Chapter 271: The Alliance's Bank

As Raphael's voice faded, a heavy silence settled over the room. It was a long while before the goblin High Elder finally spoke:

"Raphael, do you truly have such faith in the Alliance?"

Raphael let out a bitter sigh and said slowly, "At first, yes—I believed in the ideals of the Alliance. But after hearing what you just said, I find myself more interested in this new leader of the Alliance—the heir of the Grindelwald family."

"What we failed to achieve all those years ago... I fear we may never have the chance again. At this point, we can only hope he never discovers the truth of what happened back then. Otherwise, with the Alliance's style, we goblins may very well become the next generation of house-elves."

Meanwhile, in the main hall of Gringotts, Lockhart had just nervously taken a seat beside Wentworth when Auston approached, leaned in close, and whispered:

"Master, the Aurors from the British Ministry of Magic have arrived. They're gathering in Diagon Alley and are beginning to surround Gringotts."

Wentworth blinked in surprise at the news, then turned, slightly bewildered, to Carrow and asked:

"Your arrangements didn't work? Scrimgeour wasn't detained in Scotland?"

Carrow replied with a puzzled frown, "Impossible! Scrimgeour definitely went to Scotland. There's no way he could have returned this quickly."

At that moment, Auston quickly interjected, "Master, it's not Scrimgeour leading them this time."

As he spoke, Auston glanced over at Cassandra, then cautiously continued:

"The one temporarily leading the team is the former Head of the Auror Office—Scrimgeour's predecessor. That is, Miss Cassandra's father."

Cassandra blinked in surprise, then immediately stood and said, "Give me a moment. I'll take care of this."

But before she could leave, Wentworth pressed her back into her seat and said casually to Auston:

"You go. Find a way to buy us some time. And if possible, bring Mr. Vole in alone."

He then turned to Rosier and said in a low voice, "Rosier, I'll need you to prepare a few more Portkeys. We'll be leaving that way shortly."

Finally, Wentworth turned his attention back to Lockhart, smiling as he asked:

"Professor Lockhart, would you be interested in a side project? Something a bit more... entrepreneurial alongside your post teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts?"

Looking at the beaming Wentworth, Lockhart couldn't help but show a flash of Ravenclaw wit in a critical moment.

He stood at once and replied with formal clarity:

"Mr. Wentworth Grindelwald, at Hogwarts, you may call me 'Professor.' Outside Hogwarts, feel free to use my name. What would you like me to do? Just say the word!"

His readiness left Cedric, Cassandra, and the others stunned. Even Wentworth, who already knew who Lockhart really was, gave him a curious look before remarking:

"As expected—con men are always the cleverest of the lot."

Seeing Lockhart's enthusiasm, Wentworth wasted no time and got straight to the point:

"The Alliance intends to establish its own bank. We would like to invite you, Mr. Lockhart, to serve as our bank's honorary director. What do you think?"

This time, it was Lockhart's turn to be stunned. He stood frozen for a moment, clearly struggling to process what Wentworth had just said.

Noticing his blank stare, Wentworth's brow furrowed in displeasure and he gave a soft, cold huff. At that, Lockhart snapped back to attention and nodded fervently:

"Absolutely! It would be my honour to serve. I'd be delighted!"

Satisfied, Wentworth nodded and continued:

"I'm giving you three years. I want the Alliance's bank to surpass Gringotts—to become the largest wizarding bank in London, even in all of Britain. Can you do that?"

Lockhart's face immediately fell, and he shook his head with a strained smile.

"Wentworth, I'm afraid... that's just not possible."

Wentworth stared him down and replied firmly, "It is possible."

Lockhart winced. "...Truly, I don't think it is…"

Fearing Wentworth might take offense, Lockhart hastily explained:

"You see, in today's magical world, 'wizarding bank' is practically synonymous with Gringotts. Even if you've burned that old charter, changing public perception in such a short time is nearly impossible. Wizards won't trust a bank that just popped up overnight!"

Rather than argue, Wentworth nodded slowly and said calmly:

"Exactly why I'm appointing you as our honorary director. Forget your personal influence—when it comes to earning people's trust, you have a natural gift."

Before Lockhart could respond, Wentworth added:

"Don't worry. The entire Alliance will support you. And besides, we won't be anything like Gringotts. That place barely qualifies as a bank—it's more of a glorified vault. Our bank will be modern, accessible."

"For instance, anyone who deposits their Galleons with us won't be charged a vault fee. In fact, we'll pay them—it's called interest!"

Lockhart, who had been wearing a troubled expression, suddenly perked up. Cassandra, Cedric, and the others also leaned in, listening intently.

Wentworth continued:

"And if any wizard finds themselves short on funds, they'll be able to apply for loans through the Alliance bank. We'd be more than happy to lend them Galleons—though, naturally, they'll have to pay us back with substantial interest."

"Of course, if they're willing to offer collateral—say, their home, or certified valuable magical items, or even rare magical creatures—the interest can be reduced accordingly."

As Cassandra started calculating the numbers on her fingers, Lockhart's eyes lit up with dawning realization. Wentworth smiled, then said:

"As long as the interest we charge on loans is higher than the interest we pay on deposits, we'll be making money—and lots of it."

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