An: I finally have caught up to that guy tale craft suck it 😊
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Lucius Malfoy locked himself inside the Malfoy family vault at Gringotts.
He was stuffing centuries' worth of Malfoy wealth into suitcases enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm.
He felt fortunate that Hedras had retained some sentiment for his family, alerting him not to borrow from Gringotts; otherwise, among the unruly pureblood wizards in the main hall demanding repayment, he would have had to stand in line too.
As for emptying the vault entirely—it was purely a precaution. Who knew what desperate goblins might do if cornered? Patch one wall and tear down another?
Gringotts had lost all credibility. If they ever tried to seize his family vault to cover their shortfall, he wouldn't even have a place to complain. After all, goblins believed that anything they produced—including Galleons—was theirs.
So Lucius followed Hedras's example from months ago, leaving not a single Knut behind in Gringotts.
Vault secured, he walked toward the cart. Goblins approached immediately.
"Honored Mr. Malfoy, regarding Gringotts' loan request from your family, we could renegotiate… an annual interest of thirty percent. Would that be acceptable?"
"No discussion necessary, Steelrope," Lucius said, chin raised. "The families who lent you money last time are still causing trouble upstairs."
…
At ground level, Lucius exited through a side door. Through the grating, he saw the main hall filled with shouting, angry wizards.
Avery, Abbott, Bosworth, Carrow, Greengrass, Nott, Rowle… all familiar faces.
Gringotts had angered nearly every major pureblood family in Britain; there was no chance of recovery.
What Lucius didn't realize was that similar chaos was unfolding in other branches of Gringotts as well.
…
…
Gringotts Boardroom, Diagon Alley
"Tethys!" Morristo shouted, "It's all your fault! If you hadn't provoked that little witch, she wouldn't have come to ruin us!"
Tethys shrugged. "Elder Morristo, don't shirk responsibility. You signed off on the funding for Audrey to excavate the ruins. Besides, we needed her to unlock the ancient magical secrets in those ruins! It was unavoidable!"
Morristo roared. "But I never told you to threaten her!"
"Come now, Elder," Tethys stood tall. "What truly doomed Gringotts is your own foolishness. You fell for her plan. I don't know why she was so certain the Ukrainian currency would devalue—but that's irrelevant. If you'd acted even a little rationally, you wouldn't be in this mess."
"You!" Morristo pointed furiously. Other elders began shouting at Tethys.
"Impudent!"
"Woman! Mind your manners!"
"This is the Boardroom, not your personal stage!"
…
"Disaster! Disaster!" A flustered goblin burst into the room, sweat dripping, gasping for air.
"Bastards!" Morristo redirected his fury toward the innocent goblin. "We're in a meeting! How dare you interrupt!"
"Elder! The Ministry has sent envoys! They demand repayment. If we fail, they will forcibly dissolve Gringotts and seize its real estate!"
Morristo collapsed into his chair. "It's over. Everything's over…"
Other elders looked equally despondent, though, to be fair, their faces were always grayish-white.
Morristo suddenly shouted, "Quick! Empty every vault! If we hope to rise again, we need capital!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
A green light struck Morristo. The once-powerful elder was instantly silenced.
Tethys raised her wand and sneered at Morristo's lifeless body. "Fools! Emptying the vaults? That's declaring war on the entire wizarding world!"
Behind her, her team of curse-breakers stepped forward, wands in hand.
"Tethys… where did you get those wands?" an elder demanded.
Tethys smiled. "Unlike you lifeless old fossils, I believe goblins must seize power to survive! Wands are only the first step."
"But money is the greatest power in this world!" another elder objected.
Tethys waved her wand, and green light flashed—the elder died instantly.
"Money's power? If money could protect us, why has Gringotts fallen so miserably today?" she asked, surveying the room.
"Does the Ministry wield money's power? No! Their minister is a slave to Galleons! Yet today, all it took to threaten Gringotts was a single excuse, a single order!"
"Why?"
"Because we goblins lost the last war! And now, the wizarding world has beings like Dumbledore, whom we cannot oppose!"
"That's a gap in strength!"
"Exactly. We need power!"
The elders lowered their heads in silence.
Tethys snorted and left with her followers. Before departing, she said, "I will continue Grandpa Lanrock's unfinished work. Ancient magical power must be mine. As for you, don't hold me back!"
Young goblins exchanged glances.
One finally stepped forward, running toward Tethys' group, shouting, "Tethys! Please accept me! I wish to join you!"
An elder cursed, "Tyran! Traitor! Take another step and I—"
A green light struck him down.
Tethys turned, her voice hoarse but unwavering: "We welcome any goblin willing to join us. No one can stop us from obtaining power! Our people will rise by their own strength!"
The young goblins eagerly rallied to her side.
"Count me in!"
"Accept me too, Tethys!"
The remaining elders slumped helplessly around the table, like walking corpses.
Today, they lost their followers—and the Gringotts they had spent a lifetime running. They had nothing left.
…
…
The Gringotts upheaval had nothing to do with Audrey.
She was in the Forbidden Forest, letting Norberta roam. Hagrid followed, chuckling foolishly, speaking now to Audrey, now to himself:
"I must protect her! Otherwise, the Acromantula will tear her to pieces!"
"Oh, she's far too beautiful!"
Audrey didn't think the Acromantula posed any real threat to Norberta. Though still a juvenile, the T-80's edges were already marked with her teeth—high-quality steel, no less.
Hagrid stopped, looking back at Audrey.
"Audrey, OWLs are in a little over ten days. Are you ready?"