"Mr. Black, please calm down. Our boss will arrive shortly."
Puqi was trembling slightly. The man in front of him was a viciously notorious wanted criminal.
"Why do I need to wait for your boss?" Sirius snapped irritably. "Gringotts used to open vaults as long as the person and the key matched. They never cared about a client's identity!"
"But, sir, Gringotts no longer exists. This is Heaven and Earth Bank now…"
Sirius drained the tea in front of him in one gulp.
It was good tea—but it did nothing to soothe his foul mood.
Last night, he had been so close to killing that traitor in the Gryffindor dormitory. Just one step away. And then he was discovered. All his effort, wasted.
Now Pettigrew would surely be on guard. Catching him again would be far more difficult.
He slammed the teacup back onto the table with a sharp clink.
Puqi jolted in fright. Boss, please hurry up—this man is terrifying!
The door opened.
"Puqi, leave this to me."
Puqi looked as though he had been granted a pardon. He bowed respectfully. "Yes, Boss!"
After Puqi left, Sirius stared at the newcomer in surprise.
"You're the owner of Heaven and Earth Bank?"
"Why not?"
"I never expected the bank's owner to be a famous singer."
Audrey smiled. "There are many things you wouldn't expect."
She sat comfortably across from him. "Mr. Black, what business brings you to Heaven and Earth Bank today?"
"I'm here to withdraw money."
Audrey smiled faintly. "This isn't Gringotts anymore. The rules are different now. You do know that, right?"
Sirius frowned impatiently. "Stop beating around the bush. Say it plainly."
"Heaven and Earth Bank is newly established. Our foundation is shallow, and we need to maintain good relations with the Ministry of Magic," Audrey said casually, spinning nonsense with ease.
"So compared to Gringotts, we are far more law-abiding. And you—Sirius Black—are an infamous wanted criminal. If you were sitting where I am, what would you do?"
As she spoke, she pulled out his wanted poster and waved it in front of him.
On the poster, Sirius looked ferocious, roaring like a lion.
Frankly speaking, no matter how one looked at it, Hydralith's old wanted posters were far cuter.
Sirius shot to his feet, tense and alert, eyes narrowed. "Are you planning to turn me over to the Ministry?"
"No, no, no," Audrey said cheerfully, smiling like a cat that had stolen fish.
"You are a valued client. We would never damage our credibility like that. What I mean is—opening your vault under pressure from the Ministry places us at great risk. And frankly, the Ministry is my beloved family, my brothers in arms, my bread and butter."
She tilted her mouth into a crooked grin.
"So—there will be an extra fee."
Sirius froze.
After all that buildup… this?
Was he really short on money?
"Fine. How much do you want?"
Audrey leaned back, rubbing her chin. Truthfully, she hadn't thought it through. The "extra fee" line was mostly nostalgia—a joke from her previous life.
After a moment, she said, "I have a friend. Her name is Nymphadora Tonks. Her mother—"
"Andromeda," Sirius said bitterly. "Yes. My cousin. Like me, she was disowned by the family."
"Good that you remember," Audrey smiled.
"Would you be willing to return the portion of the Black family assets that should have belonged to Mrs. Tonks? Being expelled for marrying a Muggle-born wizard is simply absurd."
"Yes, I agree completely. The Black family rules are wrong," Sirius nodded repeatedly.
"But I myself was disowned. I have no right to inherit Black property. I can only use my personal assets. What authority do I have to distribute the Black family fortune?"
"No," Audrey shook her head.
"In the Ministry's records, you are still the first-in-line heir of the Black family. Your parents never formally disowned you."
Sirius stared at her in disbelief.
Then suddenly, his expression changed. "Wait—that doesn't make sense."
Audrey tilted her head. Oh? A Gryffindor brute—thinking logically? This was worth hearing.
"Even if Tonks is your friend, there's no reason for you to go this far for her. The risk you're taking is your bank being seized by the Ministry!"
He stepped forward. "From the moment you walked in, your scent felt familiar. I've smelled it before. But when I was imprisoned, you were still very young. We shouldn't have crossed paths. Which means—"
"Who are you, really?"
Audrey blinked. This was completely unexpected.
A brute thinking wasn't strange—Guo Jing could deceive people occasionally too—but recognizing her by scent?
That was excessive.
…Then again, he was a dog.
Fair enough.
"I'm someone who values friendship deeply," Audrey explained.
"Dora is a very, very close friend. And money, to me, is just a number. I don't really care about it. A direct gift, she might refuse—but redistribution of family assets is entirely reasonable."
"No, no, no…" Sirius shook his head.
"That kind of money still doesn't match the risk you're taking. No one would do this much for a friend…"
Audrey interrupted him. "Not even you and James Potter?"
Sirius froze.
Then his face crumpled. He covered it with both hands and collapsed back into the sofa.
If he could trade all his wealth for the lives of his best friend's family—he would.
Audrey hadn't expected him to be this perceptive. She had tried to redirect his thoughts toward James Potter, hoping he'd forget his suspicion of her identity.
But after a moment, Sirius dropped his hands and stared at her intently, giving her goosebumps.
"I remember now!" he exclaimed.
"You're Hydralith Lestrange! I smelled you in Azkaban!"
Damn it.
"You're Bellatrix's daughter—so helping Andromeda makes sense!"
The tension vanished from Sirius's body.
This girl valued family. That meant she wouldn't harm him.
After all—he was her uncle.
Audrey indeed had no intention of harming Sirius. She had only come to warn him not to stir up trouble at Hogwarts—because his chaos had disrupted her sleep.
Her appearance shifted rapidly, restoring Hydralith's original form.
"Your dog nose is offensive," she said coldly.
"Sniffing a young woman's scent and announcing it aloud is rude—and frankly, perverted. Do you understand?"
Being scolded by his niece left Sirius unable to retort—not only because she was right, but because he still needed her help.
He hadn't withdrawn his gold yet.
What he really wanted to know now was how his niece had become the owner of Heaven and Earth Bank.
Less than a year ago, she had gone to Azkaban to see Bellatrix—for the Lestrange vault.
The Lestrange fortune couldn't possibly buy out all of Gringotts.
He was curious—but didn't dare ask.
For some reason, he felt no sense of seniority in front of her.
"Hydralith… my vault…?"
"You may access it—but under three conditions," she said calmly.
"First: give the money to Aunt Andromeda.
Second: my identity remains confidential.
Third: you are not to recklessly break into Hogwarts again and cause chaos."
Sirius shook his head firmly. "No. I must have revenge."
"Peter Pettigrew?"
Sirius's eyes widened in shock.
"How do you know?"
"How I know is none of your concern," Hydralith replied.
"I just want you to stop disturbing Hogwarts. Pettigrew is nothing—you can capture him during the holidays at the Weasley home. Why risk infiltrating Hogwarts?"
"Fine. I promise not to cause trouble again. But I won't stop watching Pettigrew. I'm afraid he'll escape."
"Do as you please. But if Hogwarts is thrown into chaos because of you again, I'll seal your vault immediately."
Sirius nodded frantically.
Hydralith tossed him a wand. "Oak. Phoenix feather."
Sirius caught it, warmth flooding his chest.
She even knew his preferred wand material.
Anyone who claimed she didn't value family—he'd fight them.
Hydralith truly treated her relatives well. Even Lucius Malfoy benefited due to Aunt Narcissa.
Not to mention this uncle.
Still… building a family like the Weasleys' would be a long road.
A mad terrorist father.
A deranged mother.
A foster father who loathed her mother.
Aunt Narcissa had become a Malfoy.
So she could only work with Andromeda and Sirius.
Wait.
Did she forget something?
Oh no—Iseline!!