"Now think five million customers, buying their supplies with credit cards all over the world, a system that the muggleborns are already used to from their parents. Even if they only spend one hundred galleons in six months, which they won't do but spend more, you'd earn two galleons from each of them, summing up at ten million galleons. Take away twenty per cent for maintenance and personnel and you still have eight million galleons left. I'm really sure I've earned my fifteen per cent." Harry said.
Corpnik couldn't help it but laugh loudly.
"You, Harry, could have been a goblin. That was one of the most devious acts anybody has pulled over me for some decades. I definitely underestimated you. Henry would have loved the way how you think. He was the most devious businessman I ever had the honour of knowing. Indeed, if we get it done the way you say and I don't see why not, we'll earn a lot of gold together. Do you have other ideas that are as profitable as this one?" He asked now very interested what else the boy could think of.
Honestly, the most he had expected to get was a vague idea of a muggle system how to pay easier. They would have had to investigate how to make it work in the wizarding world and that would have taken time. But with the information Harry had provided they would be able to start at once and set everything up, work out the magic to coordinate everything and then advertise the new product. Harry definitely had a lot of Henry Potter's skill in business deals. It would be very interesting to see the boy grow. There was so much potential that he could see.
"An extension to this once the system is established in society. Offer accounts for students of magical schools with an included credit card free of the percentile fee as long as they attend school. The card itself can be a fixed starting fee like five galleons. While you won't make much profit while the students are at school they'll be used to using the credit card for their purchases. And once they leave school the normal procedure starts and they won't think anything strange about it. You bind customers early on and to be honest, the students at Hogwarts mostly spend their money in Hogsmeade and not much more as there aren't many possibilities for it. If they spend fifty galleons a year while they are at school that's it normally and it includes the wealthier students. So you'd not get one galleon a year from each student, but much more once they graduate. But there still are the normal fees for the upkeep of the vaults. It's an investment in future profit." Harry said.
"A very interesting extension. Yes, I'm convinced we'll make much gold together in the future, Harry." Corpnik said contently. This boy was really valuable and he was his account manager, meaning he'd get a good bit of gold himself for getting the ideas that would bring Gringotts much gold in the future.
.....
In the afternoon Harry was visited by Hagrid and he got a chocolate cake with green writing, which Hagrid had baked himself for Harry and a book on charms for brooms from him.
"Thought with how yer interested in learning an' Quidditch, you'd like it." He said.
"Thank you, Hagrid." Harry said happily. He wasn't really used to people giving him birthday presents.
Harry told Hagrid a bit about his appointment with Gringotts, Hagrid got a good laugh at hearing he had made Corpnik laugh out loud over the trick Harry had pulled, he told him about the cake he got in the morning from the Leaky Cauldron team and a few people he had watched when he went back from Gringotts.
"There was this one blond boy who seemed to have swallowed a lemon. But his father didn't seem to be any better. And they looked disdainfully at the students who looked like muggleborns to me." Harry said.
"Ah, could've been the Malfoys. Nasty business 'em. Lucius Malfoy is a big fish, has contacts to the Minister, but was thought ter have been with You-Know-Who. Bought himself free. Claimed ter have been under imperius. Don' know if that's true. He's nasty 'nough to have done it willingly. But he's got gold, so many don' dare crossing 'im. His son should be the age to start Hogwarts now." Hagrid said.
Harry nodded.
"Do you know anything about the Zabinis?" He asked.
"Ah, yes, Black Widow Elladora." Hagrid said. "She's been married six times now, but some'ow 'er husbands always die soon. Could have somethin' ter do with that after her firs' one died in an accident, with whom she'd had her son, she looked for rich old men. Couldn' handle the stress havin' a beautiful young wife many say. Others tell she's killed 'em, but nothin' could ever be proven." Hagrid told him. "Did you meet 'em?"
"Yes, when I got my robes at Madam Malkin's Blaize Zabini was also fitted for his. We talked a bit. I got the impression that while he was a bit arrogant, I'd get along with him well enough. He seems to be at least intelligent enough to not simply judge on rumours but to get more information about something." Harry said.
"Yes, that fits their personality. The Zabinis have been Slytherins for generations. But I didn' hear about them being dark. Still high stuck on believing in pureblood supremacy." Hagrid informed Harry.
Harry decided to ask a question that had bothered him for some time.
"Hagrid, would you be mad if I was sorted into Slytherin? I think I'll go to Ravenclaw, but some of my character traits fit Slytherin." Most of them actually, but he wouldn't actually admit that to anybody.
"Nah, Harry. I know you. Yer a good kid. And nobody with a moon owl as a familiar could ever go dark. Hedwig wouldn't allow it." He said.
Harry was relieved to hear that. While he normally didn't give much on the opinions of people, he didn't want to lose Hagrid's friendship. The gentle giant of a man had given up a lot of his time to look after him while he was staying here at the Leaky Cauldron and had been a great guide to learn his way around. While Harry had noticed that he was a bit biased against Slytherins he also seemed to be pretty knowledgeable about some families. He would have to find out what of the general talk was true and what exaggerated, but it was part of the complete picture.
Later Hagrid said good bye as he had an errand for Dumbledore to run at Gringotts.