radicalducati Chapter 246 Scarface Causes Trouble at Gringotts Again
Chapter 246 Scarface Causes Trouble at Gringotts Again
Chapter 246 Scarface Causes Trouble at Gringotts Again
Picking up where we left off, when Harry mentioned Diagon Alley, Petunia let out a short, sharp sound as if she had swallowed a piece of burning coal.
"What kind of place is this?"
Vernon started the car and drove away from the platform, glancing sideways at Harry and scoffing, "I've never heard of any alleyway over Charing Cross Road."
In the back seat, Dali, a portly young man, was munching on a giant hot dog, his mouth dripping with oil. Hearing this, he looked up and mumbled, "Diagon Alley?"
"Is it that place where you buy magic items?"
Having said that, Vernon immediately slammed the brake pedal all the way down.
But then there was a loud cracking sound, and the car lurched violently, sending Dali tumbling forward like a rolling gourd.
A fat head slammed onto the front seat, and the hot dog in his hand was shattered into pieces. Bread, patty, sauce, and pickles scattered like petals, making a mess all over the car.
"I would never go to a place like that!" Vernon roared, his purple pastry bulging as if about to burst. "I would never associate with any of you!"
Harry simply lifted his robes to the side, revealing the hilt of his bandana knife and the hilt of his sterling silver sword.
He glanced sideways at Vernon and said coldly, "What are you yelling about, you fat bastard!"
Vernon, choked by the sight of the weapon, turned a riot of red and purple, like a purple eggplant thoroughly pickled in a jar of soy sauce. His throat bobbed a few times, but he couldn't utter a single harsh word.
He simply turned the steering wheel sharply and drove off.
In the back seat, Penny hurriedly wiped the cheese drippings from Dudley's clothes, asking anxiously, "How do you know what Diagon Alley is?"
"Hmm—I heard it from Mr. Black." Dudley glanced at the thick sausage at his feet and said, "After I ran over his motorcycle, he kept saying he was going to Diagon Alley to buy me some slimming potions."
Upon hearing this, Penny felt as if she had been stung by a poisonous bee; her voice suddenly rose, and she shouted, "That has nothing to do with you!"
"Remember, you're a normal person, not a freak! You don't need to remember that kind of place!"
Dali had never seen his mother describe him like this before. He was so frightened that he shrank back, his fat trembling, but he dared not say another word.
He was afraid of Penny, but Harry didn't seem to care. He just glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said, "When I mentioned Diagon Alley earlier, why did Auntie act like she'd seen a ghost in broad daylight? Did she hear someone mention it years ago?"
Penny trembled at the question. Her thin lips moved for a long time before she finally managed to squeeze out her name through her teeth.
"————Lily."
Upon hearing his deceased mother's name, Harry remained silent for a moment, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy, but simply nodded and said, "That's how it is. When my mother went to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies back then, it must have been my aunt who helped her out."
These words were like a needle, piercing straight into Penny's heart. Her face changed color several times, from green to red to white to purple, before finally settling into a look of disgust.
"I would never go to a place like that."
Harry didn't argue, he just chuckled softly.
Seeing this, Penny felt a surge of anxiety. Just as she was about to launch into a long explanation to justify her family's indifference to the magical world, Vernon suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt at the roadside.
Vernon gripped the steering wheel tightly, glaring at Harry with a dark look. "We're here, kid. I don't think you need us to come with you."
Before he could finish speaking, Nadal, who was in the back seat, couldn't contain himself any longer and tumbled over the center armrest like a wild boar leaping through the forest.
"Wait a moment!"
The fat young man completely ignored Vernon's ashen face, hurriedly pulled out a few crumpled bills from his pocket, held them up in front of Harry, and after a long while, managed to squeeze out a few words of crooked honorifics.
"I can give you money to buy me some weight loss pills."
Harry looked him up and down, and said in surprise, "You idiot! The master is not your servant. If you want to buy something, you should come with me."
Having said that, he yanked open the car door, flicked the hem of his robe, and left.
Upon hearing this, Dali clenched his fist in delight, and his more than 100 pounds of fat trembled with joy.
He hurriedly tried to roll out of the car, but Penny's fingers gripped his arm like hooks, digging into the flesh, and she snapped, "You're not allowed to use that kind of dangerous thing!"
"And that Diagon Alley thing is dangerous too; you never know what kind of weirdos might be living there!"
Despite her sharp tongue and all her strength, Penny couldn't possibly overpower this rolling mountain of flesh.
Before he could finish speaking, Dali pushed open the car door, jumped out with a bang, and rolled out like a ball of flesh, chasing after Harry.
The Dursleys had always doted on their only son, so how could they be at ease seeing him venture alone into the wizarding world?
The two of them hurriedly fell off the car, gritted their teeth, and started chasing after him, panting heavily.
The group walked through the streets and alleys, and finally stopped at a bookstore and a record shop at Charing Cross Road.
Dudley, panting heavily, stood behind Harry, scanning the shops along the street, and asked doubtfully, "Where's Diagon Alley?"
Harry ignored this and turned to the Dursleys, saying, "You all need to keep your eyes peeled, see clearly, and make sure you're not mistaken. Don't forget my legs."
After saying that, he strode forward and headed straight for the Broken Cauldron Bar.
Vernon saw Harry walk straight towards the bookstore and record shop, and when he got close, he vanished into thin air.
His throat bobbed, and he grabbed Dali's arm, rasping, "Alright, Dali, come back with me."
"Don't believe that kid's tricks."
It was just as the saying goes: "Once a child grows up, he's no longer under his father's control." Dudley wouldn't listen to reason. He suddenly broke free from Vernon's grasp, took a leap, and like a mad boar, whipped up a gust of wind, heading straight for the spot where Harry had just disappeared.
As the gray wall drew closer, Dali hurriedly closed his eyes. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar erupted in his ears.
"Mr. Potter, you've escaped the mysterious man's pursuit once again!"
"Don't talk nonsense, he defeated the mysterious man! He defeated the mysterious man!"
"But what should we do, Mr. Potter?"
"You should take the initiative! Go to Poland and defeat him! Defeate him completely! Only you can do it!"
Hearing these words, which were even more nauseating than those spoken by his cronies, Dali couldn't help but open his eyes to look.
A group of wizards and witches in robes had already surrounded Harry. Some frowned and sighed, some looked at him with pity, and some were overjoyed. The expressions were varied and numerous.
He stared blankly at Harry, who was being held in the center of the room by the church, and felt that Harry's tall and imposing figure had become even more upright, like a towering ancient tree, reaching up to his back.
"What's going on?!"
Vernon cried out from behind, and all the wizards in the room turned to look. In an instant, a buzz of whispers filled the air.
"Are they Muggles? How did they get in?"
"Tom, come cast the Oblivion Charm!"
Tom pulled out his wand and was about to emerge from behind the cabinet when Harry raised his hand to stop him, saying, "That's alright. These are guests I brought; I'm just taking them to Diagon Alley to run some errands."
Upon hearing this, all the shamans nodded in agreement.
Harry wanted to leave, but the witches were reluctant to let him go. Seeing this, Harry decided to stay and share a drink with the witches.
Tom assumed the Dursleys were Harry's honored guests, so he offered them two glasses of beer and a cup of milk as a gesture of hospitality.
The family of three sat huddled in a secluded corner, looking on nervously as they watched Harry holding a bottle of flaming whiskey, engaging in lively conversation with the witches around him.
Dudley sipped his milk, staring longingly, and couldn't help but ask, "Why can Harry drink alcohol?"
"Because they're crazy." Vernon snatched the wooden cup from Dudley's hand and slammed it on the table. "It's best not to touch the things of a madman."
Penny remained silent, only glancing around. Seeing a bartender pass by, she quickly coughed lightly and said in a practiced manner, "Excuse me—friend, could I have a butterbeer, please?"
Upon hearing this, the bartender looked her up and down carefully and asked in surprise, "Isn't that a specialty of Hogsmeade?"
'
Penny's face flushed instantly, the blush spreading all the way to her ears, burning even hotter than the Fiery Curse.
She hurriedly waved her hands and said, "I was just joking."
After the bartender left, glancing back several times, Vernon asked in bewilderment, "What's butterbeer?"
"It's nothing," Penny said, taking a sip of beer to calm herself down. "It's a new drink I saw on TV."
Before Vernon could ask further, Harry, reeking of alcohol, strode in, beckoned them to turn away from the bar, and led them directly to the courtyard surrounded by walls.
Upon arriving, Harry took his wand and tapped the bricks on the wall several times. A rumbling sound like thunder was heard, and the bricks shifted and revealed a strange, long alley.
A bronze cauldron hung from the eaves, brooms swirled about, and various magical potions were being boiled. The Dursleys stared, speechless.
The three followed Harry into the alley. Vernon was tense, looking around and spinning like a top; Petunia's eyes were fixed on him, staring blankly, her soul seemingly captivated; and Dali looked at the ice cream shop, its mouth watering at the myriad of dishes.
The alley was sparsely populated at this time, saving Harry the trouble of teaching people to stop and chat.
He led the Dursleys straight to Gringotts, where the Gripen, whom Harry had once slapped, saw them and hurriedly bowed, his face plastered with a fawning smile.
"Welcome, Mr. Potter! Your presence greatly honors Gringotts!"
After saying that, he glanced sideways at Harry's back, where the Dursleys were standing frozen in fear, not daring to move.
"Who are these people?"
"My companion who came with me, don't ask any more questions." Harry took Lockhart's will from his pocket and handed it to him. "Take this will and examine it. If there are no problems, then act according to the instructions in the book."
He took the scroll with both hands, unfolded it and examined it closely. His expression changed drastically. He hurriedly summoned the steward and three or five experienced old demons, and took the scroll to the inner room.
About half an hour later, the pull ring was brought back.
"There's nothing wrong with the will, Mr. Potter."
"We will strictly follow the contents of the will."
Harry nodded and said, "Go to my treasury and get another five thousand Galleons."
Vernon, having calmed down slightly, asked doubtfully, "What is Galon?"
"The currency circulating in the magical world." Pull-ring bowed again. "Round, golden coins."
After saying this, he bowed slightly to Harry and then went into the back room.
Seeing that the pull ring had gone far away, Vernon scoffed and whispered to Penny, "They don't even have paper money. It's like they're living in the eighteenth century."
Petunia ignored Vernon's question and stared at Harry with surprise, asking, "Where did you get the money?"
The words had barely left her mouth when she realized what she meant, and her voice suddenly lowered, "Is it the inheritance they left you?"
Harry remained silent, which meant he accepted it.
A look of disbelief flashed across Penny's face.
Vernon assumed she was just jealous of Harry's windfall and quickly reassured her, "Don't think like that, darling. That guy James doesn't even have a job, how much money could he possibly have?"
Before the words were even finished, the pull ring, which had been holding a tray full of glittering gold coins, spun back and slammed the tray onto the counter, making a loud, clear sound as it spoke.
"Your Galleons have arrived, Mr. Potter!"
Vernon looked up at the sound and was met with a blinding golden light that stung his eyes.
When Qiang squinted to take a closer look, he saw that the gold cakes on the tray were piled up in layers, forming small mounds, making the whole room shine.
All the nasty words he had been hurling at James vanished in an instant, and his legs suddenly went limp.
What the hell?! These freaks use gold as currency?!
Could it be pure gold?
He wished he could stick his eyes right onto that Gallon, but Harry only glanced at Gold Hill and said, "Exchange it all for pounds with the tavern."
Pulling up, he replied, "As you wish, Mr. Potter, that brings the total to twenty-five thousand pounds."
Do you need a bag?
"How much did you say?" Vernon's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Twenty-five thousand?!"
The shout was rough and loud, and it exploded in the spacious hall. The fairies who were engrossed in checking the account books all frowned and turned their heads to look at him, their eyes as sharp as needles.
Pull-tab, barely suppressing his anger, asked, "Is there a problem, sir?"
Ignoring the goblin's ugly and bizarre appearance, Vernon stared intently at the plate of gold coins. "Are your gold coins gilded?"
The pull ring's face darkened, and it snapped angrily, "Even though you're a guest brought by Mr. Potter, I still hope you'll watch your words. We will pursue legal action against you for your defamatory behavior!"
"Each Galon is crafted by elves, with a gold content of up to 90%, weighing half an ounce, and the margin of error is no more than 5%!"
Upon hearing this, Vernon was initially stunned. His eyes darted around a few times before suddenly widening as big as cowbells, almost bursting out of their sockets.
"Wait, I remember that gold is now one ounce—two hundred and five pounds."
As he spoke, he disregarded all decorum and began rummaging through his suit, pulling out an old ledger and a worn-out pencil to do calculations.
That is to say, 6.6 pounds is equal to one gram of gold.
"Half an ounce—90% gold content—approximately thirteen grams—"
"If that's the case, one Galleon should be worth at least eighty-five pounds! How can it only be worth five pounds?!"
As soon as Vernon finished speaking, the entire Gringotts seemed to be frozen, and all the goblins in the hall froze like wooden statues, their eyes filled with terror.
In that deathly silence, a sharp "whoosh" rang out, and Harry drew his ring knife, strode forward, and snarled, "You scoundrels! No wonder I always felt the five-pound exchange rate was suspicious; today you'll all have to explain it to me in detail!"