"Good morning, Adams. I'm planning to visit Gringotts today. Care to join me?"
"No, I have other things to attend to."
"A date? That doesn't sound right. You're cooped up in the castle all day, and I've never even seen an owl come looking for you. Don't tell me… you've taken an interest in a student? That's forbidden! Aren't you afraid Professor McGonagall will kill you?"
Although Dumbledore was the undisputed Number One in the castle, everyone; professors and students alike, knew one undeniable truth. The person whose word truly carried weight in Hogwarts was Minerva McGonagall.
"Shut up, William." Adams poked irritably at the fried egg on his plate, his face full of frustration.
"An entire report, why is it harder to revoke a point deduction than it is to deduct points in the first place? Can't the school upgrade that blasted hourglass system?"
Reporting exam cheating and revoking a cheating record aren't the same level of difficulty, are they? Besides, those hourglasses are practically ancient artifacts left over from the school's founding. If they haven't caused problems so far, who would dare take them apart for repairs? What if they couldn't be fixed?
Of course, William knew better than to say that out loud. It was like that nearly thousand-year-old Sorting Hat. Who could tell if the system had developed a mind of its own after all these centuries? What if it held grudges?
If Hogwarts' point system ever stopped responding to a specific professor's additions and deductions but remained functional for everyone else, most people would assume the professor should be fired rather than replacing the hourglasses. After all, in nearly a thousand years of school history, such a thing had never happened. The weight of history was too overwhelming for anyone to challenge.
"Relax, Adams. At the end of the day, it was your mistake. You should've canceled the deduction when you sent the student to register. Instead, you forgot. After all this time, filing a report isn't asking too much."
William patted Adams on the shoulder and gave him a final sympathetic glance before leaving.
***
"Mr. William, here is your vault."
The goblin at Gringotts was exceptionally polite, though William no longer had the energy to thank him.
If the goblin; whose name was apparently Key, was willing to let William assume he was male, then William would have gladly awarded him full marks for customer service. However, at the moment, William was barely holding back the urge to throw up.
Did they base this underground vault transport system on roller coasters? Even Need for Speed gamers wouldn't dare drive like this!
Barely regaining some composure, William fished a mint from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, hoping to suppress his nausea.
Half an hour earlier, he had arrived in Diagon Alley via Floo Network, grumbling about how its comfort level matched its cheap price perfectly. But after experiencing Gringotts' underground vault system, he finally understood that no matter how much wealth you possessed, motion sickness was still unavoidable in the wizarding world.
"Are you ready? If so, I'll open your vault for you now."
"Alright, thank you."
William responded with difficulty. The thought of having to take the same transportation back left him unwilling to relax. He feared he might lose the courage to endure the return trip.
The goblin, Key, efficiently unlocked the door with a key. For the first time, William laid eyes on what was truly his own property.
Knuts, Knuts, and more Knuts.
The pile of coins wasn't even tall enough to show a glint of gold. Though the vault's previous owner had clearly made an effort to avoid making it look like the account was opened with a single Knut, it was obvious now that calling this vault "meager" would have been an understatement.
Altogether, this isn't even worth as much as what I smuggled out of Azkaban.
As William estimated the weight of these Knuts, he was once again reminded of the depth of his poverty.
Fortunately, there were a few other items in the vault; over a dozen experimental notes, seven or eight magical books, and a well-packaged set of potion-making equipment that currently defied evaluation. If William remembered correctly, this set, including the cauldron, had been custom-made.
Since William carried a bag enhanced with an Undetectable Extension Charm, he stuffed everything into it without hesitation.
"Alright, that's all. Let's head back now."
Suppressing his fear, William uttered the daring words. Key seemed to have no intention of lingering either and immediately set the cart in motion, racing upward with William aboard.
Perhaps because the return trip was uphill, William's nausea was significantly less intense this time. He found himself with enough mental energy to observe the goblin driving the cart.
"Does every visitor to Gringotts have to use this system to go up and down?"
"Of course. This is the most advanced security system," Key said with a tone of pride. "The vaults of the oldest families are at the lowest levels. No one can breach Gringotts' defenses and get inside! Even using this system takes a considerable amount of time; far more than the mere ten minutes it takes to reach the upper-level vaults."
"Of course, the upper levels are just as secure." As if realizing something, Key added that remark.
So, it's confirmed. Poor people are looked down upon—the vault being at the top must be a dead giveaway!
William rolled his eyes in annoyance. Since the surrounding area was pitch-black, he didn't have to bother concealing his expression.
***
"William? Back from Gringotts already? I've just finished my report and have some free time. Want to grab a drink?"
When William emerged from the fireplace again, the staff lounge was empty except for Adams. Not every professor was unlucky enough to spend their weekend buried in reports.
"No, thanks. I just got back from Gringotts with some items, and I need to sort them out. Maybe another time," William said. Focused entirely on reviewing the experimental notes, he didn't even consider stopping by the Leaky Cauldron for a drink with Tom, promptly declining Adams' invitation with an unapologetic tone.
"You picked something up?" Adams froze for a moment before a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face.
"Look, there's no need to be so uptight. Honestly, storing stuff at Gringotts is a bit over the top. Even Professor McGonagall wouldn't confiscate anything that thoroughly. At most, the prefects might collect a few things from the younger students."
I think the tail of your broom just brushed my face, Adams.
"Huh? The school's actually regulating self-study in potions? prefects are confiscating cauldrons now?" William feigned a wide-eyed look of innocence and surprise.
"Cauldrons? You're talking about cauldrons?" Adams stared blankly for a moment.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" William's expression was a perfect imitation of a clueless beginner.
"I'm talking about—Wolf Fanged Frisbees."
Adams finally spat out the term after a long pause. Realizing something was off, he instinctively reached for his wand.
"Are you serious, Professor Adams? Standing in front of you is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. My subject specializes in teaching students how to fight." William delivered the line with complete seriousness.
Adams hesitated, then stowed his wand and turned to leave. At the doorway, he stopped, glanced back, and called, "William?"
"Yeah?"
Adams' response was a single raised middle finger.
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