When Hermione Fights

Gringotts

This chapter was translated anew in April 2020

Chapter beta (2nd time): Dani

Chapter translator (2nd time) Aivy

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Finished in Knockturn Alley, I let the time appear in front of me with my new wand. Almost three o'clock?! That was late. On the other hand, I had already done a lot of work, just had to tell it like it was.

Now my footsteps took me around the corner into Diagon Alley. After a quick look left and right, slightly in the shadow of the houses, I pulled the hood back again. Here, in the bright Diagon Alley, I would only attract unnecessary attention by covering my face, and I didn't need that at all. Everything was hectic as usual, just like during my first visit here.

A short while later, I spotted the large, slightly sloping building of Gringotts, the bright white facade inviting me to step through the heavy reddish-golden door. I walked up the shiny steps gleaming white in the sun to the entrance, through the brightly polished bronze gate, past the two guard goblins in their scarlet gold embroidered uniforms, who greeted every customer with a bow, and entered the impressive marble vestibule of the bank.

Then I headed to a counter, behind which a less than attractive goblin sat on his footstool and stamped documents. When he looked up, I stepped closer to the desk.

"Good day," I said, bringing my hand to my chest and slightly bowing my head and upper body in a subtle bow.

When I raised my head again and turned my demanding gaze towards him, the goblin looked at me in astonishment and with eyes widened in suspicion. In general, goblins were not very fond of us wizards and witches and I thought they had good reasons for that. Their distrust of the Wizarding World dates back to the 14th century, when the Wizards' Council had tried to agree on a political order with all human-like and magical beings. Bathilda Bagshot had written in her book titled 'History of Magic':

"The goblins refused to submit to wizardkind as they considered it degrading to be called and treated as heteronomous magical beings. Despite the boycott of the goblins, the Wizards' Council ultimately and quite successfully managed to enforce a hierarchical ranking of all magical beings. Even the rebellions in the 16th century did not help the goblins to free themselves from the incapacitation forced onto them by the wizards. Furthermore, the Wizards' Council had decided at that time that the right to carry wands should only be granted to purely human magical people."

Although goblins did not need a wand to perform magic, as they could do it with their long fingers, they still felt this decision was a slight against their kind, which was only too understandable. Even today, they were still dependent on the use of wizards and witches as curse breakers; despite their magical abilities, they were unable to gain access to treasures that were protected by powerful spells. It didn't really surprise me that I now felt this mistrust, which had lasted for centuries. Goblins were not used to being treated with the proper respect that my bow signified.

"Yes," the teller sneered with a sceptical undertone and gave me a shifty look but he seemed to recover quite quickly.

"I am here on a confidential matter and would like to discuss it with someone in private," I said confidently.

The goblin nodded and said: "As you wish, Madam. Then follow me... please."

Busily, he heaved himself from his high stool and went ahead of me to a door on the left side. He held it open for me and we walked through, finding ourselves in an unadorned corridor from which many doors led away. With a brisk gesture, the goblin beckoned to me impatiently, then a door opened further back. I only heard him say something in Gobbledegook and saw him bow as I had bowed before. I'll give you three guesses from where I got the greeting among goblins. Right, I read it in a book!