Chapter 173: Gringotts (Edited)

After confirming that Fish was indeed sober, Professor McGonagall led him out of the Leaky Cauldron and into the back courtyard.

"Do you remember how to get into Diagon Alley?"

Professor McGonagall asked Fish to try to open the passage himself.

"Yes nya! Fish is clever nya!". (●ΦωΦ●)

Fish walked over to the brick wall near the trash can, pulled out his wand, and tapped it against the weathered brick.

The difference between this brick and the others was so obvious that it was impossible for Fish to make a mistake.

With a flick of his wand, the brick wall immediately moved in all directions, revealing a circular passage.

"Well done."

Professor McGonagall rubbed Fish's head, congratulated him, then took his hand and stepped out into the corridor.

"Minerva, we're going to go to the Florean Fortescue Ice Cream Parlor for ice cream now, aren't we?"(●ω●)

Fish held his head high and looked at Professor McGonagall with a twinkle in his eye.

He might not remember the other stores very well, but there was no way Fish would forget the one that sold ice cream.

"Didn't you just finish your butterbeer?" Professor McGonagall pinched Fish's cheeks in disgust, "We're going to buy you textbooks and school supplies for this term!"

"Nya..."

As soon as he heard something related to studying, Fish's cat ears instantly drooped.

Then he rolled his dark green eyes and said to Professor McGonagall very sincerely, "Minerva~ Fish already has textbooks nya, you don't need to spend money."

Professor McGonagall: "..."

It was a rare occasion when her cat got to thinking about her spending, but Professor McGonagall was not happy at all.

She scoffed and said to Fish: "Your food costs more than your textbooks, so since Fish wants to save money for her mother, how about we make simple meals from now on?"

"Meow!" ∑(●ΦДΦ●)

As soon as it came to food, Fish's attitude was completely different, and he jumped to his feet and said, "No! Fish, he's still a child nya! He's growing up nya! Eat more nutritious food, you said so yourself, Minerva."

"You still didn't grow up on your own?"

Professor McGonagall continued to taunt Fish, leaving him stunned.

"Fish has only grown a little, and she's going to keep growing!" Fish was quick to point his fingers at the approximate height of his recent growth spurt, and used the excuse of his earlier drunkenness, "And Fish was drunk just a moment ago!"

"Greedy little cat," Professor McGonagall rubbed Fish's head and comforted him with a smile, "Come on, I'm just teasing you, how could Mom let Fish go hungry?"

"Hehehe~" (●≧ω≦●).

Hearing that his food was saved, Fish's face immediately lit up, and he wasn't bothered by Professor McGonagall's deception.... he didn't do this sort of thing too often anyway.

Unlike what he remembered, Professor McGonagall didn't lead Fish to the Cauldron Shop directly across the street, but towards a tall white building up ahead.

"Minerva, are you going the wrong way?"

Fisch kindly reminded, pointing to the Boilermaker's Shop, which he had left behind.

"No," Professor McGonagall patiently explained, "We just need to buy new textbooks and restock the materials for your Potions class, no need to buy new cauldrons and wands..."

Finally thinking of Fish's height, Professor McGonagall added, "Well, we also need to go to Madame Malkin, Robes For All Occasions and prepare two larger school uniforms for you, you're still growing quite fast for your age."

With that, Professor McGonagall led Fish past the apothecary, Flourish and Blotts Bookshop. and Madame Malkin, Robes For All Occasions without stopping.

"Meow?"⊙ω⊙

Fish looked back and forth between Professor McGonagall and the two tents she had skipped, wondering if she too would be drunk.

Luckily, Professor McGonagall was quick to offer an explanation.

"This year's textbooks..." Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, a hint of distaste on her face, "They're a bit expensive, so we'll have to collect some money from Gringotts first."

"Fish knows about Gringotts nya! It's a place where wizards keep their money nya! It's in the textbook nya!". (●ΦωΦ●)

It was mentioned in the History of Magic textbook, and Fish had read it when he was doing his homework.

"That's right," complimented Professor McGonagall: "Fish is very clever."

Even this childish compliment had an effect on Fish, who immediately raised his little head and narrowed his eyes proudly.

When they arrived at Gringotts, the two goblins at the entrance led them respectfully into a marble hall with countless doors leading to different places and countless goblins sitting on high stools behind a long counter, doing their business.

When Fish entered the hall, all the goblins turned their attention to him, but soon they were back to holding gold and gems, the nicest things for goblins.

"Nya? Lots of Filius grandparents!". ∑(●ΦΦДΦ●)

Fish was surprised to see so many goblins in the room.

There was a big difference between the goblins and the house elves, the house elves resembled Professor Flitwick, with their long, pointed ears and noses, and these features were more pronounced than Professor Flitwick's.

"Yes, Gringotts is run by goblins, I think that's in the History of Magic textbook."

Professor McGonagall directed a critical glance at Fish.

Fish immediately pouted defensively, "Of course Fish knew that, I just didn't expect there to be so many goblins here." (〃｀3〃)

He wasn't worried that Professor McGonagall might think he hadn't studied hard, but he had just been praised by Minerva for his intelligence, so he couldn't be so quick to fall for it, and Fish wasn't lying, his memory was still very good.

And Professor McGonagall didn't continue to beat around the bush, instead she walked over to a counter and said to the goblin sitting on it, "I'm going to get some money out of Minerva McGonagall's vault."

He then took a small golden key out of his pocket and placed it on the counter.

The goblin held the key under his nose and examined it carefully, and stared at Fish for a moment before nodding, "No problem, I'll get someone to take you to the subway vault in.... Fizbabu!"

Another goblin ran in from the side and led Professor McGonagall and Fish out of the hallway through one of the many doors.

Behind the door was a narrow stone corridor, lit more brightly than in the hallway by a mass of torches stuck in the walls, which caused Fish's pupils to automatically shrink to the size of a pin.

The goblin named Fizbabu whistled, and soon a carriage came hurrying up from a distance, and it was then that Fish realized that there was a railroad track under the stone corridor.

The two followed Fizbabu to the carriage, which resumed its journey at the same speed as before.

"Yahoo~!" (●≧≦●).

The speed of the cart made Professor McGonagall's face not the best, but Fish was happy, he loved the thrill of moving at high speed.

After making a few turns, the cart stopped in front of a small door.

"Is that the end of it?"

Fish smacked his lips in disbelief and said to a somewhat pale Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, I still want to play."

Professor McGonagall: "..."