Harry potter:Dark lord

Gringotts was arguably the tallest building in Diagon Alley.

Robert and Tom stood before the towering white structure, observing it carefully.

"They're quite the noble bunch, those goblins," Tom said, curling his lips in disdain.

"I heard they're in charge of all the wealth in the wizarding world. It's only natural they'd have such a grand facade," Robert replied thoughtfully.

Tom frowned. "I really don't understand why wizards would entrust their wealth to another species…"

"We can find the answer to that in a history book later. For now…"

The two didn't waste any more time and quickly walked toward the entrance.

Gringotts had two gates. The first was a pair of gleaming bronze doors, guarded by two goblins dressed in scarlet and gold uniforms.

This was the first time Robert and Tom had ever seen goblins up close.

They were short, with large heads, pointed noses, and long ears. Their arms seemed unusually long—longer than their legs.

As Robert and Tom observed them briefly, the goblins bowed politely in return.

Beyond the bronze doors stood the second entrance, a grand silver door engraved with a warning:

Enter, stranger, but beware of greed's price.

Those who take without earning shall pay the cost.

If you seek to claim what is not yours,

Thief, you have been warned.

What you take is not treasure, but a curse.

Beyond the silver door lay a vast marble hall bustling with goblins working behind an enormous counter. Some were weighing coins, others were inspecting gemstones with magnifying eyepieces, while a few attended wizard clients, scribbling in large account books.

After a quick survey of the hall, Robert approached a goblin who seemed to have a free moment.

"Excuse me," he said.

The goblin, who had been writing with a quill, looked up from behind the tall counter, peering down at them.

Both Robert and Tom were dressed in elegant, well-tailored robes, looking every bit like young heirs from prestigious pure-blood families.

Upon seeing their attire, the goblin's initially impatient expression transformed into a broad, almost obsequious smile.

"Welcome, young sirs. What business may I assist you with today?" the goblin asked in a shrill voice.

Instead of taking out Muggle currency, Robert retrieved five small gold bars from his pocket. "I'd like to exchange these for Galleons."

"Ah! Of course! I'll weigh them immediately!"

The moment the goblin saw the gold bars, his eyes gleamed with excitement, and his voice took on a more flattering tone.

He placed the five bars on a small scale and began weighing them carefully.

"The purity is excellent! I can offer the best possible rate…"

The goblin tapped his long fingers against the counter before declaring, "Today's gold rate is 10 Galleons per gram. Each of your bars weighs 100 grams. That would be… 5,000 Galleons in total. What do you say?"

Tom's eyes widened. He only had 20 Galleons to his name—5,000 was an astronomical sum!

But to his surprise, Robert shook his head. "Only 10 Galleons per gram? That's quite a hefty handling fee. Perhaps I should try another counter."

Tom glanced at him, bewildered. 5,000 Galleons wasn't enough?!

"No, wait!" The goblin, suddenly anxious, hurriedly stopped Robert. "How about… this? My name is Ziplock. If you ever need to handle business at Gringotts in the future, just ask for me."

Lowering his voice, he added, "I can offer you 12 Galleons per gram. What do you think?"

Tom immediately looked away, pretending to be indifferent, though he was barely keeping his excitement in check.

Robert, however, hesitated deliberately, as though still considering.

Ziplock grew more desperate. "This is already the highest possible rate. If I go any higher, I won't be able to justify it to my superiors."

"Fine," Robert finally agreed. "We'll do it at 12 Galleons per gram."

"Excellent! I'll get the funds right away. By the way… would you like to open a vault? It's always good to have a personal safe—somewhere to store your pocket money. I can assure you, no one in your family would ever know what's inside."

"That sounds useful. Open one for me. Also, deposit these as well."

Robert took out the remaining gold bars.

Ziplock's eyes widened in shock. His instincts were right—these two young wizards came from incredibly wealthy families! Even their pocket money was in gold bars!

By the time they stepped out of Gringotts, they were significantly wealthier, their coin purses noticeably heavier.

Tom, still baffled, asked, "How did you know that greedy goblin wasn't telling the truth?"

Robert chuckled. "Goblins are naturally greedy. Do you really think 12 Galleons per gram was the highest rate? I guarantee you, Ziplock is keeping a little extra for himself."

"Then why did you agree to the deal?" Tom asked, astonished.

"Tom," Robert said, amused, "if you want people to work in your favor, you have to give them incentives. Especially creatures like goblins."

Robert reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch, tossing it to Tom.

Inside were 500 Galleons.

"We'll each take 500 Galleons for now. The rest stays in Gringotts," Robert said.

Tom silently pocketed the money, feeling overwhelmed by how quickly their financial situation had changed.

"Alright, time to return these clothes. Then… we're getting our wands," Robert declared, excitement flickering in his eyes.

Both of them had been casting magic without wands so far, but now, they were eager to see what it felt like to wield one properly.

After returning their rented outfits to Madam Malkin and purchasing their school robes, they arrived at the doorstep of Ollivanders Wand Shop.

The shop was small and old, with a faded gold sign above the door that read:

"Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC."

In the dusty shop window, a single wand rested on a worn-out purple cushion.

As they pushed the door open, a small bell jingled.

The shop's interior was narrow and dimly lit, with shelves upon shelves stacked high with wand boxes. A faint layer of dust settled over everything.

There was only a single bench in the corner for customers to sit.

A soft voice greeted them.

"Welcome to Ollivanders Wand Shop! Ah… two young wizards, preparing for Hogwarts."

From between the narrow shelves emerged a young man with silver-white eyes.

"I am Garrick Ollivander. You've come to the right place for wands."

Tom looked around at the countless wand boxes. "How are we supposed to choose one?"

Ollivander smiled knowingly. "Ah, but the wizard does not choose the wand. It is the wand that chooses the wizard!"

He clapped his hands together. "Alright, which of you will go first?"

Robert nudged Tom forward. "He goes first."

Tom frowned slightly, eyeing Robert with suspicion. Was he planning something again?

But for once, Robert had no ulterior motives.

He simply wanted to see if Tom would still end up with the yew wand destined for him.

(End of Chapter 17)

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