Chapter 6: Gringotts Deposits
"Last step, I'll take you to Gringotts."
Without lingering in the shop, Tonks led George to Gringotts. The bank, the only wizarding bank in Britain, was managed by goblins and located on the north side of Diagon Alley.
In addition to handling deposits and safeguarding valuable items, Gringotts also exchanged Muggle currency for wizarding money.
Since George had officially inherited the old wizard's estate through the Ministry of Magic, he needed to go to Gringotts to transfer the old wizard's funds to himself.
"Really ugly!"
As George stood at the entrance of Gringotts and looked at the goblin guards dressed in crimson and gold uniforms, he silently thought to himself. Goblins in this world were far from the beautiful creatures one might imagine; instead, they were quite ugly, similar in appearance to goblins.
Following Tonks up the white steps and through the bronze main doors of Gringotts, George saw the second set of silver doors, which bore a prominent warning in bold letters.
It essentially warned that anyone who intended to tamper with the wealth in Gringotts would face dire consequences.
Two goblin attendants stood beside the silver doors. Upon seeing Tonks and George, they bowed and led them into a grand marble hall.
Inside the hall, hundreds of goblins were bustling about, assisting the visiting witches and wizards with various transactions.
Tonks led George to a free goblin and presented the documents from the Ministry of Magic.
"Inheritance transfer for the underground vault."
The goblins at Gringotts were nothing like the sluggish Ministry workers. They were highly efficient, quickly reviewed the documents, and confirmed everything was in order.
"This is the key to vault 352. Please keep it safe. Would you like to retrieve the money from the vault now?"
"No, just tell me how much is left in the vault," George replied, accepting the key and putting it in his pocket.
The shop already had five hundred Galleons left by the old wizard, which was sufficient for his current needs.
"Vault 352 currently holds 13,200 Galleons," the goblin replied after checking the records.
"Seems like the potion business is quite profitable. I only make a hundred Galleons a month now, and even after becoming a full-time employee, it's only a hundred forty," Tonks said with a hint of envy.
With her salary, it would take her around ten years to accumulate that much, and that's without considering expenses. In reality, it could take twenty or thirty years.
George, initially frowning, felt a wave of calm after hearing Tonks's comment. He had expected the old wizard's savings to be over a hundred thousand Galleons, so hearing it was only a little over ten thousand was somewhat disappointing.
However, upon reflection, it made sense. The old wizard ran a potion shop and engaged in black market dealings, which likely brought in substantial income, probably even more than regular potion shops.
But buying the shop itself would have cost a significant amount, and researching potions—especially high-grade ones—was incredibly expensive and consumed a lot of money.
With over ten thousand Galleons remaining, it seemed reasonable. Comparing it to Tonks's salary, it was still a considerable sum, enough to last a while.
Wizarding currency came in three denominations: Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. One Galleon was equivalent to seventeen Sickles, and one Sickle was equivalent to twenty-nine Knuts.
According to Dave 's memory, a copy of the Daily Prophet cost only five Knuts, a typical meal was about two or three Sickles, and most wands were priced under ten Galleons.
"George, Hogwarts should send you a new acceptance letter tomorrow morning. Make sure to enjoy your time learning magic there; you'll definitely make many friends. I'm off now, but I'll visit when I can!"
At the entrance of Gringotts, Tonks smiled and once again ruffled George's hair.
George's heart warmed at her gesture. With a sincere expression, he invited, "Tonks, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to inherit the estate so smoothly. I'd like to invite you to lunch to express my gratitude. I hope you won't refuse?"
"I..."
Tonks initially intended to return to the Ministry of Magic, but seeing George's earnest and hopeful eyes, and recalling the delicious breakfast she had that morning, she hesitated.
"Of course, I won't refuse. Since it's already this time, I could use a meal to fill my stomach. It's no big deal if I return to the Ministry later."
Seeing Tonks agree, George breathed a sigh of relief. He needed Tonks to frequent his shop as much as possible to deter any dark wizards from Diagon Alley. Additionally, he wanted to build a good relationship with her.
If Tonks could visit the shop regularly, he'd have the opportunity to learn more spells from her before heading to Hogwarts. This was crucial for his original self.
Escaping the experimental base wouldn't be easy, and evading further pursuit afterward would be even more challenging. The more spells he could learn, the better his chances of survival.
He knew that the opportunity to escape from the experimental base wouldn't be long.
"Good thing my cooking skills are decent!"
George planned to prepare a delicious meal to see if he could entice Tonks to visit more often.
As Dave, the old wizard's servant, had years of experience, George had developed good cooking skills. His past life also included a fondness for food. Although he wasn't a professional chef, his cooking was well-regarded by friends.
Combining the two, he was confident he could make food that matched his personal taste.
"What's this dish? It's very unique. I've never had anything like it before!"
"Sweet and sour pork."
"And this one? It's also really good."
"Kung Pao chicken."
"And this?"
"Tomato scrambled eggs."
After lunch, Tonks sat back in her chair, patting her full belly, and sighed, "This is the best meal I've ever had."
"If you like the food, Tonks, feel free to come by often. I'll cook many more delicious dishes," George said with a smile as he cleared the dishes.
Tonks waved her hand, "I can't possibly do that. I'm not that thick-skinned."
She thought George was already in a tough spot and didn't want to take advantage of him simply because she was an Auror. It wasn't her style.
Seeing Tonks's refusal, George guessed the reason and said earnestly, "Tonks, don't feel embarrassed. Your frequent visits would actually help me a lot. After all, this is Knockturn Alley..."
At this point, there was no need for subtlety.
Tonks wasn't foolish; after George's reminder, she quickly realized the situation.
"In that case, alright, I'll come by when I can. But I won't eat for free. I'll buy all the ingredients for the meals. No objections!"
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Stones?
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