Harry Potter: I Am Big D

Chapter -30.

Walking into Gringotts was a bit like stepping into a whole new world! The inside was way bigger than it looked from the outside, thanks to some clever magic called the Undetectable Extension Charm. It was bustling with goblins busy at work, weighing gems, counting gold coins, and checking out all sorts of rare treasures at their counters.

With Professor McGonagall leading the way, they made their way to one of the counters. "Could you please help these gentlemen exchange some Galleons?" she asked.

The goblin at the counter, who had been tapping his fingers impatiently, suddenly brightened up when he saw Professor McGonagall. 

"Hello, Professor McGonagall! Are these new students from Hogwarts?" he asked, his tone friendly.

When she nodded, the goblin turned to Vernon, and his smile faded back to impatience. "How much do you want to exchange?"

Vernon, looking a bit nervous, asked, "What's the exchange rate?"

The goblin shot him an annoyed glance but replied, "Five pounds for one Galleon."

Vernon let out a sigh of relief and waved his hand dramatically. "Let's start with a thousand."

"Sorry, sir," the goblin said, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Hogwarts students can only exchange once a year, and it's limited to 100 Galleons at a time."

"Alright, then I'll take 200 Galleons," Vernon muttered, a bit defeated.

He handed over 1,000 pounds and pulled out two bags of coins—one for Harry and one for Dudley.

Meanwhile, Mr. Granger exchanged 100 Galleons for Hermione.

Just as they were about to leave, Professor McGonagall piped up, "Wait, we need to visit Mr. Harry Potter's vault to get some money."

With that, she pulled out a shiny golden key from her pocket.

After a bit of a wild ride, they arrived at the Potter family's vault.

"I had no idea they were this rich!" Vernon exclaimed as they stepped out, eyes wide at the mountain of gold coins. He had always thought his wife's sister and brother-in-law were just a couple of lazy folks, but it turned out they were quite well-off!

That pile of gold was worth a lot in pounds, but the Dursleys didn't seem to care much; they were just happy for Harry.

"Make sure to buy what you need according to the new student guide," Professor McGonagall said, referring to the Hogwarts acceptance letter. It listed everything from uniforms and gloves to textbooks, wands, cauldrons, glass vials, telescopes, and scales.

Oh, and you could also bring an owl, a cat, or a toad! Dudley frowned at the shopping list—not because it was too long, but because it felt too short. 

For Potions class, there were only three items: a cauldron, potion ingredients, and scales.

"Professor McGonagall, can we bring anything else besides these items?" Dudley asked.

"Of course, but just a heads up—it's best not to bring anything Muggle-related, as those items won't work at Hogwarts," she replied.

Dudley wasn't too keen on bringing extra stuff; he just thought the equipment was a bit too basic. He had his eye on some fancy experimental gear he wanted to bring along, and since Harry and Hermione would probably need some too, he decided to grab a few sets.

"It's getting late," Professor McGonagall said, glancing at the sky. "Let's split up: the adults and I will go get cauldrons, scales, books, and other school supplies, while the future little wizards can pick out wands, uniforms, and other fun stuff."

Everyone agreed with her plan, especially Mr. Granger and Vernon, who were already looking forward to heading to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. They were curious about what magical drinks tasted like!

First up were the uniforms and robes, which would take a bit of time. So, the two little wizards and a real Muggle stepped into a shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Madam Malkin was a cheerful, plump witch dressed in purple.

"Here to buy Hogwarts uniforms, are you?" she asked with a smile, sizing them up. "Two sets for first year, and one for seventh year, right?"

Dudley grinned and said, "Nope, all first year!" This clearly surprised Madam Malkin.

"Oh, okay," she replied, her eyes darting toward Dudley. 

'Looks like Hogwarts is welcoming more than just 11-year-olds now?' she might have thought, as she noticed a pale little boy with striking platinum blonde hair being fitted by other witches.

While Dudley and Hermione chatted about robes with Madam Malkin, Harry sat nearby, trying to make small talk. 

The little boy spoke in a sing-song voice that made it hard for Harry to keep up. Their conversation was all about Hogwarts, but Harry only knew the name, so he was a bit lost.

Whenever he said he didn't know something, the boy would stretch out his "Oh" in a way that made Harry feel uncomfortable.

But the little boy thought they were having a great chat. "Hey, look at that big oaf," he said, pointing at Dudley. "He says he's a first-year, but he's even bigger than Crabbe and Goyle. I bet he can eat a lot too." 

If the earlier conversation made Harry uneasy, this one definitely made him mad. 

"That's my cousin!" Harry shot back coldly.

"Is it?" the boy replied, a hint of mockery in his voice, as if he couldn't believe families could look like that.

"Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They passed away," Harry said, not wanting to chat any longer, but he answered out of politeness.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the boy said, but there was no sincerity in his tone as he added, "They must be the same kind of people as us, right? All wizards."

Hearing this, the boy's smirk faded a bit, and he continued, "I think those outsiders shouldn't be allowed to enroll, like your big oaf of a brother." 

Dudley and Harry were both dressed in black, looking quite magical, while Hermione was clearly in Muggle clothes.

To the boy, anyone from the Muggle world was an outsider. 

Before Harry could stop him, Dudley's face changed dramatically as a shadow loomed over the boy. A large hand came down, gently but firmly turning the boy's head to look up.

He found himself staring at Dudley's big, expressionless face just inches away, and it felt like he was being eyed by a legendary beast. A chill ran down his spine.

Dudley slowly grinned, showing off his bright white teeth, and the boy could feel the warmth of Dudley's breath, realizing he might just be in over his head.

"Hello there, nice to meet you!" Dudley said cheerfully.

Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.

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