It had to be said that working was tedious, as Draco had to patiently point out too many low-level mistakes made by the goblins, while trying his best to restrain himself from embezzlement. The goblins' concepts of finance were so primitive that he felt making a bit of extra money on the side would be incredibly easy.
He even wondered if he could simply bring in a few recruits from Wall Street, and the entire economy of the Wizarding World would be controlled by just a few people in the palm of their hands.
Of course, he would not do that. First, he was not short on money, and second, those who think themselves too clever often pay a price. When the goblins and wizards realised something was wrong, they might be the first to flip the table themselves, and then arrest those involved for the "Crime of Undermining the Financial Security of the Wizarding World." Even this charge was likely established by Arthur Weasley through some Muggle knowledge he had learned.
Wizards might not be exceptionally brilliant, but they were not stupid either.
But these were not the reasons for Draco's frustration. What truly frustrated him was that this place was indeed the safest in the Wizarding World, besides Hogwarts.
At least for him, currently, he was helpless. Even Quirrell had only dared to break in and rob the place with guidance from Lord Voldemort.
Normal users' assets could be accessed by opening vault doors with small gold keys, while more important vaults were guarded by dragons. Several times, during his breaks, Draco would take a cart near some important vaults and could even hear the heavy breathing of a dragon. As for certain vaults without keyholes, they were even harder to enter; they required a goblin to tap the door with their long fingers for the door to slowly vanish. Anyone else would be sucked inside, with only two outcomes: starving to death or suffocating, because the goblins only checked them once every ten years.
To sneak in, it had to be said that Polyjuice Potion was indeed the most feasible method, but a certain someone was still in Azkaban—a wanted criminal coming to the bank to withdraw money? That would probably make the headlines of The Daily Prophet. Furthermore, the Flagrante Curse and Gemino Curse inside were also major problems. Helplessly, Draco could only abandon the idea and focus on completing his accounting work.
"But it's not bad, is it?" he comforted himself. Due to the numerous errors he discovered, Gringotts gave him a generous bonus before his departure. Mr. Ragnok said before he left, "Although your father would certainly not agree, we still welcome you to work here after you graduate."
"I'll consider it," Draco said politely, then strode away. His work was over because school was about to start. As for Ragnok's suggestion, he certainly would not consider it. Why would he choose to be a worker when he had a massive family fortune to inherit? Was that even possible?
"Right, there are also gifts." Just as he was about to go home via the Floo Network, Draco suddenly thought of this and immediately turned toward the various shops in Diagon Alley.
After walking through several shops without finding anything, he came across something that piqued his interest at Quality Quidditch Supplies: a Golden Snitch.
It lay quietly on a blue square platform inside a glass case, about the size of a walnut. Unlike during a match, the wings of this small metal ball were pressed tight against its body. It was hard to imagine how active it would be on the pitch, driving Seekers crazy. The label on the platform read: "A highly significant collector's item. This is the Golden Snitch from the final match between the Transylvania team and the Flanders team. However, due to the intense competition between the two sides, the Golden Snitch suffered irreparable damage by the end of the match. Price — five hundred Galleons."
"So this Golden Snitch can't fly? It's broken?" Draco tapped the glass, speaking in a regretful tone.
"Oh, sir, you mustn't think like that." Seeing business arrive, the clerk immediately perked up. "The value of such a collectible lies in its historical significance, not its utility. You should know that both the Transylvania team and the Flanders team are Quidditch teams with extremely long histories…"
"Especially during that match…" The clerk began talking at length about that piece of history, hoping to pique Draco's interest.
"It's a pity it's broken." Draco shook his head and said, "I think I'll buy a broom instead; at least that's still usable."
"Sir, please reconsider." The clerk grew anxious. In fact, this Golden Snitch had been sitting there for a long time. In a sense, if it were not sold soon, it would be a loss for the shop. If he could sell it, the boss would surely look at him in a new light, so the clerk put forth all his effort.
"I'm just looking around. Do you think someone my age can afford this price?" Draco asked.
"We can negotiate the price, esteemed guest." The poor clerk was already being led by the nose by Draco.
Exactly how many Galleons Draco paid for the Golden Snitch remains unknown, but that night, almost everyone in Diagon Alley heard the roar of the manager of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Of course, he did not forget to bring gifts for Lucius and Narcissa: a tie and some of the latest styles of cosmetics.
"I'll have to come back for the books next time." Draco looked at the pile of things in his hands and reached this conclusion. With school approaching, Flourish and Blottwereas starting to get crowded, and he felt it was necessary to go earlier.
Stepping into the green flames, he returned home through the Floo Network.
"This truly is a mode of transportation one both loves and hates." Feeling dizzy, Draco could not help but think so. At this time, Lucius and Narcissa had not yet returned home, so he left the gifts in the living room and went back to his room first.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw a letter lying quietly on the table. He opened it; it was from Pansy again. She said she could not keep her promise to go to Diagon Alley to buy books with him because there seemed to be a problem with the Floo Network in France, and transportation was completely paralysed. The French Ministry of Magic's efficiency was also incredibly slow, so Pansy's family had to stay in France.
"Perhaps I'll even be late for this term," she wrote at the end of the letter.
"That really is terrible." Draco wrote some words of comfort as a reply and tied it to the owl's leg, but he had no way to solve the problem. Most wizards were still not quite used to Muggle transportation, except for the Weasley family. As for Apparition, travelling from one country to another would likely be a significant undertaking, so there was only one solution—wait.
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