Chapter Ten

They continued to sit on the bench, smiling at each other, until Harry appeared saying, "Oh…there you two are." He noticed their smiles and how close they were and was afraid he interrupted something. "Come on, Griphook wants to discuss some ideas."

Hermione was the first to react. She stood up and said, "Yes, of course."

She started walking away and then noticed Ron hadn't gotten up yet. He was staring into space, lost in whatever he was seeing. "Ron?"

Ron looked up, "What?"

"Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, yeah." Ron said, quickly getting up.

Harry hung back and let Hermione lead the way so that he could say to Ron, "What's up with you? You've been acting odd all day."

"Let's just say things are turning out quite well for me and I should be fine now."

"I wish I could say the same." Harry added with a glum tone.

"Hey. We can do this mate. We're almost there."

"I hope you're right."

The three of them entered Griphook's room and proceeded to set up a table and put a couple of chairs around it.

"As of now, what do we have?" The goblin asked.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked guiltily at each other and it was Harry who admitted, "Not much."

"Well, I thought maybe we could use transfiguration to change our appearances." Hermione offered.

Griphook have a tiny laugh, "You want to try and conceal all three of your identities with a few little spells? And what about myself? You certainly won't be able to disguise me with some changes in appearance."

Hermione turned red at her idea being shot down like that and tried another one, "What if you took polyjuice potion?"

"Who would he turn into though? Unless you have some spare hairs in that bag of yours, we can't make him look like anyone from here, I'm pretty sure all of us are on some sort of wanted list." Harry pointed out.

"You're right, and we'll be going through Diagon Alley where any one of us could be recognized." Hermione admitted. "Unless we go to a muggle town and get some hairs."

"Wait, does polyjuice potion even work on goblins?" Ron asked.

Harry turned to Griphook, "Does it?"

"I do not know. Wizards don't usually let us use it. I don't even know if the effects are the same."

"Why don't we try it out?" said Ron.

Hermione frowned and said, "I don't think we have enough left to do that Ron. I'm afraid we don't have the time or resources to make more either."

Ron sighed, "What else could we do?"

Hermione got another idea, "Harry, what about your cloak? Could Griphook use it?"

"I suppose he could if I use it with him." Harry wouldn't trust the goblin with such an important item.

"Naturally."

"And that would make it look less suspicious if they can only see two of us." Ron added.

"Yes, but you still haven't addressed the one major obstacle—if you want to get into the Lestrange vault, then you need Mrs. Lestrange herself."

"How are we supposed to manage that?" Harry asked, "I am not about to go back to Malfoy Manor and try to kidnap her."

"That is not my problem." Griphook snidely answered.

"What do you mean this isn't your problem? You're doing this with us!" Ron said leaning forward in his seat, his temper rising.

"You should be thankful that I even considered taking part in this plan." Griphook snapped back.

"We didn't have to save y—"

"Ron, calm down." Hermione pleaded.

He looked at her and leaned back, though his hands gripped the arms of the chair.

"We will think about it, okay?" Harry stood up and looked at Ron and Hermione, "For now, I think we're done."

Ron left the room with Hermione following while Harry took care of the chairs and table.

Hermione took Ron into her room to avoid being overheard, "You have to control your temper with him. Please, I know he is hard to work with, but we need him to be able to do this."

"I know. It just annoys me how he doesn't try to help us more and the way he scoffed at your transfiguration idea."

Harry entered the room.

Hermione continued, "Ron, you have to understand that he is doing something that goes against what he is. He is a goblin, who has been taught to dislike wizards and he is going to help the most wanted wizards in the country, if not the world, break into a vault that isn't just heavily guarded to begin with, but break into a place that he has worked to protect."

"Hermione is right." Harry said after closing the door behind him, "Not only is what we are trying to do dangerous, but it goes against everything he is."

Ron looked down, "All right, I'll try to stay calm with him."

"Good and once we do this, we'll be done with him." Harry said optimistically.

"I hope we figure something out soon."

"Believe me Ron, there is no one else that wants this over with as much as me."

"Lunch is ready!" Fleur shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on, I think some food will make you two feel better, especially you." Hermione said, looking at Ron.

"How did you know?" Ron said jokingly.

"You of all people should have learned by now that she knows everything." Harry added.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Ron said mischievously. She doesn't know how much I love her. Not yet.