Disclaimer: Not mine.
The safe, which was large enough to contain 3 or more goblins, a dragon, and a desk, was well hidden, considering it's size. I knocked on each wall before finding it. Whispered the words and felt the web of spells melt away. A muggle combination lock was all that was left. A good 7 minutes later, I had that taken care of too. Was I prepared for this? Goblins and a dragon? I had never been trained for this kind of combat. I opened the safe using all my strength. And...
Nothing.
What? I peered inside. Impossible. I murmured the spell to reveal enchantments... and there was still nothing.
"It's empty." I whispered.
"What?" I heard Harry's voice, "It can't be empty. Search it."
I hesitated. "I'm afraid. What if it's a trap?" What was to keep this door from closing if I went into it? How was I to open it again from inside?
"Well what else can you do?"
Good question. There weren't many options. "Ok, I'm going in." I put one foot inside.
"Wait!" I heard Oliver say, "What if it is a trap?"
"That would suck, Oliver," I said, "But I'd get back somehow."
"How can you be sure?"
"Wait!" I said, "I think I see something!" I took another step in the room. Was I deceived? Was there another door? YES! I saw the door at the end, "There's another door! I'm going for it."
"Be careful." Oliver and Harry said in unison. I smiled.
"Aren't I always?" I went to the door. It was quite easily opened. I tugged it open without really thinking and there: I was face to face with a goblin.
The goblin blinked. He couldn't even see me. "Hello." I said, then kicked it in the stomach. It was knocked unconscious. Two more came at me immediately, apparently to find out what had happened to their comrade. I kicked them both. That was it for the goblins. They were fairly easily removed, being so weak in the gut, it was the dragon I was worried about. Of course, I didn't have to deal with it right off. Instead, I followed a long corridor that was slanting downward, toward the dungeons., toward the dragon My heart quickened and the air got warmer. I felt the stone shudder beneath my feet. The dragon was near.
Dragons are not as easily fooled as goblins. They, like cats, can see a person concealed by an invisibility cloak. Their large body size and magical properties also make them hard to spell. The trick wasn't really to incapacitate the dragon, but to get by it unnoticed. A difficult task under the best of circumstances. And how was I going to get past? An excellent question. I didn't know the answer to it yet. I peered around each corner before turning it. I felt unfortunate when I finally peered around the corner that revealed the dragon. Not a Hungarian Horntail, as we had feared, but a Welsh Green, which would make it easier- but not by much. "Harry, I could use some help here."
"Is it a Horntail?" he asked.
"No, a Welsh Green."
"Hmm... less deadly... but they are crafty devils." Harry said. He was our resident person of all dragon fighting knowledge. Although I myself knew quite a bit about dragons, I knew very little about fighting them, even after weeks of research. None of us would ever live up to Harry, who had gone up against several dragons since his first few encounters with them. This was due mostly to the war. "You're going to have to distract it."
"With what?" Oliver said, "If she uses her wand again, it's sure to set off an alarm."
"Hrmm.." I could clearly picture Harry thinking this over, a frown set upon his face, "There has to be a word, a charm, something that can control the dragon. Otherwise, how would Lucius be able to get to his desk?"
"I thought about that earlier." I whispered, "But I couldn't come up with anything he might have used."
"Bait." I heard Oliver say.
"What?" Harry and I asked in unison.
"Bait. a Welsh Green would go for something like that, wouldn't it?"
"And where am I going to get bait?" I asked.
"The goblins." Harry suggested.
I was mortified. Those goblins hadn't done anything to me. They were probably just under a spell. They, doubtlessly, hadn't chosen to be there at all. "No," I said, "I can't."
"Hermione, it's the only way." Harry said.
"No." I repeated.
"Hermione, you're going to have to make a sacrifice sometime." Oliver reminded me.
"Are you both daft? I am not sacrificing anyone. Especially if we don't even know if they're truly guilty." I told them.
"Hermione, if we don't get that paper, there won't be any goblins. Tossing one to a dragon is a small sacrifice." Harry told me.
"No. No sacrifices." I said stubbornly.
Things were silent for awhile. I peered around the corner once again. I watched the dragon thrash about.
"Malfoy." I heard someone say. I didn't know whether it was Harry, Oliver, or my own mind.
"What?" And then I thought about it, "Of course... you're right... Malfoy... he's already dead. No harm there..."
Neither Harry nor Oliver said a word. Perhaps they thought I was the daft one. I turned myself around and headed back up the corridor. It took me a deal longer to get back because it was uphill, but when I reached the door which led to the safe, the goblins were still unconscious. I went thru the safe and found Lucius, fallen in the doorway to his son's room. I would have to drag him. Oliver was right, if I used my wand again, there was no way to not get caught.
For being so fair and thin, and considering how much blood he had already lost, the man was quite heavy. Especially by the time I had dragged him down the corridor. I was beginning to wonder if this whole thing was worth it when I heard the hot breath of the dragon. It was around the corner. "How do you think I should do this? I can't throw him... he weighs too much. If I let him fall near here, the dragon is sure to get me too."
Silence once again came from Harry and Oliver. I waited a moment. The weight of this corrupt man was beginning to be too much. "You could..." I heard Harry start.
"Use him as a shield, and drop him when it best fits your needs." Suggested Oliver. I waited another moment. That apparently, was the best and only option I had.
"I want you guys to know that I love you." I whispered.
"I love you too." They whispered in unison.
"Good, because I'm going to ask you guys to maintain radio silence until I state otherwise, ok? Because I need to concentrate here." Silence was the answer, "Exactly what I wanted. Thanks guys."
I tugged Lucius' lifeless body in front of mine, "I knew you had to be good for something..." I murmured against him and prepared myself to run. I didn't even know where I was running to. Behind the dragon was my best guess. I didn't even realize I had charged until I felt the dragon's breath intensely close. I could see its eyes. It was snorting at me. I dropped Malfoy's carcass and ran my very fastest. Thank all that exists above, the dragon took the bait. He was eating at it hungrily as I ran past. They had starved the poor thing, I could tell by the way he tore Malfoy apart. I wasn't sure if it was just that, or if the animal also recognized the body of his former master. Either way, I managed past the dragon ad thru another door. I shut it behind me.
The safe, which was large enough to contain 3 or more goblins, a dragon, and a desk, was well hidden, considering it's size. I knocked on each wall before finding it. Whispered the words and felt the web of spells melt away. A muggle combination lock was all that was left. A good 7 minutes later, I had that taken care of too. Was I prepared for this? Goblins and a dragon? I had never been trained for this kind of combat. I opened the safe using all my strength. And...
Nothing.
What? I peered inside. Impossible. I murmured the spell to reveal enchantments... and there was still nothing.
"It's empty." I whispered.
"What?" I heard Harry's voice, "It can't be empty. Search it."
I hesitated. "I'm afraid. What if it's a trap?" What was to keep this door from closing if I went into it? How was I to open it again from inside?
"Well what else can you do?"
Good question. There weren't many options. "Ok, I'm going in." I put one foot inside.
"Wait!" I heard Oliver say, "What if it is a trap?"
"That would suck, Oliver," I said, "But I'd get back somehow."
"How can you be sure?"
"Wait!" I said, "I think I see something!" I took another step in the room. Was I deceived? Was there another door? YES! I saw the door at the end, "There's another door! I'm going for it."
"Be careful." Oliver and Harry said in unison. I smiled.
"Aren't I always?" I went to the door. It was quite easily opened. I tugged it open without really thinking and there: I was face to face with a goblin.
The goblin blinked. He couldn't even see me. "Hello." I said, then kicked it in the stomach. It was knocked unconscious. Two more came at me immediately, apparently to find out what had happened to their comrade. I kicked them both. That was it for the goblins. They were fairly easily removed, being so weak in the gut, it was the dragon I was worried about. Of course, I didn't have to deal with it right off. Instead, I followed a long corridor that was slanting downward, toward the dungeons., toward the dragon My heart quickened and the air got warmer. I felt the stone shudder beneath my feet. The dragon was near.
Dragons are not as easily fooled as goblins. They, like cats, can see a person concealed by an invisibility cloak. Their large body size and magical properties also make them hard to spell. The trick wasn't really to incapacitate the dragon, but to get by it unnoticed. A difficult task under the best of circumstances. And how was I going to get past? An excellent question. I didn't know the answer to it yet. I peered around each corner before turning it. I felt unfortunate when I finally peered around the corner that revealed the dragon. Not a Hungarian Horntail, as we had feared, but a Welsh Green, which would make it easier- but not by much. "Harry, I could use some help here."
"Is it a Horntail?" he asked.
"No, a Welsh Green."
"Hmm... less deadly... but they are crafty devils." Harry said. He was our resident person of all dragon fighting knowledge. Although I myself knew quite a bit about dragons, I knew very little about fighting them, even after weeks of research. None of us would ever live up to Harry, who had gone up against several dragons since his first few encounters with them. This was due mostly to the war. "You're going to have to distract it."
"With what?" Oliver said, "If she uses her wand again, it's sure to set off an alarm."
"Hrmm.." I could clearly picture Harry thinking this over, a frown set upon his face, "There has to be a word, a charm, something that can control the dragon. Otherwise, how would Lucius be able to get to his desk?"
"I thought about that earlier." I whispered, "But I couldn't come up with anything he might have used."
"Bait." I heard Oliver say.
"What?" Harry and I asked in unison.
"Bait. a Welsh Green would go for something like that, wouldn't it?"
"And where am I going to get bait?" I asked.
"The goblins." Harry suggested.
I was mortified. Those goblins hadn't done anything to me. They were probably just under a spell. They, doubtlessly, hadn't chosen to be there at all. "No," I said, "I can't."
"Hermione, it's the only way." Harry said.
"No." I repeated.
"Hermione, you're going to have to make a sacrifice sometime." Oliver reminded me.
"Are you both daft? I am not sacrificing anyone. Especially if we don't even know if they're truly guilty." I told them.
"Hermione, if we don't get that paper, there won't be any goblins. Tossing one to a dragon is a small sacrifice." Harry told me.
"No. No sacrifices." I said stubbornly.
Things were silent for awhile. I peered around the corner once again. I watched the dragon thrash about.
"Malfoy." I heard someone say. I didn't know whether it was Harry, Oliver, or my own mind.
"What?" And then I thought about it, "Of course... you're right... Malfoy... he's already dead. No harm there..."
Neither Harry nor Oliver said a word. Perhaps they thought I was the daft one. I turned myself around and headed back up the corridor. It took me a deal longer to get back because it was uphill, but when I reached the door which led to the safe, the goblins were still unconscious. I went thru the safe and found Lucius, fallen in the doorway to his son's room. I would have to drag him. Oliver was right, if I used my wand again, there was no way to not get caught.
For being so fair and thin, and considering how much blood he had already lost, the man was quite heavy. Especially by the time I had dragged him down the corridor. I was beginning to wonder if this whole thing was worth it when I heard the hot breath of the dragon. It was around the corner. "How do you think I should do this? I can't throw him... he weighs too much. If I let him fall near here, the dragon is sure to get me too."
Silence once again came from Harry and Oliver. I waited a moment. The weight of this corrupt man was beginning to be too much. "You could..." I heard Harry start.
"Use him as a shield, and drop him when it best fits your needs." Suggested Oliver. I waited another moment. That apparently, was the best and only option I had.
"I want you guys to know that I love you." I whispered.
"I love you too." They whispered in unison.
"Good, because I'm going to ask you guys to maintain radio silence until I state otherwise, ok? Because I need to concentrate here." Silence was the answer, "Exactly what I wanted. Thanks guys."
I tugged Lucius' lifeless body in front of mine, "I knew you had to be good for something..." I murmured against him and prepared myself to run. I didn't even know where I was running to. Behind the dragon was my best guess. I didn't even realize I had charged until I felt the dragon's breath intensely close. I could see its eyes. It was snorting at me. I dropped Malfoy's carcass and ran my very fastest. Thank all that exists above, the dragon took the bait. He was eating at it hungrily as I ran past. They had starved the poor thing, I could tell by the way he tore Malfoy apart. I wasn't sure if it was just that, or if the animal also recognized the body of his former master. Either way, I managed past the dragon ad thru another door. I shut it behind me.