Chapter 12: Gringotts, It Seems We Have Been Treated as Impostors!

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 37 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]

.

.

.

.

"How was that, boy?" Xeno's voice came from behind, cheerful as ever.

"Good thing you didn't end up in someone else's fireplace—that would've been a right mess!"

"It was brilliant!"

Aris grinned, his whole face lit up with excitement.

His first magical journey—and what a ride it had been. Absolutely surreal.

"Right then, let's get cleaned up."

Xeno gave his wand a flick, muttering a quick cleansing charm over the three of them.

Ash and soot vanished in an instant.

That was the one downside of Floo travel—you always came out looking like you'd wrestled a chimney sweep.

"Magic's proper handy!"

Aris looked down at his now spotless clothes, genuinely impressed.

"Come on then, we've got a lot to pick up today," Xeno called, already starting to lead them into the heart of Diagon Alley.

Aris reached out and instinctively took Luna's hand, not wanting to get separated in the bustling crowd.

"This might sound daft," he said, half-apologetically, "but I don't think I've got any money for school supplies yet…"

"Oh, you've got nothing to worry about," Xeno replied with a wink.

"You're underestimating your own family, boy. As the heir of the Shafiq family, you've probably inherited a lot more than you realise."

Meanwhile, Luna didn't pull her hand away, either—just walked beside him, naturally, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"I get that, but…" Aris frowned slightly.

"How am I supposed to prove who I am?"

He knew full well that the identity the system had given him was watertight.

But from everything he remembered, withdrawing money from Gringotts required more than just saying your name.

You needed a key—or some kind of proof.

After all, Harry Potter had a vault key.

Even later on, when Hermione disguised herself as Bellatrix Lestrange to break in, she'd been asked to show her wand for verification. Sure, that whole thing had been a trap, but still—it proved the goblins weren't fools.

And if there was one thing Aris was sure of, it was this:

Gringotts goblins wouldn't hand over a single Knut to someone they couldn't properly identify.

"No need to worry," Xeno said, giving Aris a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"They've got their ways. If you really are who you say you are—they'll know."

Aris didn't argue further, but the question still lingered in his mind.

He searched through all his memories of the films and books, trying to recall if there were other methods used to confirm someone's identity.

Nothing came to mind.

But he shrugged it off soon enough.

This wasn't a book or a film anymore.

This was the real wizarding world—and there were bound to be rules and systems that no one had ever written about.

All of it was his to explore.

Before long, the three of them had made their way through the busy street and stopped in front of a grand, slightly wonky white building.

It towered over them with three full storeys, its white stone walls gleaming in the sun.

Above the entrance, the name Gringotts was carved in bold letters, and below it, a line of ancient runes was etched into the heavy door.

Situated right at the centre of a three-way junction in Diagon Alley, the bank's striking white exterior made it stand out from every angle.

"Here we are!"

The Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Xeno looked up at the grand building, a pleased smile tugging at his lips

"Aris, do you know what those words on the door mean?"

Aris squinted up at the inscription, focusing.

As he studied the runes, the meaning came to him almost instinctively.

"Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed.

For those who take but do not earn must face the harshest price indeed.

So if you seek from out our vault that which was never thine—

Thief, be warned, you may find danger in place of treasure, by design."

Before Aris could speak, Luna's soft voice piped up beside him, reciting the warning almost dreamily.

"That's right!" Xeno said approvingly, then turned to Aris.

"Well then, what do you make of it?"

Aris raised an eyebrow and gave a wry little smirk.

"Seems to me like the goblins already think all the gold in their vaults is theirs."

He crossed his arms.

"And if we're talking about greed… well, let's just say they might be the greediest creatures in the wizarding world."

"Yeah, I reckon so too," Xeno nodded in agreement.

"One thing you should never do is underestimate a goblin's obsession with gold. Cross 'em, and they'll bleed you dry."

Aris muttered under his breath, "Doesn't sound like this is going to be easy..."

Knowing how goblins were, if he couldn't prove his identity properly, claiming the Shafiq family fortune locked in Gringotts would be a tough ask.

"Don't stress," Xeno reassured him.

"They might be greedy little blighters, but they don't mess with contracts. That's one thing they take dead serious."

"Contracts?" Aris blinked, eyebrows raised.

But Xeno didn't elaborate. Instead, he simply led the two of them through the grand white doors of the bank.

…

"Welcome to Gringotts," came a sharp voice.

A thin, long-fingered goblin approached them, eyes flicking suspiciously between Xeno, Aris, and Luna.

"And what business brings you here?"

Xeno stepped forward, pulling Aris gently by the shoulder.

"Mr Shafiq here needs access to his family vault. He'd like to withdraw some gold."

The goblin's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Shafiq?" he repeated, clearly sceptical, eyes now locked onto Aris.

Xeno remained calm and level-headed.

"Look, I doubt you're authorised to deal with this sort of request. Best fetch your supervisor."

The goblin hesitated, clearly weighing his options.

Meanwhile, Aris and Luna stayed quiet, taking in the massive marble hall with its tall columns, polished floors, and rows of goblins.

There were dozens of goblins inside Gringotts, each stationed behind tall marble counters lining either side of the grand hall, working at high desks, scribbling furiously with quills or counting gold with sharp eyes and sharper fingers.

The moment Xeno mentioned "Mr Shafiq," several nearby goblins paused what they were doing and glanced over—eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"Well then, if you're certain," the skinny goblin said, giving Aris a long, meaningful look.

"I can arrange that for you."

Without another word, he turned and began walking towards the rear of the hall.

Xeno gestured for Aris and Luna to follow, then calmly set off after the goblin.

"Their eyes are a bit strange," Luna whispered to Aris, leaning in close.

"Probably think we're trying to pull a fast one," Aris muttered, giving a thoughtful shrug.

"Guess I was right earlier—this visit might not go so smoothly after all."

Luna, as always, remained composed.

Her face betrayed no emotion.

Aris just shook his head and said nothing more.

The pair of them looked towards the far end of the hall, where the skinny goblin was now speaking quietly into the ear of a much older goblin who wore tiny, round reading glasses perched low on his nose.

The elder goblin turned to look at Aris, his gaze sharp and probing.

Under the glow of the enchanted chandeliers above, the lenses of his glasses gave off a strange glint—almost as if they were enchanted to see more than just what met the eye.

.

.

.

.

[Note: Read up to Chapter - 37 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]