Chapter 8: Chapter 8
An air of solemn silence has enveloped us since leaving Gringotts. Pity and sadness occasionally flickered on the professor's face as she stole glances in my direction.
"So do a lot of Muggleborns take loans like those?" I asked, to lighten up the mood.
"No, Mr. Grey. They do not. Only Muggleborns who are orphans take loans like those."
"The loans were not always this strict, Mr Grey.
" In the past, the goblins would not use magical contracts when dealing with underage wizards, but the last wizarding war changed everything. It was a war that devastated the wizarding world of Britain. Many wizards and witches lost their lives, but perhaps the most lost were those of muggleborn descent. "
" Why ? " I asked her, even though I knew what the answer was going to be.
" Racism and bigotry, Mr Grey. There are some in our community that despise muggleborns like you who are born to non-wizarding parents , believing that they are beneath them. But I assure you, Mr Grey, there is no difference between you and any other half blood or pure blood wizard."
"Unfortunately, a dark lord took advantage of this racism and bigotry and targeted the muggleborns. Attacking them and killing them, causing many to flee the country. "
" Over time, the muggleborns with families in Britain came back to the country, but many of the orphans that gringotts gave loans to never came back. "
"This, of course, angered the goblins, who believed that they had been robbed by the wizards. The Ministry, which was still struggling to recover from the aftermaths of war, had no choice but to give in to the goblin nations' demands lest they wanted to have another goblin rebellion right after a war. " the professor replied with a sigh.
'So, the fault lies in both the Muggleborns and the pureblood factions, huh.'
'If Voldemort never started killing Muggleborns, then the Muggleborns wouldn't have fled. But even then, if the Muggleborns had continued to pay Gringotts what they owed, then I wouldn't have had to sign a magical agreement like that.While I have the ability to pay back the loan whenever I wanted to, thanks to my unique abilities, I am certain that other orphans do not have the capacity to pay back the 5,159 gallons that they would owe to Gringotts at the end of the nine year mark.' I thought to myself.
"Mr. Grey, why did you sign the loan agreement? I know from the look you gave me at that time that you knew exactly what the contract was about. " the professor asked as she turned towards me.
"Well, I didn't know that I even had the choice to reject it in the first place. Even if I had rejected it, how would I have gotten the money to pay for the school fees? Does the school have any other financial aid available for students in need?"
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Grey. Since the last Wizarding war, the ministry has never fully financially recovered. If you had not accepted the loan and chosen not to attend Hogwarts, the ministry would have bound your magic and Obliviated you."
"Obliviated and had my magic bound? What do you mean, professor? I didn't think that magic was something that you could give and take from someone."
"Indeed, you cannot give or take someone's magic. But it can be bound, preventing you from using your magic again. Besides, how will you even know that you had magic if you don't even remember you had such a thing in the first place?" She replied with the same sad smile I had seen on her face many times during our trip.
"So this Obliviated thing can make me forget things? Are there spells that can protect someone from messing with my memories?"
"There is an entire branch of magic dedicated to the delicate art of mind magic, Mr. Grey. But such magic is extremely advanced and dangerous, not to mention highly regulated." The professor warned.
" You know, Mr Grey. You remind me of someone that I introduced to the wizarding world twenty years ago. Just like you, she too was curious about everything. "
" Oh, I would love to meet her one day. " I replied.
The moment I said that, it was as if a dark cloud had cast its shadow on the professor's face.
" I am afraid that won't be possible, Mr Grey. She is no longer with us. " The professor said as she walked past me almost as if to prevent me from seeing her face.
" I'm sorry. " I muttered as I continued to walk behind her.
An hour had passed since then, and we went from shop to shop, buying cauldrons, potion sets, and second-hand books.
Not that I was complaining.
For me, it didn't matter if they were used or not, as I was used to using second-hand textbooks. Why wouldn't I be? After all, all my college and university books that I used in my previous life were all bought second-hand.
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" This is where you will be getting your robes from. " The professor said this as she pointed at the lavender colored building in front of us.
I couldn't help but let out a soft whistle.
The building looked distinctly more colorful than any other shop that I had come across in the Diagon alley.
From its bold lavender theme to the golden colored name etched on top of the door, the entire shop screamed out fashion.
Well, fashion from the 1900s anyway, judging by the architecture of the place.
" Don't let the shop's appearance fool you, Mr.Grey. Madam Malkin is the best at what she does. " The professor said it with a chuckle.
" Are you not coming along, professor ? "
" I'm afraid not. You would have to do this one yourself, Mr. Grey. There are still some items on your list that I must get. I'm going to go get them while you get fitted. "
" Don't worry, it won't take long. After you finish buying the robes, wait for me to come and fetch you. After that, we will go to get the last item on the list, your wand. " The professor said.
I watched her disappear into the crowds before going inside the iconic shop from the Harry Potter series, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The sound of a small bell rang as I opened the door.
The interior of the place was not what I was expecting it to be. It looked way more modern than it did from the outside.
' I guess this is why they say never judge a book by its cover. ' I thought to myself as I marveled at the place, the door closing softly behind me as I went in.
There were countless racks and shelves displaying robes of various colors, styles, and sizes, while the others held a variety of accessories, such as hats, gloves, and scarves, to complement the robes.
There was even a separate section filled with different kinds of fabric, and full body length mirrors were placed in each corner of the room.
' This place is definitely bigger than what it looks like from the outside. ' I thought to myself.
" A first year at Hogwarts, dear? " A short, plump woman wearing purple colored robes asked as she came out of a door next to the counter.
" Yes. "
As soon as I said that, the woman, whom I assumed was madam malkin pointed her wand at me.
What came out of the tip was not a bolt of light, a stream of fire, or even a flock of birds.
No.
What came out of her wand's tip was a measuring tape that molested me by wrapping itself around every part of my body that it could except for my third leg.
" Perfect. " Madam Malkin said as the measuring tape went back inside of her wand.
" Try this on Dearie, and then we will see what we are working with. " She said this as she picked out a black robe from one of the racks.
" You are definitely one of the taller kids, Honey. " She said as I wore the robe.
" Really? " I couldn't help but ask.
Standing at a modest height of 5'7, I was never what you considered to be tall in my previous life.
Even after the whole reincarnation shit, I had never been around what I would consider to be normal people other than the ones in the orphanage, in which there was no one around my age for me to compare my height with.
And don't even get me started on the bloody Vikings from the north.
Tall bloody bastards they are, all of them.
" How tall am I now? " I couldn't help but ask.
" Oh, You didn't know, dear? You are 5'6. Almost as tall as an average third year student at Hogwarts, I would say. " Madam Malkin said with a chuckle.
' 5'6????? I'm only 11 years old and already almost as tall as I was in my previous life. At this rate, I was sure to hit the 6 foot mark before I finished Hogwarts. '
' Is this what it feels like to hit the genetic lottery ticket ? ' I thought to myself as I silently thanked my parents for blessing me with their genetics.
" Then how did you know that I was a first year and not a second or third year student? " I asked Madam Malkin, and she used some charms to tighten certain areas of the robe.
" Well, just like Mr. Ollivander, I have met almost every single student that has gone to Hogwarts in the last 20 or so years, Dearie. While I might not have the ability to remember every single child that had graced my shop like Mr.Olivander, I would have most certainly remembered someone with such unique features as you. " Mr Malkin said as she looked up at my face.
The corners of my lips tugged upward a little after hearing what she said.
Right as I was about to respond to her, the bells chimed, letting both Madam Malkin and I know that someone had entered the shop.
"Oh great, it's a Malfoy," a bubbly voice exclaimed from behind me, carrying a teasing tone.
The budding smile that was on my face instantly fell at the thought of being compared to Draco or Lucius Malfoy of all people.
"Nymphadora Tonks, apologize right now," I heard another woman say aloud, displeasure evident in her voice.
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