Chương 33: Chapter 033

Harry swept into Gringotts and made for the nearest available teller. Wearing new clothing that would help him blend in better, he looked every bit the part of a young wizard. With an outfit consisting of black dress slacks, polished dragon hide boots, a black button up shirt with a larger than average collar, black gloves, and a long dark green cloak, the young raven-haired boy couldn't help but feel kind of like a Jedi. It was an amusing notion, especially when he considered how everyone else was dressed in similar robes. They were like a Jedi conclave, and the goblins were like ruder versions of Yoda.

"I would like to speak with my account manager at his earliest convenience," Harry spoke the moment he stopped in front of an empty teller station.

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the Goblin without looking up from the ledger he was writing in.

"Yes."

"Name?"

"Harry Potter."

At his name being told, the Goblin finally looked up at Harry. He eyed the boy for a second, his eyes going to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. The Goblin grunted. "Ragnok is currently busy. He will see you when he has the time. Please wait over there and he will be with you momentarily."

Harry did not offer any words, only giving a nod before moving to stand at the place the teller had designated for him to wait. Closing his eyes, he began to focus his magic on enhancing his hearing as a basic meditation excessive.

Enhancement was one of the five magics that Harry could do, and according to what he had read so far it was the only branch of magic he had that didn't have an equivalent in the wizarding world. Much like its name stated, enhancement was the simple act of enhancing a physical aspect of himself. He could enhance just about anything, from increasing the acuteness of his five senses, to increasing the durability and strength of his body.

Of course, enhancing his body took a lot more effort and would often leave him beyond exhausted when finished, which was the reason he never used it in combat. It was simply too dangerous. Harry had theorized that it had something to do with the way his magic flowed through him during that time. His belief was that due to the magic increasing his physical abilities, they would become acclimated to having that power in them. When the magic left, the muscles would become tired because they no longer had any power bolstering them. It was a workable theory, and one that he would be testing as much as possible when he had the time.

The sound of footsteps drew his attention away from his meditation. Opening his eyes, Harry found himself staring at a familiar Goblin.

"Griphook," he said in greeting. The Goblin, Griphook, paused, seemingly surprised that Harry actually remembered him. He got over his shock quickly however, and gestured for Harry to follow him.

"Follow me."

Once more Harry was led to the office where his account manager worked. Ragnok was sitting behind the desk just as he had been the last time they had spoken. The Goblin was leafing through several scrolls, documents most likely, but looked up when Harry came in.

"Lord Potter," Ragnok placed the scrolls off to the side. "What can I do for you today?"

"I would like to start investing," Harry began without preamble. He had been studying up on Goblin society in the hopes that by doing so, he would not only be able to work with the Goblins, but also gain their respect. After all, they did control his money, and ill begotten was the fool who insulted those who controlled your vaults.

He had learned much about Goblins and their society, but one of the most important things he had learned was that to a Goblin, time is money. They do not like to waste time with inane pleasantries. They do not appreciate the posh and circumstance that surrounds many wizarding traditions. The best thing for anyone to do when dealing with a Goblin is to get right to the point so they can get on with their life and begin making more money.

"Invest?" Ragnok looked at him in surprise. It only lasted for a second, but it was almost enough to make Harry lose his calm and collected facade and smile. Looking at him with an intense look of interest, the Goblin account manager leaned forward on his desk and spoke once more. "And just what would you like to invest in, Lord Potter?"

"I have several businesses I wish to invest in," Harry began, pulling a scroll with a list of various business and ideas from within his cloak. He set it on Ragnok's desk for the goblin to peruse through with his own eyes. "However, I am also unsure of how investing in a company works in the wizarding world. Tell me, does the wizarding world have a stock market?"

"A what?" Ragnok looked up from the list to Harry, blinking several times at the unfamiliar term. Ragnok clearly didn't know what Harry was talking about, making it easy to deduce that the Wizarding World did not have their own stock market. Or perhaps they did, but it was just called something else.

Straightening his shoulders a bit, Harry began to explain the basic concept of the stock market. He went into the idea of how a companies stock could be bought as shares, a single unit of ownership in a corporation, mutual fund, or any other organization, and how a shareholder could buy and sell their shares in order to turn a profit.

The explanation was very basic, very brief, as Harry knew that going into detail would take a long time and would likely end up angering Ragnok for wasting his time. Throughout his small lecture, the Goblin in charge of his accounts sat behind his desk, elbows propped up on the surface, fingers laced in front of his face as he listened to Harry speak. He gave no indication on whether or not he was even interested in what the young wizard was saying, merely listening silently before the explanation began to wind down.

"Interesting, there are some business in the wizarding world that hold a somewhat similar concept," Ragnok told Harry after the explanation was finished. "However, they are not the same as this 'stock market.' The closest example I can think of is the Daily Prophet, which is owned and controlled by a board of governors, rather than a single person."