by: Gemin16
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 4: The Mercenary and the Item
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"You know, I still can't believe that we're the ones who have to stop You-Know-Who from finding those items of Merlin," Ron said as he, Hermione, and Harry walked the streets of Hogsmeade. "The three of us against him."
"I wonder if that Kitrina person was lying to us," Harry voiced out. "It's been well over a week and a half since we've seen her."
"She did say she had something to do, maybe she's locating the items for us," Hermione said. Harry was right in saying that Kitrina had been gone for over a week. Hermione was even starting to have doubts about it, but she wouldn't say so. "Besides, she may be in trouble." Since their meeting with the hyper Kitrina, Hermione became fast friends with Ron and Harry, and was seeing more of the city in one week than in the three months she had been there.
"Hermione, I can guarantee a person like that spells trouble," Ron said.
"Look who's talking," Hermione said dryly. "If she's trouble than what are you and Harry?"
Harry laughed. "She got us there."
Ron muttered something as a small grey bundle flew into his head. "Ow." It bounced right off and flew around his head like a bumblebee. He grabbed a hold of it and held it still. It was a small minute owl carrying a small piece of parchment. "Pig, you stupid owl." He read the note, gave a loud sigh and turned to Hermione and Harry. "Mom wants me to pick up some things for her. If you want, you can go, this will take awhile."
Hermione shook her head. "I really haven't got anything to do so I wouldn't mind coming along. I'll help you if you like." She had finished all her homework for Professor McGonagall and had decided to do some extra studying tonight as soon as she was back in her room.
Harry shrugged. "Might as well help." All three of them started to walk off towards the market place called Diagon Alley.
Off in the shadows, a form of a young man stood watching the trio walk off. His dark eyes followed every movement they made and made note of every detail that he found. It was his job, given to him by his provider of money. He loved money and it moved him to do his small toils. Whether it was spying or stealing or any other business, he would most likely do it. Of course, as long as he was paid. Once he saw Hermione and the others disappear into the large crowds, he too, disappeared.
He apparated into the dark, damp, and deserted area of Knockturn Alley where he would take care of his limited business. He noticed a small table sitting in front of an old shop with a man and woman sitting there. The man motioned for him to come and sit. The young man sat down and crossed his arms along his chest. He stared at the older man and gave him an impatient look. The woman just sat there.
"Well?" the older man said after a second.
The young man stuck out his hand and raised his eyebrow. "Well nothing, you know the contract."
The older man sighed and reached into his robes and pulled out a small bag and handed to the young man. "When will you learn to be more respectful to your employers, Kalvin?"
Kalvin took the bag and stuck it within his robes. "I can take my business elsewhere, Nott," Kalvin said calmly.
"I can find other providers."
"Are they as reliable and efficient." It was clearly a statement.
Nott rubbed his palms together. Kalvin had won that argument hands down. "You clearly have a better control than your father did."
Kalvin closed his eyes at the mention of his father. He was young for a mercenary, eighteen precisely, and he knew his way well around the trade. It was his father's love of money and essential greed and carelessness that got him killed. Kalvin's love for money led him to do what he did, but he also found some fun in the tasks. Of course even he knew when a job was to heavy to handle, the one thing his father never knew. Another thing his father failed to have was a faithful servent at his side at all cost. "I realize that."
"And what of the information?" Nott said in a hurry.
"The item in question seems to be in too tight of a spot to handle for the price that we discussed."
Nott slamed his fist on the table. "Ludicrous! I will not even pay a Knut more, even if it is you doing the job!"
Kalvin just shrugged. "I hear Voldemort is getting less patient with every passing moon phase."
Nott turned a deadly white with the mentioning of his master. "What is the problem then?"
"Goblins are very protective of their volts, it will take great skill and patience to retrieve your item. Especially if it belongs to them. If I am to retrieve it as quickly as I can, I need a greater price."
"I will pay you when I see it."
"An upfront payment is needed now, half now, half later." Knott took out his money purse and put a handful of Galleons on the table. Kalvin counted them, fifteen in total. "Ten more and that's all I need for now."
"I better receive my item within a weeks time!" Nott said as he handed Kalvin ten more Galleons.
"You will receive what you want when I give it to you, old man. So I suggest you be patient, it will get to you with in a decent time. I remind you that I can do this more efficiently than any other provider."
"If you keep this up, Master will be sure to honor you with a gracious prize and a piece of his land for you to control. He knows about you and your work."
"I will only do what I please. Voldemort means nothing to me," Kalvin said. He stood up and looked at Nott. "I will owl you when I am ready but I do have a word of advice towards you."
Nott watched the young man. "And what would that be?"
Kalvin reached out his hand and Nott threw two Galleons and five Sickles to him. "The girl that stays within Hogwarts is one to keep an eye on. If you wish to know."
Nott laughed. "She's not even from this world, how can one like her prove so needful."
Kalvin rolled his eyes. "If you observe, you will learn. Besides, she is allies with Potter so she will prove useful. See if I lie, use another one of your resources to check on them. Come, Lady," he said to the woman who sat besides Nott. She rose immediately and follwed Kalvin out of Knockturn Alley. She was very pretty and clearly older than Kalvin by more than fifteen years. Her long brown hair was in a braid that fell about her dull robes and she carried herself with her face fallen. If one was to look strait at her, they would only see a far and distant look in her hazel eyes.
Lady, as she was called, had been in Kalvin's family for more than seventeen years and had served as a family servent before her services for Kalvin. She had another name but it wasn't used for certain reasons. In fact, she had no sign of a true personality, not that it mattered. In Hogsmeade and the rest of the world, she was dead and gone so it wasn't like she was needed elsewhere but she had been kidnapped and her death faked. So during her years of serving, she was held under the Imperius curse and did everything that her masters told her to do. He used her to great extent unlike his father, who just kept her around their house in the country side using her like a house elf but Kalvin used her for more useful purposes.
When Kalvin did his mercenary work, he realized that he needed a partner, so he used her. In her years of freedom, Lady had been a great witch and still proved to have her skills under the curse. He used her to gain information while he was off on another task and had her do work that he could not perform. In instances where Kalvin found himself in an unable position, he used her to kill or steal. It didn't bother him, it wasn't like Lady had a consious or anything, so naturally it didn't bother her. It was how Kalvin wanted it. But the one thing that puzzled him was how her cheerfulness of her once free life showed through the Imperius curse. There were many times where she would look at him with a smile or a kind glance and often had some emotion in her voice. It was very little but he could tell it was there. He didn't quite understand how she was able to do that.
"Lady, how was Nott acting before I came?" Kalvin asked her.
"He was quiet, his hands were shaken and he was rubbing his arm furiously," Lady replied with little emotion in her voice, but still her voice had some warmth to it that signified that she was once a very kind woman. As always, she told directly what she saw.
"Hmm, looks as if Voldemort is in a hurry to gather these items," Kalvin said as they continued walking. Unlike most people in the world, he wasn't afraid of saying the Dark Lord's name. It didn't concern him who ruled the world or whatever. All he wanted to do was live his life the way he wanted. Not giving much of a glance at other people's lives. He ran a hand through his dark brown curls and chewed on his lips. "I will need to find a direct route into the eternal structure of Gringotts and then see what comes next. A weeks time at most is all I need. That old cocker will get what he wants." He gave a small laugh to himself as he entered another small alley with Lady and they both apparated.
"Uh....lacewings, rocknot root, mostly stuff we'll find at the Apothecary, which means we'll have to see Snape," Ron said with disgust.
"Hopefully we won't see him," Harry said.
"Who's Snape?" Hermione asked them.
"He's out Potion's teacher at school," Harry explained to her. "Nasty person he is. Always plays favorites and hates the hell out of us and our friends. His family owns the local Apothecary, unfortunitly it has the best in quality ingredients and usually has everything you need."
"We think he's apart of You-Know-Who's lot," Ron said in a hush toned because of the crowds. "Sure acts like it. I wouldn't be surprised if he was." They entered the large store, which wasn't in full business. To Harry and Ron's disgust, Snape sat behind the counter working on a potion. Hermione had seen him in the castle every so often talking with Dumbledore. She had always thought that he was a member of the Ministry. He paid no mind to the three of them and kept on with his mixture
"Let's hurry and grab everything so we can get out of here," Ron whispered to Hermione and Harry. They spilt up the items on the list and went around gathering what Mrs. Weasley wanted Ron to get. Hermione was gathering a pound of lacewings, when she heard something ringing from the corner of the store and she saw a small thin pink worm disappear. She hurried with getting the ingrediants and handed them to Ron, so that he could pay for them. She contiued to look around the store for it but she didn't see anything.
"Potter, Weasely, interesting to see you here," Snape said as he rung up the purchases. "It's surprising to see that you two do more than make prats of yourselves." Harry and Ron scowled at him as he continued. "Of course for all I know, you two and your accomplice could be getting ingredients to brew up trouble. Lacewings, Rocknot Root, Essence of Dragon Scales, better not be doing anything illegal, be a shame if someone were to turn you in. That'll be two Galleons, seventeen Sickles, and Twenty Knuts."
Ron payed him, almost throwing the money in his face but miraculously held back. He took the bag full of ingredients and stomped out the door with Harry and Hermione, who was still looking for the thing she saw.
"I positively hate him," Harry said. "The nerve, saying he'll turn us in for something illegal. If I ever get the chance I'll give him a piece of my mind."
"Why does he hate you so much?" Hermione asked, forgetting about what she was looking for.
"Goes way back when him and my dad were in school," Harry explained. "Snape always hated my dad and he takes it out on me and Ron. He threatens us periodically like you heard in there. It's normal."
"One of these days we'll trap him and prove he's a Death Eater," Ron said as he walked with his hand in a tight fist. They had reached the neighborhood where Ron and his family lived. Hermione had been there once before for a short time but had met everyone in his family. She had met big families before, but she had ever encountered a family quite as big as Ron's.
Ron lived in a three story house located in the suburbs of Hogsmeade, near the Forbidden Forest. The head of the household, Arthur Weasley, worked for the Ministry of Magic as head of the Misuse of Magic (A/N: Remember no Muggles so I kinda had to make something up). Hermione had seen him around the castle every once in a while and didn't realize who he was until Ron and Harry pointed him out to her. Mr. Weasley's wife, Molly Weasley, was a housewife and had been very kind to Hermione when she first met her, telling her that if she ever needed a motherly opinion or an ear to listen that she would be there. Ron's eldest brother Bill, worked for Gringotts as a charm breaker. The second older brother, Charlie, lived out in the country side studying dragons; the third oldest, Percy, also worked for the Ministry of Magic in the International Department. After those three came the twins, Fred and George, who had just graduated and were starting a joke shop business called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Ron's youngest sibling was his sister Ginny, who Hermione became friends with. Four out of the seven Weasley children still lived in the household.
They came to the green house and Ron opened the door with everyone following him inside. "I'm home," he called out.
"I'm in the kitchen," called a voice from the back of the first floor. "Bring everything you brought with you. Ceceila needs that potion by tomorrow." They all went to the kitchen where they saw Mrs. Weasley working over a cauldron of purple potion. The plump woman turned around and greeted them all with a smile. "Hello, Harry. Hello, Hermione."
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. Ron gave her the bag full of things and watched as she added half of them to the potion. "What are you making?"
Mrs. Weasley dusted her hands on her apron and attended to another pot that was possibly going to be the family's dinner. "Oh a friend of mine is having some back trouble and she's terrible at making potions so I told her I make one for her."
"Can Harry and Hermione stay for dinner?" Ron asked.
"I don't see why not. Fred and George are going to stay late at the shop so I need you to bring them dinner as soon as your finished eating. I would have asked Ginny, but she's busy with another errand."
After dinner, all three of them headed for Fred and George's shop and delivered the dinner. As they walked back to the castle, Hermione thought about the worm she saw. She turned to Ron and Harry. "Worms don't appear in stores alive do they?" she asked them.
"Not unless it's at the plant shop," Harry said. "Why?"
Hermione shook her head. "Never mind then."
Ron looked ahead of them. "Did you ever have that feeling that someone was following you?"
Hermione and Harry just looked at him. "Why do you say that?" Harry asked him.
"I just have that feel-" all of a sudden a big brown lump came flying at him and landed on his shoulders, giving him a scare. It gave a small yelp that sounded like a laugh.
"Looks like you were right," Harry said laughing. The fox on Ron's shoulder look at them with amusing black eyes.
Ron just gave it a frown and shrugged it off. "It's about time you showed up, Kitrina," he said her. The fox grew and turned into human Kitrina. "What took you so long?"
"I wanted to surprise you, that's all," she said giggling.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.
"All over, looking for any signs of the items. I sensed that the creatures have them all over this place but in our fortune most are located within the districts of this city."
"Exactly what are we looking for?" Harry asked her. Kitrina looked at them with wide eyes and gave a small laugh that died rather quickly.
"To be totally honest with you, I don't know because I forgot."
"What?!" Ron exclaimed.
"You mean to tell us we're being lead on a wild goose chase?" Harry asked her in disbelief.
Kitrina backed off away from them. "Honestly, I don't remember what the items are. I just know that Master created them and gave them to the creatures to protect. I know who has an item but I can't remember who has what. You see when master passed away, I kinda went into a deep sleep and didn't wake up till about three hundred years later not remembering exactly what they were." She looked down at the floor.
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Hermione asked her, slightly crossed with her.
"Well I kinda didn't think it was important until now."
"I think she was a freak accident in Merlin's experiment," Ron muttered.
"Ron!" Hermione hissed at him.
Kitrina gave hmph and glared at them with her black eyes. "Don't you get it? It's all apart of fate! It's my job to lead you to them and it's your job to find them. Trust me, if Voldemort gets his grubby hands on those items, your as good as dead and it wouldn't matter if you've already survived his terror once!" she yelled at them. Her face was flushed full of anger and her fox ears and tail were starting to stick out of her body.
Hermione bit her lip, sorry to have mad her angry. "I guess it's very frustrating for you as it is for us, not knowing what the items are. We're sorry for getting mad at you." She looked at Ron and Harry, who said sorry.
Kitrina still didn't look to happy and crossed her arms across her chest, her tail disapeered but her fox ears remained. "I accept your apology, I guess." The ears completly disapeered.
Harry sighed. "So exactly who has these items?"
"All six items are located within a different race or allience. The goblins, the fairies and pixies, the giants, the unicorns and centaurs, the mermaids and dwarves, and the humans all have an item that was given to them by Master. Each race protects that item with their lives and won't give it up very easily. You have to complete a task that they feel proves how worthy you are to have it."
"Just lovely," Harry said dryly. "It'll be hard to get anything from any of them."
"I didn't even know we possed an item of Merlin's," Ron said.
"Well if Merlin wanted to keep it a secret, he would have chosen to give it to someone who would have kept it a secret," Hermione said logically.
"She's right," Kitrina said.
"Do you know if Voldemort has any of them?" Ron asked her.
Kitrina smiled. "No, but unless we hurry he'll have all of them in no time."
Harry looked at the sky. "Well we have to figure out where they are and how to get them, but first we should head home," he suggested. It was getting darker as night time approached.
"I prefere to think about this tomorrow," Ron said.
"Fine, then we'll agree to meet tomorrow after classes?" Hermione asked. They nodded and each headed off in their own direction with Kitina following Hermione. The young apprentice of Merlin decided to become a fox once more and trotted along side Hermione.
"I guess you prefere your animal form better then anything?" Hermione said to her. Kitrina nodded and kept on walking.
A waitress walked by and asked him if he and his friend would have liked anything to drink. Kalvin ordered a cool cherry fizz for himself and a water for Lady. He didn't worry about the waitress seeing the plans because he put an enchantment on them. He calculated the best time for his break-in and the best entry and escape route. He smiled to himself. He would pull this off perfectly.
"This isn't going as well as I thought," she said to Kitrina.
Kitrina was reading through an old text that dated back to the time of Merlin. "Hmph, Master never did such things!" she said with a frown on her face. She looked at Hermione. "What did you say?"
"I said this isn't going to be easy."
"Well, Master didn't tell too many people about his items. He wanted to keep them a secret as best as possible. Mention of them would be hard to find within many of these books."
Hermione gave a sigh and closed the book. "It was worth a try." She looked up from her book and saw Harry and Ron making their way inside to the back table where Hermione and Kitrina were sitting. Hermione had sent them an owl to meet her and Kitrina there.
"Any luck?" Harry asked her.
"None, I'm thinking it'll take us a lot longer than we originally thought. There is no mention of anything being held dear to any of the creatures or of any item that Merlin gave to humans. Kitrina and I have been searching for almost three hours and not even a clue." Hermione sighed and looked out the massive window. She saw the large building of Gringotts bank and then it hit her.
"Harry, Ron, Gringotts is run strictly by Goblins right?"
"Yeah," Ron said looking at an old book. "Good thing, too. It's probably the safest place in the city besides Hogwarts Castle. That is if you want to hide something." He wasn't paying attention to a thing he said.
"That's it!" Hermione said, then covering her mouth when she realized how loud she really was. It was very rare that she would disturb the people in the library.
"What's it?" Kitrina asked with wide eyes, getting excited.
Hermione looked back at Gringotts then to the others. "Where else would goblins hide their item then in Gringotts!" she told them.
"That makes perfect sense," Harry said smiling, then he frowned. "But exactly how are we going to get it?"
Hermione frowned also. "I didn't really think about that. If there was only some way that we could check the volts."
"You really don't have to," Kitrina said smiling broadly. "All you really have to do is talk to them. Goblins are very stubborn creatures but they should understand the urgency of the situation. You should be polite and speak with the head in charge, he'll let you know about the challenge and test one of you."
"Bill works there," Ron said. "He's only a charm breaker but he knows the place and the goblins pretty well. He might be able to get us a meeting with the head one there."
"Good, we can go ask him as soon as possible," Hermione said. "Dinner isn't for another three hours so we can leave right now."
"Let's go," Harry said.
He smiled to himself. "Lady, lets get inside and procede with the plan that I came up with."
Lady bowed over. "Yes, Young Master." Kalvin made sure that his robe pockets contained everything that he needed and he transformed into a chameleon and went into robe folds of Lady's robes. Lady made sure he was comfortable and apparated to the building. Once she was inside Gringotts, she proceeded with her task. After waiting almost half an hour in line, she finally approached the counter where a goblin proceeded to help her. Fifteen minutes earlier, Kalvin quietly left crawling under the many robes of the customers and into a seculded room unseen.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing in the middle of the crowded Gringotts, waiting to catch a glimsp of Ron's eldest brother, Bill, who had gone to arrange a short meeting with the head goblin. Kitrina had surprised them by shrinking to the size of a fairy and hid inside of Hermione's robes saying that she would step in if the goblins wouldn't comply.
"Hopefully nothing will turn out wrong," Hermione said, rubbing her hands together. Just then Bill showed up and greeted them. He was tall and looked extremly cool looking with his long hair and earrings. Hermione had never seen anyone dressed so casualy for such a serious job, she had expected him to be dressed slightly more professional but she took an immediate liking to him when he had introduced himself to her.
"I've asked him and he said he didn't mind, follow me." Hermione followed along with Ron and Harry and had followed Bill into a slightly large room where a large desk sat with a small head of a goblin located behind it. Bill winked at the three and left them.
"May I help you three?" the goblin, Headfang, asked them.
"We're here to see about an item," Harry said nervously.
The goblin was reading some records and gave them a short glance. "We have hundreds of items located here. You have to be slightly more specific."
Hermione gulped, the goblin was a bit intimidating with his strict looking face and all. She had honestly never seen one this up close before. Harry spoke up again. "Er-the item that Merlin gave you."
The goblin looked up from his book and glared at the three of them. "Children? Are you telling me you are the ones that bring claim to the prophesy of Merlin?" They nodded but Headfang seemed to still be skeptical. "I need suficant proof," he said. Hermione had read that the goblins were extremly tight in security and hard to gain trust from.
That's when Hermione felt a small sudden movement from her collar, Kitrina had transformed herself into a tiny fox and jumped off of Hermione's shoulder and landed in front of Headfang waging her tale. He blinked at the miniture fox and looked at Hermione, who was a bit pale because Kitrina had now transformed from her human form only exactly seven inches tall. She stood there with her hands on her hips with a very frustrated look on her face. "I'm their proof," she said to Headfang matter-of-factly.
"And who are you?" Headfang asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I'm the who chose them for this mission. I'm the symbol that Merlin was talking about in that prophesy; that should be enough proof for you!" She was starting to flush with anger and her fox ears and tail were starting to stick out of her head again. Strangely it seemed to satisfy Headfang and he looked back at Hermione and the others.
"I see, if you can pass our test then you may receive Merlin's item. Who is the one to take that challenge?"
Hermione looked at Harry and Ron, who looked back at her. Harry gave them a nod and turned to Headfang. "I'll do it." Headfang nodded and stood up and tapped the wall behind him revealing a hidden door and walked forward into the dark corridor. "Follow me, all three of you." They stood up and followed him inside but they turned around realizing that Kitrina wasn't following them.
"Arn't you coming?" Ron asked her.
Kitrina smiled as her ears shrank back into her head. "I can't, I'm bounded by the prophesy to stay beyond these boundaries but I wish you great luck!" She waved to them as Headfang closed the door.
Little did any of them know that a chameleon was already inside exploring and that a long pink tail was swiveling around the office of Headfang, listening in on everything.
Inside the corridor, stalagmites and stalagtights hung and a constant dripping could be heard as they walked through. Headfang carried a small lantern as he lead the group. "The task is difficult, we were expecting a human adult to come."
"Well they got us instead," Ron mumbled next to Hermione, who gave him a glare. They reached a large volt with no keyhole and Headfang told them to stand back. The door seemed to be covered in little purple wax veins that traveled up from the bottom and the door itself looked to be very creepy. Hermione gave a shudder as she stared at it. Headfang gave it a rubbed with his finger and watched as it melted away revealing another door at the end of an empty waiting room. Headfang led them in and the door behind them amended itself instantly.
The goblin stood at the back door and held up one finger in front of ron and Hermione. "The challenge that Mr. Potter has volunteered for is beyond these doors but only him and I can enter, you two must wait here until we return." He spun around and tapped the door so that it instantly melted like the last. He then beckoned Harry to walk forward and the door settled itself back to its origional state. Hermione and Ron quickly said good luck and stood there as the door layed in front of them kept them away from their friend.
Ron leaned against the wall. "Great now we play the waiting game," he mumbled.
Kalvin klung from the wall of the goblin's secret volt. He had gotten passed their traps and retrieved the item without a scratch. Unfortunately, a small mouse that he had transfigured from a rock was a victim of a secret trap hidden inside. Kalvin found himself wondering what was inside the wrapped packaged that he found in the volt all alone. Why was it so important to the goblins that they would keep it this deep inside the ground? But one rule of his was to wonder after the danger was over. He had retrieved the item now all he had to do was get out.
His two eyes searched all angles as he scattered across the ceiling to the other side where a small mouse hole had been his entrance and now his exit. A careless mistake that the goblins had overlooked but they probably checked the volt every five to ten years. By the make of it, Kalvin could tell that it was very old and that it was rarely messed with for security purposes.
He was beyond the last wall when his eyes caught movement around the front area. It was a goblin and a human. Upon closer observation he learned that it was Harry Potter with the head goblin. The were now entering the first of the four rooms that led to the back room. Kalvin's chameleon face gave a small smile as he ran forward into the mouse hole and came out the other side. He quickly looked around for signs of anyone else but found none and quietly transformed back into his true form. Only a door and one more room stood between him and another successful job but he wanted to make sure he had a clear shot. All of a sudden he heard a muffed voice behind the door in front of him.
"I hope Harry will be all right," a girl's voice said.
"Harry will be fine," a boy's voice said reassuringly, "he knows how to take care of himself. Look at what's he's survivd against."
Kalvin silently cursed to himself. It would be impossible for him to get out unnoticed for the mouse-hole was located right next to the door and both kids sounded like they were standing right next to it. Even with his skills off deception iot would be extremly hard for him to pull this off. he reached within his pocketed robes and found one of his homemade bombs. Made to let off a certain amount of gas materials, it was enchanted so that it would go off exactly ten seconds after tapped with a wand. He took out to off them and held them in his hands. He layed down at a perpendicular angle to the mouse hole and placed his thirteen inch ash wand containing one dragon heartstring, in pool fashion and got ready to shoot.
Ron was still sitting near the door while Hermione stood there chewing on a fingernail. It was one of her worst habits. "It's been almost twenty minutes, Ron. Could Harry have passed?"
Ron rolled his eyes and leaned his head back. "Hermione, relax-" he was about to say more but Hermione gasped as she saw two round items come rolling from underneath a small hole in the wall.
There was an eerie silence as they stared at the two objects. All of a sudden a hiss came from one and then the other as a grey-green gas came pouring out quickly filling the room. It was heavy and Hermione felt her chest fill up with dust and gas as she started to cough violently. She sank to the floor and coughed even harder and covered her mouth and nose with her hands. She dared not uncover them to reach within her robes to search for her wand. She kept her eyes clench tight hoping that it would all stop in a matter of seconds. She felt like she was going to suffocate.
She suddenly felt two large hands grab her by her arms and pull her close until she felt her nose gently hit some soft material. Two arms wrapped themselves around her and held her close. It had to be Ron! Hermione opened her eyes just a bit and saw his black school robes. Hermione continued to cough but not as hard.
He was coughing violently but bent his head down. "Try not to breath it in," he said, coughing, to her.
Hermione felt her face flush as she continued to cough, she couldn't believe that he was shielding her from the gas. She was clingling onto his robes, slightly scared and hoping that the smoke would go away quickly.
" Evaporrous!" a voice yelled from behind them. The smoke cleared and Hermione lifted her face up from Ron's chest and looked straight into his face. Ron had his head bent and was still coughing violently, his face was covered in grey dust and it shook off his hair every time he coughed. His hands leaned in on Hermione's shoulders as he kept coughing.
"All you both okay?" Harry asked frantically leaning next to them.
"I'm all right," Hermione said as she looked at Ron, who was still coughing. He nodded his head and let go off Hermione. After a finally cough he looked at Harry.
"Did you get it?"
Harry shook his head as he looked down at the floor. His hands were in tight fist. "No."
"Someone has snuck in and stolen Merlin's item," Headfang said, sounding slightly angry. "If you were just attacked then that means they stole it within the hour."
"We saw two round items come rolling in from a small hole by the door," Hermione said to him, standing up. Headfang looked at the hole by the door and muttered something in the goblin language. By his tone, Hermione guessed that he was cursing silently to himself.
"You must hurry and find the other items," he said to the three of them. "The talismans of Merlin are very powerful and if they end up on the side of Him then your world as we know it is doomed. I'm afraid this is as best as I can help you." He shook his head and lead them through the last door and back to his office.
Kalvin's small grey body ran against the tile floor as he searched for Lady near the entrance to the Headfang's office. He spotted her peach robes and slowly crept up to her and tugged lightly on her robes. She looked down upon him and smiled at him with her distant eyes. Her hand went down to the floor like she was picking up a dropped Knut and scooped him within her robes and calmly left Gringotts.
"What?!"
Kitrina was still standing ontop of Headfang's desk, still seven inches tall only extremly angry. Her fox ears and tale had popped out and were strait up in the air. Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood there as she clenched her hands in a fist and spoke angrily to herself. "Voldemort beat us to the first item well then we'll just have to make sure that he doesn't get the next one." She turned to Headfang. "I hope you weren't planing to make this a headline or we're in even more trouble."
Headfang looked at her with a strait face. "Fox-pixie or whatever you are, I assure you that the public should keep their noses in their own business. Besides this has to do only with goblins and the likes of you four. If you excuse me I have some important business to conduct." He nodded at them and left the room.
Kitrina sighed and looked at the others muttering something about Fox-pixie. "You better get yourselves cleaned up," she said to Hermione and Ron. Hermione brought out her wand and flicked it mumbling, " Perfecto." Their robes were wiped clean of any dust, as well as their hair and faces. Hermione gathered Kitrina in her hands and placed her yet again within her robes and all three of them left the office with grim looks on their faces.
"Keep your chins up," Kitrina said to them reassuringly as they left the bank. "You still have five more items to gain and I just know we can do it."
Hermione sighed and looked over in towards the direction of the exit, she sure didn't feel like they had a chance after what happened. Once they were outside, they stood near an empty ally and just stood there.
"What happened in there Harry?" Ron asked him.
"We reached the second to the last room and I was about to do the challenge when Headfang noticed prints within the dust. I didn't notice but he quickly went ahead to check the next room. He let out an extremly loud roar and came storming back out dragging me along with him. When we reached the third room, we heard you coughing and smoke was coming in through some sort of crack. What happened in there?"
"Some sort of smoke bomb," Hermione said. "Came in through a small mouse hole and set itself off. If it wasn't for you we would have suffocated." She looked at Ron . "Oh and Ron."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Ron's ears went slightly pink and nodded. "Your welcome."
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Hello people, sorry it took me so long to get the chapters out but my schedule is so jamed packed that it's not even funny. I'm sitting here at my computer watching the Olympics and they were talking about a gold medalist that looks like Harry Potter. He kinda does in a way.
Guess what? I finally saw Lord of the Rings and I have just one thing to say. LEGOLAS ROCKS! Honestly when I was reading the story he was fastly becoming one of my favorite characters but when I saw the movie, I was sitting there thinking now I see why the reviewers compare him to Ron. I'm inspired to make ron just like him but don't worry, Ron will have his big archery scenes in future chapters. (I think within the next three or so).
Okay now that I got my ranting off I have a few people to thank for reading Chapter 3. There's:
Rose, Bluetreeleaves, Adnap Nottap, Artemis-chan, pokey, Mizzy-Izumi, shadowcat, gillian, lise, and wmlaw.
Please keep reading and reviewing, it makes me very happy!
Okay now for the shameless promoting:
Just a tiny remimder that I also have two other Harry Potter fics. Triple the Trouble, Triple the Fun, you might like this one if you like the funny antics of the Weasley twins and April Fools, which is just a simple fic.
One fic that I highley recamend is Angel of Apocalypse by Kirikarin, which is a very good fic about Ginny. It's very different and as always Kirikarin's origional characters are excellent.
Thanks and I'll get the next chapter out A.S.A.P.
Adios,
Gemin16