A Bite of Hogwarts - chapter 37

Diagon Alley.

The street at night was much less thronged than during the day.

The easygoing nature of the British meant that many stores had already closed for the day. Other than places like Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor, which also served as inns, only a few stores still shone with the light of candles.

Alina tightened her clothes to prevent little Food Reserve from sliding out and began to walk faster.

“It’s not business hours. Please return.”

Next to the burnished bronze gate of Gringotts was a goblin wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold. He waved his hand, indicating that Alina should hurry and leave, clearly taking her for a child that was just messing around.

“I think that there should still be goblins at work inside Gringotts, right?”

Alina saw the light seeping out from between the bronze gates and began to walk up the marble steps to the goblin guard. The goblin was about a head shorter than her, had a dark and intelligent face, and a pointy beard.

“Child, this is no playground. Go home to your bed.”

The uniformed goblin frowned and barred Alina’s path, his tone impatient.

Ding~

“But this Galleon tells me that it doesn’t want to go to sleep. What do you think?”

Alina faintly smiled as she took out a Galleon and flicked it into the air with her thumb.

“Tell Gally Wix and Andy Serkis that someone from Hogwarts wants to talk about a major contract with them, and it will be yours.”

“Ah, of course. You’re absolutely right. Galleons have never slept.”

A smile emerged on the goblin’s face as he snatched the tumbling golden coin out of the air, bowed to Alina, and stepped to the side.

“Please enter. I will go and notify them…”

…

Gringotts, an exquisitely decorated VIP lounge.

Alina sat on a soft sofa, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ opened on her knees while a little owl quietly perched on her shoulder, its eyes closed in slumber.

“Apologies, Miss Kaslana. I hope you didn’t wait long.”

The door to the lounge suddenly opened, and a goblin came in, his sharp voice somewhat scratchy. This was the goblin who had greeted Dumbledore and Alina during the day, Gally Wix.

“Very well, Miss Alina Kaslana, everyone is here. Can you now speak of what business you have come here for?”

Andy Serkis was already seated in the room, and he impatiently rubbed his hands as he broke the silence.

If not for the allure of Galleons and the fact that she had come together with Dumbledore during the day, he would have taken all this for a poor joke on Alina’s part.

Pa.

Alina softly closed the book and put it to the side. She moved Food Reserve to her knees and began to slowly stroke its feathers as she slowly spoke.

“During the day, you said that Gringotts could offer loans similar to Muggle banks, yes?”

“Like Muggle banks?”

Andy Serkis scoffed, a look of disdain on his face. “Gringotts was established far earlier than Muggle banks. Even Merlin had business with us.”

A hint of disappointment appeared on Serkis’s face as he examined the silver-haired girl. He should have known that a young human witch couldn’t possibly have had any major business to conduct. He raised a slender finger and wagged it.

“But I must warn you that Gringotts is no cheap black market pawn shop. We only accept securities of high value. If you plan to put up some precious silver or magic objects you stole from your home as securities, you’ll have better luck in Knockturn Alley.”

Alina nodded in satisfaction. Ignoring the rudeness in the goblin’s tone, she continued, “Then if I wanted a loan in one kind of Muggle currency and then wanted it to be converted to Galleons or another Muggle currency, would Gringotts be able to do that?”

“Of course! The goblins don’t just have this one bank in London. We have a presence in every wizarding country in the world. No matter how much you want, we can get it to you. But…”

Serkis smiled, his tone changing as he craftily rubbed his hands. “Our commissions and interest are rather high.”

“Speaking frankly, I’ve never even considered commissions and interest.”

Alina lightly shrugged her shoulders. Leaning back against the sofa, she scanned the two goblins. “My last question. What’s the maximum money you two are allowed to handle. Like I said before, this is a major contract.”

Gally Wix, who had not had an opportunity to intervene in the conversation until now, proudly thumped his chest. “Miss Kaslana, you can be at ease. No matter how big the contract is, we can accept it. Even if Mister Dumbledore offered up all his property as security, there would still be no problem.”

“Then what if the security was Hogwarts?”

Alina softly said.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?”

The two goblins glanced at each other in amusement and shrieked in laughter.

“Hahahahahaha, what a good joke, Miss. But you’re right. That truly is something we can’t decide on.”

Gally Wix smiled and shook his head. “That sort of contract would require gathering all the goblin elders of Gringotts for a discussion. Of course, you would have to actually have…have…”

The goblin’s voice suddenly froze like an old vinyl record, strange sounds like those of a rooster seized by the throat coming from his mouth.

“Are you talking about this property deed to Hogwarts?”

Alina had taken the yellowing parchment from under her chest and slowly unrolled it in front of the goblins, her voice relaxed. “As I said before, this is a major contract.”

“But!”

Before the look in the eyes of the goblins could turn from shock to greed, Alina grimly warned.

“I advise you not to get any strange ideas, or else you will simultaneously anger the two strongest wizards in the entire Magic World.”

The silver-haired girl raised her left hand and clenched it into a fist.

The three vow marks on the back of her hand instantly lit up, and two powerful magic energies began to spread through the VIP lounge, illuminating Alina’s exquisite face and making her seem like a transcendent valkyrie.

One of these energies was from Dumbledore, and the two goblins were naturally familiar with it.

The other magic was on par or perhaps even slightly above. Gally Wix and Andy Serkis glanced at each other, the fear they saw in each other’s eyes confirming the answer: Grindelwald!

Had everything that happened during the day just been an act to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes? Gally Wix took in a cold breath, his eyes darting across the property deed and its gleaming magical seals. He staggered over to the door and sharply yelled into the main lobby.

“Immediately call the council of elders! Kick them out of bed if you have to! It’s for the biggest transaction we’ve ever had!”