Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Learning Potions in the hospital wing was a dull affair.
While Madam Pomfrey was an infinitely compassionate woman, she was not what Harry would consider a 'fun' individual. Her brand of 'fun' might consist of helping a dozen students and mending the bones of one or two rambunctious boys.
All throughout the session, she was watching Harry with a stern gaze, in an imitation of Professor McGonagall – Harry was sure that Professor McGonagall took the first chance to explicate every one of his misadventures to Madam Pomfrey.
But compared to the constant scowl of one greasy haired git, her stern gaze was a blessing from heaven and, Harry was rather cheerful as he brewed a strengthening potion.
Students trickled in once every hour or two and if they were not first years, then Harry was advised to stay as far away from their bed as possible. Not that he minded; He was as lazy as they come when social service was involved.
Her instructions were precise to the point and though a smile did appear on her face every time Harry did something right, her countenance made no reservation for a giggle or a laugh.
The first first-year student came in after the lunch break on one boring Monday and unfortunately for Lavender Brown, Harry had potions with Madam Pomfrey at that time.
Lavender's best friend, a Gryffindor by the name Parvati Patil, accompanied the crying girl and ignoring the two girls, Harry was working on a headache relief potion behind the hospital curtain. So that no one could blame when something inexplicably went wrong.
"What happened, Ms. Patil?" Madam Pomfrey inquired in her no-nonsense tone, seeing that the another girl was too indulged in her crying to answer any questions.
"Um, we were late to our class but then Lavender remembered that she did not put on her facial cream. So, in a hurry, she applied the cream but some of it...um, I think it went into her eyes," Parvati informed with a sheepish giggle.
Harry nearly fell forward, shocked by their stupidity and the desperate need to appear pretty. As such, his hand moved a tiny bit to the right and he calibrated the temperature incorrectly.
Madam Pomfrey put a few cleansing eye drops in Lavender's eyes and her sobs ceased after a moment. "The tears are because of the cream. The tears stopped, so it means there is no more residue in her eyes. So, I believe there are no more problems?"
Parvati hesitated and released another nervous giggle. "You know, she was crying and I think she wasn't able to see clearly. Then she fell down the steps and sprained her ankle."
This time, Madam Pomfrey and Harry simultaneously released a sigh.
After some time, Harry heard footsteps receding and assumed that the girls left. In truth, it was Parvati and Madam Pomfrey walking away from Lavender's bed.
"Madam Pomfrey, she has some self-esteem issues, so, can you please not scold her about this incident?" Parvati requested in a hushed tone so that her friend would not be able to hear it. As a result, even Harry was not able to hear it.
An instant later, Harry commented. "I mean, how stupid one has to be to get facial cream in their eyes and fall down the steps? It's like she was just waiting to get to the hospital wing."
A choked sob reached his ears. Harry inclined his head to his left and watched as tears filled the eyes of one Lavender Brown.
"I was joking!" Harry panicked as he tried to reach her. "Accidents happen, you know. It's entirely natural. Like anything can happen right now and that doesn't mean it's intentional."
The words barely left his mouth when his cauldron foamed to the brim and then with a boom, pink vapor filled their vision. Harry coughed to rid the sickly sweet smell off his nostrils; He should never have left his safe haven.
Madam Pomfrey waved her wand with a tired shake of her head and the vapor vanished from the room.
The anticipatory silence was shattered by Lavender's shrill scream. "My skin!"
"See! Entirely unintentional," Harry chuckled nervously, with a hand rubbing the back of his head.
But Lavender was far too worried by her state to heed his words. A dust of pink covered her entire form but to Harry's eyes, her face appeared no different from usual. It just seemed like she was blushing heavily and, didn't girls have some chemicals for that too? Why the hell was she losing her wits over this?
"What happened?" Harry frowned as he observed her closely. He still couldn't fathom the reason.
"My skin should be a light pink. Now it's cameo pink," she wailed as she tried to rub it off her skin.
"What?" Harry rolled his eyes in response. "I see no difference."
That only made her cry harder. With another sob, Lavender ran out the Hospital. Parvati gave him a chilling glare before she hurried after her friend.
Harry turned to face Madam Pomfrey with a repentant grin. "I'm sorry?"
Harry was banned from brewing any potions and interacting with any other patients for that day. He sat on an empty bed, reading his first-year potions book or idly staring at the walls.
Madam Pomfrey was busy with a seventh year, who was suffering from magical exhaustion. Harry had no idea what magical exhaustion was, but, it definitely sounded cool. Sadly, he couldn't just walk over to the senior and ask him about it.
Gregory Goyle, a Slytherin first year walked in at that moment and as Madam Pomfrey was busy, she reluctantly assigned Harry to note the symptoms of the first year boy.
"Just note the symptoms," Madam Pomfrey iterated with narrowed eyes.
Harry leaped out of his bed and grabbed a writing pad. Apparently, Goyle's case was not so interesting as according to the obese boy, he was suffering from a mild stomach-ache.
Harry wrote that down and scanned the room for Madam Pomfrey but she was absent.
"She went to collect a potion from Snape," the seventh year answered at Harry's inquisitive gaze.
Seizing the opportunity, Harry sauntered over to the senior's bed. "So, what's magical exhaustion?"
The seventh year raised an eyebrow at the question but answered. "It happens when you deplete all your magical reserves. Like how you won't even have the energy to walk after running a marathon."
"Uh huh," Harry nodded. "What did you do?"
The senior relented with a shrug. "I'm trying to enchant an object that bewitches people with a simple touch; like the confundus charm but with an object instead. It's my charms project for my final year. But it's ridiculously tough."
Harry tilted his head in confusion. "You want to hypnotize people?"
"Hypono...what?"
Harry rolled his head in exasperation. It's tiring, with most of the magical population not knowing basic muggle things. "It's just like what you said. Let me show you."
"What are you going to do?" The senior asked with a hint of wariness in his tone. But there was enough curiosity in there that he wouldn't reject Harry's request.
"I don't know whether this works or not but there are people in the muggle world who can bewitch people by random gestures or weird objects," Harry answered as he took out his card.
"Really?" The senior murmured with a touch of fascination.
"Here, let me try." Before the senior could protest, Harry moved his card like a pendulum in front of the senior's eyes.
"You are only seeing what you want to see. Imagine yourself drifting far away, because you are free. You see nothing but what you want to see, you feel nothing but what you want to feel," Harry chanted in a soothing tone.
As the senior's eyes glazed, Harry let a smile show on his face. "Now, stand on the bed and jump."
The senior jerked but remained in his place. He blinked his eyes, with bewilderment flashing across his face but regained his senses a moment later.
"I think I felt something but I don't think that it's the same," the senior remarked with furrowed brows. "What were those words?"
"They are called power words. These words spark your conscious. It's just to distract you," Harry replied with a wave of his hand. "I wasn't sure if it will work, so it's fine."
From the other side of the room, Goyle was watching Harry intently as the green-eyed boy did those weird gestures. When Harry gave the command, he unwittingly stood on his bed with glazed eyes and then jumped onto the table filled with vials.
Madam Pomfrey entered the hospital wing to hear a resounding crash and her eyes instantly latched onto the obese boy, who was moaning in pain.
"Oh, for god's sake, it's just a stomach ache, Goyle," Harry shouted as he grabbed his writing pad once again.
"Clearly, this boy has suicidal tendencies," Harry spoke as he noted the same on the hospital pad.
"HARRY POTTER!"
"This time I didn't even do anything!"
Harry Potter was, in the most basic of terms, brooding.
He was restricted to a lone corner in the Hospital wing, with nothing but a book in hand. Even his wand was confiscated – the sacrilege! - under the assumption that he might be using it discreetly to his advantage.
If it had been any other person, Harry would've unleashed hell but this was Madam Pomfrey – The kind and caring Hogwarts Matron. So he acquiesced to her demands with a betrayed look.
Goyle was confined to his bed and he was staring at Harry with undiluted fear. Harry had no idea what terrified the boy so much but the atmosphere was peaceful as there was no simple talk between the two occupants. Well, Harry wasn't sure if Goyle could talk even the boy wanted to. Getting drenched in twenty vials of potions would do that to anybody.
The potions class for that afternoon was about to end and Harry was already planning on what to discuss with Sirius. But fate had it that enough people hadn't suffered at the hands of Harry Potter.
Ron Weasely walked in, appearing normal and completely healthy. His gaze fell onto the green-eyed boy sitting in a corner and a grin made its way onto the redhead's face.
"Hey, Harry!"
Harry was under strict order to not converse with anybody unless it's absolutely necessary. So, he remained silent and tried to ignore the redhead.
"Harry, mate. Are you alright?" Ron strolled over to where Harry was sitting and Harry had no choice but to respond.
"Hey, Ron," Harry greeted back.
They weren't on first name basis already but if Ron felt the need then who was Harry to argue. Hell, he would've had more conversations with the reclusive Daphne Greengrass than with the redhead before him.
"So, what are ya doin' here, mate?"
"Reading," Harry pointed at the book in his hands.
Ron appeared scandalized. "You are reading in the hospital wing?"
"Sadly, yes," Harry replied glibly. "What brings you here, Ron?"
"I have a headache," Ron informed but the slight twitch of the lips indicated that the redhead was simply looking for a way to slack off.
Harry had heard, from reliable sources, – namely, Hannah Abbot – that Ron Weasely was the laziest person currently residing in Hogwarts. The boy had the attention span of a goldfish and was rude to anybody who wouldn't agree with his views. Though his family was one of the poorest in the wizarding community, they try their best to send their children to school and evidently, Ron was unable to appreciate that fact.
In simple terms, Ron essentially gave Harry all the rights to prank him.
"Is it a mild headache or a recurring one?" Harry played along, suppressing a smirk.
"A recurring one?" Ron answered, with his voice unsure.
"I see," Harry made the act of noting down what the redhead had said.
Harry held the back of his palm to Ron's forehead and then slightly poked at the temples. He then shook the head violently and scrutinized it from one side to the other. He ended the pretense with a bonk to the head.
"The symptoms are very severe, Mr. Weasely," Harry emulated Madam Pomfrey's professional tone. "But I have a way to prolong your lifespan."
"What?" Ron squeaked in an apprehensive tone. "You are joking, right?"
"Sadly, no," Harry shook his head morosely. "Tell me, you have these headaches frequently, right?"
"Um, yes?"
"You have a high temper, I mean, you quickly and easily get angry. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"You get sleepy during classes and can literally sleep anywhere. You snore and if might add, loudly."
"Er...yes?" Ron admitted hesitantly. "But why all these, mate?"
Harry removed his spectacles and pinched his nose. "I am sorry but your brain is shrinking, Ron."
"WHAT!"
"Yes, very shocking, I know," Harry patted Ron's shoulder in an act of comforting the terrified boy. "But all the symptoms point that way."
Harry took out a card and gave it to the panic-stricken boy. While Madam Pomfrey did confiscate his wand, the greatest weapon he had in his arsenal was never his wand.
"So, what color do you see on the card?"
"Red?" Ron answered, peering over his eyebrows to inspect it.
"Look closer, Ron," Harry advised in a whisper. More deceptive words had never been spoken.
Ron held the card at an inch away from his face and before his own eyes, it changed to black. He dropped the card in fright and Harry calmly grabbed the card out of the air. "It changed to black!"
"It never changed, Ron," Harry lied as he pocketed his card.
"Then.."
"Yes. Those are the symptoms. First, you start losing your pets..."
"Scabbers!"
"Yes..whatever. First, you start losing your pets and then you start losing your vision."
Harry held back a sob and wiped the corners of his eyes. "I am sorry, Ron, but you don't have much time to live. A year or two, at most."
Harry returned his spectacles to his nose and by the time his vision adjusted, Ron Weasely was sprawled over the bed. Apparently, the boy fainted out of shock.
"That was way too easy," Harry rolled his eyes and as he went back to reading his textbook, Madam Pomfrey entered the hospital wing.
'Does she wait outside until I'm in trouble?' Harry mused with a frown. 'She has impeccable timing of appearing exactly after I had done something
…just like Professor McGonagall.'
"Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey gritted out.
"Oh, come one, Poppy. That kid was asking for it!" Harry pouted as he slumped down in his chair. "You can at least laugh, you know."
"And that poor boy fainted!" Poppy laughed uproariously while McGonagall watched with an amused smile.
"So, I guess the first day was a success?" McGonagall held back a triumphant smile.
"I wouldn't say that it's a success but that boy brings some change to that gloomy room," Poppy admitted as she released yet another giggle. "I only hope that every day won't be like this."
"Don't worry," McGonagall waved off her concerns. "It just takes some time for Harry to get used to what's normal. After that, he is a good kid."
"Harry?" Poppy repeated with an incline of her lips. "Don't tell me you're softening up on the resident troublemaker, Minerva."
"Oh, hush you!" McGonagall retorted. "The last thing that boy needs from us is an encouragement."
That sobered up the hospital matron. "That's true."
"The elves in the kitchen are scary," Harry remarked with a shudder.
"I think the word you are looking for is kind and generous and unbelievably awesome," Sirius added as he ravaged a chicken drumstick. "Why, when I was at Hogwarts, we marauders used to go to the kitchen every night."
"That amount of food may seem normal to a group. They blackmailed me by saying that they will inform about this to the Headmaster if I didn't eat."
"That doesn't sound like them," Sirius replied with a frown. "What did you do?"
"I refused to eat," Harry answered, with his head ducked.
Sirius gasped. "That's blasphemy! You never refuse the food."
"You should have mentioned that before you sent me to the kitchens!" Harry retorted angrily. "I think I ate enough food to last for a whole week."
"House elves aside, how's the plan coming?"
"It's solid but we need some more credibility," Harry informed as he took a seat on the dusty floor. "Preferably a Malfoy."
"There's a method," Sirius spoke after a minute. "Do you know about the polyjuice potion?"
"Yes," Harry replied as he scrunched up his brows in thought. "It's used to change your appearance, I think."
"Correct. But it takes a long time to brew. Nearly a month."
"It won't be a problem," Harry grinned as he rubbed his palms together. "The best date for this heist will be Halloween. We have a month in our hands."
"So, that's settled then," Sirius nodded as his gaze settled on the chocolate cake in front of him. He had to stop himself from salivating. "But we need to find a Malfoy."
It didn't take a second for their devious minds to find the solution.
"We found a Malfoy?"
"We found a Malfoy," Harry confirmed with a smirk.
The next day, Harry was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to obtain some hairs from Draco Malfoy.
By the end of the day, he remained unsuccessful. Draco gave more priority to his appearance than to his life and not a hair was out of place on his gelled head.
Harry teleported into the shrieking shack with a batch of potions and disappointment plastered across his face. The one advantage of being an apprentice to a healer was that he had all the medical potions available for his use. Even though the steady meals did help Sirius in gaining some weight, there were things that mere food couldn't accomplish.
And that was where Harry's recently gained expertise with healing came into effect. He acquired a set of all the potions a man might need from the hospital wing and placed them in front of a terrified Sirius Black.
"I have no choice, do I?" Sirius cringed as he smelled one of the pale liquids. His animagus instincts were not helping.
"I am already annoyed after trailing behind that blond idiot for the whole day," Harry answered with a glare. "It will be easier for you if I don't take this matter into my hands, Padfoot."
The nickname brought a grin to Sirius's face, as though Harry had declared that Sirius was the minister of magic. Closing his eyes shut, Sirius gulped one potion after the other and by the time he reached the last vial, his face resembled the state of the dilapidated shack they were in.
Harry's annoyance was replaced by a distinct fondness for the man and he revealed the chocolate pudding he was hiding.
"You understand me so well!" Sirius faked some tears before grabbing the pudding out of Harry's hands.
"So, what do you think we should do? It's hard to pluck a hair from Malfoy's head without raising any suspicion," Harry sighed in disappointment.
That pudding apparently brought some life to Sirius's face. "I have an idea. You know how much the marauders hated that greasy haired git, right?"
"I can understand your feelings," Harry replied solemnly.
"So we brewed a balding potion to beautify Snape's face."
"Oh, the genius!"
Harry brought all the ingredients needed the next day and with Sirius instructing him, Harry brewed the potion.
"Want to brew another batch?" Sirius asked as they waited for the potion to cool.
"Some other time," Harry placated. "If Snape has it coming, you will be the first to know."
"I look forward to it."
"Not more than me."
During the dinner that night, Harry stopped by Draco Malfoy on his way to his seat. "Draco, are you all right? You are looking pale."
"Does it bother you, Potter?" Draco sneered as he turned to face the green-eyed boy.
"No. But it does bother Madam Pomfrey," Harry answered blithely. "She said that you already came to the hospital wing. So, here are the next batch of potions."
Draco snatched the two vials out of Harry's hands. "If tell about this to anybody..."
"Hey! Don't kill the messenger."
The next morning, a girlish shriek rocked the foundations of Hogwarts.
Draco Malfoy ran out of the Ravenclaw common room in a hurry, with wisps of blond hair falling from his head. It took a moment for the students to regain their senses and as laughter filled the room, Harry pocketed one of the stray hairs.
"You think it's the Weasely twins?" Terry asked from Harry's side.
"I can only guess."
Sirius was brewing the Polyjuice potion while Harry was…
Well, Harry was walking around in the room. It couldn't be considered as walking in the strictest sense, for the charade was lost somewhere between walking and jumping.
Sirius couldn't hold in his curiosity for any longer. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm practicing the Malfoy walk," Harry replied without missing a beat.
"Wh...What?"
"You know, the Malfoys don't walk like normal people. It's like they have to prove, even when walking that they are superior," Harry informed with a shake of his head.
"And that's interesting because?" Sirius retorted with a sigh. He got used to Harry's eccentricities after a few days. He wouldn't say it out loud, but they were amusing and Harry looked like a cute kid when he acted like an adult.
"I am trying to get into this Malfoy persona."
"Act like an insufferable bastard and you will be more than convincing," Sirius replied nonchalantly.
"I'm a perfectionist, Sirius."
'Cute!' Sirius thought but he did not voice his remarks.
The day of Halloween arrived early for the residents of Hogwarts and most of them were bustling in a hurry to make some last minute decorations or sending letters to their homes.
In short, it's the perfect atmosphere for Harry to remain inconspicuous.
The classes were as uneventful as usual and when Harry stumbled upon Ron Weasely in the corridor, he shook his head morosely and patted the boy on the back.
"Everything's going to be fine, Ron."
Nobody had seen Ron Weasely for the whole day. Rumor had it that he was last seen in the hospital wing, begging Madam Pomfrey to find a cure. Madam Pomfrey was not sympathetic.
As the night approached, the students were readying themselves for a hearty meal. Everyone except two students.
Harry Potter was on his way to the Divination classroom and Draco Malfoy was heading towards the girl's bathroom on the second floor.
Harry knocked on the door to Sybil Trelawney's office and entered after a moment. The sweet aroma filled his nostrils while tendrils of smoke rose from the rune engraved floor.
"Harry! You came," Sybil smiled widely as he beckoned Harry to sit opposite to her on the Rune circle.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Today, on the day of the Samhain, we offer our magic to our ancestors and bask in their ethereal presence!" Sybil shouted as she poured the red potion in the flask into the rune circle. "And as the boundaries between Earth and Heaven cease to exist, we disappear into the higher realm."
Harry had to applaud her flair for dramatics. "I can't wait to disappear."
"You will, dear boy."
With that promise, she added the last ingredient to the rune circle. As the green liquid filled the grooves of the circle, copper-colored smoke filled the room, obscuring the vision of Professor Trelawney.
As the fog settled, Sybil Trelawney blinked her eyes open to find out that the Harry Potter had truly disappeared.
She pondered over this for a moment and reached a conclusion. "Smoking is highly injurious to health."
Harry appeared in the shack with Lucius's wand in hand. He presented the wand to Sirius, who took it with trembling hands.
Warmth rushed into Sirius' fingers and with a wave of his hand, he cast a vanishing charm. All the dust and grime in the room coalesced in the middle, before vanishing within a blink of an eye.
"This is the best Halloween present that I've ever received," Sirius declared with a wolfish grin.
"Put it to good use, then."
"Oh, I'll be sure to," Sirius promised before apparating to Diagon Alley with one of Harry's cards in his robe pocket.
Harry teleported after drinking the vile polyjuice potion, inwardly muttering curses as he tried to gulp it down.
Diagon Alley was immersed in festivities and as such, when a hooded man roamed amongst them, they paid no heed. It was quite common to act mysterious on Halloween.
Harry Potter, disguised as Draco Malfoy, trailed behind the hooded man. Once they entered Gringotts, Sirius removed his hood and it was a testament to Sirius's appearance that no one recognized him at first glance. Potions could work miracles.
Sirius sauntered over to the teller and placed the key on the desk. "I want to access the Malfoy vault."
The Goblin glanced up from the stack of sickles on his desk. "Sirius Black!"
At once, all the people in the Gringotts main hall shifted their glances to the brown haired handsome man, donned in neat robes. A few women shrieked in terror, while most of the wizards stumbled back in fright. "It's the murderer! You-know-who's right-hand man!"
'Woah. Sirius is really famous,' Harry wondered as panic bubbled over in the room.
"How many years has it been since I've heard the wizarding population's pathetic screams!" Sirius cackled, in a perfect imitation of his cousin Bellatrix. When people scrambled away, he had to suppress an exasperated sigh. These magical people were afraid of literally everything.
"But today, I am with my nephew Draco and I don't want to ruin his fun," Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder. "So, teller, take me to the Malfoy Vault."
"We need some confirmation," The teller informed bravely.
"I have dear Lucius's wand," Sirius brandished the sleek black wand. "Is it enough of a confirmation or do I have to spill some blood to prove that I am Sirius Black?"
It was fortunate that this was not the teller who witnessed Lucius's ordeal on that fateful day and hence, the teller had no idea that the wand was stolen. Goblins hated gossips and as such, only a few people were aware of those facts.
"That will be sufficient," the Goblin nodded with a toothy snarl. "Your escort will be here within a moment."
"So, I hope I won't have any grievances with the service," Sirius began in a conversational tone. "I hate to be interrupted by puny ministry officials."
"The Goblin nation is independent of the ministry," the Goblin informed proudly. "The ministry has no power as long as you are within the confines of the bank."
"Oh, I have no worries," Sirius spoke loud enough to attract the attention of all the terrified people in the bank. "Lucius has enough hold over the ministry that he won't let any harm fall over his relative. Am I right, dear nephew?"
"Yes," Harry snarled at a nearby wizard who tried to inch farther away. "Father is very serious about your protection, Uncle Siri. The Malfoys take care of their family."
"Spoken like a true Malfoy," Sirius smirked condescendingly at the goblin escort. "I know my way clear enough to the Malfoy vault that I don't need an escort. But well, it's your bank."
"Uncle Siri! I would rather do my shopping than waste my time on such menial tasks," Harry huffed before doing a clear imitation of a Malfoy walk as he strolled out of the bank.
The people stared at the retreating back of Harry before shifting their gazes to Sirius. "My nephew is such a drama queen," Sirius rolled his eyes before trailing after the escort.
Just as Sirius disappeared into the tunnels, one of the wizards ran out of Gringotts and shouted to the whole Alley. "Sirius Black is in Gringotts! Contact the Aurors!"
Harry rolled his eyes. These people were so predictable.
Harry could have accompanied Sirius but Goblins had an ingenious way to dispelling all the disguises. The thief's downfall would dispel Harry's disguise.
So, Harry decided that he would rather take the risk of teleporting directly into the vault.
Sirius entered the vault, suppressing the grin that was threatening to show on his face. He closed the door of the vault after demanding privacy and waited for Harry to appear.
A few seconds later, Harry appeared, with his appearance already reverted to his old self. "Thank god, I wasn't early."
"Be thankful that you didn't appear in some closed vault that wasn't opened in centuries," Sirius joked to relieve the tense atmosphere.
"Been there. Done that," Harry shrugged. "It feels good to rob this place again."
"Again?" Sirius squeaked with wide eyes.
"How did you think I got the invisibility cloak?"
"You mean, that long story? Who would've expected that!" Sirius growled in response.
"Not my fault," Harry raised his hands in defeat. "But we're here, right? Let's not waste any time."
"So, let's do this then!" Sirius let the wolfish grin show on his face as he rubbed his palms in anticipation. "What's the next part of the plan?"
"We rob everything," Harry answered simply.
"Ok. Good," Sirius agreed before the words finally reached his mind. "What? Everything?"
"Never leave a work half done," Harry quoted with an air of wisdom.
"We aren't exactly committing moral deeds to follow ethics, you know," Sirius pointed out. "And where do we store all this wealth?"
"A bottomless bag," Harry answered as he took out a hat from his pocket.
"Good thinking," Sirius praised as he grabbed a handful of galleons.
Just as he was about to drop the galleons into the hat, the hat spoke. "Looking good, Mr. Black."
"Son of a..." Sirius floundered back in surprise and fell onto a stack of galleons. "What the fuck! It's the sorting hat!"
"Wicked, right?" Harry grinned widely. "What better way to secure your hard stolen money than to store them in a talking hat!"
"Bu, bu.." Sirius stammered in shock. "But it's 'The sorting hat'."
"So?" Harry tilted his head in confusion.
"Wait a minute," Sirius took deep breaths to retain his composure. "Hey, Hat! Do you have the memories of all the four founders implanted into you?"
"No," the hat answered after a moment of thought. "But I think I have some of Godric's trinkets in some corner."
"Can you tell us about the things you see in the minds of innocent little first years?" Sirius inquired with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. No sane man would've agreed, let alone a talking hat.
Sirius was bound to be disappointed. "No, Mr. Black. I am charmed to never reveal the secrets of any student."
"At least, do you have some awesome prank ideas?"
"Not really. But I can sing songs! Why I planned a song for next year's sorting and..."
"A bottomless bag, it is!" Sirius interrupted and then started pushing galleons through the brim of the hat.
"When I requested for an adventure, I didn't have a robbery in my mind, Mr. Potter," the hat commented after some time.
"I don't think you have much choice in this matter," Sirius remarked as his gaze fell on one of the diamond ornaments.
"That true," the hat conceded. "At least this is a change from the routine. One can only talk with a flaming bird for so long."
So, they continued looting the vault, with the hat giving random commentary to pass the time.
"How long does your card have before it runs out of magic?" Sirius inquired after his gaze fell on the rather sizable pile in the corner.
"Few more minutes, at the least," Harry replied with a frown. "I charged it enough that it could last an hour."
Though Harry's teleportation could bypass any wards and literally take him anywhere, it did have some disadvantages.
The most glaring disadvantage was that he couldn't teleport to a place where the card wasn't present. That in itself cut off most of the options.
Another disadvantage was that his cards live off his magic.
There's a reason why he always kept his cards with him. The cards continuously leech his magic and if they didn't have any contact with him for a prolonged time, they would revert back to being normal playing cards; Until they get hold of Harry's magic again.
So, long distance teleportations like the one he just did require a lot of magical energy and hence, he couldn't perform them any more than a few times. And then the card which was in a different location would steadily lose magic until it became useless.
Time and distance were an important factor here. But considering the number of positives, these disadvantages were mere annoyances.
In the end, they managed to empty the vault but Harry left seventeen galleons on the floor.
"Why leave those few galleons?" Sirius asked in a tone filled with intrigue.
"Well, a wand costs seven galleons. And a Gringotts key costs ten galleons. So, I am paying the price."
Sirius didn't know whether to feel immensely proud or utterly stupid. So he settled on, "You are a good boy, Harry."
Harry pocketed the hat. "So, see you in the shack?"
"Sure. Did you bring the invisibility cloak?"
"Yep. Here," Harry took the cloak out of his robe and gave it to Sirius. "Is that it?"
"Oh, my partner in crime!" Sirius cooed as he held the cloak to his chest. "How dearly I have missed you!"
Harry deadpanned as Sirius rained kisses on the cloak. He then attributed it to a side effect after being in the prison for so long and left it at that.
"Be safe, Padfoot," Harry gave a wave of his hand and then teleported to the shrieking shack.
"I won't leave you again, my godson," Sirius mumbled as he watched the spot where Harry previously stood. "It's a promise."
Then as the escort left him after coming out of the tunnel, Sirius donned the invisibility cloak. He didn't know what charms were placed on this cloak but it gifted the user with perfect invisibility. No detection or tracking or summoning charms worked on it and he believed that even the most complex magics wouldn't affect it.
So, when Aurors barricaded the entrance to Gringotts, Sirius did not worry even for a moment and quietly slipped through the gaps.
Harry strolled through the corridors with a mile-wide grin on his face and a skip to his steps. The plan went flawlessly and no one was harmed.
A day that went with no hitches…
He had no time to finish that thought as he stumbled upon a petrified Mrs. Norris; the cat was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
He was about to bolt from the corridor but it was too late. From either end of the corridor where he stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs. The chatter died abruptly as the people in the front spotted the hanging cat.
"Enemies of the heir, beware. You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Someone shouted from the crowd.
It was Draco Malfoy, who was looking even paler than usual. It seemed as though Death passed through the boy and forgot to return the soul.
If Harry was feeling any guilt for involving Draco in his plan, it dissipated like thin mist. That blond idiot had it coming.
"You!" Argus Filch screeched. "You murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll..."
"Argus!" Dumbledore – as was his habit – appeared out of nowhere.
"Well, I do share a modicum of doubt, Headmaster," Snape smiled thinly. "I did not see Mr. Potter at the Halloween dinner. One can't help but doubt what the boy has been doing during this time."
All eyes flitted over to Harry, but Harry was too busy as he was glaring at Snape. Harry had to inform Sirius that Severus Snape had it coming.
"Even Malfoy was not present at Dinner," Terry came to his rescue. Harry would've hugged him if it wasn't inappropriate at the moment.
"Your obsession with me is frightening, Professor Snape."
"But it doesn't answer the question about what you were doing during the dinner time," Snape retorted with a sneer.
"I was with Professor Trelawney, celebrating Halloween in her office," Harry answered without skipping a beat.
"Yes, it's true," Trelawney concurred. "We were trying to enter the higher realm."
'From where the hell did she appear?' was the prominent thought running through the minds of the students.
'And what the hell is she saying,' was a close second.
"It was eventful, Professor Trelawney," Harry smiled at the wacky professor. "I can't thank you enough for the experience."
"Stop this nonsense," Snape yelled. "You insolent brat! You should..."
Snape was interrupted by an irate Amelia Bones. "What's happening here?"
"Auntie!" Susan squeaked in surprise.
"Hello, Susan," Amelia gave room for a small smile. Then her smile vanished as her gaze fell onto the writing on the wall.
"What brings you here, Amelia?" Dumbledore smiled in his grandfatherly way.
That did not deter Amelia Bones in the slightest. "We have several witnesses saying that they saw Draco Malfoy with Sirius Black at Gringotts."
Several gasps echoed through the corridor and Draco became the center of attention.
"WHAT!"
"Where were you during this night, Mr. Malfoy?" Amelia's glare could have melted stone.
"I..I..I didn't..." Draco stuttered as he tried to come up with an excuse.
"That brat wasn't there for dinner!" Argus Filch accused as he found the target for his anger.
"Let's settle this peacefully," Dumbledore tried to appease the Aurors but no one was willing to listen. This was the most entertainment anyone could ever find at Hogwarts.
"Jenkins! Read the witness file," Amelia ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.
"Witnesses saw a blond haired boy with Sirius Black at precisely seven forty-three in the night. He bore exact resemblance to one Draco Malfoy and even the personality and actions matched the description."
Auror Jenkins gave time for the information to sink in before dropping the bombshell.
"The boy displayed 'The Malfoy Walk' as he strolled out of Gringotts," Auror Jenkins finished in a grave tone.
"It's settled, then," Amelia stated as she strode forward to reach the Malfoy heir. "Mr. Malfoy, we are taking you into custody."
"No, you can't!" Draco Malfoy shouted out in fear. "When my father hears about this..."
"Yeah. You can tell him all about it in prison," Amelia smiled without any hint of warmth. "We are taking him into custody too."
"It really did have some crazy consequences," Sirius's eyes were as wide as saucers after he heard the latest news from Harry. "Did you take all of this into account when you formed the plan?"
"Not really," Harry answered calmly.
If Sirius had been hearing about this before the heist, he would have been freaking out. But then, it was a success and Harry had a vault full of galleons and ornaments in his pockets.
"You are a convict who escaped from prison and has a death sentence upon his head. I didn't think it can get much worse than that."
"True," Sirius conceded with a shrug.
"And I am the boy-who-lived and a schoolboy. I was never in much risk, to begin with," Harry continued as he rested his head on Sirius's shoulder. "But the whole fiasco with the Malfoys and Aurors? I did expect that such a thing might happen when I saw the Aurors at Gringotts."
"You really are a genius, aren't you?" Sirius smiled fondly as he ruffled Harry's messy hair. "I must be the proudest godfather in the whole world."
"And I must be the proudest god..." Harry began but his words came to an abrupt halt. "WHAT!"
Sirius ran a hand through his hair nervously as Harry turned to face him.
"Er...TA DA?"
Author's Note: I was about to end it at Malfoy's arrest but then, I wanted to end things on a positive and cheerful note. The next chapter might contain a snippet in Lucius's point of view.
This is the longest and most eventful chapter yet. So, I expect only one simple thing from you: Review!