Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my thoughts of AU and OC, the rest all belong to J K Rowling.

Chapter 31

Griphook had grown up hearing and reading about the Goblin's own version of the Rebellion of 1612. Thus he found it quite exciting to step into Hogsmeade Inn and finally inside the Headmaster's gargoyle protected office of Hogwarts. One had served as the stronghold of Goblins and the other was still the esteemed seat of Wizards and Witches Education. To him these two put together defined the phrase," where it all began, once upon a time."

As if never being interrupted by the arrival of the mediwitch and the herbology professor, the goblin carried on with his speech, "The primary contract must be drawn – between Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter from the side of the wizards and the witches and me myself, from goblin community. I would like to put my Brothen - Filius Flitwick as the officiator of the bond and would want Minerva McGonagall to be the witness."

Turning to the rest of the group he said, "The secondary contracts would be signed and sealed by the rest of us since each one of us has vouched to help the girl in peril." Bringing out special small versions of quills, he handed them out to Filius. The charms professor's thick sets of brows disappeared into his thinning hairline, in rapt wonder, "They need to sign with the Goblin's oath weaver." The other just nodded.

Sparing at glance at the other occupants, he decided to explain the functioning of the quill to gain their trust, "When you sign with these quills, you feel a speck of your blood being drawn out of your index finger and a bit of your magic drawn out as well. This seals the contract. We have not used it often…"

Harry and Draco both spoke out together, "Then why now?"

Irritated at being interrupted, the goblin sneered then went on explaining after lightly rebuking the perpetrators. "Because Miss Granger had done the same. And, GENTLEMEN, Time here is of great essence."

No one questioned the strange demands of Griphook after that. With the contracts done, he swiftly sealed and stamped on them and handed a counter copy to Minerva. As for his copy, he gave that to Bill Weasley for safekeeping.

All through this process, Severus was watching the person. So had Blaise, Draco, Harry, Lupin, Narcissa and Luna. And all of them individually had come to one singular conclusion. The goblin was worse to wear. Walking back to his seat, he shook his head, closed his eyes for a couple of minutes and then looked up.

Heaving a sigh of resignation Griphook addressed the group," Our world has lived through two wars, and yet we have learnt so little from them. The fact that we stay divided, we readily give the Dark forces the weapon to annihilate us…there are a couple of reasons as to why I wanted to meet you all today. I...I wanted to seek your help…"

Curious now, Snape sat up straighter, "Help?"

"Yes, help."

His eyes now trained at the flicking flames of the fireplace, Griphook said, "Today the wards of Gringotts were breached. Mind you all we had taken greater measures to tighten up our securities, after the Golden Trio managed to dally around and fly off with a dragon…" he spared a glance at Potter who tried not to look smug and ashamed at the same time.

Clearing his throat, fiddling with his fob chain, the goblin carried on,"While investigating the issue, the goblins came across a strange magical force hovering over the vault of Hermione Granger. They are still trying to tackle it. But no magic or goblin's sword is capable enough to get rid of it, it is like a mist hovering in the air, it has a face. And when attacked it would bring up its sword and a shield as well. Yes, as we speak, it is still there. They are known as the 'Knights of the Undead' and I have heard those words not once but twice in the last couple of months."

Baise Zabini leaned forward, his features alert and inquisitive, "' Knight of the Undead', those can't be killed, those are usually summoned by a wizard or a witch sharing the mark of wizard commander to who this knights were answerable in their lifetime, and once summoned they would attach themselves to the summoner. Like guardians. And will ascertain that the magical being is safe and under their protection."

"And only a blood kin of the witch or the wizard can help them go back to the realms of the undead, from where they have been released." The goblin surmised.

Seamus spoke out for the first time, "So these undead folks are bothering Hermione?"

"Mr. Finnigan, no, things are not that simple, these undead folks as you call them, are actually protecting her…"

Molly, Draco, Harry, Neville, Minerva, Lupin all spoke together at the same time, "From?"

"The one she had been hunting for and destroying all these while."The goblin supplied in a grave voice.

Severus could barely keep his mind still anymore, "The new sets of Horcrux, she was after them, you had put her into that godforsaken task!"

The visitor simply snapped back, "Calm down, Spymaster, she was not the only one, there was another before her, both equally brilliant, both equally marvelous…"

Shaking his head, steepling his hands over his chest, the goblin mentioned,"The muggles, during the time of the First wizard's war, had often come across a red lady in a caravan of books and her caretaker, one motley dwarf."

Severus had literally sprang out of his chair, his pale face looked paler, and his eyes sparkled with trepidation, as he whispered, "Red Lilac…!"

And in his very heart, he did not wish to know anymore. If he allowed this crude enactment of blasphemy to continue, he had to strengthen the hold on his mental barriers. And behind those iron doors, his emotions were now lashing against his very nerves. Yes, in those days when the Dark Lord had been gathering his ranks, an appearance of a vigilante had deterred the process. He had been one of the lower ranks, and all he knew was that several newly recruited death eaters had been slain by the "Red Lilac".

Narcissa was watching her long-time friend all this while, and her hands had sorted for those of her son's and her sister's. Sparing both of them, a measured glance, she found they too had picked up the roaring magical energy getting unknowingly generated at Severus's expense. Lupin, who for some time, was leaning against the banister, whose stairs lead to the headmaster's personal chambers, too had picked it up. The werewolf had silently inched towards the young headmaster.

Snape had always been particular about his charges. And even if for a long time that was only encompassing over his snakes, that feeling in the years after the war had engulfed the whole school and all its former students, irrespective of their houses. He considered it within his own right to berate anyone of them, but if others would say a single word about them in disrespect, he would be this close to tearing them apart limb by limb.

The goblin, who was barely looking at the esteemed and most revered youngest headmaster of Hogwarts, continued,"We saw to the circulation of a wonderfully fantastic tale, The Red Lady, who roamed in a caravan of aging books, with only a circus trickster, dwarf master called Motley as her company…some said she was a sorceress, some said a hippie palm reader…though all muggles around kept some distance, unless they needed their future read, and she would so smilingly offer to be the listening ear…A couple, a pair of muggle healers came, childless, and the woman's plea touched Red Lilac's heart…for she was carrying a secret of her own."

Slowly, the goblin turned to face, the tall, pale and wrapped in volumes of black cloak person, and stared poignantly into the wizard's obsidian eyes, which now were rippling with a hint of primal emotions of both fight and fright.

Locking his eyes with Severus Snape, aware of the man's crackling magic, Griphook mentioned, "You see, Headmaster, the woman who had rocked your Dark Lord's High castle back in those murky days just a handful of years before the first war, was a mother to be…," a hint of fondness crept into his beady ears, his lips stretched a bit with a touch of a genuine smile, "the goblins knew Red Lilac, the sorceress they had planted among the muggles carried the seed of love and war within her."