Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 117: First time sneaking into the underground vault
The air was filled with an indescribable stench. Leather boots rolled over the soft mossy mud, passing by the black magic shop without a sign, and walked to the end of the damp alley.

The young professors and the fresh-faced students seemed out of place in such a place, attracting the attention of most wizards.

In the dark doorways of shops along the way, wizards whose faces could not be seen stared at them and whispered to each other. Occasionally, a disabled wizard with a withered face and gloomy eyes passed by the roadside and stopped to cast a look at them, which made Harry shudder.

"Don't wander into those shops without signs on Knockturn Alley. You don't know what they do."

Melvin walked ahead leisurely, as if he were taking a student on an outing, and was interested in introducing him. "Even shops with signs should be treated with caution. Take that candle shop across the street. You only know they sell candles and oil lamps, but you don't know what the oil is made from."

A student who was about to enter the second grade looked up at the skull on the candle shop sign: "..."

Harry's face turned pale as a certain guess emerged in his mind.

He didn't really want to know.

"If you get lost in Knockturn Alley, don't try to ask for directions in a gentle and friendly manner. Try to knock the person down before asking. Veritaserum or the Imperius Curse will be more convenient."

Hearing Professor Lewinter's words and feeling the malicious gazes around him, Harry felt a little scared. He wondered if he hadn't happened to meet the professor, it would have been difficult for him to get out of here safely today.

As if sensing his thoughts, Melvin chuckled. "Don't think of Knockturn Alley as some kind of dragon's lair. Many dark wizards gather here, and there are many goods that can't be found in Diagon Alley. Therefore, it attracts many underground merchants and customers. All you have to do is find a crowded place, shout that you are the Boy-Who-Lived, and show the scar on your forehead, and many people will be willing to escort you out."

Harry had a strange expression on his face, and couldn't tell if the professor was joking or serious.

After turning a few corners in the winding alleys, Melvin continued, "If you're lucky, you might run into someone you know. As far as I know, many professors come here to buy teaching aids before school starts. Professors Sprout, Snape, and Barbie are all regulars. Hagrid also comes here to buy insect repellent."

"Hagrid isn't back yet..."

Harry said quietly, "I've been staying at the Weasleys' house lately. The Burrow received a letter from Charlie yesterday saying that Hagrid broke his leg in Romania and that Professor Kettleburn won't be able to take him home for two days."

Melvin couldn't help but smile. It wasn't surprising at all that this happened to Hagrid.

As they approached the alleyway's exit, an old witch carrying a stack of dead men's fingernails passed by, stopped beside them, and stared intently at the two. Melvin calmly met her gaze, composedly led Harry away, and entered the territory of Diagon Alley.

The rest of the journey was much smoother.

Melvin originally planned to send him to the Leaky Cauldron and hand him over to Old Tom, but on the steps in front of Gringotts, he met the Weasley family, with their families and children, and a huge crowd.

"Harry! Harry!"

"We hope you only missed an oven door. Mother is going crazy!"

"Where did you come from?"

"Knockturn Alley! Oh my god, that's so cool! Mom never lets us go there!"

"Why don't you stay a little longer so we have a reason to go in and look for you!"

As soon as the children met, the scene became lively. The boys pestered Harry with questions, and Mrs. Weasley pulled Ginny to check if Harry was missing any limbs, almost blocking the door of Gringotts.

Arthur Weasley, who had been squeezed out of the circle, realized it later and saw the young professor. He smiled and expressed his gratitude: "It's a good thing you found Harry in time, Professor Lewynter. If the dark wizard had discovered Harry's identity first, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Melvin smiled and whispered, "That's what a professor should do."

"Do you have time to go to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink, Professor? Old Tom always tells me about you, saying that you invented the shadow mirror and the film. It's amazing! Very Muggle-style. Were they inspired by TV and movies?..."

Mr. Weasley began to ramble on, and Melvin suddenly felt a headache. He suspected that gratitude for helping to find Harry was just an excuse, and what came later was what he was really interested in.

Hesitate and linger in front of illegal repair shops, and pester legal professors as soon as they catch them.

Melvin quickly shook his head: "No, I have other things to do."

"Okay..." Arthur's expression was quite regretful.

The greetings over there finally ended, and they turned to greet Professor Lewynter, and Melvin also formally greeted Mrs. Weasley.

"Professor Lewyn! I'm so glad to see you!" Molly Weasley was very excited. She shook Melvin's hand, almost tears welling up in her eyes. "I've been wanting to invite you to the Burrow since last semester. Thank you for taking care of these little guys and teaching George and Fred the right ideas. Especially for Ron's performance fee. Really..."

The slightly short and plump housewife witch choked up and expressed some sincerity: "I don't know how to thank you. This year's textbooks are very expensive. Ginny is also going to school and needs to buy new robes and stationery... If it weren't for... I really..."

The Weasley children next to them blushed a little. George and Fred's shoulders drooped. Ginny held her hand. She originally thought that her mother's behavior was a little inappropriate, but now she just felt that she was not considerate enough of their mother.

Only Ron tilted his neck back, his freckles on his face filled with pride, his chin almost raised to the sky.

He's had enough of his farts this summer.

He contributed all his film remuneration to the family expenses and did not keep any for himself, so he was favored by his mother and his status was even slightly higher than Ginny. George and Fred had to avoid him for the past two months.

"It's nothing..."

Melvin said a few words of comfort and finally got rid of the sensitive witch housewife. He hurriedly said goodbye to them and walked into Gringotts.

I was thinking about how to get Arthur into the Magic Mirror Club.

With the development of the market in Budapest and Romania, the shadow mirrors can be distributed to wizard taverns around the world. The finished products are in short supply. Wright has been a little busy recently. Arthur may lack theoretical knowledge, but he can definitely be a skilled production worker.

I vaguely remember that flying car, which had survived the destruction of the Whomping Willow and the Forbidden Forest animals, and was still able to be pulled out and run later.

"He's gentle and reliable, and the quality of his products is guaranteed..."

Melvin muttered thoughtfully, planning to ask Arthur what year he was born next time they met, and whether he was an ox or a horse.

……

Marble steps led to two bronze doors with a metallic sheen. Goblins in scarlet and gold-studded uniforms lined either side. Entering the first door led to an inner hall. Further inside was a second silver-cast door with a few lines of text engraved on it:

"Come in, stranger

But beware of the consequences of greed
Asking blindly and getting something for nothing
They will be punished most severely…” Legend has it that the Magic Bank was established long before the fall of the Fairy Kingdom. Since the 16th century, it has been recruiting wizard staff. In addition to savings, exchange and insurance businesses, this institution also controls the minting and printing of wizard currency.

"Gringotts..."

Melvin continued to walk in, but did not see the third door made of gold. Instead, he saw a marble hall with a ceiling nearly ten meters high. Hundreds of goblins in uniforms were standing on high stools behind a long counter.

These goblins were similar in build to Pukki, but shorter than Professor Flitwick, with swollen, long fingers that looked like acromegaly, yet their arms were very slender.

Coins were weighed on a copper scale, gems were examined through an eyepiece, entries were made in a ledger, and there was a goblin guiding customers in and out of a small door at the back, where it was unclear where it led.

Melvin withdrew his gaze, found a free goblin, and knocked on the counter: "I want to open an underground vault."

The goblin looked up and took a quick look around. Noticing his Muggle-style attire, he wrinkled his nose and said in a shrill, sharp voice, "Yes, sir. What kind of vault do you require?"

Underground vaults vary in size and security levels.

Shallow vaults are smaller and less protected, while the largest and best-protected vaults deep underground belong to a few of the oldest wizarding families.

"The highest security level, deepest underground."

"Sir, I don't know what you want to store..."

The goblin gently advised, "For normal wizards, an ordinary outer vault is sufficient. Gringotts' security is very reliable. There has never been... only one lapse before."

There will be more later...

Melvin smiled slightly, took out a small linen bag, and threw it on the counter with a dull sound.

The goblin's expression shifted slightly. Based on his experience as a senior counter salesperson, he judged that this was a cloth bag transformed by a traceless stretching spell. This kind of thing itself represented wealth. He untied the cloth bag with his thick and long fingers, vaguely glimpsing several galleons piled up into a small mountain. His eyes suddenly lit up.

As for the dark magic item next to it that exudes an ominous and dangerous aura, it is just common among Gringotts customers.

"Sir, I'll have someone handle your business right away." The goblin at the counter spoke with much more enthusiasm and politeness. He turned and called over another goblin, "Griphook! Griphook! Bring this person..."

"Melvin Levant." Melvin added with a smile.

"Take this Mr. Levent and open up a vault of the highest standard!"

The goblin named Griphook looked almost exactly like the other goblins, except for the different styles of uniforms. Melvin couldn't see any difference. He nodded in greeting and followed it into a small door.

Behind the door was a narrow corridor with burning torches stuck in the cracks of the stones on both sides. At the end of the corridor extended a railway that looked like a pit. The carts parked on it looked like old-fashioned coal trucks, dirty and simple in shape.

Griphook walked in front, climbed onto the cart, and introduced in a shrill voice:
"Mr. Lewynter, before we open the vault, I must inform you of some precautions. Gringotts is dedicated to serving our customers. The items stored in the vault will be protected to prevent any theft, leaks, robbery, or vandalism. Even if the Ministry of Magic wants to inspect the vault, the consent of the person concerned is required..."

The chattering sound was mixed with the clattering of wheels across the railroad.

It seems to be introducing Gringotts' comprehensive services, but there are only three key points: deposit, inheritance rights, and duration.

To open a vault of the highest level, a deposit is required, and the deeper underground the vault is, the larger the deposit;

The vault is designed to inherit by blood relatives and keys by default. If neither is available, the question of duration arises.

Under normal circumstances, Gringotts offers free access to items. For long-term inactive vaults, the goblins will maintain them for periods ranging from tens to hundreds of years, depending on the deposit amount. Beyond this time limit, Gringotts will periodically open the vaults and deduct the value of the items stored there.

The right of interpretation of the value assessment belongs to Gringotts.

This group of goblins also knows that they cannot go too far, and generally will not empty other people's vaults in just three to five years.

Melvin nodded thoughtfully. Gringotts' service was quite considerate. At least until Voldemort's resurrection, the gold cup in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault had not been taken out to pay off the debt.

The cart sped forward along the maze-like corridor, winding and twisting, with cold air whistling past, passing by a dim rock area, a moist underground lake, and then a roaring waterfall.

"This is the anti-thief waterfall. It can wash away all spells and magical disguises! When it detects someone with bad intentions sneaking in, it will overturn the cart!"

Griphook screamed his introductions as they began to cross the waterfall, the goblin waiter turning to stare at the customer as the icy water cascaded down, leaving a shallow layer of water in the cart.

"That means we passed the test, right?"

Melvin asked in a deadpan voice, perfectly suited to the annoyance of a customer being doused with water.

"Yes, sir!"

Griphook also breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cast a spell to clean his wet robes.

Ever since Vault 713 was robbed, the goblins at Gringotts in Diagon Alley have been punished. From then on, all new visitors have to go through the thief waterfall. It happens to be the beginning of the school year, and the goblins are afraid that another accident will happen.

However, where the goblin couldn't see, the back and pockets of this newcomer who entered the underground for the first time were dry, as if not even a drop of water had touched them.

The rest of the journey was smooth sailing.

"I'm sorry, sir. Gringotts will make compensation." Griphook snapped his fingers, and a warm and comfortable breeze lingered around the cart, and the moisture gradually evaporated.

Melvin nodded slightly, and in half a minute, they had reached the deepest vault area underground.

At the end of the narrow railway, an old fire dragon lay there, its scales faded, pale and loose, as withered and dead as maple leaves, the nictitating membrane on the surface of its eyeballs dried up and shriveled, its pupils cloudy, its hind legs and wings imprisoned by heavy shackles, and the other end deeply embedded under a stone pile.

"This is the highest-level vault area."

Griphook didn't even look at the dragon as he led Melvin inside. "So there's a Sphinx guarding here. Its eyes can discern lies and see the truth, but it's too old. The last attack on Vault 713 forced it to retire, and the new Sphinx hasn't been trained yet."

Melvin looked at the several vaults around him. There were no obvious signs on them, so he couldn't tell which one belonged to the Lestrange family.

Griphook seemed to notice his curiosity and answered in advance, "I'm sorry, sir, for privacy reasons, we can't disclose client information."

(End of this chapter)