Morning, Gringotts – Diagon Alley
"Let me in! I demand to be let in first!"
"Give me back my Galleons! You thieves!"
"The sound is deafening!"
"Damn goblins! If the Pravis family doesn't get an explanation today, I swear I'll tear Gringotts apart!"
Outside the ancient stone gates of Gringotts, a sea of wizards surged, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus of fury and desperation. The usually bustling Diagon Alley was now a boiling pot of outrage. The air crackled with tension, curses flying like sparks from angry lips, ricocheting off the cobblestone streets.
The crowd pressed forward, their frustration palpable, as their dreams and savings hung in the balance. Years—decades—of hard-earned Galleons, trusted to Gringotts, the safest place in the wizarding world... now gone.
The betrayal stung like salt in an open wound.
A line of Aurors stood at the forefront, their wands raised, scanning the crowd with wary eyes. They could feel it—the fragile line between order and chaos teetering on the edge. If not for their vigilant presence, more impulsive wizards might have already blasted the doors open with spells of their own.
Luckily—or perhaps unluckily—no goblins had dared to show themselves outside the vault's fortified walls. If they had, they'd have risked more than just angry words. The wizards' patience was wearing thin, and tempers were as volatile as unstable potions.
They had trusted Gringotts. They had believed in its unbreakable security.
And now that trust was shattered.
Despite newspapers insisting that Gringotts would compensate everyone for their losses, no one truly believed it. Compensation? Perhaps. But would it match the weight of the Galleons they had lost?
Hardly.
Many suspected that whatever compensation did come would be swept up by the pure-blood families—those with power and influence. Ordinary wizards, the backbone of the magical community, would be left with crumbs.
Their frustration simmered dangerously.
And then—
Click! Click! Click!
The crowd hushed, their heads whipping toward the sound as the heavy doors of Gringotts creaked open.
Two figures emerged.
One tall, one short.
For a heartbeat, the wizards stood frozen, their anger momentarily replaced by stunned disbelief. They rubbed their eyes, as if they couldn't trust what they were seeing.
Gilderoy Lockhart.
And beside him, a goblin cloaked in regal purple.
The stunned silence shattered as recognition set in.
"Gilderoy Lockhart?! What's going on?!"
"Professor Lockhart!"
"The Principal of Kamar-Taj?! Why are you standing with a goblin?"
"I knew it! These pure-blood wizards and Gringotts have been in cahoots all along!"
"Traitors! All of them!"
The initial surprise gave way to a renewed, even more venomous wave of outrage. Angry curses and accusations erupted like wildfire, their targets shifting from goblins to Lockhart and Kamar-Taj.
But Lockhart?
He merely smiled—calm, composed, and utterly unfazed by the verbal barrage.
Nothing leaves a stronger impression than being proven wrong, he mused silently. Whether by words or actions, the outcome was always the same.
"The sound is deafening!" someone shouted again, echoing the growing unrest.
"Principal Lockhart! Why are you standing with these thieves? You owe us an explanation!"
"Did you steal our Galleons, too?!"
"Just like the pure-bloods—using your power to exploit us!"
The crowd surged forward, their fury palpable, the atmosphere primed to explode. The Aurors tightened their grips on their wands, beads of sweat trickling down their temples as they prepared for the inevitable.
Even the Aurors felt a twinge of resentment toward Lockhart. The situation was bad enough without someone of his fame stepping in and standing shoulder to shoulder with the goblins.
Why doesn't he say something? they wondered, feeling the pressure mount.
But Lockhart remained still, his smile unfaltering.
And then—
Cough! Cough! Cough!
The sound was light, almost casual, yet it cut through the crowd like a blade. It echoed in every wizard's ear as though someone had coughed right beside them, a strange, invasive sensation.
But it wasn't just the sound.
It carried power.
An invisible force seemed to seep into their bones, draining the heat of their anger and replacing it with a chilling calm. A wave of powerlessness washed over the crowd, leaving them uneasy and hollow.
For some, especially the darker wizards in attendance, it evoked a memory they'd hoped to forget.
Azkaban.
The feeling was eerily similar to the despair that came from being near a Deheadmaster—that soul-sucking, hopeless void that stripped away all joy.
The crowd fell silent.
Every eye locked on Lockhart, the reality of who they were facing sinking in.
He wasn't just a charming face or a famous author.
He was the Principal of Kamar-Taj. A wizard powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with both Dumbledore and Voldemort.
And he was not to be trifled with.
"I know everyone is anxious," Lockhart began, his voice smooth and familiar, the same gentle tone that had once charmed readers and students alike. But now, it carried the weight of authority—undeniable and absolute.
"Today, I'm here to put your worries to rest."
With that, he patted the shoulder of the goblin standing beside him, who remained stoic despite the hostile stares.
"This," Lockhart continued, "is Harmon, the Grand Elder of Gringotts Goblins."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, mingled with skepticism and curiosity.
"Kamar-Taj, Hogwarts, and the Ministry of Magic were all deeply shocked by the events at Gringotts," Lockhart continued, his voice unwavering. "Like many of you, we found it hard to believe. This is the first time in Gringotts' centuries-long history that such a catastrophe has occurred."
The crowd listened, their anger simmering just below the surface.
"But rest assured," Lockhart said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "Kamar-Taj, Hogwarts, and the Ministry have united with Gringotts to ensure that no wizard's interests are harmed."
He stepped back slightly, gesturing to Harmon. "Now, let us hear from the Grand Elder of Gringotts."
The wizards buzzed with renewed energy, whispering among themselves. The mention of Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic added an air of legitimacy, but their trust in goblins was far from restored.
Many still glared at Harmon, their faces etched with skepticism.
Can they really compensate us? they wondered. Can anything truly replace what we've lost?
The crowd wasn't foolish. They knew that in cases like this, the powerful—the pure-blood families—often found ways to come out ahead. Ordinary wizards were left to pick up the pieces.
Their hopes now rested on the alliance of Kamar-Taj and Hogwarts to keep things fair.
Harmon, standing rigidly beside Lockhart, felt the weight of a thousand eyes pressing down on him. Though his face remained emotionless, his mind was a storm of bitter thoughts.
Puppet.
The word echoed in his mind.
Gringotts, once the untouchable bastion of goblin independence and wealth, was now reduced to this—a puppet of the wizarding world. And Harmon?
A senior puppet, at best.
But survival had its price.
Thinking of the promises made to him, and the countless lives lost, Harmon drew a deep breath.
His expression shifted slightly, an apologetic shadow crossing his features.
Then, in a voice that trembled with both grief and resolve, he bowed deeply and shouted, "Esteemed wizards, I am sorry!"
The crowd gasped, stunned into silence.
"The invasion by dark wizards was beyond Gringotts' expectations," Harmon continued, his voice resonating through the alley. "We were unprepared for such a catastrophic breach."
A heavy pause.
"In this tragedy, 1,348 goblins of Gringotts lost their lives. Our facilities suffered devastating damage—many of which may never recover."
Harmon's voice wavered as the memories flooded back—the blood-soaked corridors, the shattered vaults, the lifeless bodies of his kin.
"But that is no excuse," he declared, his voice steadying. "Gringotts will bear the full burden of compensating every wizard for their losses."
==============================================
Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================