)
---
**Chapter 22
I Am Very Satisfied with This Apology!**
When Hydras woke again, she found herself lying in her own small bed.
When did I come back?
Golden Tiger sat obediently at the edge of the bed. Seeing her open her eyes, he let out a soft meow, then hopped down, padded to the door, and meowed again.
"…Does that mean I'm supposed to open it?"
Hydras rolled out of bed.
"Golden Tiger, can't you open the door yourself?"
Grumbling, she still walked over.
The injuries Bode Grey had inflicted were completely healed now, leaving behind only a faint, lingering soreness.
But who exactly saved me?
With that question in mind, she walked towards the door. Halfway there, Hydras shifted back into Audrey. She pressed the small button hidden in her collar, and the tattered clothes instantly repaired themselves, restoring their original neat appearance.
The door was locked—no wonder Golden Tiger couldn't get out.
She opened it and stepped outside, only to find that Rick wasn't home.
It was already half past six in the evening.
A note lay on the table:
> "Audrey, Mr Waterman invited me to a cocktail party. You were still asleep, so I didn't wake you. I might be back late—sort out dinner for yourself."
Audrey smiled.
Cooking was completely out of the question. With her terminal laziness, Audrey would never cook.
When she'd first arrived in this household, her obedient behaviour had all been an act.
Just like a cat meeting its adopter—behaved for ten minutes, then enjoyed comfort for twenty years.
"Golden Tiger! Let's go! We're eating out!"
---
…
…
Inside the Leaky Cauldron.
Wizards drank, played wizard's chess and cards, and argued loudly, filling the pub with noise and laughter.
Hydras sat curled up in a corner, eating steak and drinking butterbeer.
Golden Tiger squatted on the table beside her. In front of him sat a plate identical to Hydras's.
She had also ordered a portion of fish and chips especially for him, but he didn't touch it at all, which made Hydras grind her teeth in irritation.
Looks like she'd have to take it home for Rick.
As she ate, Hydras considered how to deal with the Grey family going forward.
After suffering such a huge loss today, there was no way she could just let it go.
But Bode Grey was far too powerful—completely beyond what she could handle right now.
So what should I do?
The conversation at the next table caught her attention.
"Have you heard? The Grey family's transport carriages were hijacked again!"
"Which Greys?"
"The Grey family affiliated with the Lestranges—the ones who bribed a senior Ministry official with a Confundus Charm three months ago!"
"Hahaha, that bunch? What happened this time?"
"Three months ago, the four carriages they used to transport Galleons were attacked by a fire dragon. Every last coin was lost."
"I know about that. Didn't they even demand compensation from the carriage station?"
"But the station belongs to the Ministry of Magic. How could the Ministry possibly compensate them?"
"Today it happened again. Their transport carriages were hijacked, and this time they lost tens of thousands of Galleons."
"And the Ministry has to pay—whether it wants to or not."
"Why?"
"Because a few days ago, the Malfoy, Greengrass, Avery, and Flint families all had their carriages hijacked as well."
"Who did that? That takes guts."
"No idea. But those families pressured the Ministry together, and the Ministry had no choice but to compensate them."
"Compensating one family or many makes no difference. I heard the Greys alone received seventeen thousand Galleons."
"Does the Ministry even have that kind of money?"
"Of course not. I heard they pawned several rare artefacts from the Department of Mysteries to Gringotts."
"Minister Barnold must be livid."
"Obviously. Lost money and ruined the carriage system's reputation. I doubt many major families will use it again."
Hydras listened quietly.
First—she hadn't robbed the Grey family today.
So who did?
Second—very few wizards were capable of hijacking Thestral-drawn carriages.
And coincidentally, Bode Grey was one of them.
So… was it possible that Bode Grey himself had robbed those pure-blood families?
Shout "Stop thief!", then use family influence to demand compensation for their so-called losses.
The logic checked out.
Regardless of the truth, Hydras knew one thing for certain:
The Greys were rich again today.
---
As soon as the Grey family came up, wizards from nearby tables joined the discussion.
"You know, the Grey family really is something."
"Oh? Got more gossip?"
"Of course. My aunt's cousin's cousin does business with them. I heard the theft from their Gringotts vault was actually an inside job—by their own treasurer."
"What? How does that family keep pulling off such shameless things?"
"Well, they followed the dark wizard Grindelwald in the early days. What kind of decent people could they be?"
"The treasurer's locked in the family dungeon now, tortured every day, but she's stubborn as hell—keeps insisting she didn't steal anything!"
"A woman?"
"Yeah. I think her name's Celanis… or Serenis. I wonder if they used the Cruciatus Curse on her."
"The Greys wouldn't dare use an Unforgivable Curse, would they?"
"Dare not? These powerful families say one thing in public and another in private. How would you know?"
…
Embezzlement by the treasurer?
Hydras's eyes lit up.
If the Greys officially treated the vault theft as an inside job, that meant the vault itself had been intact at the time.
Which meant—
A perfect opportunity.
As compensation for nearly killing her today, tens of thousands of Galleons sounded more than reasonable.
"Golden Tiger, take your time eating. I've got something to deal with."
Smiling, Hydras stood, slipped into the bathroom, grabbed a washbasin, and left the Leaky Cauldron.
"Sizzle!"
She reappeared on the underground rails of Gringotts, beside the Thief-Downfall, whose water was said to wash away all magic.
She filled the basin with water.
Why bother with water?
What if everything she'd heard tonight was information deliberately released by Bode Grey?
Who knew if this wasn't a trap?
The Grey family had the ability to cast Tracking Charms on Galleons. After everything that had happened, Hydras wouldn't dare steal them recklessly.
Today's fight had taught her one thing clearly:
Bode Grey was dangerous. Against someone like him, there was no such thing as being too cautious.
"Sizzle!"
Vault No. 833.
Ah—an old friend.
Wow. This was far more lavish than last time.
Galleons were piled up like a small hill—at least forty thousand.
Of that, seventeen thousand came from the Ministry's compensation, and seven thousand from quarterly profits—only twenty-four thousand in total.
So where did the remaining sixteen thousand come from?
No need to think about it.
Malfoy. Greengrass. One of those families.
Bode Grey… what a move.
Rob the pure-blood families, swindle the Ministry, then wash his hands clean.
Because the Greys were the first victims, and the laughing stock of the wizarding world, no one suspected them.
Amazing.
Truly amazing.
I admire you.
"Splash!"
Hydras poured the basin of water over the Galleons.
Water splashed everywhere, and instantly magical light flared—sparks crackling like a short circuit.
So they really were enchanted.
Good thing she'd been careful. She'd nearly fallen for that old bastard's trap again.
Bode Grey's thinking was simple: catch the rabbit first—whether one actually existed or not.
Whether the thief was an outsider or Serenis, it cost him nothing to slap a Tracking Charm on the coins.
But now—
No matter how clever you are, you still drank my foot-bath water.
Clear it out. Take everything.
Ha!
More than fifty thousand Galleons—enough to last her right up until the final battle.
Hydras looked at the empty vault, now left with nothing but stalactites, and felt utterly satisfied.
Tonight, Rick and Golden Tiger were getting an extra feast.
---
…
…
Bode Grey Apparated to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and strode inside.
The shabby pub was as noisy as ever. Wizards chatted, played cards—and a tabby cat occupied a table on its own, elegantly eating steak.
None of that mattered.
Every Tracking Charm he'd placed on the Galleons in Vault 833 had just failed.
Something was very wrong.
Over seventy years old, yet he ran with terrifying speed.
Half his face was hidden beneath a mask. Hydras's punch had been like dark magic—completely unhealable.
Why in Merlin's name isn't there a Floo Network in Diagon Alley?!
Inside Gringotts, keys were checked and identities verified. No matter how anxious he was, procedures still had to be followed.
Seated in the mine cart, his legs bounced uncontrollably, earning him a displeased look from the goblin banker.
But Bode Grey was a major client.
After all, hadn't he deposited more than forty thousand Galleons today?
The goblins who'd handled his transaction were stunned.
Vault after vault opened.
Bode used to find this design reassuring.
Now he only thought, Who designed this nightmare? Where's the efficiency?!
At last, the vault door opened.
The scene inside was revealed.
The goblin froze.
So did Bode Grey.
The immensely powerful wizard collapsed to his knees like an elderly Muggle who'd lost his livelihood, tears streaming down his face.
Who?
Who did this?
Who exactly did this?!
He sprang up like a wounded beast, eyes bloodshot, desperately searching for magical traces.
But Hydras had moved too fast.
Delayed by over ten minutes, there was barely any echo left.
Last quarter, he'd survived by selling off the Lestrange family's collection at bargain prices.
This quarter?
He'd thought he could make a fortune with a few tricks—
But now…
Should I rob a few more families?
…
…
Back in her room, Audrey was having the time of her life.
The bed was covered in Galleons, and she rolled around on them.
"Clink, splash!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Splash, splash!"
"Hahaha—ha!"
Golden Tiger sat on the windowsill, watching his young master go mad, and shook his head helplessly.
No longer interested, the tabby cat turned his gaze to the moon outside.
The new moon had just passed. A thin crescent peeked out from behind the dark clouds.
The moon was new.
And so were the people.
---