Ambush

"Hello, hurry up!" The Gringotts Goblin's voice abruptly interrupted Harry and Dudley's conversation.

"Mr. Hagrid was already waiting upstairs." A Gringotts staff member outside the door opened the vault for them,urging them to move quickly, looking slightly anxious.

Dudley halted Harry's inquiries and assisted him in opening the pre-prepared package, stuffing a considerable amount of gold gallons into it.

Once the gold coins were securely packed, Dudley and Harry exited the vault with the impatient goblin.

....

In the ground floor lobby of Gringotts, Dudley and Harry rode an underground cable car, guided by the goblins to the vault exit. Hagrid, with a smile on his face, observed the two youngsters behind him.

"It seems that Harry has gained a lot. Next, we can consider going to the magic bookstore in Diagon Alley to purchase all the items listed in the 'Hogwarts' admission information column. Let me see... What else do we need to buy?" Hagrid reached into his arms and pulled out a letter. "At the moment, we're missing three sets of plain work robes, a plain peak hat for daytime, a pair of protective gloves, and a winter cloak. We can buy those later at the supply store opposite..."

"Harry, I think you might need to prepare some extra gold gallons," Dudley added as they followed Hagrid. He listened to the intermittent chatter about the purchase plan, his gaze sweeping over Harry's face. Perhaps due to the recent conversation, Harry seemed preoccupied, his head lowered in deep thought.

Dudley didn't elaborate, recognizing that many things take time, and growth is a gradual process.

Suddenly, Dudley felt a tingling pain on the top of his head. Totoro, who had been napping on his head, stood upright, small paws tugging at his hair.

"Little one, you tapping again," Dudley muttered, lifting the chinchilla off his head. At that moment, the chinchilla's fur stood on end, resembling an ordinary cat gone wild.

This behavior triggered a memory in Dudley's mind. After years of studying biology, he knew that such animal gestures often signaled an "early warning" effect – an illusion of "threat" released when encountering a formidable or unclear adversary.

The chinchilla's agitated state made Dudley's brain tense. Attentive to his surroundings, he realized that the danger wasn't likely to come from the area where Hagrid should be!

The eyes followed Totoro's gaze to the entrance of Gringotts, where several wizards draped in black robes, concealing their faces, faced a stern interrogation from Gringotts goblins. Their arrogance and impatience were palpable, drawing attention from onlookers.

As Hagrid led Harry and Dudley away, he abruptly halted, his expression transitioning from surprise to nonchalance. Addressing Harry casually, he diverted their attention, "Harry, you've always been curious about wizards, so the next place we're going to is the Ollivander Wand Shop!"

With a sweeping motion of his fan-like hands, Hagrid guided them toward the left side of Gringotts Hall. Meanwhile, the group of black-robed individuals noticed the shift in momentum and approached with determination. The leader, displaying arrogance, shoved a goblin aside and issued a curt command, "Move away; it's not something you can meddle in!"

Hagrid, visibly perturbed, seized the opportunity, reached into his robes, and handed something to Dudley without explanation. Dudley, without questioning, accepted the item.

"Okay, kids, let's go to Ollivander's wand shop!" Hagrid declared, offering another handful of powder to Harry. "Repeat the name of the shop I said earlier, be quieter, and then scatter the powder!"

Confused, Harry turned to inquire, but before he could speak, Dudley grabbed his arm and ushered him into the nearby fireplace. Leaning in, Dudley whispered two words in Harry's ear.

Understanding, Harry waved his hand, whispered, "[Ollivander Wand Shop, Diagon Alley]," and was whisked away into the Floo Network. Just before Dudley released his grip, a cacophony of angry rebukes reached their ears.

In the midst of the commotion, a black-robed wizard brandished a pitch-black wand, its tip shimmering blue with visible magical energy.

Hagrid's massive form levitated from the ground, colliding with the wall at an astonishing angle. The crowd parted, revealing a snake tattoo on the wrist of the lead black-robed wizard.

...

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