"Harry Potter and the Shadows of Merlin"

Dyna wasn't in a hurry to change into Hannah's brother's clothes.

He was still wearing that oversized wizard's robe. And don't ask why it hadn't been washed in four years—thanks to the second spell Dyna had ever learned, the Cleaning Charm, the robe was still perfectly wearable.

His figure began to change: growing taller, facial features reshaping, and his hair shifting from white to black. In a blink, he had transformed into a tall, striking young man with defined, three-dimensional features.

"Cough, cough. Cough, cough."

He cleared his throat and said solemnly,

"I am Darc Dantes, a lone avenger."

Perfect—his voice had changed completely too.

He was confident that this transformation spell, rooted in Merlin's bloodline, was powerful enough to fool even experts like Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore. Surely, even they couldn't see through it.

Dyna cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, placed a dinner plate at the door, and slid a note underneath the crack:"Catching up on sleep. Please do not disturb. You can leave lunch on the floor. I'll get it myself. Thank you."With that, the invisible Dyna made his way downstairs.

The Leaky Cauldron was quiet in the early morning. Other than a few guests eating breakfast on the first floor, the place was almost empty.

Old Tom, the innkeeper, sat slouched behind the bar, bored, playing with a bottle of Gamp's Old Gregarious—a notoriously terrible-tasting wine. Legend had it that if anyone could drink an entire bottle without vomiting, they'd win one hundred Galleons. Yet despite the prize, no one had ever succeeded.

Dyna strolled casually through the bar and entered the courtyard.

He counted three bricks above the trash can, then two horizontally, gathered a bit of magic at his fingertips, and gently tapped the correct spot. The brick wall split open, revealing the most famous shopping street in the British wizarding world—Diagon Alley.

Just as Dyna walked through, he heard Old Tom muttering behind him:"Is this entrance busted again? I didn't see anyone open it. I'll have to get someone from the Ministry to come check."A patron nearby commented:"Why not fix it yourself? It's just a basic enchantment."Old Tom rolled his eyes."The entrance to Diagon Alley is Ministry property. If you mess with it, they'll make sure you wake up in Azkaban tomorrow."The patron laughed:"Old Tom, you make it sound like you've been to Azkaban. 'Black sky'—really?"Old Tom huffed:"I get eighty to a hundred customers daily. Not surprising if a few have done time in Azkaban.""You're bluffing! Hardly ten people have ever been released from Azkaban in history!"...

Dyna no longer heard the argument as he walked deeper down the street.

At the far end stood a lopsided white building, asymmetrical and almost uncomfortable to look at—it was Gringotts Wizarding Bank, his destination.

He needed Galleons.

After passing two security gates, Dyna entered Gringotts' main hall. The place felt more like a fortress than a bank.

Goblins clad in full armor stood on alert, glaring at every customer as if they were criminals.

Dyna found it understandable. According to his memory, a robbery occurred at Gringotts on July 31st—the very day the Sorcerer's Stone arc began in the original story.

As he walked forward, Dyna noticed goblin bankers working behind tall counters.

Clearly, the counters were designed to give goblins the upper hand—literally. From up there, they could look down at everyone."How may I help you?"A goblin banker asked without looking up, glancing only briefly at Dyna over his glasses.

Dyna took out a single gold coin and placed it on the counter."Can this kind of gold coin be exchanged?"The banker's eyes widened in astonishment."This… This is a King Arthur–era gold coin! Such elegant lines… Only the legendary Lady of the Lake could've forged coins this exquisite!"Then, catching himself:"Apologies. Yes, we accept these. One coin is worth five Galleons."Dyna snorted."At that price, I'd rather go to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Mr. Borgin offered ten times your rate. If he could handle the volume I need exchanged, I wouldn't even be here."The banker froze.

Volume?"Sir, my apologies. I misspoke. Actually, we can offer twenty Galleons per coin. As for Mr. Borgin's 'fifty Galleons' offer, it's simply unsustainable."Dyna saw the price jump from five to twenty Galleons in seconds.

Clearly, there was room for negotiation."Raise the rate to twenty-five Galleons, and I'll exchange a thousand coins right now."The goblin's eyes nearly popped out.

A thousand coins?

Collectors considered these coins priceless. If sold cleverly, they could fetch upwards of one hundred Galleons each.

Just one batch of a thousand would elevate any goblin's status immensely."Deal! Twenty-five Galleons per coin—one thousand coins—that's twenty-five thousand Galleons!"Dyna knew he was underselling them, but time was more important right now.Whoosh…With a wave of his wand, a thousand gold coins materialized on the counter.

The banker's eyes gleamed greedily, almost drooling over the glittering pile."Griphook!" he yelled toward the vaults. "Bring out twenty-five thousand Galleons!"He turned back to Dyna, beaming."Would you like to open a vault, sir? A wizard of your means deserves a private vault in the deepest levels—guarded by dragons, magically sealed, an ultimate symbol of status. Normally it's ten thousand Galleons, but today I can offer it for nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-four!""No need."Dyna rejected him flatly.Gringotts is safe? What a joke. Even three untrained Hogwarts students managed to rob it!"Of course, sir. But if you ever need to exchange more of these coins, please come to me directly. My name is Puchi, Level 2 Banker. I can offer you preferential rates for any future transactions!""I'll keep that in mind."Puchi leaned in with an eager smile."May I have the honor of your name, sir? I'd like to add you to our VIP client list. That way, next time, you can negotiate in the comfort of a private lounge, rather than standing in this… less-than-luxurious lobby."Dyna paused, then replied smoothly:"Darc Dantes."Let me know if you'd like to continue polishing more chapters or create a summary for this one.

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