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Chapter 88: Audrey — Ugly Rejection!
"The Ministry of Magic?"
Albus Dumbledore frowned slightly.
Could it be… this girl is targeting the Ministry itself?
"The Ministry of Magic is unlikely to retract its order."
—Even though such an order never existed in the first place.
In that instant, Dumbledore came up with over a dozen justifications. No matter what Audrey said, she had to repeat this year.
Could you possibly replace the Minister for Magic?
Trust me—this is for your own good.
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Audrey shrugged indifferently.
"Alright then. I'm leaving."
In her mind, she compared the two—
—and found Gellert Grindelwald far more agreeable.
---
"By the way, Audrey," Dumbledore suddenly said,
"Although I've heard you and Harry Potter are quite close—if he comes to you for help in the next few days, you must not interfere."
Audrey rolled her eyes as she stood up.
"I know."
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Fwoosh!
Fawkes reappeared in the Headmaster's Office.
A slightly wrinkled, unsealed letter floated onto the table.
Fawkes flew straight into Audrey's arms.
I want attention. I want affection.
Audrey gently stroked his feathers while watching Dumbledore read.
A faint smile spread across the old man's face.
Looks like this will be another lively summer.
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Audrey placed Fawkes back on his perch and pouted.
"I'm leaving, Professor!"
Crackle—
She vanished.
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…
…
"Master… should we ask the young mistress for help?"
Quirinus Quirrell spoke weakly.
The voice behind him—Lord Voldemort—was equally frail, yet impatient.
"Stop talking nonsense and drink the unicorn blood!"
"You need her help for something so trivial? Useless!"
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Voldemort's thinking was simple:
Power determines everything.
If he appeared weak—
no one would follow him.
Not even his own daughter.
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Quirrell reluctantly swallowed the last of the unicorn blood.
He didn't know what method the Dark Lord would use to restore his body.
The Philosopher's Stone…?
He could only hope resurrection wouldn't consume all its magic.
Suppressing a sigh, he continued writing.
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A forged letter—
from the Ministry of Magic.
To lure Dumbledore away.
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…
…
None of this concerned Audrey.
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She spent her days idly waiting for her OWL results—
while looking forward to the holidays.
Reading. Watching videos. Driving tanks.
Blowing up Nobeta's nests.
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Eventually—
she got so bored—
she started reading Ukraine's quarterly financial reports.
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Several feet of parchment.
Dense with numbers.
---
Painful memories of studying mathematics in her past life resurfaced.
Annoyed, she flipped to the last page.
Total Revenue: $164.5 billion.
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Kupon had only been used initially.
All later transactions—
were settled in US dollars.
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Even Audrey didn't fully grasp her wealth anymore.
When she first transmigrated—
she never imagined becoming the richest person in the Wizarding world.
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Back then, she bought assets in Ukraine at less than one-tenth of their real value.
By now—
her holdings were worth trillions.
---
…Probably enough to buy several Wizarding Worlds.
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Ukraine—nominally the third-largest military power at the time.
Under Gellert Grindelwald's influence, the Witch Purity faction helped her control over 30% of its resources.
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Her next plan:
Gradually liquidate assets.
Shift them into stable economies.
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Because Ukraine's government?
Completely unreliable.
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Yes, she could support a takeover.
But confronting the United States directly?
Not worth it.
---
Better to quietly spread investments worldwide—
and grow richer.
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If the Witch Purity faction wanted revolution—
they could go ahead.
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She?
She would remain—
a hidden tycoon behind the scenes.
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Ignoring the reports, Audrey lay back—
buried in gold.
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Not Galleons.
Real gold coins.
---
Ancient coins.
Freshly minted ones.
---
The engineers at Mariupol Foundry had been stunned.
Who still mints gold coins in this era?!
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Audrey had just closed her eyes—
when she suddenly sat upright.
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Something was approaching.
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She activated her Demiguise Physique—
glimpsing the future.
Two and a half minutes ahead.
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Three seconds later—
she relaxed and lay back down.
She already knew who it was.
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A mass of black mist burst into the room.
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"Little Water Snake!"
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Facing this "father," Audrey immediately switched into acting mode.
She paused, then spoke in disbelief—
"It's… you?"
"It's me."
"How did you end up like this?"
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Within the mist—
a noseless face flickered.
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"Harry Potter! It's that boy again!"
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Audrey nodded solemnly.
"I deeply regret your situation."
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Silence.
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"I am very weak right now," Voldemort said.
"May I stay with you for a while?"
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Audrey froze.
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Stay?
Inside her?
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Instantly—
she activated her strongest state:
Dragon Form + Dementor Physique.
---
Soul damage.
Full defense.
Maximum hostility.
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Absolutely not.
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She was NOT Quirrell.
She would NOT host a second face.
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It was ugly.
It smelled.
It shed hair.
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She was a public figure.
Image matters.
---
Try it, and I'll fight you to the death.
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Voldemort hovered in silence.
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He could feel it—
that terrifying, ominous power.
---
In his current state—
he couldn't overpower her.
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After a moment, he withdrew.
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"I will return, Little Water Snake."
"Take care… and wait for me."
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The black mist vanished into the depths of the Black Lake.
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Audrey lay back down.
Exhaled.
Closed her eyes.
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That was smart.
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Even in this state—
Voldemort could bypass Hogwarts' defenses as if they didn't exist.
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And her room?
Layered with traps and anti-protection magic.
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Terrifying.
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She clicked her tongue.
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This level of conflict—
was not something she wanted to be involved in.
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Originally, she planned to inherit the Lestrange family after the final battle.
But now?
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The moment she graduates—
she's leaving.
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Dumbledore wouldn't be able to stop her.
Even he had pride.
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As for Britain?
Whoever wants it—
can keep it.
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The world was vast.
Everywhere could be home.
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The school year was over.
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As for repeating a year?
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"Hmph. We'll see this summer."
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With that thought—
Audrey drifted off to sleep.
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About your earlier concern (Grindelwald name)
You're right to question it.
If your story uses Edmond Grindelwald (OC / relative / alias) → stick with that consistently
If it refers to the canon figure → use Gellert Grindelwald
In this chapter's context, it clearly refers to the legendary figure, so Gellert Grindelwald is correct here.
But if your earlier chapters established Edmond Grindelwald as a different character, we should standardize it going forward.
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