Today was the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.
The young wizards and witches swarmed toward the Quidditch pitch.
This match was Audrey Astley's Quidditch debut\!
This was a match of commemorative significance, destined to be recorded in Hogwarts: A History\!
This wasn't just young wizards spouting nonsense; it was Madam Hooch, the professor with the most authority on Quidditch in all of Hogwarts, who said it\!
—"Audrey possesses all the qualities an outstanding player should have. As long as she wants to, she will definitely become a Quidditch superstar\!"
In reality, Audrey herself didn't think so.
All the qualities an outstanding player should have?
Not at all; at least the 'train hard' part had absolutely nothing to do with her.
If it weren't for the exemption from Potions class, she wouldn't have appeared on the pitch at all.
As for Snape's five hundred Galleons... Audrey expressed that she could no longer look upon such a sum.
Just like now, she was discussing business worth trillions...
Ten minutes before the match started, Puzzi from Gringotts found her.
"Miss Astley\!"
"Puzzi, what is the status of Gringotts' funds now?"
"Replying to Miss, 85% of Gringotts' funds across Europe have been mobilized. Currently, the bank is fully preparing for the third phase of the loan, estimated to be around six hundred billion."
"Not enough, Puzzi," Audrey shook her head. "Completely insufficient\!"
"I know, Miss," Puzzi exclaimed in admiration. "Your team is simply too powerful. In just three days, they turned over a trillion Coupons into land, stocks, and patents. Although the value of these assets is enough for a loan of three trillion Coupons, our bank is really about to run out of money."
"If you don't have money, borrow it," Audrey said. "If the interest is high enough, I believe those pure-blood families would be willing to take their moldy treasures out of their vaults for some sun."
"For the third batch of loans, I can offer an annual interest rate of 80%. Go back and tell your Council of Elders that no matter how many Coupons you can get, I can swallow them all\!"
"80% interest\!"
Puzzi was so surprised he couldn't close his mouth.
"Yes, 80% interest, but I will only give you one week. You know, Puzzi, right now the whole world is robbing Ukraine. I estimate that in a week, there won't be many good things left in Ukraine."
...
"Audrey Astley\! Let us welcome Audrey Astley to the field\!"
Marcus Flint hovered in mid-air, his face livid.
This Astley not only skipped training but was now not even showing up for the match?
Snape in the stands had the same expression; he had paid a heavy price\!
"Miss Audrey Astley," Lee Jordan's voice resounded through the stadium. "Let us see you, Miss Astley\!"
Dumbledore chuckled and said to Professor Flitwick beside him, "I bet that child overslept\!"
Professor Flitwick, sitting beside the tall Dumbledore, looked like a doll. He chuckled, "I also hope that child overslept, but unfortunately, I saw her outside the stadium just now. She seemed to be talking to a goblin."
"A goblin," Dumbledore looked into the distance, his eyes deep. "Audrey's business has been quite large recently\!"
"Audrey\! The match is about to start. If you can hear this, please come out quickly\!"
Just as Lee Jordan shouted for the third time, Audrey rode her Nimbus 2000, flying into the arena from outside like a shooting star at incredible speed.
In early January at Hogwarts, the temperature was outrageously low, but the heat on the pitch seemed to suppress the biting cold.
As soon as Audrey appeared, cheers erupted from the stands.
The little snakes of Slytherin displayed the support items they had prepared for a long time\!
In an instant, banners like "Audrey, I Love You" and "Slytherin Must Win" were everywhere\!
Isaline and Gemma each held a stick, unfurling a banner. The banner was in Slytherin's emerald green and silver colors, reading "Audrey Dominates the Field\!" On the edge of the banner, there was a small figure riding a broomstick, drifting back and forth. Upon closer inspection, it bore an eighty percent resemblance to Audrey.
...
Ron rubbed his eyes. "Harry, is the Nimbus 2000 that fast?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Ron. At least when I rode it, it wasn't that fast\!"
Hermione: "Stop talking, Madam Hooch is about to start the game\!"
She muttered to herself in a low voice, "I just wonder if Audrey will sing again today?"
Draco Malfoy shared the same question as Harry and Ron.
He also stared blankly at his cousin hovering above the pitch.
"When I rode the Nimbus 2000, it didn't seem that fast, did it?"
...
The whistle blew, and the match officially began.
"Slytherin's Flint has grabbed the Quaffle first\! He's starting to charge toward Ravenclaw's goal hoops..."
Lee Jordan's commentary rang out at the right moment. "Eh? What is Audrey Astley doing? She seems to be diving? A feint dive right at the start? That's too aggressive\!"
"Flint has knocked away Ravenclaw's Roger Davies and is preparing to shoot\!"
"Ah\! What did I see?? Audrey raised her right hand; she caught the Golden Snitch\!"
"Unbelievable, unbelievable\! Less than ten seconds into the match, Audrey has killed the game\!"
"Slytherin wins against Ravenclaw, one hundred fifty to zero\!"
"I knew it, Audrey's game would definitely be clean\! I haven't seen a clean game from the Slytherin team in a long time\!"
Professor McGonagall: "Lee Jordan\!"
She stood up sadly to leave. If only that child were in Gryffindor right now, how good would that be\! It was just an exemption from Transfiguration; if she wanted it, she would give it to her\!
The little snakes rushed into the player tunnel, wanting to crowd around their hero and walk back to the common room, but Audrey was nowhere to be seen.
Audrey: The match? Giving you ten seconds is already my limit\!
This old lady should be sleeping in a warm dormitory right now, not celebrating in the freezing outdoors\!
...
However, she had only been lying down for a few minutes when she was dragged out of the dormitory by Isaline and taken to the Great Hall.
"Professor Snape said you must dine in the Great Hall today," Isaline could only spread her hands helplessly facing Audrey's resentful gaze. "If you don't go, he'll put you in detention\!"
"Put me in detention?" Audrey's beautiful eyes widened. "On what grounds\! I didn't break any school rules\!"
Isaline sighed. Professor Snape really understood Audrey; he had already anticipated her reaction.
She looked at Audrey with sympathy. "Professor Snape said, on the grounds of disrespecting a professor. He also said, you know what he is talking about."
Disrespecting a professor?
She hadn't done that?
It was just that when she left the pitch, she gave Snape a provocative look... No way, Professor Snape, are you that petty?
Fine, she did look down on those five hundred Galleons a little bit, but hadn't she fulfilled the agreement properly?
...
Slytherin won the match, and Snape was in a good mood; watching Audrey come to the Great Hall unwillingly made Snape even happier.
Little rascal, think I can't handle you\!
He pulled up the corners of his mouth, tilted his head back slightly, and pointed his nostrils at Audrey. Although he didn't say a word, it was worth a thousand words.
Fortunately, Momo seemed to have received his little master's depressed mood and went all out, preparing a table of good dishes.
This instantly made Audrey's mood beautiful.
...
London Gringotts. Elders from various places gathered together.
"What, 80% interest??"
"As much as we have?"
"Is she crazy?"
Moristor slapped the table. "Gentlemen\!"
The conference room fell silent.
Moristor spoke, "This is a 240% return in three years\!"
He continued, "It has now been proven that with massive foreign capital pouring into Ukraine, the Ukrainian Coupon has not only not devalued but is actually steadily rising. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us\!"
"Our Gringotts' wealth tripled in the hundred years from 1891 to 1991," he said somewhat excitedly. "But now an opportunity lies before us. Just three years is enough to catch up with the achievements of the past century\!"
"No\! Because the base is larger, we will only earn more\!"
The elders nodded one after another; this logic was correct.
"I suggest," Moristor slammed his hands onto the conference table, leaning forward, looking exactly like a gambler staring at a table piled high with chips, "borrowing from the great families across Europe and the Americas. This is a business where we cannot lose\! The more we borrow now, the more we will earn in the future\!"
"Give them 20% annual interest\! Loan term of three years\! Our Gringotts will stand undefeated forever\!"
"Seconded\!"
"Seconded\!"
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