Gringotts

Chapter 4 Gringotts

Dumbledore walked ahead, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

Brook was, after all, still a child.

In his opinion, robbing a bank wasn't an unforgivable mistake.

As long as no one was actively attacked or harmed, it wasn't too big of a mistake.

So, he let it go.

Of course, all of this was on the condition that Brook passed his test.

If he didn't pass.

Dumbledore wouldn't mind letting Brook spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

After all, with the Second Generation Demon King about to rise from the ashes, and a Third Generation Demon King appearing now, he wouldn't be able to peacefully move on to the next stage.

As for why he didn't ask Brook to return the stolen items.

The reason was also very simple.

That gold originally belonged to Brook's family.

Stealing his own family's money.

Should he tell Brook about this now?

Thinking about it was quite amusing.

But he decided against it. He had already promised the boy, so he might as well wait for him to bring it up himself.

Coincidentally, today was the day Hogwarts acceptance letters arrived.

So, he decided to use this opportunity to interact with Brook.

Now it seemed.

Brook was a clever and mischievous little fellow.

The important thing was that this little fellow always inadvertently blocked half of Hermione's body.

Subtly protecting Hermione.

"Love" was such a beautiful word!

There was still some time before school started.

Diagon Alley was unusually deserted, with hardly anyone seen on the streets.

Dumbledore led them to the bank of the Wizarding World.

"This is Gringotts, guarded by Goblins."

Dumbledore said, looking at the towering white building in front of them.

"The Gate of Sighs, forged by Goblins, is said to emit the wails of all thieves who perished here when a greedy person touches it."

"Do you want to try it?"

Brook rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore continued, "All the vaults are located hundreds of meters underground and are protected by magic that restricts space. Therefore, it's impossible to steal using Space Magic."

Brook: (╬◣д◢)

You old geezer.

Enough already!

Who are you implying?

Then they walked into the bank.

Goblin guards bowed to Dumbledore.

As for Brook and Hermione, they looked up with disdain, their nostrils flaring.

"These Goblins look really interesting, just like in fairy tales," Hermione whispered in Brook's ear.

Brook: !!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ

This little girl's aesthetic seems a bit peculiar.

They entered the spacious hall paved with marble.

More than a hundred Goblins sat behind long counters.

Some were weighing coins, others were examining gemstones.

Dumbledore found a very old Goblin.

The wrinkles on its face could kill flies.

"Laf, help the new students exchange some Gold Galleons."

"Oh, it's Headmaster Dumbledore."

Laf looked up and saw Dumbledore. He quickly put down the magnifying glass in his hand, his face breaking into a smile like a chrysanthemum.

"You can take your money out now!"

Dumbledore had already told them when they were at the Granger house.

Every Muggle-born wizard could exchange up to 100 Gold Galleons before the start of each school year.

The exchange rate between Pound Sterling and Gold Galleons was 5:1, so Brook and Hermione had prepared 500 Pounds Sterling each.

"A question, does Gringotts offer currency exchange services for Galleons to Muggle currency?" Brook suddenly asked.

Laf didn't want to answer at first, but after glancing at Dumbledore beside him, he said impatiently.

"Gringotts does not offer this service."

Brook shrugged. It seemed that his plan to learn from a certain big shot and explode Gringotts' Financial System by dismantling the Great Bear and mortgaging Hogwarts was not going to happen.

Laf's movements were quick.

He took the Pound Sterling without counting it and set it aside.

Then, he took out two small bags that had been prepared from under the counter and handed them to Brook and Hermione respectively.

Hermione curiously opened her small bag and found it filled with golden metal coins.

"Is this real gold?"

"Of course, it's real gold. Goblins would never use fakes to make Gold Galleons."

Laf immediately retorted loudly, as if he had been insulted, startling Hermione.

She hid behind Brook like a startled little rabbit.

"Sorry, I just..."

Brook narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, completely shielding Hermione.

Although this little girl could be annoying sometimes, she also brought him a lot of joy.

He could tease her, but no one else could.

"Laf."

Dumbledore's voice was soft, but it immediately calmed Laf down.

He looked at Dumbledore with some fear. "I got too excited."

It bowed deeply to Hermione.

If you like this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

"N... Nothing."

Hermione appeared even more flustered.

Brook quietly withdrew his hand.

He had intended to touch Laf and plant a spatial marker.

Then, when no one was around, he'd sneak up and knock it out.

Since the other party had apologized, but there was no way he'd just let it go.

However, there would be plenty of time later.

He weighed the small bag in his hand, feeling its weight was at least 300 grams.

If these gold coins were made of pure gold, as the Goblin had said.

Then, according to current market prices.

1 ounce of gold was about 220 Pounds Sterling.

500 Pounds Sterling could buy about 70 grams of gold.

But here, 500 Pounds Sterling could be exchanged for 100 Gold Galleons, which was 300 grams of gold.

The profit was as high as four times!

Was this how business was done?

(⊙o⊙)

"Wizards don't use Muggle currency. Although you exchange it with Pounds Sterling, it's not actually an exchange.

It's a subsidy from Hogwarts to Muggle-born young wizards.

This money is entirely paid by Hogwarts."

Brook looked at Dumbledore impassively.

He hadn't asked the question just now, but Dumbledore had already provided the explanation.

Was it a coincidence, or...

Brook dared not look at Dumbledore anymore.

Dumbledore's azure eyes grew deeper.

This little fellow was meticulous.

He didn't seem like an eleven-year-old boy at all.

His words just now were spoken deliberately for Brook to hear.

It was both to observe Brook's reaction and to remind him.

In the Wizarding World, many wizards enjoyed prying into others' thoughts.

Brook's thoughts were too unrestrained.

If he wasn't careful, he might very well invite unnecessary trouble.

"Oh, right," Dumbledore asked, seemingly casually.

"If you have gold, you can also exchange it for Gold Galleons. Do you need to exchange any?"

He looked at Brook with anticipation.

Brook lowered his head, pondering whether Dumbledore could read minds, completely ignoring his teasing.

Hermione also showed no reaction.

Since Hogwarts had set a limit of 100 Gold Galleons, it meant it was enough for the young wizards to use.

She had no need to exchange for more.

"Since you've all gotten your money, let's start enjoying our pleasant shopping time."

As Dumbledore spoke, he strode out again.

Hermione quickly followed, but saw Brook still standing motionless.

She jogged back and pulled Brook along as they walked out.

"The Headmaster has already gone out, we need to hurry and catch up."

Dumbledore led them to the next shop.

At the same time, he told them about Hogwarts.

He detailed the unique characteristics of the four houses.

"The two of you shouldn't be entering Slytherin," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"That house has very high requirements for bloodline, and neither of you meets this standard."

"Bloodline?" Hermione asked curiously, "What does Hogwarts use to sort students?"

"Hmm, well, we've arrived at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," Dumbledore changed the subject.

Brook and Hermione both bought three plain black robes.

Brook narrowed his eyes and looked at Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, is this the only clothing store in Diagon Alley?"

"There are two others, and one shop that specializes in second-hand clothing. Do the robes from this shop not suit your taste?"

"Do they only sell robes and formal wear?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, a little confused.

Was there a problem with that?

Brook stared intently at Dumbledore's sapphire-blue eyes and said nothing more.

Instead, he complained wildly in his mind.

What about underwear and briefs?

Do wizards go commando?

Dumbledore's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

The clothing store did not provide underwear or briefs, and these private garments were usually sewn by wizards themselves.

For Muggle-born wizards, they would purchase them in the Muggle world.

He had never considered this issue.

The reason his expression changed was that he was indeed not wearing any...

Brook noticed the change in Dumbledore's expression and withdrew his gaze.

(╯-＿-)╯╧╧

This old geezer really possessed magic similar to mind-reading.

And he had been prying into his thoughts all along.

It seemed he needed to find a solution quickly.

Dumbledore also realized Brook's probing and smiled helplessly.

It was fine.

Just not a great topic.

(Non-Omniscient Text: The protagonist only remembers a small portion of the plot, and much of it is triggered.)

(Anti-Quibbler: Every fanfiction adds its own settings to the original work. The Little Author doesn't want to follow the Financial System, so this is the setting!)

(Since many people have asked, let me explain. The Door-Door Fruit is not restricted by Space Magic, which is why Brook can open Space Gates anywhere later. But Brook doesn't know that! Should he go to school or gamble to escape from Dumbledore? Anyone with a brain wouldn't choose the latter. So, this cognitive gap is not meant to forcibly restrict the Door-Door Fruit.)