78. Stiff Lip
Gringotts Bank was foreboding. Stacked stones rose above his head in a sneering fashion. The ground nipped at his every step. Even the air tasted stale and disgusting. The bank was like his old cupboard, only more so. Animosity gleefully mixed with the magic to saturate the very walls. Harry was impressed that the typical wizard could ignore this palpable distaste.
He pulled down his goggles to do a sort of reconnaissance. The dark rot of a Horcrux lightly shimmered to his sight, just as he expected. One of Tom's Horcrux laid in the security of the goblin bank.
Harry steadied his nerves and prepared to enter. Digging through his belongings, he retrieved the invisibility cloak, wrapping it around him felt like receiving a tender hug from Teleute in his childhood. He then pulled Hedwig into the cloak with him. She was visibly unpleased with the arrangement, but kept her reservation silent. It was with this support that Harry made his way towards the bank.
It was far more repulsive up close. It felt like ugly violence barely hidden by a sheet. Harry convinced himself that it was simply nerves getting to him. This was just like the yearly trips he took to the bank to retrieve his funds for school. The bank had no way of knowing of his intentions.
Dragging his feet in attempt to lower any noise, he waited on the goblins. The goblins were all sneers, terse reprimands, and bitterness. He was nearly impressed with the level of disdain that they blatantly demonstrated to wizard and witch alike. It came as a relief when one of the tellers moved from his seat. Harry raced as quietly as possible to his direction.
Even though he was invisible, Harry heart could not help but race. Every time the goblin looked over his shoulder, Harry feared the worse. The last thing he wanted was to have to fight his way through a legion of goblin and whatever nasty tricks they had up their sleeves. Those nearly malicious beady eyes of the goblin unnerved him and brought his mind of all the tortures his history teacher told that goblins and perfected for wizards.
When the goblin at last reached a seat on one of the tracks of the banks, a sense of glee bloomed in him. He was now in an innermost portion of the bank that linked to each of the individual vaults. Taking care to hold on to the cloak and press his back against a wall, he watched the goblin ride away.
When the goblin's figures escaped his sight, he released Hedwig from the confines of his cloak. She stretched her wings in appreciation and straightened out her feathers. Such feminine behavior brought a chuckle to his lips. Hedwig was very much displeased and used her wing to ruffle his hair. The only response she received from Harry was a shrug. It wasn't too different from the norm anyway.
Hedwig left his shoulder and stood before him. Harry removed the cloak and pointed his wand towards her and used the engorgement charm. Her size grew until she stood thrice his height. After lowering her body Harry climbed onto her back and firmly held on to the feathers around her neck. Hedwig rose with the flap of her mighty and strong wings. His grip became tighter as the wind whipped harshly at his face. With the use of his goggles and the compass, he was able to direct Hedwig to the correct vault.
Hedwig's claws scraped harshly against the stone ground as she landed. Harry slid down her back, taking care not to damage any of her feathers lest she refuse him a ride on her back again. Once he caught his bearings he glanced carefully at the fault and felt an alluring repulsion from the magic nestled within.
Harry cracked open the vault. Jewels, gold, armors and other manner of wealth shined in his vision, but it was a goblet that truly glittered in his eyes. The cup was a marvelous gold with an expertly crafted badger etched into the gold. Two ornate and curved handles extended from the sides. His mouth could not help but water at the sight of the cup. Beneath the stain of Tom's mutilated soul was great magic of a homely nature.
It was a shame that he could not sit down and unravel the mysteries of the cup; it was neither the time nor place. Harry plucked the cup from the pile and made to leave. The green of Harry's eyes shined brightly. His heart raced as he realized that a silent alarm had been sounded.
"Hedwig, we're leaving!" He shouted in fear. His feet launched him out the vault and he leapt onto Hedwig's back.
As soon as his weight settled on her back, Hedwig shot out to the higher reaches of the bank. At a quickening pace, she cut through the air. A mighty roar resounded through the pits of the bank. The roar shook his very bones and he nearly choked as he saw fire lighting up the darkness below.
Mere seconds later he discovered what had caused the flames. On large wings, a ferocious dragon erupted from the darkness of the bank. It features were gnarly and hungered. One could feel the saturation of hunger consuming the beast within.
Even at her pace, Hedwig could not fully escape the dragon's chase. The dragon leapt, snarled, and clawed at them the moment it gained any suitable distance between them. Even starved, the dragon was dangerous and relentless.
Where the dragon excelled in power, Hedwig outstripped it in maneuverability. Hedwig dived beneath a swipe, causing Harry's stomach to drop. Sensing magic, Harry whipped his neck towards a gathering of wizards on the solid ground of the vaults launching spells at all three of them.
Harry swiftly casted the shield charm over Hedwig's whole body. The spell crashed violently against the barrier that caused even the enlarged Hedwig to tumble. Things did not deescalate from there, soon he saw goblins filling the grounds and the trails.
Each of them was equipped with bows and as one they all raised them. A wave of arrows surged towards them. The dragon roared in anguish and rage as the arrows penetrated its flesh. To his rising horror, the few arrows that Hedwig could not avoid pierced through the charm and nearly plunged deep within her flesh.
He could hesitate no longer. Tucking her feathers, he led Hedwig to not find the exit from whence they came, but to instead rise higher and higher. And so she did, even as the dragon continued its chase, even as the witches and wizards cast their spells, even as arrows managed to reach her flesh.
Only when he could see the ceiling did he turn to the face the dragon. Perhaps it sensed the possible loss of prey for it expunged a great amount of flames at them. Harry smirked in satisfaction as he pointed his wand towards the dragon, "Aguamenti."
Icy blue light spilled from his wand into a mighty torrent of water. The pressurized water met flames and the two opposite forces mixed and exploded into scalding steam that burned the flesh of the dragon while obstructing the sight of those below them.
With a cry of agony the already weakened dragon fell to those below. Turning around, he aimed at the ceiling and used the blasting curse to destroy the bank's roof and escape.
As they flew away, he could hear the cries of the dragon and shouts of those beneath it.
