Lucius was momentarily stunned by his wife's words. Then, as if it were only natural, he replied:
"Isn't that exactly what we're supposed to do? Otherwise, what have we done all this for?"
Though Narcissa nodded in agreement, her expression remained deeply worried.
"That may be true… but the Crouch family is no less influential than the Malfoys. And yet, even such a critical secret of theirs has been unearthed by the Alliance. Just the thought of it sends a chill down my spine."
Lucius fell silent for a long moment after hearing her concern. Then he gently took Narcissa's hands and spoke slowly:
"Don't overthink it, my dear. Things have come to this point. All we can do now is walk forward with conviction. Even if not for ourselves—then for Draco. Besides, if you can't beat them… isn't joining them just as valid?"
Narcissa let out a long sigh and murmured:
"I only hope that this time… we've chosen the right side."
...
In the days that followed, the magical world of Britain was plunged into chaos. Rumors swirled like stormclouds, and news flew fast and wild, overwhelming even the most seasoned witches and wizards.
The day after the Gringotts incident, every wizarding newspaper in Britain reported on the Alliance's assault on the bank, jolting readers back to memories of the Battle of the British Ministry two years prior. The Alliance—still the same as ever.
But unlike that past conflict, this time two names stood out across every publication, including the Daily Prophet—names praised as heroes.
The first, of course, was none other than the now-celebrated Lockhart. Thanks to the Gringotts incident, his reputation among common witches and wizards soared to new heights—perhaps even surpassing that of Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister for Magic.
The second was Thomas Vole, head of the Floo Network Office at the Ministry of Magic. Backed by the Ministry itself, Thomas Vole became a household name, his face appearing on the front page of every paper.
Yet what truly sent shockwaves through the magical community was Lockhart's public address in Diagon Alley—right outside the gates of Gringotts. He openly questioned the safety of the ancient bank and boldly declared his intention to establish a Central Bank of the Wizarding World.
Like a stone cast into a still pond, his words rippled outward, creating waves of excitement—and unease. For generations, wizarding families had entrusted their Galleons to Gringotts. It was a tradition so old, it felt unshakable.
Convincing them to break with that tradition would not be easy.
And yet, the vision Lockhart painted for the new Central Bank was undeniably tempting.
To start, Galleons deposited at the new bank would not incur storage fees—in fact, depositors would earn interest. This alone caught the attention of many working-class wizarding families.
As debate swept through the magical world, the Daily Prophet broke a bombshell story: the Ministry of Magic was considering halting the founding of Lockhart's new bank—claiming the move was necessary to maintain peace between wizards and goblins.
The backlash was immediate.
As is often the case, those who had been hesitating were the ones who reacted most strongly. Though they had yet to decide whether to transfer their Galleons from Gringotts, Lockhart's promise of interest had stirred something in them. Now, if the bank was shut down, they felt as though they'd lost out on fortunes in potential earnings.
After all, neither Gringotts nor the Ministry was about to reimburse them for lost interest.
In an instant, the wizarding community of Britain became a powder keg of passionate debate and discontent.
At the Ministry of Magic, Cornelius Fudge rubbed his temples as he looked down at the growing commotion among his staff. For the first time, he truly felt the disunity of his ranks. Leadership was slipping from his grasp.
At the center of the room stood Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. His voice rang out, fiery and heartfelt, as he declared that Lockhart's proposed bank could drastically alleviate poverty among the wizarding population.
Arthur's words were almost tearful in their sincerity:
"Everyone here knows what my family's like! I've got seven children—seven!"
"If Mr. Lockhart's bank really can open and operate the way he envisions, then every month, after I get my wages, I could set a bit aside. With interest, it might just be enough that I won't have to fret every time term starts at Hogwarts, wondering how I'll afford the kids' schoolbooks!"
"And if things get really tight, I could take out a small loan from the bank. At least then, I'd know my children could go back to school with all the supplies they need! I'd pay it back from my salary every month."
"I just don't understand—why would anyone oppose such a good thing? Do you expect me to borrow money from your homes every September?!"
The room erupted in stifled laughter, though many nodded in agreement. Arthur's impassioned appeal rang true. Everyone in the Ministry knew the Weasley family's struggles.
Even Fudge found himself nodding ever so slightly.
Arthur gave a polite nod to those around him, clearly proud of his performance. He believed his speech genuinely represented the interests of Britain's poorer wizarding families—untainted by any personal agenda.
And, of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that his eldest son, Bill Weasley, had recently resigned from Gringotts for safety reasons and received an immediate offer from Lockhart—to become Head Curse-Breaker for the new Central Bank of the Wizarding World.
As Arthur basked in his rhetorical success, a new voice cut through the air. It was Barty Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Crouch slowly rose, his gaze flicking to Arthur, and then calmly began to speak:
"Arthur… I truly envy your family. Though you may struggle at times, at least you are together. That's a kind of happiness some of us will never know."
He then turned toward Fudge, a flash of disdain in his eyes before continuing:
"Minister Fudge, I trust you understand what Gringotts means to the goblins. If we allow Lockhart to found this new bank, we are declaring open hostility. It could very well ignite another goblin rebellion."
"We already face the growing threat of the Alliance. If war breaks out with the goblins too, I fear many of our Aurors will never again return home for supper. Their parents, their wives, their children—will never see them again."
"And so, I oppose the establishment of this new bank."
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