"Wow, I didn't realize you were such a little tycoon."
The words slipped from Hagrid's mouth the moment Vault 712 swung open.
A thousand Galleons—to someone like Hagrid, who spent every spare Knut on magical creatures, it was an unimaginable fortune.
Qin Yu rubbed his nose, a bit embarrassed by the comment. He couldn't exactly explain where the money had come from—he barely understood it himself.
After that, Hagrid didn't press the issue. He simply let Qin Yu withdraw his money, and took the opportunity to quietly ask the goblin vault-keeper about the vault next door—number 713.
When reassured with phrases like "impregnable" and "utterly secure," Hagrid nodded repeatedly—"That's good, that's good"—and visibly relaxed.
Qin Yu glanced at Vault 713, shrugged, and thought to himself: whatever's in there, it's none of my business. Best to keep my distance—no need to go courting disaster.
…
Once the pounds were exchanged and some cash withdrawn, the two of them left Gringotts.
They'd barely stepped out the grand doors when someone called out to Hagrid.
"Hey, Hagrid! Long time no see!" came a cheerful voice.
"Bill Weasley? What're you doing here? I thought you'd gone off to work in Egypt," Hagrid said, clearly surprised.
"I have," Bill Weasley replied, grinning. "But a batch of treasures we've broken curses on just got shipped back to Gringotts for safekeeping. I came along with the escort team. Figured I'd pop home while I was at it."
"Oh, so you're mixing business with pleasure, eh?" Hagrid teased.
Bill shrugged, palms up. "Not much choice—no summer holidays once you start working. I have to grab any chance I get to come back."
"Right, let me introduce you—this is Qin Yu, just starting his first year at Hogwarts," Hagrid said, remembering to make introductions.
"Nice to meet you, Qin Yu. I'm Bill Weasley—also a Hogwarts alumnus, though I graduated last year," Bill said, offering a friendly handshake.
"Hello, Senior Bill. It's great to meet you," Qin Yu replied with a smile.
Of course, Qin Yu knew exactly who he was—eldest son of the Weasley clan, big brother to Ron. He'd gone off to be a curse-breaker in Egypt after graduation. Running into him here was a surprise for Qin Yu, just as it was for Hagrid.
"What a polite underclassman—unlike my twin brothers, who do nothing but cause trouble. Qin, if you run into two prank-loving twins at Hogwarts, be sure to report them to the professors. I'm hoping the teachers will finally set them straight," Bill said, only half-joking.
Faced with this "righteous betrayal," Qin Yu could only laugh awkwardly. The Weasleys really were a model family—brothers ratting each other out with a smile.
"Well, I need to run—got to deliver these treasures and then head home to see Ron and Ginny." Bill turned to leave, then paused and rummaged in his pocket. He pulled out a palm-sized trinket and handed it to Qin Yu. "Here, a little gift for you—a miniature pyramid I made myself. Consider it a welcome present."
"Huh? This looks pretty valuable—are you sure I can accept it?" Qin Yu protested.
"No worries. It's just something I put together when I was bored in Egypt. All my brothers and sisters have one. And I'll let you in on a secret: I used an ancient spell I learned while deciphering the pyramids. If you put a cherry or something inside, it'll keep fresh for ages!" Bill said with a conspiratorial wink.
Truth be told, Qin Yu was quite taken with the little pyramid. He'd never received a magical gift before. Even if Bill said it wasn't worth much, it was plenty novel to Qin Yu.
"Go on, take it," Bill insisted, pressing the tiny pyramid into Qin Yu's hand. He waved as he headed off. "See you around, Qin! Bye, Hagrid!"
"Thank you, Senior Bill! Hope to see you again!" Qin Yu called after him, waving back.
With a spring in his step, Bill disappeared into Gringotts to hand over the treasures.
Turning the pyramid over in his hands, Qin Yu thought, Well, I'll accept it. At worst, I'll look after my silly underclassman Ron a bit more in the future.
After all, by the time school started, Ron would technically be his junior.
…
Leaving Gringotts, Qin Yu passed the owl emporium and remembered he'd need to write to Hermione.
He wasn't officially a student yet, but it couldn't hurt to sort out a messenger in advance!
He glanced at the sign out front: Tawny Owl, Screech Owl, Barn Owl, Brown Owl, Snowy Owl…
Qin Yu mused that these were all protected species in the Muggle world—using them as post owls seemed awfully extravagant!
He circled the shop and, without hesitation, chose a Snowy Owl—the most beautiful of the lot.
But when he saw the price—18 Galleons—he winced. That was ninety pounds at the current exchange rate!
Still, spread out over the days ahead, it wasn't so bad. He'd just think of it as "prepaid postage."
He counted out 18 Galleons from his pouch, lined them up on the counter, and accepted the magnificent owl from the shopkeeper.
Seeing his choice, Hagrid beamed. "That's a rare breed, that is. Excellent taste!"
Qin Yu nodded in agreement. The Snowy Owl perched on his arm, staring at him with wide, intelligent eyes. Smiling at the adorable creature, he said, "From now on, you'll be called Trigg."
"Nice name," Hagrid said approvingly. His English was a bit rough, but it sounded good to him.
With the owl's cage in hand, Qin Yu followed Hagrid to Flourish and Blotts to buy his textbooks.
Compared to the pricey owl, the books were a bargain. First-year textbooks were just one Galleon each. For a dozen or so Galleons, Qin Yu bought everything on the supply list: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, and more—covering every subject he'd study as a first-year.
The stack was a bit heavy, but Hagrid cheerfully carried most of it, his strength dwarfing Qin Yu's.
As they continued, Qin Yu wanted to linger at every shop, peeking inside to see what wonders were for sale. Hagrid could only sigh and pat his shoulder. "Qin, we need to get to Ollivander's for your wand. There's no way you'll see everything in Diagon Alley today. I'll bring you back another time."
"Alright, but I'll definitely be back. I feel like there's business potential everywhere here," Qin Yu said with a sigh.
Hearing this, Hagrid couldn't help but snort. He didn't share the boy's optimism—he thought everyone here was out to make a Galleon, and every trip to Diagon Alley left him poorer than before.
So today, he was determined not to linger. The longer he stayed, the more likely he'd be tempted by some new magical beast.
"Woof—woof—woof—"
Suddenly, as they walked, three sharp canine barks rang out.
Hagrid's eyes lit up. He stopped in his tracks, listening intently.
His instincts told him—that was the call of a rare magical creature.
Curiosity got the better of him. He wandered off toward the sound, completely forgetting his earlier resolve.
"Hagrid, what do you think about me opening a shop here? Would I need a business license? Oh, and since you keep so many pets, maybe you could… Hey? Where'd you go?"
Qin Yu was chattering away, but when he looked back, Hagrid had vanished.
So much for being in a hurry. Where'd he disappear to?
Qin Yu could only sigh in exasperation.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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