Chapter 5: Gringotts
Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
On the grand steps outside the bank, Ryan pulled a large wooden chest from his enchanted ring, filled with the items he intended to sell.
The moment he approached the doors, he was met with a reception from the goblins that could almost be described as… welcoming.
"Master Welles," an appraiser goblin began, its greedy eyes glued to the chest Ryan had presented. The goblin's careful, almost reverent handling of the box was hilariously at odds with its covetous stare. "Gringotts would be most interested in establishing a formal partnership with you. We do hope you will consider it." Forcing its gaze away from the treasure, the goblin repeated the same invitation Ryan had heard dozens of times before.
The gossip among the Gringotts goblins was that every transaction with Ryan Welles was a painful one, always ending with the bank having to part with a significant amount of gold.
"My dear goblin," Ryan replied smoothly, "I still have my studies at Hogwarts to complete and simply don't have the time for such a partnership. You have my apologies." In truth, Ryan had absolutely no desire to get into business with the goblins.
Who in their right mind would accept a system where, even after paying for an item, the goblins who made it would forever claim it was still theirs? Where wizards who didn't return the "borrowed" items were decried as thieves and villains by the entire goblin nation?
Paying for a short-term license while the ownership never changes... The business model was strangely familiar, reminding Ryan of the software agreements and streaming subscriptions from his past life.
"Master Welles, we implore you to reconsider!" the goblin pressed. Its eyes flicked back to the centuries-old treasures in the chest, and the thought of having to pay thousands of Galleons to acquire them made its sharp teeth grind together. It fought the urge to summon a horde of its brethren to pin Ryan down and force him to sign a contract, making him work for Gringotts year-round with all ownership rights reverting to the bank.
But it didn't dare.
It wasn't just because of the Ministry of Magic or wizarding law. More importantly, Ryan Welles was a student at Hogwarts.
"There is no need. I truly do not have the time. Let's stick to the usual arrangement and begin the appraisal, shall we?" Ryan cut the goblin off, keen to get the transaction started.
With the pleasantries over, the goblin's demeanor shifted, becoming both solemn and cunning. "Mr. Welles," it began, its tone changing, "these items are quite old. There is significant damage and wear. Gringotts cannot accept items in such a state."
"Furthermore," it added, its voice dripping with righteous indignation, "it is quite clear that several of these alchemical pieces and magical items are of goblin make. They rightfully belong to us. All of Gringotts hopes you will do the right thing and return them to their original owners!"
The goblin had demoted him from "Master Welles" to "Mr. Welles" and was now using a combination of classic haggling tactics and traditional goblin logic to launch a full-scale assault on the price.
But Ryan had dealt with Gringotts far too many times for this to work. He was tired of arguing with the goblins' abstract philosophy. "Are you buying them or not? If not, I'll take my business to the other alchemy shops."
With that, he reached for the chest, preparing to leave.
The goblin on duty assumed Ryan was bluffing and watched smugly, waiting to see what he would do next.
However, an older goblin who had dealt with Ryan before saw this and hurried over in a panic. "Master Welles! Please forgive our new temp, he's still learning. I will handle your transaction personally. This way, please."
He gestured for Ryan to follow him, leaving the younger goblin standing behind the counter, utterly bewildered and unsure of what to do.
It wasn't until a nearby goblin finished its work and came over that the situation was explained. "When Ryan Welles says he's leaving, he means it. The first time he came here, he did the exact same thing. Walked right out and sold the whole lot to Borgin and Burkes!"
"Gringotts had to pay several times the original value to reclaim what was rightfully ours from the clutches of that greedy hyena!"
"You have no idea what a colossal mistake you just made! The last goblin who cost us that much gold was sent home in disgrace!"
...........
"Master Welles," the experienced goblin announced after a thorough inspection using a jeweler's eyepiece, copper scales, and a series of magical tests, "Gringotts will acquire from you today three antiques, five ancient alchemical devices, and three magical artifacts, for a total of eleven items. Our offer is one thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven Galleons and twelve Sickles... no, let's make it an even one thousand, four hundred and thirty-eight Galleons."
"Additionally, there are one hundred and seven ancient coins: forty-nine ancient Galleons, twenty-eight ancient Sickles, and thirty ancient Knuts. Gringotts will purchase the collection for a total of four hundred Galleons."
"For everything listed, Gringotts will pay you a grand total of one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-eight Galleons."
The price was only slightly below market value, which in itself was astonishing. Aggressively lowballing was in the goblins' nature. But today, terrified that Ryan might actually walk away, the goblin had fought its every instinct and even rounded up the price by five Sickles to make a full Galleon.
"Done," Ryan agreed. "Withdraw eight hundred and thirty-eight Galleons for me. The remaining thousand can be deposited into my vault."
"Follow me, please," the goblin said, hopping off its high stool and leading Ryan toward the underground vaults.
The cart sped along the narrow, cold tracks. Ryan casually cast a Shield Charm over himself to ward off the icy air.
"One moment, please. I will retrieve the one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-eight Galleons," the goblin said as the cart stopped. It opened the massive door to its own vault, a personal treasury belonging to Gringotts itself. Ryan saw the goblin rush inside before a magical veil obscured his view. But in that split second, he had caught a glimpse of literal mountains of Galleons and priceless artifacts radiating immense magical power.
The phrase "mountain of gold" was not a metaphor. It was hundreds of feet high.
A moment later, the goblin emerged carrying a small pouch, clearly enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
The cart started again, soon arriving at Ryan's vault. He used his key to deposit the thousand Galleons onto his own pile of coins—this time, "mountain" was just a figure of speech.
After the cart returned them to the main lobby, the goblin stopped him at the door. "Master Welles, the Undetectable Extension pouch you are holding is a Gringotts product. It cannot be taken off the premises. If you wish to keep it, the price is fifteen Galleons."
A smug look appeared on the goblin's face. It was certain Ryan would have to pay.
Classic goblin tactics, Ryan thought, not surprised at all.
To the goblin's utter disbelief, Ryan simply tossed the bag back and strode out of Gringotts without a word.
The goblin scrambled to open the pouch, only to find it completely empty. It had no idea when or how Ryan could have transferred the gold.
Sometimes, a simple Summoning Charm can bring one the simple joy of having extra-dimensional storage... Ryan thought with a private smile. After depositing the thousand Galleons in his vault, he had discreetly held the mouth of the Gringotts pouch against the opening of his own enchanted ring and relentlessly cast Summoning Charms until every last coin had been transferred.
He had known the goblins would never give him a freebie. When the goblin had remained silent while he held the valuable pouch, Ryan knew a trick was coming. The only explanation was that the goblin was trying to achieve a small, personal victory—the unique satisfaction of making Ryan Welles spend money at Gringotts.
"Hagrid?"
Standing on the steps of Gringotts, Ryan saw two figures approaching: a giant of a man whose face was nearly hidden by a thick beard and a small, skinny boy swimming in oversized clothes and wearing a pair of round, broken glasses held together with tape.
"Oh, Ryan! Fancy seeing you here!" Hagrid boomed happily. He strode forward and clapped Ryan heavily on the shoulder, nearly sending him staggering. He then pulled the small boy forward. "Ryan, you'll never guess who this is!"
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Hagrid slapped himself on the forehead. "Wait, o' course you would," he said, his tone chagrined. "You're the most powerful Seer of the century, after all."
Ryan's mind raced as he looked at the boy. It wasn't uncommon for a Hogwarts staff member to visit a student before term, but a personal escort to Diagon Alley was rare, usually reserved for Muggle-born families. For Hagrid to bring him here, to Gringotts, suggested two things.
First, the boy was an orphan but had a vault of his own. Hogwarts financial aid was given directly to students, and he wouldn't have a relative to accompany him. And the exchange rate for Muggle money was far too steep for an orphan to manage alone.
Second, this boy was incredibly important to Dumbledore, because Hagrid was one of Dumbledore's most trusted friends.
Combining these deductions with the great debate that had raged through the school last term, Ryan knew exactly who he was. He gave a slight, formal bow and extended his hand.
"Harry Potter. Welcome back to the wizarding world."