Chapter 26: The Orb of Light

Harry rested on Boxing Day, but on the day after that he went back to see Kelly and the other vampires. They told him that his anti-Niffler barrier was working very well, but asked him to help them in a few other jobs. These he did willingly over the next four days, and they paid him well.

On New Year's Eve Harry decided that he would have to deposit his newly earned money safely in Gringotts Bank before anything happened to it. Neddy put it in a large leather bag – he kept twenty Galleons back for Harry to spend over the next few days. Harry took the bag, and Apparated to Diagon Alley.

He pulled his cloak over his head to keep out the rushing wind and its chilling blow. Clutching the bag in one hand and his wand in the other, Harry set off down the narrow, crowded street, which seemed to be full of ungrateful people getting rid of unwanted Christmas presents. It would be a haven for pickpockets, and Harry hoped that no one would try and rob him. He didn't want to show off his defence skills here.

He arrived at Gringotts after five minutes. He walked passed the security goblins at the door and removed his cloak from around his head. Then he walked up to the nearest free goblin.

"I'd like to deposit sixty Galleons, fourteen Sickles, please," he told the goblin, who seemed to have an especially pointed face that reminded Harry of Draco Malfoy.

The goblin took the bag and poured its contents onto the counter. He sorted out the gold and silver coins with remarkable speed, before weighing each pile in turn on a pair of magnificent golden scales. After weighing he nodded and scribbled down a number on a piece of parchment.

"Name?" he asked Harry, who answered. The goblin took his quill and wrote on the bag in large letters: 60/14/- H.J.POTTER. He signed his name on the bag and refilled it, tied it and gave it back to Harry. He snapped his fingers and another goblin, tall and lanky, ran over. It took the bag and asked Harry to follow him.

The ride on the Gringotts cart was rough and jolty. It took them many feet underground. Finally the cart slowed to a stop and Harry and the goblin climbed out. Harry handed the goblin the bag and his key. The door was opened and Harry caught a fleeting glimpse of his pile of wealth, before his additions to it were poured in and the door was shut and locked. The writing had disappeared from the bag, which the goblin handed back to Harry. They climbed back into the rattling cart and set off back up to the ground.

Harry wasn't sure what happened next. The cart had just taken an especially sharp turning when Harry felt something hi him squarely on the back of the head. He turned to see what it was, and found himself lying on the narrow rail tracks. The cart sped off, and Harry thought that in the poor light he saw a figure disappear around the corner. He set off to follow his cart, but it was no use. There were so many junctions that he had no idea where he was supposed to be going. Twice he narrowly missed being hit by another speeding cart, but neither of them seemed to notice him. He wondered if the goblin had realised he was gone.

After walking through the dark tunnels for over ten minutes, Harry was hopelessly lost. What was more, he was going downwards, not up. He remembered something Hagrid had said over seven years ago: nobody escaped from Gringotts. As he walked past vault door after vault door, he realised why.

He sat down outside the nearest vault door: number 869. Maybe someone would find him if he waited long enough. He had tried Apparating out, but he always landed back where he had started.

The door was one of the security vaults and had no keyhole. Harry hoped he would not be accused of trying to rob it. He felt the cold metal of the door with his artificial hand.

He knew at once that he shouldn't have done it. Seven years ago, the goblin Griphook had said that if anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they would be sucked inside. He jumped back, but nothing happened, or so it seemed at first. The door had creaked open. In the darkness, Harry hadn't noticed, but all of a sudden a light flared inside the vault.

Harry had no idea why his hand had opened the vault. Maybe it was because it was magical, or maybe it was what happened every time. Cautiously he stepped into the chamber. The door stayed open.

The room was larger than the other vaults – about five yards long and three wide. The walls were made of rock, with iron supports. But it was the small table in the centre that drew Harry's attention. It was made of polished oak and was only about a foot wide and three tall. On it sat a crystalline white sphere, about as large as a Bludger in Quidditch. A bright light shone from its very centre, and it was this light that was illuminating the room. Underneath the ball sat a piece of parchment.

Harry picked up the sphere. Surprisingly, it wasn't heavy. He took the parchment and put the ball back. Then he began to read. The writing was medieval in appearance, as if it had been written a very long time ago.

THE ORB OF LIGHT

The Orb of Light is a truly marvellous Object. It shines with a miraculous Light, which cannot be obscured if it wishes to shine. The Orb was created by the Magicians of Old, some say by the great Merlin himself. It was forged using an Ancient Magic, and will shine when no other Light can. It was made, so it is told, in case the Sun was to be destroyed by a Dark force, and will shine as brightly as that Great Light in the Sky if required to. However, the Orb itself can be destroyed simply by touching it with the blood of a Dark Beast, so as to black out the Unicorn's Power that is kept inside it. So it must be kept safe until it is needed, or the World of which we know could be destroyed.

Harry put the parchment back under the Orb of Light. He was remembering something Amarenox had said – the Orb of Light must be destroyed. It would allow the world to survive once the Dark Lord had done the work he 'needed to do'. He must have been planning to get rid of the Sun and plunge the Earth into darkness. He wanted to get rid of Harry so he could do this – had it been Millstew who had caused Harry to fall out of the cart? Was he trying to let the young man die in the maze of Gringotts?

Harry left the vault, closing the door carefully behind him with his left hand. It clicked shut. Then he walked back up the railway track, trying to decide what to do.

He walked for at least fifteen minutes, uphill all the way. At least he knew he was going in the right direction. He was wondering if he would ever escape, when he heard the rattle of a cart. The track was quite wide here, and there was room for him to hold out his illuminated hand without standing on the track.

The cart stopped sharply, and a goblin climbed out. It took a good look at him, and then beckoned him into the cart.