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Chapter 70: Gringotts — Is There Really Such a Good Thing?
"Minister, I have a question."
Audrey sat back on the sofa, arms crossed, eyes closed, her tone calm but cold.
"Was all of this orchestrated by Gringotts?"
Fudge showed no sign of irritation at her change in attitude. After all, he understood perfectly well that being pressured into doing something unpleasant would make anyone unhappy. If Audrey wanted to vent a little, he could tolerate that much.
What truly surprised him was her composure.
"Yes, Audrey," said Cornelius Fudge with a smile. "Gringotts is very much looking forward to working with you."
Audrey slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.
For a moment, she didn't even know what to say.
Because just now, she had read his mind.
To persuade him to act as their intermediary, the goblins had already paid him one thousand Galleons as an advance.
How ridiculous.
The "leader" of Britain's wizarding world… bought so easily by the very goblins wizards looked down upon.
At that moment, a thought crossed Audrey's mind—
Even the Ministry's supposed interest in ancient magic, something Dumbledore had mentioned before… might have been quietly guided by Gringotts from the very beginning.
---
"I understand, Minister."
With a casual wave of her hand, the teapot and cups on the table vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.
"I agree."
Fudge's face lit up immediately.
If Audrey accepted, he would receive another two thousand Galleons as the final payment.
However—
"However," Audrey added.
Fudge's smile stiffened for a moment, but her next words reassured him.
"I'm quite busy this semester. I still have my O.W.L.s to sit. So, could we schedule the excavation for the summer holidays?"
"Of course! Of course!" Fudge replied at once, now finding her far more agreeable. "I'll pass that on to Gringotts. Honestly, this is an excellent arrangement. Their offer wasn't bad, was it?"
---
After seeing Fudge out, Audrey's expression turned cold.
She let out a soft snort and turned back into the living room, immediately reaching for the telephone.
"Mr Waterman?"
"There's something I need you to do."
"Convert all my savings into gold."
She paused briefly, then added firmly:
"Yes. All of it."
"I'm certain."
"The sooner, the better."
---
The next morning, January 9th, Audrey arrived at Diagon Alley and stepped into Gringotts.
A goblin rushed forward to greet her warmly.
"Astray—Young Miss! Have you come to deposit money again? Everyone is saying you're the richest young witch in Britain!"
"Pucci."
Her voice was cold enough to freeze the air.
The goblin's expression immediately stiffened.
"Did you tell others about the contents of my vault?"
This was a fundamental taboo.
Gringotts prided itself on absolute secrecy. Vault information was never meant to be disclosed.
And yet—even Fudge now knew she possessed over a hundred thousand Galleons.
Pucci was the only one with access.
There was no need to guess.
---
"Please—please allow me to explain, Young Miss!"
Pucci was sweating heavily now.
If he failed to explain himself properly, losing a client like Audrey would be the least of his worries. At worst, he might be thrown out of Gringotts… or worse.
"I was threatened," he stammered. "An Elder… from the Council approached me. I—I couldn't refuse!"
Audrey waved her hand impatiently.
"I don't care about your excuses. I only care that it doesn't happen again."
Pucci nodded frantically, as though he had just been pardoned.
---
"Pucci," Audrey continued calmly, "today I'm here to discuss a very large deal with Gringotts."
"Yes! Yes! I will serve you with everything I have!"
"You?"
Audrey shook her head slightly.
"You're not qualified."
---
She opened her small bag and tilted it downward.
"Clang… clang… clang…"
Gold bars poured out, crashing onto the floor.
In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.
Goblins. Wizards. Everyone turned to stare.
Unlike Galleons, which contained only a small amount of gold, these were solid gold bars—pure, heavy, unmistakable.
What looked like less than a cubic meter of gold actually weighed several tonnes.
A fortune large enough to shake the entire bank.
---
"Pucci," Audrey said calmly, "can you handle this?"
"I—no—I'll notify the Elders immediately! Please wait, Young Miss!"
Goblins hurried forward, quickly stacking the gold bars onto carts.
Greedy as they were, they still followed the basic rules of banking. Not a single Knut would be taken improperly in plain sight.
---
Audrey was escorted to a private meeting room.
Soon, the senior leadership of Gringotts gathered—Elders from across Europe.
The gold sat piled in the centre of the room, gleaming.
Even without using Legilimency, Audrey could feel the greed in their eyes.
---
"Astray—Young Miss," one of them began respectfully, "your wealth is indeed remarkable. May we ask—what kind of business do you wish to conduct with us?"
Audrey replied calmly,
"I want a loan."
---
The room immediately erupted into quiet discussion.
After a moment, the leading Elder spoke again.
"And how is this gold related to your request?"
"I need a large amount of Muggle currency," Audrey explained. "Far more than this gold is worth. This"—she gestured to the pile—"is simply proof of my credit."
She placed a document on the table.
"If I wished, I could earn six million dollars from a single concert."
"This gold? I could earn it back in a month and a half."
---
The Elders were shaken.
They had lived for centuries—but never seen money made like this.
They began calculating rapidly.
If she toured globally without rest…
Two billion dollars a year.
Thirty years—
Six hundred billion.
Enough to rival even Gringotts itself.
---
Audrey watched them quietly.
She already knew what they were thinking.
Now, all she needed to do… was push a little further.
---
"I want to borrow as much as possible," she said, "in Ukrainian kupons."
The Elders exchanged puzzled looks.
"And what do you intend to do with such currency?"
"Ukraine is undergoing full privatisation," Audrey said smoothly. "I intend to acquire assets. No upper limit."
She continued,
"After the first loan, I will use those assets as collateral for further loans."
"I'm willing to pay 20% annual interest."
She paused slightly.
"But all settlements must be made in kupons."
---
The Elders hesitated.
"The risk is too great," one of them said. "If the currency collapses—"
"It won't," Audrey replied confidently.
"The Soviet Union has just dissolved. Ukraine has inherited strong foundations, abundant resources, and strategic value."
She leaned forward slightly.
"And the United States will invest heavily—both to contain Russia and to profit from Ukraine's assets."
"In that situation, how could the currency collapse?"
---
Her reasoning was flawless.
Convincing.
Irrefutable.
---
After a long discussion, the Elders finally reached a decision.
"We agree."
"But the interest will be 50%."
"And the principal may only be repaid after three years."
---
Audrey smiled.
"Agreed."
"It's a pleasure working with you."
---
On the surface, the goblins had won.
But in reality—
Three years later, the kupon would collapse.
Its value would shrink a thousandfold.
No matter how high the interest rate—
It wouldn't matter.
---
By then, Gringotts would be the one begging her.
And that…
was Audrey's true goal.
---
As for the ruins?
Let them dig.
She would deal with that later.
First—
She would break Gringotts itself.