This group is handled by Gringotts Bank. I bought silver and gold in London bullion. Is that what they're going to do to me? By having the goblins freeze my accounts for me? Well, little people have no right to interfere with the rights of wizards, except in clearly defined situations in the clan.
And if the goblins do that, I will immediately sever all ties with them forever — that's what I wrote in my official letter. Fifty thousand is a lot of money, but I have seven and a quarter pounds of gold on my hands, so who will lose more in the end is obvious. And anyway, I don't trust those creatures who have organized so many bloody wars. And parasites.
A hundred meters from the Ministry, I hear two pairs of hurried footsteps behind me, and a few seconds later, I'm called.
— Mr. Hoshino! — I stop and turn around. — If you don't mind, we need to talk. — A man of medium height, about forty years old, wearing the local version of business attire, his companion dressed similarly, except he was taller than me and as wide as two of me-a real bear of a man! -There's a great restaurant nearby where we won't be disturbed.
— All right, Mr.?
— Greengrass, Henry Oliver Greengrass, Lord Greengrass. — The man introduced himself in a polished and graceful manner, bowing slightly, which immediately made me pull myself together and look at his companion. — May I present Richard Bullstrode, the current head of the pureblood Bullstrode family. — The tall man nodded silently, which, given his size, almost matched his companion's actions. — Come on, this way...
We didn't have to walk very far, arriving at a quiet street in the magical part of town in ten minutes. The restaurant itself turned out to be two-storied, but it looked somehow quiet and squat, and the background of it was soothing, setting up for a quiet rest. On the first floor everything was arranged in the best English tradition, that is, expensive, but without excesses, and also in dark colors.
The large windows were half closed with heavy burgundy curtains with a vegetable pattern in gold, which, even in the middle of the day, created a cozy twilight in the corners, where I noticed three occupied tables. But we went to the second floor, which offered separate offices, very comfortable and more "home". Here you can not only relax in good company, but also conduct business negotiations without too much attention.
It was a good place — it had that spirit of "old Britishness" that literary writers often mention. I sank into the chair with obvious pleasure, for here I felt a concentrated version of my first "sip" of English magic: old, quiet, thorough, a little tired of the hustle and bustle of earlier times, but not ready to retire or fall asleep. When we had ordered and the first change was brought to us, the master spoke.
— First of all, Mr. Hoshino, I would like to thank you for your words in the hall. — My questioning look was answered immediately. — In recent years, the situation in Britain has become depressing: people have come to power whose only concern is to create an excessive bureaucracy behind which they hide their affairs. Society is used to turning a blind eye to many things, everyone knows everything, but they are shamefully silent. I am grateful to you for reminding them of their pride and the laws that are more important than their edicts. — The man sat down and bowed his head.
— I don't quite understand, honorable Lord Greengrass, — I couldn't help myself, I admit, even if it is a bit rude and impertinent in my situation. — But why do people of your caliber, I looked at both men. — have no say in the matter? — Bulstrode replied.
— You see, Mr. Hoshino, — the man's voice was just like his: deep and confident. — The whole point is that there has been a great change in the power structure of this country. Before, authority had played the same role as wealth, but after the war with Grindewald, the power of the Kindred had diminished considerably, and many of the weaker ones were on the brink of extinction.
And so, as the country's elite tried to recover from the terrible losses, a new force began to take power — uneducated and undereducated Half-Bloods and Muggleborns, as well as Mudbloods. Not knowing the meaning of the old ways, they began to rebuild all the structures according to their own ideas. It was all done professionally and quietly, so few people had time to react.
And then it began: new laws, new ways of life, the banning of the "dark" arts, and the politics of lies and cuts in education. — The man took a glass of white wine to wet his parched throat, and Greengrass spoke.
— Now only money, capital, is respected, and the words of the old respectable clans are disregarded if they don't have enough wealth to throw gold around on every visit.
— I'm not quite sure why you're telling me all this. ..... — I really don't understand, which makes me a little confused, although this information is already very important, and I have new thoughts on how it will help me.
— In his time, the Dark Lord said the right things, the right things. — Greengrass spoke in a detached and thoughtful way. — But not all of us followed him because we didn't approve of terror, and some of his thoughts left us with bad feelings and assumptions. And after all, the majority of the pureblood clans that proclaim the fight for the old traditions and ways of doing things, the words about the old traditions are not true, as well as former authoritative wizards.