They received one last good omen before their plan was put into action.
During a stormy evening, when Harry tried to teach Exploding Snap to Allen and Lavi faced Ron in a match of Wizard's Chess, there came a heavy pounding on the door. The room became still; who could have found Shell Cottage, protected by the Fidelius Charm?
Bill lurched from his chair, fist on one side of the door frame as he called, "Who is it?"
They could barely hear the answer over the howling wind. "It is I, Remus John Lupin! I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you – the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage – told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"
Bill wrenched the door open before Harry could so much as shout, but the man that came stumbling did look like Lupin.
"It's a boy!" Lupin cried the moment he was inside and the door firmly shut behind him. "We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"
Harry was still stuck at being suspicious of the man's identity – by the time his mind caught up with the words, Hermione was shrieking and Fleur was shouting. Then whether or not Lupin was really Lupin paled behind the realization.
"Tonks – Tonks had the baby?" he whispered.
"Yes, yes, she's had the baby!" Lupin all but shouted. Ron muttered congratulations but was drowned out by the women's squealing. Harry had completely forgotten; his argument with Lupin a lifetime ago had faded to xthe back of his mind, replaced by his support during the PotterWatch episode.
"Yes – yes – a boy," Lupin said, dazed. He was lost in some kind of euphoria, as if nothing could pop his bubble. He must have rushed almost straight there.
Harry leaned on the couch. He needed a moment. This was precious news, great news. His chest filled with a fragile kind of ache, a repetition of Lupin's a father!
Then the man cut right through the crowd, went straight to Harry, and swept him up in a bone-crushing hug that reminded Harry yes, Lupin was much stronger than he looked. He was swung around in a circle, his feet nowhere near the floor, and when he was finally set down Lupin said, "You'll be godfather?"
"M-me?" Harry said, just as dazed as Lupin had been when he'd arrived.
"You, yes, of course – Dora quite agrees, no one better –"
Harry flopped back into the couch, overwhelmed. "I – yeah – I mean –"
Lavi clapped Harry on the shoulder from behind the couch. He leaned forward with a subdued smile. "Congratulations to both of you!"
"It's the best news one could ask for," Allen added. "True congratulations indeed!"
Lupin's dislike of the Exorcists didn't stop him from beaming.
Harry briefly wondered if it bothered them. The Exorcists weren't likely to have children, were they? What was worse was that he couldn't imagine any of them having any.
"I can't stay long, I must get back," Lupin said as Fleur tried to convince him to stay for a drink and Bill disappeared to fetch the wine. "Thank you, thank you, Bill."
Goblets were filled and there was one big toast to Teddy Remus Lupin. Cheers and excited laughter filled the air. It was like a scene from another time, where there was no war.
One bottle of wine turned into two. Griphook left the celebrations early and Harry was ashamed to admit it took time to notice the Exorcists had faded to another part of the Cottage. It took even longer to remember Malfoy was a resident of the Cottage now too and realize he was gone. But this celebration, sudden and amazing, was exactly what he and his friends needed. Hope; a reminder that time was still passing and there was still a life to live.
Eventually, Lupin declined more wine and reached for his traveling cloak. "No… no… I really must get back."
Harry kept up the easiest smile he'd had in a long time.
"Good-bye, good-bye – I'll try and bring some pictures in a few days time – they'll be so glad to know I've seen you –"
Even after Lupin left, there was a bright cheer to the conversation. Harry retired early, exhausted by his roller-coaster emotions, and saw Malfoy. He couldn't resist asking, "Why'd you leave? Isn't Teddy your cousin?"
He knew it was a stupid question as soon as he said it. Malfoy sneered and said, "Don't, Potter. You know our family isn't on the best of terms."
"You could be," Harry offered, trying not to let the sudden acid bring his mood down. "Like you said, you're the last Malfoy now. You could fix it."
But it seemed clear that Malfoy had no such intentions.
That night, Harry's cheer died. He didn't have a vision, but he did have a nightmare; he dreamt of another child with another name, with no parents and a godfather who died before they could properly meet. He woke full of guilty for knowing it was a distinct possibility.
#
They gave Bill and Fleur one day of warning – which they spent trying to convince them not to go – and then left before they said they would.
It was just time. The plan was made and no one was getting any younger. Ollivander had been moved to Muriel's, and both Dean and Luna were doing fine. Shell Cottage had been a good stop.
But it was only a stop.
He left a short note thanking them for their help and promising to be careful and all the things he thought he should've said. He tried to sound confident. He didn't want them to know he was terrified. They left just as dawn was revealing its colors, at a time of morning he would have liked to say he'd never been up for.
Malfoy took the lead. He was flanked by Kanda and Lavi, who wore disguises meant to make them look more pureblood. Kanda had left his hair down, tied at the end by a small, fancy rope. They'd made some attempt at smoothing Lavi's down and styling it over his eyepatch. Both were dressed in robes; it looked surprisingly fine.
"How can you stand to move in this?" Lavi said, taking extra-large steps. "It's like wearing a dress."
"You simply don't understand our culture," Draco said. "Robes are infinitely better than those tight pants you wear – they're indecent and lude."
They hadn't even made it to public and he was donning the snide pureblood attitude.
Oh wait. He wore that all the time.
"W – what?" Lavi sputtered. "Lude?! I'll have you know they're very good looking! And I'd rather not have to worry about tripping all the time!"
"Is it really so different from your uniform?" Hermione said. "Especially when you wear your cloaks."
"It's different," Lavi groused. "It's very different."
Harry's uniform wasn't exactly the same as theirs, but it was made out of the same materials. He could safely say he agreed, but he didn't necessarily prefer one over the other unless he was fighting. He supposed the Exorcists did fight a lot.
"Is everyone ready?" he said instead. "Yes? Okay. Stick to the plan."
They apparated to King's Cross Road, then passed through the Leaky Cauldron. He, Hermione, Ron and Griphook remained under his cloak's invisibility, closely trailing behind Draco and his entourage. For their parts, Kanda and Lavi both pulled off a reasonable sneer.
"Mr. Malfoy," Tom murmured as they went. Malfoy hummed in barely noticed acknowledgement.
Diagon Alley was not at all like Harry remembered. It was quiet and dull. Beggars lined the streets, more than a few wounded. There were more Dark Arts shops and his own face decorated many windows, titled 'Undesirable Number One'.
The people avoided Malfoy. They tripped over themselves not to so much as touch him. Doors shut and wizards averted their gazes. Harry frowned, displeased, but Draco did not falter.
"My children!" one of the men along the street suddenly cried. One of his eyes was covered in a bloody bandage. "Where are my children? What has he done with them? You know, you know!"
The man lunged at Malfly with nothing short of rage, but Kanda and Lavi shoved him back so quickly it looked like magic. The man crashed into a stand and no one moved to help him.
They weren't supposed to draw attention to themselves, but they weren't off to a good start. Seeing these people weighed on his heart strings. He wanted to help the man, reassure him, but to do so would reveal them. He had to keep moving forward.
"Why, if it isn't young Malfoy," a voice called.
It was a wizard with a crown of bushy gray hair and a long, sharp nose. Harry recognized him; it was the wizard that had fled from Xenophilius' house. Harry stifled a worried sound, clutching his wand. Would the man recognize Kanda or Lavi?
"It is Mr. Malfoy now, as you know," Draco said coldly. "Travers."
"Ah, yes. Terribly sorry about your loss," Travers said. "Terrible accident, that one."
Draco's chin twitched up. "Ah, yes. Accident."
A small smile played on Travers mouth. They both knew it wasn't genuine. "I must admit I'm surprised to see you here, Mr. Malfoy."
Harry prodded Malfoy along. As if Travers were beneath his notice, Draco took up the path and shot back a disinterested, "Is that so?"
"Well, yes. I heard the… inhabitants of Malfoy Manor were, ah, confined to the house after the… escape."
Travers seemed to think he was clever, as if no one listening might understand what he was saying. Harry was unimpressed, but concerned about what he might know. They had desperately hoped not to run into a sympathizer today.
"You heard wrongly, then," Malfoy said. He crossed his arms behind him, and his clasped hands held a small tremor. "I am here under an errand for the Dark Lord himself. He'd be displeased to know that you suspect me so."
Travers blinked. "Is that so?" he said, mimicking him. "And this? You travel in interesting company."
He looked Lavi and Kanda over with a carefully empty expression. There seemed to be a flash to his eyes; Harry could only hope it wasn't recognition.
"This is Dragomere Desbard, a wizard from Japan," Malfoy said, motioning to Kanda. "And this is Deak Acuzio, an American. Our Lord's efforts overseas hasn't gone unnoticed. I bring them as a present."
Both Kanda and Lavi eyed Travers and did not offer their hands. They gave off a cool air. Travers looked them over. "Let's hope it helps make up for the… dissatisfaction your father left behind. You say you're here on an errand?"
"To Gringotts," Malfoy said with a sharp nod. Harry grit his teeth, worried that in his attempt not to draw attention Malfoy was giving too much too freely.
"Alas, I also," Travers said. "Gold, filthy gold! We cannot live without it, yet I confess I deplore the necessity of consorting with our long-fingered friends."
Harry winced and hoped Griphook would keep his silence.
"Gold is, I take it, why you are here, after all?"
"You step beyond your station," Malfoy said haughtily. His clasped hands were too tight. "It is no business of yours what the Dark Lord wishes if he did not ask you."
"Ah, what a good little Death Eater you are. You are quite right. I apologize."
Harry was not convinced. He wanted Travers to go away, but the Death Eater followed them up the marble steps to the great bronze doors. On either side, the goblin statues had been replaced by wizards holding long, golden rods.
"Ah, Probity Probes," Travers sighed dramatically. "So crude – but effective!"
The golden rods were passed over then thoroughly, searching for spells of concealment and hidden magical objects. They'd expected this; not knowing how it might appear to a scan, Harry carried both Lavi's hammer and Mugen.
The Exorcists passed through slowly, as if fascinated with their surroundings. It gave the rest of them, hidden by Harry's cloak, time to slip through. Travers watched, no doubt waiting for something to go amiss, but Malfoy stepped through and no alarms went off.
They didn't need to fake their interest in the poem scrawled on the inner, silver doors. It was a dire warning to thieves – particularly relevant at the moment – and Harry had to cover a snort. What would he have thought if he'd known the first time he'd seen it that he would return to do just as it warned against?
Malfoy took up his guise again, giving Lavi and Kanda short words to explain the proceedings inside. Travers went ahead to a goblin who had been inspecting a golden coin.
When it was Malfoy's turn, the goblin appeared faintly surprised. "Mr. Malfoy! How may I help you today?"
"I wish to enter my vault," Draco said.
Travers wasn't the only one watching too closely. Goblins that had nothing to do with their transaction were paying too much attention. It didn't bode well.
"You have... identification?"
Harry felt the presence of one of the others under his invisibility come up beside him, and then Griphook hissed lowly, "They are suspicious! They must have been warned about an impostor!"
"Identification?" Draco said, eyes narrowed. "Why am I being asked this? Or are those probes of yours in fact quite ineffective?"
"I mean no disrespect, sir," The goblin quickly said. "But we had been under the impression that you wished to put off the paperwork until after the funeral."
Voldemort must be pulling strings. Trying to keep the Malfoy fortune and property under his control. Did he know Gringotts could tell a person's death?
"I can't very well hold a funeral as things stand, now can I?" Malfoy glared and stiffly held out his wand. "Check it and let me be on my way. Some of us have more important things to do."
The goblin took his wand and Harry looked about. How much did the goblins know? Griphook hadn't been employed in some time and hadn't been able to tell them what the inner social workings might be like. What if they supported Voldemort?
Harry clenched his fist, pulled out his wand, and whispered, "Imperio!"
The sensation that traveled down his arm was new and curious. The goblin's bearing relaxed. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. It was silly of me."
Malfoy nodded and turned to Travers. "It was interesting seeing you, but I must be on my way."
"Certainly. I will be seeing you around more often, I trust?"
"Indeed."
Travers bowed his head to Lavi and Kanda. Only Lavi attempted to return it.
"I shall need the Clankers," the goblin told the younger one that had approached them. A moment later, the younger goblin reappeared with a leather bag that seemed to be full of jangling metal. "Good, good! So, if you will follow me, Mr. Malfoy."
He jumped down from the stool, momentarily vanishing from sight, before rounding the counter. "I, Bogrod, shall take you to your vault."
He ignored another of the goblins that called out to them with a wave of his hand. Malfoy fell in step beside him, and they were led through one door of many into a stone passageway. As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Harry let the invisibility drop – holding it on several people was starting to inspire the usual headache.
"They suspect us," he said.
Hermione and Ron look sharply to Bogrod, but the goblin didn't seem to notice them. His face had glazed over now, clearly under some kind of influence without direct commands.
"Imperiused," he said. They gave him a frown, but their situation didn't allow scolding.
"If we go any further, we might not be able to leave," Ron said. "Should we come back later?"
"We might not be able to leave without a fuss now," Hermione said.
"They'll realize something was wrong for sure if we just go now." Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We won't have another chance after this. Malfoy is our best hope. I say we keep going."
Griphook was the only one who seemed pleased. "Good! So, we need Bogrod to control the cart; I no longer have the authority. But there isn't room for all of us."
The carts weren't big enough to hold nine people at once. They split into two predetermined groups and had Bogrod call a second cart. They'd argued exhaustively about leaving anyone behind and, knowing the second cart would draw suspicions, decided to stick together anyway.
Harry shared the front cart with the two goblins, Malfoy and Allen. The second cart held the rest, and they jerked forward.
He'd never been on a Muggle roller coaster, but he imagined it was something like this.
They sped faster than felt safe, through tight tunnels and sudden turns. They went deeper in Gringotts than he'd ever been and ever thought existed, and the deeper they went, the more he worried about getting back out. The tracks dipped, and suddenly they rounded a corner straight towards a waterfall.
"No!" Griphook shouted.
The carts had no emergency breaks. They had no time to stop, barreling through it. Water surrounded them, soaking everything. Then his cart screeched to a stop and the second one slammed into it from behind.
They were all send from the metal contraptions in a heap of limps. Harry twisted, trying to right himself, and was surprised when his landing was gentle.
"C-cushioning charm," Hermione sputtered.
"That was the Thief's Downfall!" Griphook exclaimed, scrambling up and looking back at the falling water. "It washes away all enchantment, all magical concealment! They know there are thieves here in Gringotts, they have set off defenses against us!"
Harry quickly recast his spell on Bogrod before the goblin could cause more complications, double checking that his cloak was still in his bag. He should have left the effects on; he cursed himself for trying to spare himself a headache. If he'd just tried to extend the effects, let the water wash through them –
"I think I hear people coming!" Hermione looked back frantically.
"How are we gonna get out now?" Ron said.
Harry shook his head. "Horcrux now, that bridge later. We can do this."
They didn't have a choice. It was now or never.