Snape finally looked closely at the changes in Allie, whom he hadn't seen in two years. It was evident that she was doing very well with the Weasley family.
Her soft red hair fell down her back, shimmering with a charming luster. Her fair skin had completely lost its former sickly pallor, and her almond-shaped emerald eyes were exceptionally bright and dazzling. All of this made him drift into a momentary trance, and for an instant, he felt as though he were looking at Lily...
"Professor?" Allie figured the professor must have forgotten he was still holding her by the collar, as he was standing completely still... She had to remind him, especially with people bustling all around them.
Diagon Alley was very lively today, with many young wizards her age, presumably out with their families to buy school supplies.
Snape snapped back to reality, realizing he had momentarily lost his composure. He quickly drew his wand from inside his robes and muttered the spell, "Scourgify." As his words fell, the tip of the wand began to spark, gradually forming a small tornado. The tornado slowly circled them, sweeping away all the dust and grime from their bodies and making them look brand-new.
"Hey! That's a great spell, Professor. Can you teach me?" Allie said.
Snape stared at the girl before him and said, "I can... but I hope this spell isn't being prepared for another giant pit, Miss Evans."
Allie felt a bit shy; that was something that happened when she was little, and it seemed the professor was still keeping score.
"Where are we going next, Professor? Ollivander? Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, or Flourish and Blotts?" Allie pulled out the attached letter from Hogwarts, which was densely packed with various shops and locations. She looked at it excitedly, anticipation gleaming in her eyes.
Allie also remembered Fred telling her that Hogwarts students were allowed to bring an owl, a cat, or a toad as a pet, but first-year students were forbidden from bringing flying broomsticks to school. This rule made Allie think that life at Hogwarts would be a lot of fun.
Merlin's wardrobe! There were so many things; she hoped her pocket money would be enough.
Snape wondered if the Weasley twins had made Allie a bit too lively...
"We're going there first." Snape raised a hand and pointed to the tallest white building in Diagon Alley—Gringotts.
This was a magnificent building made of white marble, slightly tilted yet sturdy, with exquisite carvings and decorations on every level. Inlaid above its doors were two huge, glittering gold beast heads that shone dazzlingly. The entire structure gave off a solemn and mysterious aura.
Allie remembered the key hanging around her neck, which Ginny had fashioned from one of her hair ties to prevent it from getting lost.
"No, Professor, I've always saved the pocket money Hagrid gave me." As she spoke, she reached to take off the key. She had always wanted to return it to Professor Snape, but she never ran into him afterward.
"This is too valuable... I mean, I shouldn't use your money."
Snape pressed down on Allie's hand. "It's not mine... This was left for you by your mother." He was gifted at potion-making and had accumulated quite a fortune over the years. After Allie was born, he had intended to leave all his wealth to her; he hadn't expected the child never to use it...
"Mother?" Allie murmured softly.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had told her a lot about her parents, and Ginny's room had plenty of information about Harry.
She still had many questions: why her surname was Evans instead of Potter like her brother's, and why Dumbledore insisted on separating her and her brother, not letting her brother stay in the wizarding world as well.
All these answers would probably have to wait until she saw Dumbledore.
The two walked the rest of the way in silence, each harboring their own thoughts as they arrived at Gringotts.
The first set of doors at Gringotts were gleaming bronze gates, engraved with intricate patterns and designs that shimmered with a mysterious light. Standing guard at the entrance were two goblin sentries dressed in scarlet and gold uniforms, their faces stern and cold. When customers approached, the two goblin sentries would immediately straighten up and bow in unison to welcome and show respect. Their movements were practiced and standard, displaying a high regard for etiquette.
The second set of doors was silver, engraved with warnings to thieves.
Allie read the words on the door. "Professor, can really no one take anything from Gringotts? With a place this big, there must be times when people slip up."
"This place recognizes keys, not faces... I doubt any wizard is foolish enough to let their key be stolen by someone else..." Snape paused. "Usually, wizards wait in the hall for a goblin to retrieve the money; the vault doors can only be opened by goblins... Inside, there are also dragons and traps..."
"Miss Evans probably doesn't want to be bitten by a dragon," Snape threatened, trying to make the young girl behave.
Allie couldn't help a small smile; she understood why the young wizards and George and the others were so afraid of the professor.
It was because he constantly wore a stern face to frighten children.
They passed through the second silver door into a spacious and bright marble hall. This hall was grand enough to accommodate hundreds of people. Yet, at the moment, there were only about a hundred goblins sitting behind long counters, busy with their work without seeming to have the time to glance up at the newly arrived guests.
Every goblin was focused on their own task. Some were sorting gold and silver coins, others were using massive scales to weigh the currency, and some wore specialized monocles to carefully inspect the authenticity of gems and evaluate them. The scene was bustling yet orderly.
Allie nervously clutched Snape's robes, as if seeking some comfort and support from him.
Snape noticed her small gesture, turned his head, gently pulled her hand away from his robes, and removed the key hanging around her neck. Then, taking Allie's hand, he slowly walked toward the high platform at the front.
Allie followed Snape's steps, climbing the stairs one by one until they reached the platform. She looked up curiously, her gaze falling on the edge of the platform where a bronze plaque was engraved with the goblin's name—Griphook.
"Miss Evans would like to withdraw some money." Snape handed over the key. "This is her key."
The goblin Griphook leaned his upper body out over the platform to look at Allie.
Allie sensed his goodwill. In fact, the moment she entered the hall, she had sensed the goodwill of all the goblins; her earlier fear had simply been due to the sudden presence of a hundred pairs of eyes glancing at her.
"Miss Evans, it is a pleasure to meet you... Please wait a moment here, and I will go to your vault to fetch some money for you." Griphook stepped down from the platform and looked Allie up and down.
"Does Miss Evans need a bag to hold it?"