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Chapter 16
One Wave of Profit Has Just Ended — Another Is Already on Its Way
Serenis Grey stepped out of Gringotts.
The box she was carrying was filled to the brim with Galleons.
Over the years, her family had steadily grown stronger by siphoning profits from the Lestrange family's businesses, but they had still not reached the level of true wealth.
With so many relatives to support, and with her uncle—the family patriarch—constantly burning money on expensive research, the Grey family's vault, after all these years, held only a little over ten thousand Galleons.
This time, profits from the various regions had not yet been deposited, and with another three thousand Galleons withdrawn today, the remaining gold in the vault had dropped below five figures.
Clutching the box tightly to her chest, Serenis hurried towards the Leaky Cauldron. Once she reached the fireplace there, she could hand the box over to her father.
Although her uncle had instructed her to liaise with the Ministry of Magic, Serenis felt increasingly uneasy, as if something bad were about to happen.
That was why she wanted to get rid of this hot potato as quickly as possible.
In the past, her father had always handled communications between the family and the Ministry, so it wouldn't seem strange at all for him to take over again.
It had to be said—sometimes a woman's intuition was terrifyingly accurate. Or perhaps Serenis truly possessed the makings of a Seer.
As she hurried along, she muttered complaints under her breath.
Why was the distance between Gringotts and the Leaky Cauldron so absurdly long?
Why hadn't the Ministry of Magic installed a Floo Network access point directly in Diagon Alley?
It was 1986. Diagon Alley had not yet been connected to the Floo Network, and wizards still had to pass through the Leaky Cauldron to enter or leave it.
It wasn't until 1989 that some shop owners finally "volunteered" to donate their fireplaces for public use.
In truth, that so-called donation amounted to the Ministry paying an annual fee of one hundred Galleons for fireplace access.
With so many wizards coming and going every day, no one wanted complete strangers constantly appearing inside their homes. Eventually, even the most "shrewd" merchants grew fed up and simply built additional walls, sealing their fireplaces off from public access.
Knockturn Alley, on the other hand, had been connected to the Floo Network as early as 1971.
And as for where it connected to—
Everyone knew the answer.
Borgin and Burkes.
In old Borgin's eyes, anyone passing through his shop was a potential source of endless profit.
In that regard, Borgin was a genuinely shrewd businessman.
Unfortunately for Serenis, none of that helped her now.
There were no public fireplaces in Diagon Alley for her to use.
Apparition?
Please.
She wasn't a house-elf, a phoenix, or Albus Dumbledore.
She couldn't simply appear wherever she pleased.
Diagon Alley was packed with shops, and Knockturn Alley lay right beside it.
Aside from Hogwarts itself, this area had the highest concentration of strange, dangerous, and unstable magical items in all of Britain.
Some wizarding residences were protected by Anti-Apparition wards. Some shops displayed items with intense magical fluctuations.
To be honest, unless you were extremely confident—or intimately familiar with Diagon Alley—most people wouldn't dare Apparate here.
Especially after the incident in 1984, when a witch Apparated in the alley and left half her body behind.
After that, almost no one dared try again.
So no matter how anxious Serenis Grey felt, she could only rely on her own two legs.
Faster. Faster. Faster.
Unfortunately, running too fast often led to accidents.
And sure enough—
She collided with someone.
A short figure.
Yet to Serenis, it felt as though she had run straight into a brick wall.
She lost her balance and fell heavily to the ground, the box in her arms flying out of her grasp.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
She wanted to react, to draw her wand—but both hands had been occupied by the box.
She could only watch helplessly as it landed in the hands of the short figure.
The person was wearing a hooded wizard's robe, its sleeves wide and thick.
The small figure hugged the money box tightly, completely covering it with their sleeves, leaving not even a crack exposed.
"Oh dear," came a clear, childlike voice. "I'm terribly sorry, madam. Did I bump into you? Are you hurt?"
It was unmistakably the voice of a young girl.
Serenis scrambled to her feet.
The girl lowered her hood, revealing a delicate, unfamiliar face.
How do you even walk?!
Already in a foul mood, Serenis had no patience left.
"Give me the box back right now," she snapped. "Or I'll report you for robbery!"
The girl looked startled.
"Madam, you can't say that! I didn't rob you!"
As she spoke, she quickly handed the box back, looking deeply wronged.
"I only caught it when you dropped it. See? It's perfectly fine!"
Serenis took the box, glanced at the Grey family's hidden mark engraved in the upper left corner, then gave it a gentle shake.
The crisp, melodious clinking of Galleons rang out.
She finally let out a breath of relief.
Though her tone remained stern, it softened slightly.
"I'll let this go this time. But if there's a next time, I'll make sure you regret it."
The young "girl" watched Serenis Grey walk away.
She smiled.
And murmured to herself, her voice light and cheerful—
"A next time? I'm really looking forward to it."
…
…
Wearing Hermione Granger's face, Hydras entered Gringotts.
Gringotts was the only wizarding bank in the world, with unique architecture and an interior that reflected goblin aesthetics—there was no need to describe it in detail.
Inside, goblins bustled about their work, paying little attention to a young witch.
Aside from the greeters at the entrance, no one spared her a glance.
Hydras didn't care.
These money-loving creatures recognised gold, not people.
It wasn't as though she'd never dealt with them before.
Back when she had still been the young mistress of the House of Lestrange, she'd been escorted straight to the VIP reception room every time she visited.
Hydras walked directly up to a counter and spoke plainly.
"I want to buy a vault."
The goblin banker, who had been weighing gold, looked up at her.
"What tier?"
It was Hydras's first time purchasing a vault herself, so she naturally asked,
"What tiers do you offer?"
The goblin replied,
"A standard vault costs five hundred Galleons. The lease lasts one hundred years. After that, you only pay a small service fee to renew. It's located in the upper levels underground."
Everyone knew—the deeper a vault lay in Gringotts, the more secure it became. The lowest levels were even guarded by fire-breathing dragons.
"A high-security vault costs two thousand Galleons. It's larger, better protected, and includes additional security services. Most wealthy families choose this option."
He paused.
"Just now, a family withdrew funds from a vault of that level."
Hydras's eyes lit up.
"The Grey family?"
"I'm sorry, miss," the goblin said stiffly. "Client confidentiality—"
Hydras laughed.
"Even if you didn't say it, I'd know. Of course it was the Grey family. Our families are very close. Aunt Serenis Grey is a dear friend of my mother's—there's nothing they don't talk about."
"Oh… I see," the goblin said, nodding. "In that case—yes. The Grey family."
Hydras made her decision immediately.
"I'll take that tier."
"Perhaps you'd like to consider our highest-class vault?" the goblin pressed.
"Ten thousand Galleons. Permanent ownership. Guarded by a fire dragon. Vaults of great families such as the Blacks and the Lestranges—"
"No," Hydras said firmly. "The second option."
She added casually,
"If possible, I'd like a vault near the Grey family's. That way, Aunt Serenis and I won't have to separate next time we withdraw money."
The goblin scratched his bald head.
"The Grey family's vault is Number 833. Vaults 832 and 834 are already owned…"
He paused, then brightened.
"Vault 870 is vacant. It's directly beneath Vault 833. Not adjacent, but close—only a few extra seconds by cart."
"That's fine," Hydras nodded. "I'll take it."
She calmly took out the wooden box she had just "traded" from Serenis and placed it on the counter.
"Take two thousand Galleons from this."
The goblin opened the box—and his eyes widened.
Unassuming as she looked, this girl was rich.
He quickly counted out two thousand Galleons, then returned the remaining one thousand along with the box.
"Miss, my name is Puqi. I happen to have several excellent investment products—"
"Puqi," Hydras interrupted flatly. "Stop talking and finish the paperwork. I need to make a deposit."
"Yes, miss."
His attitude changed instantly, shifting from indifference to eager flattery.
"May I have your name?"
"Audrey Astray."
"Will you be accessing the vault personally, or using a key? If it's personal access, we'll need to register your full biometric data—"
"No need. A key will do."
"Yes, Miss Astray."
Puqi immediately recognised the name as false. There was no major wizarding family with that surname.
But what did it matter?
He'd sold the vault. His commission was guaranteed.
And even if she were a wanted criminal—so what?
The Ministry of Magic had no authority inside Gringotts.
"Here is your key," Puqi said respectfully. "Please keep it safe."
Hydras accepted the key and stored it carefully.
"Then, Miss Astray," Puqi said with a bow, "I will escort you to your vault."
Hydras smiled brightly.
As someone famously miserly, how could she possibly be happy after spending two thousand Galleons?
That simply wasn't her nature.
The only reason she was smiling—
Was because she had just discovered yet another way to fleece the Grey family.
And this time—
She planned to pull off something truly ruthless.
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