0376 Gringotts in Paris

0376 Gringotts in Paris

An extraordinary and mystical barrier, woven with ancient spells, separated the ordinary Muggle realm from the wondrous wizarding world, safeguarding the cherished secrecy of the magical community. In the heart of Paris, nestled within the 7th arrondissement, stood the imposing headquarters of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

This colossal structure, a harmonious blend of diverse architectural styles, exuded an air of grandeur that personalized the immense wealth and influence of the goblin nation. Flanking the grand copper entrance doors, beneath the snow-white marble steps, stood two fierce-looking Bull statues. These creatures, valued as symbols of wealth and prosperity, served as a marvelous representation favored by the treasure-obsessed goblins.

Ascending the steps, one's gaze was drawn to the dazzling golden Galleon, its diameter spanning a huge ten feet, embedded above the door beam. This dazzling emblem, shimmering with the radiance of untold riches, announced the goblins's financial power to the wizarding world.

Passing through the bronze doors, one could see what Gringotts headquarters truly looks like.

Unlike the bustling Gringotts branch at Diagon Alley, this vast hall, approximately five or six times the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, lacked the endless rows of counters and the never-ending clinking of goblins meticulously calculating wealth. Instead, the decor leaned towards that of a prestigious Muggle hotel, its lavish furnishings and elegant appointments exuding an air of refined luxury.

Yet, even in the dead of night, when the world slept, the majority of the numerous guest suites across the dozens of floors remained brilliantly illuminated.

Gringotts headquarters did not offer the usual personal vault services like its regular branches. This was a financial center, a nexus of power where both goblins and wizards met.

Here, the goblins would receive the leaders of influential families and Controllers of the magical industries from around the world, accepting their collateral before lending out shimmering piles of Galleons. Of course, the goblins would also assess promising industries for potential investments.

One could say, without exaggeration, that if one were to choose a few places capable of influencing the entire Wizarding World, the Gringotts World Banking Center would undoubtedly rank among the top ten, a veritable epicenter of financial might and political sway.

Buildings in the Wizarding world were seldom excessively tall, and the goblins were no exception to this unwritten rule. However, to accommodate the immense business brought by the hundreds of prosperous Wizarding societies worldwide, the goblins had built their headquarters layer upon layer, until it nearly matched one-third of the height of the iconic Eiffel Tower.

At this moment, as the twinkling stars descended from the heavens, illuminating the night, an air of anticipation hung in the air.

The top floor was the only level in the entire building without any partitioning walls, a vast, open chamber that exuded an air of grandeur and importance. The lavish velvet carpet that adorned the floor matched the reception hall of the British Ministry of Magic. The walls, crafted from the finest materials, were embedded with numerous fireplaces, each corresponding to Gringotts branches worldwide. Whenever an urgent matter arose, these branches would use the fireplaces to come here and consult with the goblin leader overseeing operations.

In the deep silence of the night, the vast room was eerily quiet.

Thus, when a series of crisp explosions suddenly echoed through the chamber, shattering the tranquil silence, Barnah, seated behind a massive black and red ebony desk along the western wall, immediately looked up, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Go on, then--" Barnah had completely lost interest, his mind already consumed by the innumerable matters that demanded his attention. As the overseer of wealth beyond the imagination of even ancient, affluent pureblood families like the Malfoys, he had too many responsibilities to handle daily. His willingness to spend precious time admonishing his subordinates stemmed solely from their foolish actions potentially involving Albus Dumbledore, a wizard whose power and influence could not be underestimated or ignored.

"Mr. Barnah, is it?" Just as Ragnok prepared to follow orders and lead his subordinates to find a secret chamber to interrogate Bryan Watson, a polite yet unfamiliar voice, suddenly resonated throughout the room, shattering the tense silence. "Would you be willing to spare some time for a private conversation with me?"

In an instant, the tense atmosphere within the chamber exploded!

The aged and feeble Barnah whirled around in astonishment. To his utter disbelief, the young wizard who had previously lain on the floor, surrounded by Ragnok's underlings, was no longer in his original position but had instead appeared behind Ragnok and the others. With his hands naturally folded before him and a gentle, disarming smile upon his lips, he calmly looked at him with a pair of faded purple eyes.

"Kill him." Without wasting a second's thought, Barnah issued his command in a solemn, unwavering voice.

"Mr. Barnah, please leave this to us!"

The events unfolding before their eyes had proven Barnah's earlier words prophetic. The goblin warriors, their faces twisted in rage and fury, charged towards Bryan with primal howls of bloodlust, Ragnok and Laddie shrieked furiously as they led the charge.

Bang!

Suddenly, a silver halo manifested around Bryan's body, its luminous brilliance cutting through the dim lighting of the chamber. As soon as it appeared, this halo violently expanded, possessing an unseen power that seemed to repel every attack. Ragnok, Laddie, and the goblins charging behind them were struck by the halo's wave with the force of a hurricane, their tiny forms blasted away one by one, their bodies tumbling through the air like leaves caught in a tempest.

Barnah glanced only once at the scene unfolding before him, his aged eyes narrowing as he processed the implications of what he had just witnessed. Without hesitation, he immediately decided to leave this place.

However, just as he was about to snap his fingers, the four walls of the top floor chamber suddenly erupted in searing golden flames. These curtain-like raging Fiendfyre, a manifestation of pure, destructive magic, sealed the room completely shut, yet remarkably did not damage anything inside, as if held in check by an unseen force.

Barnah immediately realized that he might not be able to leave. Gazing at those destructive flames containing immense power, his aged face slightly paled as he suddenly became aware of something, a truth that chilled him to his very core. He turned to order Ragnok's subordinates to stop, but one goblin who had been tossed to the ceiling by the repelling aura sprang back into action the moment it landed, faithfully carrying out its duty to kill Bryan Watson. However--

Swish!

Bryan raised his right hand, a wand inexplicably appearing in his palm as he gave it a slight flick. A stone spear materialized from thin air, its surface glinting with razor-sharp edges, and it pierced through the void with thunderous speed, a blur of motion that could scarcely be followed by the naked eye. The unlucky goblin had not even taken half a step before the spear, packing immense force, impaled it through the chest with a sickening crunch, sending it flying dozens of feet before pinning it to the ground in a grotesque display of violence, its life extinguished in an instant.

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