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Chapter Sixteen
They had brewed enough poly juice potion to last Hermione 5 hours. The pair caught the earliest bus and arrived in London, slipping into Diagon Alley, past all of the unoccupied shops and into Gringotts merely 5 minutes after it had opened.
"I need to enter my vault" Hermione snarled at the goblin, who looked her up and down suspiciously. Hermione, however feeling strong in Bellatrix's boots, and with Draco by her side stood her ground
"How dare you look ast me like a Squib! I made a request I demand it met. Now!" Hermione added. Taken aback, the goblin asked to see her wand.
Unprepared for this request, Hermione was taken aback by this. Draco, however was not.
"She was forced to leave it behind at the prison, due to the incompetence of the other Death Eaters. This is frankly an insult! To ask Bellatrix Lestrange for identification! Would you prefer me to call the Dark Lord personally to escort her? Because I can promise you that he will not be happy to leave his business to tend to matters as administrative as this" Draco spat.
The goblin nodded and took them beyond the barrier, down into the deepest depths of the vault. Hermione knew these must have been some of the oldest vaults. They certainly looked it and had elaborate engravings on the doors. They were also 3 or 4 times the size of a normal vault.
They arrived outside Bella's vault. Number 22. The goblin opened the doors, and Hermione stepped inside. Draco stopped her reaching out to the cup, and grabbed it himself. Tucking it into his robes. The pair then turned to leave, but not before something caught their eye. The sword of Gryfindor. Hermione went to pick it up, but again. Draco stopped her.
"Aunt Bella, you brought me to do the bending and lifting. Don't flatter me by touching them yourself" Draco hissed. Hermione took the hint. Draco picked up and examined the sword
"Ah yes. One of the finest replica's known to wizarding kind. No powers, but it will get you a pretty penny" The goblin winked. Upon hearing it was a fake, and minor details missing, such as the 'SWORD OF GRYFFINDOR' engraved on the blade, Draco put it back. The pair slipped from the vaults and exited Gringotts.
"This all seems too easy. Why didn't you let me pick up anything?" Hermione asked
"Vaults are charmed, if any imposters come to steal it duplicates anything they touch. I am blood, therefore I can touch it without causing multiplications" Draco explained
"Ah. I thought it would be harder to find. Her vault was so big!" Hermione said Draco chuckled
"Malfoy's have their own chamber with over 100 vaults. Each 10 times the size of her one. Easily" Draco said
Hermione changed as soon as she could out of Bellatrix' clothes, and they were at the train station for 11:45. They greeted the others and showed off the cup. The ten sat in a dimly bit pub, when in few a dark black cloud, a second later, it had gone. Draco too. Hermione stood suddenly, worried for his whereabouts when her phone stared vibrating. It was Draco
"Hello?" She asked hurriedly. She was shushed but left on speaker so she could listen. Hermione signalled for the others to follow her to a back alley, where she too put the phone on loud speaker
"Aunt Bella! What is the meaning of this?" Draco asked
"Did you visit Gringotts today?" she asked
"What? What business would I have there?" Draco asked coldly
"I was informed that I had entered my vault today, accompanied by you" She said
"That is preposterous! I have been working all day with the mud blood and blood traitor trying to get them to give me information!" Draco exclaimed
"I know. And what you have provided us with so far has been excellent, however. I did not enter my vault, so who did. And why! Nothing was taken, the only thing I was particularly worried about was that bloody sword" Bella exclaimed
"And I am deeply insulted that you sink as low as to accuse me! I am just as much the victim here as you Aunt Bella" Draco said
"Draco. Are you lying to me" she asked. Her voice suddenly very loud, it would appear that she had just stepped closer to him.
"Do you not believe me?" Draco asked. Bella's cackle sent through the phone and through the ears of the listeners.
"Crucio" They heard her screech. Nothing. No cries, no moans, groans or pain. No movement. Hermione had to admit that Draco was tough.
"Hm … Draco do not make me use veritserum" She said calmly
"What will veritserum give you that the torture curse cannot? You, yourself taught me Bella. You know as well as I do, that doping me will not get my tongue to break when I have nothing to hide" Draco explained
"You're right, Draco. But if I find out you are lying to me then I will cut your tongue out personally" She promised
"Understood. Now. May I get back to my mission?" Draco asked
"If you must. Though I do not recall the Dark Lord instructing you to do this" Bella said
"It was my own decision. I self-deployed. I had an opportunity to go with them, and I did. As a result, you were able to take over Hogwarts. But there is still valuable information to get. And I will not give them up until I have taken all I can. The less they know yhe better. If I am their friend, they tell me their plans. If they're locked in a prison, being tortured by you, they won't give it up" Draco explained
"Understood. I hope you know how highly he regards you because of this" Bella said
"Oh I know" Draco replied
"Go back. Shall I take you back to your café?" she asked
"What use will that be?" Draco asked
"That's where I picked you up from" Bella insisted.
"Yes. That is where they were. They would have apparated as soon as I disappeared. They could be anywhere in England by now" Draco exclaimed
"I guess so. Alright, where do you want" She asked
"Kings Cross. I'll find them from there" He said
"Very well" she agreed. There was a WHOOSH then the landing of two pairs of feet.
"Draco" She called, her voice distant
"Bella?" He responded
"Be careful. We're all so proud of you" She said.
"Thank you, Aunt Bella" Draco replied. It was a few minutes of silence before he started talking again.
"Hermione, did you catch that?" He asked
"Yes Draco, we'll meet you at the station now" Hermione said. They were only a 5 or so minute stroll away.
Upon meeting Draco again, the group exchanged hugs and claps on the back. Congratulating him on how well he handled that situation, all except Ron, who went to throw a punch at Draco.
"You're the reason Hogwarts was taken over?" Ron yelled as he went to throw another punch, Theo and Blaise lazily held him back. It did not take much to do that.
"Yes I did. I had learned some intel from Dumbledore when I changed sides, saying if I ever needed it I can use it. I had to because they would have gotten suspicious if after 4 months on the run I had nothing to report back" Draco said
"How did you let them know?" Hermione asked
"Owl. From when we went to the city. Untraceable" Draco said
"Bastard" Ron huffed. The rest thought nothing of it and continued on their way, back to their hotel. Planning their next moves.
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