Chapter One Hundred and Forty: Gringotts
"You want to what?" Bill looked from Harry, to Ron, to Ginny, and then back at Harry.
"We want to break into a Gringotts vault," Harry said again.
Since Bill worked for Gringotts, they'd decided he would be the best person to talk to, and they'd asked him to drop by Grimmauld Place to discuss it.
"And not just any vault. We need to get into the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Why?" Bill asked.
"We can't tell you. Not yet," Harry said.
Bill sighed. "Harry, what you're asking is essentially impossible. The vaults of the old pureblood families are the best-guarded. They're deep underground, far deeper than your vault, and behind several enchantments. I think the Lestrange vault is at the same depth as the Greengrass vault, actually. They can only be opened by a Gringotts goblin, and even within the vault, you'll find that everything has been cursed. Only the owner can retrieve what's within them without suffering the effects from the curses. To even attempt to steal anything from such a vault…"
"Aren't there any goblins who would be willing to help us? I mean, they hate Riddle too, right?" Ginny asked.
"They hate most wizards," Bill said. "The Gringotts goblins are fiercely protective of the treasure within the bank. They will not allow anyone unauthorized to come near it. They want to show to wizards that they, at least, respect ownership and property in the correct manner. Even though I'm certain most of them aren't on You-Know-Who's side, they won't help you gain access to anything you don't rightfully own."
"Is it possible to reach one vault from another?" Daphne asked. "As in, could I ask to be let into my vault, and then simply make my way to the Lestrange vault while I'm down there?"
Bill shook his head. "No. The goblins won't allow it. If you want to get into the Lestrange vault, Bellatrix herself would have to give permission. Polyjuice won't be enough, either, because they have guards with Probity Probes, and if they even suspect foul play, they'll set off defenses against you which could wash away any enchantment. And those rumors about dragons? They're true. The deepest vaults are guarded by dragons. That rhyme near the entrance isn't for show, you know… 'If you seek beneath our floors, a treasure that was never yours, thief, you have been warned, beware, of finding more than treasure there'."
He looked imploringly at Harry. "Whatever you're planning, Harry…give it up. Breaking into Gringotts is impossible, even for you," he said.
Harry sadly shook his head. "We can't give up, Bill. Dumbledore gave us this task, and we're going to fulfill it. Can you give us a list of all the defenses on the Lestrange vault, or at least the ones you're aware of?"
Bill didn't reply immediately. For a long while, he stared intently at Harry's face, and then at everyone else.
"I'll get you a list, but I'm warning you, the Gringotts defenses are too strong," he said eventually.
"We'll have to do what we can," Harry said. "Thank you for making the list, in any case."
"I hope it'll be worth it," Bill said.
"So do I…" Harry muttered.
"I thought of something last night," Daphne said the next morning at breakfast.
"Do we want to know, or is this something only suited for Harry and Ginny?" Ron asked.
Daphne rolled her eyes at him. "It's for all of us. See, before…well, before the vision I had of Harry, there was another one. A vision of Hogwarts being engaged in a very large battle. Given what we're about to do, I don't think it's hard to figure out why. Even if we get out of Gringotts, Riddle will know what we've taken. At that point, he will know that we're hunting Horcruxes. When he does…he'll attack Hogwarts. He'll attack Hogwarts because he'll realize that we'll be there to get the Horcrux that's hidden there."
"How do you know he won't assume we've taken that one?" Ron asked.
"Aside from the vision? Well, I imagine he would expect either that one or the Gringotts one to be the last one we find, because they'd be the hardest to get to. He already has Nagini with him, most likely, and the locket and the ring were hidden in places no one else would usually go to. Since the Gringotts heist we're now planning is going to tip him off, the only logical last place would be Hogwarts, which is currently crawling with Death Eaters already."
"You're saying we should warn the school, then?" Harry asked.
"More than that," Daphne said. "I'm saying we should destroy that Horcrux at the same time. Or rather, by the time Riddle discovers that the cup has been stolen, we'll have already taken care of the diadem."
"Another split mission?" Harry asked unhappily.
"How do you propose we get five people into the Lestrange vault?" Daphne asked. "One of us could Polyjuice into Bellatrix and impersonate her — disregarding the fact that any Death Eaters around would know she's been captured, because I doubt the goblins would care either way — but that still leaves four others.
"Whoever's going to be Bellatrix will need backup, obviously, most likely with the Invisibility Cloak because our Disillusionment Charms aren't perfect, so that's two… We might be able to send one additional person in, either Polyjuiced or otherwise disguised, but that'll be the limit.
"The other two can go to Hogwarts with the sword, destroy the diadem, and wait for the others to arrive with the cup. In the meantime, the two at Hogwarts could prepare the school for battle so that when the Death Eaters arrive, they'll be warmly greeted. Then, of course, we need to find Nagini and Riddle himself, but there was never going to be a remotely safe way of doing that anyway."
"So what's your suggestion?" Ron asked.
"I'd say you and Hermione get to Hogwarts with the sword and take care of the diadem, while Harry, Ginny, and I go into Gringotts together. I'll impersonate Bellatrix. I'm a pureblood Slytherin, so I know how to act contemptuously."
"And the security? The Probity Probes?" Ginny asked.
"Confundus Charms and the Imperius Curse," Daphne replied immediately.
"The Imperius Curse?" Hermione asked, shocked.
"Yes, I know," Daphne said with a sigh. "I hate that curse. I'm afraid of it. But we just can't afford to fail anymore. The longer we hesitate, the stronger Riddle will get. He already has the Elder Wand. Even without being its true master, he'll be able to do terrible things with it. If Imperiusing some guards and goblins will get us access to the vault and the Horcrux inside of it, then we'll have to do it. You heard what Bill said yesterday. Only a Gringotts goblin can open those vaults, and none of them will help us voluntarily. I'll personally beg their forgiveness after Riddle is dead, if that makes you feel any better, but this is too important; it's not a sport or a game. It's a war, and our enemies don't hesitate to play dirty. We shouldn't, either."
A momentary silence fell, and Daphne wondered what her friends thought of her right then. She knew that what she'd just said was harsh, but she fully meant it. Especially after seeing Gemma get killed, Daphne had realized that things like that weren't isolated incidents, that they'd been happening all throughout the war. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were remorselessly killing everyone who got in their way.
At this point, she felt anything would be justified. She'd already used the Killing Curse twice. The Imperius Curse, even though she personally considered it to be the evilest curse ever invented, didn't have permanent effects aside from the mental trauma, and inflicting that on a Death Eater was fair game.
As for the goblins…well, they didn't necessarily deserve it, but she was absolutely certain that every single one of the Gringotts goblins would readily Imperius anyone if it would help them achieve their goals. This was no time to play nice anymore.
"We'll have to do it, I suppose," Harry said after a while. He didn't look happy to admit it. "I really don't see any way of doing this without coercion." He looked at Daphne. "Are you really okay with becoming Bellatrix?" he asked.
Daphne shuddered. "I'd really rather not, no, but I think I'm the best candidate for it because I know how pureblood supremacists act," she said.
She looked at Ginny. "What about you? Do you want to go with Harry and me, or would you rather go ahead to Hogwarts?"
Ginny glared at her. "I am not letting both my boyfriend and my girlfriend risk their lives without me. I don't care what I need to be disguised as, I'm coming with you two. Besides, you'll be more likely to need the help; Ron and Hermione will have the Order at Hogwarts as well."
"Right, then," Harry said wearily. "Let's get the preparations done…"
Daphne didn't look forward to the mission at all. The notion of having to become Bellatrix was nauseating. But she knew that if they succeeded, it would be worth it in the end. Of course, they had to get their hands on the cup, first.
They'd changed the plan a bit in that the Gringotts group would be bringing the sword with them after all, because there was something at Hogwarts that could destroy the diadem: the fangs of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had taught both Ron and Hermione to say 'open' in Parseltongue by looking at a picture of a snake and simply saying the word over and over.
Ron seemed to pick it up a bit quicker than Hermione, to her great annoyance and Ron's amusement, though his joy was hampered a bit when Hermione had sourly said that, since Parseltongue was a Slytherin trait, he might not be quite as Gryffindor as he thought. Daphne had been torn between being insulted at having Slytherin being referred to negatively yet again, and being proud at Hermione for dealing such a nasty low blow.
In any case, it would mean that they could simply destroy the cup immediately and then attempt to escape, preferably with the sword, but it wouldn't matter all that much if they ended up losing it: Harry had drawn it from the Sorting Hat once, and either he or Ron or any of the other Gryffindors would likely be able to do it again.
And so, on the morning of the mission, she put her disgust aside and gulped down the Polyjuice Potion, which had become dark and tar-like when she'd added Bellatrix's hair.
Ginny would be disguised as a foreign witch with the fake identity of Petra Böhm, a blood supremacist seeking to join Voldemort. Her normally long red hair had been Transfigured into being cut just below her ears and being platinum blonde. Her eyes were a shade of brown with some green in it, and her nose had been made a bit bigger than usual.
Harry, lastly, would be under his Invisibility Cloak, performing all the necessary Confundus Charms and Imperius Curses.
Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had used the Order coins to ask for a way into Hogwarts, and had been told to Apparate directly into the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade and ask the barman there for further instructions. If the Gringotts heist went well, Harry, Ginny, and Daphne would be doing the same a bit later.
"Well…good luck, you three," Hermione said anxiously, looking at Daphne with some revulsion.
"Yeah. Get that cup and come to Hogwarts as quickly as you can, okay? We'll be waiting," Ron said.
"Don't worry about us. You guys just take care of the diadem," Harry said. "Now come on, we need to get going…"
They went outside and Daphne took Ginny's end, turning on the spot and Apparating right in front of the Leaky Cauldron. A moment later she felt a double tap on her shoulder telling her that Harry had arrived as well. She stepped into the inn, and she saw Tom the barman shuddering when he laid eyes on her.
"Madam Lestrange," he muttered.
Daphne merely looked at him coldly and kept walking. Ginny, next to her, tried to imitate Daphne's body language and succeeded surprisingly well.
Daphne tapped the correct brick in the wall using Bellatrix's wand, which felt all wrong in her hand, and Diagon Alley opened up. Far from being the colorful place it had once been, it was now run-down and almost an extension of Knockturn Alley given the sheer number of stores dedicated to the Dark Arts. Many, many beggars sat, slumped, along the street, most of them backing away fearfully when they saw Daphne passing. One of them, a man with a bandage over one eye, shouted when he saw her, and he stormed at her.
"My children! Where are my children? What has he done with them?! You know! You–"
With a flash of red light, Daphne blasted the man off his feet. Without looking at him, she kept walking. It was a good thing Bellatrix usually scowled, so she didn't have to bother hiding her own anger and distaste at what she had to do.
"Why, Madam Lestrange," a voice nearby said.
A tall, thin wizard with a crown of bushy grey hair came striding toward them. Daphne recognized him as Travers, a well-known pureblood fanatic and most likely a Death Eater.
"What do you want, Travers?" Daphne asked.
"I merely sought to greet you," Travers said coolly, "but if my presence is not welcome…"
"Indeed it isn't. I have better things to occupy myself with, Travers. The Dark Lord's bidding brooks no delays, as I'm sure you'll agree," Daphne said with a hint of a threat.
Travers gave a mocking bow. "Of course, Madam Lestrange, of course…I must say I'm surprised he has forgiven you so readily for that fiasco at Malfoy Manor," he said casually, giving her a sly, cold look.
"You might want to be careful with remarks like that, Travers," Daphne said icily. "It almost sounds like you believe the Dark Lord was wrong to forgive me. Do you? Because if so, I shall gladly inform him of your displeasure…as well as bringing him your severed head for being disloyal."
Travers waved her away. "Please, Bellatrix, it's far too early for death threats. I'm merely here for some gold and then I'll leave you to do our Lord's bidding."
At that moment, he blinked twice and then smiled. "Ah, my mistake," he said. "I think I'll visit Gringotts later. I'm sure the Dark Lord has his reasons to send you there." Then he turned around and walked away.
"I Imperiused him," Harry said softly from somewhere nearby. "It's going to be difficult enough without a Death Eater following us."
"Good thinking," Daphne said. They moved on toward the bank, where two wizards with Probity Probes were flanking the doors. Daphne saw both of them startle slightly and she knew that Harry had Confunded them. Indeed, they just nodded politely when Daphne and Ginny walked past them.
Soon, they were in the marble hall, heading over to an old goblin, who looked up in fearful surprise when he saw Daphne.
"Madam Lestrange! What a surprise! What-what can I do for you today?"
"I wish to enter my vault," Daphne said.
"Do you have any identification?"
"I'm sure my wand will suffice?" Daphne asked, handing over Bellatrix's wand.
"Certainly, certainly…" the goblin said. "However…there are…special instructions concerning your vault…"
"I am well aware of the special instructions," Daphne said contemptuously, deciding it would be better to play along. "But there is something I must deposit in my vault, and I will not be impeded in accessing my property."
Underneath the goblin's fear, Daphne saw him getting angry at her remark, which was exactly what she wanted. "The instructions were given to us by–"
"I am overriding those instructions, and I'm sure you're aware on whose authority I do so," Daphne interrupted. She moved her right hand toward her left arm. "Would you like me to call him here to settle the matter, perhaps?"
"No, no!" the goblin said hurriedly.
He clapped his hands and a younger goblin appeared. "I shall need the Clankers," the old goblin said.
The younger one dashed away and returned a moment later with a leather bag filled with jangling metal.
"Good, good," the old goblin said. "So if you will follow me, Madam Lestrange…will your companion be joining us?"
"She will be," Daphne confirmed.
"I shall take you to your vault, then," the goblin said.
They began to set off when another goblin came running up. "Wait! Bogrod! Pardon me, Madam Lestrange, but there have been special instructions and–"
"She is aware," Bogrod interrupted. "Madam Lestrange has already offered to…explain on whose authority the instructions are being overridden."
The other goblin was silent for a moment and then said something in Gobbledegook, which Bogrod answered tersely.
"I hope you are not insulting me," Daphne said menacingly.
"Certainly not, Madam Lestrange," the second goblin said quickly. "Good day."
He quickly left them alone, and Bogrod guided them across the hall through one of the doors, which slammed shut behind them with an echoing clang. Bogrod looked extremely uneasy, and Daphne didn't think it was only her presence that caused it.
"What did that other goblin say to you just now?" she asked. "And you'd better answer me truthfully."
Bogrod glared at her. "He was merely wondering how you came to be free when we were told you had been captured," he said.
"Did he really?" Daphne asked. "Or was there something else? Do you, perhaps, believe we are impostors?"
Bogrod's eyes widened and he was about to say something when his eyes momentarily unfocused. A second later, Harry pulled off his Cloak.
"Tell the truth, Bogrod," he commanded.
"Defenses will have been set off," Bogrod said. "The Thief's Downfall up ahead will wash away all magical concealment. Armed goblins and wizards will come to arrest you."
"Can you turn off the defenses?" Harry asked.
"No," Bogrod said. "But you will still be able to enter the vault as long as I am here. Shall we go?"
"Seeing him like this makes me so glad Moody taught us all to resist the Imperius Curse," Ginny said nervously.
Daphne nodded fervently. "You and me both…"
They got into a cart and hurtled off down the dark tunnel at high speed. Even in Bellatrix's body, Daphne hated the feeling of the rapid twists and turns. Then, they were suddenly blasted through a waterfall, and the cart tipped over and threw them out. Bill had warned them of that particular defensive mechanism, and Daphne cast a Cushioning Charm to stop them from falling to their deaths on the stone floor below.
Like Bogrod had said, Ginny and Daphne herself had both turned back into themselves, and the Imperius Curse on Bogrod had been lifted as well, though Harry quickly cast it again to make sure they could enter the vault. They set off down the tunnel — Daphne cast some charms to dry their clothes — and soon, they reached a cavern in which a massive dragon had been chained to the ground. It didn't look healthy, but it seemed extremely vicious all the same.
"We will need to use the Clankers," Bogrod said, handing out the metal objects from the leather bag to each of them. "The dragon will retreat when it hears them."
He began to rattle the Clankers, and Daphne and the others did the same. Indeed, the dragon roared in anguish and retreated. The echoing sound was already starting to give Daphne a headache, but better that than being roasted by an angry dragon.
Bogrod pressed his hand against one of the vault doors and Daphne and the others quickly followed him through. The door shut behind them, and the three of them lit up their wands, the light reflecting off the many, many piles of coins and treasures.
"Right, the cup has two handles, is made of gold, and has Hufflepuff's badger on it," Harry said. "And don't touch anything if you can help it, it's all cursed."
He looked at Bogrod. "Do you know where the cup is?" he asked.
"The more valuable objects will likely be on the highest shelves, where they will be hardest to reach," Bogrod replied.
Harry immediately began to shine the light from his wand along the higher shelves, quickly followed by Daphne and Ginny.
"I think I see it!" Ginny yelled after a few moments. "All the way up there, look!"
The cup was indeed on the top of one of the shelves, far higher than any of them would be able to reach.
"Daphne, you have your bag with you, right?" Harry asked.
"Of course, where else did you think I kept the sword?" Daphne asked.
"The brooms you and Ginny used when you flew to Wales, do you still have those in it as well?" Harry asked.
"I do, yes," Daphne said, and she reached into the bag, drawing out the sword and one of the brooms, and handing both to Harry.
Harry quickly mounted the broom and flew up to the cup, slicing it in half with one angry swing. Maybe it was Daphne's imagination, but she thought she saw a puff of black smoke escaping from the cloven cup.
Harry skewered the remains of the cup onto the sword and flew back down, depositing both into Daphne's bag, and then stuffing the broom in again as well.
He turned to Bogrod. "Get us out of here," he said.
Bogrod obediently walked over to the door and touched it, melting it away to reveal the cavern beyond — as well as a small army of goblins and wizards.
"Protego!" Harry yelled, just in time to deflect the first Stunners being shot his way.
Daphne and Ginny followed suit, shooting Stunners into the crowd and using Shield Charms to keep themselves as safe as possible, but it was clear they would lose the fight if it dragged on; there were simply too many enemies.
"Relashio!" Harry shouted, and Daphne heard the cuffs around the dragon's rear legs break off.
"Get onto its back!" Harry shouted at Daphne and Ginny, who quickly caught on and scrambled over to the dragon.
They'd barely managed to clamber onto the scales when the dragon realized it had been freed. It shot a wide fan of flames over the scattering goblins and wizards, and barreled a number of them over when it began to lumber forward, clawing at the stone ceiling.
"Let's give the dragon a hand," Daphne shouted at Harry and Ginny. She aimed her wand at the ceiling. "Defodio!"
The Gouging Spell cut out a large part of the ceiling, and Harry and Ginny quickly joined in, occasionally shooting a Stunner at a wizard or goblin who tried to stop them.
The dragon began to climb upwards, helped by the Gouging Spells from Daphne and the others. Eventually, it crashed into the marble entryway of the bank, from where it forced its way out into Diagon Alley, finally taking off into the air.
My initial plan was to have Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to Gringotts as in canon, and sending Daphne and Ginny ahead to Hogwarts, because I really didn't want to write the Gringotts scenes, but Daphne made the most sense as Bellatrix given her background, so I simply got it over with. I'll put the events I planned for Hogwarts in the next chapter. Tomorrow, we enter the home stretch at long last. Oh, and Merry Christmas, or whatever other holiday you may or may not celebrate.