Tamara threw the handkerchief onto the ground and turned to walk toward the courtyard at the back of the pub.
Facing the dilapidated red brick wall, Tamara wasn't bothered by her lack of a wand; she certainly knew how to open it, even though she didn't have one right now.
She glanced at a Wizard nearby who was cleaning a trash can, also wearing shabby robes; he looked like he was there to take out the trash.
Tamara walked over and gently tugged on the Wizard's sleeve.
"Uncle,"
She looked up, those large eyes once again filling with an irresistible mist, her voice so soft and sweet it could melt ice: "I can't reach the bricks up there. Could you help me open the door?"
The Wizard turned around, and seeing such an exquisite, doll-like little girl making a polite request, his heart instantly melted.
"Oh, of course! Certainly, little lady!"
The Wizard hurriedly pulled out his wand and tapped the wall above the trash can three times.
Three blocks up... then two blocks across... click.
The brick quivered and began to move from the center.
A small hole appeared, growing larger and larger until, in a moment, a wide archway stood before them, leading to a winding, seemingly endless cobblestone street.
Golden sunlight spilled over the dazzling array of shop signs lining the street—cauldron shops, apothecaries, robe shops, and the most prominent of all, the white marble building of Gringotts.
The clamor of voices, the shouts of street vendors, and the hooting of owls instantly flooded her ears.
This was Diagon Alley.
The heart of the British Wizarding World.
Tamara stood under the archway, golden sunlight illuminating her pale face, casting a sacred halo over this seemingly frail and harmless little girl.
The Wizard who had helped her open the door was looking at her with a kind expression, waiting for a thank you.
Tamara turned back and gave him a standard, perfect smile.
"Thank you, Uncle. May Merlin bless you."
Watching the Wizard's enchanted expression, Tamara coldly added in her mind:
"Though that old fossil Merlin has probably rotted in the ground long ago."
She turned and, with light steps, walked into the world that belonged to her.
And the first stop was, naturally, the place filled with the stench of money yet most indispensable.
Gringotts.
Tamara felt the money pouch that wasn't particularly bulging: "You can't do anything without money."
The money Hogwarts provided could only barely cover the necessities; if she wanted to do more, this amount was far from enough.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the snowy white marble building, towered over the crooked shops around it like a pristine white tooth set in mud.
Tamara stood before the gleaming bronze doors, looking at the Goblin guard dressed in a scarlet and gold uniform.
"Enter, please." The Goblin gave a lazy bow, his movement as perfunctory as shooing a fly.
Tamara snorted coldly in her heart.
If this were decades ago, or in the future when she held power, these greedy, ugly little monsters would only be trembling at her feet, begging her not to slaughter their kind and obediently handing over all the vault keys.
But now... she lowered her head, putting on a timid expression, and clutched the withered money pouch in her hand, scurrying through the doors like a frightened little animal.
Passing through the second set of silver doors, the famous warning poem was engraved upon them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed—
"Of what awaits the sin of greed." Tamara silently finished the latter half in her mind. "What a ridiculous threat. As long as one's strength is great enough, greed is a virtue."
In the marble hall sat a hundred or so Goblins behind high counters; some were weighing coins, others were examining gemstones.
Tamara walked up to an empty counter where the Goblin was busy scribbling in a large ledger, not even bothering to look her in the eye.
"S... Sir."
Tamara stood on her tiptoes, trying to get her chin above the height of the counter, and handed over the envelope containing her Hogwarts financial aid voucher: "I've come to... withdraw money."
The Goblin stopped writing and slowly looked down, his calculating long eyes narrowing. He reached out with long fingers and pinched the envelope with two of them.
"Hogwarts financial aid..." the Goblin read in a high-pitched, piercing voice, with undisguised contempt.
He opened the envelope and glanced at the slip inside.
"Based on the 1991 standard, you can exchange for 20 Galleons."
The Goblin counted out a small pile of gold coins from a drawer and tossed them onto the counter with a clatter: "This is enough for you to buy second-hand textbooks and the cheapest kind of robes that shed lint. Take it and go; don't block the customers behind you."
20 Galleons.
Tamara looked at that pathetic pile of gold coins, feeling as though her dignity as the Dark Lord had been thrown to the ground and trampled upon.
What could 20 Galleons do?
Even back when she worked at Borgin and Burkes, that stingy Old Borgin paid her a weekly wage higher than this!
This bit of money wasn't enough to build a Death Eater army, let alone buy a high-grade Unicorn tail hair!
Fury burned in her chest.
These lowly creatures, guarding mountains of gold, gave her this pittance?
Tamara stared into the Goblin's eyes, a flash of red light passing deep within her obsidian-like pupils.
She didn't need a wand.
Just a silent Confundo, or a weak Imperio suggestion.
Just to make this Goblin think the slip said 200 Galleons, or to make him take out an extra bag of money... she had played such small tricks countless times before.
Tamara intended to drink that Basic Magic Power Potion to restore ten minutes of strength, enough for her to concentrate, mobilize the meager magic in her body, and pierce the Goblin's mind.
[Warning! Violation detected!]
That damned cheerful voice rang out again, like a clown blowing a trumpet at a funeral.
[virtue system Core Rule #3: A person of character loves wealth but acquires it through proper means.]
[Detected host attempting to use Black Magic for fraud/robbery.]
[Punishment Warning: If you do not stop, 10 points of 'Sanity' will be forcibly deducted (which may cause you to turn into a drooling fool for five minutes on the spot), and the Gringotts security system will be notified.]
"Damn it!"
Tamara cursed in her heart and forcefully cut off the magic output.
The magical backlash caused a sharp pain in her brain, making her body sway.
"What's wrong with you?" The Goblin behind the counter frowned, his hand already reaching for the alarm button under the desk. "If you're going to faint on my counter, I'll charge you a cleaning fee."
"No... nothing."
Tamara bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes: "I'm just... so excited. This is the first time I've ever seen so much money."
The Goblin curled his lip, rolled his eyes, and withdrew his hand: "Then take your money and get out."
Tamara grabbed the handful of gold coins, stuffed them into her pouch, and turned to leave.
Walking out of Gringotts, the sun was still bright, but Tamara's mood was as gloomy as the Forbidden Forest before a storm.
"System, you are useless," she whispered through gritted teeth.
[host, this system is designed to cultivate you into a Wizard of high morals and integrity. A true powerhouse should create wealth through wisdom and labor, not plunder.]
"wisdom?"
Tamara stopped in her tracks, standing on the steps, her gaze sweeping across the bustling shops of Diagon Alley.
Since she couldn't rob them, she would use these so-called proper means to play along.