Thank you to the wonderful beta of this story, AmbiguousGoldfish
Chapter Nine - The Adventure to Gringotts
Harry and Draco walked down the long hall of Gringotts followed by Ron and Hermione under the invisibility cloak. Harry did his best to keep a straight line, finding it difficult with the highheels he was forced to wear.
There were still many questions that needed to be answered including what they were going to do now since Bellatrix had the sword. The sword was the only thing that they knew of that could destroy a horcrux and now without it seemed like they were back at square one.
" Madam Lestrange!" said the goblin, evidently startled. "Dear me! How- how may I help you today?" The goblin spoke as the four of them made their way up to the counter. Harry had to admit that it would've been easier if Hermione could have been Bellatrix, all he could do was stand there and hope that Draco could talk his way in.
"I'm here to enter my vault," Draco spoke, knowing that Harry was only here for show.
The old goblin seemed to recoil a little. Harry glanced around. Guards hung back, watching, but several other goblins had looked up from their work to stare at Draco.
"You have….identification?" asked the goblin.
"Identification? I- I have never been asked for identification before," said Draco. He belonged to one of the most powerful and richest families, he had never needed to say his name - everyone knew who he was. The fact that he was asked to identify himself sent a shiver of panic down his spine.
"Your wand will do, sir," said the goblin holding out a shaky hand.
"They know," Harry whispered, looking back at Ron and Hermione as the dreadful realization hit him. Draco was believed to be dead, killed by the Dark Lord because of his betrayal. The goblins thought Draco was an imposter. Harry kicked himself, he should have seen this coming, they should have planned better.
Hermione could feel panic setting in as she watched the guards step forward. The thought of being captured frightened her -what if they tortured them just like Ballatrix did? Hidden beneath the cloak, she lifted her wand and for the first time the imperious curse left her lips. Hermione could feel a curious sensation run up her arm as she cast one of the unforgivable curses.
The goblin's face turned blank, emotionless as he spoke. "Please follow me," confusing both Harry and Draco as he stepped off the stool and led them to the back of the bank and into a dark room where a cart sat.
Once the door shut behind them, Draco took out his wand and stunned the goblin before the goblin could say another word to them.
"What are you doing?" Hermione whispered harshly as she took off the cloak. "He was our only way in."
"I can take it from here, I know what to do," Draco explained as he stepped onto the cart, making his way to the front. "You coming or not?"
Harry looked over at Hermione and Ron, and gave a small shrug before following Draco onto the cart. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other before following suit. "I don't know how I feel about this." Hermione muttered nervously.
"Hold on," Draco said as he started the cart. Hermione let out a scream, wrapping her arms around Ron as the cart suddenly lurched down hill.
"You okay?" Ron asked.
"I never did like rollercoasters," Hermione yelled over the thundering of the railings.
"Just don't look down," Harry replied , gripping the metal of the cart as Draco made a sharp turn, causing the cart to tip onto two wheels for a brief moment.
"I think I might be sick," Hermione muttered and before Harry or Ron could reply, Draco let out a yell.
"No!" Draco yelled when he saw it but there was no braking. They zoomed through it. Water filled Harry's eyes and mouth: He could not see or breathe: Then, with an awful lurch, the cart flipped over and they were all thrown out of it. Harry heard the cart smash into pieces against the passage wall, heard Hermione shriek something, and felt himself glide back toward the ground as though weightless, landing painlessly on the rocky passage floor.
"C–Cushioning Charm," Hermione spluttered, as Ron pulled her to her feet.
"Oh no, you look like you again!" Ron exclaimed, having glanced at Harry as he got to his feet.
Harry quickly took his glasses out of the pocket of the dress and placed them on, looking up to see the waterfall.
"What the hell was that?" he asked.
"It's called the Thief's Downfall. It washes away all enchantments, all magical concealment! They know there are imposters in Gringotts. We have to hurry!" Draco explained. Harry took off the high heels he was wearing so he would be able to walk.
Draco led the three further and further into the earth, down dark, cold and wet tunnels until he came to an open space with rows of vaults. Hernione let out a gasp as they encountered the giant dragon that guarded these vaults.
"It is partially blind, but even more savage for that. However, they have the means to control it," Draco explained before bending down and picking up a strange device and shaking it, the noise it made bouncing off the walls. " It has learned to expect pain when it hears the noise." Draco explained as the dragon started to cower in fear, backing up against the wall.
"That's barbaric," Hermione whispered as the four of them made their way past the dragon and into a small hallway filled with vaults.
"There it is," Draco announced, making his way to Bellatrix's vault and holding his hand out. "We need blood to open it."
Hemrione quickly shook her head, not wanting to do what Draco silently asked. She had already caused Draco so much pain, she couldn't add to that.
"I got it," Harry said, taking out his wand and placing it on Draco's palm before casting a slicing charm. A cut appeared across the length of Draco's palm, small droplets of blood rising to the surface.
Draco gave a small wince as his hand was cut and placing his hand on the door. A heartbeat later, they all heard the locks start to move and the door clicking open to reveal mountains of gold.
"Wow," Ron whispered, never in his life has he seen so much gold.
"Good job," Harry said with a smile as he entered the room, the three following behind him.
"Accio horcrux."
"That's not going to work," Harry said as he heard Hermione cast the spell, flicking his wand to light it up.
"Right," Hermione muttered, picking up a golden cup only to drop it seconds later as she felt it burn her hand. As it dropped multiple copies burst from it, scattering on the ground.
"She must have the Germino curse on everything in here. Anything you touch will multiply," Draco explained, backing up and knocking a table over causing multiple copies of the few items that touched his skin to burst from the table.
"Harry," Hermione called out, panic lacing her voice.
"There," Harry announced, pointing to the cup bearing the Hufflepuff crest that was placed on a shelf near the ceiling with a few other trinkets. He was able to hear small whispers coming from the cup, calling him to it. Wasting no time, Harry started to climb the mountain of treasure below the shelf, letting it carry him up as it filled the cramped space. With screams of pain, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were knocked aside into other objects, which also began to replicate. Half buried in a rising tide of red-hot treasure, they struggled and yelled as Harry reached his hand out and was able to wrap his hand around the handle of the cup. His hand began to burn as multiple copies of the cup spewed from his fist but Harry refused to release his grip.
"Impervius!" screeched Hermione in an attempt to protect herself, Ron, and Draco from the burning metal.
"Got it!" Harry yelled, bursting from the burning treasure as all four of them raced to get out of the room. Harry put the cup into his pocket as he ran out the door.
"Stupefy!" Draco bellowed. Being the first one out of the room he attacked the liege of goblins who had gathered to apprehend them. Ron and Hermione joined in, jets of red light flying into the crowd of goblins that approached them. Through the melee, Harry saw several wizard guards running around the corner. All four of them were forced to take cover behind the brick wall as the wizards added their red jets to the room.
"What do we do?" Hermione yelled seeing that they were surrounded.
"You're the brilliant one," Ron yelled back.
"I have an idea but it's mad," Hermione replied as she eyed the dragon.
"Anything will do at this point," Draco yelled, taking cover as a jet of red light flew past his head.
Hermione gave a quick nod before blasting down the railing and running straight into the line of fire heading towards the dragon.
"She is insane," Draco commented.
"Come on!" Harry called as he ran over to Hermione and helped her onto the cowering dragon, before climbing up behind her. Ron and Draco sprinted across the gap and jumped onto the dragon, gasping for breath.
"You are mad!" Draco yelled over the firing of spells.
"Hold on!" Hermione yelled before casting a spell that hit the dragon on the back causing it to scream out in pain as it broke free from its chains and started moving. It climbed up the tracks of the cart and burst through the floor of Gringotts, causing everyone to scream out.
"I can't hold on!" Draco cried out as he felt himself slipping off the dragon.
Harry reached down and grabbed Draco by the hand, causing Draco to cry out in pain as his damage arm was stretched. The dragon let out a long roar before he broke through the ceiling, then stopped, perching on the shattered roof.
"What now?" Ron cried, seeing that the dragon wasn't going to move.
Hermione didn't say anything as she turned back and cast the same spell. The dragon cried out in pain once again as it started to move again, wrecking several nearby buildings before it launched up into the air and flew over the town getting all four of them out of danger.