With the Hedwig's Theme playing silently in Victor's mind, the Swinton family's day trip to Diagon Alley officially began.
Victor felt a slight surge of excitement as he looked beyond the archway, his childhood memories flooding back. Even after so many years of growing up, he still remembered how Hagrid, in the film, didn't just open a door to magic for Harry; he opened the door of dreams for all the children who believed in magic.
A winding cobblestone street stretched from the archway to the very end, with a bustling crowd of people jostling one another in the narrow lane. Many people in Diagon Alley wore pointed hats and plain robes of burgundy, gray, or blue, and underneath, they wore shirts or sweaters from the early twentieth century, with bow ties or ties at the collar. It was a fusion of old and new fashion. This hinted that the wizarding world was quite separate from the Muggle world and had developed at a different pace.
Of course, there were also many people in the crowd, like the Swinton family, wearing ordinary modern clothes as they moved through the street. Without exception, their eyes were filled with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.
A cacophony of sounds filled the air. In front of the Eeylops Owl Emporium, various owls perched on the sign were hooting, cooing, and chirping. They were faithful companions and messengers, and many wizards kept owls as pets, though not those with shallow pockets, as these little creatures were far from cheap.
On the side of the street, in front of the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, a large glass display case was surrounded by young wizards, who were excitedly looking at the broomstick on display—the Nimbus 2000.
Sparks flew from the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes joke shop, causing passersby to dodge them now and then.
Ravens and owls soared overhead, delivering letters and packages.
All these things gave Diagon Alley a magical, fantastical atmosphere that was completely unlike the modern, concrete world.
"Victor! Victor! Look! What animal is that? It's so beautiful, and it breathes fire?!" Aliya was extremely excited, holding Victor's hand, bouncing up and down, and looking around. "And that! I've never seen a pumpkin that can fly and whose eyes and mouth move. I have to get one for Halloween!"
Victor followed the direction of Aliya's pointing finger. He saw that the fire-breathing animal looked like a giant sea turtle with a shell encrusted with jewels. It was trapped in a special glass case, and every so often, a ball of fire would shoot out of its rear end.
Unlike Aliya's curiosity, Victor didn't care what kind of animal it was; he had seen plenty of similar magical beasts in Earth Land. He was only wondering if it was edible and if it tasted good...
Aliya was incredibly excitable, and the Swintons were no less so.
As a police officer, Mr. Wilson's eyes, despite his amazement, were filled with a scrutinizing look.
Mrs. Julie, meanwhile, was a mixture of shock and a little panic. So many strange things were constantly challenging her worldview.
But the most shocked of all was Rick. His small eyes were wide as saucers, his mouth hung open, and he looked around with a silly expression. His brain had obviously short-circuited from information overload.
"Professor McGonagall, can we use pounds to buy these things? Or do we need to exchange them for another currency?" Wilson was the first to regain his composure. He had noticed that the people around him were using a kind of coin, not paper pounds, for their transactions.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Swinton, Muggle currency cannot be used in Diagon Alley. We must go to Gringotts to exchange them for Galleons," Professor McGonagall said, pointing to a white building in the distance.
"Gringotts? If we can exchange currency, then it must be the bank of the wizarding world. Galleon... with the word 'gold' in the name, does that mean they are made of gold?" Wilson's mind began to churn with thought, his professional instincts kicking in.
"Now, Mr. Swinton, you all must stay behind because I cannot take you with me. Of course, you are free to explore, but please be careful not to enter Knockturn Alley. It is a place for dark wizards and is very dangerous for Muggles. There will be a sign warning you not to go there before you enter," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Now, Mr. Dreyar, please come with me. We must go to Gringotts first."
"Alright, I'll be going now." Victor subtly pulled his hand away from Aliya and stood on his tiptoes to give her a hug.
"Wait a minute!" Wilson suddenly called out to Victor, who was about to leave. He took out a wad of pounds from his pocket. "You take this. Don't worry about money."
Victor took the money and weighed it in his hand. He estimated there were a few thousand pounds there.
"Thank you, Uncle Wilson," Victor said with a wide, cheerful smile.
"Come find us at that old, broken-down pub after you're done."
"Okay, I'll go now!" Victor waved and turned to leave with Professor McGonagall.
Victor and Professor McGonagall arrived at Gringotts in less than a minute. It was a crooked, three-story white marble building that looked as though it would topple over at any moment. Gringotts had two doors.
The first was a shiny bronze door, guarded on either side by goblins in scarlet and gold uniforms who bowed to customers as they passed. The second door was silver, and it was engraved with these words:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek, beneath our floors,
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Victor glanced at it and was unimpressed. The words were a bluff and left a very poor impression. Victor thought that if he were the director of Gringotts, he would follow Voldemort's example and place a curse on uninvited thieves. Anyone who left Gringotts with a treasure that wasn't theirs would be instantly detected.
What was the point of carving these words on the door? Who were they trying to scare?
And what was the deal with opening a bank with a threat? Why not focus on customer service?
It was no wonder wizards hated goblins; there was no way anyone would like them with an attitude like that.
A half-dead Voldemort possessing Professor Quirrell could easily break into Gringotts and open a vault, leaving without a scratch.
Victor couldn't understand what purpose the words on the silver door served, besides attracting hostility. In fact, he felt that this so-called warning reflected how the goblins' endless greed would eventually backfire on them.
Passing through the second silver door, they entered the main service hall of Gringotts. It was a very spacious hall made of golden marble. On either side of the hall were a hundred or so goblins sitting behind high counters. Some were meticulously logging accounts in large ledgers, others were weighing Galleons with brass scales, and still others were repeatedly inspecting gemstones with eyepieces.
The immense white marble building exuded an atmosphere of opulence and greed.