ตอน 380: 0379 The List
"Without a doubt, Mr. Watson, we have committed a grave sin. We violated the interests of Hogwarts and yours," Barnah said cautiously. "We are willing to compensate for this. How many Galleons do you think would be enough to quell the fury of yours and Hogwarts?"
"Who do you think I am, a robber?"
Bryan's stern words left Gerson Barnah speechless.
For a wizard like Bryan, as long as he loosened his principles, countless people would try to stuff shiny golden galleons into his pockets. However, some benefits could be pursued for oneself, while taking some money would only put oneself in an extremely unfavorable position.
The Goblin's money was not so easy to take. If he accepted the Goblin's favor tonight, the distance to his downfall would not be far.
The magic power in the natural environment became as heavy as lead with the fluctuations of Bryan's mood. Although he did not intentionally release an intimidating aura, the pressure like raging waves still made the aging Gerson Barnah feel suffocated.
Barnah remained expressionless, but in his heart, he pondered how to seize a little leverage in front of Bryan. As he was racking his brains, suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed into his mind, slightly smoothing the layers of wrinkles on the old Goblin's face.
"Your noble character is admirable, Mr. Watson--" Barnah slightly nodded towards Bryan.
"Although all of this was caused by Ludo Bagman's greed, it is undeniable that we have also harmed yours and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's precious interests. We should make amends. Since you are unwilling to accept galleons, I can only change the approach--"
"Oh?" Bryan put aside his thoughts for the time being and asked with interest, "What do you intend to do?"
"You will definitely be satisfied--" Barnah smiled calmly. He stood up, walked around the chair to the wall engraved with bas-reliefs behind him, and scratched a few times with his sharp nails on the intertwining patterns. Immediately, the wall surface rippled slightly, and a dragon-hide case floated out from the softened, glowing wall.
"This box contains a list, Mr. Watson--" The old Goblin held the case and placed it on the table. With a crook of his finger, the dragon-hide case gently slid in front of Bryan. Meeting Bryan's inquiring gaze, Barnah smiled mysteriously, "This is the comprehensive list of all the wizards involved in this gambling operation, as well as the precise amounts they have wagered. Surely, this will be of help to you."
Bryan did show some interest. He tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers, and the case silently opened, a thick black-covered notebook floating in front of Bryan.
As the pages slowly turned, the names of several famous wizards he met in party were reflected in Bryan's mind.
"Page twenty, third line, Mr. Watson--" The old Goblin kindly reminded him.
With a sudden gust of wind, the pages rustled rapidly, and Bryan's gaze fell upon the third line of the twentieth page – Yoshabelle Dreghorn (Durmstrang, eight thousand Galleons).
Bryan's eyebrows raised slightly, and his eyelashes fluttered, "Who is this Yoshabelle--"
"She is Mr. Vipor Dreghorn's wife, Mr. Watson."
No matter how cunningly the Goblins attempted to mask their true natures, their smiles always carried an undercurrent of sly calculation. Barnah noticed the fleeting joy in Bryan's eyes, so his voice became much more cheerful.
"Mrs. Yoshabelle and Mr. Vipor Dreghorn met during the catastrophe that swept across Europe half a century ago. In the war waged against that most terrible of Dark Lords— Gellert Grindelwald, they fell in love while fighting together. After the war ended, they got married and spent half their lives together--"
Barnah neatly refilled Bryan's cup with a rich, ruby-hued wine, and continued at a leisurely pace, "Mrs. Yoshabelle is of German descent, and her alma mater is the prestigious Durmstrang Institute. So, upon learning that the Triwizard Tournament would once again be held, and that Durmstrang was among those vying to host it, she would naturally lend her unwavering support to her beloved alma mater."
This was like being handed a knife as soon as one wanted to kill!
Bryan had already determined to clear the obstacles for Hogwarts to become the host of the Triwizard Tournament. He had planned to go out tomorrow to find some dirt on Vipor Dreghorn, but unexpectedly, he had already gained something significant from the Goblins.
Bryan glanced at Gerson Barnah with a half-smile, unable to deny that this old Goblin was indeed a very clever fellow.
Indeed, as Barnah had wisely pointed out, it was entirely understandable for a witch or wizard to support their alma mater wholeheartedly. However, would the wider wizarding world view Yoshabelle Dreghorn's actions through such a charitable lens?
If word were to spread that the wife of an esteemed member of the International Wizarding Sports Event Judging Committee had placed substantial wagers supporting Durmstrang in a Goblin-run gambling ring, the subsequent storm of scandal and rumor would be utterly devastating.
Human nature, alas, harbored a dark and insidious core; the masses would undoubtedly assume that this entire fiasco had been orchestrated by none other than Vipor Dreghorn himself. Although the binding magical contract strictly prohibited judges from accepting any form of bribery from the three competing schools, it did not stop them from exploiting their positions for personal gain.
This was not an entirely baseless accusation. Bryan found it difficult to believe that Vipor Dreghorn would be entirely oblivious to his wife's dishonest activities. This speculation was quite likely the truth.
"Aren't you afraid of offending people?" Bryan's lips curved into a slight smirk as he scrutinized Gerson Barnah, taking care not to utter any names aloud, lest he inadvertently leave behind any evidence.
"One must choose the lesser of two evils, Mr. Watson. This is the crucial skill that Goblins must master to survive under the relentless oppression of wizardkind–" Gerson Barnah smiled, knowing that the risky list he had provided had already played a crucial role, and he felt much more relieved.
"Very good--" Bryan nodded in satisfaction.
"I am quite pleased with your gift, Mr. Barnah. As long as you do not secretly scheme against Hogwarts again, I will not pursue any further action regarding your exploitation of the tournament for gambling operations."
As his words hung in the air, Bryan rose to his feet and turned to survey the scene behind him.
The group of Goblins who had escorted him to this chamber now lay slaughtered, their lifeless bodies scattered, leaving only Ragnok and Laddie barely clinging to life – their pale complexions due to the excessive blood loss.
With a light wave of his wand, the stone spears pinning the two Goblins immediately crumbled into fine sand. Before the gaping wounds could unleash fresh torrents of blood, two emerald orbs of light burst forth from the tip of Bryan's wand, streaking across the distance in instants to seal the gaping wounds. The healing energies contained within these luminous spheres also restored some much-needed color to the ashen cheeks of the grievously injured pair.
"Thank you for your generosity–" Gerson Barnah rose as well, offering a slight bow of gratitude towards Bryan. After a momentary hesitation, he softly asked, "We will not interfere with this Tournament any further, but Mr. Watson, what of Ludo Bagman and Cuthbert Mockridge?"
During his previous contemplation, Bryan had already made up his mind. He bluntly said, "There is no need for you to intervene in this matter. I will handle it myself--"
Pausing briefly to allow his words to sink in, Bryan continued.
"You can retrieve the Galleons you lent to those two from the betting pool and settle the accounts yourselves. Now, you also need to hand over the betting money they placed on Hogwarts. I will have a talk with them and properly resolve this issue. Additionally, I do not wish to hear any rumors or whispers about this matter in the outside world, of course, including everything that happened here tonight. I do not want anyone to know of these events."
Had this occurred during his wandering years, Bryan would have forced this aged Goblin to enter into a binding magical contract first. However, times had changed, and he was confident in his ability to ensure the Goblins's silence.
For tonight, Bryan did not intend to immediately confront Ludo Bagman and Cuthbert Mockridge. Those two were no longer capable of hindering this matter, so it would be prudent to settle accounts after the judging results were finalized.
He also had no plans to inform Barty Crouch of these developments. Although Senior Barty had vehemently demanded to beat and kill the instigators this very morning, it was hard to say what choices politicians who sniffed out greater interests would make if they truly knew the truth.
"Mr. Watson–" As Barnah observed Bryan carefully packing away the list he had provided and straightening his slightly disheveled collar, preparing to take his leave, the aged Goblin suddenly spoke up, his words halting Bryan's departure.
Faced with Bryan's weighty gaze, Gerson Barnah hesitated for a fleeting moment, but ultimately, he exhaled heavily and unexpectedly asked,
"Mr. Watson, I want to ask, can we—the Goblin's—become your friends?"
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