As the moments drew nearer to Hagrid's arrival, Harry felt the tension mounting. He could sense the pivotal moment approaching and knew he had to act swiftly but with precision. Scrambling, he tore off a small piece of paper, grabbed a pen, and hurriedly wrote a note. His hands shook slightly, but he couldn't afford to make any mistakes now. The stakes were too high, and any slip-up could cost him dearly.
Time was slipping away, and Harry could feel the weight of each passing second. His heart raced as the clock ticked down. One more minute. Thirty seconds. Twenty... Ten... Five... Three... Two... One...
BOOM!
The whole shack shuddered violently as though the very foundation of the building was shaken. Harry sat bolt upright, wide-eyed, staring at the door. Someone was outside—someone who was about to make their presence known. Uncle Vernon, startled by the noise, rushed into the room, clutching a rifle with trembling hands. "Who's there??" he shouted, his voice laced with panic. "I warn you... I'm armed!"
Hagrid entered, effortlessly unhinging the entire door. Now, no matter what others might say, I couldn't shake the feeling that Hagrid wasn't as innocent and naïve as he appeared to be. He wasn't supposed to carry a wand, yet somehow, he had managed to make a pig's tail grow out of Dudley's back.
There are too many coincidences surrounding Hagrid to overlook. For instance, he took Harry to Gringotts to withdraw the Philosopher's Stone, and during one of Harry's visits to Hagrid's hut, he happened to spot a newspaper that seemed tied to it. Then there was the matter of Hagrid not telling Harry how to enter Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, leaving Harry to be helped instead by the loud and outspoken Molly Weasley. Hagrid also casually mentioned a dragon egg, almost 'accidentally' revealing it to Harry. During their detention in the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid split them into two groups, with one group consisting solely of Harry and Draco Malfoy, two first-years. And these are just a few examples—there are many others that don't paint Hagrid in the most trustworthy light.
Thus, Harry resolved not to trust anyone completely without verifying everything for himself. Hagrid, for all his friendly demeanor, had certainly earned a place on Harry's watchlist. He knew he had to tread carefully from here on out.
And so, when Hagrid arrived bearing a cake for him, Harry, ever cautious, left it untouched. Who knew what kind of ingredients Hagrid had mixed into it? He wasn't about to let his guard down just because Hagrid seemed harmless. They made their way to the Leaky Cauldron, and Harry, ever vigilant, made sure to hide his famous scar, keeping himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Some might have thought that Harry was simply afraid of being the center of attention, but that wasn't it at all. He'd never been one to shy away from being in the spotlight. No, he had a different reason for keeping to the shadows. The saying, "The first impression is the last impression," echoed in his mind, and Harry wasn't about to let his first encounter with the wizarding world be tied to Dumbledore's man.
For the time being, he had managed to remain unseen, blending into the background as they ventured further into Diagon Alley. Their first stop was Gringotts, where Hagrid went to withdraw some funds from Harry's vault. Harry observed Hagrid closely, noting how Hagrid handed over the vault keys, keys that had been mysteriously kept in Dumbledore's possession for far too long.
As they approached the goblin teller, Harry's mind raced. He was acutely aware that every detail mattered—every action, every word, every movement. When they reached the cart that would take them down into the vaults, Harry gave Hagrid a concerned look, attempting to gauge his discomfort. With a deceptively innocent expression, Harry spoke up, his voice laced with an air of concern. "Hagrid, if you feel uncomfortable, you can wait here while I retrieve my funds. I wouldn't want you to get sick."
Hagrid's expression faltered for a brief moment, as if weighing the sincerity of Harry's concern. But after a brief pause, Hagrid nodded with determination. "Harry, you don't have to worry about me. It's just the fast rides that make me feel uncomfortable, but I can manage. Besides, I need to make a withdrawal myself."
As Harry had suspected, Hagrid wouldn't leave him alone—not for a minute. It was almost as if Hagrid had been trained to shadow Harry at all times, ensuring that the boy was never truly free to act on his own.
Both of them sat in the cart, with a goblin named Griphook leading them toward Harry's vault. As they descended, Harry's thoughts remained sharp. He couldn't afford to lose his focus. When they reached the vault, Harry was taken aback by the sight before him—stacks of galleons scattered haphazardly, overflowing from the vault. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that the Potter family fortune was vast. It proved that there was no concept of secondary vaults in Gringotts, admittedly, it was an incredible amount. He marveled at the sight, realizing that a single wand, something so small and seemingly insignificant, was worth a mere seven galleons, yet the vaults held so much more.
After taking a moment to soak it all in, Harry discreetly withdrew 5000 galleons and, as a precaution, slipped a smaller pouch containing another 100 galleons into his pocket.
Hagrid, unaware of the subtlety of Harry's actions, looked over and gave a nod of approval. "Harry, you don't need to take that much. Fifty to a hundred galleons should be enough for your use."
Harry nodded and reassured Hagrid, keeping his voice steady. "Yes, Hagrid, I only took 100 galleons."
With that, Harry pocketed the vault key and turned to head toward the exit. As they approached the vault containing the Philosopher's Stone, Harry's mind whirred with a new plan. Hagrid moved to retrieve the stone, his back turned, and in that split second, Harry slipped the note and the pouch of galleons into Griphook's hand.
Now, all he could do was pray that everything would fall into place, that the plan he had set into motion would work. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited, and soon enough, Hagrid emerged from the vault, blissfully unaware of the subtle shifts in the plan that Harry had carefully set in motion. The two of them left the vault, and Harry couldn't help but feel a rush of anticipation for what was yet to come.