Thomas Prest: A Simple Magician

Upon entering Gringotts, Tom could instantly feel the magic in the wards in the surroundings shift. No longer was this the wizarding kind of magic that felt a bit similar to the devil one. Instead, this new magic leaned more towards earth and nature. The primal kind of nature that fit the goblin race so well.

Still, there was a reason why goblins chose to live alongside wizards. Just like in all the fantasy stories in Tom's past life, goblins were the race of low-level mobs. Scrubs that would usually be slaughtered by the hundreds upon meeting a competent protagonist and the only thing they had going for them was their quick breeding rate.

For their own survival, some more cultured goblin tribes decided to integrate with the wizarding community and lived here in peace and obscurity like good beginner-level mobs should, taking up tormenting the wizards as their past-time activity to amuse themselves and calm down their more vicious nature.

As for other goblin tribes... those were wiped out a long, long time ago. End of story.

These kinds of history lessons were the reason why Tom was not amused as he stood with his arms crossed under his chest in front of the goblin teller who was completely ignoring him.

The little shit even dared to glance and grin at him before returning to his work, letting him wait some more.

Tom was usually a patient man but he was no wizard. No masochist. He didn't acquire his current power to be looked down upon by the lowest of the low and having said worm grin at him in the face.

Cockiness was the privilege of the strong, and the little shit in front of Tom was anything but that.

"Okay, I think that's enough." Tom dryly droned, causing Hermione's head to snap towards him with her eyes gaining a fearful glint. She knew how vicious goblins were and the last thing she wanted was for Tom to provoke them!

The goblin heard Tom's words and raised his eyes toward Tom with a mocking sneer. He was about to open his mouth when Tom cut him off.

"Look, goblin, I am not your everyday wizard that just loves to be demeaned by a race that was already wiped out from the wider world and is reduced to hiding among Wizarding Communities because they are too weak to survive anywhere else." Tom started, making the goblin quickly agitated... yet, also too cautious to cause a scene.

Tom having knowledge of this could only mean he was from the wider Supernatural World and goblins could not afford to offend other factions or races. Since the teller had no idea who Tom was or who was backing him, he could only switch to his polite mode despite feeling no magic from the man at all.

In fact, not feeling any magic from Tom was a reason for worry rather than for relief. Even these 'muggles' as wizards liked to call them, had magic. It was just a different kind of magic than the wizarding one. Not feeling any from Tom just meant the man was hiding his magic too well and that was not a reassuring thought at all, considering what kind of monsters could be found in the wider Supernatural world.

"How can I serve the esteemed customer?" The little shit ground out with an expression as if he just ate something sour. But... At least he was more polite.

Seeing and hearing the exchange between Tom and the goblin teller, Hermione's jaw dropped to the ground. She would have never imagined that getting away with insulting a goblin in Gringotts was possible. She was about to blurt something stupid out when Natasha's hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed, causing her to instinctively look at the redhead.

The second Hermione's eyes met with Natasha's, the brunette froze in her tracks at the seriousness Natasha's eyes conveyed. It was obvious the redhead wanted her to be quiet. So, Hermione grimaced and gulped back her numerous questions, deciding to quietly observe the exchange and try to glean as much information from it as possible.

"Good. You are learning." Tom nodded in satisfaction, causing the goblin to barely stifle a scowl. Unknown to the little shit, Tom didn't mean him but his impressionable cousin. Oh, well, if his sentence was taken as an insult by the goblin, all the better, in Tom's opinion. "I assume you do provide a service of transferring funds from mundane banks, don't you?" Tom lifted his eyebrow at the small ugly bundle of nastiness.

"We do. For a fee." The goblin grinned through his snarl but his amusement was cut short when Tom just chuckled at his provocation.

The attempt was cute but Tom was not some idiot who was never in any other bank than Gringotts.

"Your superiors will either give me reasonable rates or you will lose a new customer. It's as simple as that." He casually shrugged. Yes, Gringotts was the only Wizarding Bank... in Britain, but that didn't mean Tom could not get Galleons via some other means. Gringotts was just the most convenient way. "Now, call someone competent. I doubt you have the clearance to deal with me." Tom dismissively remarked.

The goblin wanted to argue. Never in his long career was he spoken to as if he was a... a wizard! This rude man was pissing him off so much!

But, in the end, he just snarled again and used the device under his desk to inform his superiors. They could deal with the rude foreigner. They would know best what to do. As much as he wanted to rip the man's tongue off, he was just a clerk and this was way above his pay grade. He could only pray his superiors would decide to roast Tom alive.

Yes, that would be fun… and tasty.

"Go and wait on the couches. Manager Sharpmaw will come and get you in a few minutes." The goblin pointed towards the waiting area, gritting his teeth as he vehemently glared at Tom.

Tom nodded and turned around in as dismissive a manner as was humanly possible, and when the goblin thought he would finally leave and looked down towards his documents again, Tom suddenly stopped and half-turned towards the little cocky shit again, amusement dancing in his eyes, "Oh, and goblin?"

The goblin's eye twitched as he was forced to raise his eyes again, gritting the next word through his teeth, "Yes?"

"If I hear even a rumor about my presence here getting out, I will make sure there is no place for goblins on British soil. Just a friendly reminder and I will also give it to your supervisors too. Don't piss me off by trying to sell information about me, alright pal?" Tom gently delivered a threat to the continued existence of his whole race.

But his eyes made it painfully obvious he meant every word.

He didn't get to his current level of power just to be disregarded and disrespected by some irrelevant beginner mob. He had no idea why goblins pissed him off as much as they did but… that's just how Tom felt. Something about them was rubbing him the wrong way really fiercely.

With that, he turned around, ignoring the spluttering little shit, and started walking towards the waiting area on the side with Natasha in tow, pushing the bewildered Hermione in front of her as if she was a small child.

---

Author Note:

Yeah, nope.

No noble and honorable goblins would be found here like in other stories.

There would be no glorification of them nor would I make them mobilize their entire nation the second they heard some random child is being mistreated.

But, I will try to make them into a bit more realistic, primal and vicious creatures that can play nice if the situation demands it of them.