If you need money, I can try to see if I can give something?" It had been quite the coincidence to have found the slytherin out here in the crowd. Though she seemed on a mission, it was definitely not certain she was ready for it to ensue. Whatever it was, that meant it had to weigh donw on her. He nudge her gently with his elbow. "One step at a time, lass" He gave her one of his signature smirks as he took a step forward.

"Not sure what you'd be looking for in a bank filled to the brim with those nasty looking point-ears..." He continued to walk towards the bank. "But I'm sure they are willing to hear you out." He smiled as he spoke. Reaching the doors in second. With both his hands reaching up and pushing the door open. He might be tall for his age, but he wasn't exactly muscular. "Woah, look at this place" He cried out as his head tilted backwards in order to try and take in the entire ceiling. One of the security guards present shushed him as he passed him on his way inside the building. "Oh... I'm sorry sir..."

Elena had to jog a bit to catch up with her extremely tall friend, "I'm not here for money, well in a way I'm here to find a vault but I guess it's less finding money and more finding family."

"I certainly hope they're willing to hear me out, if they aren't I'm out of luck." Elena walked through and almost laughed at Hugh's reaction to Gringotts, it was her pretty much the second she'd seen the place, except she'd hidden under her hoodie instead of shouting about how nice it looked, "Well, I guess you're helping me on my mission now, so you've officially unlocked my tragic backstory. Picture a small, blue-haired, homeless orphan on the streets of London, that's it, that's me. I'm here to see if I have, you know, any actual family."

Well, that was the quickest summary Elena had ever done, and it made her acutely aware that she forgot to tell Alan any of that. Not that she would do so unless asked, because his worldview was too nice and happy to wound. It also reminded her she needed to make that card for Griffith for some reason.

One step at a time, it was good advice, and delivered with a winning smirk too. Thoughts of leaving and not finding out about her past evaporated, with friends like these how couldn't she succeed.

The tall boy actually felt quite intimidated by the bank. His slim silhouette shrinking a bit in the face of the high pillars and heavily staffed counters on each side. None of the goblins actually looked up from their paperwork and more than several were busy counting money. The guard gave him another questioning look as he noticed Elena joining him. Hugh assumed two kids all alone in a bank can't be a too familiar sight. He offered the guard a nervous smile and pressed on.

The central counter at the far end of the hall would be the place to be in Hugh's eyes. There were no signs explicitly telling him so. But the entire structure was seemingly pointing towards that one goblin. As he approached he noticed several other bank staffmembers head over and talk to the main goblin at the end. Which more than likely confirmed Hugh's guess he was the goblin-chief.

"Well then... You ready for this?"
He had shuffled a little closer and leaned in to whisper. "I'm not exactly sure how you think they'll find your family?" He gave her a quirked eyebrow and a comforting smile. He was sure there would have been something worth checking out here. Elena did not seem like the type to dwindle on useless matters for too long.

As they reached the end and were faced with a silent moment of them just staring at the bald head of a kobold who did not look up from his papaers. In fact, he did not seem to notice them at all. Hugh gave Elena a look as he wondered what to do.

Elena swallowed, all the anxiety had returned as she shuffled towards the goblin, the girl was unsure why she was so afraid of finding out the truth and tempted to run. The only thing that bolstered her confidence was the knowledge she had a friend at her back.

A small bell was sitting next to the goblin at the counter and she carefully reached a hand up and hit it, causing a tinging sound, and the slightly terrifying fae creature sitting behind the desk looked up, then from side to side. Finally he peered down at the children in front of him, "Welcome to Gringotts, state your name and business."

Elena blinked for a few seconds, "I um, I'm Elena Jones, here for the genealogical blood test. I heard you had that here."

"Of course we do, we have everything." The goblin sneered at them and pushed a form and a pen at them, "Fill this out, one of my coworkers will be with you shortly."

The form was only a page long and asked a range of confusing questions which Elena would probably have to answer with "Unknown", but she took the form all the same and shuffled to one side, starting to fill it out.

A goblin with her hair up in a bun and a pair of glasses on appeared from somewhere, "Follow me please, I'll take you through."

If there was one truth that Hugh learned that day, it would be that goblins were bloody ugly. The boy couldn't help but give the old goblin up on the desk a good and long stare with his dark green eyes. His gaze quickly got drawn to another, female this time, goblin approaching both himself and Elena. Curiously, as Elena was given a form to fill in, an idea sparked his mind. With a nervous and not very subtle clearing of his throat, the boy spoke towards the elder goblin at the counter.

"Ehem, could I... have one as well?"

In an almost immediate and not interested response, the goblin handed the young scot one of the papers he requested. With a rather dry jet-black quill, Hugh tried jotting down his details as he began to walk next to Elena. "Might as well participate in all this, right?" As nerve-wrecking this must have been to the girl, as fun it was for the boy. He was on a mysterious adventure. A quest if you like. Brave sir Hugh would gladly go along on Elena's journey in finding her family. Whatever tests it required! He almot had to hold himself from jumping in excitement as they strolled down the hall. Carefully trailing the female goblin escorting them over to their next obstacle.

§

Hugh surprised her again, helping her get through the door was one thing, but walking the rest of the path with her was another. She looked at him in awe and surprise, “Thank you. You really are a knight.”

The goblin, who according to a tag was named Nera, lead them into a large office. It was so much more grand than any office she had ever been in, not as ornate as the main office but still gorgeously appointed. Every wall was marble and the table seemed to be bright metal lit from within.

She gestured for them to sit and Elena worriedly slid into a chair. Nera sat across from them, “The test is administered by pricking your finger upon this needle, then the data will be retrieved. The goblins will take five percent of whatever monies they find in any accounts as payment, any questions?”

She flicked open a patch at the end of the table, a glimmering silver needle was inside and Elena swallowed in fear, “Needles.”

A memory ran through Elena’s mind, broken glass and needles and feeling so very sick, almost dead. The girl stared at the needle in fear, her right hand gripping the chair with ferocity, “I-”