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

chapter 39

Griphook, apart from being the bank Manager of Gringotts was also elected as the Head of the Goblin Community after the war had ended. Growing under shadows of his many uncles and other prominent members, the young goblin was often entrusted with the secret mission to keep an eye on the magical community. Several of his cousins too were watching other magical creatures along with him. If the generation before him was obsessed with Dumbledore and Grindelwald, his cousins, nephews, and nieces took a keen interest in Tom Riddle and the enigma called Harry Potter. There was only a handful along with him who regarded Severus Snape as a keystone in the whole affair.

When the boy had appeared at Gringotts with his frail mother, to set up an account, Griphook could feel his extraordinary magical aura. Gornuk had called him aside and shared," We might as well keep an eye on that lad. Riddle proved quite a handful for Dumbledore...I fear this one will follow suit, in case the old man is too full of himself and fails to recognize a brilliant mind. With years, he has grown too picky."

"So we can just help him open an account knowing fully well, he would hardly have anything to contribute to it?" the goblin had shared his doubts.

"In due time, Grip, in due time, things will happen in due time. Though his vault might lay empty, he might turn into a handy key to solving lots of our troubles," Gornuk had hummed.

Truly, the boy had little to fill his Gringotts vault but he did grow into an indispensable weapon that both the light and the dark forces craved to lay their hands on. Gornuk had winked at Griphook when Voldermort had decided to make Snape the Headmaster as if to say, "Told you long back."

Griphook was the first one to come back to his senses. When Filius, who landed just next to him, tried to help him up, he held on to the latter's arms, in a tight grip and urgently pleaded, "You need to keep him sane, you all need to be with him," gulping down and wetting his parched throat, he continued, "because if he goes mad, everything is going to shatter in pieces. "

A thoroughly irate Minerva marched up to his still prone body, her wand pointed at his face, her voice cold as the much familiar winter draft, "You will explain to me what is going on and or I will hex you to the next year, goblin or not!" Behind her, all others, apart from Bill Weasley and Aberforth Dumbledore and Healer Astrid Norman and Remus Lupin, too were their wands pointed at him. Harry and Draco come up and barked at the goblin, "Is that true?"

"Speak up! "

" Tell the truth, no more games!"

Narissa said solemnly," That has to be true Draco, Mr. Potter."

Molly seconded her opinion. Still, shuddering and she added, "Yes, that has to be true."

Both Harry and Draco exchanged baffled looks and peered at the assembled elders. The handful of them knew something, something that even they could not have worked out in all these years. And now, both of them could see the dawn of realization in each other of their contemplating faces.

Meanwhile, George and Seamus had ganged up together. They were wearing their Gryffindor spirits on their sleeves. They had successfully cornered Bill, and demanded, "Did you know?"

"Bill! Better not turn a Percy now! For Merlin's Sake! Were you aware of all that nonsense that goblin bank manager is talking about?!"

Still feeling a bit dazed, the eldest brother gaped at the other two now towering over his body. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, giving his head a thorough shake, he nodded in negative then, stared right at the goblin, his mind working the puzzles out," It is clear, though, Hermione was aware!"

Blaise Zabini was feeling no better. He was aware of his head of house's hidden powers, but oh!my! he would never, ever get into that man's bad books. He could perhaps kill, with a single nod. Who knew! Still stunned, and massaging his knees, he coughed a bit. Someone had kicked at him and someone else had elbowed at his collar, missed his throat perhaps by inches. He could see how Potter and Draco were breathing hot over the cornered goblin.

But figments of past happenings, mostly trivial, but curious nevertheless, slowly started fitting back into the bigger puzzle that had him wrapped around Destiny's invisible finger. In a hoarse voice, he pronounced, drawing in the other's attention, "Those small bouquets! Merlin's pants! Those tiny, girlie bouquets! Who would send them to our snarling headmaster! I could never wrap my mind around them! It is not uncommon to find a crazy witch falling for the bad guy! That too so fresh out of war! Seriously! They would just appear on his bedside, while he stayed in the hospital wing! Morgana's bits! Granger was leaving them behind!"

Luna was sitting casually, resting her head on the wall. She did take a tumble like the others, but the Ravenclaw was perhaps the first one to get back her senses and had helped the other ladies get up in turn. When the more boisterous and hot-headed wizards and witches took the first opportunity to charge at the Griphook, she kept to her side watching the scene unfold. She mused, in her signature dreamy voice, "How thoughtful! No wonder she was so happy to see him there today at the hospital, she does feel like a lost child."

Beside her, Neville shook his head in disbelief, "She was too driven to save him! too focused to make us work with him."

Rubbing his back to ease out the dull ache, the DADA professor, lowered his wand. The war had made his nerves jittery. Any threat had him act first and ask for reasons later. 'These speculations can wait, we need to get to Severus, he might end up…' he panicked.

Eyes wide in realized horror, he blocked Minerva from berating the goblin any further. He urgently informed," Severus! I heard something heavy, crushing against the window, from Severus's quarter we got to see what's up, I saw him shivering like a mad man…and later he had locked him in his room, I heard through the door, we need to help…"

Minerva gulped at the new revelation and had pushed the werewolf aside. With panic flashing across her face, she marched up the now bare open staircase, the Gargoyle patiently waiting for further orders. The other did not waste a second and rushed to join her.

Together they entered the office. Shocked at its disheveled state, wands drawn out in their hands to subdue any residual magic, they walked their way through the debris. Going up the stairs, one at a time, they tried the lock to his quarters again. When a frustrated Seamus Finnigan flicked his wand at the jinxed doorknob and aimed an "Alohomora" spell at it. In a fraction of a second, the Irish Auror was yelping and could have nearly toppled down the stairs if Neville had not grabbed at his sleeve at the very last moment. Because once again, the same apparition had appeared and they were forced to back off.

In the meantime, Hagrid had arrived. He was surely not expecting Griphook to be already present in the castle. Since Snape had specifically asked him to escort the "unknown guest" to his office from the giant gates. Staring at the goblin who was still nursing his head, shouted unbelievingly, his eyes now started searching for the Deputy Headmistress, "The window to the headmaster room crashed and I saw a thick cloud flow off of through, most unnatural!"

Harry and Minerva, both breathless, surmised, "the gift of flight from Voldemort! Where do you think he went?"

A/N: I had to rearrange my thoughts to write this one. Thanks a ton, for the follows and the favorites. You guys, rock! Thank you thank you! Any ideas you wish to share, as to what do you think is happening with Hermione?