Ollivanders

"Morning," Professor McGonagall said to an idle Goblin. "Our new students need to exchange some Galleons here this year."

The Goblin, wearing glasses on the bridge of its nose, pushed them up as it heard her and looked towards Professor McGonagall.

"Ah... Minerva McGonagall." The Goblin's gaze then swept over Gemini and the others, nodding slightly. "Happy to be of service. Now, who will be first?"

"May I ask what the maximum amount for exchanging Pounds Sterling for Galleons is?" Gemini asked after a moment's thought.

"Five hundred Galleons per person per year, sir," the Goblin replied. "That amount can allow a wizard from a Muggle family to live quite comfortably in the wizarding world without disrupting the balance of the financial market. Even so, it's not a small sum."

"Then please exchange five hundred Galleons for me directly. It's a bit over budget, but not unmanageable," Gemini said, thinking it over, and took out a wad of bills from his pocket, handing it to the Goblin.

"A considerable fortune," the Goblin's eyes lit up. "Considering your age, I imagine we'll have many more opportunities to meet in the future."

Soon, the five hundred Galleons were exchanged.

"Carrying such a large sum of money must be inconvenient. Would you like to deposit it with us?" the Goblin asked politely.

"Does it have interest?"

"Of course, it does."

"Then I won't deposit it."

"???"

Whether or not there was interest was irrelevant to Gemini. The most convenient way to keep his money was in the storage space of his weapon shop. Although he could trade with his wealth no matter where it was, if the money in his vault mysteriously disappeared, it might cause some upheaval.

He could certainly use this bug to extort a bit from Gringotts, but that was a one-time thing. Doing it more would arouse the suspicion of these Goblins.

As an arms dealer, his sole pursuit was money. Gringotts was the oldest Goblin bank in the world, and making enemies of them for such a small profit was clearly not worth it.

Unless they paid him more.

The five hundred Galleons were handed over to Gemini in full. The Goblin also gifted Gemini a bag enchanted with the Untraceable Extension Charm, clearly indicating a friendly attitude. Gemini was also happy about this, hoping they could maintain this dirty financial relationship amicably.

Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Finlay and Mr. and Mrs. Granger also exchanged a large pile of shiny gold Galleons. Each family exchanged one hundred Galleons. As Professor McGonagall had said, this amount was enough for first-year students to purchase their school supplies.

"Professor, could you please check this Untraceable Extension Bag for me?"

As soon as they left Gringotts, Gemini called out to Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Of course. It seems you don't quite trust those Goblins, but that's wise."

After taking the Untraceable Extension Bag from Gemini and examining it, confirming there were no additional enchantments or curses, Professor McGonagall returned the bag to him.

"There are no problems. This bag is also very practical, and you can use it with confidence, Mr. Fox."

"Thank you very much, Professor."

Mr. Finlay, standing nearby, looked at Gemini with envy.

Whether it was his appearance, his demeanor, or his actions, Gemini was the most outstanding boy he had ever seen.

Looking at his own son, Justin, who was staring longingly at the chocolate sundaes in other children's hands, Mr. Finlay hesitated for a few seconds before finally suppressing the urge to spank his restless child...

"Professor McGonagall, where are we going next?" Mr. Granger asked Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, looking at the three of them, Gemini included, with a hint of excitement. "As a wizard, the most important thing is, naturally, the wand in his hand, isn't it?"

It was a small, dilapidated shop. The golden sign on the storefront was mostly peeling, and it read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

Inside a dusty glass display case, a single wand lay on a faded purple velvet cushion.

The shop was silent, as if it were a library rather than a store.

Stacks of narrow wooden boxes reached almost to the ceiling, and the quiet atmosphere gave it a very mysterious feel.

"Good morning, everyone."

A gentle voice spoke, and an old man with silver-white hair emerged from behind the stacks of wooden boxes. His pale blue eyes shone like two bright moons in the dim shop.

"Long time no see, Mr. Ollivander."

"Ah... Minerva, long time no see. Fir wood, dragon heartstring. That's a wand exceptionally skilled at Transfiguration. And indeed it is..." the old man's eyes lit up as he spoke softly.

Professor McGonagall nodded, a little weary of dealing with this old man who was obsessed with wands. He muttered the same thing to her every year.

"As you can see, I've brought Mr. Fox, Miss Granger, and Mr. Finlay to buy their wands."

"Oh... it is about that time," Ollivander's gaze swept over the faces of the three, Gemini included. "I hope the wands I make will help you become outstanding and great wizards."

He took out a long strip of tape with silver markings from his pocket and measured their height, waist, and other dimensions. He then asked, "Which is your dominant hand?"

The answer was unanimous; they were all right-handed.

"In my shop, the vast majority of wand cores use unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and dragon heartstring. This is the experience I've accumulated over the years. These three substances are the best mediums for channeling magic, and this is the essence of these wands. Every Ollivander wand is unique because no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are exactly alike."

"Of course, if you use a wand that rightfully belongs to another wizard, it won't have such good results. I hope you will remember one thing: the wand chooses the wizard."

Ollivander rambled on, pulling out a box from the stacks and taking out a wand, handing it to Finlay.

"Willow wood, unicorn hair, eleven inches."

Finlay took the wand, looking utterly bewildered.

Ollivander raised his chin. "Give it a wave."

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze swept through the room, and Ollivander nodded with satisfaction. "It seems my judgment is as accurate as ever."

Having received his wand, Justin was overjoyed. He carefully placed the wand into its wooden box as if it were a precious treasure.

The old man's figure weaved through the fortress built from stacks of wooden boxes. Soon, he retrieved another wand and presented it to Hermione.

"Walnut wood, dragon heartstring, twelve inches long. Why don't you try this one?"

Hermione took the wand and waved it.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound echoed in the room. A vase was struck by a red light shot from the wand's tip, and the sound of its breaking startled everyone.

"It seems you two aren't getting along very well," Ollivander said, retracting the wand with a hint of awkwardness. He began to rummage through the stacks of wooden boxes again.

"Try this one? Vine wood, dragon heartstring, fourteen inches long."

Hermione took the wand and waved it. Instantly, a fragrant scent filled the room, and delicate flowers bloomed all around.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful," Ollivander exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. "This wand is a perfect match for you."