---
Chapter 30 – Fire Shield Protection
Hydras shook out her hair, flinging off the drops of antidote solution clinging to the strands. The droplets splashed onto the pile of Galleons below.
Nothing happened.
The strange magical reaction from before did not occur.
That meant these Galleons had not been tampered with.
Only then did Hydras finally relax. She had no intention of risking any unknown magical contamination at a time like this.
It was obvious that five whole years of non-interference had completely lowered the Grey family's guard.
Since the Galleons were not marked with any Tracking Charm, then—
Vault Transfer activated.
…
She pulled the ring.
Vault No. 870 opened once more.
Audrey stepped out from inside.
The moment Pucci saw the contents of the vault, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Miss Astray!" he exclaimed obsequiously. "Would you be interested in purchasing a top-tier vault? Only a vault of the highest class would truly be worthy of your status!"
Audrey tilted her head, considering it for a few seconds.
She no longer needed Vault 870 as a stepping stone to access the Grey family's vault.
Besides, her vault was far too close to theirs. Every time she deposited money, the Grey family suffered a robbery shortly after. Sooner or later, someone with ulterior motives would notice the pattern.
Buying a top-tier vault wasn't a bad idea.
The commission from selling such a vault alone would be more than enough to keep Pucci's mouth firmly shut.
The highest-grade vault cost ten thousand Galleons—an amount she could easily afford.
"Alright then, Pucci," she said with a smile. "I'll buy one. But I want to relinquish Vault 870, and I want all records connected to it erased."
Pucci hesitated, rubbing his hands together with a troubled look.
"That might be rather difficult, Miss…"
Audrey pulled out a money pouch heavy with gold and tossed it straight to him.
Pucci caught it instinctively. One quick weigh was enough—there were at least a thousand Galleons inside.
His eyes lit up.
Miss Astray was truly generous!
"Oh! On second thought, your request is perfectly reasonable," he said hastily. "Please don't worry—everything will be handled flawlessly."
His joy was so overwhelming it practically spilled out of his chest. Even his belch sounded cheerful.
Eight hundred Galleons in commission from the vault sale.
Another thousand directly from Miss Astray.
That was nearly a year's income for him.
Greedy little goblin.
Their thoughts were far too easy to read.
Audrey, meanwhile, was also very pleased. Eliminating hidden risks was always worthwhile.
Shouldn't the notoriously stingy Audrey Astray be heartbroken over spending eleven thousand Galleons?
Except—
She had just reclaimed over a hundred thousand Galleons.
This was pocket change.
…
After completing the paperwork and receiving her brand-new key, the cart sped deeper into Gringotts' tunnels.
Audrey even caught sight of the Ukrainian Ironbelly guarding the deepest vaults.
They arrived at Vault No. 691.
The space was several times larger than Vault 870.
Jagged stalactites hung from the ceiling, exquisite murals were carved into the stone walls, and the floor was paved with vast slabs of finely polished obsidian.
A sudden urge rose within Audrey.
She wanted to fill this vault completely—
And then sleep inside it.
Like a dragon.
…
…
"I'm sorry, Professor Depp. I kept you waiting."
Audrey counted out seven Galleons and handed them over.
"As an apology, I'll treat you at the Leaky Cauldron today."
Professor Depp gave her a long, unreadable look, then smiled faintly.
"In that case, you'll need to spend a bit of money."
"As your student, it's only right," Audrey replied confidently.
But when she went to settle the bill, Old Tom's price nearly made her soul leave her body.
"Four hundred and thirty-two Galleons and seven Sickles," Old Tom said cheerfully. "Let's call it four hundred and thirty-two Galleons!"
"Old Tom!" Audrey's voice shook. "What on earth did he drink to cost that much?!"
Old Tom chuckled.
"That was sherry preserved since the age of the Four Founders. The bottle itself is an exceptional alchemical artefact—otherwise, the wine could never have survived to this day."
Professor Depp stepped forward calmly.
"Not only that," he added, "the bottle continuously absorbs magical particles from the air, enriching the wine's flavour over time."
He gently swirled the ancient sherry, still more than half full.
"Wine like this is exceedingly rare. The craftsmanship behind that bottle has long been lost—even Nicolas Flamel himself could not recreate it."
The scene looked suspiciously like Professor Depp and Old Tom working together to fleece Audrey Astray.
The girl pouted, utterly aggrieved, and paid the bill.
Any guilt she had felt about making him wait earlier vanished completely.
She would happily wait an entire afternoon—for free—rather than pay over four hundred Galleons for one bottle of wine!
This handsome old man was absolutely not a good person.
…
…
"Alright."
Professor Depp waved his new wand, sending all the furniture in the Astray villa's sitting room sliding neatly into a corner, clearing a wide open space.
"We can begin the lesson now, Audrey."
Rick leaned over the second-floor railing, watching eagerly. Fascinated by the wizarding world, he could hardly wait to see his sister perform magic.
The tabby cat sat quietly nearby, bright eyes fixed intently on the scene.
"First, I'll teach you defensive magic," Professor Depp said. "Before learning how to fight, you must first learn how to endure being hit."
Audrey twitched.
"Wait! Professor Depp—shouldn't we start with something like the Lighting Charm or the Levitation Charm?"
Professor Depp rolled his eyes and gave her a faint, disdainful smirk.
Audrey had no idea how an old man could pull off that expression so naturally. Had he been practising it his entire life?
That effortless arrogance—it seemed etched into his bones.
"With your talent," he said coolly, "you should be able to learn those minor spells just by glancing at the textbook. Do I really need to teach you?"
She was pleased to be praised—but the tone left her thoroughly annoyed.
"The incantation for the Lighting Charm is Lumos. Try it."
Audrey was speechless.
Who taught magic like this?
No explanation of wand movement, posture, or control—nothing?
Still, something about Professor Depp made her instinctively want to prove herself. She hated being looked down upon by him.
It was ridiculous.
This man was poisonous.
Or—
Dangerously charming.
"Lumos!"
Audrey flicked her wand casually.
A sphere of light burst into existence at the tip, bright as a hundred-watt bulb.
She even felt she could control it at will.
The glowing orb detached from the wand and floated freely, bobbing up and down through the spacious sitting room.
"That's incredible, Audrey!" Rick cheered from upstairs. "My sister can use magic!"
He laughed and reached down to pat the cat's head.
"Did you see that? My sister can do magic!"
The tabby cat recoiled in disgust, smacked his hand away, and sauntered off gracefully to a spot just out of reach before sitting down again.
Rick laughed awkwardly.
His sister's cat had never been fond of him—far too temperamental.
Downstairs—
Professor Depp waved his wand, and the light vanished instantly.
Audrey, just getting into it, stared at him in shock.
"Had enough fun, Miss Astray?"
His expression turned serious, authoritative.
"I'm going to teach you the Shield Charm now. Remember—the incantation is Protego."
Audrey mirrored his movement.
A translucent blue shield enveloped her at once.
Professor Depp nodded.
The next second, he flicked his wand, sending a bolt of magic crashing into her shield.
Crack!
Crack crack!
On the fourth impact, her Shield Charm shattered.
The spell didn't stop.
The red beam continued straight toward her.
"Protego!"
Audrey cast the spell again instinctively, reinforcing it just in time to neutralise the attack.
Professor Depp nodded in approval.
"Very good. Quick reactions. You're not the sort who relies on brute force alone—you adapt."
"Now," he continued, "I'll show you an advanced defensive spell."
"Fire Shield—Protego Diabolica."
Audrey's pupils shrank violently.
She stared at the tall figure before her in disbelief.
That lighter-coloured right eye—
It had once been silvery white.
She remembered perfectly.
This spell belonged to only one man.
The wizard who once sought to overturn the International Statute of Secrecy.
Gellert Grindelwald.
---