Chapter 5: The Deceptive Indor**

Gringotts stood in the center of a row of commercial buildings, a tall white structure that was strikingly prominent. No matter the world, banks always exuded grandeur. In front of the gleaming bronze doors stood two solemn goblins dressed in scarlet and gold uniforms. Upon seeing Hofa approach, they both bowed slightly. Legend had it that Gringotts was the first shop in Diagon Alley.

Hofa and Indor entered the bank. Once inside, Indor, dressed in his suit, walked with his head held high, completely shedding his previous sleazy demeanor. They passed through a second set of silver doors, inscribed with warnings:

*"Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed, for those who take, but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors a treasure that was never yours, thief, you have been warned, beware of finding more than treasure there."*

The warnings were written in archaic English, giving them a timeless feel. Though Hofa had been calm before, seeing these inscriptions made his heart race like a bucket being tossed about. Starting his new life by defrauding Gringotts to fund his education—he must be insane. But seeing Indor's confident demeanor, Hofa had no choice but to steady his nerves. Complaining was pointless now; he had to play his role perfectly to gain trust. In a bank, trust was money.

Indor said, "Your name now is Silby Spencer, a descendant of a French noble family. Understand?"

Hofa mocked, "You've prepared quite thoroughly."

Passing a group of goblins endlessly weighing gemstones, Hofa and Indor reached the counter. Indor whispered, "Silby doesn't speak English. From now on, leave everything to me, got it?"

Hofa nodded silently.

Indor looked up at a bespectacled, balding old goblin at the counter. "This guest has come from France, representing his family to discuss investment matters. Here is the proof of the Spencer family's overseas assets."

With that, Indor produced a piece of paper from nowhere and handed it over.

The old goblin, looking solemn, interlaced his fingers and first gave Hofa a once-over, nodding slightly. Hofa returned the nod with equal grace.

The old goblin then took out a magnifying glass and carefully examined the document. Hofa, seeing the paper, gritted his teeth. Indor had clearly prepared this in advance, likely planning to defraud Gringotts with Hofa from the start, hence deliberately losing Hofa's tuition money.

After studying the document, the old goblin waved his hand, and a goblin secretary approached. "Take them to Room 103."

The secretary nodded and led Hofa to the elevator. After pressing a few buttons, the old-fashioned elevator rose automatically.

Hofa thought of Harry Potter and Hagrid, who had descended into Gringotts during their first visit, while he was ascending with Indor. The unknown made him uneasy.

Upon reaching the tenth floor, the elevator doors opened. Indor immediately bowed at the entrance, playing the part of a servant to emphasize Hofa's noble status.

Hofa inwardly sneered—this guy was a professional con artist, acting out every detail. He didn't refuse, mimicking the noble demeanor he'd seen in movies and stepped out gracefully.

The corridor was fragrant with the scent of high-end roses, the floor covered in red carpet, and the walls adorned with gilded magical lighting, exuding luxury.

The goblin secretary led Hofa and Indor to Room 103 and then left.

Though it was daytime outside, the room's fireplace was lit, casting a dim yet opulent glow. The walls were covered in silverware and oil paintings.

"Mr. Ralfor, look who I've brought," Indor said cheerfully, clearing his throat.

A wheelchair turned by the fireplace. Sitting in it was a goblin—an old, decrepit goblin on the verge of death. He was wrapped in a red blanket, his head trembling slightly, and his nose as long as Hofa's forearm.

Hofa swore he had never seen a goblin so old and frail—this was the goblin equivalent of Stephen Hawking.

Indor walked over and loudly kissed the few remaining hairs on the old goblin's forehead. *Mwah!*

Hofa shuddered in disgust.

The old goblin cracked a smile and pointed to a red sofa. Hofa quietly sat down.

Indor went to a cabinet, helped himself to a glass of red wine, and began pouring. "Ralfor, the wizarding world in France is facing trouble. Germany's ambitions are unstoppable. Mr. Spencer here is willing to mortgage some of his family's assets in France in exchange for the British Ministry of Magic's protection."

Ralfor mumbled, "Scaremongering, Indor. You're always like this..." His voice was hoarse and grating.

Indor handed over the parchment. "Believe it or not, here's the deed. Take a look."

Ralfor examined it and muttered, "Delphine Spencer... Indeed, unclaimed land." The old goblin glanced at Hofa. "I wonder what relation this gentleman has to Miss Delphine..."

Indor patted his chest. "Her brother, her blood brother, the sole heir of the Spencer family. Rest assured, there's no issue."

The old goblin nodded. "But the price..."

Indor raised a finger. "Ten thousand Galleons, plus a security agreement. That's the cost. If agreed, you'll gain access to vast lands, including the port of Bordeaux, to be handed over within two years."

The old goblin's cloudy eyes lit up, staring at Hofa without speaking.

Indor added, "Don't worry, he doesn't speak English."

The old goblin immediately began haggling with Indor.

Watching the two bicker in front of him, Hofa maintained a polite smile while cursing inwardly. Indor was a shameless liar, a beast who could deceive without batting an eye. How had this guy managed to earn a decent reputation in Dumbledore's eyes? Dumbledore was one of the few wise figures in the Harry Potter world. Had Indor's skin grown so thick that even Dumbledore couldn't see through him? Or had Dumbledore, in his younger days, fallen victim to Indor's schemes, thus becoming the wise man he was?

Finally, the haggling ended.

The old goblin looked at Hofa expectantly.

Indor, with a grim expression, leaned close to Hofa and whispered, "Doesn't the old guy's nose look ridiculous? Nod for yes, shake for no."

Hofa silently observed the old goblin's enormous, bulbous nose. Finally, under the old goblin's expectant gaze, he nodded solemnly.

The old goblin smiled with satisfaction.

Indor stood up and cursed, "Damn it, five thousand it is. You old miser, even Scrooge wasn't as stingy as you!"

---

**Ding!**

With a crisp sound, ten minutes later, Hofa and Indor stood at the exit of Gringotts.

A thick gold coin bounced between Indor's slender fingers. He held a small leather bag and smiled at Hofa. "See? I told you, goblins never run out of money."

Hofa looked at the bag. Though it appeared small, it was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm and contained at least 5,000 Galleons. Even Harry Potter's vault probably didn't hold that much.

Hofa asked, "So those property deeds—were they all forged?"

Indor shrugged. "What else? Did you really think you were some French noble?"

Hofa sighed. "Aren't you afraid they'll come after you? This is outright fraud."

"Kid, if you have a long-term vision, you'll never worry about gold," Indor said with a grin, striding ahead. "Times are changing. By the time these greedy fools try to claim their lands, they'll be reduced to ashes. All the prosperity will vanish. By then, whether the deeds are real or fake won't matter."

Hofa stared at Indor's back in shock. An ordinary eleven-year-old wouldn't understand what he was talking about, but Hofa knew World War II was imminent, and France would be the first to fall into chaos. Even if Indor had handed over the deed to the Palace of Versailles, the goblins wouldn't get a thing. This guy was purely profiting from the war by exploiting the time gap.

Confused, Hofa caught up to him. "Hey, how do you know all this? How can you be so sure there will be a war? What if they find out before it starts?"

Indor turned, a strange glint in his eyes. "Of course I know. I'm a goblin from Heligoland, Germany. As for being discovered, don't worry. No one dares to trouble a first-year at Hogwarts."

With that, Indor tossed Hofa a small leather bag.

Hofa caught it, his hand sinking under the weight. Opening it, he saw a pile of shiny Galleons.

Indor said, "One Galleon equals seventeen Sickles, and one Sickle equals twenty-nine Knuts. I've given you a hundred Galleons—much more generous than Hogwarts' financial aid. It's enough to buy your books and wand, and they won't be second-hand."

After playing with the wizarding coins for a while, Hofa looked up, slightly annoyed. "We worked together. Why do you get 5,000 Galleons, and I only get 100?"

Indor blinked. "You didn't do anything, did you?"

Hofa pursed his lips but said nothing, tucking the bag close to his body. One Galleon was worth about five pounds, which translated to roughly 45 yuan in modern Chinese currency. A hundred Galleons—4,500 yuan—was a fortune for him now.

Though Hofa liked money, he knew ill-gotten gains were best avoided. This time, he had no choice but to take this risk. He would never do it again. He had no intention of testing Gringotts' power.

Returning to Madam Malkin's shop, Indor retrieved his gold watch under the reluctant gaze of the old hunchbacked man. Hofa, meanwhile, stripped off his luxurious robes and changed back into his dirty clothes, like Cinderella after midnight. At least he had his school robes, and they weren't second-hand.

After buying the robes, Hofa, accompanied by Indor, went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase his Hogwarts textbooks. Though he was eager to start reading them, he knew it wasn't the right time.

By the time he had explored most of Diagon Alley, the exploration progress bar in his mind had reached 45%. Just five more percent, and he would receive his first system reward: one-third of a spell fragment.

But more exciting than the spell fragment was something Hofa had been eagerly anticipating—his wand. The object of his dreams.

Led by Indor, Hofa arrived at the shop that would make any Harry Potter fan's eyes light up: Ollivander's Wand Shop. Just as described in the books, the most mysterious shop in the world was rather unassuming. A small storefront, with a faded golden sign and dusty windows.

As Hofa was about to step inside, Indor suddenly reached out and stopped him.

The reason became clear immediately.

A massive surge of magical energy erupted from the shop, accompanied by wild, ecstatic laughter.

"Yes, that's it, that's it!"