Arriving via floo in the Leaky Cauldron, Dumbledore ignored all the glares aimed his way, wished the room in general a good morning and made his way out the back and through to the Alley.
He was just about to walk up the steps into Gringotts, when he noticed the looks of glee the two 'security' goblins standing either side of the main doors aimed directly at him.
'Oh, bugger!' he thought. 'I almost forgot. I'm currently persona non grata in the bank.'
Instead, he smiled in amusement at both goblins and changed course. He headed direct to Twillfit and Tatting's.
Inside, he was seen by a clerk. "Professor Dumbledore," said the young man.
While he was shown professional courtesy by the young man, that was all he was shown. There was no true welcome in the man's voice or demeanour.
"I will speak with Terrence Twillfit, please," said Dumbledore. "I always deal directly with him."
The young man gave a curt nod and went to find his boss.
Twillfit came out about three minutes later. The time wasn't long enough to be properly considered rude, but there was a distinct lack of 'alacrity' in his attention.
Terrence, my good man," smiled Dumbledore. "I'm in need of three sets of robes. The full set, of course."
"Certainly," nodded Twillfit. "Any need for remeasurement?"
"No, no," replied the old man, lightly and softly chuckling. "I'll just need to see your colour and style selections, please."
Twillfit just gave a short nod and indicated for Dumbledore to follow him to where the styles catalogue could be found.
"Here are our latest styles," gestured Twillfit. "Of course, Madam Marchbanks has already informed us you'll be needing three robes in the Professor's basic black. However I'm sure―"
"No, no!" Dumbledore was quick to interject. Then chuckled again. "While I'm sure that is the information Griselda passed to you, I won't be needing those styles of robes. I'm looking for something a great deal more flashy that that. I'm sure you understand."
"Well, Headmistress Lady Marchbanks alerted us you would be coming in this morning and informed us that, due to your greatly reduced... shall we say... financial position, you were to be supplied three sets of basic black professor's robes before you were allowed the purchase of anything else," said Twillfit. "Once those three sets are purchased, I'm more than happy to see to you acquiring what else you seek to purchase. I currently have a lovely chartreuse that's just come into stock."
Angry, Dumbledore demanded, "You allow yourself to be dictated to by Griselda? Why!?"
"Multiple reasons I'm not at liberty to discuss with you," replied Twillfit. "Part of that was the hint that word will be spread by the two main alliances that we ignored her... request.
"The business we would lose far outstrips what business we receive from you."
Without a word, Dumbledore spun on his heel and stormed from the shop.
Twillfit just watched him go, sighed, closed the books he had opened for Dumbledore and shook his head.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Neville's interview was nowhere near as long as Harry's, or even Hermione's, lasting less than an hour. But, at the end of it, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
When he told his mother that, she replied, "Because you have unburdened yourself of it, dear. It will also no longer haunt memories of your childhood."
As soon as they were done, the two aurors escorted the three back to Bones's office.
As soon as Fleming passed Bones the Dicta-quilled statement, Frank firmly said, "I'll have a copy of that, thanks."
Bones simply nodded and created a court-approved copy, before handing it to him.
"Thank you," he said, tucking the scroll into an inner pocket. "Now, I want Algernon Rosier arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder of a wizarding child; and two counts of attempting to end the line of a Noble and Most Ancient House."
"I've already got the parchment drawn up and completed for all four," she said. "With the statement taken under DMLE truth tonic I can now go to the Chief Warlock and have him sign off on it. Rosier will be located, arrested and in a cell before midday."
"Good," said Frank firmly.
Turning to Neville he said, "Now that your necessary part in this is out of the way, how about you head back to the Hall?"
Neville winced and said, "Errr... I'd... rather not do that."
His father frowned and asked, "Why not?"
"It means I'll be there... alone... with Gran," he quietly replied.
"Ah!" said Alice. "Then what do you wish to do?"
"I'd like to go visit Harry and Hermione," he quickly replied.
"It will take time to get an owl to them―" started his mother. She stopped when she noticed his grin.
"Alright," she carefully said. "What am I missing?"
Neville's grin widened further. "Watch," he said.
Turning back to Bones he asked, "Madam Bones, may I borrow parchment, ink and quill?"
Quickly offering them across the desk, Neville moved closer to her desk and used the 'public' side of it to write a quick note.
Once he was done, he passed ink and quill back, blew the note dry, folded it and grinned at his parents.
"Dobby!" he called.
When the little house elf appeared within seconds, he offered the note to him and asked, "Would you mind passing this note to Harry for me?"
Dobby gave a quick bob and, while reaching for and accepting it, replied, "Dobby be honoureds to, Mister Neville, Sir."
With the note in hand, Dobby popped away.
Then Neville sat back, grinning. "Something Harry taught me," he chuckled.
While his parents looked back in surprise, Bones raised her off-hand to use her finger tips to massage the bridge of her nose yet again. "I'm really beginning to hate that boy."
"Actually," said Alice. "Lord Potter wrote to us while we in the time dilation chamber and told us he'd used that method to send Neville a note to alert him he knew Neville was worrying and he shouldn't."
"He did," nodded Neville. "That's what made me think of it now."
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/shihao123🎉