Herman caught on at once too. It really could cause a misunderstanding; after all, these goblins treasured Galleons as though they were their own fathers and would not tolerate the slightest mishap.
"Right, I'll leave the trolley outside in a moment."
As Harry and Herman stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron, the Aurors who had been skulking around immediately sprang into action.
It was hard to tell whether they simply thought nothing of two children like Harry and Herman, or whether surveillance techniques in the wizarding world were just that clumsy. They made no attempt to conceal themselves the entire time, following them with staggering blatancy.
They could at least have divided into teams and switched followers when they left the Leaky Cauldron, or used magic to change their appearance. Instead, they followed them straight out, practically wearing signs on their faces that said, "We're following you."
Harry led Herman straight toward Gringotts. Under the goblin doorman's wary, almost X-ray-like gaze, Herman carefully left the trolley by the entrance.
Only then did the goblin's expression change in an instant. Putting on a fawning smile, it bowed respectfully and ushered Harry and Herman inside.
As soon as they entered the hall, Herman, intent on fulfilling his duty as bag carrier, took the initiative to find a queue and get in line for Harry.
But he had barely taken two steps when his collar tightened at the back of his neck, and Harry yanked him back as though dragging a puppy.
Looking utterly puzzled, Herman could not help asking, "What's wrong?"
Harry looked equally puzzled and asked in return, "Where are you going?"
"To queue, obviously," Herman replied confidently. "How are we supposed to get anything done without queuing?"
Harry gave a cold laugh. "I seem to remember Muggle banks have VIP services too."
With that, Harry waved casually at a nearby goblin. At once, it hurried over like a wound-up toy and addressed Harry respectfully. "Esteemed Miss Potter, what business brings you here today?"
The goblins kept a close eye on customers from the moment they entered Gringotts. Herman had originally assumed they were watching customers to prevent theft. Only now did he realize they were keeping an eye out for wealthy clients, ready to provide attentive service at any moment.
"To my vault," Harry said succinctly. The goblin promptly bowed again and asked, "Certainly, Miss Potter. Forgive another question: the Potter family vault, or the Black family vault?"
Good grief. Opening a single vault himself would take all sorts of trouble, yet Harry actually had two!
And couldn't these goblins show a little backbone? When he collected his money, the goblin had worn a sour expression as though someone owed it several million Galleons. How had they become so attentive now?
The goblin could not care less about Herman's inward grumbling. At that moment, its heart and eyes were occupied solely by Harry, its major client.
"Both," Harry said, still succinct. "The Potter family's first. We'll need to visit the Black family's afterward."
"Certainly. This way, please." The goblin hastened to lead the way with eager attentiveness.
They went through a small door at one side of the hall and entered the vault area. It was like an instant transition from a glittering paradise to a dark, fathomless hell; the decor on either side could not have been more different.
The goblin walked to the edge of a cliff and reached out to strike something resembling a gong hanging on the wall. Before long, a mine cart came racing along the rails from the distance like an agile black panther.
The goblin swept its hand through the air, and the cart came to a steady stop. Then it opened the door by hand and said to Harry, "Please get in, Miss Potter."
Harry stepped aboard without ceremony. Seeing this, Herman hurried after her. Once the two were seated, the goblin climbed in, shut the door, and set the cart moving slowly.
At first, the cart rolled along leisurely, like an old man out for a stroll. But the deeper they went, the faster it became, and Herman instinctively clutched the handrail as though it were his last lifeline amid raging winds and towering waves.
Once they were halfway through the journey, the cart let itself go completely like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, its speed now rivaling a frenzied amusement park roller coaster.
Feeling the wind howl past on either side and looking down at the bottomless valley below, black as an endless abyss, Herman instinctively wanted to scream to release the fear inside him.
But just as he was about to cry out, he caught sight of Harry beside him out of the corner of his eye. Utterly composed, she was watching him with the hint of a smile, the slight upward curve of her lips seeming to mock his cowardice mercilessly.
Is she laughing at me? A stubborn refusal to lose surged within Herman, and he hurriedly took a deep breath, trying to force his fear down.
Unfortunately, he forgot that he was on a mine cart hurtling along at breakneck speed. A mouthful of cold air rushed straight into his throat, sending him into a violent coughing fit, and his hands involuntarily released the rail.
His backside was already lifting off the seat, and his whole body was about to fly out of the cart like a kite with a snapped string.
Before he even had time to lament that he had avoided dying in a traffic accident in Muggle society only to be flung out of a vehicle and killed in the wizarding world, a sudden, fierce pain struck his chest, as though he had slammed into an invisible wall.
Then something like invisible ropes abruptly tightened, binding Herman firmly to his seat. Those invisible ropes did not loosen for the rest of the journey, giving him at least a little sense of security.
When the cart slowly stopped and the sensation of binding ropes vanished, Herman leaped straight out as though fleeing for his life.
Only when he felt solid ground beneath his feet did Herman let out a long breath, as though he had just awakened from a terrifying nightmare.
"Not bad! You didn't even throw up." Harry stepped down leisurely, still in the mood to tease him, her tone like that of a seasoned veteran mocking a novice's clumsiness.
Although he was being mocked like this by a little girl, Herman was far too embarrassed to retaliate. After all, Harry had remained absurdly calm the entire way, as though she had been taking a leisurely walk along a beautiful beach rather than riding a crazed mine cart.
Herman could only hastily change the subject, directing his fire at the goblin beside them. "Your service is far too unreliable! You put customers on this deathtrap of a roller coaster-what if someone falls out?"
Although the goblin did not know who Herman was, he had come with its major client Harry, so it naturally had to take him seriously too. It hurriedly explained, "The speed can actually be reduced, but Miss Potter specifically instructed us not to before, so we've kept it this way ever since."
Herman shot Harry a fierce look and gritted his teeth, but ultimately said nothing. At that point, the goblin continued, "And please rest assured, we do have safety measures. Every cart is enchanted. If anyone is in danger of flying out, magical ropes will pull them straight back. They absolutely will not fall."
"Fine." Herman truly had nothing left to say now. He could only stand silently to one side, watching Harry and pondering how to salvage a little dignity.
Harry walked straight up to the Potter Family's vault 687 and took out her vault key.
The goblin beside her reacted swiftly, hurrying forward to accept the key from Harry with utmost respect. It slowly opened the vault door, then stood outside the vault, waiting quietly.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Herman did not follow her inside. He could only stand at the entrance, bored out of his mind, looking around.
The underground cavern was dimly lit, and very few people had come to use the vaults. Everything was silent except for the occasional strange sound of wind, like whispers from hell.
Then Herman suddenly heard the sound of a mine cart hurtling along, followed by a tremendous crash, as though something thick had been violently snapped in two. In the already eerily silent cavern, it sounded particularly frightening.
Before he could think about it further, Harry emerged from the vault carrying a small money pouch. Once outside, she casually tossed it to Herman. He instinctively reached out to catch it, then looked at Harry in confusion and asked tentatively, "For me?"
This time, it was Harry's turn to be shocked. She had not expected Herman to be so shameless as to think all the money was his, and immediately explained, "Pay for me later. Whatever Galleons are left are yours."
Hearing that, Herman eagerly hurried to open the pouch, wanting to see exactly how many Galleons were inside.
But when he opened it, he froze. He quickly closed it again and rubbed his eyes hard, wondering whether he had seen things. After a moment, he opened it once more.
At last, Herman confirmed that his eyes had not deceived him. Although the pouch looked small, as though fifty or sixty Galleons would fill it, opening it revealed a space the size of a suitcase. Inside sat a small, neatly arranged heap of Galleons, like a little glittering mountain.
"That's amazing. Does this use an Undetectable Extension Charm?" Herman asked curiously.
Before Harry could answer, the goblin beside them rushed to reply as though scrambling to grab a red envelope. "Calling it an Undetectable Extension Charm isn't accurate. The Undetectable Extension Charm is merely a shortcut wizards use. Fixing spatial magic onto an object requires advanced alchemical techniques. This is a magical money pouch we crafted with great care, specifically as a gift for our valued clients."
Harry cut straight through the goblin's boasting. "Wizards can make them too. It's only a free gift from Gringotts; there's no need to make a fuss. Time to go to the Black vault."
Although its major client Harry had called it a free gift, the goblin could hardly say anything more to show off goblin craftsmanship. It could only obediently go and start the mine cart.