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(HPMM)Chapter 10: Gringotts
🕑 Added 2025-08-30 14:40:58 +0000 UTCDiagon alley was nothing like it was in the movies and the books didn't have nearly enough detail to capture the true amazingness of the place. While there was indeed lots of people milling about and rows of store fronts there were homes as well. Not only that but the sheer selection of stores was far far more abundant than either of the source materials implied. I counted no less than four bookstores, five clothes stores and eight potion shops. Those were just the most numerous too with plenty of magical shops being more specialized such as one I saw that sold literal dreams and memories.-
I could feel my money sense going haywire as my mind raced at the sheer amount of potential for profit this place held for me.
"Greed is not usually the first thing that a new student has in mind when seeing this place for the first time in my experience. You are an odd one Mr. Drake. I can't wait to see how you do at Hogwarts!" the professor said with a hearty laugh snapping me out of my thoughts and making me blush in embarrassment.
A lot of these stores weren't something I saw myself partaking in all that much in truth. For example Eeylops owl and beast emporium was more or less not something that would see much business from me. Many of the worlds I would have access to through the system would have much more impressive creatures to choose from even if they weren't magical in nature. At most I could see myself getting an owl for letter delivery but that's pretty much it. Anyways the Professor led me into the "alley" proper even though it was a whole wide ass street in truth.-
To the right was the rows of store and house fronts with a fountain at the far end and to the right close to the entrance of the whole area(no doubt on purpose) was a massive marble building. Two ugly short creatures with wrinkly skin and needle-like teeth glared at everyone entering or exiting the building who wasn't like them. Gringotts and of course it's Goblin owners in order. I was already dreading the trips to the place in the future to be honest.-
"We'll need to stop by Gringotts, that building over there. We need to get the loan money for your school supplies and the goblins there run almost all financial aspects of the British wizarding world. Let me do the talking unless you are addressed directly dearie, goblins are notoriously ill tempered and it won't do to have you offend them somehow." The Professor said seriously and I nodded in agreement.
As we approached the building I got a good look at the famous rhyme on the silver doors even as the goblin guards glared at us hatefully. [Enter stranger but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take but do not earn, must pay dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors a treasure that was never yours. Thief, you have been warned, beware of finding more than treasure there.] -
That might seem like an arrogant thing to have on your doors as a bank but in Gringotts case it absolutely was not. The Goblins were an unhinged race when it came to the lengths they'd be willing to go to in order to prevent theft. If you were a thief you first had to get past the Goblins themselves, then the magical waterfall that cancels all magics that pass through it and sets off an alarm if there was any. -
Then you had to somehow get into your targeted vault which needed either an exact matching key or a Goblin to open. Next you had to cancel any booby traps or curses in the vault itself before claiming your prize. Finally you had to escape somehow in a place with no apparition and only one exit that was likely surrounded by hundreds of armed Goblins and the ministries own aurors. Needless to say actually trying to steal anything from Gringotts was not a feat easily accomplished for most wizards.-
Not that I had any intention of attempting it to begin with since there was no need unless the golden trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione all fail to grab the chalice of Hufflepuff from the vaults below. As one of the vital pieces of the magic Voldemort, the big bad, was using to maintain his immortality the chalice needed to be destroyed to kill him off. Should that NOT happen he'd be around in theory forever which I was not okay with. That guy had this weird obsession with blood purity and since I was likely a muggleborn wizard that means I'd definitely be on his "must oppress to death" list.-
So I planned to let cannon follow it's natural course while I did my trading and got stronger in secret and if fate decides to force me to act then I will to take out the noseless bastard. Until i'm forced to though you won't catch me within a mile of the cannon story, let someone else deal with that nonsense. Anyways the inside of Gringotts was filled with people and Goblins going about their business. It was a massive many doored hall lined with high desks that let the short goblins look down on the wizards here(no doubt done intentionally). -
We walked up to a counter and one of the ugly creatures peered down at us with a sharp expression.
"What is the nature of your business?" it asked with high pitched and unfriendly tone.
"Muggleborn orphan first year loan." The good Professor said calmly.
The Goblins face scrunched up u8npleasantly as it clicked it's tongue "Name of the recipient?" it asked while glaring down at me.
"Alexander Drake." I replied while matching it's eyes unflinchingly.
To my surprise a brief flicker of something almost like approval crossed the things expression before it was gone just as fast.
"The loan is for an amount of twenty Galleons annually for the duration of enrollment in Hogwarts for a maximum total of one hundred and forty galleons. Payments are expected within three years of graduation or an arrest warrant will be issued. Are these terms understood?" it asked without moving it's gaze away from me.
"Understood." I answered with a nod.
