Chapter 4: Can Gringotts Be Shorted?

  "It's alright if you don't get it yet. You'll have more than sufficient time to work it out when you start your proper schooling at Hogwarts."

  Professor McGonagall, seeing Dyn being quiet for so long, judged that he was confused and crified in soothing tones in order to calm him down.

  "Besides, the things you're questioning go to the very roots of magic. Most wizards don't even give these a second thought until after they've graduated."

  The corners of her mouth rose slightly, forming a few thin creases, and her otherwise serious face rexed.

  "For a young wizard who's just seeing magic for the first time to have such perceptions, you're truly exceptional. If you've got any questions about Transfiguration when you come in, don't hesitate to see me. I'd be very happy to answer them with you."

  "Oh? Indeed, Professor?" Dyn's eyes glowed.

  "Of course." Professor McGonagall nodded.

  Brilliant, connections +1!

  In fact, he did have a lot of questions and Transfiguration questions.

  But it was obviously not something a child of a Muggle who had not even set foot in the wizarding world was meant to ask.

  He feared that asking incessantly after becoming a member might be inappropriate, but now that Professor McGonagall had dared pose the question, it was perfect.

  Professor McGonagall smiled at Dyn, too.

  Such a bright young wizard, as long as he didn't go astray, might even have a career teaching at Hogwarts.

  Taking this into account, Professor McGonagall stood up and said, "Alright, don't forget to bring your reply letter. We should be off."

  The Hawkwoods were hesitant, but eventually acquiesced to let Dyn attend Hogwarts.

  "Sweeetie, our savings is here. Magical goods should be pricey, shouldn't they? Just take this along." A backpack was given to Dyn's mom.

  "Appreciate it, Mom. I shall struggle hard at magic and give to you when you are elderly." Dyn said wholeheartedly.

  Maeve smiled from heart: "All right, away now fast. Don't make the professor te."

  Dyn turned around and asked, "Professor McGonagall, do we visit Diagon Alley now?"

  "Yes, we can Apparate or use Floo Powder there. But this is quite remote, and there isn't a convenient firepce nearby, so Floo Powder won't work."

  Professor McGonagall took hold of Dyn's hand.

  "Maintain a tight grip on me."

  The second she said it, Dyn was floating, and he cmped his hand around Professor McGonagall's hand right away.

  The air between them rippled.

  In a split second, the strange sensation went away, and the noise of a dense crowd came to their ears.

  Simultaneously, a wave of nausea rose up, to his throat. Dyn swallowed involuntarily, but this worsened the nausea.

  "Ugh!"

  Professor McGonagall was obviously accustomed to this, and id a spell to soothe Dyn's discomfort.

  "This is a normal reaction to your first Apparition. You'll get used to it."

  Professor McGonagall smiled: "We're here."

  Dyn caught his breath, then opened his eyes.

  They stood outside a small, grubby-looked pub, oddly jammed between two spotless buildings.

  "The Leaky Cauldron. It's on London Street, but only wizards can see it. Come along."

  Professor McGonagall tried to let go of his hand, but Dyn held on tight.

  She faltered, and looked at Dyn.

  "Professor McGonagall? Good day. Long time no see. Would you like something to drink?"

  The bartender, having just seated a customer, spotted Professor McGonagall and moved to grab a dirty rag to dry a gss.

  "Not particurly, and I'm with a student." Professor McGonagall regarded the bartender, then gestured for Dyn to follow her.

  They moved around the bar and into a walled courtyard.

  Dyn couldn't help remarking, "Professor McGonagall, can't there be cleaning spells?"

  "Um? Oh, yes. There are."

  "So, why is that dirty pub so dirty? Why doesn't the bartender employ cleaning spells rather than a dirty rag?"

  Professor McGonagall said, "Just because there are spells doesn't mean everyone uses them. Many wizards don't care about these things. I'm an exception, of course."

  "That's why I never drink here. There's a secret little bistro that's quite nice and clean. I mean, young man, no drinking for minors."

  "I understand, Professor McGonagall." Dyn smiled.

  Professor McGonagall drew out her wand again: "Watch carefully. You can't Apparate into Diagon Alley until you're seventeen."

  "So the next time you want to go to Diagon Alley, you'll have to go to the Leaky Cauldron and follow this route."

  Professor McGonagall gestured with her wand as she told them: "Count three bricks up from the rubbish bin, then two bricks sideways, and strike them three times with your wand."

  No sooner had she spoken when the bricks in front of them began to shudder and move away.

  They formed an archway to a thronged commercial road.

  Dyn looked in.

  Diagon Alley looked like an ordinary market, but all the people there were wizards, and the shops were vintage.

  "We need to go to Gringotts first to exchange the money you have in your backpack into wizard money."

  Professor McGonagall looked at Dyn's backpack of money. "Your parents must love you very much."

  "Yes, I love them too." Dyn smiled.

  Professor McGonagall's eyes furrowed. "Follow me."

  She led Dyn to the entrance of Gringotts.

  Dyn noticed at once the message on the second door: Enter, stranger, but take heed.

  "Rather ominous." Dyn looked around with curiosity.

  Striding through the two doors, they stood in a well-lit marble hallway.

  Hundred of goblins huddled behind high counters, industriously jotting notes in rge ledgers.

  "Oh, Professor McGonagall! How may we help you?"As a professor at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall was greeted by a smile from a goblin the moment she stepped in.

  "Need to exchange some Galleons."

  "Exchange money?" The goblin's enthusiasm vanished. "Then I won't bother you."

  Observing the goblin retreat, Professor McGonagall gazed down at Dyn: "Don't mind the goblins."

  Dyn nodded marginally: "I know, Professor. They only think about money, like my father's manager."

  Professor McGonagall hesitated and smoothed Dyn's head.

  The remainder of the procedure proceeded normally.

  The goblins hardly gnced at Dyn, probably thinking that anyone who was getting Muggle money was a Muggle-born wizard.

  Although goblins had lost to wizards before, they did not disdain Muggle-born wizards.

  "British pounds can be exchanged for Galleons without limitation?" Dyn's eyes narrowed slightly after being given the money.

  The value of wizarding currency was self-evident, while Muggle currency was...

  "A one-to-five exchange rate? I can make a good profit just by adding a few shares to it."

  This exchange rate suggested either that the goblins very much undervalued Muggles and did not bother to research the purchasing power of the pound, or else that they were greedy or economically uninformed.

  "If I get the chance, I shall teach these illiterate men at rge something about the delights of economics, if not shorten Gringotts."

  (End of chapter)

  Chaos_God