章 825: Retrieval of Artifact

As promised Rowan arrived at Gringotts with a glamour on her hair and face. Standing in front of the burnished bronze doors are goblin guards in a uniform of scarlet and gold clutching sharp spears. One of the goblins had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard, with very long fingers and feet. The guards in a uniform bow and permit her to step inside to reveal a second pair of silver doors that hold the familiar words,

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So, if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware,

Of finding more than treasure here.

Rowan pays the words no mind as she had no intentions of committing any sort of theft. Inside the chamber are hundreds of goblins sitting on high stools behind long counters, scribbling in ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses, while other goblins were going in and out of hundreds of doors leading people in and out. She walks to a nearby female clerk, who stares at her in confusion until Rowan briefly removes her glamour for only a few seconds.

The female clerk startles in recognition and hurries away to speak to a guard. The guard intently looks up from his post as the female clerk gestures to Rowan, before gesturing for her to follow him. She is ushered to a private room elegantly, but simply furnished. A female goblin attendant hurries inside and says, "Might I offer Miss Prince anything?"

"I thank you for your hospitality," Rowan replied in gobbledegook, "but I am presently satisfied. May gold always be found by your hands."

The female goblin grins with pleasure and replies in gobbledegook. "Ragnok will shortly arrive, and may gold always find its way to Rowan Prince," the female attendant returned the greeting, before bowing and shutting the door behind her.

Rowan studied the portrait or rather the unfished outline of a young woman whose face gently gazes downward with loosely drawn disheveled hair hanging down loosely. It was a famous painting called, "La Scapigliata," attributed to being a work of Leonardo da Vinci. The museum copy was supposed to be an original, but with magic, well, identical copies can be created.

Whether it was a magical copy or the original, it was irrelevant as Rowan had always found something very compelling about the portrait. There was almost a magical air about the female in the portrait, a witch. There were rumors that Leonardo da Vinci had been a squib. Whether he had been or had not been could not be proven, but he for certain had been friends with witches as he had painted several still portraits of witches including the most famous one of all, a certain Mona Lisa.

The door swung open to reveal the youthful face of Ragnok. Elegantly dressed the pointy-earned goblin, Ragnok tilted in a sincere bow. "As always may riches flow before you, Miss Prince."

"And I hope that many riches find their way towards you, Ragnok," Rowan courtesy replied in Gobbledgook.

Ragnok flashed her a sharp grin as he took a seat before her. "Your Gobbledegook is nearly flawless, Miss Prince. You speak nearly as well as a goblin," he truthfully flattered her. He pauses to open the ledger that he had carried into the room with him. His neatly trimmed fingernails tap the pages ensuring all is in proper order before his long fingers cease to move.

"Your investments are mostly excellent choices, Miss Prince," Ragnok reported as he turned the ledger to show her. "Mr. Prewett invested the funds as requested that the earnings have doubled on some, but others have not and have begun to lose money. We recommend that these investments be dropped."

"No, continue to invest in them," Rowan firmly declared. She knew that losses at the initial start-up of companies are inevitable, but eventually, they would shine brightly. And at that time, it would be very expensive to purchase any percentage of shares.

"As you wish, Miss Prince," Ragnok said with a shrug. He could only advice the bank clients and not compel them against their will. Before writing in the request and signing it as verified and true with his own personal seal.

"I presume that you are excited with the announcement of the Auto Data., the Magical Brain and Wiz-link," Rowan pleasantly made small talk.

"Oh, yes," Ragnok replied with a wide grin. "Mr. Prewett has shown us what muggle COM-PEW-TUERS are capable of. We are very much eager to apply such artifacts to Gringotts and as they say modernize the system."

Rowan lips twitch with a faint smile. Of course, the Goblins would be thrilled about the magical version of computers. It would make accounting a hundred times easier and faster!

Finished Ragnok seals the ledger shut, before asking, "Would that be all, Miss Prince?"

Rowan refrains from rolling her eyes as Ragnok knew full well that she was here to pick up her order. "I am her to collect the completed artifact and to seek a personal visit with Grok Gringotts."

Ragnok does not even blink and says, "Naturally, this all can be arranged, but payment must come first," with a very sharp shark-like expression.

"Yes, I received the invoice from Gringotts in the amount for 28,750 galleons," Rowan drily remarked. "Why it is a small fortune for many."

"Master crafting always has been, Miss Prince," Ragnok said with a sly smile.

Refraining from rolling her eyes at the goblin's antics, Rowan says, "Please have the amount directly taken from my personal bank account. There are more than ample funds to cover the transaction."

"It shall be done immediately, Miss Prince," Ragnok gleefully said. He took a quill and opened one of the ledgers dating the time when the payment took place. He took another loose piece of parchment and scribbled information, before folding it up much like the Ministry of Magic's flying messages. He wrote several messages in fact, before opening the door for the messages to fly out.

Closing the door shut again, Ragnok says, "I have instructed the transfer of payment to be completed and sent word for Master Wulm to present the completed project. I have also sent word to the Goblin King that you seek his personal services."

"Your actions are very much appreciated, Ragnok," Rowan said with a small tilt of her head towards Ragnok.

"It is always a pleasure, Miss Prince," Ragnok said with a small bow of his own.

The two of them chat for a time about the current news and happening's in wizarding society. Goblins in some respects are very Slytherin-like wanting to be informed about what occurs in the corridors of power. As investments tend to be impacted by a variety of things including political movements.

And frankly, if Rowan was honest if Goblin children were ever to attend Hogwarts it would be probable that a great deal of them would sort directly into Ravenclaw like Professor Flitwick or Slytherin. Since Goblins shared the traits of cunning, slyness, and self-preservation that was so greatly valued by Slytherin. That did not mean that Goblins could not end up Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but simply that it would be far easier for them to end up in Slytherin or Ravenclaw.