Chapter 71: First Meeting
That afternoon, Audrey received her first loan—twelve billion kupon.
Gringotts proved just how formidable it was. Not only had they gathered such an enormous sum in a remarkably short time, they had also managed to convert it into kupon almost immediately.
---
Hogwarts
Headmaster's Office
"Audrey—"
Albus Dumbledore looked at the girl who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his expression caught somewhere between helplessness and disbelief. He was still in his pyjamas, lounging on the sofa with a newspaper in hand.
"Would it trouble you to use the front door next time?"
Audrey didn't even hesitate.
"Absolutely not. That ugly statue outside refuses to let anyone in without a password."
Dumbledore rubbed his temples.
"You came all the way back to school this early. There must be a reason. Go on—what is it?"
"I'm looking for Grindelwald."
A burst of laughter came from the Headmaster's bedroom.
---
The door opened.
Gellert Grindelwald stepped out in his own set of pyjamas, completely at ease. He strolled over, dropped into the Headmaster's chair, and offered Audrey a faintly amused smile.
"What do you want with me?"
Audrey paused for a moment before answering plainly.
"I need your help."
Grindelwald lazily gestured for her to continue.
"I want to acquire land, resources, and industries in Ukraine. A lot of them. But I don't have anyone to handle it."
A glint flickered in Grindelwald's pale blue eyes—something almost like satisfaction.
So, the girl had finally started moving.
"No problem," he said with a soft laugh. "Investing in Ukraine right now? That's a guaranteed fortune."
Audrey turned her head slightly toward Dumbledore.
"Professor, I'm about to cause quite a bit of trouble. Aren't you going to stop me?"
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses and folded his newspaper.
"You've been far too idle. It's good to see you doing something for once."
Grindelwald nodded, amused.
"Don't worry. He's watching you. If you cross the line, he'll step in."
Just like sixty years ago.
---
One Hour Later
The Three Broomsticks
Three Broomsticks
Audrey sat by the window, taking a slow sip of butterbeer. It was rich, sweet, and pleasantly warm.
On the slightly worn wooden table sat a bowl of chips and a plate of fried fish, still steaming.
The door swung open.
A crisp bell rang.
A tall young man stepped inside, brushing snow from his coat with a sharp shake—like a dog shaking off water.
Madam Rosmerta frowned, clearly about to scold him, but before a single snowflake could hit the ground, they dissolved into tiny motes of light and vanished.
She muttered under her breath,
"Do young people always have to show off their magic these days… though that was rather impressive."
"And he's not bad-looking either."
---
The young man scanned the room briefly before heading straight toward Audrey.
"Miss Audrey Astray, a pleasure to meet you."
He sat down opposite her without waiting for permission.
"My name is Edmond Grindelwald. Though I'd appreciate it if you didn't use my surname too freely in public—it tends to draw attention."
Audrey studied him.
A bit talkative. Slightly narcissistic, she thought.
Edmond continued casually,
"By order of my great-uncle, I'll be responsible for coordinating all matters related to Ukraine with you."
Audrey's gaze lingered on his eyes.
One was a deep sea blue.
The other—a lifeless grey.
"Your eyes look like my cat's," she said. "Except hers is missing the grey one."
She pushed the fish and chips toward him.
"And that eye… not some Grindelwald family trait, I hope?"
Edmond gave a strained smile.
"He may be my great-uncle, but I didn't inherit anything like that."
He paused, then added,
"Even his so-called 'silver eye' wasn't what people think. It wasn't the ability to see the future—just… a reflection of what was inside him."
"Alright," Audrey said, waving off the topic. "Let's talk business."
---
Ten minutes later, Edmond leaned back slightly.
"You're absolutely certain the Ukrainian kupon will collapse?"
Audrey nodded.
"Completely. But before we drain Gringotts dry, we need to push it up first."
Edmond chuckled.
"What did they do to you to deserve this?"
"They tried to make me their curse-breaker."
He snorted softly.
"That does sound like them."
---
He tapped the table lightly.
"So how do you plan to stabilise the kupon in the short term?"
"Flood the market with cheap daily goods," Audrey replied without hesitation. "Ukraine still has the Soviet Union's top-tier military technology. We trade that with China in exchange for supplies."
Edmond raised an eyebrow.
"You won't lose money?"
Audrey shook her head.
"Technology is the easiest thing to replicate. Once you have it, it's basically a printing press."
Then she leaned forward slightly, studying him.
"You're young. Are you really capable of pulling this off?"
Edmond rolled his eyes.
"I'm a Grindelwald. There's nothing I can't do."
Audrey laughed outright.
"Rubbish. Can you save someone from the Killing Curse?"
Edmond placed a hand lightly against his chest.
"If I said yes… would you believe me?"
---
January 17, 1992
The Christmas holidays had been over for a week.
The Slytherin Quidditch team was training intensely for their upcoming match against Ravenclaw.
Marcus Flint looked like he was about to explode.
Because Audrey Astray—once again—hadn't shown up.
---
Meanwhile, the so-called "little water snake" was lounging comfortably in her dormitory, quietly enjoying herself.
She had no idea how Edmond had done it.
But in an incredibly short time, he had managed to poach over half the core technical teams from two of the Soviet Union's most famous defence giants:
Antonov Design Bureau
Black Sea Shipyard
And when the people came… the technology came with them.
---
Ukraine was in chaos.
No one cared about lost knowledge or stolen expertise.
Everyone with power was busy carving pieces off the corpse of the fallen Soviet Union.
---
Edmond's results were staggering.
16 military-industrial enterprises acquired
Over 300 square kilometres of land secured
20% stake in Ukraine's national gas company
And then—
He sent Audrey a suitcase.
---
When she opened it, she froze.
Inside were:
Four T-80 main battle tanks
One Tu-160 strategic bomber
And as a bonus—
A nuclear warhead.
Model: RDS-37.
A hydrogen bomb.
Yield: 1.6 megatons.
---
While Newt Scamander carried a magical suitcase full of creatures…
Audrey Astray now owned one that could wipe half of Britain off the map.
---
What a wonderful day, she thought.
All she had to do now was use these assets as collateral and take another loan from Gringotts.
Perfect.
---
And yet—
Even on such a perfect day, something felt wrong.
Her cat had disappeared.
Again.
---
She had heard that some cats leave home when they sense their end approaching—choosing to die alone rather than in front of their owners.
Golden Tiger was old.
Just an ordinary tabby.
No magic.
One eye blind.
Growing weaker with each passing day.
---
Maybe…
Maybe it had gone off to find its own grave.
---
Audrey forced out a tear.
"Rest in peace, Golden Tiger."
---
Gringotts
Morristo paced anxiously inside his office.
The door burst open.
A goblin banker stumbled in, breathless.
"Elder—! It's risen! The kupon has risen!"
Morristo shot to his feet, gripping the desk.
"How much?!"
"Nine percent! It's up nine percent!"
---
His eyes turned bloodshot.
All he could see was profit.
A mountain of it.
---
"Approve her loan immediately!" he roared.
"Three hundred billion kupon—now!"
He spun in place, frantic.
"No—that's not enough! Notify every branch! Raise funds! As long as she has collateral, we lend!"
He slammed his hand on the desk.
"Ask her how much she wants. We'll go up to two trillion!"
---
The banker ran.
Morristo collapsed into his chair, breathing hard.
Everything was unfolding exactly as predicted.
Ukraine would rise.
And Gringotts would ride the wave—
All the way to unimaginable wealth.
---
"Two trillion…" he muttered.
"In three years, she'll owe five trillion."
"And that's before appreciation…"
---
A grin spread across his face.
"Audrey Astray…"
"You'll spend the rest of your life working for Gringotts."
---
He laughed.
Loud.
Triumphant.
Certain.
---
He had no idea—
He was already trapped.