Whether it was the old goblin standing by the entrance or Dumbledore himself, both were left somewhat bewildered upon hearing Harry’s words.
Furthermore, the first one to speak up was surprisingly not Dumbledore, but the old goblin.
“Could you tell me the reason, child?”
He adjusted his small, gold-rimmed spectacles.
“Gringotts is the safest and most reliable place in the world. No one would ever choose to steal anything here. You can rest assured leaving your valuables stored here, young wizard.”
“Regrettably, when I learned that my parents actually left me such a massive inheritance, I would much rather keep it close by my side.” Harry held out his hands, turning to look at Dumbledore.
“Sir, isn’t there a larger bag? Perhaps I can step outside to buy a large bag right now and come back. I truly cannot bear the thought of my money not being right beside me.”
He noticed that Dumbledore was looking at him with a rather peculiar expression.
“Ha—hahahaha!”
Immediately following, a hearty laugh burst from Dumbledore.
This was the very first time Harry had seen such a relaxed expression on the old man’s face since meeting him.
“Ah, Harry, remember? We are wizards.”
Chuckling, he tossed over the small bag from earlier.
“Rest assured, it can hold all of your money, with room to spare.”
Harry caught the bag and, with a look of intense curiosity—and under the displeased gaze of the old goblin—ran into the vault, sweeping the mounds of gold, silver, and bronze coins inside.
It was like a bottomless pit, swallowing everything whole.
Even more incredible to him was that the bag’s weight didn’t increase at all; it remained completely light.
I’d even be willing to trade the position of first mate for a bag like this!
Harry stared blankly at the bag.
If he had possessed a bag like this in the Caribbean, he would never have had to worry about protecting his treasure every single moment!
He turned around and came before Dumbledore.
“I am willing to pay you a generous sum to buy this magical little bag.”
“Consider it an entrance gift, Harry,” Dumbledore replied, shaking his head.
“You deserve it.”
He seemed significantly relieved.
Along the way, that heavy, watchful expression had vanished from his face.
“Well then, Mr. Potter, I am officially informing you that Vault 687 has been closed. Reopening an account will require a standard management fee,” the old goblin announced coldly as he shut the vault door.
Harry didn’t bother replying.
He returned to the cart, absorbed in taking gold coins out of the small bag and stuffing them back in, occasionally wiping the coins clean with his sleeve. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
Had it not been for the improper timing, he might have even put one in his mouth to bite it.
The cart arrived at Vault 713, though that had nothing to do with him.
This was the vault Dumbledore had come for.
Harry remained seated in the cart until the old man’s voice echoed from within the vault.
“Harry, come inside.”
Puzzled, Harry stepped off the cart and walked into the vault.
The old goblin had been left outside.
“Sir, is something the matter?” Harry asked in confusion, his eyes nevertheless falling on the pouch held in the old man’s hand.
He was very curious about what was inside that required the headmaster to personally retrieve it—especially given the vault’s setup, which suggested this item was far more valuable than gold.
“Are you curious about this?” Dumbledore asked.
“Of course,” Harry didn’t deny it.
“Why?”
“I don’t know what’s inside, but seeing how securely it was hidden,” Harry spread his hands, “it must be worth quite a fortune.”
Dumbledore looked at him without immediately responding.
He then extended his palm, loosen the pouch’s opening, and drew out an item, displaying it on his palm.
A ruby—not very large, with a deep red color like congealed blood.
As the torchlight hit it, a small cluster of light swam deep within the gem, looking like a goldfish trapped inside a drop of water.
Instantly, Harry, who had been keeping his distance, leaned close to the old man’s palm, his eyes staring fixedly at the gem.
“It’s so beautiful… It must be worth a massive fortune.”
Harry made no attempt to hide his desire for the gem, speaking greedily: “Perhaps, Headmaster, you could give this to me as an entrance gift as well? I would be immensely grateful to you, sir, and I would repay you by becoming Hogwarts’ best student.”
Dumbledore smiled softly, slowly curling his hand into a fist to withdraw the gem from Harry’s sight.
“Regrettably, child, I cannot give this to you.”
The longing expression on Harry’s face froze, wiping away into total cold indifference.
He turned on his heel to leave.
“Fine then. We should go buy a wand.”
He had lost track of how many times he had brought this up.
A wand, a wand, a wand!
He needed a wand!
He could hardly wait to become a freak!
“Yes, make sure to add dragon-hide and moon-patterned silk threads to all of them. I believe I deserve the very best robes. Not to mention, superior materials give them the ability to ward off certain spells. And of course, there’s the temperature-regulating charm—that’s truly magical and immensely practical.” This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
Harry stood atop a footstool with his arms extended, allowing a short, plump witch to pin up his black robes and measure him for a proper fit.
He was no stranger to these matters.
Clothing and adornments were often symbols of status.
Harry hadn’t relied solely on divine power to secure a Letter of Marque signed personally by King George II.
Knowledge, elegance, and proper speech were equally crucial.
However, just as Tia Dalma had tasked him with collecting kraken ink and giant eagle eyes, the materials used for tailoring in the magical world differed vastly from those of Muggles.
Muggle materials were sourced entirely from ordinary animals and insects.
Wizards, on the other hand, while occasionally utilizing ordinary animals, primarily incorporated materials from magical creatures—beasts that possessed magic of their own.
“Madam, I think you should measure me one size larger—no, two sizes larger. I’m currently growing, and if it’s too tailored, I’ll probably have to replace it next year, which would be far too wasteful,” he reminded her.
At the same time, Harry couldn’t help casting his gaze outside the shop.
Through the glass window, he could see a sizable crowd gathered outside, peering in.
They were watching him—watching the little savior.
“It seems our little savior is quite a thrifty young wizard,” Madam Malkin said with a beam.
“Rest assured, my dear savior. If it doesn’t fit next year, you can bring this garment back, and we’ll alter it wider and longer for you free of charge until you graduate from Hogwarts and begin working.”
“That is truly thoughtful service, Madam,” Harry said sincerely.
“No wonder Dumbledore kept saying all along the way that your robe shop is the very best in Diagon Alley.”
“Of course, of course!”
Madam Malkin glanced in surprise at Dumbledore, who was standing nearby, before chuckling softly.
“Perhaps I should offer our little savior a discount—how about fifty percent off? As a gesture of gratitude for what you did.”
“I am equally grateful for your generosity, Madam!”
Harry felt genuinely flattered.
Truth be told, he hadn’t intended to haggle; he was simply accustomed to offering praise for attentive service.
Once they stepped out of the robe shop, he spoke up again.
“We should go buy a wand now, Professor.”
As for the crowd that had mobbed the door while he was buying robes, they had long since backed far away, watching from across the street without daring to approach.
“Actually, we ought to buy books first,” Dumbledore hesitated.
Catching Harry’s displeased glare, he nodded helplessly.
“Very well, we shall go buy a wand first.”