Audrey woke up at 8:30 in the morning.
She shook her head, carefully recalling if she had any classes today.
However, her mind was empty; she couldn't remember if she needed to teach for the life of her. After a full two minutes, she finally realized it was Sunday.
"Ah! A beautiful Sunday! Praise the world!"
Audrey shouted happily and closed her eyes to lie back down.
Wait, she seemed to have forgotten something.
What was it?
Knock, knock, knock.
The room door was knocked.
"Who is it?"
Anyone could hear the displeasure in Audrey's tone.
But only two squeaks came from outside.
Swoosh!
Audrey Apparated to the door and pulled it open.
Yes, her laziness had worsened; she didn't even want to walk a mere few meters.
No one was outside, but a moment later, Audrey felt something tugging at the hem of her clothes.
"Ah, isn't this Mr. Tocci?"
Mr. Tocci dispelled his invisibility, revealing his form as a small silver-furred ape-man.
Its large eyes were filled with worry and anxiety, gesturing with its hands while letting out urgent squeaks.
Audrey switched to her natural Legilimens state.
She immediately understood Mr. Tocci's meaning.
Kamo Tsuruko hadn't returned all night?
Audrey immediately used her castle permissions to scan Hogwarts.
She didn't search for Kamo Tsuruko, but for Isaline.
"Tsk, as expected, neither of them is back!"
Audrey picked up Mr. Tocci. "Come on, let's find your master!"
Swoosh!
When Audrey appeared in the hall of the Gryffindor Secret Vault again, Isaline and Tsuruko were sitting in the corner, leaning against each other and sleeping.
"Isaline, wake up!"
Isaline was bleary-eyed and groggily touched Audrey's face.
"Ah, it's Audrey," she shook her head, trying to wake herself up quickly. "You're finally out. I was so worried!"
Audrey scratched the back of her head. How could she explain this?
'I actually went back to my room long ago and had a comfortable night's sleep?'
"Why are you so silly? Why wait for me? I'll definitely be fine! I am the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, after all!"
Isaline rubbed the corners of her eyes and shook her head. "No, I wouldn't be at peace without seeing you come out with my own eyes. Besides, it's precisely because you're the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that it's dangerous! The last professor, and the one before that... they died just a few months ago..."
Isaline lowered her head. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come..."
Isaline didn't say another sentence out loud: she was the captain of the Slytherin branch of the Audrey Guard! The person who was supposed to be protected had gone deep into danger to save her, and the distress in Isaline's heart was palpable.
"Alright, alright," Audrey waved her hand. "Hurry back and get some rest. It wasn't easy staying here all night!"
The vine portal reappeared, and Audrey pushed Isaline through without another word.
Once Miss Windsor disappeared into the door, Audrey immediately dispersed the portal.
"Now then, Miss Kamo, do you have anything to say to me?"
Mr. Tocci grabbed the hem of Tsuruko's robe and looked up at her with a face full of worry.
Tsuruko gave a bitter smile. "Senior, I transferred to Hogwarts specifically for you."
No more hiding; the cards were on the table.
Tsuruko continued, "Because you are only the fourth young wizard in history to enroll in the fifth year, it means you can see magic echoes..."
Audrey nodded, acknowledging it. "I can indeed see them."
Tsuruko nodded. "I know many people are after you because there are ancient ruins all over the world. The older they are, the harder they are to crack. Only someone like you who can see the echoes of ancient magic can decipher them..."
Audrey asked, "So you... or rather, your family, wants me to help you crack a ruin?"
Tsuruko shook her head first, then nodded. "My original plan was to follow you and perhaps learn some methods of cracking ruins; but I later realized that without your ability to see through magic echoes, no matter how much I master the techniques, it's useless."
She brushed her loose hair back but found it wouldn't stay. She simply untied it and tied it back into a ponytail.
"So I am now officially making a request to you, Senior. Please help my family crack an ancient ruin. It has been an obsession for my family for over a thousand years!"
"My family is willing to pay a reward of two hundred million gold Galleons! I only ask for your help!"
Chapter 139: Yoroshiku! (2 / 2)
"Please!"
Tsuruko performed a dogeza without hesitation, her expression very solemn.
"I apologize for inciting Senior Windsor to explore the ruins. Please forgive me! You have seen my family's sincerity, Senior!"
Tsuruko practically buried her face in the ground, making her voice muffled: "Two hundred million gold Galleons is everything my family can offer! Even if you are a big star, surely this money is attractive to you!"
Good grief, had her reputation for greed reached all the way to Japan?
If it were a year and a half ago, Audrey might have considered it, but now...
Two hundred million to cross the ocean and take a risk?
If Kamo Tsuruko knew that Audrey Astley was the mysterious boss who had swallowed Gringotts, she wondered how she would feel.
"I refuse,"
Audrey said coldly.
"Leaving aside your previous deceit and trickery, even if you had asked me properly from the start, I wouldn't have agreed."
"Why?"
Tsuruko looked up at Audrey in total bewilderment.
Audrey looked up at the sky.
She didn't see the sky, but instead saw the poorly designed ceiling of the Gryffindor Secret Vault, which was as messy as Godric's own stubble.
"I'm afraid of being cursed by my ancestors!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Audrey vanished with a swoosh.
"Afraid of being cursed by her ancestors?"
Tsuruko straightened up, puzzled. Did this have anything to do with Audrey Astley's ancestors?
Hah, she had no idea that Audrey's ancestors weren't just Salazar Slytherin.
...
...
The fifth-year students taking their O.W.L.s this year were having it harder than any other year.
Because after Christmas, there was a sudden announcement that the Muggle Studies textbooks were being completely replaced, and the scope of the exam would be entirely based on the new material.
This was a bolt from the blue. The fifth-years cursed the Ministry of Magic to high heaven, not knowing that the mastermind behind it was their favorite school idol, Audrey!
But complaints were just complaints; the books still had to be memorized.
Muggle-born wizards were more popular at this moment than ever before!
But none of this had much to do with Audrey. Her biggest wish now was to spend the last two months of her holidays comfortably.
So, besides teaching the lower years, she really did stay indoors—she was even too lazy to get out of bed, lying on her mountain of gold all day long.
Miss Isaline Windsor felt that if Audrey continued like this, she would turn into a total vegetable.
So she tried everything to drag her to the Great Hall for meals, but failed every time. With Isaline's thin arms and legs, how could she drag a human-shaped dragon?
Thus, the number of people nesting in Audrey's room went from one to two.
"Edmond, how's the situation lately?"
"Don't mention it. A large number of wizards from Russia are pouring into Ukraine, and there have been multiple conflicts with our people."
"Nothing serious, right?"
"Not for now. Our presence in Ukraine is large enough. If they don't want to expose the wizarding world to the public early, they probably won't dare declare war on us."
"Russia hasn't even settled its own internal affairs; how do they have the energy for Ukraine?"
"Who knows?"
Isaline sat on the velvet rug, sipping hot soup while watching Audrey talk to Edmond, her eyes sparkling.
Audrey thought for a moment and said, "Move the technical staff and research materials out as soon as possible. I feel Ukraine isn't safe."
"No problem. We've already moved the entire Southern Design Bureau to China. The shipyard site in Jiaozhou has been selected, and construction can start immediately."
"Good!"
Isaline suddenly chimed in, "Audrey, are you going to Ukraine this summer?"
Audrey thought for a moment. "Maybe?"
Teacher Grindelwald would likely choose to torture her in Ukraine; after all, it had become the headquarters for The Alliance.
"Then can I go with you? I've never been to Ukraine!"
"Of course!"
Audrey looked into the two-way mirror.
"Edmond, did you hear that? Isaline wants to come to Ukraine. You, as the host, have to do a good job with the arrangements."
Edmond shrugged and rolled his eyes in the mirror. "I'm the host? Everyone knows you're the real landlady here!"
The uncle and niece laughed for a bit before Edmond spoke.
"You're welcome to visit, Miss Windsor!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]