Gringots Vault 9871

[Selena Sydney]

The sun may have been visible but it was cold, so much so that Selena had put on a warm jacket and a pair of deep red mittens as well as a chunky red scarf. She was well braced against the cold but still felt it keenly. As she strolled down the street, still very much aware that she was so new here almost alien. Her mode of attire seemed completely out of sync with what other people were wearing. So many robes, long flowing ones of different colours and lengths, some with hoods and others without. She felt decidedly underdressed. Her denims and sweater had seemed such a good choice as she left the Inn earlier, even her jacket had been a stroke of genius against this wretched cold spell. Now though on seeing everyone else, she felt like a fish out of water.

 

[Catherine Dorsolas]

Catherine felt like an outsider too as she walked along beside her niece. It was like being a child at Disney Land in a way, so much to see and experience that a lifetime wouldn't cover it. The streets were all cobble stoned and the stores were all so old looking, as if they had come straight out of a ****ens book. She caught her niece looking at her clothes and then at everyone else around them. They were receiving some very strange looks from some of the passers by and one particularly gruesome looking man had muttered in a vile tone the word 'muggle' as he passed her.

She had merely moved closer to her niece and shuddered. Could she really protect her niece here if anything were to go wrong? She had no magical capabilities whatsoever, she had attempted to teach her niece as best as she could but felt that she had fallen short, gravely short and hoped that her niece would not be subjected to ridicule as a result.
"Should we keep walking or did you wish to actually look inside one of the shops?" her smile was kind and serene as she turned it on her niece.

 

[Selena Sydney]

The thought had occured to Selena to just keep walking down the cobbled streets, she was in awe of this place. Though there had been many similar places on her travels but these had all been in the non-magical world. She was nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing and felt more on edge by the minute. Removing a well worn and often read letter, Selena turned to her aunt.
"I don't mind really" knowing that she minded very much, she just wasn't ready yet to go into one of the shops, "perhaps we should just go to Gringotts like father had wanted".
Passing the letter reluctantly to her aunt, Selena looked down to the far end of the street where right in the center stood the imposing bank of the magical community. They had found a letter at the bottom of the trunk that very morning and had decided to follow it to the letter. It told them how to get to Obsidian Harbour and about a bank called Gringotts. Once there they were to ask for vault number 9871. Selena was nervous about entering the establishment but knew somehow that some of the answers she wanted were here.

 

[Catherine Dorsolas]

Catherine took the letter that Selena handed to her and looked at it once more. There was nothing on this parchment that she hadn't read already but it seemed to have a profound effect on her niece. Almost as if it were a letter from the grave. Selena's father wanted them to go to Gringotts bank to ask about a vault and to demand to see inside. She herself had been as unaware of the letter as Selena had been, hidden as it had been under all the books and other items.

When they eventually stood outside the bank, Catherine looked up at the tall foreboding building and cringed. What would be in the vault? How would they be treated inside and would they even be allowed to see this vault? Catherine didn't know what to expect anymore than her niece and that was what was most unnerving. If she could have contacted Ms. Doozeworthy from the ministry who had already come to their aid, she would have. She herself needed some serious 'introduction to the magical world 101 classes' and fast.
"We best just head in then" she folded the letter and handed it back once more.

 

[Selena Sydney]

Selena took the letter again and placed it into her pocket, she felt unsure and a little apprehensive now that they were standing outside the actual doors of the bank. Slipping her hand inside her aunts she took a deep breath.
"I'm ready if you are" her smile was weak but at least she was attempting a show of bravery. She would not for the life of her show any thing else to her aunt, Catherine had held her fathers secret for so many years. For Selena to even think about rejecting her true nature, to actually show fear of it might completely upset the kind and caring woman. Selena was truthfully scared of it all. She knew nothing about this world really, except all she gleaned from books.
Only last night she had read about a wizard called Lord Voldemort and she ended up with extremely vivid nightmares as a result. Even now, the very thought of the man sent shivers down her spine. With her free hand she pushed open the large door. The dark gloom of the bank enveloping her almost immediately.

 

[Selena Sydney]

ignore

 

[Catherine Dorsolas]

Catherine tried her best to be polite but she couldn't help but stare at all the small men working, their rather ugly faces with haggard noses and almost balding heads of hair. She had never in her life seen people like them and felt utterly wretched for gawping as she did. Her hand shot to her mouth as one of these small men came towards them.

"I am Elderodd, the goblin in charge of greeting new customers. Can I be of assistance?" the short man looked up at the young woman and the younger girl, not in the slightest preturbed by their stares this was almost a natural thing from those of the muggle world. In the beginning it had annoyed him greatly but now, it was like water off a ducks back. The next meeting if there was one would be quite so shocking. Poor muggles, he thought as he led them to a table with some large comfortable leather chairs.
"Have a seat please".

Catherine guided her niece after the man, as they followed him to the table.
"My niece has a vault number. The vault once belonged to her father" she said in way of explanation. Finally able to tear her eyes from his long fingers on rather small hands.

 

[Selena Sydney]

Selena stared as the almost dwarf like man approached them, her mouth hung open and quickly she closed it attempting to also avert her gaze so as not to appear rude. Noticing of course how her usual polite and genteel mannered aunt was not so polite at that very moment. She was tempted to nudge her but the man who had introduced himself as Elderodd a goblin no less was leading them to a table. Sitting down she looked about her once more. 'So all these men are goblins'.

She listened as her aunt explained about Selena having a vault from her father and waited to hear what Elderodd would say.

 

[Catherine Dorsolas]

The goblin looked at the younger girl with a shrewd stare before drumming his long fingers on the table.
"What is your name and your fathers name?" he asked as he summoned with a click of his fingers a sheet of parchment, "write down the vault number here if you will".
He slid the parchment across to Selena and with another click of his fingers, a quill appeared which he also passed to her.

Catherine smiled rigidly at the goblin, wishing they could just hurry up and get out of the bank. She promised herself she would be nicer to the people at her own national bank back home from here on in.
"Selena hurry up dear, we don't want to keep the gentlema... the gentle... goblin. Haahaa" she grinned at him, before giving a slightly uncomfortable cough.

 

[Selena Sydney]

Selena sighed and taking up the quill wrote out the vault number on the piece of parchment. She slid it back across the table to the goblin and carefully put the quill down.
"My fathers name is Anthony Sydney and I am Selena Sydney" she told him attempting to keep her voice even and unemotional, she had yet to perfect this though. It had been a long time since her father had died but it still left her a little shaken to say something as simple as his name.
"He left me a letter that said to come here if anything ever happened to him, so we're here" she muttered, feeling nearly as ludicrous as her aunt for behaving so silly around the goblin. Maybe if they came here again they wouldn't feel quite so uncomfortable as if they were walking on egg shells afraid of behaving extremely un-PC.