A Bend in Time - Chapter 170

One wild cart ride later Rowan was taken back upstairs. However, instead of heading back outside, she headed back to the teller window of the old goblin, Bogrod. Bogrod looked quite surprised at seeing her again so soon and asked, "Did Griphook not treat you well? It wouldn't be the first complaint we've had."

"No, he was rather well behaved," Rowan admitted. "However, I wish to propose a contract and for that, I will need a goblin lawyer and two witnesses at least."

Bogrod slowly nods his head as he had seen it all before. "Very well, allow me to summon Griphook again to take you to one of our offices. Griphook!"

A rather startled Griphook appeared at seeing the same patron again. "Griphook, please take the child to one of the negotiation offices."

Griphook nodded one, before beckoning Rowan with one finger. Rowan was once more lead to one of the doors, but this time around it led towards a hallway filled rows of offices on either side. The rows of offices were well lit as she peeked inside through open doors at seeing goblins hard at work as they scribbled or crossed out things on accounting ledgers. Some of the others were even in the midst of rewriting contracts or double-checking clauses with a large magnifying glass.

Finally, Griphook led her inside of what seemed to be a small conference room and motioned for her to have a seat. "Someone will be with you shortly," Griphook curtly said, before leaving again.

Rowan glanced down at the rather stark room that only held the elegant round table before her and four chairs. She didn't wait for more than a few minutes when the door opened again to reveal three goblins. The goblins must have been used to such things as they didn't even blink at her age.

"Welcome, Miss-?" One of the more younger looking goblins said as he cocked his pointy-eared head as his long flexed to reveal rather neatly trimmed fingernails.

"Prince," Rowan instantly replied as she gave them a tiny bow from her seat.

"Prince," said, one of the more rugged featured goblins with a pointed nose and rather pointy beard. "I believe the current head of the family, Reginald Prince opened two new accounts for his two grandchildren, Severus and Rowan Prince."



"Yes, that is certainly correct," said the third goblin with dark slanted, sly eyes. A lawyer who solely dwelt in writing contracts as he glanced at the young client before him.

Having a seat before her, the main younger goblin in the middle introduced himself. "Greetings, I am known as Ragnok. I will be in charge of negotiations and will be one of the witnesses to the finalized contract. At my side are my two colleagues, Gornuk, who will serve as another witness and Dulag, our lawyer."

The three goblins took a seat before her as Ragnok said with some satisfaction, "It is not uncommon for pureblood families such as the Prince family to send their children in alone to negotiate a contract to gain future experience. Apparently, it is a lesson that their children never unlearn."

"I can imagine," Rowan drily murmured under her breath. Being cheated by a goblin must surely teach an arrogant, unruly child a rather good lesson. Always read the entire contract and the tiniest of clauses especially those scribbled at the very bottom!

"Now, Miss Prince, why are we seeing you here tonight?" Ragnok paused as someone came into the room with a stack of ledgers.

"Thank you," Ragnok said to the female clerical goblin, before leaving just as swiftly the same way she came in.

Rowan stared blankly at the female goblin's retreating figure as it was the first time, she had ever seen a female goblin. She wasn't much different looking than the males except that her features were a tad softer and that she was naturally more curved. But unlike the males, it would seem that goblin females had quite the thick locks of hair as hers was pulled back into a thick coil onto of her head.

"Ah, yes," Ragnok said as he observed the contents within the ledgers before him.

Tapping a long spider-like finger on the pages, Ragnok says, "It would seem that two vaults were recently opened by your grandfather, Prince. A small sizeable sum was placed inside each vault designed to last at least until the 7th year of schooling at which point both children would have access to the main vaults as heirs, and a dowry vault, in your case, Miss Prince."

"In that case, what are we seeing you for today, Miss Prince?" Ragnok professionally said as he closed the ledger before him. "If it is applying for a loan, I must inform you that the interest tends to be quite high," Ragnok revealed a sharp-toothed grin in added emphasis that reminded Rowan of a hungry shark.

"I am requesting the auction services of Gringotts's," Rowan bluntly stated as the goblin lawyer, Dulag began to make careful notes on parchment.

"Oh? Is it some sort of family heirloom?" Ragnok eagerly asked as the other two's eyes began to gleam with a trace of greed at the thought of a goblin forged heirloom.

"My dowry," Rowan replied with a straight face.

"Your dowry?" Ragnok said in a confused fashion.

"Yes, the item to be sold is part of my dowry."

"Very well, may we see it?"

Rowan pauses and glances at the very small room. "I will need a much bigger room."

"How big?" Ragnok frowned as he glanced at the small pouch at her side.

"Rather large to be honest," Rowan admitted.

"I presume the item which we speak of is currently under an enchantment to remain small, no?"

"Yes."

"Very well, come this way," Ragnok said as the other two goblins arose to follow him out. Taking care to ensure that Rowan was properly following them, they led her to another door down the hallway which in turn led to a rather large open room with a single much larger round table in the room.

"Is this large enough?" Ragnok asked as he pointed at the stark bare room that held nothing else but the bare essential furniture for which to sit on.

"Yes, this will do nicely," Rowan said in agreement as she reached into her bag for the transformed muffler. Sighing she also took out her wand knowing perfectly well she'd later be given a ministry missive for this. Pointing her wand at the muffler she instantly murmurs the reverse incantation transforming the muffler back into the scaly shrunken sized snakeskin scarf. Before once more saying, "Engorio!"

The shrunken basilisk snakeskin suddenly and rather rapidly grew larger and larger as Rowan quickly stepped back to reveal the giant snakeskin that was a thick as an oak and roughly fifty feet long. The three goblins blankly stared at the sheer size as the pointy bearded goblin said in awe, "Basilisk Skin!"

"That is indeed correct," Rowan said as they stared at the snakeskin that covered most of the room.

"Impervious to magic and a single square foot sells for hundreds of galleons," whispered Ragnok in sheer breathtaking joy! "A transaction of this magnitude will sell for hundreds of thousands of galleons, if not millions!"

"Yes, and that is to why I am in need of Gringotts services," Rowan drily said again.

"I am not authorized to deal with transactions of this magnitude," Ragnok admitted. "I shall shortly be back," before hurrying out of the large bare stone chamber. The three reaming individuals all glance at each other as the lawyer, Dulag gestures for Rowan to have a seat. While Rowan sat back to wait in her seat, Dulag was hastily already beginning to write a preliminary contract having viewed the item that was to be auctioned off.