At Future World's headquarters, Felix, Sirius, and Lupin were scattered across the three corners of the office, Felix half-lounging on the couch, flipping through the newspaper, Sirius leaning against the door frame and constantly tossing a ball of wool, and Lupin sitting behind his desk, dealing with a thick stack of documents.
"Is that what she said?" Felix read a ten-day-old newspaper with an obituary signed by Elphias Doge, his finger pausing in the centre of it.
"You inspired her." Sirius said somewhat distractedly, his eyes fixed on the window, "That public display made Amelia realise the usefulness of school children, and she thought she could give it a try - the last time when she went with a group of Aurors, the goblins nearly released the dragon from the vault floor."
"Is the situation that serious?" Lupin asked, looking up gravely.
"I dare, they wouldn't risk it, but the appearance of the Brotherhood of Goblins has complicated things." Sirius said with a grim expression, he had been involved in the negotiations last time and at one point the two sides had pulled out their weapons, "Their spokesman - that cock-eyed Bodrig or something - demanded a new Goblin Rights Bill and went on to talk about the great history of the Goblin kingdom at the negotiations and how a certain king had beaten the wizards down to the ground ..."
The Goblin Kingdom? Felix thought about it for a moment, it is basically a term that exists only in books and test papers.
In fact, Goblins existed as a group before wizards did because of the difference in appearance from humans. Although it is said to be a kingdom, it is not all that different from the tribes of Centaur and Merpeople, and in ancient times there may have been a dozen goblin kingdoms at the same time.
But unlike the other magical races, the goblins were more progressive. Not only did they develop their own language and magic system, but they also took on the guise of superb metalsmiths to trade with wizards, learning and imitating wizards' excellence.
It was not all smooth sailing for wizards to reach their current dominant position in the magical world, and they have faced challenges from many races, some of which have even been lost forever in history. Of these, the goblins were the longest to resist, with rebellions breaking out until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, only to die down in the last hundred years.
In general, therefore, the absolute dominance of wizards over goblins has not lasted long, and it has much to do with the existence of the non-magical world - as productivity has increased, and the general population has experienced several population explosions in recent centuries, the number of muggle-born wizards has naturally risen too.
...
"... There are quite a few such organisations in the magical world, quite a few of them are still established by wizards." Lupin said calmly, "For example, a witch called Heliotrope Willis came to the door to promote her Troll security services. She's also the head of a Troll Rights Movement."
"A Troll Rights Movement?" Felix asked curiously, "Can they read the constitution of that organisation?"
"Apparently, that woman does it for them." Sirius let out a dog-like jeer, "All the Trolls have to do is stand behind her with their wooden clubs."
"Or stand behind the goblin." Lupin picked up, "I turned her down, we have our own defence system, and she revealed that she would approach the Gringotts for a partnership next."
"Good luck to her." Felix said, raising his newspaper, his light blue, penetrating gaze moving in the direction of where the Gringotts located. His eyes seemed to be the same colour as the sky.
A few streets away from them, in the opposite direction from the Sword Castle, inside the Gringotts, Ms. Bones and a few students sat at one side of a large, long table, and on the other side, there were twelve goblins clad in suits and ties.
One of the goblins was scrutinising an antique, crudely shaped plate with a magnifying glass.
Ms. Bones had a flat expression, and to her left sat Hermione, her hand under the table trembling slightly from nervousness, her eyes moving back and forth between the goblins and the thick document in front of her. To Ms. Bones' right was Harry, and surprisingly one seat further away was Draco Malfoy, whom Ms. Bones had forcefully selected when she had visited the school in the morning.
Her reasoning was that Malfoy's ancestors had mediated negotiations between goblins and wizards, and Lucius Malfoy knew quite a few hidden secrets that might come into play.
They looked back at the window-like space, the area where there should have been a window was now empty, and it was completely dark outside, with a faint low growl pulsing from the underground that made their heads throb.
"The craftsmanship is messy and unattractive," said the goblin with the magnifying glass, constantly picking out faults, "and it's no match for our elaborate silverware - but, no doubt, it's an antique of very old age. And there seems to be something special about the clay used ... Gringotts is willing to pay fifty galleons for it."
"It's not for sale."
Ms. Bones said under her breath, and then she realised something, the saucer is genuine, the wizard's relic is real. Her mind instantly filled with tons of courage.
"... It is strange that I cannot distinguish the origin," the goblin said doubtfully, "Soils from all over the world are recorded within goblins, but the soil used in this clay saucer contains certain special elements that are currently unidentified in the forge role - where did you obtain it?"
Ms. Bones smiled slightly, "You are quite right, Nagnok. It was brought back from the moon by Felix Hap, who was lucky enough to discover the relics of an ancient wizard."
The goblin Nagnok stared at her, "You mean this came from the moon?"
Ms. Bones nodded haughtily.
The goblins made whispering noises.
Brodrig the Boss-Eyed said with a grimace, "I don't believe it! Let me check it once!" He jumped up from his chair, and although the goblin stood short, his fingers were exceptionally long, and just as his nails reached for the saucer, Harry, who was sitting opposite, suddenly reached out, and the saucer moved away from the goblin.
"Brodrig, don't make a mess!" A goblin reprimanded angrily.
Brodrig the Boss-Eyed caught a lump of air and sat reluctantly back in his chair.
"Mr. Harry Potter," the goblin who had just spoken out to stop him greeted in a cold manner, "it seems like only yesterday that you first came to the Gringotts ."
Harry carefully studied the goblin's face; it seemed to him that all the goblins looked similar, can only be distinguished by their beards and hair, a bit like the mannequins sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, well, a half-finished one without the hair glued on ...
Since the goblin mentioned his first visit to the Gringotts - "Mr. Griphook?" Harry tentatively said as he searched his brain.
Griphook nodded.
Oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded, Ms. Bones said calmly, "We can get down to business, and you should be aware of the reason for my visit; although goblins and wizards are of different races and have occasional disputes, both sides are in fact mutually dependent and part of the same magical community."
"Humph! Who knows if you guys have thought of some new deception?" Brodrig shouted.
"It's not impossible." The goblin sitting in the centre said, he seemed to be the oldest, and for goblins, older age meant greater Casting ability and higher status - probably one of the few systems the goblins had inherited from the goblin kingdom.
"But we demand wizards to address the rights of goblins properly. This includes absolute equality of goblins with wizards in all contexts, the right for goblins to carry and use wands, and the right to settle and participate in the next muggle negotiations ...," the elderly goblin went on for a full ten minutes before stopping.
"Oh yeah, and abolish that stupid Goblin Liaison Office!"
Ms. Bones raised her eyebrows.
" Well, I didn't expect the last request as you guys always put in a dozen requests there, not to mention I thought you were satisfied with Dirk Cresswell's ability to do his job." Dirk Cresswell is the Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, in charge of specifically initiating communication with goblins, Dirk Cresswell had been in charge of the last negotiations.
"Goblins don't need wizards telling them what to do in terms of economics." The goblin said matter-of-factly.
Draco Malfoy let out a loud 'snort'.
"Boy, I don't give a damn about Malfoy," Brodrig the Boss-Eyed immediately spoke up and threatened, "I'll feed you to the dragons."
Draco's face went white. He narrowed his eyes and trailed off, "My father once said that there is a blind Ukrainian Ironbelly ... locked up in the underground of the Gringotts, but you would never dare to release it."
"I'm waiting for you to say something like this." The goblin said provocatively.
"Sitting opposite you is the Minister of Magic, and if you try something funny it will mean war between wizards and goblins," Draco Malfoy said as a gloomy grin appeared on his face. "I would prefer for you to do so, as I guarantee that in less than an hour, the goblins here would instantly become history."
The goblins yelled angrily and several of them pointed out their fingers at Draco, his face grew even paler, Harry remembered the house elf Dobby from the goblins' movements, and with a whoosh he drew his wand, ready to cast a spell.
Although he hadn't been assigned any duties when he arrived, he had positioned himself as an escort during the negotiations.
Hermione had spent the morning going through the piles of information she had gathered at the Ministry of Magic and had talked to Ms. Bones along the way. The specifics of the negotiations hardly required Harry to intervene - he was very self-aware, based on the results of his History of Magic O.W.Ls exams, in which he had basically got all the answers wrong on the questions relating to goblins.
Harry was greatly surprised, that the ever-cowardly Malfoy dared to initiate a provocation on this occasion, and Malfoy stood up and approached the goblin who had spoken with an air of courage. But in the next second, the realization dawned on Harry.
"Felix Hap." A name spat out of Draco's mouth.
That name seemed to possess magical powers, the glow on the goblins' slender fingers faded a little, and the sight of it brought a winning smile to Draco's face, he had bet on it, Dad was right! The arrogant, long-eared goblins feared the Professor.
In the eyes of the others, Professor Hap is an extremely otherworldly being who has risen like a comet, and hardly anyone truly knows him.
The dragon's roar was still faintly heard from the crumbling window behind them, but the roar no longer fazed them. Draco's words seemed to have produced a magical chemical reaction.
Ms. Bones stifled the smile that was about to appear on her face; she had long been uncomfortable with the goblins' arrogant attitude but had to put up with it for the greater good, only to find that these goblins had got ahead of themselves and used her toleration as a bargaining chip, which was evident from the fact that they had added a dozen additional demands.
"Mr. Hap is occupied with many things," Ms. Bones said gently, "and I would not disturb him with these petty issues if I don't need to. As you mentioned, the negotiations are imminent, and we don't have much time left."
She turned her head to look at Hermione.
Hermione cleared her throat, "Gentlemen - well - Mr. Goblin, why don't you listen to the Pan-Magical Alliance's Constitutions? It regulates the obligations of each party, with greater interests, and once the Alliance is formed, the forces of the magical community will be united together, and not only will there be increased cooperation, but goblins will also enjoy a range of benefits if negotiations between wizards and the Muggle government are successful. Oh, and I have heard from a reliable source that silverware crafted by goblins is very popular even in non-magical circles ..."
The goblins looked at each other.
The negotiation continued and the attitude of some of the goblins loosened over the next two hours as Hermione rambled on about the benefits of the Pan-Magical Alliance to the goblins. Hermione took a short breath and continued.
"The goblins have lost nothing, and this unexpected crisis has instead served as an opportunity to give wizards and goblins a reason to negotiate, and neither wants surprises at this critical time, so both sides must show their utmost goodwill - but if someone, or the goblins, are stubborn and cling only to their own interests," Hermione said with a raised eyebrow and a stern attitude, "goblins don't fear war, and wizards fear war even less."
"Do wizards want to destroy their own economic system?" A goblin said with a grimace.
Hermione looked at Ms. Bones, who was leaning back in her chair and had no intention of speaking, so Hermione said seriously, "Maybe the wizarding world will be in chaos for a while, but the trouble will soon be solved, for example, Future World Corporation has over two thousand employees around the world, and they can take the place of the Gringotts at any time."
"Not to mention, the goblins' proud currency forging technology and anti-counterfeiting techniques - it's only a matter of time for a true Archmage to decipher them."
The goblins chided her loudly.
"Goblins would never agree to the status of being equal to those wizard slaves!" Another goblin shouted.
But instead of being shocked, Ms. Bones was pleased, it meant that the negotiations were entering a substantive phase.
"House-elves are not slaves," Hermione said, "at least not legally anymore. The house elves of Future World and Hogwarts have agreed to join the Pan-Magical Alliance, and next, the Ministry of Magic will gradually clear out the house elves from the hands of the ancient families, they will be freed from heavy and menial domestic work and unfair treatment for more meaningful duties."
"Those families are willing to surrender their slaves?" A goblin called out, looking at Draco.
"The ignorant fools are in Azkaban," Draco sneered, "and those people will end up just like their Lord, Voldemort." Well, the Malfoys had to be separated from the Death Eaters. It took him a while to practice before he could say the Dark Lord's name fluently.
"What if a house elf doesn't want to be set free?" The goblins asked, knowing all about the condition of house elves.
"The Ministry of Magic will not impose this law all at once, they will give a wide berth to the families who are friendly," Hermione said, "but at least the newborn house elves will all be sheltered by the Pan-Magical Alliance."
The goblins whispered, they could see that the wizard's will to reform was strong, the fact that the Wizards were giving up a large chunk of their benefits, although the benefits would remain a part of the magical community, was still a shock to the goblins since they were taking food out of the mouths of the ancient families.
At that moment, Draco stepped under the table and Harry turned his head sideways as Draco nudged towards an empty seat opposite.
The goblin with the strange name was gone? Harry thought to himself, he had also seen Brodrig the Boss-Eyed leave halfway through and didn't think anything was amiss, but for Draco Malfoy to remind him.
The cold wind behind him made his hair stand up.
Harry quietly approached Ms. Bones, his lips quirking, "There's a goblin missing."
Ms. Bones nodded with caution.
Suddenly, a deafening dragon roar sounded from the underground to their ears and the room fell silent for a moment. Harry stared carefully at the faces of the goblins, who also seemed unaware of what was happening. Immediately afterward the tabletop began to shake and the rumbling of stone pillars collapsing and the roaring of a dragon mixed together chillingly.
Harry was the first to react, jumping up and taking the vessel on the table in his hands as Hermione stuffed it into a small beaded bag. They then quickly retreated to the corner, Harry stood on the outer layer and propped up the magical barrier.
There was a tooth-aching creak. Harry's eyes moved to the chair he had been sitting in before, and he saw a cloudy pink eye. "Dragon, dragon, dragon ..." Draco stammered as the grey scales and spiked wings slid past their eyes, the walls squeezed out of shape and dust rose high in the air.
From far away the panicked cries of the goblins were heard.
The goblins in the room ran outside, followed by Harry and the group, and they made their way to the lobby of the Gringotts. They were dumbfounded by what they saw - a large hole in the high, exquisite ceiling, through which a huge grey dragon could be seen flapping its wings and kicking half the ceiling with a mighty kick, then without pausing, it let out a roar of excitement and spread its wings wide and shot towards the light blue sky.
Some broken bricks and glass came crashing down.
The goblins fell around like random potatoes on a kitchen counter. There were a dozen sharp goblin swords stuck in the ground, sharp enough to break through the dragon's defences.
One goblin was shouting in some strange language that Harry realised to be goblin language.
"What's going on?" One of the goblins involved in the negotiations asked in a gibberish voice.
"Brodrig broke into the lowest level of the vault on his own and demanded the Clanker that controlled the dragon, and tried to free some of its restraints. But he got careless and the dragon rushed over and swallowed him in one gulp, after which it broke free of the remaining chains and flew away." A goblin reported.
The elderly goblin's face was so gloomy that water could drip off it.
He instantly realised that Brodrig the Boss-Eyed intended to use the dragon to disrupt the peace talks; Brodrig certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to have the dragon attack the Minister of Magic, but it was still entirely possible to create a disturbance to interrupt and delay the negotiations.
At least on the bright side, the wizards couldn't afford to drag their feet any longer. The more delay the more beneficial it would be to the goblins.
"Why did the dragon suddenly go berserk? And how could it possibly break free of the chains the goblins had built?" Ms. Bones asked aloud.
No one answered. The Gringotts even closed the bank for the day due to the reception of the Ministry of Magic, and the doors were completely sealed off, which basically ruled out the possibility of outsiders sneaking in. The elderly goblin found himself in an unbearable predicament.
He is in no position to fight, nor could he, with all those threats still fresh in his mind; telling him it would be a foolish thing to do, and goblins would never do a foolish thing.
Ms. Bones looked equally gloomy, standing in the hall and calculating the situation quickly.
"If I'm right -" she took a deep breath, "the goblins were planning to use the dragon against us, only for the dragon to get out of control and flee?"
"Nothing of the sort!" The elderly goblin denied it flatly.
"How else did the chain break? Is it possible that your guards have no control over the vault? How does that make us trust you to guard the wizard's property?" Ms. Bones pressed on.
"The dragon has grown old, and we are planning to replace it with other creatures, which may have caused us to neglect its control." The elderly goblin said immediately, "But the Gringotts is still the safest bank in the world."
"That line of rhetoric is completely insincere."
"... At least this would not affect the negotiations that would follow." The goblin elder said as he stared at the crowd that had gathered from the street and pointed.
...
Felix put the paper down and stood up from the couch, "I'm leaving."
"Amelia isn't out yet." Sirius said in surprise.
"There's been an accident at the Gringotts, but I don't think it will affect the negotiations." Felix said, looking over at Sirius and Lupin, "Do me a favour, Severus will come to Sword Castle in a couple of days to preside over the simplification of potions and I don't want to hear about any of you fighting."
"You can't tell this to just us!" Sirius barked.
Felix shrugged, by which time the clamour outside had reached the inside of the Sword Castle.
"How about I just put 'No Fighting' on the back of every door?"
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