"Hmm, three hundred and fifty pounds should be enough, right?" Alfrina asked.
"Almost," Gary said, leading Alfrina to a pristine white building that towered above the surrounding shops. Next to the gleaming bronze doors stood a Goblin dressed in scarlet and gold.
"Wow…" Alfrina gasped in surprise, shaking her head, her beautiful light golden hair swaying.
It was her first time seeing a magical creature from the wizarding world. The Goblin's pointed ears and dark face piqued her curiosity.
Gary quickly pulled her through the doors.
The Goblin bowed its large head and gave them a deep bow.
Its long nose almost touched the ground.
Upon entering Gringotts, two Goblins on either side of the entrance bowed to them and led them into a tall, marble hall. Around a hundred Goblins sat on high stools behind a long counter, some weighing coins on scales, others examining gems with monocles, while hastily jotting entries into large ledgers beside them.
The hall had countless doors leading to different places, and many Goblins guided visitors in and out.
"Good morning, sir, we need to exchange some Galleons." Gary led Alfrina, who was looking around, to an idle Goblin.
The Goblin had just seen off a customer and was writing in its ledger. Hearing Gary's words, it looked up, its eyes behind its spectacles darting quickly between Alfrina and Gary.
Gary noticed this and frowned in displeasure.
The Goblin reacted quickly, immediately withdrawing its gaze and meeting Gary's eyes.
"The current exchange rate for pounds to Galleons is 5:1. How much do you wish to exchange?" the Goblin asked.
"Three hundred pounds, and please open a personal vault for me." Gary took the money from Alfrina's hand and pushed it onto the counter. He had left fifty pounds for Alfrina for emergencies; sixty Galleons would be enough to buy all the school supplies.
The Goblin snatched the banknotes from the table, put them into a drawer under the table, then took out a large handful of Galleons from the side, put them into a brown pouch, and pushed the bag to Gary.
"Count them," he said, then turned around to pick a key from the wall behind him.
He glanced at the key's code, then handed it to Gary.
"Vault 1019," he said concisely, not wanting to say a word more.
Gary counted the gold coins in the bag. Opening a personal vault cost five Galleons, leaving fifty-five Galleons in the bag. He counted again, but clearly, the Goblins in Britain were better at math than Muggles.
Gary handed the bag to Alfrina, who was still curiously examining the interior decorations of Gringotts.
"Let's go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to order our robes, then to Flourish and Blotts," Gary said as he and Alfrina exited the Gringotts doors.
By then, the sun was high in the sky, and brilliant sunlight bathed everyone. Alfrina comfortably squinted her eyes.
"Robes? Like the kind your mother wears?" She put her right hand over her brow, looking at the sun.
Alfrina had seen a picture of Mrs. Shafiq before and was quite impressed by her elegant posture.
Gary nodded. "But the style is different. We must wear Hogwarts' standard robes."
The two chatted along the way until they reached the entrance of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions"
Another sign hung above the flat's doorway, reading, "Official Designated Customization Shop for Hogwarts First-Year Standard Robes."
As soon as the two stepped into the shop, a thin, bald, middle-aged man came to greet them.
"Are you two Hogwarts first-years? We are the designated robe customization shop for Hogwarts. There are too many people in line ahead, so please wait a moment, and I will take your measurements."
The man's service attitude was excellent. He sized up Gary and Alfrina's heights, then saw Alfrina's Muggle jeans, and he knew what to expect.
"Why is it officially designated? What about the Posh Brand next door?" Gary asked curiously. It was his first time seeing Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions display such a sign.
Previously, both Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and the Posh Brand next door made Hogwarts' standard robes. The two were competitors. Gary's father, Mr. Shafiq, had his robes custom-made from Posh Brand when he was in school.
The man chuckled proudly at his words. "Starting this year, we have an exclusive partnership with Hogwarts and have even designed an anti-counterfeiting mark. From now on, only our shop in Diagon Alley can sell robes to first-years."
The man's voice was upbeat in every sentence, indicating his good mood.
Although securing this official designation took some effort—he had to ask many classmates and friends for help to find the rare Chinese Biting Cabbage in the East, and successfully bribed Professor Slughorn with rare Potion ingredients. It was at Professor Slughorn's strong insistence that Hogwarts signed the exclusive customization agreement with Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The effect was immediate. Every year, new students and older students whose figures had changed needed custom robes. During the back-to-school season, Mr. Malkin immediately made a fortune.
Mr. Malkin led them to the back, where many children stood on footstools, with Witches helping them take measurements.
"Come this way," Mr. Malkin extended his hand. "Ina!" he shouted towards the back of the shop.
Only then did Gary notice that there was another door at the back of the shop, painted the exact same color as the surrounding wall, making it difficult to distinguish.
At this moment, a young girl came out from behind the door. She looked a bit larger than Alfrina.
"Help measure the robes for these two!" Mr. Malkin saw another first-year enter and hurried to greet the customer.
"Just stand up there," Ina said haltingly, glancing at Gary, her face slightly flushed.
Gary and Alfrina obediently stood on the footstools and spread their arms.
Ina draped two black robes over them, then used pins to measure each person's robe length.
"Are you two first-years too?" Ina asked timidly.
Gary didn't speak. He felt Ina's hand subtly touch his waist.
Alfrina glanced at Gary. "That's right, we're starting this year and came to get some school supplies."
"I'm also a first-year this year!" Ina glanced at Gary again, her excited little face flushed red. "I'm Ina Malkin, and you two?"
"Alfrina Greengrass, pleased to meet you."
"Gary Shafiq."
As they introduced themselves, Gary noticed Ina's hand was now properly placed on the robe again.
"..." Ina gave an awkward laugh and fell silent, her fingers rapidly moving across the robe, taking measurements.
Alfrina was puzzled, tilting her head and blinking at Gary, a bit confused about the situation.
Fortunately, this awkward silence didn't last too long. Five minutes later, after each paying ten Galleons, Mr. Malkin gave them a professional smile and saw them out of the shop, promising that the clothes would be sent to their homes by owl within three days.
"Why did Miss Malkin suddenly stop talking to us?" Alfrina asked Gary curiously as soon as they left the shop.
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