The One and Only Gringotts Bank?

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 43743

Alina wrote:
> "Wizards have banks?"
> "Only one. Gringotts."
> 
> It may not be word by word, but thats' the conversation between 
> Hagrid and Harry when Harry visits Diagon Alley for the first time,
> getting his school supplies for Hogwarts.
> 
> Alina of Distant Place
> http://www.distantplace.net/
   
bboy_mn responding to Alina:
> True that is exactly what it says, but what is the context?
> 
> Hagrid and Harry are English wizards who are in England and about to
> go to a wizard's bank in England to get money to by stuff in England
> after which they will stay in England until such time that they both
> end up in Scotland. 
> 
> So, is it reasonable to assume that the context is 'England'. Is
> Harry, in context, saying 'British wizard have banks?' and Hagrid
> replies 'British wizard have only one; Gringotts.'.
> 
> What's the answer? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. I'm wondering
> how other people took this. Personally, I assumed that Gringotts was
> the bank that served the UK. Can I prove that? NO. That was just my
> sense when I read it. But now someone has brought up the possibility
> that it is a worldwide banking system, and I'm wondering what people
> think about that.
> 
> Just curious.
> 
> bboy_mn

You're adding context there, bboy. From Hagrid's words what you get is 
that there is only ONE bank for the entire WW. It may not be true, but 
that's what Hagrid says. Besides, certain circunstantial evidence 
points towards Gringotts being international. After all, Bill works as 
curse breaker for Gringotts in Egypt: if Gringotts is not an 
international entity of big powers, why would they be providing that 
service, when it would normally correspond to the local ministry to 
uncurse those places? I'd imagine that the goblins are doing it for a 
percentage of the gold they find inside the tombs, but it still points 
towards an international bank (and more than that, too).

Maybe there ARE other banks, even though we haven't heard of them, but 
Gringotts certainly IS international, not just British, and once that's 
accepted, Hagrid's words (assuming he knows what he's speaking of), can 
only mean that Gringotts is the *only* wizard bank. Of course, Hagrid 
can be wrong.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf