Ministry of Magic, England.
Inside the Minister's office on the first floor.
Cornelius Fudge, sunk deep in a comfortable office chair, surveyed the goblin sitting opposite him. The goblin was elderly in appearance, dressed with outdated elegance, but his diminutive stature lent him an almost comical air.
Fudge frowned, his gaze lingering on the goblin. "Where is your manager?" he asked with ill-concealed displeasure.
"I regret to inform you, Minister Fudge, that our manager is indisposed due to pressing matters of great importance." The goblin's tone remained remarkably even, hinting at an unshakable confidence. "However, I dare say I am capable of representing Gringotts. If Minister Fudge requires anything from Gringotts, pray, do not hesitate to inform me."
Though not the chief manager, he was a power player within Gringotts, occupying a position of considerable influence.
"Hmm." Fudge didn't dwell on it, cutting to the heart of the matter. "Are you aware of the reason I summoned representatives from Gringotts?"
"Minister Fudge, you have yet to enlighten me."
"Then allow me to do so now." Fudge's voice was uncompromising. "Reports have reached my office suggesting that Gringotts has engaged in the embezzlement of considerable funds from its clients over the years."
"Therefore," Fudge continued, "over the coming year, the Ministry of Magic will be conducting an investigation." He fixed the goblin with a piercing stare, heavy with a thinly veiled menace. "We shall be dispatching personnel to Gringotts. I trust you will extend your full cooperation."
At these words, the goblin manager's face darkened. "Minister Fudge, surely this contravenes established regulations? Was it not agreed that wizards would abstain from interfering with goblin management of Gringotts? Has this not been the custom?"
"Alas, I can be of no assistance." Fudge shrugged with affected helplessness. "This is a directive from higher up. Should you demur to the Ministry of Magic's investigation, we may be compelled to involve… others. You are, I trust, familiar with their rather… volatile temperaments."
"..."
A decision from above… does he think I'm blind? I know exactly who is above him!
The goblin manager gnashed his teeth. He knew they were cornered; once that particular individual had spoken, no dissent was possible.
Just as Fudge had so delicately implied, should Gringotts dare to refuse, within minutes their Gringotts, and indeed every Gringotts worldwide, would be besieged by "unknown" wizards clad in black, and they would be powerless to stop it.
"Sigh… very well, we shall cooperate," The goblin manager sighed, reluctantly conceding. "Pray, Minister Fudge, whom do you intend to send to Gringotts to conduct this… investigation? And when do you foresee this commencing?"
"Whom will I be sending?" Fudge clapped his hands. "Come in!"
The door clicked open.
The goblin manager turned to see a short, plump woman in a lurid pink dress clutching a stack of documents.
"Minister." With a saccharine smile, the woman greeted Fudge before turning her attention to the goblin. "Dolores Umbridge, an exemplary employee of our Ministry of Magic. We trust you will extend to her your fullest cooperation over the coming year."
Listening to Fudge's introduction and watching Umbridge extend a hand in a gesture of greeting, the goblin manager, seized by a sudden ominous premonition, could only bring himself to shake her hand.
"Oh, and one more thing," Fudge added, as if struck by a sudden afterthought. "In the coming months, pending the conclusion of the investigation, should Ms. Umbridge uncover any… irregularities, she is empowered to dismiss any Gringotts employee."
"..."
The goblin manager stared at Fudge in disbelief, opening his mouth, then thinking better of it.
"Regrettably, it is not my intention." Fudge smiled and shrugged, indicating that he, too, was "powerless to intervene."
"..."
The goblin manager looked up at the "large pink toad," his disquiet growing exponentially.
...
As she trailed Umbridge back to Gringotts, the goblin manager still clung to a sliver of hope.
That hope was shattered when a few "arrogant" employees, known for their low opinion of wizards, made a few sarcastic asides about Umbridge.
"Oh, Mr. Brink, where are you off to?"
"I am going to inspect the security of a client's vault. Is there a problem?"
"Planning to line your own pockets, are you?"
"That's utter rubbish! I simply wanted to..."
"I am unconcerned with your intentions. Anyone who cannot prove their innocence will be regarded as an embezzler! Mr. Brink! You're fired!"
"What?!?!"
A mere five minutes had elapsed since she had entered Gringotts, and already a senior employee had been dismissed. The goblin manager was utterly dumbfounded.
"Ms. Umbridge, you..."
Looking at the expression on her face, which seemed to say, Dare you try to get fired too?, the goblin manager swallowed hard and remained silent.
Seeing the goblin manager's sensible about-face, Umbridge, her vanity thoroughly massaged, turned her attention to another goblin. "You! Yes! You! What are you up to?"
"I...I merely intend to visit the restroom."
"Then why are you carrying that?!"
"Tissues...is there a problem?"
"A monumental problem! They are a tool for transmitting private information, no doubt concealing coded messages! Leave them here, and you may proceed!"
"But! How am I supposed to use the restroom without toilet paper?"
"That is of no concern to me; you cannot leave my sight with such an item! Should you attempt to do so, you shall be dismissed!"
"..."
The goblin manager could only maintain his silence. He now understood why the Ministry of Magic… or rather, why that particular individual had specifically chosen this woman to conduct their investigation.
Now, emboldened by her success, Umbridge set her sights on the goblin dwarf who had spoken to her with such arrogance earlier. "Mr. Doric, what are you doing at this moment?"
The sickly sweet voice made the goblin sitting at the counter shift uneasily. "I...I'm just sitting here. I really haven't done anything!"
Hearing these words, Umbridge gave a saccharine chuckle. "Yes, you haven't done anything… which makes you the kind of parasite who merely leeches off the company's funds! You also..."
"I've been fired too?!" Doric was nearing tears. Who would ever value him after he left Gringotts?
"Not quite."
Umbridge's words rekindled a glimmer of hope within him. "I simply want you to supply me with a work report to occupy your quiet time when there are no customers."
"Really?!" Doric's eyes lit up, overjoyed. "I mean...no problem, Ms. Umbridge!"
Looking at the obedient goblin, Umbridge nodded approvingly. "It must fill at least ten parchments."
"Yes! I promise!"
"Heh heh… and…" Umbridge smiled and produced a quill. "You must utilize this quill to write it."
???
The poor goblin Doric, blissfully unaware of the calamity that was about to befall him, was puzzled but thought nothing of it and agreed without hesitation.
A mere half-hour had passed since Umbridge had entered Gringotts, but for the goblins, this torment… was to last a whole year!
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