Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 254 Group photo
After the vault doors opened, "Giddy Lockhart" stayed in the Gringotts underground vault for nearly a day and a night, and he hadn't even moved a third of his loan agreements yet—

The goblins of Gringotts were retrieving gold coins one by one from the vault, examining each coin individually, and then stacking them one thousand at a time on the rocky platform outside the vault.

So far, only fifty piles have been built, which is 50,000 gold coins. This only accounts for 10% of the Galleons needed by Tiera. Tiera still needs to move out 90% of the gold coins.

These fairies seem to be deliberately stalling for time. The original three fairies, Gray, Grimoire, and Senior Supervisor Poring, have already returned to the ground. The fairies now counting the Galleons for "Gidrolockhart" are three other fairies who were replaced three hours ago.

These three goblins are the seventh wave of goblins to come down from Gringotts. Only three goblins come down each time, so Tiera's loan is being cleared out quite slowly, while "Gidro Lockhart" remains steadfastly guarding the underground vault.

The goblins of Gringotts seem to be trying to deter Gilderoy Lockhart through this delaying tactic, hoping he'll give up or simply take the 50,000 dollars and leave.

After all, this is really not a place for humans to stay.

If Gilderoy Lockhart were a "person," he would have given up by now. No one, not even fairies, could endure the high temperatures of underground magma for long.

Unfortunately, "Gidrolockhart" is not human.

Even if "Gidro Lockhart" were to soak in the lava below now, it would only feel like it was soaking in a hot spring.

So even though he had been here for nearly twenty-four hours, even though the goblins were deliberately stalling for time, and even though he would continue to stay here for another nine twenty-four hours, he would still supervise the goblins of Gringotts to stack the Galleons for this loan one by one on the platform outside the vault.

Anyway, it wasn't her doing the work, nor was it her who was tired; Tiera didn't even feel bored.

……

Meanwhile, Tierra and Dumbledore's trip to Paris seemed to be nearing its end. Their cruise ship departed from the Thames Estuary in London, passed through the Dover Strait and the English Channel, and arrived at the mouth of the Seine. After a brief port inspection, they officially entered French territory.

"It seems the speed of French security checks is just as fast as their surrender," Dumbledore remarked wittily.

"Hehehe..." Tiera laughed happily, just like a grandson who had been amused by his grandfather.

"Oh, you know this history?" Dumbledore asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, no one could capture Paris before France surrendered,” Tierra said. “During World War II, the Germans drove tanks around the Maginot Line, and forty-two days later, the French surrendered under the leadership of their former national hero, Pétain.”

Dumbledore seemed quite surprised.

“Professor Dumbledore, don’t forget, I come from a Chinese Muggle family,” Tyella said. “Reading history and learning from it is a Chinese tradition.”

“Oh…yes…yes…” Dumbledore said with a smile, “Look at Tyella, don’t keep thinking about the Holy Son, don’t keep thinking about the ‘Hanged Man’, and don’t keep thinking about artificial life forms. You are you, Tyella. You come from China. You are a complete and independent person. Those so-called artificial life forms are just a means for the Tarot Society to control you and make you serve them.”

“Yes, thank you, Professor Dumbledore.” Tierra smiled and said, “I am who I am, unique, neither an artificial life form nor a copy of Grindelwald.”

Tierra seemed to have been persuaded by Dumbledore, and gradually revealed the innocence and liveliness that a little boy should have—

“Oh dear, Professor Dumbledore, could you tell me more about your younger days?” Tyra said with a Conan-like expression. “I’d like to hear more stories from your past.”

"What do you want to hear?" Dumbledore asked with a smile, then raised his hand.

A waiter stopped in front of the table where Dumbledore and Tyrell were sitting—

"Is there anything you need, sir?" the waiter asked. Tierra and Dumbledore were now sitting in the tea room on the deck of the cruise ship, enjoying a delicious afternoon tea and snacks while feeling the salty sea breeze blowing in from the window and the warm sunshine on their skin.

“Yes, good afternoon, young man,” Dumbledore said with a smile. “We would like to add another serving of your Ceylon tea, without milk or sugar, four more Portuguese egg tarts, and a slice of tiramisu… Anything else you need, Tierra?”

“No need… these are fine…” Tiera smiled politely, then took a camera out of her bag and said, “If it’s alright, I’d like you to take a picture for me…”

"No problem," the waiter said, carefully taking the camera.

“This is my first trip with Professor Dumbledore,” Tyella said, smiling innocently. “After all, you’ll be dead soon, and I wanted to leave a memento.”

Dumbledore: ...

“I only said I will eventually die, not that I will die soon…” Dumbledore reached out and rubbed the bulging veins on his forehead, then sighed helplessly, “Sigh…sometimes I really can’t tell whether you are…Never mind, come on, let’s take a picture together.”

Dumbledore said helplessly at the end, then waved to Tyrell, who sat down next to him.

"Three, two, one -"

The waiter called out—

As he shouted "One," Tierra suddenly leaned against Dumbledore, made a "yeah" sign with one hand, wrapped her other arm around Dumbledore's arm, and brought her face close to Dumbledore's shoulder.

A flash of light flashed.

“Thank you,” Tierra said, taking the camera from the waiter.

“You took this photo… not just as a memento, right?” Dumbledore keenly sensed some unseen meaning behind Tyella’s unusual behavior.

“Of course it’s for commemoration,” Tierra said with a squinty smile. “Do you think I’d sell this photo for money?”

After thinking about it, Dumbledore felt that it was indeed unlikely.

Tiera, of course, would never sell it. Although he was a villain, he was a villain with principles.

But I can make an album of all the photos of me and Dumbledore and send it to Gellert Grindelwald.

I hope he'll like me; after all, I'm Dumbledore's favorite student right now.

It's nothing more than killing someone by attacking their spirit; Tiera has long been adept at that.

I hope this first-generation Dark Lord, with his exceptionally powerful willpower, will remember me, remember me very deeply, very profoundly, perhaps even intensely resent, hate, and envy me—to the point of—

So strong that it can form a special bond.

The bond for the ritual of deification requires not only friendship, kinship, or love, but also a bond mixed with negative emotions such as hatred.

Otherwise, why would Tiera always be so provocative? No way, no way, no way, does anyone think he's asking for trouble?

Thank you Kevin Fire for voting in February.
Thank you Korsi for casting your January vote.
Thank you to the candy-eating mountain rabbit for casting your January vote!
Thank you to Wuya Wang for casting your January vote.
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(End of this chapter)