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Tomorrow It Begins
By Gaerdir
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"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." - Arabian proverb
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The attack was over in seconds.
Voldemort stepped through the rivulets of blood streaming across the cold, marble floor. He shivered in delight as he smeared the coppery liquid on his way to the main desk in the reception hall. Here the blood was a thin layer on the same floor, obscuring the logo, and proud words written in Gobbledygook.
Voldemort spun around suddenly and looked maliciously at the prone, broken bodies lying before him.
Insane, cold laughter rang out into the empty streets of Diagon Alley.
XXX
The goblin muttered something before letting out a load snore.
A light flashed directly on to his face.
He woke with a yelp, and then watched with growing horror and shock at the message being relayed from the surface goblins. He jumped into a flurry of motion, grabbing some grashvik and an ecrivet, quickly writing down the message that would need to be immediately brought to the Ragnok's notice. The old goblin found strength that he had thought left his body long ago as he leapt through the window of the small, last message outpost built into the face of a huge wall of rock.
The goblin took a moment to enjoy the rush filling his withered body, before he let out a loud, high-pitched call.
A few seconds later, he landed on the back of his faithful partner, Grisaldr, an old and grizzled brikbarne, before he was flown down to the ancient, bustling city of Goblins, Istvanir, a few miles below.
XXX
Ragnok Qeristryvure, or Ragnok Silverclaw, as it roughly translated to, strode firmly down the streets of the capital city Istvanir, eyeing the laughing, playing children with a smile on his weathered face.
He turned his face towards the sun in the sky. It was a fake, obviously; those blasted wizards had deprived his people of the real one for centuries.
He gnashed his teeth in frustration, before his "banker persona", as he liked to call it, came back into domination.
Those wizards had no idea just how much further they had pushed the goblin race along the path to superiority and intellectual singularity.
On the other hand, the stick-waving bastufres seem to have regressed in terms of intelligence and common sense. None of them questioned why they didn't see goblin women or children. None of them had wondered how an entire race fit into one measly bank. The only saving grace for magical humans was the mundane children who entered the society at regular intervals.
And now, some good-for-nothing half-blood, claiming to be the heir to one of the few wizards goblins actually respected, was eradicating the Wizarding World of its only hope for salvation.
Curse Magicke and its ability to hold all creatures to oaths.
The previous Ragnoks of the vast, busy empire of goblins had set the stage for Qeristryvure's reign. All the pieces had been set… all that was awaited was the final push, guaranteed to him by an unexpected ally.
XXX
The messenger jumped off Grisaldr, patting his neck hurriedly.
The beast let out a cryas it flew away, promising to return in an hour or so.
The wretched old goblin, panting with exertion, forced his weary body to trudge towards grand staircase at the foot of the huge sandstone building that loomed in the distance. He then remembered the weight of the message he was carrying, and suddenly regained his lost strength, quickening his speed by tenfold.
He had to get to the Council, even if he died getting there.
This message was far too important.
It contained information that the Council had been waiting years for.
XXX
Ragnok Qeristyvure glanced at the fake sun overhead, noting the approximate time with an expert eye. He sighed, before changing his course towards the large block of sandstone buildings to the right. The political block of the goblins was mainly comprised of a large building that housed the Council, and provided a "court" of sorts for the general populace to meet with their king. All around it were the living quarters of the many Council members, each of whom represented a clan or faction in the goblin population.
And as any good Ragnok would know, getting various groups to agree on a single decision was quite impossible. Each decision made by the governing body required his approval, but as they literally took years to come to a consensus, Qeristyvure rarely had anything to do.
So he spent that spare time on his pet project.
Pity, though everyone agreed to go through with his plan around two decades ago, the Council was still waiting on information that would grant them the loophole to carry the plan out.
Ragnok Qeristyvure sighed again. The entire scheme now hinged on whether his ally would keep his word.
Would the time never come?
XXX
The two goblins, from two very different walks of life, met in front of the Council Hall.
Well, actually, the two goblins collided in front of the Council Hall.
Qeristyvure, walking briskly and looking at the sun every so often, failed to notice the speeding old goblin rushing towards the Hall.
The old goblin, so focused on his destination, did not really check his path.
Both crashed to the ground, momentarily stunned, and regaining their bearings.
They could hear faint traces of angry Gobbledygook seeping through the thick walls of the building.
"Where is… why is he… never…. The Ragnok!... time has come…. the agenda…"
The old messenger suddenly had a sinking feeling, before he grasped his piece of paper tightly, and looked at his comrade-on-the-ground.
The Ragnok sat there, adjusting the thin circlet of gold on his brow, before looking questioningly at the old goblin.
The messenger gulped, and then began speaking very quickly, thrusting the paper out in front of him.
"Ohmyristvarididntseeyousirthisistheveryimportantinformationthatigotfromthesurfacepleaseforgivemeforcrashingintoyousir!"
The Ragnok blinked confusedly, before grasping the paper held out before him.
His eyes glanced through the hurriedly written message, before his eyes widened, and he read more carefully.
A vicious, menacing, bloodthirsty grin grew quickly on the leader's face. His gamble had paid off.
He marched to the heavy doors of the building in front of him, the messenger goblin trailing silently behind him.
XXX
"Tomorrow it begins! As midnight passes, the plan will commence! " The thunderous voice shouted out as the doors to the Council were pushed open with a bang.
"Inform all wizards under the employ of Gringotts that the bank has been compromised, and we are terminating all employment contracts under Section IV, Provision 6 in said contracts. Regqwerf, alert your generals to take the army off stand-by. Recall all troops off duty under the pretense of emergency. Putyuin, contact the other communities in Europe, inform them that their Ragnok requires them to be on alert and ready to move at a moment's notice. The rest of you, help Oerwutsted arrange the contacts with the media, and begin evacuating the people." Ragnok Qeristyvure announced to the stunned Council.
"Now!" He barked as the Council struggled to move.
The room exploded into a flurry of motion and excitement as the respected goblins realized just what had begun.
Qeristyvure turned towards the stunned, old messenger goblin behind him.
"Vitmunr," he said, "You have surely lived up to your name. 'Fleetfoot', indeed. Come with me, you shall be rewarded."
The two goblins, from two very different walks of life, turned and left the room together, excited in their success.
XXX
The attack was over in minutes.
Goblins emerged from holes opening in the ground. They flew on impressive birds, and wore shining armor that blinded those who looked directly at them. Swinging their hammers, swords and maces, the goblins flew into a battle that wizardkind had never seen before.
The Ministry was retaken from Voldemort's forces, as was Diagon Alley and Ottery St. Catchpole. The tide of darkness was quickly and effectively beaten back all around Magical Britain.
At Hogwarts, as Voldemort began to gloat about his "inevitable" victory, the ground erupted and hundreds of goblins flew out. The majority of the invading forces, unprepared for such a ferocious assault, quickly collapsed, and Voldemort was left as a magical prisoner of the Gobbledypays, or the Goblin Nation.
Ragnok Qeristyvure surveyed his prisoners proudly, before sensing a powerful wizard approaching him from behind.
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up." Harry Potter said sheepishly.
"And, my friend, you must remember that magical oaths cannot be broken." Qeristyvure said, turning with a smile.
"I actually haven't figured out how you cracked the Mutual Non-Violence Treaty, sir." Hermione interrupted from Harry's side.
"Well, Miss Granger, it's quite simple really. I assume you've read the provisions in the treaty?"
At her hesitant nod, he continued.
"We were stuck over the barrel when we signed that one. To simplify all the legal mumbo-jumbo, magical humans can be the first to break the treaty if Magic feels that they have been wronged. Goblins cannot. But after it is broken, it cannot be fixed until a new treaty is signed."
"So when Voldemort killed all those goblins…"
"He was breaking the treaty, and allowing us retribution."
"But Harry," she said, turning to the wizard beside her, "How is this 'the power he knows not'?"
Harry began to chuckle.
"You know what he did in fifth year, during the History of Magic exams? Well…"
"Oh Harry… you didn't."
"Oh Hermione… hell yeah I did! Remember, after we stole the cup from Gringotts…"
Ragnok Qeristyvure swept into the containment room, glancing at his prisoners before he focused on the object found with them.
"What is that?" he asked curiously. "Why is it so important?"
The boy hanging in the middle looked at the cup, before looking at the king of the goblins.
"It's something that'll help us beat Voldemort."
"I smell negotiations, young Potter. Come, this is not the place to make deals that can make or break a society."
Two goblin guards entered silently, before unshackling Harry Potter from the wall. He fell the short distance to the ground, and then followed the Ragnok, rubbing his wrists, and glancing at his friends reassuringly.
"I'm going to be very blunt here, Potter. You cannot actually ask for anything. Make your case. If it pleases me, I will let you go, and you may do what you wish. If not…" The king smiled darkly. "We'll cross that road when we come to it, shall we?"
Harry shivered.
"I can break the treaty for you."
This simple statement caused the goblin king's eyes to widen.
"Do you even know what that requires?"
"I'm not going to break it. I can make someone else do it. He's actually on his way here right now. If you let us go with the cup, the condition to be wronged will be matched. I can make him break the treaty, without knowing it, and then you're free to do whatever you want. I would recommend you take the chance to save Magical Britain, so to speak. And hold the Ministry hostage until your demands for equality are met…" Harry added thoughtfully.
"You realize you're selling out your own society?"
"I'm leaving, getting far away from all this, as soon as it's all over. So, frankly, I don't care."
"This is something wholly unexpected. Do I have your word, Harry James Potter, that this deal will be upheld honorably by you?"
"You have my word, Ragnok Qeristyvure, and do I have yours?"
"You have mine."
"It is done, then. The Dark Lord Voldemort is ten minutes away from reaching the main doors of your bank. I have heightened his sense of anger and irrationality. At the slightest provocation, he will fly into a towering rage. I would advise you to replace your clerks with goblins more disposable… and give us a dragon to escape while you're at it… sir."
Qeristyvure laughed heartily, this one was cheeky.
"Very well. Your friends are free, you may leave. Keep your word, Potter, or Magic will make you face the consequences. You and I have sworn a conditional oath. You do your part, and then I do mine. Off with you, wizard. I must go for my daily walk before I suffer the daily tangles of bureaucracy."
"You're leaving?" Hermione shouted incredulously.
"Yeah, thought I'd get away from this dump for a while. You wanna come? You and Ron. We'll go looking for your parents, too. And I can't believe that's the only thing you picked up from my whole explanation!"
"Well… I realized that must be what you were reading my History of Magic books for, so…"
Harry laughed and hugged her. "Find Ron, Hermione. Then we'll leave this place. Take a long-waited vacation."
Harry watched as his best friend scurried away. He turned to his new friend.
"And Qeristyvure, tomorrow, a new magical age begins. Good luck, my friend. I hope to see a far better Magical Britain when I return!" Harry said half-jokingly, before raising his hand in farewell.
Harry chucked to himself as he strode away in the direction Hermione had gone.
"I love it when a plan comes together." He said softly, before moving to a better and brighter future.
FIN