The break-in at Gringotts was planned for January second.
After Christmas Hermione returned to her books with a passion. Draco usually sat with her, examining and debating information. This left Harry and Ron to put away the Christmas decorations.
"The Fool's Downfall," Hermione pointed at a picture. "Washes away all enchantments. If we get caught in it we'll lose our disguises and we won't be able to get out."
Draco nodded. But they only activate it along with other anti-theft measures. " He pointed lower down the page. "As long as we don't make them suspicious we won't have to worry about it."
Harry glanced up from a page Hermione had told him to read. "How are we going to identify ourselves?"
"We won't." Draco responded. "We just have to be confident. Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy are two of the most recognizable Death Eaters. If we look like them, and we act like them, we can insist that they don't need to see our identification."
There was a crash as Ron dropped a stack of garlands. "And if they decide they want to see your wands anyways?"
"Imperius."
Hermione gasped. "We can't use an Unforgivable!"
Draco scowled at her. "This is just like the bloody dragon. We're robbing a bank, we can and we will do whatever we have to to make it work!"
"He's right," Harry answered Hermione's angry glare. "We have to get in one way or another. The best we can do is make sure we don't hurt anyone." He shifted his eyes to Draco. "I should be the one to use it though. Under the cloak. It'll be a lot less suspicious than you waving your wand around."
Draco sighed. "Do you even know how?" Harry shook his head. "Weasley, get over here. We need to practice." He reached for his wand as Ron protested.
Finally the day came. Early in the morning Hermione gathered up all of their things and placed them in her beaded bag. She would carry it with her in case they were unable to return to Grimmauld Place. She took Ron to the kitchen and began to transfigure his face. He would be accompanying them in disguise, playing the role of a lesser Death Eater. Harry would be hidden under the Invisibility cloak.
When Ron was finished Hermione and Draco went to change, each nervously clutching a vial of Polyjuice potion. By the time they returned to the hallway they had transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy.
"Ready then?" Harry asked as he swung the cloak around his shoulders. Draco slowly pulled the door open and peered into the square. It was empty. He gestured them forward as he walked onto the front step.
"Let's go."
With a crack they disapparated.
Harry stumbled as they landed. He felt a hand catch his arm and smiled up at Ron.
"You okay?" Ron whispered. Harry remembered with a shock that Ron couldn't see him.
"I'm fine." He glanced around. They were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Quickly they pushed the door open and walked through to the entrance to Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley was nothing like Harry had ever seen it before. Instead of bustling and busy it was empty and dirty. Bits of newspaper fluttered down the street. The shops were closed. The only people in sight were huddled into the doorways of empty shops, ragged and dirty.
"The Wandless," Draco whispered as they stood by the entrance. "They did this last time. The Ministry's taking the wands of Muggleborns and leaving them on the streets." He shivered. "I used to think this is where they belong."
There was a whoosh as the entrance opened and another man walked through. Harry watched as Ron and Draco both drew closer to Hermione protectively. The stranger cast one glance towards them and scurried by.
Harry followed silently as the group walked down the street. Hermione's lessons with Draco had paid off; she acted like the witch whose appearance she had taken in every way. Draco was walking with his back straight and his head held high, the picture of his father.
Harry let out a breath as he stepped into Gringotts. He had had to confund the guards at the entrance to keep the from detecting him with their Probity Probes. Now that they were inside there really was no turning back.
Draco stepped up to the counter and cleared his throat. The goblin there continued writing without looking up. "Identification."
"I hardly think that will be necessary." The drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy echoed around the room.
The goblin set down his quill. "Mr. Malfoy," his eyes travelled to Hermione, "Mrs. Lestrange. How can we be of your service today?"
"I would like to access my vault," Hermione declared. Her voice was not as confident as Draco's.
"Very well. Wand please." The goblin held out his hand.
There was a brief moment where Hermione hesitated, Draco looked concerned, and Ron's face went white. Then Harry pulled his wand from his sleeve and with a practiced flick, put the goblin under his control.
"Very well, Mrs. Lestrange," the goblin said. He turned to a second goblin at a seat behind him. "Fetch the clankers!"
A minute later they were crowded into a cart and zooming down the tracks deep into the bank. The Imperiused goblin didn't find it strange that one corner of the cart was occupied by an invisible form.
Finally the cart came to a halt. Ron helped Hermione out as the goblin reached down to retrieve the metal objects that he had called clankers. He handed one to Draco who began to shake it fervently.
Hermione scowled as she spotted the white dragon chained to the ground. Draco had told them about it as a part of their planning. It was the last line of defence against the high security vaults and would attack anyone who came near it. The goblins used the clankers to train it; when it heard the sound it cowered away, expecting pain.
"For the last time, Granger, we can't save the dragon," Draco hissed as he noticed the expression on Hermione's face.
"But the poor thing-"
"After the war," Ron whispered as he came up beside her. "I'll help you. We'll set it free and make sure they can never get another one."
Hermione looked at Ron with tears in her eyes. She seemed dangerously close to hugging him when Draco poked her in the side. "Your vault, Bellatrix," he hissed.
The goblin stroked the door with his palm and it vanished. "I will be waiting outside for you to complete your business." He stepped to the side.
Harry looked around in amazement as he walked into the vault. It was massive, and filled with gold, coins, and what he assumed were family artifacts.
"Up there," Draco pointed, a look of relief spreading across his face. A golden cup with two handles sat on a shelf. Harry could just make out a badger etched into it.
"I'll grab it!" Hermione exclaimed as she leaned onto a vase that sat atop a pile of gold. Suddenly she jumped away, rubbing her hand as it multiplied into a dozen identical vases.
"Stop!" Draco exclaimed. "There are Gemino and Flagrante wards on everything in here. Anything you touch will burn and multiply."
Hermione frowned as she rubbed at the burn on her hand. "How are we going to get it from way up there without touching anything? We can't Accio it."
Draco squinted at the cup. "I wonder…" his voice trailed off as he reached down and touched a galleon near his foot. He laughed as nothing happened.
"Why can you touch it?" Ron asked.
"They haven't actually disinherited me. I realized when we went to the Manor. If they had we would've never been able to use that passage in without them knowing."
Hermione cast a glare at Draco. "What would have happened if they had?"
Draco shrugged. "That's not important. I'm sure my parents put up all kinds of safeguards against me in their own vault, but they forgot that they added me as authorised to this one years ago."
"Well then, why don't you climb up there and get the bloody Horcrux?"
Draco smirked at Ron. "I think I will."
A minute later Draco had retrieved the cup. Hermione wrapped it in a pouch and stuffed it into her magically expanded bag before they stepped out to meet the goblin.
They zoomed back up the tracks feeling elated. Hermione's bag held two Horcruxes, and only one was left to find. Harry couldn't help but smile at their excellent luck. Draco distracted the guards at the doors to the bank long enough for him to walk past undetected, and the group walked together down the long staircase.
They had just turned to walk down Diagon Alley when a voice startled them.
"Lucius? Bellatrix?" Draco's face drained of all colour as he slowly turned around. Harry followed his gaze.
Standing on the stairs of the bank, watching them suspiciously, was the one thing they never could have prepared for.
Narcissa Malfoy.
