9 Gringotts

"How did you know about that... what was it, Gamp's Old Gregarious?" 

The archway had narrowed again, returning to solid wall, with Snape and Callan on the other side.

Callan appeared entranced by a sign for cauldrons: Copper—Brass—Pewter—Silver, all sizes—Collapsible.

No self-stirring models, though it seemed as if...

"What was that?" Callan asked, momentarily distracted.

"The drink, how did you know about it?" Snape repeated, something Prince had never mentioned to him, leaving him ignorant. Yet Callan always seemed privy to information from who-knows-where.

"Oh, that," Callan reiterated the name of the brew, his smile directed at Snape. "Fancy a try? It's only a Galleon, and if you succeed, it turns into a hundred. What say you? I'm sure Tom wouldn't be too strict about age for such a rare challenge."

Snape's head bowed, wordless, but his expression suggested he was indeed tempted, weighing the pros and cons.

With a smile, Callan nudged him on, "Let's go. We have preparations to make before Lily arrives."

"Aren't we waiting for them at The Leaky Cauldron?" Snape frowned.

"No rush. There will be time for you and Lily," Callan teased, ignoring Snape's flushed and scowling face as he walked ahead.

Snape followed reluctantly.

Callan observed the surroundings with interest. A plump woman stood outside an apothecary, muttering as they passed, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they must be mad..."

Hmm, Callan thought, watching the cheerful clerk, they'd be just as mad if it were sixteen Sickles an ounce.

A low, soft hooting came from a dim shop, its sign reading: Eeylops Owl Emporium—Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.

Boys near Callan's age pressed their noses against a window displaying flying brooms.

"Look," one boy exclaimed, "the latest Nimbus 1001—fastest yet!"

Other shops offered robes, telescopes, and strange silver instruments Callan had never seen before. There were baskets of bat spleens and eels' eyes, towering piles of spell books, quills, rolls of parchment, potion bottles, moon charts...

The familiar yet foreign sensation always left Callan feeling oddly unsettled, but they soon arrived at their destination.

Gringotts.

They stood before a lofty white building, its gleaming bronze doors towering over neighboring shops.

Seeing this, Snape's complexion worsened, a tide of inferiority washing over him, swiftly suppressed by deeper self-reproach.

"What are you waiting for?" Callan tugged at Snape, pulling him inside.

Even the goblins at the entrance bowed to the two children, revealing a second, silver door adorned with warnings like "Beware," "Avarice," "Penalty," "Thieves." (The rest won't be repeated here).

Callan silently scoffed at these. Goblins, believing they held the wizarding economy's reins, unaware of their own greed. 

If Galleons were so valuable, none stood against Voldemort when he seized Gringotts. At most, they fled in panic.

When personal power reached a certain level, these veiled threats became meaningless, especially in the wizarding world.

The two goblins bowed, leading them into a grand marble hall. About a hundred goblins sat on high stools behind a long counter, weighing coins on brass scales, inspecting gems through eyeglasses, and hastily scribbling in ledgers. Countless doors lined the hall, with goblins guiding a stream of patrons to and from them.

"Hello," Callan greeted an idle goblin.

"Oh, hello, young wizards," the goblin peered down from the tall counter, glancing around, "I don't see any adults."

"Just us," Callan skipped small talk, placing a stack of Muggle money on the counter, "I've heard that young wizards from Muggle families can exchange Muggle currency for Galleons."

Despite the scholarship from Hogwarts, Callan wasn't about to squander it, nor was he without his own savings; modest compared to Mr. Anthony's inheritance, but enough for a comfortable life.

"Yes, that's correct," the goblin seemed taken aback by Callan's composure, but after inspecting the bills, he asked, "Your name?"

"Callan Sanster."

"Sanster..." the goblin flipped through a ledger, "Hogwarts newcomer, Muggle-born, orphan..."

His voice dropped as he glanced between the money and Callan, picking out a note. "If I'm not mistaken, is this blood, Mr. Sanster?"

Snape's eyes widened.

Callan, eyeing the dark stain on the bill, retorted, "Is that an issue?"

"No, of course not," the goblin replied, "money doesn't lose value over such trivial details."

"Then," the goblin counted out the excess, "there's a limit to how much Muggle currency Gringotts will exchange: a maximum of one thousand pounds, at a rate of five to one, which is two hundred Galleons."

He added, with a reluctant sneer, "Per year."

Clearly, the goblin loathed this policy; Muggle money didn't shine like gold to them.

But Callan knew that goblins had fiercely opposed this policy at the time of the International Statute of Secrecy, having owned Muggle businesses. They reluctantly passed this law to avoid isolation from the magical community, like the Malfoy family—a regrettable necessity, as goblins were merely goblins to the hard-line wizards of the time.

Now, goblins had to solve the currency disconnect for wizards, a task not all goblins could stomach.

Callan accepted a small bag of gold and his remaining pounds, then handed the Muggle money to Snape, tilting his head towards the goblin.

"Go on."

Both Snape and the goblin were taken aback.

The goblin's nose wrinkled further, while Snape was none too pleased.

"Don't order me around!" Snape growled.

But under Callan's indifferent gaze, Snape's anger fizzled out, and he reluctantly muttered, "Bloody Sanster," as he handed over the money, saying, "Snape, Severus Snape."

The goblin, nose still crinkled, checked his ledger thrice before asking, "This is only 950 pounds. Are you sure you want to exchange this, Mr. Snape?" emphasizing the "Mr."

Now Snape hesitated, his fist tightening. He sneaked a glance at Callan, who was inspecting some gemstones, then added Prince's money, whispering, "Add these."

The goblin, catching on, softened his disdainful gaze, nodding, "Exactly one thousand pounds, two hundred Galleons for you."

Stepping out of Gringotts, Callan discreetly handed Snape ten Galleons, which he accepted without a word.

Then, counting out nineteen more, Callan handed them to Snape, who frowned, "What's this?"

"A ten percent handling fee. You didn't think I'd let you help for free, did you?" Callan's casual smile remained. "Don't make me out to be ungrateful. Take it."

Before Snape could refuse, Callan stuffed the coins into his pocket. Snape stood silent, head bowed.

As they strolled, Snape couldn't resist leaning in to quietly ask, "What was that all about earlier?"

"What?" Callan was eyeing an ice cream parlor, distracted.

"The blood on the money," Snape's voice lowered further.

Only then did Callan face him, feigning surprise, "A Dark Wizard concerned about such trifles?"

"Keep it down!" Snape hastily silenced him as onlookers grew curious, "I'm serious, Callan. Where did you get that money?"

"Hogwarts didn't refuse my admission," Callan suddenly stated.

"What?" Snape paused.

"I mean," Callan explained, seeing Snape's reaction, "regardless of how I got the money, Hogwarts didn't turn me away. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Not if it could affect Lily," Snape asserted, his greasy hair unable to hide the firmness in his eyes, "then it's not enough."

For the first time, Snape openly expressed his inner thoughts to Callan, who looked back with unexpected pity.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snape demanded.

After a moment, Callan simply shook his head, not answering directly but instead saying, "You know what Spinner's End is like, right?"

Snape nodded.

"Then, in such dire straits, if I had to clean up a bit, would that be wrong?" Callan's voice was subdued.

Though still unclear, Snape grasped the implication, his hostility waning, replaced by astonishment, "You mean... magic? But that's illegal."

Snape knew Callan's magical talent far exceeded his own, capable of wandless spells that could intimidate Muggles.

"Magic, magic..." To Snape's surprise, Callan shook his head with a mix of frustration and amusement, concluding, "I'm not sure if you overestimate those Muggles or underestimate me, Snape."

Before Snape could grasp the meaning, Callan steered him back towards The Leaky Cauldron, "Let's go. Forget those worries. The Evans family will be here soon."

"And don't forget about Gamp's Old Gregarious."

Callan added, "Just a Galleon. Give it a try."