Chapter 9: "Love is the Most Powerful Magic in the World. So is Money."

Chapter 9: "Love is the Most Powerful Magic in the World. So is Money."

The order from the top was clear and had been repeated time and again: when you cut the weeds, you pull out the roots.

The principle of "leaving no loose ends" was practically encoded in the DNA of the Peaky Blinders.

So, when Leon had deliberately sent his men away, they understood their boss's true intentions immediately.

Leon gave his subordinate an appreciative pat on the shoulder before hurrying to catch up with Moody.

Mad-Eye had taken a shine to Leon, and Leon, in turn, appreciated Moody's blunt character. They got on well, and the walk to Gringotts passed quickly.

The street outside the great white bank was bustling with witches and wizards. Leon narrowed his eyes, studying the building's entrance and the security arrangements outside, and gave a slight shake of his head.

A few coordinated teams of disciplined gunmen, supported by a sniper at a distance, would have a high probability of shattering Gringotts' external security. Of course, that was without factoring in the use of magic, or the powerful dragon imprisoned in the vaults below.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Moody said, noticing Leon was lost in thought. "What's on your mind, lad?"

Occupational hazard. I'm thinking about how to rob it. Leon answered silently, but outwardly he just mumbled a noncommittal agreement.

"Are they all coming in with you?" Moody asked, gesturing to the men standing behind Leon.

Leon nodded. "There are too many cases for just the two of us to carry."

Before Moody could puzzle out what that meant, Leon had already taken the lead, striding through the bronze doors of Gringotts with his men in tow.

Inside, Leon surveyed the vast marble hall. A hundred or so goblins were perched on high stools behind a long counter, serving customers. The sudden entrance of the large, black-suited contingent of Peaky Blinders naturally drew the attention of every goblin in the hall.

They didn't pay it much mind, however. They were used to the grand entourages of rich young wizards.

Moody led Leon and his men to one of the counters. "Nobbie," he said in a gravelly voice. "Help this lad exchange some Galleons. He's paying in pounds." He then added, a warning in his tone, "And don't try to cheat him. Give him a fair rate."

The goblin named Nobbie grunted in annoyance at being told his business, but he gave a reluctant nod.

"Goblins are cunning creatures, especially the ones at Gringotts," Moody explained to Leon in a low voice. "Nobbie is about as honest as they come here."

Leon nodded gratefully. The five hundred Galleons he'd offered Moody were already proving to be a bargain.

"Well then, my wealthy young sir, how many pounds are you looking to exchange?" Nobbie asked, a smug tone in his voice after Moody's comment. "I can give you a rate of five-to-one. A very fair rate."

Leon smiled and nodded, not answering the goblin's question directly. Instead, he snapped his fingers.

On cue, the Peaky Blinders behind him stepped forward in unison and opened the briefcases they were carrying.

The scene looked exactly like a seller verifying funds during an illicit deal.

"Merlin's beard..." Moody muttered, his jaw slack.

"By the gold of Gringotts..." Nobbie breathed, swallowing hard.

Leon cleared his throat. "Four million pounds," he stated calmly. "Which should come to eight hundred thousand Galleons."

It took a moment for Nobbie to recover. "Yes... yes, of course," he stammered. "But you may have to wait a moment. We will need time to verify the authenticity of the currency. And gathering such a large quantity of Galleons will also take some time."

He suddenly seemed to remember his manners. "Oh, forgive me! I forgot to ask your name, esteemed sir."

"Leon Shelby," Leon replied coolly. "Please be as quick as you can. I need to visit Diagon Alley afterwards to purchase my school supplies."

"School? Oh, of course! A distinguished young wizard such as yourself would naturally be attending Hogwarts!" Since the moment he'd seen the four million pounds, the goblin had become sickeningly obsequious.

He began working at a frantic pace, inspecting the cases of money and calling over his colleagues to begin gathering the Galleons.

While they waited, Leon glanced at Moody and saw that the old Auror seemed to have transformed. He was now on high alert, his magical eye spinning furiously, scanning the entire hall for any potential threats. Leon watched as another wizard, seemingly approaching the counter to make a withdrawal, was scared off by Moody's icy glare and scurried over to a different teller.

"You should have done this in smaller amounts, over time. This is too conspicuous," Moody lectured him in a low, urgent whisper. "Mark my words, before we even step out of this bank, the whole of Diagon Alley will know that a rich kid named Shelby just changed eight hundred thousand Galleons."

Having navigated grey areas for his entire life, Leon was perfectly aware of this. In fact, it was precisely the effect he was aiming for.

The rise of a new family needed a bit of a story. And "impossibly wealthy" was an excellent place to start.

However, Leon didn't explain this to Moody. He just nodded along in agreement, pretending to be chastened. "You're right, sir. I should have consulted with you first. I was being naive."

He then pressed his advantage, his expression turning to one of sincere concern. "Now that you've pointed it out, I'm actually quite worried. I don't suppose... you might know a few trustworthy people who could help protect me for a while?"

The real plan was revealed. Leon had made his move.

"Rest assured," he continued smoothly, "they will be well-compensated. Five hundred Galleons each, the same as your fee. And I would like you to lead them. For that additional responsibility, your own payment will be increased to one thousand five hundred Galleons."

Money that's working for you is good money. Money rotting in a Gringotts vault is just a miser's coffin fund.

Mad-Eye Moody didn't answer immediately. He gave Leon a long, thoughtful look. He wasn't naive enough to believe that the boy who had opened fire in a crowded pub without a second thought was as innocent as he was currently pretending to be.

"I don't know what game you're playing, lad," Moody finally said, a gruff respect in his voice. "But I have to admit, you'd make a damn good boss."

He had agreed. "I have some old mates. They're getting on in years, but they're reliable men. I doubt they'd turn down an opportunity like this."

A triumphant smile spread across Leon's face. He extended his hand. "A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Moody."

It had taken some doing, but the first seeds of the Peaky Blinders (Wizarding World Division) had finally been sown.

Just as he was about to continue his conversation with Moody, a loud, booming voice from nearby caught his attention.

"You didn't think your parents would leave you with nothing, now did you, Harry?"

"Still, bit of a strange outfit you're wearing, I'll admit. We'll get you a proper robe after this."