Chapter 216: Unbreakable Vow Lifted
"Harry, you and Lupin sit here for a while. I'll take Adrianto get the family's collection of books."
After seeing Ethan return, Sirius immediately took action.
The Unbreakable Vow, it was better to complete this thing early.
Sirius didn't want to carry such a ticking time bomb on him.
And to be honest, he didn't have much affection for Ethan, but no ill will either.
Although this transaction had an element of taking advantage of the situation, it was consensual.
It wasn't as if Ethan had forced him to make the contract.
After just a few meetings, Sirius knew that he couldn't outplay Ethan, and Ethan's personality also leaned towards the pure-blood type that prioritizes profit.
One could say they were on two different paths.
They could have some acquaintance, but not a deep friendship, and not offend each other—this was Sirius's current thinking.
Following Sirius, they arrived on the third floor, stopping at a doorway with a golden nameplate inscribed with Orion Black's name.
Ethan knew this was Sirius's father; this was no secret in the Wizarding World.
But Sirius didn't lead Ethan directly inside; instead, he went to the adjacent room without a nameplate.
Like the main door, this doorknob was just for show; Sirius opened it with his wand.
Ethan guessed that the Black Family old house, like Hogwarts, was a living building, one that could recognize its master.
In terms of history, the House of Black was no less ancient than Hogwarts, perhaps even older and more distant.
However, in terms of scale and magical protection, the Black Family old house was definitely inferior to Hogwarts.
Now that Sirius, the last pure-blood, had become the head of the House of Black, he had the authority to go anywhere.
Upon entering, this place was different from other parts of the House of Black Ethan had seen; it was completely free of dust, as if someone had used it just yesterday.
Ethan wasn't curious about this; in his mind, there were several spells that had such an effect.
However, this study wasn't very large, and its collection of books didn't live up to the Black Family's reputation as the oldest and most noble pure-blood family.
Although it was larger and had a richer collection than the study in Ethan's house in Gordric's Hollow, compared to the Worre Family study Ethan had entered, it was relatively small.
Logically speaking, this shouldn't be possible!
Walking to the desk, Ethan saw a book lying half-open on it, with several other books haphazardly piled next to it.
Ethan picked it up directly, and by touch, he knew the book was made of human skin. The moment he picked it up, it let out a shriek that made his soul uncomfortable.
Such Dark Arts books were not uncommon; Ethan had seen many and naturally knew how to deal with them.
After forcibly using magic to quiet it down, Ethan began to examine the book. What caught his eye was the method for making Horcruxes.
Unfortunately, Ethan already knew this evil Dark Artsfrom Tom.
So the name of this book was self-evident: "Secrets of the Darkest Art." Regulus found the secret of Horcruxes in this book.
It was also the culprit that cost him his life.
If Regulus hadn't been so clever back then, he would surely have lived safely. If the Malfoy family could escape their Death Eater identity, there was no reason Regulus, the head of the Black Family, couldn't.
Wouldn't it have been better to live peacefully for more than ten years and watch old Dumbledore destroy this thing?
Instead, it led to old Dumbledore having to fall into Lord Voldemort's series of traps, almost dying, only to get a fake.
Sirius didn't pay much attention after seeing Ethan pick up a Dark Arts book.
"These are all the Black Family's collected books, though this is only a part of them."
"After you collect all of them, I'll take you to the other side."
Seeing this, Ethan naturally wouldn't refuse. He restored a box, which had been shrunk with a Shrinking Charm, to its original size. After opening the lid, Ethan took out his wand and lightly tapped one of the bookshelves.
The entire bookshelf floated up, then descended above the box, rapidly shrinking and entering it under the influence of the spell.
Nagini was inside the box. After Ethan put the books and the entire bookshelf into it, she roughly organized them inside, mainly just placing them properly to prevent them from toppling over and scattering everywhere after entering the box.
The specific categorization would be done after Ethan returned to his home in Gordric's Hollow.
Sirius watched Ethan's bandit-like behavior of not even sparing the bookshelves, and his face twitched uncontrollably twice.
He had only said he would give the books, not the bookshelves!
But in the end, he didn't say much.
With Ethan's method of putting in entire bookshelves, the speed was truly astonishing. In just a few minutes, a study was completely emptied.
Looking at the empty study, Sirius sighed and walked to a mirror.
He pressed his wand against the mirror and said, "The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, Always Pure!"
As Sirius's words fell, the mirror rippled like a calm water surface into which a stone had been thrown.
A few seconds later, the mirror disappeared, revealing a pitch-Black door. On the door, a mountain symbol, two pentagrams, and a shield with a short sword inserted were etched with golden threads. On both sides of the shield were two leaping dogs, and the doorknob was still a silver coiled snake shape.
Sirius pointed the tip of his wand at the doorknob.
The next moment, the golden threads on the entire door lit up, followed by the sound of gears turning from inside the door.
It was the same sound Ethan had heard when he went to Gringotts to deposit a million Galleons, indicating that it used the same anti-theft technology as the Goblins.
With a series of creaks, the pitch-Black door gradually opened.
Sirius led the way in, and the originally dark space suddenly lit up as he entered.
This was truly worthy of an ancient family with a thousand-year legacy!
In terms of scale, it was even larger and more magnificent than the Worre Family's, and Ethan could even sense waves of magic on the bookshelves.
Moreover, a significant portion of the books contained magic, just like "Secrets of the Darkest Art," with magicattached to them.
"This is the Black Family's true library. Now they are yours."
Sirius showed no reluctance towards everything before him.
Since Sirius said so, Ethan naturally wouldn't be polite. He immediately entered "cleanse mode," not sparing a single bookshelf.
It was fortunate that Ethan's current box, expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm, was large enough.
Otherwise, it truly might not have been able to hold everything.
Although he only briefly glanced while loading the bookshelves, many of the books on the shelves were even arranged in the same way as in the Hogwarts library.
Ethan suspected that Phineas Nigellus Black, Sirius's great-great-grandfather, might have made a copy of all the books in the Hogwarts library for his own family when he was Principal.
Now, Ethan likely had even the part of the books that Dumbledore specifically kept in the Principal's office and wouldn't let anyone see.
Although many of these books seemed useless to Ethan, he didn't let them go.
After Ethan also cleared this place out, Sirius finally spoke:
"Now, our vow is complete, isn't it!"
"Indeed, the transaction is complete."
Ethan, quite satisfied, put away the box, which had been expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm, and then left the library with Sirius.
After the two left, the Black door, engraved with the Black Family crest, closed with a thud and reverted to its previous mirror appearance.
At the same time, Ethan felt a surge of magic on his arm. Pulling up his Wizarding robe, he saw tiny fiery red threads untying and dissipating.
Sirius, standing beside him, also pulled up the sleeve of his Wizarding robe, watching the scene.
Both of them were experiencing the Unbreakable Vow spell for the first time, and they only relaxed after all the fiery red threads had completely vanished.
"Adrian, why don't you join us for dinner? There's a Muggle restaurant outside with good food. I can order for delivery and have Lupin pick it up."
Back on the second floor, Sirius felt much more relaxed, having removed a spell that could take his life at any moment.
"No need, my House-elf should have already prepared dinner, and Cassandra and the others are probably waiting for me to come back for dinner as well."
Ethan smiled and declined.
Ethan wasn't surprised that Sirius knew about the nearby Muggle restaurant.
Having read the original story, Ethan knew that Sirius had collected photos of Muggle girls in bikinis and pasted them in his room when he was still in school.
He was quite interested in things from the Muggle world and had encountered many, and his modified motorcycle was also proof.
"In that case, I won't keep you."
Ethan declined, and Sirius didn't insist.
It was best to treat each other like ordinary friends and build good karma.
"Ethan, you have a House-elf?"
Harry, however, found it a bit strange because he knew about Ethan's family.
Although they were wealthy, they were a Muggle family, so how could they possibly have a House-elf?
When he communicated with Dobby back then, he learned that House-elves were quite rare, only found in pure-blood families of higher standing.
Most Wizarding families weren't eligible for one; he recalled Mrs. Weasley complaining during his visit to the Weasley that it would be wonderful if their family could have a House-elf.
"Mrs. ওয়ার্রে gave me a Wizard's house, and it came with a House-elf inside."
Faced with Ethan's explanation, Harry was speechless.
Envy!
At this age, Harry was also starting to feel the stirrings of romance; looking at the group of girls around Ethan, he wanted the same, not to mention there was even a rich woman he could mooch off of.
"I'm leaving now, see you at the Quidditch World Cup!"
With that, Ethan waved to the others, ready to use a Portkey to go straight home.
"See you then!"
Harry also waved; he had already told Ethan about the Quidditch match box seats Sirius had booked during their ride on the Knight Bus.
These were not far from Ethan's box, both being top-tier noble boxes.
After all, neither Ethan nor Sirius were short on Galleons.
Chapter 217: Depositing Money at Gringotts
The next day, Ethan arrived in front of the towering white building in Diagon Alley.
Stepping through the gleaming bronze doors, the Goblinguards in scarlet and gold uniforms standing at the entrance immediately bowed to Ethan.
Although in terms of status, Ethan was merely a MuggleWizard, with neither a prominent family background nor a high-ranking position in the Ministry of Magic, as a major client with one million Galleons deposited at Gringotts, he was worthy of such treatment.
As for the inscription on the second door, Ethan just smiled and passed by.
Inside Gringotts, it was as busy as ever, just as Ethan remembered from his previous visits.
Hundreds of Goblins were working at their respective tasks: checking documents, weighing coins on scales, examining jewels with magnifying glasses, and pulling carts—everything imaginable. Of course, a Goblin also came scurrying towards Ethan.
"Respected Mr. Adrian, how may I assist you?"
Seeing the smiling Goblin in front of him, Ethan truly lost all appetite.
Don't you know how ugly you are?
"I want to deposit a sum of Galleons into my vault."
This was the purpose of Ethan's visit today.
After Sirius handed over half of the Black Family's cash yesterday, Ethan had finished counting it, totaling over 3.6 million Galleons.
Adding that to Ethan's existing deposits at Gringotts and the dividends from this period, he now had over 5 million Galleons in total.
After all, from the Slytherin headquarters alone, Ethan had gained over a million Galleons.
The subsequent large and small incomes were not insignificant; although he spent some, overall, he earned much faster than he spent.
Yet, even with this amount, Ethan still hadn't activated the achievement reward, and he didn't know how much was needed for the next stage.
Ten million?
Or thirty million?
To obtain such a large amount of Galleons, relying solely on accumulation would take years; he had to go for something big.
Therefore, Ethan came to Gringotts to deposit money today.
"Mr. Adrian, would you be interested in our financial products? Gringotts has recently launched several new investment projects, guaranteed to…"
"No need, just take me to my vault."
Ethan had no interest in that whatsoever.
Goblin financial products—just listen to them; trying to make money from them was practically impossible.
"Yes, I'll take you there now!"
"Please present your vault key first."
Ethan's refusal caused the Goblin's expression to stiffen for a moment, but it quickly recovered, adopting a business-like demeanor.
Ethan didn't mind; he knew they would have their time to cry later.
After inspecting Ethan's vault key and confirming it was in order, the Goblin led Ethan to a counter.
"Mr. Adrian, how many Galleons do you wish to deposit this time?"
All deposits are recorded to avoid disputes.
Wizards don't particularly trust Goblins, and they are quite aware of this race's nature; who knows if they might steal property from the vaults.
Then they could turn around and claim there was only so much in the vault, and the Wizard would have no recourse.
If not for Gringotts being the only bank in the Wizarding World, they would probably go out of business.
"Four million Galleons!"
As Ethan's words fell, the entire Gringotts fell silent. The Goblins busy with their work all turned to look at Ethan, their eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
Some Wizards who had come to Gringotts for business also looked at Ethan in disbelief.
They recognized Ethan; after all, the Wizarding World is a small society, and Ethan was somewhat of a celebrity, having appeared in several issues of The Daily Prophet.
But they hadn't expected Ethan to be so wealthy; various thoughts ran through their minds at once.
Ethan was oblivious to these thoughts, even hoping they would act on their ideas.
"Are you sure it's four million Galleons, and not four hundred thousand?"
The Goblin handling Ethan's transaction also looked at him incredulously; the one million Galleons deposited last time was already surprising enough.
Although he wasn't the one who handled Ethan's transaction that time, only one person deposited a million Galleons in the entire previous year—everyone in Gringotts knew that!
He hadn't expected it to jump directly to four million this year, making him wonder if he had misheard.
According to his knowledge, Gringotts had never received a single deposit of four million Galleons since its establishment.
Even the pure-blood families accumulated their wealth gradually over time.
"It is four million Galleons!"
"Please come this way!"
After confirming he hadn't misheard, the Goblinimmediately ushered Ethan into a nearby private booth.
Subsequently, Ethan produced the four million Galleons. Before depositing, the amount had to be verified and tested; smaller amounts could be handled outside.
But with four million Galleons, even with the aid of magic, it would take some time.
They also didn't ask how Ethan obtained this sum of Galleons, as it wasn't within Gringotts' purview.
If a family lost a large amount of Galleons, they would naturally go to the Ministry of Magic, which would then investigate; it would never be blamed on the Goblins.
"Mr. Adrian, you…"
"No financial products needed!"
Ethan directly interrupted the Gringotts manager who came to pitch, knowing what nonsense he was about to spout from the moment he opened his mouth.
Hearing Ethan say that, the manager could only leave dejectedly.
Although he had heard from the previous Goblin that Ethan didn't need financial products, how could he give up without trying?
This was four million Galleons!
If he could sell financial products, the commission alone would be enough to fill his pockets, not to mention the other perks involved.
Unlike Muggle banks, Muggle banks pay interest on deposits, mainly because the bank uses this money for loans or investments to earn a certain profit, and then gives a portion of it as interest to depositors.
But at Gringotts in the Wizarding World, there is no interest on deposits; instead, one has to pay them a fee for safekeeping.
At the same time, without a Wizard's permission, Goblins cannot open a Wizard's vault, which naturally prevents Goblins from coveting the Galleons inside.
Although they can open the vault door, they don't know when a Wizard will come to withdraw Galleons, and there's also an agreement in place; if caught, the entire Goblin race would be affected.
Therefore, in addition to charging safekeeping fees, Gringotts also likes to recommend various financial products, and even offers a series of services like curse-breaking.
After all, they can't directly misappropriate these Galleons, but they can make you willingly take them out!
Here, vaults are divided into five levels.
Level five is the public vault, located on the uppermost floor of Gringotts' underground. It's not permanently owned by a specific family or individual; whenever someone comes, they're simply given an empty vault. Fees are based on storage time, and this fee is, of course, the lowest…
The subsequent four levels are private vaults, with Level One vaults located on the very bottom floor, guarded by Dragons.
The minimum one-time charge is eighty thousand Galleons for a hundred years of safekeeping; of course, it can be renewed in advance.
To upgrade to permanent ownership, it costs three hundred thousand Galleons, which then belongs to a family forever.
This is the amount required for a Level One vault, and many pure-blood families choose this service.
For example, the Lestrange Family, and other prominent pure-blood families, though the Weasley is naturally excluded.
Ethan also chose this type, as fishing requires bait; you have to give to get.
After drinking a cup of tea and sitting for a while, Ethan's batch of Galleons was finally processed.
It must be said, the Goblins' efficiency was quite fast.
Following behind the Goblin, Ethan entered the interior of Gringotts, going downwards until they reached more than a dozen mine cart tracks.
Here, two mine carts were already prepared; the one in front was filled with glittering Galleons, with two Goblins on it, one guarding the cargo and one driving.
The mine cart carrying the Galleons also had its internal space expanded by an Undetectable Extension Charm.
Ethan and the guiding Goblin boarded the mine cart behind.
Sitting in the mine cart with a look of disdain, Ethan didn't know what to say.
As the only financial institution in the Wizarding World, Gringotts had already earned its fill of Galleons.
From the outside, it looked glamorous and far more imposing than any other building in Diagon Alley.
Yet, inside, they didn't bother to decorate it properly, only focusing on superficial projects.
Even the Ministry of Magic knew to keep up with the times and installed elevators, but Gringotts was still using these centuries-old contraptions.
"Mr. Adrian, please sit tight."
As the Goblin's words fell, the front mine cart, fully loaded with Galleons, started first. Due to the entire journey being downhill, its speed was incredibly fast.
After the front cart had gone for a while, the cart Ethan was riding in began to move.
Once started, the mine cart bolted like an unbridled wild horse, hurtling along the maze-like tracks. There were many Fork in the Road, and at every critical moment, the Goblin would skillfully maneuver the cart to change tracks, staying firmly behind the lead cart.
Due to the speed, the mine cart and the tracks generated sparks. The roller coasters Ethan had ridden before were child's play compared to this.
Soon, the mine cart carried Ethan through a small waterfall, and the falling water splashed quite a bit onto Ethan.
Ethan secretly collected a portion of it into a container he had prepared beforehand.
This was the Thief's Downfall, its sole purpose being to wash away magical disguises.
Whether it was Transfiguration or Polyjuice Potion, or people controlled by the Imperio, when passing through the water of this Thief's Downfall, the magical effects would be dispelled.
Ethan was quite interested in this magic potion; he wasn't prepared last time, and it would be a shame not to collect some this time.
Of course, Gringotts wasn't so extravagant as to use this magic-dispelling potion as a single-use item, especially in the form of a flowing waterfall.
At both the top and bottom, there were Alchemy devices that could collect these naturally flowing potions, recycle them, and reuse them.
This was also an important guarantee of the security of Gringotts' deep vaults; the Goblin responsible for leading the way had explained this to Ethan during his first visit.
Chapter 218: The Money-Grubbing Goblin
After passing the Thief's Downfall, it wasn't far to the bottommost level of Gringotts' vaults, the Level One vaults.
With a "clank," the mine cart, sparking and flashing, came to an abrupt halt. If Ethan hadn't been sitting steadily, he probably would have been thrown off.
Stepping out of the mine cart, Ethan knew this was the end of the line, and it was three thousand meters deep underground.
"Gringotts, have you never considered a different mode of transport, like lifts?"
After getting off the cart, Adrian complained, clearly annoyed.
"Mr. Adrian, you are not the first to raise this issue. In fact, over a hundred years ago, a Wizard suggested the same thing to us."
"But do you know how much it would cost to replace the current system with an elevator, considering the scale of Gringotts' vaults?"
"Moreover, many defensive measures would need to be altered, which might create vulnerabilities in Gringotts' impregnable defenses."
The Goblin spoke eloquently, but it all boiled down to one thing: they didn't want to spend money, especially not a large sum.
Since they were the only financial institution in the Wizarding World, there was no competitive pressure. As long as no fundamental problems arose, it wasn't an issue.
"Indeed, security is paramount."
To extract information, Adrian could only say things he didn't mean.
"Your understanding is truly appreciated!"
The Goblin's face revealed a hint of a smile upon hearing Adrian's words.
"However, I know that House-elves can ignore a Wizard's anti-Apparition charm."
"Hogwarts has this charm, but the Malfoy family's House-elf can move freely within Hogwarts without hindrance. Can Gringotts prevent House-elf Apparition?"
From what Adrian knew, Wizard Apparition and Portkeys were unusable inside Gringotts.
As for other methods, he wasn't quite sure, and it was likely no one had ever tried. Those who had probably wouldn't dare to speak openly about it.
"No, we have a specific charm targeting House-elfApparition to ensure Gringotts' security. Otherwise, so many Wizards wouldn't trust us and wouldn't believe that we are safer than their own vaults."
At this point, the Goblin's face was filled with pride.
"What about Animals' Apparition?"
"For example, a Phoenix. Dumbledore once took me with him using Phoenix Apparition. This also bypasses anti-Apparition charms, and it's different from a House-elf's."
"Although Phoenixes are few in number, there are also Zouwu and Swooping Evil, which are relatively common Animals."
Adrian feigned confusion and continued to extract information.
This concerned what methods Adrian would use later to make a fortune.
"They can't either. When this vault was built, we took all of that into consideration."
"And rest assured, even if something unexpected happens, Gringotts is responsible for any losses incurred by first-tier vault clients."
The Goblin spoke to Adrian while leading the way, showing no suspicion regarding Adrian's questions.
After all, Adrian had five million Galleons deposited in Gringotts. What was wrong with being a little concerned?
If it were him, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep unless he was lying on a small mountain of Galleons every night.
Soon, the Goblin led Adrian to a halt. Two other Goblins, who had pushed the small mine cart down, were waiting there.
Even here, Adrian could hear the tragic wails of a Dragonand the sound of chains dragging.
The Goblin leading Adrian also pulled out a small device made of several metal pieces from his robes, holding it in his hand, and walked to the front.
They arrived at an open area with several stone pillars. Here, a Dragon, the guardian of the Gringotts vaults, was present.
However, this Dragon's appearance was quite tragic. Thick chains were tightly wrapped around its neck and legs, firmly pinning it to the ground.
And perhaps because it had not seen sunlight for many years, this Ukrainian Ironbelly was not its normal silver-gray, but a dull white, with many new and old scars on its body.
Undoubtedly, these were left during the taming of this Ukrainian Ironbelly.
Yet, even so, it had not been completely tamed.
As Adrian and the others passed, the Ukrainian Ironbellyopened its gaping maw and lunged forward, a scorching ball of fire appearing in its ferocious Dragon mouth.
Although the intimidation wasn't activated, Animal Affinity, a passive ability, was present. Yet, this Ukrainian Ironbelly still seemed intent on killing everyone.
Adrian had experienced this situation the last time he came, and he knew the reason.
It was simply that it had been tormented by these Goblins to the point of mental instability, seeing everyone as an enemy, especially humanoid figures.
After all, Wizards and Goblins frequently passed through here, and when the Goblins led the way, whether entering or exiting, they would torment it. It would be strange if it didn't harbor hatred.
Just as the Ukrainian Ironbelly was about to spew fire, the Goblin finally moved.
He vigorously shook the small device he had just taken out, and with a peculiar sound, the originally fierce Ukrainian Ironbelly recoiled in pain, pulling at its chains with a mournful clang, and emitting a pained cry from its mouth.
The fire it was about to spew erupted in its mouth instead, blackening its Dragon head.
The other two Goblins pushing the cart didn't even glance, evidently accustomed to the scene.
Adrian merely glanced before paying it no further attention.
Beyond this area lay a rock wall. Following a small path, they reached the front of the rock wall, where a long corridor ran along its edge.
All the vaults visible here were first-tier vaults.
Opening the vault did not involve Adrian's wand, but rather the Goblin's direct action, performing their unique Goblin magic.
The key was merely a token of identity. Additionally, if a wand was registered, it could also serve as a credential.
Only the vaults above were opened with keys, and they didn't need to pass through the Thief's Downfall; the level of protection was entirely different from here.
Similarly, if Galleons were taken out due to a lost key, Gringotts was not responsible, unless it was Gringotts' error, in which case they would bear the responsibility.
After all, their standard was to provide service commensurate with the price.
With a series of clanking gears, the vault door before Adrian opened.
Inside was a golden expanse, a small mountain of Galleons, and nothing else.
The two Goblins beside him now pushed the cart inside, directly tipping out the Galleons it contained.
"Mr. Adrian, you may count them."
After completing all of this, the Goblin leading the way finally spoke to Adrian.
Adrian naturally didn't refuse, using magic to begin counting. Throughout, only Galleons could be seen flying through the air, their speed far exceeding that of the Goblins.
After all, the amount of magic determined the range of spells that could be cast.
In just a moment, Adrian finished counting.
"No problem."
"That's good. I'll close the vault door now!"
"Oh, Mr. Adrian, you have five million Galleons stored here. I wonder if you would like magical protection? We can provide that service."
After speaking, the Goblin looked at Adrian with anticipation.
Many pure-blood nobles chose this service, as their vaults contained not only Galleons but also many collections, some of which were rare items difficult to measure in Galleons.
"No need. I trust Gringotts' security!"
Seeing Adrian say this, the Goblin, though full of regret, said nothing more.
"How many vaults are there here?"
"I apologize, esteemed guest, but that is Gringotts' secret, and I cannot disclose it."
The Goblin whispered, making an internationally recognized gesture with his hand.
Adrian naturally understood, taking out a handful of Galleons without counting and tossing them over.
After receiving the Galleons, the Goblin quickly tucked them into his robes.
"Sixty-two are in use. There are a total of ninety-eight first-tier vaults, but the remaining ones are still empty."
The Goblin immediately whispered this restricted information.
Indeed, as long as there was profit to be made, these Goblins had no bottom line.
In the original story, for gryffindor's sword, they led Harryand the others inside. Although Harry and his friends obtained hufflepuff's cup.
But because of this Goblin's greed, the Gringotts branch in Britain was directly wiped out by an enraged Lord Voldemort. All the Goblins peacefully ate the Killing Curse.
"Many pure-blood families have died out, such as the once prominent Gaunt family. I heard they became incredibly poor later, unable to even produce a single Galleon. They should also have vaults here. Are there many such cases now?"
Saying this, Adrian again slipped over a handful of Galleons.
The Goblin accepted them without hesitation.
"There are seventeen such vaults that haven't been used for many years, and there are no valuable items left inside."
"The doors of these vaults have been painted black. If the remaining vault doors are all put into use and there are no empty first-tier vaults left, these will be used."
The Goblin was not afraid to reveal anything.
As for the transfer of empty vaults, the Goblins didn't acknowledge that. Anyway, when your family is gone, the vault will still return to our Goblin hands.
Another piece of good news, obtained for only a small amount of Galleons. In some ways, these Goblins were surprisingly easy to deal with.
After that, Adrian didn't ask much more, as much of the information was already public and could be easily found with a little inquiry.
The return trip was also by small mine cart. Due to magic, the speed when going uphill was quite fast.
[Thanks to big boss TK for the monthly ticket, thank you big boss!].
Chapter 219: Elixir of Life
After leaving Gringotts, Adrian immediately headed to Knockturn Alley.
When he arrived at the Witch Heart Society's stronghold, Tom was already waiting there.
After obtaining slytherin's locket Horcrux yesterday, Adrian had contacted him via wizard mailbox and informed him of the news.
He had planned to visit Gringotts today, which was why he hadn't made a special trip yesterday.
Instead, he chose to come today as it was on his way, which meant Tom had been waiting there early.
After greeting several members of the organization, Adrian led Tom directly to a laboratory.
Adrian wasted no time and directly took out slytherin's locket.
Tom's gaze was immediately drawn to the Horcrux when he saw it.
Adrian made no other movements, directly using the Spirit Expulsion Curse to pull out the soul within. This step was already second nature to him.
Before long, he had pulled out the ugly, deformed infant, completing the purification of slytherin's locket.
Adrian also noticed Tom's impatient gaze and immediately handed the ugly, deformed infant to him.
Each time he devoured the remnant souls from other Horcruxes, it brought Tom considerable improvement.
However, Adrian was thinking about something. He had already destroyed most of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes himself.
The Diary, ravenclaw's diadem, the resurrection stone, and slytherin's locket had all been destroyed by Adrian, wasn't this stealing Harry's savior mission?
Now, apart from hufflepuff's cup, the only one remaining was Harry himself, whom Lord Voldemort didn't even know about.
Adrian also planned to obtain hufflepuff's cup this summer, leaving only Harry as a Horcrux.
If Harry were gone, would Lord Voldemort, who was already just a remnant soul, simply dissipate?
After all, the seventh Horcrux was made after Lord Voldemort's resurrection.
The current Lord Voldemort, even if he sensed his Horcruxes disappearing one after another, was powerless.
He simply didn't have the ability to hastily create another Horcrux for self-preservation.
After all, with only a remnant soul, he could do nothing but linger in the Albanian Forest.
"Pick twenty people and train them well. We'll need them when we raid Gringotts."
"hufflepuff's cup is inside."
"They won't need to fight then. I just hope they can quickly pack up all the wealth inside and take it away."
After Tom finished absorbing the memories from the Horcrux remnant soul, Adrian immediately instructed.
Twenty people would be enough. Adrian was only targeting the wealth in Gringotts' first-tier vaults. As for those above, time and space made it difficult to arrange.
Moreover, no matter the world, wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few. Adrian believed that even if he only emptied the pure-blood noble strongholds in the first-tier vaults, the profits would likely not be much less than the four higher-tier vaults combined.
"Understood, I'll go arrange it now."
Tom immediately agreed and prepared to act.
Tom wasn't very interested in the Galleons inside Gringotts. After all, he believed in strength, and Galleons were only needed to be enough for spending.
But hufflepuff's cup, that was definitely something he had to get his hands on.
The slytherin's locket I just absorbed was made when he was in his twenties, and the memories within were very helpful to me.
Moreover, each absorption was like completing my soul, making me more like a person.
"By the way, go capture an escaped Death Eater, one with a prominent identity who is difficult to whitewash and has no choice but to flee."
Seeing Tom about to leave, Ethan gave another command.
Ethan had originally considered several ways to enter Gringotts, including using an Occamy.
Although the Occamy's Apparition is random, that's for untrained wild ones; some Wizards train them to Apparate to specific locations.
Ethan initially thought of using this method to enter, and it was the optimal choice.
At that time, he would only need to use a special Potionspecifically for the vault door to break it open and completely loot the wealth inside.
Unfortunately, after asking a Goblin, this idea was directly abandoned, and he had to choose from backup options.
No spatial means could enter, so he could only go in through the main door with a legitimate identity, not his own.
The best choice was naturally to borrow the identity of a first-tier vault owner.
While such people are easy to find—Sirius is certainly one, and the Malfoy Family and Worre Family are also options—there's no need to scheme against them, and he would also need to obtain a token.
It wasn't as if there were no other choices; half of the pure-blood families had joined the Death Eater, some were captured and sent to Azkaban, such as the Lestrange couple.
Some, relying on connections and money, and not being so loyal to Lord Voldemort, chose to abandon their Death Eater identities and whitewash themselves, such as those led by Malfoy.
There were also others who, whether due to excessive loyalty to Lord Voldemort and unwillingness to abandon their Death Eater identity, or because their evil deeds were confirmed and couldn't be whitewashed, were still on the run, living a life of hiding.
This group was not small.
After all, with the existence of magic, as long as one isn't too foolish or too straightforward, wanting to hide is not a difficult thing.
As for how to find them, that was up to Tom.
The Death Eater, even when he was in school, already had a prototype; it was only formally established after graduation.
Tom, who had absorbed many Horcrux, couldn't possibly be unaware of its ins and outs.
Having Tom search for them was absolutely the most suitable choice.
Anyway, a word from the leader means the subordinate runs himself ragged; wasn't that why Ethan resurrected him?
"I understand!"
Tom immediately agreed.
There was no difficulty; he knew the magic to find his Death Eater.
The only trouble was that he might have to make several trips.
After all, he could only determine the direction, not the identity of the Death Eater in that direction.
For hufflepuff's cup, a little trouble was fine.
"As for speed, be as quick as possible; we'll start acting after the Quidditch World Cup ends."
Ethan added, if it could be resolved this summer, he didn't want to drag it out until the next holiday.
Moreover, after the summer, if the plot doesn't deviate, it will be the Triwizard Tournament.
At that time, he didn't know if there would be other things.
Plus, Lord Voldemort might still resurrect at that juncture, so it was better to resolve things as much as possible beforehand.
Anyway, Tom wasn't going to watch the Quidditch World Cup, so he had plenty of time.
After Tom left, Ethan finally turned his attention to slytherin's locket.
Based on the experience with ravenclaw's diadem and the resurrection stone, as long as he touched it, he could complete the achievement.
The former granted an increase in wisdom, and the latter granted the ancient magic Helheim.
Firmly grasping slytherin's locket in his hand, sure enough, the prompt appeared.
[Collector—Slytherin's Relic]
The gem sparkled like a star in the night, and dark magicrippled quietly within the box.
It had witnessed honor and endured trials; the dust of ages could not conceal its past glory.
Achievement Goal: Obtain the precious item slytherin's locket (1/1)
Achievement Reward: Immortality Potion Recipe
Potion recipe?
Collecting ravenclaw's diadem rewarded an increase in wisdom, and now slytherin's locket gave a Potion recipe.
He remembered that when he first entered the Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, the reward was the Magic Bloodrecipe.
So the collected items were indeed related to the original owner's identity!
It was just that Ethan had never heard of an immortality Potion.
The Philosopher's Stone could create the Elixir of Life, which could maintain vitality but couldn't prevent the body from aging.
Then there was the Fountain of Youth; in this world, there were also legends of the Fountain of Youth, which were quite widespread, and Ethan knew a little about them.
After accepting the immortality Potion recipe, Ethan realized that this immortality Potion had nothing to do with the Elixir of Life or the Fountain of Youth.
For Ethan, its effect wasn't very significant, but for women, it was absolutely an unparalleled treasure.
Besides using it for Cassandra and others, its only other use was to sell it for Galleon, and its wealth-gathering ability was absolutely terrifying.
After all, Ethan knew how profitable cosmetics were, and even the Wizarding World's beauty Potions were quite expensive.
Those Witches with little Galleon simply couldn't afford such Potions.
The effect of the immortality Potion, however, completely surpassed these; its only purpose was to fix one's appearance at the moment of consumption.
Although life would continuously pass and the body would age, the appearance would not change at all.
If taken continuously, even if one was eighty years old and their body was decaying, they would still look like a twenty-year-old maiden.
Whether it was hair or skin condition, all visible external features would remain twenty years old.
As long as you didn't speak, didn't stand up and move, and didn't show any flaws, you would appear as a twenty-year-old maiden.
However, this Potion had to be taken once a year.
Otherwise, after a year, your appearance would age a bit each day, and within a month, you would revert to your original appearance.
Moreover, once aged, taking the Potion again would not reverse it; you would only maintain the aged appearance.
This was a way to harvest once a year!
And Ethan had looked at the recipe; it was difficult, but not overly outrageous.
Three months of brewing time, and the ingredients were quite precious.
The uses for Dragon's Blood were about to increase by one; besides that, it also required Unicorn horn, Occamyeggshell, and the rest were common items.
Chapter 220: Resurrecting Hezper the Vile
At his home in Gordric's Hollow, Ethan and Hezper the Vile stood in the Potion brewing room.
A huge cauldron sat nearby, its liquid continuously bubbling and emitting wafts of green mist.
Not only that, but the entire Potion room was filled with a pungent, foul odor.
"I guarantee that this Potion, which I've refined, is absolutely fine.
Combined with the magic and vitality contained within these spirits, plus a small, incomplete Philosopher's Stone as an Introduction (catalyst), it will definitely allow me to resurrect."
Hezper the Vile was currently assuring Ethan.
This pot of Potion was his latest work, a significant modification of the complex spell Ethan had used to resurrect Tom.
The brewing period had also changed from seven days to nine days.
"Are you sure?"
Looking at this pot of Potion, Ethan felt that something was very wrong.
Ethan only provided some reference opinions; how to implement these was all Hezper the Vile's own thought and refinement.
The ingredients required for this pot of Potion were also prepared by Ethan after Hezper the Vile provided the list.
"I'm sure, this definitely has no problems."
Hezper the Vile's aged face showed a strange excitement and agitation.
Although this complex spell had not undergone testing or experimentation, he had absolute confidence in it.
Just like when he first invented the Dark Arts of Horcrux.
At that time, there were no tests or experiments; he just directly started with his own soul.
"Since you're so confident, then begin."
After scrutinizing the Potion, which still felt very wrong, Ethan finally nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll go in!"
Hearing Ethan agree, Hezper the Vile immediately became impatient.
He directly jumped into the boiling green liquid in front of Ethan.
The moment he entered, he completely disappeared, as if he had been directly melted into the cauldron.
Ethan wasn't surprised by this; it was indeed melting, his soul dispersed into the Potion in the cauldron.
As discussed with Hezper the Vile earlier, the first thing to add was the Philosopher's Stone.
This was mainly to activate the Potion's potency.
Three blood-red gems the size of soybeans appeared in Ethan's hand; these were the ones Ethan had deemed too small when making his wand and had set aside without using.
He directly threw them into the pot of green Potion.
The moment they touched, a blood-red mist immediately rose, and the Potion within also turned red.
When Tom was resurrected last time, the bone of the father, the flesh of the servant, and the blood of the enemy were added in sequence, and each time an ingredient was added, the Potion's color would change differently.
Seeing such a change now, Ethan was not overly surprised.
He took out a Basilisk, which had been hatched by Hezper the Vile a while ago.
It grew incredibly fast, and soon it was over three meters long and as thick as a bowl.
Now it was under Stupefy, with no ability to resist.
Ethan directly used a Levitation Charm to move it above the cauldron.
Then he straightened it and began to lower it into the cauldron, starting from the tail, little by little.
When Hezper the Vile entered the cauldron earlier, no liquid overflowed because Hezper the Vile appeared solid but was actually an aggregate of soul, vitality, and magic.
He had a weightless, false body, so he naturally wouldn't affect the Potion in the cauldron.
But this snake now weighed dozens of pounds, yet after being thrown into the cauldron, there was no reaction at all.
The Potion didn't rise, its color didn't change, and not even a trace of the snake's remains could be seen inside.
It was as if only a ball of air had just been thrown in.
Only one step remained; at this point, Ethan couldn't stop.
Dozens of earth spirits appeared in the Potion brewing room, filling it to the brim.
Then, one after another, the earth spirits were extinguished by Ethan, leaving only pure magic and vitality, which were then poured into the cauldron.
As a certain number of earth spirits were added, a blood-red flame ignited above the cauldron.
And as Ethan added more earth spirits, the flame grew more vigorous.
It was as if Ethan was throwing in kindling.
Even though the flame was now almost touching the ceiling, Ethan did not stop feeding it.
Soon, these dozens of earth spirits were completely consumed.
But it didn't matter; Ethan still had plenty of these, all acquired from outside at bargain prices.
However he used them, Ethan wouldn't feel the slightest bit of heartache.
Opening Nibelungen, the Potion brewing room was again filled to the brim with earth spirits, occupying every space.
He continued to throw them into the blood-red flame, and just as the room full of earth spirits was about to be depleted, the blood-red flame completely enveloped the cauldron.
The table below instantly turned to dust, but the flame did not fall to the ground; instead, it floated in mid-air, continuing to burn in its original position.
Despite this anomaly, Ethan did not stop feeding it.
Ultimately, it was because the magic and vitality in the earth spirits were too scarce.
He threw in over a hundred of them before the blood-red flame's appetite was satisfied.
Only when he saw it begin to transform and squirm did Ethan stop feeding it.
After about ten seconds, the blood-red flame writhed and transformed into a burly middle-aged man, roughly one meter ninety tall.
If there was any commonality with his previous appearance, it was still that large, bald head with not a single hair, and an equally fierce face.
The first impression he gave was that he was not a good person.
Besides that, his eyebrows and beard were black, and he was at least twenty centimeters taller.
Perhaps this was Hezper the Vile in his middle age.
And, quite an eyesore, he wasn't wearing any clothes, so Ethan directly threw him a Wizard robe.
Ethan's Wizard robe was a bit small for him, but he managed to put it on.
After all, Ethan was only fourteen years old and one meter eighty tall.
"How do you feel?"
While Ethan was observing him, Hezper the Vile was also adapting to the changes in his body. "Not bad, but there's still some difference compared to when I was alive, mainly in terms of magic Power. This might be due to a deviation in the soul."
After carefully sensing the condition of various parts of his body, Hezper the Vile slowly spoke.
He also knew that it was probably impossible to fully restore his original form. Being able to reach this level was already good enough!
"So, are you now a complete person with life?"
Ethan wasn't quite sure about his current state. First, he couldn't sense his heartbeat.
At such a close distance, Ethan's perception was quite keen for these things, but now, with Hezper the Vilestanding in front of him, if his eyes were covered and he didn't move, he would be like a dead person with a magicPower reaction.
Ethan couldn't sense any vital signs of a living person on him.
However, even so, Ethan felt that his soul was still in his hands.
This was planted when he was still a Horcrux remnant, specifically designed for him.
It mainly utilized the Spirit Expulsion Curse, and also incorporated some characteristics of Helheim and Ghost Servant Mark.
If he had broken free from his control after being resurrected, Ethan would have immediately put him away. He would never have thought of letting him out before he had a firm grasp on him.
"I'm somewhere between a living person and a dead person!"
"Both my soul and body are alive, I can sense that, but I don't have any needs of a living person. Everything is provided by magic Power."
Hezper the Vile thought for a moment before articulating his feelings.
There was no heartbeat, and organs like his stomach, intestines, and lungs were not functioning, yet his body was indeed alive because he could sense the vitality within it.
As one of the most brilliant Dark Wizards of his era, if not the most brilliant.
Hezper the Vile's research into Wizard anatomy and the soul was incredibly profound, otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to tamper with his own soul to create Dark Arts like Horcruxes.
And his research on the Basilisk also demonstrated his insights into life and magic.
So, at this moment, after Hezper the Vile circulated magicPower throughout his body, he could discover various issues within himself.
As for his soul, it was indeed active, completely different from its state when he was a Horcrux. This was a reaction of the soul and body closely linking together after their integration.
Aside from being a bit more fragile than a normal person's, there wasn't much difference.
It was by combining all of this that Hezper the Vileconcluded that he was in a state between a living person and a dead person.
Ethan, upon hearing this, also thoughtfully observed Hezper the Vile, not expecting him to be in such a state.
So, did this resurrection magic succeed or fail?
Little Tom, after being resurrected, was completely a person, possessing all the characteristics of a living being.
But with Hezper the Vile, the result was such a half-finished product, constantly needing magic Power to maintain its activity.
And there was another extremely important question.
"Can your magic Power recover on its own, or does it need to be replenished from external sources?"
In his previous Horcrux remnant form, after being replenished with magic Power and vitality, he could move freely and also possessed considerable combat power.
However, once it was depleted, he would become useless, which is why he wasn't of much use and was kept in Nibelungen by Ethan.
Now, if he still needed constant replenishment of magicPower from external sources, then this resurrection was truly for nothing.
"It should be able to recover on its own."
Hezper the Vile wasn't entirely sure about this point.
The reason he said this was based on his past experiences.
As long as the body possessed magic Power, it had activity, and with activity, it could recover magic Power—this was a perfect cycle.
Therefore, the magic Power could not be completely exhausted at once.
But whether this was truly the case would only be known after experimentation.
Ethan immediately threw him a wand and then pulled him into Nibelungen, preparing to test it.
Ethan had acquired hundreds of such wands on Crete Island, and he didn't have the inclination to let Hezper the Vile choose a suitable one.
He could make do. If the resurrection worked out well, he could just make one himself.
Ethan, who had discussed a lot of magic knowledge with him, knew that Hezper the Vile made his own wands, and the core material of his last wand was a Basilisk horn.
If the resurrection wasn't ideal and he still needed to replenish magic Power from external sources, then he would just stay in Nibelungen and wouldn't need a wand.
Finding an open space, Hezper the Vile directly used the wide-range spell, fire escape.
After stopping the fire escape, he carefully sensed his magic Power and concluded that it could recover on its own.
Ethan immediately pulled him out. Although the resurrection wasn't ideal, he could still be used.
Chapter 221: Quidditch World Cup Venue
Time quickly approached the eve of the Quidditch World Cup, with only a few days left until the matches began.
Many Quidditch enthusiasts from all over the world had already started gathering at the match venue.
Ethan was also preparing to set off early, not because he loved Quidditch so much.
After all, Cho Chang, who loved Quidditch the most, had already returned to China. Most of Ethan's group were going just to watch the excitement.
Although they were going to watch the excitement, if they arrived late, all the good spots would be gone.
Because the Quidditch World Cup matches lasted for a considerable amount of time, almost all Wizards attending would set up tents on the grounds outside the stadium.
Match seats could be ordered with Galleons, but the outdoor grounds, apart from the resting areas for the national team members,
Other spectators had to find their own spots. Although there was a distinction between pure-blood nobles, half-bloods, and Muggle Wizards,
With so many Wizards from various countries, there were many pure-blood nobles with status, so arriving late was naturally not an option.
Ethan had a certain identity that wasn't suitable for exposure, as he was just a student now, so he might as well go and secure a spot himself.
Moreover, the De la Cour family had already arrived two days ago.
Fleur and Gabrielle were already urging Ethan to hurry over via wizard mailbox.
After getting up from Penelope and Nagini, Ethan quickly washed up.
Then he pulled open the curtains, and outside, it was already bright.
The dazzling sunlight shone directly in.
The entire house was protected by various spells, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer.
The windows, of course, were also specially made. Ethan had modified them with Alchemy. Sunlight could shine in, and looking out from inside was normal, just like regular glass.
But from the outside, the scene inside could not be seen, only a layer of mist.
Of course, it was already protected by multiple layers of spells, including the Fidelius Charm, so outsiders couldn't discover it at all.
Even his own people couldn't see the inside from the outside.
"Wake up quickly, we're going to the Quidditch World Cup venue soon."
There was no time for them to sleep in today.
They had to leave quickly.
"What time is it?"
Penelope, shielding her eyes from the morning sun with her hand, asked Ethan groggily.
"It's past seven, time to get up!"
Ethan remembered the first time Penelope stayed overnight at his house, which was then in a Muggle villa in London.
Penelope woke up much earlier than him. By the time Ethan got up, Penelope was already stretching in the courtyard.
"Mm!"
Penelope sat straight up, then stretched, her ample charms directly exposed to Ethan.
Nagini, beside her, also unhesitatingly threw off the covers and got out of bed to search for new clothes in the nearby wardrobe.
The two large lights were truly dazzlingly white, quite blinding, but even so, Ethan endured the discomfort in his eyes and forced himself to stare at them.
This instantly ignited Ethan's interest, but unfortunately, time did not permit, so he could only feast his eyes.
Penelope also noticed Ethan's situation and deliberately glanced at Ethan's younger brother.
After confirming that it was looking up at her, she deliberately walked back and forth in front of Ethan, choosing suitable clothes.
As for yesterday's outfit, it was now lying on the floor in pieces, having lost its purpose.
Unless a Reparo Charm was used, but Ethan certainly wasn't short on money. He had already bought enough clothes of various styles that suited Ethan's preferences from the Tailor Shop des Beaux Arts.
Counting from the day Hogwarts went on break, one change of clothes per day would be enough until school started.
By the time Penelope and Nagini changed and washed up, it was already past eight.
Fortunately, they didn't use Muggle cosmetics much, instead using various Wizard Potions, which emphasized simplicity, convenience, and speed; otherwise, they would probably have to wait an additional half an hour or more.
The two girls who walked out of the room with Ethan showed no sign of the laziness and fatigue they had when they first woke up; they both looked radiant.
This was also thanks to the Magic Blood Potion, which greatly helped their stamina and recovery.
According to past experience, when they were still weaklings, they probably wouldn't have been able to get up until noon, and even if they did, they wouldn't want to move, as they were swollen and needed rest.
Now, a good night's sleep was usually enough for them to recover almost completely.
It's just that due to the excessive consumption, the required sleep time would be a bit longer.
When they arrived at the dining room, there were still several portions of breakfast on the table, especially Ethan's, which was truly a frighteningly large amount.
As for the other seats, the cutlery had already been put away.
Clearly, they had chosen not to wait for Ethan to dine with them today.
After finishing breakfast with Penelope and the others, they went directly to the living room.
Cassandra and the others had already been sitting there for quite some time, and besides her, Hermione was also there.
As for Luna, she had messaged Ethan, originally wanting to go to the Quidditch World Cup with him.
However, her father, due to the recent excellent sales of 'The Quibbler,' as the editor, Lovegood had received a considerable bonus.
Regarding this bonus, Luna's father chose not to take Luna to see the Quidditch World Cup, but instead to search for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.
They believed that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks were shy, friendly creatures that hated light and heat, and preferred cold, damp places.
So they deduced that there might be traces of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks on the Scandinavia Peninsula.
Their first stop on this trip was Norway, and they had already departed a few days ago.
Ethan remembered that in the original novel, Luna and her father indeed had a plotline about searching for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, but didn't they fail to go?
And it wasn't something that happened this year.
Although he was puzzled, and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks didn't exist, Ethan didn't say much. It was enough that the father and daughter believed.
As for Hermione, she had arrived last night using a Portkey and stayed overnight at Ethan's place.
Ethan didn't know how Hermione had convinced her parents to allow her to go out and travel with a male classmate during the summer holiday, and for quite a long time at that.
Seeing Ethan and Penelope and the others approach, Cassandra and Hermione showed no particular reaction.
Previously, Cassandra would express her dissatisfaction, but it had happened so many times that she had grown accustomed to it.
Moreover, expressing her dissatisfaction every time, according to the strategy her mother had given her, might even cause Ethan to dislike her.
Hatch!"
With a 'pop', Hatch Apparated in front of Ethan.
In his hand, he was carrying a suitcase.
Most of the items for Ethan's trip had been packed by Hatch.
This included going out to buy tents and a series of other necessities.
Although Ethan could make these himself, and of better quality, wasn't having Galleons for the enjoyment of life?
If everything had to be done by himself, then being a rich man would be for naught.
"Master, everything you need, I have already prepared."
Hatch looked at Ethan respectfully, then placed the suitcase in front of him.
"Hmm, for this period, I'll rely on you to look after the house!"
Ethan still trusted the professionalism of the House-elf.
Moreover, Ethan had no intention of taking Hatch with him on this trip.
After shrinking and putting away the suitcase with a Shrinking Charm, Ethan took out a Portkey.
This was a Portkey specifically for the Department of Magical Games and Sports, shaped like a baseball bat, which was actually the bat used by a Beater.
Since Ethan had never been to the Quidditch World Cupvenue before, Apparition simply couldn't reach it, so he could only rely on a Portkey.
Besides the internal Portkey Ethan now held from Ludo, there were also two hundred Portkey activation points set up across Great Britain.
These two hundred Portkeys were distributed in various desolate areas of Great Britain, and their appearances were varied and strange, such as tattered boots, rusty discarded iron barrels, and dirty scarves.
This was mainly to prevent them from being discovered by Muggles.
This Quidditch World Cup had a total of 100,000 participants, which far exceeded the population of the Great Britain Wizarding World.
To ensure a smooth event, the venue was chosen in a remote swamp, and a series of spells were set up to prevent Muggles from approaching.
Due to the extremely tricky location, Apparition was difficult to reach, and there wasn't even a single fireplace, making Portkeys the best tool.
That's why two hundred Portkey locations were set up to help the Wizards who came to watch the match.
And these locations were public; as long as one bought the latest newspaper or magazine, there would be information about these locations.
Ethan held the baseball bat horizontally in his hand, and Cassandra and the others also placed their hands on the bat one by one.
Once everyone was ready, Ethan activated it directly.
Amidst a dizzying sensation, Ethan and his group arrived on a very spacious lawn, with a clear blue sky, lush green grass, and dense jungle ahead.
It seemed the Ministry of Magic had put a lot of effort into successfully holding this Quidditch World Cup, even beautifying the surrounding environment.
His gaze turned towards the magnificent and enormous building ahead. Centered around it, there were signs dividing the areas where tents could be pitched. Many tents had already been set up, and Wizards were chatting in small groups. Many national team members were also training in the sky.
After putting away the Portkey, Ethan led Cassandra and the others towards the open space around the building.
If one can stay in the central area, why stay on the outskirts, right?
After all, when the match starts, whether it's the core area partitioned around the building or the outer perimeter near the forest, there won't be a shortage of people.
Moreover, the tents had excellent soundproofing, and the internal space was very large.
When purchasing them, Ethan had Hatch acquire the top-tier tents, prioritizing comfort.