When Nico's not at camp (book the first)

Harry

I woke up to an owl screeching at me. I open my eyes and see the giant form of Hagrid asleep on the couch. So it wasn't a dream, I mutter to myself. The owl screeches at me again and holds out its leg. With two letters tied to it. I take the letters and the owl starts digging through Hagrid's coat. At his instruction I fish out four small bronze coins and deposit them in the owls pouch. Once the owl flies away I hand the letters to Hagrid. After a moments look he frowns. "Well this un will be yer school list", he says handing me the first letter. "But this ones fir me from Dumbledore. I wasn't expectin another letter from him." He says as he rips open the letter and begins to read. I look over the school list and frown. "Hagrid", I say, "how am I supposed to pay for all of this?" Hagrid looks up from his letter. "Well you've got a bank vault full of money O course. Did ya think yer parents left ya nothin?" "I guess I never really thought about it", I admit. "Well we best get on our way I suppose", he reponds. "What did your letter say Hagrid?" I ask as I stand up. "Oh nothing." He replies. "Dumbledore just wants us to meet another student in London. A late enrollment by the name O Nico Di angelo."

When we walk into the leaky cauldron the bar tender immediately notices us. "Can I get you  the usual Hagrid?" He calls out. "Afraid not Tom I'm on official Hogwarts business", he responds and slaps my shoulder. Tom the bartender turns pale. "Bless my soul its Harry Potter", he announces. The room goes quiet and everyone stares at me. After ten straight minutes of hand shaking and introductions the crowd begins to clear out. "So Tom", Hagrid asks, "I'm suppose to meet another student here. A young Nico Di Angelo. Don't suppose you've seen him yet have you." Tom's smile faltered. "Yeah sure" he says and nods his head towards a corner of the dining room. A boy about My age is sitting in the darkest corner of the room he could find staring at the fire. Tom leans in to whisper. "He's been sitting there for three straight hours. Barely moved an inch." Tom lowers his voice even further. "You don't suppose he's one of the Di Angelos do you." "Ain't none O our business Tom. Hagrid replies. Dumbledore wants me takin him school shopping along with Harry and that's all I need to know about him." Then he starts walking over towards Nico.

As we approach Nico he pulls his eyes away from the fire and studies us with a piercing Gaze that sends a cold shiver up my spine. I feel like he can read my soul like a book. He looks Hagrid up and down with no reaction then turns his gaze to me. He raises one eyebrow in an unmistakeable expression. Surprised but not terribly interested. "Hi there Nico." Hagrid says cheerfully, apparently not noticing the generally creepiness of the boy we were talking to.  "I ope you aven't been waiting long." "Just a couple hours", Nico responds. I'm surprised to hear his accent is American with something else mixed in. Maybe Italian. "Well why didn't you go up to your room?" Hagrid asks. "Dumbledore said you would be staying here." Nico just shrugs. "Well did you at least get something to eat?" Hagrid asks. No doubt noticing the boys scrawniness rivaling even my own. Nico cringed. "I wouldn't eat anything served here if my blood was made of penicillin." He responds. "Wha?" Hagrid asks, obviously confused by the reference to muggle medicine. "He's saying it's dirty", I clarify looking around. Nico was probably right, I decide. "Well any how we best get going", Hagrid says and leads the way to the back alley followed be me, then Nico.

"And do Mr. potter and Mr. Di Angelo have their keys?" The goblin sneered. Nico slipped two keys off his leather necklace and handed them to the goblin while Hagrid dug through his pockets and pulled out my key and a letter from Dumbledore. The goblin leads us to a mine cart looking thing and tells us to keep our hands and feet inside until the cart stops. The cart shoots off like a shell out of a howitzer. After several twists and turns the cart comes to a stop. "Vault 687", the goblin announces. "Your key Mr. potter". I hand the goblin my key and he opens my vault. I audibly gasp at the massive stack of coins in front of me. "I think there's been a mistake." "What do you mean?" Hagrid asks. "This cant be my vault. I don't even need to know the exchange rate to know this is more money than I've ever seen. Much less owned." "Four pounds and ninety three cents." I hear from behind me. I jump a clear three feet off the ground. I had forgotten Nico was with us. I turn around to see him looking down the mine shaft as if trying to figure out where it went. He seemed more comfortable and more at ease than he had above. He turns around and faces me. "A galleon is worth four pounds and ninety three cents, he repeated. A sickle is worth twenty nine cents and a Knut is worth one cent." "Right, thanks." I turn back to the pile. "That would make this a couple million at least." I announce. "Goblins do not make mistakes Mr. potter", the goblin announces. "This is your vault."

After I fill up a small pouch with coins we get back into the cart and proceed deeper into the vaults. When we stop again the goblin hops out and announces "vault 713". The goblin runs his finger down the vault and it opens to show a small paper package, which Hagrid scoops up and slips in his pocket. He turns to us. "Better if we keep this between us you two." Nico and I nod. Now the cart travels for a long time. I lose count of the twists and turns. We drive under a waterfall and at one point a burst of light and heat illuminates the cavern. Then finally we come to a vault door intricately carved with the image of an angel with wings extended. "Vault 99", the goblin announces. "Mr. Di Angelo." Nico steps out of the cart. I swear the deeper we go the more comfortable he seems. It makes me nervous. Nico hands the goblin his key. The goblin runs his finger down the door like he had before and the angel folds his wings in front of him like a shield. The goblin slips the key between the wings and they slide apart to reveal a doorway that hadn't been there before. A wall of swirling darkness blocked the way. Nico reached out and touched it and the wall dissolved revealing Nico's vault. And my jaw hit the floor.

Nico's vault was at least 50 times the size of mine. The center of the vault was stuffed with a mountain of coins. Around the edges, massive chests overflowed with jewels. The walls were lined with shelves covered in chalices, sculptures, jewelry, and artifacts I couldn't even identify, but which I was sure my now modest seeming fortune couldn't dream of purchasing.  Nico glances around the vault his face expressionless. Then he bursts out laughing and falls to the ground rolling around and struggling to breath. "What's so funny?" I ask. He struggles to control his laughter. "My father told me to take as much as I wanted." He rasps. "When i asked if he was sure he told me I would understand when I saw."  Now i laughed with him. This was more money than ten thousand people could spend in ten thousand life times. Then i stop. "Wait, your dads alive?" He looks at me curiously. "Yeah, so." "Well Hagrid is helping me because my parents are dead. I just assumed it was the same with you. But if your dads alive then why isn't he taking you shopping?" Nico stops laughing and the smile melts off his face. He looks at me thoughtfully. "Reasons," he responds simply. Then gets up and walks into his vault. Nico grabs a wallet off one of the shelves and it must have been enchanted because he stuffed it with more money than was in my entire vault. Then walks wordlessly back to the cart and we speed off again. Now we stop in front of an iron gate with the vault behind it. It was a simple black metal door with three dog heads carved into it. "Vault 1", the goblin announces. He uses the key to unlock the gate and Nico approaches the door. He examines it for a second then grips his knife tightly. I do a double take. Nico is holding a six inch silver hunting knife that's giving off a faint silver glow. And he definitely didn't have it a moment ago. I look over to Hagrid who is watching curiously. Nico puts the knife to his left palm and slices it open. I jump back like I'm the one who got cut but Nico barely flinches. He rubs his hand across the door and the metal melts into black flames. Nico turns towards us. "You guys have to wait here. The fire wont let you through." Then he walks through the fire.

"Hagrid?" I ask. "Yes Harry", he responds. "Is all this normal?" Hagrid shrugs. 'Hard to judge normal amongst wizards. It's certainly not the strangest experience I've ever had." "Even that weird shadow door, and cutting his own hand? And why does he have two vaults?" "Some families are really careful about their security. As for the two vaults maybe one from each side of the family." We stand in silence for a few minutes then Hagrid speaks again. "That was pretty rude Harry, what you said at the other vault." "What?" I ask confused. "About Nico's father', Hagrid clarified. "You could really upset some people with questions like those. You never can tell what someone's family situation is. It's like I told Tom. His home life ain't none of our concern unless he decides to share it." I bite my lip. Hagrid was right. I hadn't meant to offend Nico, it was just honest curiosity. But I probably wouldn't have been very happy with some stranger asking me all about my living situation. "Your right Hagrid, it was really insensitive." He nods. And then Nico walks back through the fire and it turns back to metal. We get into the cart and speed off back to the surface.