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"The last step, taking you to Gringotts."
Without lingering long at the shop, Tonks led George to Gringotts.
Gringotts was the only wizarding bank in the British magical world, run by goblins and located on the north side of Diagon Alley.
Aside from storing money and safeguarding wizards' valuables, the bank also offered currency exchange, converting Muggle money into wizarding currency.
Having officially inherited the old wizard's estate through the Ministry of Magic, George naturally needed to come to Gringotts to claim all the money the old wizard had left him.
"Ugly!"
Standing at the entrance of Gringotts, George silently muttered to himself as he gazed at the goblin guards dressed in crimson and gold-trimmed uniforms.
The goblins and elves of this world were not the beautiful creatures he had imagined; instead, they were rather ugly, resembling goblins from fairy tales.
Following Tonks up the white steps into the bronze doors of Gringotts, a second set of silver doors came into view, engraved with striking words of warning.
The message, in essence, warned against attempting to steal from Gringotts, or else the consequences would be dire.
Two goblin attendants stood by the silver doors, bowing to Tonks and George as they entered a grand marble hall.
Inside, about a hundred goblins were bustling about, handling various business matters for the wizards who came in.
Tonks led George to an available goblin, handing over the paperwork they had just processed at the Ministry.
"Estate transfer for vault 352."
Unlike the Ministry's employees, the goblins at Gringotts were highly efficient. After quickly verifying all the documents, the goblin addressed George:
"Here is the key to vault 352. Please keep it safe. Would you like to withdraw any money today?"
"No need. Just tell me how much is currently in the vault," George replied, taking the key and slipping it into his pocket.
The old wizard had left behind 500 Galleons at the shop, which was more than enough for now.
"Vault 352 contains a total of 13,200 Galleons," the goblin answered after checking the records.
"It seems the potion business is really profitable. I only make 100 Galleons a month, and when I become full-time, I'll only make 140," Tonks remarked with a look of envy.
At her current salary, it would take her ten years to save that much, assuming she didn't spend anything. Otherwise, it could take twenty or thirty years.
George, who had been frowning, immediately felt calmer after hearing Tonks' words.
Initially, he had expected the old wizard to have saved at least 100,000 Galleons, so he was somewhat disappointed to learn there were only 13,200.
But upon further reflection, it made sense.
The old wizard likely made a fortune through his potion shop and dealings on the black market—probably earning more than legitimate potion shops.
However, purchasing the shop itself must have cost a fortune, and research, especially for advanced potions, was incredibly expensive. The consumption of resources would have been vast.
Now, having over 13,000 Galleons left seemed reasonable.
Compared to Tonks' salary, 13,000 Galleons was a significant amount, enough to last for quite some time.
Wizarding currency was divided into three types: Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.
One Galleon equaled seventeen Sickles, and one Sickle equaled twenty-nine Knuts.
According to Dora's memory, a copy of the Daily Prophet cost only five Knuts, an average meal about two or three Sickles, and most wands were priced under ten Galleons.
"George, tomorrow morning, Hogwarts should send you a new acceptance letter. Study magic well at Hogwarts; you'll make plenty of friends there. I'll be off now, but I'll visit when I can!"
At the entrance of Gringotts, Tonks smiled as she playfully ruffled George's hair once again.
Hearing this, George's heart skipped a beat. With a sincere expression, he extended an invitation:
"Tonks, if it weren't for you, I never would have been able to inherit the estate so smoothly. I'd like to treat you to lunch to express my gratitude. You won't turn me down, will you?"
"I…"
Tonks was about to say she needed to return to the Ministry of Magic, but when she saw George's earnest and hopeful eyes, coupled with the memory of the delicious breakfast she had earlier, she hesitated.
"Well, of course I won't refuse. I'd be honored."
It was around lunchtime anyway, and there was no rush to get back to the Ministry. Besides, a little delay wouldn't cause too much trouble.
Seeing Tonks agree, George let out a subtle sigh of relief.
He needed Tonks to frequent his shop as often as possible. Her presence would deter the dark wizards in Knockturn Alley from having any ill intentions. At the same time, he wanted to cultivate a good relationship with her.
If Tonks could drop by regularly, he'd have more opportunities to learn additional spells before heading off to Hogwarts. This was especially important for his original body.
Escaping the experimental base would not be an easy task, and surviving the inevitable pursuit afterward would be even harder. Each new spell he mastered would provide him with a better chance of survival.
He knew that the time for his other self to break out of the base wasn't far off.
"Good thing I'm decent at cooking!" George thought, determined to make a delicious meal in hopes of encouraging Tonks to visit more often.
Dora, as the old wizard's servant, had developed solid cooking skills through years of training, and George himself had a love for food in his previous life.
Though not a professional chef, his cooking was widely appreciated by his friends.
Combining his own tastes with Dora's experience, he felt confident he could whip up some dishes that would be quite impressive.
"This is amazing! What kind of dish is this? The flavor is so unique. I've never tasted anything like this before!"
"Sweet and sour pork," George answered with a smile.
"And this one? It's also delicious," Tonks asked, pointing at another dish.
"Kung Pao chicken."
"And this?"
"Tomato and scrambled eggs."
After lunch, Tonks leaned back in her chair, rubbing her now full stomach with a satisfied sigh.
"This is the best meal I've ever had."
"If you liked it, Tonks, you're welcome to come by anytime. I can make lots of other delicious dishes," George said as he began clearing the table, still smiling.
Tonks waved her hand in response. "Oh, I couldn't possibly. I'm not that shameless."
To her, George had already gone through enough hardship. She couldn't bring herself to take advantage of him just because she was an Auror. That wasn't her style.
Seeing her refusal, George quickly guessed her reasoning and spoke seriously, "Tonks, you shouldn't feel embarrassed. You coming over often would actually help me out a lot. After all, this is Knockturn Alley."
At that point, there was no need to beat around the bush. Tonks wasn't stupid, and after George's hint, she quickly put the pieces together.
"Ah, I see. Well then, I'll take you up on that offer. I'll come by for meals whenever I can," she said with a grin. "But it won't be for free. I'll buy all the ingredients. No arguments."
(End of chapter)