07 scholarship

The nearest store was a crucible store, with crucibles of all kinds and sizes displayed in front of it.

They reflected a strange light in the sunlight, as if they were telling the passersby about the mystery of magic.

"Don't look, little ones, our time is short, the next stop is the Ancient Spirit Pavilion, pick up the money first." Hagrid's rough voice suddenly rang out, echoing in the ears like a flood bell.

Passing through the bustling, boisterous crowd, the crowd was filled with all sorts of cacophonous sounds and peculiar smells.

Passing by stores of all shapes and sizes, full of fantastical colors, the signboards of those stores glittering with a fascinating light, they finally arrived in front of a snow-white building that towered above the surrounding stores.

Next to the gleaming bronze gate stood a goblin (more properly called a kobold or goblin, the original English word being 'goblin') dressed in a scarlet and gold uniform.

This goblin has pointy ears and narrow face, short stature, but his arms and legs are particularly long, and his eyes are full of shrewdness and cunning!

Walking into the spacious and gorgeous marble hall, the dome was high, as if leading to the endless sky, and the magical lamps on the walls flickered with a soft light, illuminating the whole hall as if it were a dream.

Hagrid, along with Harry and Michael, were all briefly caught by the spectacular sight, Hagrid tilted his head slightly, and after a flash of awe in his eyes, he quickly snapped back to his senses, knowing that they had important things to do.

Hagrid cleared his throat and began to tell Michael and Harry about the history of the Ancient Spirit Court, before asking Michael what he thought with a serious look on his face:

"Michael, I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to take Harry to his family's vault next to get the money, and as for the grant that the Ministry of Magic has given you, you'll need to go to the counter to collect it from the goblins." Hagrid's expression was tinged with a hint of guilt, his large rough hands rubbing together uneasily.

Harry hastily took over, his turquoise eyes full of sincerity, "Michael, why don't you come with us, I hope my family left enough money for the two of us to enroll in school, after all, you're my only friend."

"Thanks Harry, it's because you're my friend that I think I should still go and collect the grant that belongs to me, after all it was left to you by your parents and I can't take advantage of you." Michael smiled and refused, his gaze firm and clear, before heading towards the goblin counter without hesitation.

And after Hagrid and Harry heard Michael's words, they looked at each other and also walked towards the other counter.

Hagrid's tall frame stood out in the crowd, and his voice was loud and strong as he explained the situation to the leprechaun. They then followed the goblin through a door.

"Good morning, honored sir." Michael said to the goblin standing behind a high counter.

At this point, he tilted his head slightly, a polite smile on his face that was as warm as a spring breeze, "I'm a new student at Hogwarts, Michael Foster, and would like to apply for a grant."

The goblin looked up at Michael with his small green eyes, then took a book from the large bookshelf behind him.

His fingers were long and nimble, flipping through the pages as quickly as a nimble snake, all the while eyeing Michael repeatedly with skepticism for a long time before he slowly said.

"Well, it is indeed you, please wait in the waiting area for a moment, I will go to the vault to take out the bursary from the Ministry of Magic." With that said, the goblin took a brisk pace towards the rear doors.

Hearing this, Michael nodded softly and turned towards the waiting area.

His pace was steady, his mind both expectant and a little nervous as he waited quietly for the goblin to return.

And at that moment, two figures outside the door quietly hid themselves in the crowded crowd, as silent as ghosts.

They were closely watching Michael's every move. These two people had two withered, thin and ugly faces, which looked like two yellow wax heads with a waxy, lifeless color.

Their ears were both small, but their noses were so large that they took up almost a third of a face, squeezing their eyes next to their ears.

Their gazes, however, were malevolent and sharp, like the eyes of a rattlesnake, cold and full of murderous intent.

After Michael stepped into the waiting area, one of them whispered in a restrained tone, "Jack! He does look like the master then! I swear! I could never be mistaken!"

"Gordon, keep quiet! I don't suppose you want to ruin the master's plans because of your stupidity? I only hope that the master will only kill you when the time comes." Jack's voice was low and menacing, as if squeezed through his teeth.

"Well, I'm just so excited." Gordon's voice carried a hint of trembling, as if he was desperately trying to suppress his inner excitement.

After a short conversation, the two weirdos returned to silence, except that those eyes were still dead set on the inside of the Ancient Spirit Pavilion, refusing to let go of any subtle corner.

Kerr sat on the wooden chair in the waiting area, his thoughts drifting back to his previous experiences, while savoring the pumpkin juice provided free of charge for the minor wizards.

The juice is sweet and sour, rich cinnamon aroma is heavy in it, also mixed with a light pumpkin flavor, plus ice after the texture is silky smooth, refreshing and pleasant.

Although the taste is good, but can not dissolve the sadness of Michael's heart.

He pondered over and over again what the previous flashbacks in his mind contained!

He was convinced that Kilo had definitely used the "God Taking Technique" on himself.

What had he taken from his own memories? Would it affect the children's home and Nancy's mom?

"Damn, still too careless!" Michael slugged down a large gulp of cold pumpkin juice in an attempt to calm his mind, "Calm down, it's happened, think about what initiatives you can take to remedy the situation! Regret is worthless! What I do next is what matters."

Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a slight sound of footsteps coming from the distance. Almost at the same instant, he looked up and saw the goblin's figure gradually clearing up in his sight, walking towards the counter.

At this moment, he was just halfway through tasting the pumpkin juice in his hand, the sweet and sour taste still lingering on his tongue, but he knew that he couldn't afford to savor it any more slowly at this moment.

After all, in a children's home, every resource was hard to come by, and Mama Nancy had always taught everyone to appreciate every bit of food and drink. This concept had long been ingrained in Michael's mind, so even in the rush of the moment, he was reluctant to waste the pumpkin juice that still had ice remaining that hadn't completely melted.

He hastily tilted his head back and poured the remaining pumpkin juice down his throat, frowning slightly at the intense irritation from the cold liquid, before he quickly wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and quickly ran towards the counter.

A few moments later, he was at the counter, panting slightly as he waited for the goblin's next move.

"Mr. Foster, this is the bursary granted to you by the Ministry of Magic, totaling 110 gold galleons, enough for you to purchase a brand new set of admission materials." The goblin carefully counted the galleons in the bag and then said, "If you would like to purchase a large toad or a yellow-striped toad as a pet, then you can even balance 9 galleons."

"Sir, I'd like to ask you for advice on how to make more money?" Michael held out his hand ready to take the money bag.

"I have always admired a brilliant banker such as yourself, and I expect you to give me some subtle pointers. After all, every wizard is well aware that goblins are the most distinguished and adept at making money, and the goblin lord at the counter of the Ancient Spirit Court is a leading light in this endeavor."

The goblin only felt a few moments of relief in his bones after hearing this bragging from Michael.

After all, the wizards who had always been high and mighty, there was no one like Michael who was so coquettish and flattering to them.