Britain, Diagon Alley, Gringotts, Goblin VIP Reception Room.
Gringotts' curse-breaker, the goblin Griphook, was looking with a peculiar expression at the VIP guest sitting across from him.
"Although I don't understand why you are so persistent in wanting your distant nephew to inherit the Lestrange vault, I must remind you once again, Mr. Malfoy."
"The inheritance conditions for a Gringotts vault only allow for descendants to inherit if its owner is deceased. Currently, the owners of the Lestrange Family are not dead. They are just..."
Lucius interrupted Griphook impatiently, he knew what the other was going to say, and he had heard these words so many times lately they were giving him earaches.
"They are locked in a prison full of Dementors, never to get out! It's no different from being dead. But whether they live or die is irrelevant… the Lestrange Family's wealth needs someone to take over."
"Do you think I'm here to covet that wealth? The Lestrange Family sought me out, asking me to step in, to help them legally petition to transfer the vault ownership through proper channels!"
He pulled out a piece of parchment with several lines of elegant cursive writing and a signature.
"The ones imprisoned are Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange. They are the legal heirs of the Lestrange Family, but they are now permanently locked in Azkaban, with no possibility of ever getting out in this lifetime, and they have no children outside."
"According to Gringotts' vault inheritance regulations, Rodolphus's only first cousin once removed is the first in line to inherit the vault. This is his authorization letter, granting me full authority to handle the inheritance matter."
As Lucius spoke these words, his gaze towards Griphook became scrutinizing and dangerous. Having long mingled in upper-class social circles, he knew exactly how to deal with people like this.
"Your constant refusal of this matter with various excuses makes me highly suspect that Gringotts has already secretly... done something to that vault."
Hearing this, Griphook's face instantly became extremely serious and grave.
"This is an insult to goblin credibility and a baseless accusation against Gringotts, sir. Even if you are a VIP, making such statements publicly outside would require a public apology."
"Apology? Why should I apologize when you are withholding the Lestrange vault?"
Lucius just tapped the armrest of the single sofa with his fingertip, looking at Griphook with amusement.
"Even if this gets out and is reported by the Daily Prophet, you are the ones at fault. Why can't the vault be inherited according to the rules?"
Griphook was somewhat helpless and could only explain once more.
"Because the vault owners, Mr. Rodolphus Lestrange and Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange, are not deceased."
"What's the difference between them and being dead?" Lucius said loudly. "The Dementors on that island have long since sucked them mad! They're just lingering on like mangy dogs now!"
"If they stubbornly refuse to die in prison for twenty, thirty, even a hundred years, should the Lestrange vault remain in this unclaimed state forever!"
Lucius's expression turned sarcastic.
"You just keep dragging it out, waiting for the other Lestranges to starve to death completely without any source of income, for the entire family line to die out, so you can righteously and legally take possession of that vault for yourselves, correct?"
"That is a very serious accusation against Gringotts, Mr. Malfoy."
Griphook's hands kept fidgeting, showing that he was already at a disadvantage under Lucius's continuous verbal assault.
"Perhaps we can choose a compromise. The Lestranges are in Azkaban, correct? You can take your client, their said cousin, to the Ministry to apply for a visit. If you can obtain the vault key and their permission from them, Gringotts will immediately transfer the vault ownership!"
Lucius, however, just looked at him with cold eyes.
"Are you joking with me?"
Griphook looked startled, as he felt he had made a sufficiently large concession within his authority.
"I... I am certainly not joking."
"Then do you think there's anything worthwhile to discuss with two lunatics who have been locked in Azkaban for a full eight years and are long out of their minds? They probably wish everyone in the world would join them in hell, so how could they possibly agree to let someone else inherit the vault?"
Griphook looked flustered. His already ugly face was now completely wrinkled up.
"If that's the case, Gringotts has never had a precedent of transferring a vault to an heir while the original owner is still alive. Moreover, the so-called heir you mention doesn't even possess the vault key."
Hearing this response, Lucius showed no sign of anger on his face, as if Griphook's words were entirely within his expectations.
"Much of Gringotts' business in Britain relies on the support of families like the Malfoys, the Carrows, the Notts, the Parkinsons, the Selwyns, the Greengrasses, and so on… these esteemed families in Britain, to operate, correct?"
He stared into the goblin's eyes.
"Not just vault deposit services. This goblin bank relies on us for many things. Ah, and it also relies on the Ministry of Magic, and our influence within the Ministry is not insignificant. Families like ours are most concerned about the continuation of family wealth."
"Do you think I am representing only the Malfoy Family in discussing this matter with you? If the Lestrange vault issue isn't handled properly, what will the other families think? Might they become disappointed with Gringotts?"
Griphook became somewhat restless.
If we look back a century or two, even if the people Lucius represented had even greater influence, the goblins wouldn't have given them a second glance, and might even have spat twice.
However, times have changed. After losing in that rebellion, the goblins had their wands confiscated. While they seemingly still held absolute control over Gringotts, they could no longer be completely independent and autonomous.
They needed to cater to these united pure-blood families and, moreover, had to consider the Ministry of Magic.
But Lucius's demand to inherit the vault truly had no precedent. If they agreed to this and some trouble arose later, Gringotts' reputation built over centuries would be in big trouble!
Lucius also saw Griphook's dilemma. He snorted coldly, looking very impatient.
"Fine, we'll make a concession again. Going to Azkaban to get the vault key and transfer permission from those two lunatics is impossible. But we can go to the Ministry, have the Ministry issue a document stating that the Lestranges have lost their sanity and are unable to handle family affairs, allowing the Lestrange Family's assets to go through the inheritance process and be distributed as inheritance."
Without waiting for Griphook's answer, Lucius stood up from his chair.
"This is the final line. No matter what, the vaults managed by Gringotts still belong to wizards, so the laws of the Ministry of Magic must take precedence over Gringotts' own rules."
Griphook's face showed struggle. He only said,
"My authority does not allow me to make any promises to you. I need to consult my superiors about such a matter."
By then, Lucius was already striding towards the door of the VIP room.
"Then have those who can make decisions prepare quickly. Decide whether to stubbornly cling to Gringotts rules or to follow the Ministry's arrangements."
Watching Lucius's retreating back, Griphook also left the VIP room in a fluster. He hurried up the stairs of Gringotts, as this matter was not something his level could decide, nor was it something a single goblin could decide alone.
In front of the main entrance of Gringotts.
After leaving the goblin bank, all traces of impatience and coldness vanished from Lucius's face, replaced by a sly smile.
Perhaps he wasn't a match for the very best in magic. Perhaps he held no so-called loyalty towards anyone, caring only for family interests. Perhaps he was two-faced and not someone worthy of trust.
But when it came to scheming and manipulating power, few in the wizarding world could rival him.
Before Severus left Britain with Draco, he had made two requests to Lucius and this group of wavering pure-bloods.
One was for money, and the other was for the golden cup inside the Lestrange Family's vault!
The money matter was, of course, easy to handle. Given the accumulated wealth of these pure-blood families, even if Severus lay on a pile of Galleons spending continuously, he could never spend it all in his lifetime.
As for the Lestrange vault, that was slightly more troublesome.
Indeed, for people like Lucius, such a matter was only slightly troublesome.
If Bellatrix, Rodolphus, or even Rodolphus's brother Rabastan had not been sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban, this matter would definitely be considered almost impossible.
But now, these three staunch Death Eaters of the Lestrange family, who were also the main heirs to the family fortune, had been confirmed by the Ministry to be locked in that prison for life with no chance of getting out.
Then, for Lucius and the others, the room for maneuver was much larger.
They didn't need to use brainless, violent, crude methods like breaking into Gringotts. They could legally and compliantly transfer the vault ownership under the existing system.
Hence, Lucius's current pressure on Gringotts.
Getting permission from the Ministry was effortless for them. With the connections these pure-blood families had cultivated among Ministry officials, plus the fact that the matter itself was reasonable and not a big deal, as long as Lucius stepped in, he could present Gringotts with the Ministry's permission document in less than three days.
At that point, the goblins of Gringotts couldn't possibly object.
Because Lucius knew they truly had no intention of embezzling wizards' vaults, nor did they have the guts.
Just as he was relaxing, wondering where Severus had taken his son, as he hadn't received a letter in several days, a few red-haired figures suddenly entered his field of vision.
"Hold that cauldron properly, Ron! If you drop it and I have to go back and embarrassingly ask for it to be repaired again, you'll be weeding the garden for a week!"
"I know, Mum, it won't fall!"
"Arthur, we need to buy some good food for Scabbers. George said before they left for Hogwarts that they suspected this rat was so lethargic and sleeping so much because it's malnourished. He's very old now, so we need to give him some supplements."
"Ah, don't worry, dear. Severus mentioned before he left that Scabbers' current state is just a side effect of that potion. He needs to rest so much to recuperate. It won't last much longer."
"If you can't afford rat food, perhaps you can check at the Magical Menagerie. Maybe you can find some leftovers from the rats there."
The sarcastic, mocking voice made the Weasley Family, who were walking down the street in Diagon Alley preparing to leave for home, turn around.
When he saw Lucius's smirking face, Arthur's expression immediately darkened.
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Malfoy, but I believe how we care for our own family pet is none of your business."
"Is the Ministry's money so plentiful that it can be wasted freely?" Lucius looked Arthur up and down… he had always looked down on this family of pure-blood traitors. "Today isn't a holiday."
"I submitted a leave request in compliance with regulations and received approval from Mr. Weatherby," Arthur said coldly. "If you're interested in the process, you're welcome to check at the Ministry anytime. Provided you have the clearance, of course."
Lucius just sneered and shrugged, walking out from the front of Gringotts.
"I'll be checking on your work at the Ministry."
Watching his retreating back, Ron, who was holding a cauldron, curled his lip.
"He's so annoying. Our family has no dealings with him, right? Yet he always finds opportunities to slander us! If George were here, he'd definitely shut him up!"
Arthur just patted his shoulder and said with a smile,
"We don't need to care what others say. Just focus on doing our own thing."
Just as they were about to continue down the road towards the Leaky Cauldron to return to The Burrow via the fireplace there, an owl accurately found the Weasley family amidst the Diagon Alley crowd and delivered a letter to Arthur.
"Who's it from?" Molly asked, puzzled. "Has the Ministry canceled your leave for work?"
Arthur didn't answer immediately. He simply opened the envelope and looked at the contents. Then, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Severus says he's back in Britain! He's coming to The Burrow for dinner tomorrow night, and he's bringing a few friends with him!"