The group found themselves standing in front of three mine carts being escorted by three goblins. Harry winked at Griphook as he sat himself down in the first cart next to the goblin. Kingsley and Shelby took the back seat and the rest of the aurors and the two unspeakables took seats in the last two carts. Griphook got an unholy grin on his face as he released the brake on the cart and pushed the lever that made the cart move as far forward as it would go. With a whoop of joy Harry raised his hands above his head and the cart was off like a stone thrown from a sling. What followed was the stuff of nightmares for the two aurors in the back seat.
The little cart raced up hills and free fell down the other side, whipped around corners so fast that the cart almost seemed to be on its side. Switchbacks that left one side of the cart or the other hanging over cliffs hundreds of feet in the air. Racing across chasms on bridges that swayed back and forth with their passage and no less than three dragons that shot forth columns of fire after the swiftly passing cart.
Shelby had cause to be grateful to the laws of gravity as he vomited over the side and the cart sped away from his humiliation. Kingsley was fairly sure that he had soiled himself but was too panicked to tell for sure.
After what must have been a lifetime the cart started to slow and going around one more curve it pulled up behind the other two carts. The two aurors and the two unspeakables were already out of their carts, wands drawn and from the facial expressions Harry guessed they were worried. Once the cart was at a full stop the unspeakable Duncan Brames grabbed Harry's arm and half pulled him out of the cart. He was pushed behind the man and then behind auror David Antolm and into Morgan's arms
Morgan promptly spun around with the boy and pushed his back against the wall. "Where the hell were you?"
Harry was surprised at the treatment he had received and answered Morgan's question with some confusion. "Didn't the goblins tell you we would be taking a different route?"
"We were told. When we finish here we stick together going back out. Same route. Understand?"
Harry just shrugged.
Kingsley heard that and lurching to his feet he shook his head no in a desperate manor as he tried to exit the cart. When he almost fell he looked to see what was holding him back. His hands were curled into claws and had a death grip on the back of the front seat. He tried to let go but his fingers were locked and beyond his physical control.
Shelby was still swallowing convulsively and his face was pasty white. He still had the presence of mind to reach out with his shaky hand to try and pry Kingsley's fingers loose. He himself made no effort to quit the cart yet. Sweating profusely he just sat and waited for his stomach to find its way back down from where it had lodged in his throat to where it usually resided.
Once Kingsley managed to get his fingers to release the front seat he lurched sideways and fell into a heap onto the floor taking auror LaRay Asher with him.
Morgan and Duncan could only assume that the cart had been attacked by someone or something. Why else were the two aurors in that condition? The two unspeakables took it upon themselves to take charge of the group and insure Harry's safety at least until Shacklebolt was back up and functioning again.
Harry was pressed up against the wall as the two men took up a position of protection in front of him. The two looked around trying to find the direction that the attack had come from. Damn, nothing. They needed information and they needed it now. "Potter," Duncan snapped, "Did you see who attacked you?"
"Wh-hem, What attack?" Harry wandered if he had missed something being squished behind the two men.
"Morgan, we need to get those two to the hospital. They look like they are in bad shape." Duncan said. "Auror Asher, How is Shacklebolt doing? Can you get him out of the front line without help? You Antolm, get Marwash out of that cart. I have an emergency portkey to St. Mungo's. Get them over here and we'll go as a group…"
His instructions were interrupted by laughter coming from behind. With amazement he turned to see The Defender laughing like a loon. "S-s-sorry guys, hahaha, I just figured out what the problem was. We weren't attacked. They have motion sickness I think." It was just soooo funny. Harry finally got himself under control and managed to stop the uncontrolled laughter. "Just give them a few minutes to rest, they'll be ok."
Harry slid sideways against the wall till the unspeakables were no longer in front of him then he walked over and put his key in the slot and the vault irised open and the torches in their holders caught fire lighting up the interior of the vault. The last time he had been here there had been a pile of gold about waist high in the middle of the vault with the occasional silver or copper coin thrown in for good measure. Now though, now each coin was stacked up and aligned one stack to the next. Gold first then silver then copper. Each stack had about a hundred coins in it and they all gleamed like they had recently received a good polishing. Harry blinked at the sight. Come to think of it they probably had been polished.
A small table sat in the center of the vault. A white cloth draped over it and a comfortable chair placed at an angle so a person could sit without pulling the chair out. On the table in a silver bucket filled with ice was a bottle of wine. The condensation formed larger beads of water and ran down both bottle and bucket as Harry watched. Beside the bucket a crystal stemmed glass sat just waiting to be filled with the chilled wine. A large cut glass plate was off to the side. It held an assortment of sweets and finger sandwiches. A smaller cut glass plate sat in front of the chair and a snowy white cloth napkin folded in an intricate swan shape waited to be used.
Everything looked freshly laid out so Harry looked around the vault trying to find out who had put it there. Nothing. Taking a step into the vault he heard one of his guards hiss at him to "Get back here" Harry tuned out the people in the hall and called up his magic sight. Closing his eyes he allowed the magic within to 'see' and what he 'saw' was a freshly broken preservation spell around the table. So, all of this had been set up during the break-in but had been held in stasis till he got there. Harry checked for a magical signature and found nothing but a confused jumble so he checked for traps and as well as he could for poisons. Everything looked good. Walking over to the table he picked up the bottle of wine and keeping it with him he reached for a finger sandwich and took a small bite. It tasted good and it had been a long day without lunch so he finished the sandwich and picking up the plate he walked out of the vault.
"Sandwich?" he held out the plate toward the others and made the offer. His guard stared at him like his head had just fallen off his shoulders.
Griphook gave a toothy grin and reached for one of the small sandwiches and in one bite ate it. "Ham salad." He reached for another before an Auror could stop him and popped that one in his mouth also. "Chicken salad."
Harry grinned at his friend, "Mine was tuna salad."
Kingsley finally found his voice. "Don't eat that! You don't know if it's poisoned or not. What is wrong with you two eating food left lying around by people you don't know. Do you two have a death wish?"
"Chill Kingsley, I checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong with it and Griphook also checked them out and he didn't find anything either so it's safe to eat. Besides, I'm hungry." He handed the bottle of wine to one of his guards to hold so he could grab another sandwich to eat. Closing his eyes he savored the taste of the delicately spiced cheese spread. "Ummm, sure you all don't want some?"
Morgan stepped forward and grabbed a sandwich with each hand. "If he dies from poison I want to go too because the ministry and the public will crucify us." That said he bit into one of the sandwiches he had grabbed. It was delicious.
Kingsley threw his hands up in the air in defeat. Reaching for the plate he grabbed two sandwiches and a chocolate covered biscuit and sat down on the ground to eat.
"Stupid fucking ponce." Draco growled to himself as he made his way down to the potions lab. He- Bloody Draco Malfoy had remedial potions and on a Saturday no less. His life was so damned unfair. Where was the glory and girls he should have by now? He had followed the rules his father had laid out for him like a good little boy and what was his reward? Remedial potions and the promise of a summer with Snape, his mother and himself staying at Lands End under house arrest and under the control of that bloody poof Potter. Who the hell named their house Lands End. It was most likely a shack sitting in a field of weeds. This summer was just full of promise he sneered to himself.
Draco reached up and fingered the control collar around his neck and winced. His mother kept telling him that he should be grateful that Potter had testified for the three of them or they would all be keeping his father company in Azkaban with their magical cores burned out instead of just five years of probation with a control collar that blocked magic. To be honest when the verdict had been read he had felt swamped with relief but he had spent the last four months since their release going over just what the verdict had meant and just what he had gotten.
What he had gotten was a heavy fine that almost bankrupted his family. What was left of the estate was placed under the wardship of Lord Potter (he sneered the title in his mind) for the next ten years with the provision that after five years he could take control under the strict supervision of his guardian. The shite was younger than he was and he had control of him till he was 27 fucking years old. Guardian hell, it was nothing but a court appointed legal slavery for him, his mother and his godfather.
Draco knew he just knew that after five years nothing would be left for him and his family. I mean get real folks; the shite was practically a mudblood, raised by muggles and poor muggles at that. He couldn't know anything about wizarding finances and yet the courts just handed over the control of Draco's inheritance. The stupid git would probably spend all of Draco's money on bows for his hair.
Draco had never been told that Harry was poor but it was obvious that he was. Up till this year his clothes had been rags and his family had lived in a cottage before they were killed. Draco was guessing the land and house had been sold to pay for school supplies and tuition. Draco knew he wasn't like the Weasleys were. The only way those losers could attend school here was a scholarships set up to help needy young people get a quality education and the discount that ministry employees were given for their children to attend. No, his father had been a member of the Board of Governors and had told Draco that Potters tuition had been paid in full long before he was sent his acceptance letter.
Draco reached the potion lab and knocked. Here was another thing that hit him hard. His godfather was one of the best potions masters in the world and a hero of the war and what happens to him? Replaced by that fat fuck Slugbutt who favored Potter. What a farce. The head of Slytherin licking the arse of a gryffindork. Draco had heard that the fat fart had offered Potter and apprenticeship and in potions no less! Draco snickered, that might not be a bad idea. Potter would blow up Slugface within the first month without his bucktoothed pet mudblood there to cover for his mistakes. That would solve a lot of Draco's problems right there.
Draco was about to knock again when he heard someone approaching from behind. Whirling around he reached for his wand before he remembered it wouldn't work unless the great and wonderful Potter keyed in a waver which he wouldn't except for classes. Draco knew because he had already asked (Gag). It was just as well because the person behind him was Slughorn.
Without even greeting Draco the man took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Motioning for him to enter he pointed at a station. "I want you to attempt to brew Dreamless sleep. We did that around the first of October last year and you might be questioned on it when you take your NEWT's. After you finish you may work on your essay on Featherforo weed. There are 53 useful parts to that particular plant and it is used in 218 separate potions. I want you to list at least ten potions that use the plant as well as the part of the plant being used and how it is prepared for the potion. You may begin."
Slughorn sat down at his desk and began correcting essays turned in by his second year mixed Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff class. Occasionaly he would dip his quill in a bottle of red ink and write something on the parchment he was reading. With a sigh Draco opened his text to the correct page and went to the supply cabinet and gathered the ingredients he would need for the potion. It was going to be a long afternoon.