Dixon led the way, with Hydrus and Puzzi following closely behind.
Entering the tall, strange fortress with a triangular cross-section, a musty smell assailed their nostrils.
In the cells lining both sides of the corridor were some skeletal wizard prisoners... and skeletons the Ministry of Magic couldn't be bothered to move—
Azkaban was huge anyway, so there were always empty rooms; besides, those prisoners were tortured by Dementors every day and would soon become numb. Even if there were one or two skeletons beside them, it wasn't a big deal.
The wailing, complaining, and crying out of grievances one might imagine did not appear—the entire Azkaban was deathly silent, with only creepy mutterings and pale faces that suddenly jumped to the iron bars from unknown corners.
Puzzi's voice trembled due to his body shivering, "Mr. Dixon, how much further?"
Dixon quickened his pace. "Soon, soon."
Finally, the three of them stopped.
"Bellatrix Lestrange, you have a visitor\!"
After shouting, Dixon stepped back, revealing Hydrus's figure.
"Hehehehehe..." A series of neurotic, strange laughter came out. The voice was no longer the mother's voice in Hydrus's memory; it was shrill, crazy, and carried a rough texture like gravel. "Visitor? A bunch of traitors can't hide from me fast enough; would someone actually come to visit?"
A pair of huge eyes emerged from the darkness.
It was because her entire face was extremely gaunt, making Bellatrix's eyes appear exceptionally prominent.
"You..."
Bella used all her strength to jump to the iron bars. On her face, which was like a pale skull, there was surprise and astonishment.
"Little Hydrus, is it my little Hydrus?"
Hydrus identified the person before her. Only those thick, long eyelashes finally confirmed for her that this was Bellatrix, her mother in this world.
Appearance changes easily, but eyelashes remain unchanged.
"It's me."
"Hahahaha..." Bella laughed happily, but although it was a happy laugh, it gave people goosebumps all over—her madness had penetrated her bones.
"I knew it was you, I knew it was you. From far away, I smelled your sweet scent, my darling\!"
Bella tightly gripped the iron bars with both hands, her bony fingers turning pale from the excessive force.
She looked greedily at Hydrus's face, revealing an intoxicated smile.
"So alike, so alike," Bella wanted to stroke Hydrus's face but was slapped back by Dixon. She bared her teeth at Dixon and looked back at Hydrus. "You look so much like your father."
Hydrus leaned close to the iron bars and said in a voice only Bella could hear, "I know who my biological father is."
No joy or anger could be seen on her face. "I saw him a while ago."
"Ah, ah, ah..." Bella didn't know how to express her feelings at this moment and could only emit a few meaningless syllables.
Guilt? Surprise?
No, there was only anticipation in her heart, crazy anticipation. She suddenly pressed her face hard against the bars, her voice becoming even shriller. "How is he? How is he?"
Hydrus frowned and took two steps back. She wouldn't endure that sour stench just because the woman in front of her was her biological mother. "His situation isn't very good. He needs money."
Bella wasn't angry because of Hydrus's alienation and disdain. She was currently ecstatic; because of this news, her dead heart began to thump again.
"Money, money... yes, I have money, Lestrange has money\!"
Bella reached her hand out of the bars and waved vigorously at Hydrus. "Child, child, come here quickly\! I'll tell you where the key is hidden\!"
Puzzi walked up two steps tremblingly. "Ms. Lestrange, actually we suggest you transfer the management rights of that vault to your daughter. After all, she is your only heir."
Bella turned around, paced a few steps, then suddenly jumped at Puzzi. With a loud clatter, the huge noise of hitting the bars scared Puzzi into falling to the ground.
"What you said makes sense, goblin\!"
Bella retreated again, muttering to herself, completely disregarding whether anyone was watching nearby. "Those riches cannot remain in Lestrange hands; the money in the vault is only valuable in his hands..."
"Goblin\! Come\! I'll transfer the management rights right now\! Process the paperwork for me quickly\! Quick, quick\!"
Puzzi took out the parchment contract he had prepared long ago and had Bella press her fingerprint on it.
"Child, come here," Bella beckoned Hydrus closer and whispered, "Everything in the vault has been cast with the Gemino and Flagrante curses. You only need to..."
...
Hydrus reached her hand into the cell and patted her old mother's back lightly twice.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Hydrus took the lead and walked out. Behind her was Bella's manic laughter. "Hahahaha, he's coming back, he's coming back\!"
"Stop\!" A voice just as crazy as Bella's called out to Hydrus.
Hydrus stopped and looked. It was a man, his face gaunt and haggard, surrounded by messy, long black hair.
"Are you Bella's daughter?"
Hydrus didn't speak, just looked at him quietly.
"I am Sirius Black, your uncle."
"I know you," Hydrus said. "Blew up a Muggle street."
Sirius shook his head vigorously but didn't defend himself. He asked, "Do you know Harry Potter?"
Know him? Of course, she knew him. Not only did she know him, but she knew him very well\!
"No, I don't know him, but as the Savior, his fame is widespread outside."
Clang\! Sirius threw himself onto the iron bars, pressing his face hard against them.
Hydrus raised an eyebrow. Do you people of the Black family all like throwing yourselves at doors?
"Tell me, is that child doing well?"
"Can't you read the Daily Prophet?" Hydrus asked. Although the article "Harry Potter Arrives" had been squeezed out of the headlines by "Audrey Astley Arrives," it was still visible, okay?
"I don't believe the newspaper\! It's all nonsense\!"
"Fine, he's doing incredibly well," Hydrus waved her hand and turned to leave. "He's doing pretty good at Hogwarts now. Under Dumbledore's protection, no one can hurt him."
"Hahahahaha..."
"Hahahahaha..."
Bella's manic laughter and Sirius's loud laughter echoed each other, bringing extremely rare vitality to this level of the prison.
If Hydrus weren't still here, the happy emotions emanating from the two of them would definitely have attracted a large swarm of Dementors.
Just as she was about to leave this fortress, Hydrus suddenly stopped.
She looked up at the main gate of the fortress, which was densely covered with echoes of ancient magic.
This fortress, clearly like Hogwarts, condensed the essence of ancient wizards' wisdom, yet it was used by the Ministry of Magic as a prison. What a reckless waste of god-given gifts\!
Azkaban was once the home of a fifteenth-century wizard named Ekrizdis. It was said that he practiced the most evil dark arts. This dark wizard lured, tortured, and killed sailors passing by here for pleasure.
Some scholars even pointed out that those Dementors might all be products of Ekrizdis's experiments\!
But this had little to do with Hydrus. If she really wanted to explore ancient magical ruins, she had plenty of places to go.
People paid her to explore, and she wouldn't go; expect her to come here to seek secrets?
...
Gringotts.
The Lestrange family vault.
Hydrus looked at the treasure in front of her and rubbed her chin.
Hundreds of thousands of Galleons, mountains of gold and silver artifacts and collectibles—all added together, it was about a few million pounds.
But why did she feel a bit unimpressed?
After all, she was currently handling currency in units of trillions\!
The most precious things in this vault were actually those inconspicuous, gray and dark parchments piled in the wall niches.
Those were land deeds from all over Europe\!
Forests, mountains, and ancient castles.
Audrey nodded with satisfaction; she was now a landlady too.
Walking out of the vault, Puzzi solicitously closed the vault door.
"Miss Hydrus, about the loan?"
Hydrus smiled. "After all, this is a loan of an extremely large amount, and the only guarantee I can get is your Gringotts' credit. I think I need to consider it carefully and give you an answer tomorrow."
Puzzi bowed. "Of course, if it were me, I would also want to consider it clearly. However, our Gringotts' credit is more reliable than you imagine; it has been proven by wizards for hundreds of years\!"
Hydrus left. Perhaps by tomorrow, Gringotts would once again be unable to contact Hydrus.
It was night.
Hydrus left quietly, just as she came quietly;
She waved her sleeves, not taking away a single cloud;
Only causing the treasures of two vaults to be no more.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]