1970 Voldemort's death eaters in the town of Nottingham kill the goblin family of Ragnok the Pigeon toed -The same Goblin Dumbledore will turn to when Voldemort returns.Will a life debt to a mysterious child help? Please R&R
Disclaimer: JK. Rowlings and Warner Brothers own the characters of the Harry Potter universe. All other characters are created by me - Only JK Rowling has permission to use them as fair trade for use of her characters.
To Dad & Uncle Karl
Absent from this world but never forgotten. Love you bye.
Shadows in the Wind.
Written by Taylor Grey of LadyGreyCastles
Chapter One 1958.
The Welsh Foreman Alfred Huygens shuffled among the buckets of coal and rare gems and the goblins that dug with such earnest from the caves of Creswell Crags near Nottingham. Cunning creatures, the goblins- He respected them, and understood their motives. The owners of the mine- the Blacks did not- only seeing them as creatures of burden. There were new decrees going about, regulating the goblins as to what they could do, or could not, and there was talk of registering them as magical creatures, perhaps stripping them of their rights. Cornelius Fudge was pushing hard for the registry of goblins with his work in the Ministry of Magic.
The goblins would work as hard as they could, unless one of their numbers had fallen, or was hurt. Work stopped, as a collective, they gathered, using outstretched hands, they healed the fallen one. Alfred had seen this, and understood, but the new owners the Blacks and their cousins the Malfoy's did not. Their answer to a fallen goblin was to kill it outright. Alfred had heard of them doing it in different mines that they owned, but so far he had been able to divert attention to what was happening until the ill one could be put back on the production line. He knew that some of the mines were using house elves to do the work; they were frail beings that used their own magic to get the job done.
Alfred arrived at the bucket that was over filled and being dragged by a very young goblin- just old enough to work in the mines, the little fellow stood about 14 inches tall,
"Oye Griphook! The buckets bigger an ye are!" Alfred said with a grin picking the young goblin up from where he was wedged and the bucket in the other hand. He was about to toss the coal in the hopper for the young goblin when the sounds of shouting from the side gallery reached their ears. He looked into Griphook's young eyes, then tipped over the hopper and shoving it against the wall he handed him a packet from his pocket "The elves will find you, and they won't hurt you…no arguing Give this to my Cassini. Tell her, I love her." He tucked him behind the hopper allowing some room for air. Pulling his wand he rushed to the gallery where Cornelius Fudge stood, wand ready for the second wave of Goblins that he knew would come. Alfred saw the dead and dying goblins who where killed at their workstation.
Mr. Black stood with a smug satisfied grin on his face. "Well, that helps matters- thank you Cornelius …"
"What's going on here?" demanded Alfred. He found two wands on him to his one.
Mr. Black smiled "Oh, bit of a goblin uprising, had to deal with it legally. You understand, don't you Huygens?"
Alfred looked around. Most of them had been shot in the back their faces to the ground when they fell forward. "I understand that there was no uprising here- that these hard working honest Goblins were shot in the back by a cold blooded murderer."
He saw the confusion in Fudges eyes as he looked at Mr. Black. "You said that the tunnels that they were digging would undermine the entire city, and cause it to collapse."
"You bloody fool!" Thundered Alfred. "That is what makes Goblin built tunnels special that they never collapse!" Alfred saw a moment of doubt in his eyes just as the other goblins came around into the gallery & saw the bodies of the others. Alfred stepped between the minister and the goblins protecting them "RUN!!!" he shouted. The goblins needed no other encouragement, as one unit, they turned and disappeared en mass. He turned, back in time to see Griphook who had slipped from his hiding place to see what was going on and Fudge aiming his wand at the young Goblin. Alfred leapt; blocking the spell one that shot through his body and his wand and the package he had given Griphook, which absorbed the spell. Huygens fell, slowly to the earth his arm wrapped about Griphook, his body covering the young goblin. Mr. Black kicked the still body, and thinking both were dead, they moved on to the next gallery looking for other Goblins.
It was the elves a day later that found Griphook beneath Huygens's body. Knowing that death awaited him, they fashioned him sackcloth to wear in hopes of smuggling him out at the end of the day. Griphook refused. "Put me with him, and carry us out, to give to his wife. Humans bury their own." The elves looked nervously at each other then agreed. The house elves carried them in silence to the outside. Most of the town that was home to the goblins was smoldering- they had moved on to other places to hide. The elves took Huygens's body to Cassini his common law wife who had been informed that her husband was killed by the goblins during the rebellion. Cassini held back a scream when the blanket that covered her husband moved and Griphook looked back up at her. He said softly to her so as not to attract attention of the others.
"Please Ma'am, Forman Huygens saved Griphook life. Ma'am must know the truth…not uprising. Goblins work hard. Huygens respected us. Murdered he was saving Griphook and the others. Important Man comes with owner who lied to important man. Owner tried to kill Griphook, Forman Huygens save Griphook. Forman say to give you this and tell you he love you."
Griphook handed her the package. "It is a wishing spell stone. Forman made the wish for both of you. Forman Huygens knew – knew what was to happen and knew you would wish him back. Wish stone not able to do that, but can do other type of wish." She unwrapped the package and saw a small egg shaped glistening stone. She held it in the palm of her hand and for a moment it glowed, then disappeared. Griphook smiled. "Wish has been granted." He said, with a click of his fingers, he disappeared from the stretcher just as Mr. Black came to offer his sympathy.
"Bad business this uprising. Terribly sorry for the mess" he said indicating to the body. "The new foreman will be arriving tomorrow. Be certain to have this place ready for his arrival." Cassini stood silent beside her husband, her jaw set in grim determination not to give into tears, or give him the satisfaction to hear her beg for shelter. She was a witch too- She knew more spells than he could ever shake a wand at. She had only stayed here at the mines because her husband believed that in doing so would bring the most amounts of good to the Goblins with whom he had always been fond of. She waited until he had left the room, waited until she heard his footsteps on the porch before waving her wand one more time. Striding away from the house Mr. Black was knocked forward from the exploding foreman's home. Swearing loudly, he began yelling orders to the terrified elves to deal with the mess that was left in the after math of the explosion.
Cassini sat on a hillside away from the smoldering town regarding the pile of stones that marked her husbands grave. She heard a rustle behind her, and saw that it was young Griphook who had followed her away from the town. He took her hand "Come- Come!" he said, guiding her away from the town, She looked back one last time at the grave, then followed Griphook with out question to an abandoned barn just on the outskirts past the furthest mine. She forced herself to remain calm as she saw the bright eyes of other goblins that had escaped the mine. The Goblin's regarded her silently. Some had evidence of injury; none of them seemed to be the happy friendly goblins her husband had told her about.
"Ma'am comes with us." Griphook had said firmly. "Foreman Huygens wished for her to be cared for by us as he care for us." The goblins remained silent. Griphook hung onto her skirt. "Foreman Huygens save Griphook. Goblins owe life debt to Ma'am."
There was a shuffle to the side as the eldest Goblin walked to Griphook and tapped the young goblins chest. "Griphook owes life debt to Ma'am. If Griphook wishes." He said with a rasp in his voice.
Griphook shook his fist at the elder goblin. "Griphook hear Forman Huygens yell warning for every Goblin to run to safety. ALL Goblins owe Ma'am life debt." The eldest Goblin looked down at Griphook. "Goblins owe life debt to Foreman Huygens."
Cassini looked at Griphook, and then at the Goblin. "I see. He is dead, so, you feel that you do not need to repay the life debt to him… It's all right Griphook. I understand the Goblin way all too well." She knelt down by the young goblin and placed her hands on his little shoulders. "You must go with them now, to a safer place. You did what Alfred had asked, he would wish nothing more." She drew the young goblin into her arms hugging him she whispered into his large ears "Promise me you will use what he has taught you?" Griphook nodded. She released him, allowing him to step back in the circle of goblins that as a group vanished as the sound of baying hounds rang over the hillside. She took a breath and grabbed the broom and began sweeping the dirt floor to hide the footprints of the goblins and then exited the small barn, wishing the goblins well.
She heard a noise behind her and turned. The old Goblin stood, watching her sweep. She looked over her shoulder as the baying hounds drew closer. "You must go" she said with urgency. The old Goblin regarded her, and then took her hand as the doors burst open all the men who searched for the Goblins found was a broom falling to the ground.
Cassini opened her eyes when the horrible gut wrenching feeling left her belly. She looked around and found a young family of Goblins who regarded her with curiosity. They were not miner goblins- these goblins were of intelligence, and wealth. She saw young Griphook smiling at her and the older Goblin nod to her. "You have rendered service to Goblins. You will be safe here." He said; taking Griphook by the shoulder both of them disappeared. Cassini blinked several times. The matron Goblin of the house came to her "You will be safe with us dear."
NOTE... If you do not see the button to take you to chapter two pleasejust remove the 1 from the /1/ at the end of the address bar and replace the 1 with a 2 so that it is /2/ instead. I have tried several times to get this fixed but it doesn't seem to be working. The other chapters seem to be linked fine.
Taylor Grey.