Chapter -14 Bellatrix's style.

Chapter -14.

Both Theodore and Bellatrix were convinced that Kreacher would return in no time after taking the galleons, but they were soon proven wrong when the little house-elf didn't show up even after half an hour had passed.

Noticing the growing concern on Bellatrix's face, Theodore couldn't help but smile a little and asked, "Are you perhaps worried about Kreacher?"

Bellatrix looked at him as if she wanted to ask why he was joking at such a serious moment, but she chose her words carefully and replied, "No, I'm just worried that we might end up living like the poor if that little guy doesn't manage to bring us some useful galleons."

"How cold-hearted," Theodore thought to himself, feeling a little embarrassed for misreading her. Still, since she was at least being honest with him, he teased back, "Well, if he doesn't get the job done, you could always turn back to your that house; if you know what I mean."

"That's right! How could I forget? That dimwit is locked up in Azkaban alongside his only family member—his brother! We could definitely make a heist out of that house, filled to the brim with treasures!" As soon as Theodore tossed that idea into the air, a lightbulb went off in Bellatrix's head.

But almost instantly, she caught herself spiraling into contemplation. 'Is this really who I am? How can I feel excited about robbing someone's home? I could understand leveling a house to the ground—definitely my style—but robbing?'

As both of them were lost in their own thoughts, a loud noise echoed through the room, and in that moment, the little house elf, Kreacher, appeared with a big grin on his face. He cheerfully announced, "Kreacher is back after completing the task given by Mistress Bella."

Theodore noticed the heavy pouch in Kreacher's small hand, the sound of clinking coins making him smile.

However, Bellatrix shot a fierce glare at the poor house elf and asked, "Can you explain the reason for the delay? Did anyone stop to bother you?" Although she had a tiny bit of concern for Kreacher, she knew house elves often preferred to have an authoritative master, so she wasn't about to soften her tone any time soon.

Theodore, hearing Bellatrix's question, was prepared to stop the little house elf from banging his head on the ground—something he thought most house elves might do. But to his surprise, Kreacher did nothing of the sort and simply replied in his usual manner, "I deserve punishment for that, but since the sacred family's vault is in a more secure location and I had to endure the babbling of those goblins while following Mistress Bella's instructions, it took me longer to return home."

After hearing Kreacher's detailed explanation, Theodore noticed even Bellatrix nodding in understanding. He then asked, "Kreacher, did you happen to notice anyone watching you as you left Gringotts with that pouch?" He couldn't help but feel concerned about potential trouble.

"How did you know, young sir?" Kreacher suddenly turned his attention to Theodore, his round eyes sparkling with curiosity. He added, "There were a few groups and a dirty old man who approached me, but before they could do anything, I Apparated back to the house."

"You did well. Now put that pouch here and go prepare lunch; I'm starving," Bellatrix said, feeling she had heard enough and wanting to steer clear of discussions that shouldn't be her concern.

"As you wish, Mistress Bella," Kreacher said with a big smile, bowing deeply before her and giving a little nod to Theodore too. Then, with a poof, he disappeared, leaving a pouch on the bed between them. Bellatrix, without a second thought, pushed it toward Theodore and said, "If you want more, maybe you could work on that idea you mentioned before. And since I'd like to rest a bit, could you please step out of the room too?"

Theodore, feeling satisfied with the money he had received and their earlier chat, didn't want to seem too clingy. He nodded and replied, "Sure!" He was also itching to go out and do a little looting again. As he left, he added, "Have a good rest," and walked out, the coins in his pocket clinking together.

Bellatrix shot him a slightly annoyed look at his noisy exit.

...

Once back in his room, Theodore couldn't wait to dump the entire pouch onto his bed and started counting the coins like a regular muggle, a big grin spreading across his face. As he counted, the total kept climbing, and when he hit five hundred galleons, his smile grew even wider.

"Wow, I didn't expect Kreacher to bring this much! I thought Bellatrix only meant just hundred or some galleons when she said the usual amount he brought for her parents." He was genuinely surprised; even in this magical world, he had never seen so many galleons at once—except for that one time he had to rob a few gentlemen when he was really in need of cash for his research.

But that was a story for another day. After counting up to six hundred and ninety-six coins, he carefully put them back in the pouch and flopped onto his bed. Tomorrow, he'd be busy again with his research.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head: "Should I use the other summoning character card?" With the start of the new school year at Hogwarts just around the corner, he felt a desire to shake things up a bit.

But then he realized that the card he had was too valuable to waste like that. So, he decided to hold off on the idea for now, at least until he could get his hands on a less valuable card that would only last a day, unlike the durable one he currently had.

'Hold up, do I even have a clue how to snag those cards? I don't recall the system ever giving me the lowdown on that.' Theodore, thinking he was the brainiac here, suddenly realised he might just be deluding himself with that title.

Note : As always, please give me some power stones, it will motivate me to write more. [You can also share ideas if you have some] :