Part IV: Revolution
Chapter XVII: In Which the Gringotts Heist Occurs
Corinna stood in the bedroom that she once shared with Harry. They had cleaned up from its lived-in state and it now resembled the guest room it really was. Sitting on top of the bed, starring disdainfully at the mud-like potion in the clear glass they borrowed from the kitchen was Hermione. She made an odd squelching noise as she put the long black hair in the concoction and watched it as it darkened to resemble a dark brown mud instead of a dark grey consistency.
"I can still take it if you want," suggested Corinna as she crossed her arms. "We can disguise you like we are with Ron."
Corinna was dressed in an old set of robes from Fleur as the only things she managed to pack for herself were Muggle clothing. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, not wanting to repeat what happened as Bill and Fleur's wedding with a plait.
"This way makes the most sense," said Hermione as she breathed deeply through her nose. The early dawn light shown through the window, causing long shadows to form in the light room. "The fewer people we have to transfigure, the better."
Corinna had to concede that point, but she still didn't like it. They were, after all, asking Hermione to transform into the woman who tortured her. Hermione might be willing to do it, but it was still a very messed up situation.
"Just pretend it's one of those Muggle things for cuts," said Corinna, drawing a blank as to what they were called. "Apparently they hurt to pull off, according to Terry, so I guess you just need to yank it and get it over with."
"They do." Hermione raised the glass slightly as if she was about to do a cheers motion, but then thought better of it. Taking Corinna's advice, she leaned her head back and downed the potion, gagging as she swallowed hard. "It's worse than gurdyroots!" she said as she quivered from the potion.
All at once, Hermione began to change. Her brown hair darkened and the curls slackened as they fell further down her back. Her narrow face drew gaunt and her wide, brown eyes narrowed as her lids became heavy and her irises lightened to grey. Although it was harder to tell from her sitting position, she grew in height and would tower over Corinna once she stood.
"Well?" asked Hermione as she carefully stood up. She sounded like Bellatrix, but there was something in her voice that still spoke of Hermione. It was much kinder than Bellatrix would be capable of producing. If Corinna closed her eyes, she could hear Andromeda.
"I always wondered why I ended up so short if both my parents are tall," said Corinna as she watched Hermione adjust to her new body. "But in all seriousness, it worked. Let's get Griphook and head outside. Harry and Ron should already be out there."
They met up with Griphook and quietly made their way out of the house. Hermione tucked her beaded bag into the inside part of her borrowed robes. Everything they could need was hidden away inside her bag with the illegal engorgement charm. They had all their own bags along with Hermione's books and the tent that Bill let them borrow since the one they initially borrowed was abandoned when the snatchers came for them.
Harry and Ron stood on the edge of the property, the line that divided where the Fidelis Charm started and ended. They both stared at Hermione, knowing how disconcerting it was to know that the person in front of them wasn't really Bellatrix, but the urge to hex her was still prevalent in the back of their minds.
"Okay, Ron, come here so I can do you…"
"Right, but remember, I don't like the beard too long—"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, this isn't about looking handsome—"
"It's not that, it gets in the way! But I liked my nose a bit shorter, try and do it the way you did last time."
Harry, Corinna, and Griphook stood off to the side while Hermione muttered transformation spells under her breath to change Ron's appearance. They were hoping that Bellatrix would distract people from the fact that no one will know that Ron was a made-up character entirely. They were banking on Bellatrix not widely announcing what she was doing with Corinna and her subsequent escape, so Corinna joining her mother in an excursion to the outside world, which would be surprising, but it shouldn't raise too many alarms.
"There," said Hermione, "how does he look?"
Corinna supposed that anyone who knew Ron well would be able to see him underneath the brown, wavy hair with matching beard. Hermione managed to remove his freckles and give him a broader nose and heavy eyebrows. If Corinna was going to be honest, she thought Ron could be related to Viktor Krum, but she was not about to say that out loud with present company.
"Well, he's not my type, but he'll do," said Harry. "Shall we go, then?"
Corinna dared not look back at Shell Cottage. It was hard enough to dive into the unknown without the reminder of that cottage. She focused on the path ahead of them, doing her best not to trip on the uneven stones beneath them. Once they were past the gate where they could safely Apparate, Griphook spoke up.
"I should climb up now, Harry Potter, I think?"
Harry knelt down so Griphook could climb onto his back. Harry seemed unbothered by the weight as he easily stood back up once Griphook had a grip, but he needed to adjust to the change in balance the goblin forced upon him. Hermione pulled the Invisibility Cloak out of the beaded bag and threw it over them, while Ron and Corinna helped adjust it so that Harry's feet was not visible.
"Perfect," said Hermione. "I can't see a thing. Let's go."
Corinna released a tense sigh as she turned on the spot, the familiar squeeze of Apparating taking what little air she had in her chest. The landed just outside the Leaky Cauldron and they stepped out onto the pavement with the Inferius-like Muggles who seemed more focused on getting to their destinations without falling over than what was going on in the world around them.
They walked into the Inn that was bypassed by Muggles. There was not much activity at this time in the morning, with only a couple of warlocks having a quiet conversation in the corner and Tom, the innkeeper, polishing glasses behind the bar. "Madam Lestrange," he murmured in their direction, giving a nod without looking any of them in the eye.
"Good morning," said Hermione and Corinna resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Too polite," Harry said once they were in the small alleyway behind the Leaky Cauldron. "You need to treat people like they're scum."
"Okay, okay!"
Hermione jammed the bricks with Bellatrix's wand, and they shifted out of the way to reveal the archway leading to Diagon Alley proper. As they headed down the crooked cobblestone street, the first thing Corinna noticed was all the posters with Harry's plastered everywhere, claiming him to be Undesirable Number One.
Corinna couldn't help but stick close to Ron and Hermione as they continued down the once-familiar path through Diagon Alley. Although there weren't many people walking around, there were still people on the edges, sinking away as they approached. There was one that crossed their path, a bloody bandage on his face. His voice was high and distraught as he pointed at Hermione.
"My children! Where are my children! What has he done with them? You know, you know!"
Hermione stammered and completely unprepared for the man who lunged for her. There was a loud bang as a red light encompassed the man and sent him sprawling back. Corinna glanced back at Ron, who had a surprised look on his face as his wand was trained out. Either way, it sent a message, and anyone else who had dared to approach them shirked back into the shadows.
They were hoping to sneak right through Diagon Alley to the bank, but that plan went out the window considering who they were impersonating. Corinna felt something brush against her arm and before she could say anything, a voice came from behind them.
"Why, Madam Lestrange!"
A man was striding towards them, one that Corinna did not recognize. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she heard Griphook his the man's name. The name Travers also did not ring any bells for Corinna, but considering how he was openly greeting Bellatrix, he was most likely part of the Death Eater lot.
"And what do you want?" demanded Hermione, still sounding unsure but letting more of Bellatrix's contempt shine through.
There was more shuffling next to Corinna as Harry tried to be discreet as he passed along a message to Hermione.
"I merely sought to greet you," said Travers, affronted by the cold greeting, "but if my presence is not welcome…"
"No, no, not at all, Travers," said Hermione as she did her best to recover. Corinna was thinking that she should have been the one to be Bellatrix, and she did not think she was the only one. "How are you?"
"Well, I confess I am surprised to see you out and about, Bellatrix."
"Really? Why?"
"Well," Travers cleared his throat, "I heard that the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor were confined to the house, after the…ah…escape."
"The Dark Lord forgives those who have served him most faithfully in the past," said Hermione, and Corinna could have sworn that it was Bellatrix who said those words. She mastered the contemptuous manner that Bellatrix spoke. "Perhaps your credit is not as good with him as mine is, Travers."
Although Travers looked miffed by the snide comment, he did appear to be less suspicious. He glanced down at the man that Ron had stunned, a sneer crossing his face.
"How did it offend you?"
"It does not matter, it will not do so again."
"Some of these wandless can be troublesome. While they do nothing but beg I have no objection, but one of them actually asked me to plead her case at the Ministry last week. 'I'm a witch, sir, I'm a witch, let me prove it to you!' As if I was going to give her my wand—but whose wand are you using at the moment, Bellatrix? I heard that your own was—"
"I have my wand here." Hermione's voice was cold. "I don't know what rumors you have been listening to, Travers, but you seem sadly misinformed."
Travers seemed taken aback by this, but his eyes landed on Corinna, and she did her best not to shrink away under his gaze.
"Who is this? She seems to be just a student."
"This is my daughter," said Hermione as Corinna straightened up slightly.
"My name is Carina Lestrange," said Corinna, bowing slightly while keeping her head held up so she kept looking the man in the eye. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
Travers narrowed his eyes at Corinna and she kept her face neutral, pretending she was still under the Imperius as she had whenever she was in Bellatrix's presence. "I thought she was involved with Potter's lot."
Hermione gave a cold, mocking laugh. It actually sent shivers down Corinna's spine. "She was under orders, Travers. You really don't know much of what is going on, do you?"
The dig seemed to make Travers clench his jaw. He turned to face Ron now, as if now purposefully looking for something to find error in. "And who is your friend? I do not recognize him."
"This is Dragomir Despard," said Hermione. "He speaks very little English, but he is in sympathy with the Dark Lord's aims. He has traveled here from Transylvania to see our new regime."
"Indeed? How do you do, Dragomir?"
"'Ow you?" said Ron, holding out his hand. He spoke quickly, and Corinna couldn't quite place what accent he was trying for.
Travers reluctantly shook Ron's hand. "So what brings you, your daughter, and your—ah—sympathetic friend to Diagon Alley this early?"
"I need to visit Gringotts."
It seemed that Travers also needed to go to Gringotts, and offered to walk with them to the bank. They had no choice but to fall in step with him. They approached Gringotts with its white façade that towered over the rest of the buildings. A watchful Death Eater was the last thing they needed tagging along with them, but there wasn't much of a choice.
The entrance that was once flanked by two goblins were now stationed by a couple of wizards sporting Probity Probes. Travers voiced his annoyance, but let them run the Probes along his body to test for spells of concealment and hidden magical objects. He headed through the golden doors while the guards suddenly looked very confused. As the three of them started to walk past them, the nearest guard blinked at Corinna and pointed the Probe towards her.
"But you've just done that!" shrieked Hermione, Bellatrix's commanding and arrogant voice echoing through the entry. She had grabbed Corinna's arm and pulled her out of the way of the Probe as the guard blinked at them, unseeing.
"Yeah, you've just checked them, Marius."
Hermione gave a humph and half dragged Corinna into the bank. Corinna put on a mask of annoyance, but she was mostly relieved that they were able to get past the guards without Travers catching on. They walked through the inner set of silver doors into the grand marble hall of the bank. Corinna had been in there a handful of times whenever her father needed to collect from the family vault. She never liked having to walk along passed the long marble counter full of goblins who watched those who entered with contempt. Now she understood they probably believed everything within the bank truly belongs to them, not the witches and wizards who own the vaults.
They hung back, letting Travers step up first. Hermione went about explaining the bank to Ron, a plausible excuse since he was supposed to be a foreigner. Corinna hung back, pretending to be bored by the whole thing. Once Travers' key was examined by the head goblin and sent off with another, Hermione stepped forward.
"Madam Lestrange!" The goblin was startled. "Dear me! How—how may I help you today?"
"I wish to enter my vault."
Things suddenly turned very tense. Travers hung back, watching with narrow eyes. Even some of the goblins seemed to stop working to watch the scene unfold.
"You have…identification?"
"Identification? I—I have never been asked for identification before!"
"Your wand will do, madam," said the goblin.
That was it. They were found out. There was no way they would dare ask for her wand unless they know it was taken.
Hermione did not have much of a choice. She surrendered Bellatrix's wand to the goblin, and he inspected it closely. "Ah, you have had a new wand made, Madam Lestrange!"
"What?" said Hermione. "No, no, that's mine—"
"A new wand?" said Travers as he approached the counter. "But how could you have done, which wandmaker did you use?" Corinna's heart sank when Travers' anger seemed to dissipate from his face. Although someone would normally just see someone who was at peace, Corinna knew the signs all too well. "Oh yes, I see," he said as he looked down at Bellatrix's wand, "yes, very handsome. And is it working well? I always think wands require a little breaking in, don't you?"
Hermione, for her role, let the bizarre change in circumstances work out, but Corinna still had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"I shall need the Clankers," said the old goblin to one of the nearby ones. He disappeared a moment before coming back with a bag full of jangling metal. "Good, good! So, if you will follow me, Madam Lestrange." He hopped off his stool and walked out from behind the counter. "I shall take you to your vault."
As they were about to follow after the goblin, with Travers still staring at them with a slackened jaw, another goblin came scurrying around the counter. "Wait, Bogrod! We have instructions." He bowed to Hermione and then hesitated a moment before bowing to Corinna. "Forgive me, Madams, but there have been special orders regarding the vault of Lestrange."
There was harsh whispering going on between the two goblins, but the older goblin—Bogrod—shook him off.
"I am aware of the instructions. Madam Lestrange wishes to visit her vault…Very old family…old clients…This way, please…"
Corinna walked woodenly with the others. She heard footsteps behind her, and she suspected they might be Harry's, but a quick glance back showed that Travers was now following them instead. They walked through one of the many doors that lead to the stone passageways. Once the door was closed, Harry removed the Invisibility Cloak. Griphook hopped off Harry's back, and neither Bogrod or Travers reacted to seeing them.
"They're Imperiused," Harry explained. She tried to justify it in her mind, but it did not settle right. "I don't think I did it strongly enough, I don't know…"
"What do we do?" asked Ron. "Shall we get out now, while we can?"
"If we can," said Hermione as they looked back at the door they just went through. Who knew what sort of chaos was going on just on the other side.
"We've got this far, I say we go on," said Harry.
"Good!" said Griphook. "So, we need Bogrod to control the cart; I no longer have the authority. But there will not be room for the wizard."
Harry sighed heavily as he trained his wand back at Travers.
"Imperio!"
Travers turned and walked along the dark track.
"What are you making him do?"
"Hide." Harry moved his wand to Bogrod, who called the cart. It came trudging along from the darkness, stopping just in front of their weird, makeshift group. There were odd noises coming from the marble hall and they all clambered onto the cart: Griphook joined Bogrod in the front while the four of them somehow managed to squeeze into the back. Corinna somehow ended up on Ron's lap, which neither of them really appreciated but did not have the means of changing as the cart started down the track.
Corinna gripped the edge of the cart to keep herself from slipping down to the floor of the cart as they descended through the labyrinthine passages. Her hair started coming out of the bun, and she was certain it was whipping Ron in the face as he was sputtering and swatting the loose tendrils away. Corinna's apology was lost to the wind.
A chill ran through Corinna as they kept going deeper and deeper into the underground. She would not be surprised if they were miles and miles underneath Diagon Alley at this point. The idea of them being able to get out of this alive seemed less and less likely the deeper they went.
They took a hairpin turn and Corinna slammed against the edge of the cart, and she was certain to have fallen off it if it wasn't for Ron grabbed her at the last second. Before she could even attempt a word of thanks, she heard Griphook shout, "No!" as a waterfall came into their path and pounded into them. Water trapped the air in Corinna's lungs as she could not make sense of the world around her. Without even a chance to cough or sputter, the cart flipped over and they were all through out.
Hermione shrieked a cushioning charm, making it so that they landed painlessly onto the ground. Corinna accepted Harry's hand to help her up as she looked over at Ron doing the same thing for Hermione. Much to their horror, it wasn't Bellatrix that they saw. And Ron was red-haired and beardless. They stared at each other a moment and then felt their own faces.
"The Thief's Downfall!" said Griphook. "It washes away all enchantment, all magical concealment! They know there are imposters in Gringotts, they have set off defenses against us!"
They all double checked that they had all their important items: Hermione her bag, Harry his cloak, and Corinna had Draco's wand. She glanced over to see Bogrod shaking his head. The Imperius curse must have been lifted with the Thief's Downfall.
"We need him," said Griphook, "we cannot enter the vault without a Gringotts goblin. And we need the Clankers!"
"Imperio!" Bogrod was back under Harry's control as Ron picked up the bag of metal objects.
"Harry, I think I can hear people coming!" said Hermione. She pointed Bellatrix's wand above them and cried, "Protego!" The Shield Charm broke the flow of water so they could all safely walk underneath it.
Griphook lead the way as he knew where they were going.
"How are we going to get out again?" Ron asked as they hurried into the darkness.
Corinna grabbed her cousin's wand and muttered, "Lumos," to help brighten their path.
"Let's worry about that when we have to," said Harry, which was not the least bit reassuring. "Griphook, how much farther?"
"Not far, Harry Potter, not far…"
As they rounded the corner, Corinna clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from crying out. They had talked about it at length, but nothing had prepared her for actually seeing the dragon. Its scales were pale and flaky, their eyes a milky pink. Corinna would not be surprised if this poor creature had never seen sunlight in its entire life. Griphoook had explained it was partially blind due to its captivity, but that had him all the more savage since it did not have all its senses to depend on.
Ron passed over the bag to Griphook while he pulled out various tools. When banged together, it created a frequency that, to humans and goblins, merely sounded like a hammer on anvil, but to the dragon would actually cause pain and force the creature to retreat. It was absolutely cruel, something they would all have voiced if they weren't trying to keep Griphook on their side.
Griphook moved from their hiding spot along the corner, clanking the tools together. The dragon gave a roar and then immediately moved back. As they approached, Corinna saw slashing along the dragon's face, now understanding how they trained it to fear the Clankers. It made her stomach burn.
"Make him press his hand to the door!" Griphook told Harry. Harry turned his wand back to Bogrod and the goblin instantly obeyed, pressing his hand against the wooden door. The door to the vault seemed to melt away to reveal an open not dissimilar to the mouth of a cave. Corinna stared as they stepped inside the cramped but vast space. It was the biggest vault she had ever been in and it was crammed with golden coins, silver armor, skins of strange creatures, jeweled flasks, and a skull still wearing a crown.
"Search fast," were Harry's only orders, but they hadn't even begin their search when the door melted back into place, plunging them into darkness. They all uttered, "Lumos," to light up a few beams in order for them to see. Griphook urged them that they did not have much time as Corinna stepped towards a pile of coins, trying to see if she could see Hufflepuff's cup within the gold.
"Harry, could this—" Hermione screamed loudly and Corinna turned to see the jeweled goblet clattered to the ground. It doubled to the point where there was a stream of them, rolling along the floor. Corinna had to jump back to avoid them. "It burned me!"
"They have added Gemino and Flagrante Curses!" said Griphook. "Everything you touch will burn and multiply, but the copies are worthless—and if you continue to handle the treasure, you will eventually be crushed to death by the weight of expanding gold!"
"Okay, don't touch anything!" said Harry, but Corinna could not jump back fast enough for one of the rogue goblets as it hit her shoe. Numerous more goblets joined the fray and she hopped on one foot, hissing as her shoe burned through from the metal.
"Stand still, don't move!" said Hermione, clutching to Corinna to get her to stay still.
"Just look around!" said Harry. "Remember, the cup's small and gold, it's got a badger engraved on it, two handles, otherwise see if you can spot Ravenclaw's symbol anywhere, the eagle—"
Corinna carefully put her foot down, wincing as her foot was already blistered and the pain throbbed with the beat of her heart. She carefully stepped from Harry's grasp so she could look in the opposite direction of him. There was a loud crashing noise as Harry had brushed up against a pile of galleons and sending fake ones flying everywhere. There was barely enough room for their feet.
To add insult to injury, the heat from the fake coins and cups caused the whole place to feel like the center of a furnace. Sweat rolled down Corinna's back. She kept her beam low as she inspected the piles closest to her, but it all just looked like a blur of gold to her. It almost came as a relief when Harry shouted, "It's there, it's up there."
The others joined their beams with Harry's, creating a spotlight right on the little golden cup.
"And how the fuck are we going to get up there without touching anything?" asked Ron.
Summoning the cup was not going to work, despite Hermione's desperate attempt.
"Then what do we do?" said Harry, sounding angry and desperate at the demand. "If you want the sword, Griphook, then you'll have to help us more than—wait! Can I touch stuff with the sword? Hermione, give it here!"
Hermione dug through the beaded bag until she pulled out the shining sword. Harry grabbed the ruby hilt and touched the tip to a nearby treasure. When nothing happened, he continued. "If I can just poke the sword through a handle…"
"But how are we supposed to reach the damn thing?" asked Corinna.
Corinna froze when they heard clanking on the other side of the door. They were really, truly trapped now. They were stuck among treasures designed to kill them in intricate ways, and goblins and guards were on their way to either capture of kill and, given whose vault they were in, it would probably be the latter rather than the former in this case.
"Hermione," said Harry, desperation in his voice, "I've got to get up there, we've got to get rid of it—"
She seemed to understand what he was saying. She raised her wand to Harry, worry and concern shining in her eyes. "Levicorpus."
Harry was hoisted into the air by his ankles, in a similar fashion that Corinna had subject Bellatrix to. But it was not a clean attempt, as Harry bumped into a suit of armor and replicas burst forth. One of the burning suits ran right into Corinna, and she screamed as fire seemed to sear her skin. It knocked her into more treasure as it burned and replicated. She compared it to the Cruciatus Curse where it seemed that the pain was coming from everywhere and there were no means to remedy it.
Corinna was struggling to keep her legs free from the treasure as wherever she touched caused whatever blistered were coming up to get worse. Her skin was angry and red as she saw the sword fall from Harry's grasp, Hufflepuff's cup hooked onto the blade. She dove for it, but Griphook had yanked it out of her grasp. He swung it wide, causing the cup to fly up. Harry managed to catch it, and she could not imagine how much pain it was to purposefully hold onto the object despite how it multiplied and burned him.
The door to the vault opened, and the burning gold slid out like a swelling ocean. Corinna struggled to keep her head up as they were all swept into the outer chamber. She shakily stood from the gold to shouts of Stupefy. Corinna joined in using Draco's wand she was surprised she managed to hang on to. Some of the goblins fell from the spells they were shouting, but many goblins still advanced with the wizard guards. She thought she had recognized one of the wizards.
The dragon let out a roar, causing Corinna to seize a moment. She had completely forgotten about the dragon, which was surprising all things considered. She heard Harry shout to Corinna, who was closest to where it was tethered, to release the dragon.
"Are you mental?" she demanded.
"Yes!"
And so was Corinna as she pointed her wand at the metal pegs keeping the dragon in place. "Relashio!" she shouted, and the cuffs broke free.
"This way!" Harry yelled. They all still shot Stunners at the goblins to keep them from advancing as Harry ran for the dragon.
"What are you doing?" cried Hermione.
"Get up, climb up, come on—"
Harry used leverage from its hind legs to climb up. Ron gave Corinna a boost as she was not able to reach anything to hold onto. The scales felt like a grater against her blistered hands, making many of them ooze and holding on neigh impossible. Once they were all climbed on with Hermione in front of Harry and Ron behind Corinna, the dragon noticed that it was free as it reared up with a mighty roar. They all had to flatten out on the dragon's back as they scraped against the ceiling.
"We'll never get out, it's too big!" Hermione shouted as the dragon advanced through the tunnel, knocking goblins and wizards around like a game of Gobstones. The dragon dived forward into the passageway and belched flames. It caused some of the walls of the tunnel to crack and crumble underneath, and the dragon force its way through.
The heat and dust brought upon the escape causing Corinna's throat to tighten and her eyes water to the point she couldn't see anything. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on from the jostling movements. That was when she heard Hermione shout, "Defidio!" which helped the dragon carve out the cave as it desperately searched for fresh air, which was far from the goblins. The rest of them copied her as they blasted the ceiling apart. Rubble fell around them, but they all kept up the spells in order to get to freedom.
At last, they finally managed to blast through the last of the rock and into the marble hallway. Goblins and wizards shrieked and ran for cover while the dragon finally had the space to spread out its wings. With a mighty roar, it bound through the entry doors, leaving them crushed and unhinged in its wake. All the dragon cared about at that point was freedom.
It took off with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Corinna still on its back, the dragon clambered into Diagon Alley and then leapt into the sky.