When Hermione went downstairs to leave for Diagon Alley early the next morning, her mother's eyes went large at her attire.
"It's Diagon Alley," Hermione said hastily. "This is what people wear there, mum."
"It's not the robes," her mother reassured her. "It's how long they are. I can practically see your ankles already! And those touched the floor when we got them for you!"
Hermione looked down, a little embarrassed. Sure enough, her ankles were poking out.
"They're not that short," she muttered.
"You'll have to ask Madame Malkin if there are any hems that can be taken down," her mother said, frowning. "Ah, well. I won't say I didn't expect this, but I didn't realize you were still growing quite so much!"
Her mother went for her purse, pulling out her checkbook.
"Take this, too," her mother said, handing her another check. "If you need new clothes. We can't have you in ill-fitting things, can we?"
"Mum, you've already given me enough," Hermione objected, but she took the check all the same. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Perhaps." Her mother looked at her knowingly. "But I'm sure you don't want clothes-buying to cut into your book budget, do you?"
Hermione blushed, and her mother laughed and hugged her affectionately.
"I was the same way when I was a child," she told her, smiling. "I would have skipped the buying clothes and just spent it all on books. By giving you more, I know you'll be responsible enough to get both."
She let her go, watching as Hermione straightened her robes and went to the fireplace.
"Say 'hi' to your friends for me," her mother said. "I'm sorry I couldn't take the day off and come with you to meet them, but the practice has been slammed recently."
"It's alright. You can meet them another time." Hermione shrugged, offering her a smile back. "And I will."
The trip to Diagon Alley was a simple one – she had Floo powder on the mantel, and the Leaky Cauldron kept an open Floo for visitors at all times. The trip was awkward, but Hermione managed to get through the dingy pub and tap on the correct bricks quickly enough, Diagon Alley opening up before her as bricks spun and danced out of the way.
Hermione's eyes sparkled as she watched. She loved magic.
She went first to Gringotts, asking for Bloodthorne to bargain with and cash her checks. Bloodthorne was pleased to see her, his spiny teeth glittering with his grin.
"Miss Hermione Granger," he greeted her. "I would do business with you on this day."
"Bloodthorne," Hermione said, offering him a small bow. "Good to see you doing well."
Bloodthorne was surprisingly reasonable, only gouging her a little bit on the exchange rate for her mother's checks before taking her back to a private consultation room.
"I have contracts for you to sign," he told her, pushing a pile of parchments across the table. "You would sign using this quill."
Again, Hermione winced as she signed each contract, the quill stealing blood from her body. She could almost feel a sharp nail trace her name over her body in different places each time she signed – on her arm, on her thigh, on the back of her hand, on her back.
After they had all been signed, Bloodthorne put them away and came back with a cart of something else.
"A few of those offered loans failed the terms of their agreements," Bloodthorne informed her. His eyes glinted. "As such, they have forfeited their 'collateral'. As was our agreement, you have first rights to it, before it is sold."
Hermione sat up straight, suddenly excited. She'd forgotten about this part.
"What did they put up?" she asked. "What did we get?"
Bloodthorne looked momentarily thrown by her excitement, before cracking his neck to the side and nodding to himself, his eyes regaining their usual greedy sheen.
"First," he said. "We have a bolt of Acromantula silk."
He pulled the silk out from the cart, and Hermione gasped to see its beauty.
"This is so pretty!" she said. "How much is this worth?"
"At retail price, about ten galleons a yard," Bloodthorne said. "Less, wholesale. The entire bolt is worth between 150-200 galleons."
Hermione ran her hands over it reverently, before setting it aside.
"I'll pass. I can't sew, anyway," she said ruefully. "Someone else will make more use of it than me."
Bloodthorne made a note on his scroll, before tottering back over to the cart.
"Next," he said, "we have an idol of a cat."
The cat idol looked to be a large onyx idol of the Egyptian goddess Bast. Something about it seemed slightly off, slightly creepy. Its eyes were slightly too intelligent-looking for a mere figure, almost as if it were alive.
"Ah, I'll pass," Hermione said quickly. Bloodthorne made another note.
"Lastly," he said, reaching into the bin. "We have a grimoire."
Hermione perked up, reaching instinctively for the book, before quickly drawing back. She withdrew her wand, carefully casting a curse-detection charm, though Bloodthorne snickered at her, before she pulled it closer. The book was old and battered, and Hermione had to squint to make out the faded gilded letters on the cover.
The Songe of the Beastes
Hermione paged through it, her eyes widening.
"This is written in Middle English!" she exclaimed. "This must be ancient. This is incredible. Who had this?"
"James Ogden. A wizard," Bloodthorne said, sneering. The way he said it made Hermione wonder if he was offering loans to non-wizards too.
"How much was the loan for?"
Bloodthorne consulted his contract. "500 galleons."
"500?!" Hermione gasped. She was astonished. She didn't realize she had that much to loan out. Though, if she did the math... just the Avon money would have put her up something close to that, and she guessed the rest of the money came from interest payments she was accruing from the loans, too. She closed the book, looking at it enviously. To have such a historic book – even if it would take forever to read it…
"How much is left on the contract?"
Bloodthorne's lip curled. "70 galleons."
"Seventy?" Hermione gasped. "Done! I want this. I want this one."
Bloodthorne let out a cackle as Hermione grabbed the book, clutching it to her chest.
"Then, as per our agreement, Gringotts shall close out the contract with the gold from your account," he told her.
"Fine," Hermione said. "That's fine. This book is mine."
She paused.
"Wait," she said. "Close out the contract? With the gold from my account?"
Bloodthorne sneered slightly, hackles rising.
"Yes," he said. "As was the agreement we signed to."
"No, no, I'm not trying to break the agreement," Hermione hastily reassured him. "Just... there are 70 galleons left on the contract, correct?"
Bloodthorne was looking at her suspiciously. "Yes..."
"The contract that I am funding?" Hermione inquired.
A glitter returned to Bloodthorne's eyes. "You would be correct."
"So really, I'm just paying myself back," Hermione said. "Unless there was 70 galleons worth of interest on the loan?"
Bloodthorne was openly smirking now.
"There was not," he said, pointy teeth showing. "There was 43 galleons of accumulated interest, and 27 galleons left on the original loan."
"Well, then," Hermione said, thinking. "If we're splitting the interest earned 90/10 in my favor, and the interest was 43 galleons... I'm essentially out 38 galleons I could have earned, but I only owe Gringotts a total of 5 galleons."
"You would be correct," Bloodthorne said.
Hermione sat there for a long moment, stunned.
A priceless book, hundreds of years old - multiple centuries - for roughly £25.
The thought boggled her mind.
"I initially thought I was basically buying the book for 70 galleons," Hermione said. She shook her head ruefully. "I didn't work out the figures behind our collateral transactions ahead of time to realize how they fell." She offered the goblin a grin. "I kind of wish I'd taken a second look at that fabric, now."
Bloodthorne cackled again, offering her a sharp grin. His eyes had a reddish-purple gleam to them, as opposed to their usual greasy sheen. Hermione wondered if it meant he was amused - the cackling was a helpful context clue, but she couldn't be sure.
"I almost wonder how Gringotts is making a profit at all," Hermione wondered aloud.
"Rest assured, Hermione Granger, that the bank is taking its claim." Bloodthorne looked smug and highly satisfied. "Many loans are going out, and many payments are coming in. With them, many late fees are being assessed, and much interest is being charged. Gringotts is very happy to be doing business with you in this way."
"Well, then," Hermione said, her lips quirking upwards. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll be sure to come back when I'm next around."
"A pleasure as always, Hermione Granger," he said, standing and offering her a bow. "I would do business with you again when you were next in the alley."
"Of course," Hermione told him, bowing back. "It was very much my pleasure, too."