"I do not share your enthusiasm." Grumbled another muscled goblin. "This is the sixth Will in the last two years their cursed Ministry is ordering us to put in stasis."
The word "ordering" had been spoken with a non-negligible amount of bitterness and rage. Goblins, by their very nature, were a proud race, which preferred death to submission. Obeying to the Ministry of Magic edicts, especially when the wand-wielders routinely violated every treaty signed during the last century, was...not well received or tolerated.
"How much will the blockage on Lady Cassiopeia Black's vaults last?" Asked a goblin, wearing a very expensive suit at the end of the long table.
"That's a good question, isn't it?" Snarled a goblin who hadn't opened his mouth until then. "Given that the two main beneficiaries aren't of age yet, I expect it to take a while."
"Not any means to...accelerate the process?" Enquired the clerk-looking like goblin.
"How I am supposed to do so?" Complained the muscular goblin. "I am running the Will and Inheritance Office of Gringotts, not the bloody Ministry!"
"We are speaking about a million Galleons for each beneficiary and there are three of them, Kurtrak! Use your imagination!" Sneered the goblin directly facing the one who had previously spoken.
"My assistants and I have already examined plenty of possibilities," said the aforementioned Kurtrak. From under the table, the massive goblin took a large pile of parchment he posed on the meeting table. "The problem is that they aren't any good options," he continued in a somewhat calmer tone. "We all know it was the pile of excrements known as Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge who blocked the Will. As one is the bloody Chief Warlock and the other is the Minister of Magic, which closes pretty much all the solutions to pass by the Wizengamot and the other legal options.
I have taken the liberty to take contact with House Sverre's lawyers and barristers and they were not amused. Unfortunately, we all how bigoted the wizards of England are towards foreigners, any proceedings engaged are going to last years."
"And the Potter Heiress?" Asked the goblin with the expensive suit. "She is after all the other main beneficiary of the Will."
"The girl is not ready to fight against Albus Dumbledore, assuming she ever will." Grunted Kurtrak. "Moreover he's also her Headmaster and magical guardian. And I had a note of Senior Accountant Grimjaw last week the Heiress requested several procedures to ensure her mail is not intercepted by the Chief Warlock."
"That is...promising news." Said the clerk-type goblin.
"For Grimjaw, I assume." Said Kurtrak. "I know of several goblins who were considerably less happy at the idea of losing their jobs..."
Which meant, as all the goblins around the table very well knew, the goblins in question were also in the process of questioning their own mortality. For all the blood and casualties happening during a 'Goblin Rebellion', it was really nothing to the bloodshed unleashed at each economic crisis in the entrails of Gringotts.
14th October 1992, Hogwarts, Scotland
"And that, dear students, is how I managed to defeat the third werewolf who was treacherously trying to attack me from behind!" Pompously finished Gilderoy Lockhart in his usual grandiloquent tone.
There were very few applaud in the class to mark this presentation where arrogance and the gigantic ego of Lockhart had played a major role. Even Hermione, who had been Lockhart's chief supporter amongst the Gryffindor was progressively abandoning any enthusiasm she ever had concerning their Senior Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
After the disaster that had been the release of the Cornish Pixies, Lockhart had not dared bring another potential magical creature for any class, but it did not mean his hours had become curriculum-related. Instead, the blonde teacher was now asking for volunteers each Wednesday to come read his books in front of the class, or just mimicking dangerous creatures Lockhart was supposedly had vanquished in his various travels. There was no tactics sessions, no knowledge concerning dangerous creatures, not a minor hex or jinx to learn. Lockhart's travels, his exploits, his smile, his lilac robes, his appearance and of course, Lockhart favourite subject of discussion...himself, were all the authorised subjects of conversation.
After one month of this treatment, it went without saying most of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had abandoned any illusion they had left concerning the famous author. Now that it was October, any students were convinced the class was a waste of time, descending in the nullity even deeper than the now deceased Professor Quirell had gone. Alexandra in these occasions was profusely thanking in her mind Professor Flitwick to have given her a list of spells to learn. Her progress was slow, but she had managed to learn three useful offensive spells, the Disarming Charm Expelliarmus, the Throw-Out Charm Everte Statum and the Incarcerous Spell. The last one was really interesting, as it bound the target with ropes coming from nowhere. Expelliarmus was good on one-on-one duels, but it really sucked against multiple opponents. Hermione had discovered a modification of the spell in the library, but an incantation like Expelliarmus Tria, as seducing as the principle sounded in theory, was a dead weight in practise. The spell became awfully imprecise, and there was really no way to target one, let alone two or three opponents at the same time. Except counting on luck, of course, but Flitwick had taught her last year how a bad idea it was.
"Now I want another person to read Chapter 15 of Break With a Banshee. Volunteers, raise your hands!"
No Lion or Raven was stupid enough to do it, leaving Lockhart's with the burden to choose someone. His eyes were already fixed on Neville Longbottom when the bell signalling the end of the class rang. The Boy-Who-Lived breathed so loudly it was tantamount to an admission of relief, a fact which had apparently not escaped to their incompetent Defence Professor.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/Makimafic
If you guys wanna check it out.