Chapter 9

Snagwort opened the vault, and I was hoping to find things that would give me a good start in this world. I really didn't want to rely on making money from the plans I had about repairing houses, but even if I had enough money here, I'd still use that plan—just not for myself. When I eventually start a company, I want to employ Muggle-born witches and wizards, giving them a chance to earn steady income.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked inside the vault. There was a mountain of Galleons piled high, along with shelves filled with books, artifacts, potions, and all sorts of different things. The sight was overwhelming.

I glanced at Snagwort and asked, "How many Galleons are in here? And do you know anything about the artifacts?"

He gave me a sharp look, but answered plainly. "About 750,000 Galleons. As for the artifacts, we don't know anything specific. Only you, or the head of your family, would know. The ring and the vault are connected by magic. When you see an artifact and want to know what it is, the ring will give you the information."

I nodded, looking down at the ring on my finger. It felt strange, like it carried the weight of everything in this vault. "Alright, I'll take a look around."

I wandered over to the bookshelves, browsing through the titles. One book immediately caught my eye—it was about family magic. I opened it and skimmed through, quickly learning that our family's magic was all tied to luck. That explained the five-leaf clover on the ring. We weren't just fortunate—our magic was built on manipulating luck itself.

As I kept reading, I came across a few alchemical recipes. One potion stood out—Zygmunt's Luck Potion.

Zygmunt Budge, the creator of Felix Felicis, was apparently a Cromwell. His full name was Zygmunt Budge Cromwell, and while the wizarding world only knew about the common version of Felix Felicis, this book described several other luck potions. The one here was a more advanced version, with no side effects, unlike the public version. It even lasted longer, but required some rare ingredients.

I needed an alchemist's room. The Felix Felicis potion was at least master-level, and there was no way I could brew it right now. I'd have to wait until I was more experienced. I also started wondering how long it would take the goblins to fix my family manor after the explosion. I didn't even know how bad the damage was, but at least I had enough Galleons to cover it. For now, I could use the manor until I finished school.

While browsing the vault, I found a couple of books I really needed. One was about Occlumency—The Mind Arts, and the other was on Animagus transformations, the magic that allows you to discover your spirit animal. This book was different from the typical Animagus transformations I'd read about. It seemed to cover not only normal animal transformations but magical ones too. Was it a lost ritual?

The Occlumency book seemed like the standard version, though I'd check later to compare it with other copies in the bookstore, just to be sure.

As I continued looking around, I found a sword. It was silver in color, with runes etched into the blade. I understood the runes immediately—they were for sharpness, cutting, draining life, and transferring that energy. This blade must have been made for battles or duels, but it seemed too simple for something so powerful. The runes weren't complex; I wondered if I could add more to it.

Linking my magic with the family ring, I focused on the sword to find out more. Information poured into my mind. The blade was called the Edge Blade, forged from goblin silver. I remembered what goblin silver was known for, and I couldn't help but smile. The properties of goblin silver were incredible. It absorbed substances that made it stronger and repelled anything that didn't. A perfect weapon.

I picked it up and decided to keep it with me. After searching the vault a little longer, I found a few more books, but nothing else particularly interesting. Then, I spotted a trunk. It was wooden, decorated with the Cromwell family crest in gold. Curious, I opened it up and stepped inside. It was much bigger than I expected—like a house inside the trunk. There were empty bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, though it was all vacant. I decided to store all my things inside the trunk.

After that, I focused on the Galleons. Using the ring to help me calculate, I gathered around 200,000 Galleons. That should be more than enough for now.

I walked out of the vault and turned to Snagwort. "Is it possible to exchange 100,000 Galleons for Muggle pounds?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow but answered, "Yes, we can. That would be £493,000."

I smiled. This would help the orphanage and fund my plans in the Muggle world.

"I'm done here," I said, feeling satisfied. "Where do I put the money?"

Snagwort closed the vault and gestured for me to follow. "This way," he said.

We walked through the hallways of Gringotts, passing a few goblins and the occasional wizard or witch. The clinking of coins and quiet murmurs filled the air. As we walked, Snagwort led me toward a room down the hall, slowing down as we approached the door.

"Here we are," he said. "This is where you'll exchange your Galleons for Muggle money."

The room was small, lined with scales and piles of paper money. The scales were likely used to weigh Galleons and pounds to ensure exact conversions. I didn't dwell on the details—goblins always knew what they were doing when it came to handling money.

"Now, put your Galleons on here," Snagwort instructed, gesturing to one of the larger scales.

I opened my trunk, where I had separated the 200,000 Galleons, and grabbed one of the piles. I placed it on the scale, and the goblins immediately got to work, calculating the exchange from Galleons to pounds. I stood there, watching as they moved quickly, their hands working efficiently. In a few minutes, they had finished the conversion, leaving several piles of cash sitting neatly on the counter.

"All done," Snagwort said, nodding toward the money. "Here's your Muggle money. Is there anything else you need?"

I shook my head. "No, nothing else."

"If you're done, follow me out. I've got other matters to attend to," he said, turning to lead the way back.

I collected the piles of pounds, securing them in the trunk, and followed Snagwort out.

As we reached the main entrance of the bank, I glanced at Snagwort and nodded in appreciation. "Thanks," I said, meaning it. He gave a brief, sharp nod before turning back toward the depths of Gringotts, already focused on his next task.

Stepping outside, I noticed the sky was beginning to darken, the day slipping into evening. It hit me then how long I'd spent inside the vault. The streets of Diagon Alley were quieter now, a few stragglers finishing up their business. I figured it was time for me to head back to the Leaky Cauldron, get some rest, and start planning properly in the morning.

I made my way through Diagon Alley, weaving past the last few shoppers, until I reached the familiar brick wall. With a tap of my wand, the bricks shifted, opening up the passage to the Muggle side. I walked through, the cool evening air brushing against my face as I headed back toward the inn.

Once inside the Leaky Cauldron, I greeted Tom with a quick "Hi" as I passed by the bar. He waved back, busy with the few customers still hanging around. I climbed the stairs to my room, feeling the weight of the day settle on me.

Kicking off my shoes, I collapsed onto the bed, barely able to think. The exhaustion finally caught up with me, and as I stared at the ceiling, my mind wandered to tomorrow. But for now, all I needed was sleep. Slowly, I drifted off.