19 Counting Galleons

Two days after we came back home from the vacation in France, I was finally alone at home as my mum had gone to meet some of her friends while my father was at his job.

I was in my room dressing up for the meeting at Gringotts today. I wore a blue shirt and black pants and I had done my hair into the sleeky hairstyle that was in fashion around this period of time. After I finished getting ready I took some galleons and sickles from the bedside table and put them in my pocket in case I need some. Then I left my room and headed downstairs towards the floo. Before leaving I told tweaky that if mum or dad come back early, to tell them that I was going out to Diagon alley and would be back before sunset.

I took some floor powder from beside the fireplace and after throwing some inside, I went into it and shouted clearly

"Diagon Alley"

I came out of the communal floo place that was just beside the entrance wall behind the leaky cauldron. It was a hall with about 6 floo places on the left side and right side each and people were going in and out of it regularly.

After I went out of the hall I came across the wonder that was Diagon Alley. No matter how many times I see it I never cease to be amazed by the wonder that was the harry potter world. I strode across the street passing by many witches and wizards. I went by the broom shop "QUALITY QUIDDITCH SUPPLIES" in which the latest of the nimbus series "NIMBUS 1700" was being displayed on the front transparent glass.

Across the street from the broom shop was the apothecary beside which was the book store "FLOURISH AND BLOTTS". I had gone into the book store numerous time in the last couple of years. I mostly went to look for books that could help me with obscure topics like occlumency. But in all the years I had gone into the bookstore I never even came across any books that taught you occlumency.

The one time I even came close to finding anything about it was in a book in a corner that just gave the definition of the art and what it does.

I gave up after that because I didn't think I would be able to find a book on such an obscure art in a public bookstore, because if it was publically available then a lot more people would know about it. I would just have to wait for the start of term to search around the Hogwarts library.

Until then the exercises that I've been doing for the last 10 years of clearing my mind and not looking directly into the eyes of Snape and Dumbledore, would be my only defence.

I was able to reach Gringotts about 5 minutes after I came out of the floo. After giving the warning against thieves written outside a cursory glance I went straight past the two goblin guards into the huge double door.

The entrance hall of Gringotts was magnificent with intricate runes and drawing of all kinds of weapons on the walls. On both the left and right sides the rows were filled with goblins doing things like weighing the galleons or checking the authenticity of different kinds of gems and objects.

On the left side, the first four goblins were the equivalent of receptionists in the muggle world. There were lines of wizards and witches in front of them and the goblins were sending them to the relevant office or goblin they need for their required service.

I went to the teller that only had a muggle couple in front of him. From their conversation I had concluded that their son would be starting this year at hogwarts. The goblin sent the muggle couple to the currency exchange office.

"Next," the goblin said gruffly.

"Good Morning" I greeted cheerfully.

"What do you want," he asked impatiently not looking up from where he was writing something.

I didn't take his rudeness personally because the goblins were like that with every wizard or witch they come across. It's just what can be expected after centuries of war between both races. No particular type of greeting like those shown in various fanfiction is ever gonna make a good impression on them and make them like you instantly.

"My name is Rubin Florean and I believe that I have an appointment with Gotruk" I said calmy and polietly.

"Wait" he said and started checking something on a paper on his side and then after he had confirmed it, rang a bell sitting by his hand on the table, after a minute or so a goblin came running from the side and the teller told him something in goblin language.

"Follow me" said the new goblin and started moving without checking if I was behind him or not. I followed him to a door that was behind the rows of goblins and it led to a corridor filled with doors presumably leading to offices of all the goblins. He stopped before the tenth door on the left side.

"Wait here" he said and knocked on the door twice and then went inside for a while and came back after a few seconds.

"You can go in now" he said already going back toward main hall.

"Thank you" I said to retreating goblin and went inside. It was an normal sized office with a huge table behind which the goblin was sitting on a high chair with two comfortable chairs on my end.

"You finally decided to come after three days... huh, and here I had hoped you had forgotten all about your money " gotruk said while smirking.

"How could I forget about my money, I was just out of england in France for a vacation with my family the last few days" I said while sitting on the chair and getting comfortable.

Gotruk was just an assistant for my dad's account manager when I first met him. But at some point in the last three years he had been given some kind of promotion and had even bagged an office for himself. I think it was around the time that the total value of the stock in my name had risen to about 50,000 galleon or something.

"Yeah whatever, now moving on, do you first want to see the status of your investment or the other job you told me to look into" he said taking out some paper from a drawer at his side.

"Tell me the position of my investment first" I said, it had been about three months since I last came to check on my investment in nimbus company.

"In the last three months the value of your investment has increased by about 10%, making it about 2,43,000 galleon in total value. The market has just about stabilised for this line of brooms and I don't think its going to go up from here for at least some time unless a new and improved line of brooms were introduced" he said while handing me a sheet of paper.

I looked at the sheet carefully and agreed that it won't be going up for a while at least until the nimbus 2000 is introduced in 1991.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order, and I see that you've already taken you cut" I said grinning, he gets about 1% of all the profits I make. It was because of this deal I made at the start of this venture that he does all my work while giving his 100%.

"Of course no proper goblin would ever delay taking the galleons he earned. Now about the thing you told me to check on. As Gringotts had no wizard come in prior to you who wanted to invest in the muggle market as they usually go to the muggle world for that, it took me some time to prepare everything but here is the list of companies that we can help you invest in" he said while handing me the list.

The list was filled with many companies that were prevalent in the 90's. I only took a cursory glance at the list because I had already decided which company I was going to invest in.

After having spent a lot of time trying to remember all the companies that profited in the 90s, the only thing I could say with surety was that in early 90s coca-cola made huge money and similarly Microsoft made big after the year 95.

"I want you to slowly take the money out of the nimbus company and invest it in this coca-cola company." I told him while handing back the list.

"Do you not want to diversify your portfolio, it would lower the risk" he asked looking at me curiously like trying to find the reason behind my confidence.

"No I have already done the market research and I believe in this company " I told him with a smile. I had no need to diversify because I knew for sure that it would be a profitable venture.

After some time had passed and just before the nimbus 2000 comes into the market in the wizarding world in 1991. I would take the money back from the muggle market reinvest the money into nimbus and stay with it until it hits its peak.

We talked for about 15 more minutes, with me asking him to look into some properties if they are available in Diagon Alley or Hogsmade.

"Good day Gotruk" I said after concluding the business for the day. I went of the office and along the corridor to the main hall.

After coming out of Gringotts and looking at the clear sky and the nice weather, I decided that I would take the brats out to ride on their new brooms I had gifted them last year and maybe sirius will be free and come too.