บท 10: Outsmart and Outthink
Two figures apprated in corner of the Diagon alley with nary a sound. One was a tall pale man with long black hair and the other was a redhead in her early twenties who seemed distinctively uncomfortable in her body.
"This seemed quite...magical", The girl remarked, looking at the alley in wonder.
The man did not say anything, quietly walking towards the Tall white building at the center of the Alley. The girl, noticing her companion walking away, hurriedly followed behind.
'That is Gringotts? Doesn't seems like much.' Emma spoke telepathically to Harry, who had lifted his mental shields slightly to allow psychic communication.
'That is just the entrance, the true Gringotts spans for miles and miles underground.', Harry replied telepathically, and Emma flinched, on both his words and upon hearing him in her head for the first time. She had no idea he could do that.
'How did you...?'
'I have been learning seeing you.'
Emma could not ask what he meant as they reached the steps of the Gringotts.
Disguised Harry stopped and turned to look at an old lady standing outside the shop near Gringotts. The lady seemed to be discretely looking towards the bank from time to time.
Harry saw beneath the disguise immediately recognized who it was. There was only one other metamorphmagi in the entire isles. A fond smile lit on his face before he immediately squashed it and entered the bank, the disguised Emma on his heels.
Entering the lavish lobby, Harry made his way to an empty teller. The goblin did not even raise his head to look at him even as he just stood in front of him.
'Good to know goblins had not changed', he thought sarcastically and rapped at the counter with his knuckles.
"What is it, Human", the teller asked, finally deaning him worthy to be looked at.
"Goblin", Harry sneered or at least tried to.
~Cough~ "I am here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic to investigate about the certain...transactions. We need to talk to few Account managers. Nothing too invasive, just a cursory glance."
Goblin's disposition immediately changed, "Gringotts business has nothing to do with your ministry 'Humans', leave or you will be made to leave."
Harry felt Emma behind him stiffen. In corner of his eye, Harry saw two goblin warriors making way towards them.
But he remained calm, he had anticipated such a response. It made sense, to not disclose any deals that were made behind these walls. After all, more often than not, these deals were not legal, even by the crooked standards of the Wizarding World.
In many aspects, Gringotts operated as the magical version of the Swiss Bank. Total anonymity of the clients, no matter what. It did not matter to them even if their client was the Dark Lord himself, no information of the deals and accounts is ever released. That was why Wizarding World was so corrupt, thanks to Gringotts, there was no need for money laundering.
All the money and artifacts that were stolen by Death Eaters during the war were safe in the vaults of Gringotts. The vaults of this hallowed establishment are filled with money tainted in blood.
But then why he still used the guise of investigation, well that was simple.
Everyone has secrets and Goblins are not different. Their disgust and envy for wizards, along with bitterness on their defeat in the last goblin wars was not a secret. And in a race shrouded in secrecy, there are bound to be secrets they could not disclose.
What they were, he had no idea but that is why Emma was with him. And when he had their secrets, what he wanted would be easier to get.
'Someone named Albus Dumbledore is secretly funneling Potter assents out of the country, under Ministry's nose. Teller does not know the details other than the fact this Albus guy struck some deal with higher-ups, who agreed to help him in exchange for some very valuable item.'
Harry did not give any overt reaction when Emma told him what she found in Teller's mind, but gears in his head were already spinning.
"Goblin, do you think the ministry did not know about Potter family accounts? Minister is most displeased with what you did."
The goblin blanched, "What do you want?"
"Oh, you know, to investigate the misuse of Potter funds."
"Not Possible, our policy does not allow disclosure of our client's information"
"Oh, but isn't theft from a Most Ancient and Noble house also a breach of Gringotts policy, or rather breach of Treaty between Goblins and Wizards"
Somehow Goblin blanched even more.
"I...I will have to talk to the director."
"No need, we will first investigate it ourselves. Take us to Potter's accounts manager. Also, we need all the records on Potter's account activity in the last decade."
"O...Ok"
Disguised Harry and Emma made their way through the fine marble door, following the teller as he leads them to a reception room in heart of the Gringotts bank.
"Please wait here as I bring Ripjaw", the teller said, closing the door behind. Harry heard a slight click of a door locking but paid it no mind. He activated his Mage sight and started to assess his surroundings.
"Whoo..", Emma sighed in relief, "That went better than expected"
Shen plopped on a gold-threaded sofa and laid back. The room was large, about the size of a standard suburban home. The walls were covered in precious paintings from all over the world, and the floor was made of marble inlaid with gold. In a corner was a fireplace large enough to fit an entire man.
In front of the sofa was a table filled with delicious-looking confectioneries and Emma could not resist but take a one.
'I wouldn't do that', Harry spoke without looking at Emma, 'They are laced with poison.'
Emma immediately threw down the sweet and looked at Harry, who was frowning.
'Don't speak anything unnecessary, we are being monitored.'
"What"
"Nothing", but telepathically said, 'Be on guard, a lot of blood has been spilled in this room.'
Just then the door opened and the teller from earlier came rushing, followed by another goblin holding a stack of account ledgers.
"This is the Potter's account manager, Ripjaw."
Harry discretely signaled Emma and she went to work.
"Just put them on the table, we will do the rest."
The account manager nodded and put the files on the table.
"Now I would like to start the ..."
'Those files are fake', Emma's urgent voice sounded in his mind, 'And be careful of the...'
In a moment of inattention, the teller moved faster than anything Harry had seen and plunged a large dagger in his stomach.
Harry just looked down in shock and blew away the two goblins.
Just then the doors burst open and goblin warriors decked head to toe in enchanted heavy armors stormed in, their killing intent flooding the room.
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NoodleBrain
NoodleBrain Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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And few people had questions from last time on who was Elizabeth Braddock.
You might know her as her X-men alias Psyloche or as Betsy Braddock. She is a very powerful mutant telepath with additional powers like telekinesis and energy projection.
She will become much more relevant in the story later on when more mutants will be introduced.
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