Chapter 109: Unlikely Partnerships Form
Draco No-Name was bucking that trend, the blond boy was by no means happy. He was now the laughing stock of the entire school and below even Weasley in his house's standings. He had attempted a big play and lost spectacularly, and even worse for a Slytherin he'd been caught red-handed.
To then have a big play masterfully run against you by your intended targets was rubbing your nose in it! What really scared Draco though was that he had no memory of what had happened to him. Madam Pomfrey had run a scan on him to see if his memory had been altered, it came back negative.
That meant someone had taken out Draco so effectively, he didn't even know it had been done. There was also the knowledge that he had been at the mercy of these people all night. They could have killed Draco as easily as swatting one of those Scottish midges that so loved his blood during the summer months.
It was hard for Draco to admit he was outclassed here, it was also a necessity. He would heed his warning because he feared it would be his last. Draco would be staying the hell away from the Potters from now on and forever more.
He may not have a lot going for him at the moment but at least he was still alive, Draco intended to stay that way for a very long time.
.....
It was a group of excited first years who made their way along Diagon Alley, they were shepherded along toward Gringotts by Minerva, Filius and Remus. They had no sooner entered when the group found their guides for the day waiting on them, both Harry and Hermione quickly recognised one of the goblins.
"Good morning everyone, my name is Griphook and I will be leading the team who will guide you around our bank today. We shall briefly cover the part of Gringotts that most of you are familiar with before moving behind the counters and discovering that Gringotts is more than a bank. For us, it is now our way of life."
They were then given a short explanation of what took place here in the public eye. Deposits, currency exchange, appraisal of items and withdrawals or arranging to visit your vault. They then moved into a classroom environment where there were forms waiting on each desk.
Griphook stood at the front of the 'class' and offered an explanation of this part of today's proceedings. "For this group, and today only, Gringotts are waiving their usual fees involved in setting up a vault and accessing it by other means than a cart ride. Lord Potter has also generously offered to provide the ten galleons required as the minimum deposit for an account of this type."
Griphook held up a black bag and a plastic card, "Each account comes with one of these included. The bag will allow you to remove monies from your account up to the amount you have deposited. The card does basically the same but has the advantage of being less conspicuous in the muggle world."
Justin held his hand respectfully in the air, displaying the universal sign that he wished to ask a question. Griphook nodded in his direction.
"Sir, could this be used in the muggle world to convert currency from one form to another?"
Their lessons with professor Flitwick were already paying dividends, they recognised that the fierce look coming from the goblin was in fact a sign he was happy, by no means could it ever be considered what they understood as a smile!
"That is a very astute observation young sir, indeed it can. If any of you are muggle borns, your parents can pay sterling into your vaults at the counters and it will then be converted into whatever currency you require via the bag or card."
This wasn't what Justin meant but was a very welcome additional bonus, "My family are going to the States next summer, would this work for Dollars?"
Griphook's fierce expression intensified, "If your family paid in their spending money to an account like this, it would be available to them via a card or bag in any currency they needed. Gringotts takes a small charge for this service but our exchange rates are always better than the muggle versions. As you are all magical, your parents can use Gringotts as their bank irrespective of whether they themselves are magical."
Hermione now had her hand up and Griphook indicated she should speak, "My parents have sold their business and now their house using Gringotts as their bank. Dad said the tax breaks alone have saved him thousands! The goblins are now investing some of that money for him and he expects to make a good return on it. Between that and the interest on his savings, dad thinks they'll make nearly as much profit as they did when still working."
This really opened the muggle born's eyes to the possibilities being offered here, Justin though was still cautious. "What about security sir?"
Griphook actually laughed, "Oh Filius, I like this one! You ask all the right questions young sir. The security protecting the vaults we shall cover later, can I assume you meant the card and bag?" at his nod, Griphook continued. "Either the bag or card will be linked to an individual by a single drop of their blood, this locks the item to you and only you. Anyone else trying to use it will see it disappear."
Griphook glanced in Harry's direction and was delighted to see him nod in acceptance of his unasked request.
.....
Can't wait to read more exciting chapters then what are you waiting for Join my p*atreon right now.
Get 60+ Premium chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/Earthly_Writer (Remove the *)
2 Chapters for all free members.