A Hidden World to Discover
The goblin looked with disdain at the Muggle jewelry Sally had placed on the table, though he still picked up his magnifying glass to examine it.
"One Galleon," he said indifferently.
Sally, although she had done some basic research before coming, wasn't entirely sure of the true value. She knew that one Galleon wasn't much, but it could still be useful. Determined, she set down an ingot that Harry's grandmother had left her, hoping it would bring enough money to buy books and a few protective items.
The goblin examined it with the same dismissiveness as before… until his eyes widened so much they seemed about to pop out of their sockets. Around him, other goblins frowned. They were surprised: that evaluator was known for always keeping an unreadable expression when swindling gullible wizards.
Realizing his mistake, the goblin cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. "Ahem… fifteen Galleons," he said gruffly, forcing back his usual scowl.
But Sally wasn't a fool. She might not know how to haggle, but she wasn't about to let herself be blatantly cheated. Without a word, she gathered her jewelry and the ingot, put them back in her bag, and turned to leave.
"Wait. Tsk… fine, twenty Galleons," the goblin tried to correct himself.
Sally kept walking.
"Alright, alright! One hundred Galleons!" he exclaimed, on the verge of desperation.
At that moment, several of the other goblins lifted their heads and smirked. Some shook their heads, muttering as if they were witnessing madness, their condescending air reinforcing the charade: one hundred Galleons was far too much, almost as if their colleague were doing her a favor. The whole scene felt like a little stage play, an act designed to pressure her into accepting.
But Sally wasn't deceived.
"My children behave better than you," she said firmly, though her heart was racing. Her voice rang out steady in the silence of the corridor.
The other goblins frowned, offended. Their faces twisted with anger, as if they were about to insult her or even throw her out. But before anything could happen, a voice thundered through the room:
"You'd better get back to the mines."
The goblin who had served her went pale, trembling, and immediately stepped back. From the crowd emerged one of the guards Sally had seen at the entrance, clad in armor. His mere presence silenced everyone.
"You, back to work," he ordered with an authoritative tone.
The others lowered their heads and returned to their tasks in silence.
The guard turned to Sally and spoke coldly: "Follow me. I'll give you the real price for that."
He walked ahead with heavy steps, every movement of his armor clanking loudly. Sally followed, feeling the nervous stares of the other goblins, who pretended to work while sweat dotted their foreheads.
He led her to a spacious office, decorated with weapons on the walls, a sturdy desk, and several leather sofas. Removing his helmet, he revealed his face: long, pointed nose, equally long ears, deep wrinkles, and a scar running across one of his eyes.
"Two thousand Galleons," he announced bluntly as soon as he sat down.
"Excuse me?" Sally murmured in disbelief.
"That's what it's worth. Muggle jewelry is only useful to us for the gold it's made from: five Galleons, market price. But this ingot…" he said, tapping the metal with focus, "…is not common. If you don't want Galleons, we can also pay in Muggle currency of any country, at the official conversion rate. In total, that would be two thousand and five Galleons. Do you accept or not?"
"Ah… yes," Sally replied, still astonished, pulling the items from her bag again.
The goblin snatched up the ingot quickly, almost ignoring the jewelry altogether. He studied it carefully, then looked at her.
"I don't know how you got something like this, but carrying it around in a simple Muggle bag is…" He exhaled sharply and shook his head, then set a small pouch on the desk. "It's enchanted with an Expansion Charm. Take it—it's a gift. If you have more of this enchanted gold, bring it here. We'll buy it at market price."
"Enchanted gold…" Sally thought, a chill running down her spine. She remembered the money she had used years ago, and the ingots she still kept hidden.
"You said I could also exchange it for money from any country, correct?" she asked cautiously.
"Yes. There's no limit from Galleons to Muggle currency. The limit only applies the other way around," the goblin explained seriously.
"Then…"
…
"Aaah!" Sally let out a long sigh as she finally stepped out of Gringotts. She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart still pounding from the tension. "Of course… Harry's grandmother would never leave anything ordinary," she murmured with a relieved, proud smile.
She had used two of those ingots in the past to buy her house, move, and provide for her children's basic needs. The rest she had carefully saved, working as a waitress and later as a writer to support herself. Harry had inherited ten of those ingots, and she had never regretted keeping them safe. Now she finally understood how valuable they truly were.
"This solves so many things," she said happily, striding toward the bookstore. She had more than enough money now to thoroughly investigate this world, and the first step was information.
She entered the shop and approached the clerk. "I'd like books on history… and also the ones the students at the school of magic study."
"Are your children going to Hogwarts? That's wonderful," the woman replied with a warm smile.
"Hogwarts…" Sally repeated, speaking for the first time the name of the school of witchcraft and wizardry. "Do you have books from there as well?"
"Of course," the shopkeeper said. Noticing that Sally was a Muggle, she also offered her several basic introductory volumes, though she tried to push a few extra books on her. Sally, however, welcomed every recommendation: all of it was useful knowledge.
She also bought books on medicine and magical diseases, concerned about the risks her children might one day face.
"Excuse me, is there a hospital around here where I can take my children to get vaccinated? I'm from the United States and I don't really know this place," Sally asked as she paid for the large number of books she had chosen. Thanks to the enchanted bag the goblin had given her, carrying them wasn't a problem.
"Oh, then you should go to St. Mungo's. You'll need to use the Floo Network to get there and make an appointment. This time of year they're quite busy, since winter is coming and everyone takes their children to get vaccinated," the shopkeeper explained with a smile.
"Thank you very much," said Sally before leaving.
"Hey, she was wearing Muggle clothes. She isn't… a Muggle, is she? She won't be able to use the Floo Network," another clerk whispered to the first.
"Ah, right, I forgot," the shopkeeper replied. But by then, Sally had already walked away. "Well, she'll realize when she can't get through. Unless she's a squib," she added under her breath.
Meanwhile, Sally walked to the shop called Ollivander's, just as Tom had told her. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the tinkle of bells rang, and she found herself surrounded by shelves stacked high with small, narrow boxes.
An elderly, gray-haired man, disheveled and absentminded-looking, was doing inventory in front of one of the shelves.
"Oh, a new face. How can I help you?" he asked with a kindly smile.
"Hello. Mr. Tom told me I could get a wand to open the entrance to the alley and… blend in," Sally replied at once.
"I see… it's been a long time since anyone asked for a wand without a core. Ever since the war ended, prejudices remain," Ollivander said with a bitter smile as he crouched behind the counter. "I nearly got into trouble for making them, but I couldn't sit idle. Muggles and squibs also deserve a tool to help them integrate."
He laid out a dozen wands of different colors and sizes on the counter. "You can choose one. It'll only cost ten Sickles. A bit pricey, I admit, but they're made with authentic materials; they just lack a core. Each one has a small enchantment on the tip that lets you open the entrance to the alley."
Sally studied them carefully and picked out a beautiful wand of white and gray tones. She placed the coins in the old man's hand and nodded gratefully.
"Remember: it's only for show, and to open the entrance. If you run into a wizard with bad intentions, it's better to ask for help, wait for the Aurors, or flee. Even though it's been five years, there are still plenty of those types out there," Ollivander warned seriously before returning to his inventory.
"Thank you," Sally said as she left, keeping in mind every detail she had learned that day. Though this world seemed like something out of a fairy tale, she was convinced it wasn't as safe as it looked.
She returned to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom was still behind the counter, calm, and nodded at her when he saw her.
"I see you got your wand. Good for you. Don't let it be stolen; it's dangerous for a witch to walk around without one," he said loudly, loud enough for everyone to hear. Some of the wizards who had observed her earlier averted their eyes, visibly reassured now that they believed she was a witch. Others, who had regarded her with some contempt, simply went back to ignoring her.
Sally understood the gesture and gave him a grateful smile.
"Where can I use the Floo Network?" she asked quietly.
"There," Tom said, pointing to the fireplace. Just then, a wizard grabbed a pinch of powder, tossed it into the flames, spoke a name, and vanished into the green fire.
Sally's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Thank you," she said before walking toward it.
Tom tried to stop her, but a customer came up to him, and he had to attend to them. In that moment, the fireplace flared green once more, and Sally was gone.
"Well… so she was a squib. That was close," Tom muttered with relief.
In one corner of the pub, a group of wizards was watching. Among them was a long-haired blond man: the same one who had earlier pulled his son aside when Sally walked in. This time he was joined by two others, all with disdainful looks. Tom had spoken loudly precisely to protect her from them, giving her a cover—if the Floo Network had failed, she could have been in serious danger, perhaps even needing someone to intervene. Fortunately, the Floo worked as it should.
The blond wizard scowled as he saw Sally vanish and stood up. "Let's go," he told his companions before stepping into the fireplace. "Malfoy Manor." And he disappeared as well.
…
Sally returned home after a strange day, knowing it was only the first of many. The nanny greeted her with relief.
"I'm glad you're back, Mrs. Jackson. I always try to cheer the children up when you're gone for a long time, but it's impossible," she admitted, slightly embarrassed.
Sally couldn't help but smile. "It's alright, Amy. Honestly, you should be grateful they're calm, because if they were as lively as usual, I'm sure you would have quit by now."
The nanny blushed and waved her hand. "Don't say that. They behave very well, they've just been a little down."
"Then you were fooled," Sally teased with a grin. Amy said her goodbyes with a polite nod and left.
In the living room, Harry and Percy were sprawled on the floor like starfish, staring at the ceiling in boredom. But the moment they saw their mother come in, they leapt to their feet.
"Mom!" they cried in unison, rushing to hug her.
Sally dropped her sweatshirt on the sofa and bent down to embrace them, laughing.
"You were gone for so long," Percy complained.
"Yes, I was busy. And I booked your appointments for your shots," she said suddenly.
Both boys froze, stiff as statues. A second later, they backed away trembling, as if their mother had just transformed into a monster.
"Noooo!" they screamed together before bolting away at full speed, fleeing as though they were escaping from the devil himself.
"It's going to be difficult to take them to the hospital… especially that hospital," Sally thought aloud as she collapsed onto the sofa. The exhaustion of the day's adventure weighed on her, along with the burden of everything she still had to prepare. "At least I still have a month… but I don't know if I should show them the magical world yet. They're so young… but I also want them to be prepared. I really don't know what to do."
She covered her face with a hand and let out a long sigh. Everything she did, every step, every risk, was for the safety of her children. And though the fear never left her, she had made one decision: she would never give up.