He summoned the Knight Bus and returned to the Leaky Cauldron. The owner, Old Tom, greeted him warmly.
It was still Room Eleven.
Anton carefully counted the Gold Galleons in his pocket. "Money really does flow like water."
This clearly wasn't a normal way to live. The Knight Bus, which he used to get around, was expensive, and although the Leaky Cauldron looked run-down, its prices were on par with staying at a five-star Muggle hotel.
This was money he'd gotten by selling the Moonlight Turtle's Brain!
It was an extremely precious and rare magical material. The Old Wizard would rather eat plain noodles and steamed buns every day than sell the stuff for money.
Anton felt guilty using it. It was like Harry Potter trading the Sword of Gryffindor for Gold Galleons, then going out in a private car and staying in hotels.
No!
That wasn't the same!
The Sword of Gryffindor belonged to Hogwarts.
But the magical ingredients belonged to Anton personally.
Those were my magical ingredients! It broke his heart to spend the money. Anton beat his chest. He'd had such a hard time getting his hands on them!
Although his Potions skills weren't advanced enough to use such high-end ingredients, wouldn't it be a pleasure to take them out and admire them from time to time instead of selling them?
Of course, he had no other choice now.
Just being alive was already a stroke of luck.
Now he'd finally escaped the Old Wizard's clutches and found a place where Lupin could be treated. He could start planning for the future.
Anton didn't dwell on it and quickly made up his mind.
Once Lupin had recovered, he would discuss with him whether to stay in the Wizarding World or go to the Muggle world. Having an adult to take the lead would make things much easier for him.
But for now, he should find somewhere to live and properly study the mysterious art of Magic.
He knew two Charms: the Soul-Transferring Charm and the Displacement Soul Curse. Neither was suitable for him. Anton still remembered how his first use of the Soul-Transferring Charm had left him lying in bed for two days.
The second time, when he used it on Lupin, the Potion Ingredients for the Wizard's Eye Potion must have replenished a lot of energy without him realizing it.
Night gradually fell. The dim Oil Lamp didn't light up the room as well as the streetlamps shining in through the window.
Anton ran his hand over the Suitcase and fell into thought.
He wasn't completely penniless. At the very least, he'd inherited a substantial fortune from his teacher.
But the problem was that the thing was too big. It was inconvenient to carry around. A small, ten-year-old boy dragging a Suitcase bigger than himself was practically telling everyone, "Come rob me!"
Tomorrow, he would go to Diagon Alley and see if he could find a small item enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm. It was worth spending the money.
Ideally, he'd find a Ring with a storage space like the ones in Fantasy novels. Those were especially convenient to carry around.
He lifted the Suitcase onto the bed, found a piece of string, and tied the handle to his arm. Then Anton blew out the Oil Lamp.
"I'm sorry, young Wizard, but we don't sell those." The owner of Wiseacre's Magical Supplies Shop pushed up his glasses and said with a shrug.
Anton couldn't understand it.
"Your shop is the biggest magical goods store in all of Diagon Alley!"
The owner smiled. "I'm honored by your praise."
"But we really don't sell them, and you won't be able to buy one anywhere else."
Anton frowned in confusion. He seemed to recall that Hermione had made herself a little purse with the Undetectable Extension Charm when she was a student. Was it really that difficult to make one?
Had he remembered wrong? Or was that just something made up in a fanfic?
What had actually happened in the original story?
When the shopkeeper saw that Anton was still standing there, he pointed to Anton's Suitcase, then gestured to the ones on the top shelf. "The one you have is a classic model from five years ago. The newer Suitcases look much more refined, but they're not much smaller on the outside."
He shrugged. "Aside from Suitcases and Tents, you won't find anything else enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm."
"The Ministry of Magic has strict regulations. Other than those two things, the Undetectable Extension Charm is forbidden for private use. Even Wizards aren't allowed to enlarge their own houses. After all, if hundreds of people came out of a little house, it would frighten the Muggles and seriously violate the International Statute of Secrecy."
He wrinkled his nose, as if he'd thought of something amusing. "You won't find any in Knockturn Alley either. You know how it is. Even the Dark Wizards there wouldn't dare cross the Ministry of Magic's line."
That was a problem. Unwilling to give up, Anton wandered around the shop, but eventually spent the money on a belt pouch.
"It's made from Dragon Hide. Hebridean Black Dragons are naturally aggressive, and their hide has strong resistance to Charms." As he spoke, the shopkeeper gave the pouch a hard tug to show how sturdy it was.
The pouch was designed for an adult. Anton used it as a Sling Bag, hanging it across his chest and hiding it under his Wizarding Robes.
It could hold a few important things.
But its capacity was nowhere near enough. It couldn't even fit the materials for the two bookshelves' worth of notes in the Suitcase, let alone all his Potion Ingredients.
"This is going to be a problem."
Anton stood in the middle of Diagon Alley, watching the crowds pass by. He couldn't shake the feeling that some people were looking at him with ill intent.
At last, he raised his head. A magnificent building stood at the end of the alley.
—Gringotts.
As the bank of the Wizarding World, Gringotts didn't offer savings accounts.
Keeping money here was a bit like renting a safe deposit box at a Muggle bank. The Goblins didn't care whether you stored money or belongings inside, as long as you paid the storage fee.
In fanfics and movie compilations, Gringotts always seemed unsafe, with greedy Goblins ready to rob their own customers.
But Anton had sensed just how secure the place was between the lines of the novels.
Dumbledore trusted it. He'd stored the precious Philosopher's Stone here.
Voldemort trusted it too. He'd stored a Horcrux containing his second life here.
"I hope it isn't too expensive." Anton walked toward it with the Suitcase. This huge thing was such a hassle!
The entrance to Gringotts faced Diagon Alley. A flight of white stone steps led to a pair of gleaming Bronze Gates. Beside them stood a Goblin in a scarlet uniform trimmed with gold. He bowed and gestured for Anton to enter.
This Goblin looked a little different from Pedro, whom Anton had met before. His skin was darker, and he was more slender. His clothes were elegant, but he lacked Pedro's air of refinement.
Once inside, Anton passed through a silver door engraved with a line of text: "Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed..."
It was probably a warning. Anton ignored it and continued onward, greeted by a wave of noise.
The main hall was enormous and decorated mostly in dark colors. Under the glow of the chandeliers, it had a strangely solemn air.
A Goblin came over. "How may I help you?"
"I want to store something." Anton briskly patted the Suitcase in his hand.
The best way to deal with people like these was to show no emotion and say as little as possible, so they couldn't guess what you were thinking. Even the formidable Old Wizard had carried himself that way when traveling through dangerous places.
The Goblin's eyes lit up. "It looks as if you have quite a lot inside. You may need to open a Vault."
Anton nodded. "Nothing too large. I just want a small private Vault of my own."
The Old Wizard had taught him to casually reveal something vague, as if by accident.
The Goblin looked him up and down, lingering on Anton's hair. Then he nodded knowingly. "Young Wizards always want a Vault of their own. After all, no one likes their parents finding out what they've been secretly saving."
"That way, they also have a way to handle emergencies when they go out alone."
???
What exactly had you imagined?
Anton grumbled inwardly, but kept his face expressionless. He nodded. "Lead the way."
Before you continue