Spark [J._K._Rowling]_Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Se | Page 66

CHAPTER FOUR back in the Weasleys’ fire. Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do. “Not lost are you, my dear?” said a voice in his ear, making him jump. An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry backed away. “I’m fine, thanks,” he said. “I’m just —” “HARRY! What d’yeh think yer doin’ down there?” Harry’s heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cas- caded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard. “Hagrid!” Harry croaked in relief. “I was lost — Floo pow- der —” Hagrid seized Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance — Gringotts Bank. Hagrid had steered him right into Diagon Alley. “Yer a mess!” said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Harry so forcefully he nearly knocked him into a barrel of dragon dung out- side an apothecary. “Skulkin’ around Knockturn Alley, I dunno — dodgy place, Harry — don’ want no one ter see yeh down there —” “I realized that,” said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. “I told you, I was lost — what were you doing down there, anyway?” ‘ 54 ‘