hotmtlnovel Chapter 247 Penny Asks Why She Killed the Demon
Chapter 247 Penny Asks Why She Killed the Demon
Chapter 247 Penny Asks Why She Killed the Demon
Picking up where we left off, Vernon's insightful comment on the key to the Gallo-pound exchange rate was like a bolt from the blue, sending shivers down the spines of everyone in Gringotts.
Listen, dear reader: The wizarding and Muggle worlds were originally separated by an insurmountable chasm, with little interaction between them. Pure-blood wizards, having grown up in the magical world, had no idea what Muggle coins were worth.
They took Gringotts' decision of "one Galleon to five pounds" as a matter of course, just as they firmly believed that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Even those of mixed blood, who initially straddled both worlds, gradually severed their ties with the Muggle world once they truly became wizards.
Even those with keen insight who later discovered the suspicious nature of the exchange rate were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—unable to stir up any trouble.
Before they could even open their mouths to discuss it, the demons secretly suppressed them, as if a stone had sunk into the sea, leaving no trace.
But that scarred man was no ordinary person; he was the famous savior of the magical world, and many wizards and heroes would shout "Good!" upon hearing his name.
If such a person were to expose the treacherous schemes hidden within the exchange rate system, I fear that in an instant, the wizards of every country in the world would wipe out the entire Gringotts.
Pull-Pull was staring at Harry, whose eyes were filled with murderous intent. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured on him in the dead of winter, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead and back.
In an instant, hundreds of demonic punishments flashed through Zizai's mind like a revolving lantern. He felt as if the world was spinning, half of his soul and spirit had flown away, and his liver and gallbladder felt like they were being fried in oil.
In the end, all my thoughts collapsed into one sentence.
I'm doomed!
Vernon wasn't stupid. When he suddenly saw the fairies behind the counter with their ashen faces, his heart skipped a beat. He knew perfectly well that he had ruined the fairies' plans.
His body stiffened instantly, a chill running down his spine. Yet he forced himself to remain calm, slowly shifting his feet back inch by inch, pulling his trembling wife and children behind him to shield them.
For a moment, the vast Gringotts was eerily quiet. Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
Seeing that the goblins remained silent, Harry grew impatient. He slammed his ring-knife heavily on the ground, making the stone bricks vibrate, and coldly said, "If you don't give me the whole truth today, I'll make sure you all leave this door sideways!"
Harry's shout sent shivers down the spines of all the demons. Who didn't know that this Scarface was a ruthless killer who lived on the edge of a knife?
Just as an old fox was about to speak, Pull-Hand became anxious, fearing he would miss his chance to redeem himself, and hurriedly stepped forward, calling out, "Mr. Potter, I can explain something to you."
"Bang!"
Before he could finish speaking, Harry slapped it across the face.
That was a devastating blow, like a cannonball! It struck the ring so hard that its head jerked violently, and two yellow teeth mixed with blood and saliva spurted out, while its tiny yellow eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
The pull ring, struck by this blow, spun like a top, turning twice in place before collapsing to the ground like a lump of mud.
The terrifying sight left the Dursleys speechless with shock, their souls nearly leaving their bodies, and they even forgot to catch their breath.
Harry, however, remained unfazed. He simply flicked the blood off his hands, glanced at the old devils behind the counter, and said, "You old codgers are sitting here so calmly, do you think you can fool me with a little kid?!"
Provoked by the words of the demon cult, an old man wearing gold-rimmed round glasses indeed stood up shakily.
"Please allow me to apologize to you, Mr. Potter. This is a dereliction of duty by Gringotts and all the goblins."
"Because Gringotts doesn't interact much with Muggle society, we haven't specifically looked into the value conversion between Muggle currency and wizarding currency."
"The exchange rate of one Gallon to five pounds was arbitrarily set without any basis."
After saying that, the old fox rolled his eyes and glanced at Vernon, who was ashen-faced, puffing out his wrinkled face and laughing, "Of course, I also have to thank this gentleman for pointing out the shortcomings of the foxes in their work. If it weren't for you, oh, perhaps we would never have discovered that the exchange rate was so different."
These words were spoken earnestly, as if they came from the depths of one's heart. The remaining demons, regardless of age or status, hurriedly joined in the clamor, echoing each other's sentiments.
The old goblin turned to Harry again, his expression respectful, waiting for the scarred man to utter even half a word of decision.
No sooner said than done! Before the old vixen's fawning smile had faded, her pupils suddenly froze, and a red line appeared out of nowhere on her neck.
With a muffled thud, the bespectacled head rolled onto the table, splattering a pool of blood.
Then it fell to the ground with a "thud," spinning around the feet of the fairies, and in the blink of an eye, it rolled to some corner.
The headless corpse stood upright, blood gushing from its neck like a fountain.
The demons stared at the increasingly spreading stain on the table, their faces ashen.
The pull ring's face was swollen like a pig's head, and he could barely open his eyes. His scalp tingled, and his soul seemed to fly to the sky.
He was about to press the alarm bell when his body seemed to stiffen again, and he didn't move at all.
Why did he seem to have cast a spell on people, as if he had immobilized them? It turns out he was reciting the story of Harry's tower of hot human heads from the Daily Prophet.
Potter, the madman, dared to kill even his own countrymen, yet in the end, nothing happened to him.
We've only killed a second-class citizen of the wizarding world; how could the Ministry of Magic possibly seek justice for us?
Penny saw it clearly and was so terrified that her mouth was agape, staring intently at the gushing blood from the corpse's cavity.
After the headless corpse slumped forward and lay motionless in the pool of blood, her eyes rolled around, and she murmured, "Is it... is it dead?"
Vernon, standing to the side, was trembling uncontrollably as if he had Parkinson's disease, his facial muscles contorted in agony, and his face was contorted with tears.
But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to swallow it back, nodding shakily.
"I... I think—right?"
Penny nodded, rolled her eyes, leaned back, and fell straight to the ground, where she remained silent.
Harry glanced at it briefly, then turned back and sneered, "Do you all think I'm stupid? Trying to fob me off with this nonsense!"
"If you keep stalling, you'll meet your death alongside that old geezer!"
With that shout, he yanked his wand with his other hand. Though the tip of the wand was dull, the room was filled with an eerie atmosphere.
Seeing that Satan's invitation had been sent, how could the demons dare to be negligent?
They all disregarded propriety and social hierarchy, scrambling to shout and yell, fearing that if they were too slow, the scarred man would curse them and take their lives.
"I don't know! That's how the exchange rate was when I arrived at Gringotts!"
"Because it's profitable! This exchange rate was set centuries ago, it just hasn't been updated!"
"It's not our fault, it's just that Muggle society is changing too fast!"
The goblins chattered amongst themselves, making it easy for Harry to understand.
The old rule of exchanging one Galleon for five pounds was originally fair, and neither side suffered a loss.
However, as time has passed, the prices of gold and pounds in the non-magical world have fluctuated several times and are no longer what they used to be.
These demons, however, were as clear-headed as mirrors, having already calculated this score.
They exchanged glances, understanding each other implicitly, and for over a hundred years, not one of them dared to break through this unspoken understanding.
The poor wizards of the world, kept in the dark for generations, watched as the great gold silently flowed into the goblin's bag. Truly: After a hundred years of scheming, the liar has finally revealed the truth.
Harry thought to himself: This sly little devil is really cunning, he actually managed to find such a loophole.
Then he thought: It's also the fault of the sorcerer himself for being so useless. If he had learned from the East how the sorcerer and the healer had such close ties, how could he have let these wicked creatures deceive him for a hundred years?
Though he thought this in his heart, he showed no sign of it on his face. He simply tucked his wand back into his waistband and sheathed his ring knife, then slowly nodded and said, "This child is teachable."
"If you had spoken such frankly earlier, this old bastard wouldn't have had to lose his life in vain!"
Upon hearing this, the demons all turned pale, their throats rumbling with muffled sounds, yet they dared not utter a single harsh word.
Finally, an old, white-haired, and venerable man stood up from behind the counter and said in a hoarse voice, "What are you all standing there for?"
"Pack the pounds for Gringotts' most distinguished guest! Put those Galleons back in Mr. Potter's vault!"
At this command, several young fairies sprang up as if under a spell, darting about on tiptoe through the stone corridor, their copper keys clanging loudly.
Before long, he brought out a python-skin pouch with gold thread, inside which were neatly stacked pounds.
The old devil shakily stepped down from the stage, presented the python-skin pouch with both hands, and bowed, saying, "Please accept Gringotts's owed gift, Mr. Potter."
Harry took the purse, and with just two fingers he slightly lifted the leather flap, revealing stacks of fifty-pound notes inside, about an inch and a half thick—the very twenty-five thousand pounds.
He was displeased, but his face remained calm. He tucked the purse into his pocket and said, "Find me another owl, and we'll call it even for the last time I was cheated."
Upon hearing this, the old fox's heart, which had been pounding in his throat, finally settled back into his chest. He quickly turned and shouted, "Didn't you hear what Mr. Potter said? Go and get him an owl, the fastest one possible!"
"And bring paper and pens too!"
After giving his instructions, he turned around with a smile and said, "You may have to wait a while, Mr. Potter, but I assure you, Gringotts owls are the fastest flying birds."
"Oh, by the way, who are you writing to?"
Harry's eyes widened suddenly. "Of course, we'll report it to the Ministry of Magic and accuse you unscrupulous merchants of using financial fraud to rip off wizards!"
Harry's shout reverberated so loudly that the Gringotts dome vibrated, and all the goblins in the hall turned ashen-faced and trembled with fear.
The old monster's ears rang as if struck by a bronze bell, buzzing for a long time before finally stopping. He almost ground down his rotten teeth in secret, for he understood the hidden meaning in Harry's words.
"Mr. Potter, let's talk in private."
The two moved to the shadow of the pillars, and the old man said in a low voice, "I hope you can let us make amends for this mistake, Mr. Potter."
"We don't need to make everyone unhappy, right?"
"Of course, the fairy is willing to offer you 315,000 Galleons for this, as a token of gratitude for your oversight of Gringotts."
Upon hearing this, Harry's expression softened slightly, and he said, "You do know what's good for you. It's just a little money; I'm not the kind of person who covets such things."
When the old witch saw that he didn't want the gold and silver, she not only didn't relax, but instead tensed her back even more.
After pondering for a long time, he tentatively asked in a hoarse voice, "Then what do you want, Mr. Potter?"
"I want Legnac's head."
Harry's words, though spoken lightly, were like a freezing spell cast upon Gringotts, instantly silencing the entire hall, even slowing the movements of those scavenging the corpses.
The old fox narrowed his eyes, scrutinized Harry from head to toe for a long time, and then slowly shook his head, saying, "Mr. Potter, Gringotts has no intention of getting involved in your feud with Legnark."
Harry said with a half-smile, "Why do I see you as unwilling?"
The old monster took a deep breath, stepped aside, and waved its withered claws toward the gate.
"Mr. Legnac's armory is only a few hundred meters from here, and I assure you I will not stop you."
After a long silence, Harry suddenly burst into laughter, patted the old devil on the shoulder, and said, "That was just a joke!"
"That Legnac is still using my name and getting the exact same share of the profits. How could I bear to take his head?"
The old fox remained expressionless. "So, what do you mean?"
"Are there any Gringotts branches in Poland?"
Upon hearing this, the old fox suddenly understood and quickly said, "Please rest assured, Mr. Potter, the British branch is the head office, and all branches must obey the orders of the head office."
"The fairies will definitely stand on the side of justice!"
Harry nodded in agreement and patted him on the shoulder again, "In that case, I have nothing more to say."
After saying this, he turned around, waved to the Dursleys who were huddled in the corner, and walked straight to the gate.
After Harry and his group had left, a goblin emerged from Gringotts. "Elder, we—"
"Have you forgotten how Legnac's apprentice died?" The old fox turned around and said, word by word, "We will stand on the side of justice."
The demon was startled and immediately fell silent.
Yes, Harry Potter can create illusions.
Meanwhile, back in the carriage, it was already dark. The streetlights in the alleys were lit one by one, casting a dim, yellowish light all around.
Vernon gripped the steering wheel tightly, his entire body taut, like a balloon about to burst at the slightest touch.
Dudley, holding a vial of potion in the back seat, stared blankly into space, his eyes gleaming, as if he were teaching a Dementor a French kiss.
Penny stood to the side with her arms crossed, her head resting against the car window, half her face hidden in the shadows.
The streetlights swept across her face, flashing brightly and dimly, making the melancholy in her eyes even more pronounced.
Suddenly, Penny blurted out, "You're a big celebrity there, aren't you?"
Although no name was mentioned, everyone in the car knew perfectly well who the question was directed at.
Harry nodded slightly. "Not bad."
Why?
As soon as he finished speaking, Vernon slammed on the brakes, causing the car to lurch and nearly tip over. His fat face turned ashen, and he mumbled, "We're here."
Harry ignored Petunia's words, instead tossing the python-skin pouch away, which hit Vernon's fat belly squarely, and said, "You all pack your things tonight, take this money, and leave Privet Drive. Don't look back."