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Chapter 3 - The Elder Wand

Hermione woke up first and started fixing up breakfast for the four of them. As the eggs were cooking, she took a second to examine the guests more closely.

Gallahad was taller than most goblins she had seen. He was fairly thin, with the regular pasty-green skin, and his hair was black and grey. He still wore the Gringotts uniform, with a black leather satchel emblazoned with a large, ornate 'G' on it. Hermione couldn't help feeling pity; it must have been a while since he had any new clothes.

Dean had definitely grown since the last time she saw him. He remembered her with Ginny, when he towered over then, and wondered how they would look now.

And then she remembered Ginny. It was the first time Ginny's name had even crossed her mind since her and Harry admitted their feelings for each other. She wondered what she would say to her the next time she saw her, when Ginny was expecting Harry to come back and fall into her arms, and he was now with Hermione. How would it affect her? And how would it affect their friendship? Would Ginny see this as a betrayal on Hermione's part?

And then there was Ron to worry about. She had once harboured some sort of more-than-friends feelings for him, but put it beneath her the Horcrux hunt started, and besides, it's not like he ever showed any signs of returning the feelings or anything.

But as to what he would think about it was completely different. And what he said yesterday on the radio was quite touching.

Hermione had been brainstorming ideas as to how to get in touch with him, and she had a few ideas. They could just show up at the Burrow, he was probably there, helping Molly and Arthur out.

But then she remembered that the Burrow would likely be under the protection of the fidelius charm, and since they had not been told the secret, they would not be able to find it anyway.

Her only other thought was trying to send him a talking patronus, but she couldn't think of where she would tell him to meet with them. She couldn't give any specific location, for fear of it being intercepted.

She decided she'd wait until Harry awoke and discuss it with him. Right now, the main thing she should focus on was getting that cup. The only way they could think of was to find a goblin with access to all of the vault keys, and cast the imperius curse on him, all the while under the invisibility cloak. Gallahad could serve as their guide through the tunnels. They would go in, grab the cup, and get out without anyone being the wiser.

She looked over, and saw Harry standing up. "Morning." He said, sliding his glasses onto his face, and then walking over to Hermione and giving her a quick kiss.

"I still haven't gotten used to that. I know, it's only been two days." she said.

"It feels like it's been forever to me." Harry began. "Totally normal. Like we've been together for years."

She smiled as she took the pan of eggs off the stove, before shovelling some onto a plate for him, and than another for herself.

"I've been thinking. We have to contact Ron." She said.

"I know. But I have no clue how."

"Well, we can't just go to the burrow." She began. "It'll be protected by the fidelius charm, for sure. So I was thinking that we should send out a patronus."

"If it's intercepted, people could find us." Harry said.

"I know, I thought of that. But we owe it to him just to tell him we are okay and are working on a way to find him. At least that much. We won't tell him where we are."

Harry thought about it, and agreed.

"You guys talking about Ron?" Said Dean, just waking up.

"Yeah." Said Hermione. "Have some eggs, Dean." She added politely, passing him a plate and a fork.

"Thanks." He began. "Listen, guys, I appreciate this, but I don't think I can stay. It'll just get harder for you to work on the mission without telling me, and I think I should go join my mum abroad anyway."

"Okay. When are you leaving?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno, after breakfast I suppose." He replied.

Harry continued to chat with Dean, while Hermione stepped out of the tent to send a message to Ron.

She thought long and hard about the kiss in the graveyard, and cast her silver otter. It bounded all around the area, before returning to her, so she could speak.

"Ron, if you get this message, I just want you to know that we heard you on the radio, and we miss you too, and I promise we'll find you soon. We are doing well. Hermione."

The otter stayed for a few extra seconds to make sure she was finished, before happily bouncing off into the distance.

Hermione went back inside to find Dean about to walk out and Gallahad woken up.

"Well, Harry, good luck, It was nice seeing you." He pulled Harry into a tight embrace than left the tent, disapparating after about twenty steps.

Harry looked upon Gallahad, who was just finishing his eggs.

"Well, mr. Potter, it seems we have some planning to do." He said.

"So you'll agree to help us?" Harry said.

"I want something in return." He said.

"Er, anything." Said Harry. "What do you want, exactly?"

"When you saved us, from those snatchers, you took their wands. I want one of them." Gallahad responded.

Harry walked over to the side of his bed where his rucksack now lay, and took out the two wands. "I'll let you take your pick as soon as the job is done." He said, with the wands in hand.

"Okay. But before we get started, I need to make something very clear." Gallahad Began. "Hogrod was right when he said that you have no right to the treasures in the Lestrange's vault, and by helping you steal them, I am betraying a very old goblin law. I know you, Harry Potter, of all people, will take only what you need to defeat the Dark Lord. If you want my help, I need your word that you will take only that which you need and nothing more. Do we have an accord?"

"Yes. We only want the cup." Said Harry.

"Very well." He said.

"So here is our plan, so far;" Hermione began. "You'll get us in, and guide us to the key room, and then we need to find a goblin alone to cast the imperius curse, right?"

"Right." Said Harry. "We'll go in, quickly grab the cup, and leave. That's it, nothing goes wrong."

"Once we're inside the tunnels, you'll have to remove the cloak. The thief's downfall will remove all magical concealment, and if you are wearing the cloak whilst passing under it, it shall be washed away forever."

"What other defences will there be, deep in the vaults?" asked Hermione.

"The vault itself will have some sort of defence set up, a defence that not even the goblins know. We'll have no way of finding out until we're inside." Gallahad answered.

"Is that it?" Asked Harry.

"No, one more thing - there is a dragon guarding the entrance to the older vaults, like the Lestrange's. It's a Ukrainian Ironbelly. That's all."

"Oh, is that all? Just a massive dragon in a small, confined space?" Said Harry Sarcastically.

Gallahad laughed. "We can use the clankers; when he hears them, he'll back off straight away. Plus, the beast is half-blind."

"Oh, a half-blind dragon. Much better." He added.

Gallahad smiled again. "Is there anything else we need to plan out?"

"I think we've covered anything we can, unless you think we should use polyjuice potion and the cloak?" Hermione asked.

"No, there's no point. It'll be washed away by the thief's downfall anyway, plus if we get caught, I don't think looking different will make too much difference." Harry said.

"So shall we go tomorrow?" Asked Gallahad.

"Tomorrow?" Asked Hermione, sounding surprised.

"It's only about noon, we could go today." He added. "Your choice."

Harry seriously considered it; it felt like the ministry all over again. They could plan forever, they'd never get more prepared. But Harry felt like he had spent almost no time alone with Hermione, so he decided against. "I think we should wait until tomorrow."

"Very well." Said Gallahad, turning around and moving to his bed, where he sat down and took a book out of his satchel.

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and led her out of the tent. They went over and took a seat on a little hill, overlooking the pebble beach.

"I sent Ron a message." she said. "I hope he gets it soon."

"How do you think he'll react? When we tell him?"

Hermione looked worried. "I don't know. I was thinking about that. Do you think we should?"

"It might be hard hiding it, plus, I'm not sure I want to." He said. "And it's not as though we're going to see him tomorrow. It could be weeks before we find him. Even months."

Hermione gave a nervous look, but decided to put the subject beneath her. "Even if we can get the horcrux tomorrow, we still have no way of destroying it. We need to find the sword also."

"I know. Add it to the list." He said with a chuckle.

"Why do you think Dumbledore left you the sword in the first place? I doubt he actually believed the ministry would let you have it, even if it wasn't missing."

"I don't know, but I think he was trying to give us a hint that we would need it. It's been more helpful than a book of chidren's stories."

"Actually, I was looking at the book, and I found something strange. Give me a second." She walked back up to the tent and came back with the Tales of Beedle the Bard in hand. "I was reading through them again the other night, and I noticed something odd. Take a look at this." She handed Harry the book, open to a story called The Tale of the Three Brothers. He quickly read through it.

"What's this got to do with anything?" Asked Harry.

"Well, remember when you said that Voldemort was looking for a wand?"

Harry looked shocked. "You don't think-?"

"Well it makes sense! Voldemort could use anybody's wand to counteract the twin cores – he doesn't need to search for a new one."

"But saying that this thing, this elder wand exists-"

"It says in A History of Magic that there have been wands like that; the wand of destiny, the deathstick. History is covered with them. And one could make a case for the other two existing – in fact, you could have one right now!"

He clutched his cloak, that Dumbledore had told him was his fathers. "But what about the stone? You can't actually bring people back from the dead, Hermione!"

"The stone doesn't really bring people back from the dead, like the story said. Once you're dead, you're dead. But the stone can recreate something like the deceased, like a spiritual projection, I'm guessing. Like it did with the second brother's lover. They won't belong in the world of the living, but they can be there."

The more Harry thought about it, the more it made sense. The cloak was real, that much was certain. And the third brother passed it down to his son, just as James Potter had to Harry, and his father before him. Could Harry be related to the third brother in the tale?

Hermione spoke again. "And then there's this." She said, pointing to the triangular symbol that looked like an eye just over the title. "This was on a grave in Godric's Hollow. Ignotus Peverell. What if, this Ignotus Peverell, was the third brother? What if your family, the Potter family, has lived in Godric's Hollow ever since the days of Ignotus? He could be you're ancestor, Harry!"

"I've seen that symbol before." Said Harry. "In a memory that Dumbledore showed me in sixth year. It was on Marvolo Guant's wring."

"Who's?"

"Marvolo Guant, you-know-who's grandfather on his mother's side. He wore a ring with that symbol on it, but you-know-who stole it and made it into a horcrux, and then Dumbledore destroyed it. Come to think of it, Marvolo said that the symbol was the Peverell coat of arms!"

"So does that mean that you-know-who is descended from them as well?"

It was a scary thought, Harry being related to Voldemort, even distantly, but it fit. "I suppose so. But where else have we seen this symbol? I'm pretty sure I've seen it somewhere else!"

"Was this not the symbol that Xenophilius Lovegood was wearing around his neck at the wedding?"

"Yes! Krum told me it was Grindelwald's sign."

"Grindelwald's? I didn't know he had a sign?"

"Krum thought so. Apparently he carved it into the walls before he got expelled from Durmstrang."

"Well, I think we ought to talk to Xenophilius. He might be able to separate some fact and fiction in this story."

"We've got to get the cup first, though."

"Of course."

Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the night discussing the wand, stone and cloak, the potential locations of the sword and last horcrux, and the plan for the next day. They decided that it would be best to go mid-morning; while there was not a lot of people, but it wasn't empty.

The next morning couldn't have come slower. When they woke up, Harry and Hermione packed everything up, fit it all comfortably into her tiny beaded bag, and disabled the defensive charms.

"I think I'll miss this spot." Said Harry, looking over the water. "We spent so little time here, and it's so beautiful."

"I'll try and find us another pretty area, if you're so picky." Hermione joked.

"We could just come back here."

"No, someone might have known the two snatchers you knocked out. I think we should keep moving."

Gallahad walked up to Harry. "Are you ready, mr. Potter?"

"Of course. Hermione?"

She walked towards him, and took his hand while Gallahad climbed onto his back. She threw the cloak all over the three of them and with the regular crack, they disappeared.