At the moment, Qin Yu had two sources of funds: the 1,000 Galleon "scholarship" granted by the system, and the 500 pounds that Mr. Granger had generously given him.
He had to admit, Mr. Granger's generosity was impressive—500 pounds was no small sum, especially for a middle schooler. The only question was whether Muggle money could be easily exchanged for Galleons.
As for the system's reward, it was safely stored in the wizarding bank. All Qin Yu had was a vault key—vault number 712.
After leaving the Granger household, Hagrid led Qin Yu to the tram.
On the ride, Qin Yu asked, "Are we going shopping for supplies first? I might need to stop by the wizarding bank—I have some pounds, and also…"
Hagrid looked at him in surprise. "You know quite a bit, don't you? Yes, we'll be heading to Diagon Alley to get your school things. But first, I'll take you to Gringotts, the bank run by goblins. You can exchange Muggle money for Galleons there, though there are plenty of restrictions. Luckily, as a first-year, your Hogwarts letter gives you a special exchange quota."
Qin Yu nodded, then asked curiously, "I've heard goblins can use their own kind of magic. Who's stronger, goblins or wizards?"
Hagrid puffed up a little. "Aye, goblin magic's ancient, and they've got a knack for it! Still, put them up against a powerful wizard, and they're no match." There was a hint of pride in his voice.
"Oh, I see."
"But Gringotts is the safest place there is, guarded by goblins. Store your money and valuables there, and you won't have to worry about a thing," Hagrid added.
Little did he know, he'd just set up a flag for Gringotts that might topple at any moment.
The two chatted as the tram rattled along, with Qin Yu soaking up more about the wizarding world and learning what he'd need for school.
…
After disembarking at a certain stop, Hagrid led Qin Yu through a maze of streets until they arrived at a rather dingy, grimy spot.
Hagrid pointed ahead. "That's the Leaky Cauldron. We'll go through there to get to Diagon Alley. You'll find everything you need inside."
Qin Yu eyed the unassuming little pub, thinking it looked far too cramped to be a proper bar—how did someone as big as Hagrid even fit inside?
Of course, only wizards could see the place. The Muggles passing by didn't even glance at it. Before Qin Yu could say a word, Hagrid nudged him through the door.
The instant he stepped inside, Qin Yu was hit by a wall of noise.
Everyone was chattering at once. A group in the corner was loudly lamenting that the wizarding world must be in dire straits if even Cornelius Fudge could become Minister for Magic. Someone else, sounding mysterious, muttered that it was only because Dumbledore had no interest in power—he preferred brewing potions with kids at Hogwarts.
Qin Yu wanted to eavesdrop, but Hagrid was on a mission and didn't slow down.
The bartender perked up when he saw them and called out a warm greeting, ready to pour Hagrid a drink. Hagrid waved him off. "Got business today—another time!"
Taking young wizards shopping—especially on Dumbledore's orders—gave Hagrid a sense of purpose. He would've liked a drink, but duty came first!
After nodding to the bartender, Hagrid led Qin Yu around the bar to what looked like a dead-end alley.
A classic scene—Qin Yu recognized it instantly.
Sure enough, Hagrid took out his pink umbrella and tapped the bricks in a precise pattern, muttering under his breath. The bricks shifted and rearranged themselves, forming an arched doorway. Beyond it, a bustling street appeared, lined with shops sporting all sorts of magical signs.
"Hurry up, little one. We're on a tight schedule," Hagrid urged.
Heart pounding, Qin Yu followed him through the archway—stepping into the legendary Diagon Alley.
As soon as they entered, the doorway sealed itself behind them.
…
Aside from Hogwarts itself, Diagon Alley was the place Qin Yu most wanted to visit. There were so many marvelous things here—far more interesting than any Muggle shop. As they strolled along, Qin Yu wished for eight more eyes. He gawked at every shop, every display, and every witch and wizard bustling about. It all looked so familiar from the films, yet so much more vivid in person.
The unique magic-world atmosphere left him awestruck.
"That's Gringotts Bank!" Hagrid's booming voice snapped Qin Yu out of his trance.
He looked up. Before them stood a gleaming white building, towering above the other shops like a swan among ducklings.
At the entrance stood a goblin doorman, shorter than Qin Yu himself, with a pointed beard and long, nimble fingers and toes.
As they approached, the goblin bowed politely.
"Hi!" Qin Yu blurted, waving.
They passed through a second set of doors. Qin Yu couldn't help but marvel—banks really were the grandest buildings, no matter the world. These doors were silver, and an inscription above read: "Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed…"
So basically: mess with us and you're in for trouble, Qin Yu thought.
Inside, he glanced at the goblin clerks lining both sides. "There sure are a lot of employees here," he muttered.
Dozens—maybe hundreds—of goblins sat behind the counters, each absorbed in their work, ignoring everyone who wasn't relevant.
Money handlers really do have a different vibe…
Hagrid pointed. "Right, I asked earlier—the first counter's for exchanging pounds to Galleons."
Qin Yu looked over. At the innermost counter sat an elderly goblin in an impeccable suit, gold-rimmed spectacles perched on his pointed nose. His eyes were sharp and commanding, as if he could see straight through you.
Qin Yu had already fished out his money. He didn't much care for goblins, but rules were rules.
Maybe because the goblins were so short, the counter was much too high for Qin Yu. He handed his money to Hagrid to handle the transaction.
The goblin peered down at them. "What is your business?"
"We're here to exchange for Galleons. This is Mr. Qin Yu, soon to be a first-year at Hogwarts," Hagrid announced.
The goblin scrutinized Qin Yu, then examined his Hogwarts letter with a practiced eye before replying in a flat, emotionless tone, "You have a fifty-Galleon exchange limit."
"What? Only fifty?" Qin Yu was surprised.
Hagrid had already told him the current exchange rate was five pounds to one Galleon, which meant he could only exchange 250 pounds.
"Young wizard, you must understand—finance is a dangerous thing. We cannot allow Muggle currency to unduly influence the wizarding economy, and vice versa," the goblin explained icily.
"Is there any way to increase the limit?" Qin Yu pressed.
"There is. If you hold an account at Gringotts, and your vault contains sufficient assets, we may increase your exchange quota by 10% of your total holdings," the goblin replied, precise and businesslike.
Hearing this, Qin Yu took out his vault key and stretched up on tiptoe to hand it over.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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