"This would be a lot easier if they didn't still hate us," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as they walked into Gringotts.
"They really do know how to hold a grudge," Ron said as the many goblins at the front desk glared at the trio.
"Well, we did break into the vaults and tricked them," Hermione pointed out.
"Yes, to destroy Voldemort!" Ron said. "You'd think they'd put that into perspective."
"Er, hello," Harry said nervously as they reached the front desk. A wrinkled old goblin looked up.
"Going down to your vault, I presume, Mr. Potter?"
"No, no, not today," Harry said quickly. "Er, I was wondering if there was someone I could speak to about this." He pulled the box out of his pocket and showed it to the goblin.
"Is that a-"
"Yes, it's an Algolock," Harry nodded. "A goblin made one. We need to speak to someone about opening it."
"There is only one key," the goblin said simply.
"Yes, we know that," Hermione cut in. "But we also know how intelligent you goblins are. No wizard at the Ministry was able to help us, which is why we came her. We knew you'd be able to assist us."
The goblin looked at Hermione. "We might be able to do something…I'll go fetch Bleacher." He stood up and wobbled away.
"Laid it on a bit thick there, didn't you, Hermione?" Ron grinned.
"It worked, didn't it?"
"Let's just hope they're really as good as you just gave them credit for," Harry said.
A moment later, the goblin came back with another goblin, this one looking even meaner than the other.
"This is Bleacher," the goblin introduced. "He's the one you'd want to talk to. Take them into the back room, Bleacher."
Bleacher nodded, and signaled for the trio to follow as he headed past the front desk and into a small room.
"Let me see it then," Bleacher snapped as soon as the door closed.
Harry laid the box on the wooden table, and the goblin picked it up, examining it. "Yes, yes. Goblin made, don't ask me how your kind managed to get your filthy paws on it…this is the finest type of metal of its kind…"
"Can you open it?" Ron asked. "Without the key?"
"I can do a great deal of things," Bleacher said lazily, still examining the box. "We goblins, unlike you wizards, don't have to rely on a stick to do magic."
"So you can, then?" Harry asked. "Fantastic. We really need to see what's inside."
"And what's in it for me?" Bleacher asked, his eyes glistening.
"I-I Well," Harry stammered.
"Hold on," Ron said, rummaging through his bag. He extracted a small, gold vase and laid it on the table. "This is goblin made as well, is it not?"
Bleacher picked it up and scrutinized it. "Yes."
"It's yours," Ron said. "If you open that box and give us whatever is inside."
Bleacher considered this for a second. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it."
He picked up the box and held up a finger. "Only a goblin related to the one who made this has the ability to do this," he explained. "I suppose you're just lucky that this Algolock happened to be made by my great-great grandfather." He stroked the lock three times. The metal began to shine even more brightly and the clasp that was holding the box shut snapped open.
"What's in it?" Hermione asked as Harry peered inside.
"Just this," Harry said slowly, pulling out a thin chain.
"That's it?" Ron frowned. "All this trouble for that?"
"You've gotten what you've came for," Bleacher said, gently lifting up the vase. "Kindly leave now."
"Maybe it has some sort of Dark magic in it," Harry said as they left Gringotts.
"Don't touch it then!" Hermione exclaimed, and Harry dropped the chain back into the box at once.
"What we should do," Hermione said. "Is bring that chain back to the Ministry so we can examine it properly."
"You're right," Harry nodded. "By the way, Ron, nice thinking with that vase."
"Eh, Hermione and I figured that the goblins might be a little less-than-anxious to help us out," he said. "So we took the only goblin made thing in our house; that vase that my Great-Uncle Wilbert left to me in his will. Thing was damn ugly…kept hoping one of the kids would break it, but no, they felt more compelled to shatter my glass chess set."
"It's just," Harry said slowly, still looking at the chain in the box.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "Come on, we'd better get back to the Ministry."
Harry said nothing more about the chain, but in his head, he kept the image fresh. For a moment, he could've sworn he saw a striking resemblance between that chain and the one he saw years and years ago that held Slytherin's locket.