Chapter 79: The Interesting Mr. Weasley
As for the outcome, it was also meant to cover up Draco's involvement. By remaining hidden in the shadows, George would have more opportunities to gain access to the other half of the Malfoy family's private assets. Once Draco began pursuing power and continued seeking George out, the secrets surrounding him within the Malfoy family would gradually disappear.
Just like Draco had no idea how much The Secrets of Meditation would benefit George, he didn't realize the true value of what he had given. To him, it was merely a small piece of information—enough to offset a loss of 500 Galleons and allow George to "see the results."
Draco knew George was wealthy, but he had no idea just how wealthy he truly was. Nor did he know that George could use Mr. Borgin to siphon off his father's fortune.
From Draco's perspective, leaking an insignificant piece of information earned him a rebate of 500 Galleons—a very profitable deal. But for George, this meant gaining access to nearly half of the Malfoy family's accumulated treasures over thousands of years—an incredible bargain.
After leaving Borgin and Burkes, George didn't linger and walked straight out of Knockturn Alley.
Meanwhile…
Harry had already found the Weasley family.
He had been lucky enough to run into Rubeus Hagrid in Knockturn Alley. Hagrid then took him to Diagon Alley, where they found the Weasleys.
"Harry, we were terrified! After everyone came out, no one could find you. Thank goodness you're alright," said Arthur Weasley, running over and wiping sweat from his forehead. "Molly's been searching everywhere. You really scared us."
"Sorry for worrying you," Harry said apologetically.
"It wasn't your fault. The Floo Network had a bit of trouble. Where did you end up?" Ron Weasley asked carefully.
"I found Harry in Knockturn Alley," Hagrid said seriously.
"That's awesome!" Fred Weasley shouted excitedly.
"So lucky! Adults never let us go there," Ron added enviously.
"You're too young for that place," Hagrid said gruffly.
At that moment, Molly Weasley hurried over, dragging Ginny Weasley behind her.
"Thank goodness—oh, Harry—you're safe—I was so worried—you could have ended up anywhere—" she said breathlessly, pulling out a brush from her bag and dusting Harry off.
She then tightly grasped Hagrid's hand. "Thank you for finding him in Knockturn Alley. I'm so relieved nothing happened."
"I've got something else to take care of," Hagrid said, remembering he needed to buy pesticide for cabbage pests. "See you at Hogwarts." He looked a bit embarrassed as he left.
"Guess who I saw in Knockturn Alley?" Harry asked Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger meaningfully. When they didn't answer, he said it himself:
"Draco Malfoy and his father."
"What was Lucius Malfoy doing there?" Arthur asked, having overheard.
"He was selling things," Harry replied.
"He must be scared. The Ministry is checking for illegal items. Their house must be full of them," Arthur said proudly. "I'd love to catch Lucius red-handed someday… real evidence…"
"Be careful, Arthur," Molly warned. "The Malfoys aren't easy to deal with. Don't cause trouble."
Just then, a goblin led them into the bank.
"Do you think I can't handle them?" Arthur muttered, but his attention quickly shifted. He noticed Hermione's parents standing nervously at the marble counter.
To ordinary people, the wizarding world was overwhelming.
"Oh, they're Muggles," Arthur said with great curiosity. Despite working with Muggles often, he usually had to use memory charms on them. Seeing actual Muggle parents fascinated him.
"We should have a drink later and get to know them. Oh—what's that in your hand? Is that Muggle money? Molly, look!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Don't shout! Be polite!" Molly said, holding her forehead in exasperation.
"We'll wait here for a bit," Ron whispered to Hermione, and the group followed a goblin down to the underground vaults of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
The goblin drove a small cart that sped along twisting rails like an acrobat, racing through long tunnels until they reached the vaults.
When the Weasley vault was opened, the entire family was stunned.
Arthur and Molly squeezed to the front, touching the edges of the vault. Ron stood nearby, grinning foolishly—he had never seen so much money before.
After hesitating for a long time, Molly grabbed a handful of Galleons and put them into her bag. Then she grabbed another handful and stuffed them into Arthur's pocket before reluctantly closing the vault.
"Thanks to George, we've managed to save quite a bit of money. But we can't waste it. If we want to open the vault again, I must be with Arthur," she said, flushed with excitement.
Harry also quickly grabbed a handful of gold coins and stuffed them into his pouch before they all returned to the main hall.
"We'll meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour. Split up for now—it'll save time. I'm going to buy Ginny a robe and a wand," Molly said.
As she left, she reminded them:
"Stay away from Knockturn Alley."
Percy Weasley also received a gold coin. He planned to buy a quill and maybe a few books he'd already read, like Prefects and Their Powers.
Fred ran into his classmate Lee Jordan, and they planned to explore Diagon Alley together.
Arthur, with a pocket full of money he had never seen before, decided to take the Granger family to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wandered along the cobbled streets.
Harry felt like his pockets were heavier than ever—the gold coins seemed to be calling out to him, making him eager to spend them.
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