Detective Chief Inspector Nate Simpson was exhausted. Him and his partner Detective Inspector Clara May had been working on the 'Pendragon Case' – as it was nicknamed – since the group's first ever reported robbery in November of 1998, a year ago (though they discovered in the meantime that the first robbery actually took place in September with only two of the four). It quickly rose to the top of the Metropolitan Police's priority cases as more and more robberies were reported all over London. The high-ranked members of the Met had the Prime Minister breathing down their necks, and they wanted the case closed as quickly as possible.
Even when the case first appeared on his desk, Detective Simpson knew arresting the culprits would be anything but quick. They were simply too good.
All of their robberies could be summarized the same way. The suspects appeared out of nowhere, stormed the site of their robbery before anyone realized what happened, deactivated the security, took the customers hostage, stole everything they could find, and escaped before the police arrived on the scene. The few rare times they managed to catch up with them, the ensuring police chase let to them disappearing mysteriously in alleyways.
The culprits never left any evidence behind. They didn't drop anything, and only touched what they grabbed with them. Not that it would make a difference, as the culprits wore glove, ensuring their fingerprints would never be found anywhere.
The case quickly rose to prominence as national and then international medias picked up the story. Soon, the entire world was aware of what was going on in England. As if the strange whether and inexplicable attacks of a few years before weren't enough, now they had this to handle. It was infuriating, and explicable.
And then, another robbery took place. And a very big clue dropped in the laps of the investigators. For the first time, someone managed to recognize one of the culprits!
Petunia Dursley, mother and house-wife, was the first ever victim of the Pendragon Robbers. Before, the hostages were always left behind when the culprits made their escape to be rescued by the police. They were always terrified, but never physically harmed. And yet, for the first time ever, one of the robbers had brought his gun up and shot a woman in the head.
The reason why wasn't up for debate. Petunia Dursley recognized the one that called himself 'Merlin'. But, in her foolishness, the woman didn't keep her revelation for herself until she was safe. She instead confronted Merlin. Unsurprisingly, Merlin silenced her before she could reveal his identity.
The latest robbery was a mess. For the first time, the police arrived before the robbers left the building. For the first time, a hostage negotiation took place. For the first time, a shoot-out between the police and the robbers took place. For the first time, a civilian was killed. For the first time-
Well, there were many firsts that day, and Detective Simpson could spend the next hours naming all of them. But, suffice to say, it was a shit show.
But, if there was one good thing that happened that day, it was that Petunia Dursley's last words were recorded by security cameras. So, for the first time in a year, the Metropolitan Police actually had a lead.
A few days after the robbery, Detectives Simpson and May visited the Dursley household at Number Four Privet Drive. There, they revealed to the woman's widowed husband and son what her last words were.
To the Dursley, Petunia's last words were condemning. To them, there could only be one person who could be addressed by Petunia by the word 'Freak'.
Their nephew, Harry Potter.
The Met quickly started investigating this mysterious Harry Potter. It didn't take long for the police to find some suspicious information. Interestingly, it was the Dursley's behaviour that was called in suspicion.
When they interrogated the Dursley's neighbours, they not only learned evidence to suggest Harry Potter was abused by the Dursleys, but that they seemingly sent him to a school called St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. However, no such school existed. Harry Potter's records instead indicated he attended a school called Hogwarts. They could not discover anything else about the man's actual school, as the high-rankings members of the government were tight-lipped and forbade the Met from trying to find out more about Hogwarts.
Even stranger about Harry Potter was the fact that he was apparently nominated to be appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elisabeth II herself, and for services rendered to the country! And yet, he never answered any nomination or invitation for his appointment, and his nomination was thus considered rejected. This was huge news! While being a member of the Order of the British Empire could not be used to exclude a subject from an investigation, it did however cast doubt on his guilt. After all, why would a Knight Commander, someone who gained Knighthood by serving the country, go rob banks?
The whole investigation was madness. They had no lead for a year and, when they finally got one, it was to find out the accusation most likely was the result of a strong bias against the person, not actual evidence itself. In the end, it looked like Harry Potter was as likely to be a suspect as the Queen herself.
And yet, some weren't willing to let go of their only lead. Detective Simpson was one of them. It was why he decided to go talk to Harry Potter. He got his address and brought his colleague with him.
"This guy seems legit." Detective May asked, looking at some notes. They were currently driving down a road in the countryside. Tall trees formed walls on both sides. "Are you sure we need to visit him at his home?"
"Yes." he said. "I don't really believe the man is guilty but he's our only lead. Plus, if anything, someone should at least make sure he know about his aunt's murder." Detective Simpson said.
May hummed. "It says here that he live with a woman. Someone named 'Hermione Granger'. Girlfriend, you think?"
"Possibly." he admitted. "Or maybe they are just roommates."
They turned at an intersection. The trees moved out of the way, revealing what lay behind. May whistled.
The house was massive. Some might even call it a manor. There were three floors, a garage large enough to hold two cars,
"With a house like that? I doubt it. If they can buy that together, then they can buy their own houses."
"Or the house is owned by one, and the other is a friend who is temporarily living there. Don't ignore a possibility." Simpson chastised. He did wonder where the money to buy such a house came, though.
Simpson parked the police car in front of the house. "Alright, fair enough." said May, stepping out. "You ready, then?"
"Yeah. Let's go." Simpson said.
The colleagues walked to the front doors of the large house. Simpson took a step forward and knocked on the door.
They waited. For long. By the two minute mark, and three more knockings, Simpson and May were convinced neither Harry Potter nor Hermione Granger were present. They were just about to turn around and leave when they noticed a light turn on through the windows of the door. A human silhouette was seen approaching. The door opened, and a black-haired man wearing a dressing gown and nothing else appeared. The man stilled when he saw them. He blinked. "Hi?"
Simpson cleared his throat. "Mr. Harry Potter?" he asked, taking a look at the man. From his appearance to the slight smell in the air, it was obvious they interrupted the man while he was having sex.
"Yes?"
"We're Detectives Simpson and May. Can we come inside? We need to speak to you."
"Uh – sure, detectives." Potter said, opening the way to them.
Potter led the detectives to the parlour. Just as Simpson sat down, he heard someone walk down a set of stairs. "Harry? Who was it?" a female voice said. A woman with curly brown hair entered the room. She too was wearing nothing but a dressing gown. She looked at them in surprise. "Oh, hello officers." She turned to Harry. "Why are there two police officers here?"
"I don't know, Hermione." the man answered with a shrug. "I was just about to ask them."
"We came here for two reasons." May spoke. "First, it is our deep regret to report the death of your maternal aunt, Petunia Dursley. She was the victim of the group of robbers known as the Pendragon Robbers."
There was a moment of silence as the couple processed the news. Simpson noted Potter didn't seem very saddened by the news. If the Dursley's hatred for the man was returned, it was not surprising.
"I... I'm sorry for her. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm saddened." Potter spoke, confirming Simpson's thoughts. "My aunt and I... we never had a good relationship. She hated my mother and hated the fact I landed on her doorstep when my parents died." The woman – Granger – held his hand in comfort.
"I can understand." May said compassionately.
"There is another reason we wanted to talk to you." Simpson spoke. "Before she died, your aunt recognized one of the robbers. She said – and I'm quoting here, 'You! I know who you are, freak!'."
Simpson did not miss the way Potter tensed. "Did she?" he asked, his voice quiet. He nodded.
"When we asked your uncle who he believed she could address, he immediately gave us a name: yours."
Granger gasped. "No! My Harry could never do such a thing!" she cried, grabbing her boyfriend's arm and hugging it tightly.
Potter muttered "Of course he did."
"Would you care to explain why you mean by that, Mr. Potter?" May asked. He sighed and nodded.
"The Dursleys have a very strong definition of what 'normal' is. A strong British family with a working father, a house-wife mother, and a child or two. Their entire lives revolve around their social standing, and being seen as 'normal'. Everything slightly 'abnormal', they disapprove and resent. And, in turn, anything they disapprove and resent is seen as abnormal, even if the rest of the country unified to try to tell them otherwise.
"My parents weren't people the Dursleys considered normal. To them, they were 'abnormal', or 'freaks'. In their eyes, I inherited their 'freakishness', and they strongly resented the fact I had to live with them. So much so that they took it out on me. By the time I was five-year-old, I was doing most of the chores in the house. When I inevitably did something wrong – which I did because I was five – she would call Vernon who would take his belt and whip me in the back with it. I still have the scars, I can show you if you don't believe me."
"No, no, that's alright." Simpson said, shaking his head. It was good information to know, but the scars on his back were not relevant to the current case they were investigating. "Another question, when did you last meet Petunia Dursley?"
"Past eleven-o-clock in the evening of the 30th of July 1997." Potter said. Both detectives were surprised to get such an accurate answer. Potter must have seen it in their faces, as he explained "I made plans to leave the Dursley household when I turned seventeen. A group of friends came and took me away to a friend's house. Hermione was among them." he said. Granger nodded in confirmation.
"What was the last conversation you ever had with her?" May asked.
"We didn't actually say much. She knew I was leaving and told me goodbye. I think it was the first time she was ever polite to me. She talked a bit about my mother and hinted at the fact she missed her and still loved her." Potter then scowled. "Good way of showing it, by treating me and her memory like rubbish for nearly two decades."
The conversation was interrupted when they suddenly heard a phone ring in another room upstairs. Granger stood up. "Excuse me for a moment, I will go take it." She gave Potter a quick kiss before leaving the room. Potter had a small, sappy smile on his face following the kiss.
"Ah... I love that woman." he muttered. Then, remembering about the detectives, he shook his head. "Anyway, what was the next question?"
"Do you think she felt guilty about the way she treated you?" Simpson asked, a theory slowly forming in his head.
Potter frowned, leaning back in his seat. "It is very hard to say. In our last conversation, she did act a bit like she regretted the way things went between us. But... well, Petunia Dursley is not a woman who ever admit she is wrong. If she felt guilt, she held it close to her heart and never purposefully left a hint."
Simpson had a possible theory in his head. "There is something else I want to ask. Did you ever visit-"
What Simpson wanted to ask, Potter would never know, as he was interrupted when they heard Granger let out a huge shriek upstairs. Potter immediately jumped to his feet and ran out of the room and upstairs, afraid something happened to his girlfriend. The detectives followed after him, in part to ensure everything was fine, and in part to stop him from trying to escape should he actually be the suspect.
Potter barged into a bedroom. Theirs, considering the smell of sex that permeated the room. Near one wall of the room stood Granger, who had a telephone in hand. She was grinning.
"Harry! Dean just proposed to Sally-Anne! They're getting married as well!" she squealed excitingly.
"What? Really? That's amazing!" Potter gasped in joy. He went to his girlfriend and hugged her. It was then Simpson noticed the engagement ring on the woman's finger. He cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry detective! I forgot you were here!" Granger said, looking embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Granger." Simpson said, curiously noticing his colleague approach some desk in the corner of the room. "We won't remain here for long. We only have a few more questions before we can leave you to celeb-"
"What is that?"
Everyone stilled at May's words. She was standing in front of an open drawer where some greenish pointy thing stood out. Simpson approached her just as she grabbed something inside. She pulled it out. The greenish pointy thing was in actuality the ear of a very familiar mask. Simpson barely refrained from gasping.
Petunia Dursley truly did see Harry Potter at the bank. The nephew killed the aunt. After a year of investigation, one of the suspects was finally found!
Simpson turned around. "Mr. Pott-"
His words died when he found the couple pointing wooden sticks at him like they would pistols. They looked ready to fight. Before he could ask what they thought they could do with sticks, they spoke.
"Stupefy!"
And everything went black.
"Damn. That was close." Harry sighed as he and Hermione watched the detectives leave in their police car.
When Detective May found one of their masks, Harry was convinced they would end up arrested. But, in a strange switch of roles, it was Hermione who came up with a solution on the spot. She silently withdrew her wand, and Harry immediately caught on. When they turned around, the couple stunned both detectives. Afterwards, they hid the mask away. Hermione quickly erased their minds, making them forget about the evidence, before waking them up.
The two detectives were understandably confused. But, a recent victim of a memory charm was very open to suggestions, so it did not take much for them to be convinced they simply dozed off from exhaustion after spending so many hours working on their case. Soon, the detectives had all the answers they needed and they were gone, believing Harry was an innocent man unfairly accused by his family who hated his guts.
"It really was." Hermione agreed, closing their doors.
"If only they hadn't found the mask." he said. He turned to his girlfriend. "How did she find it, by the way?"
"I saw it on the desk when I came in the room. I rushed to shove it in the drawer so I could answer the phone quickly. I didn't look if I closed it properly. My guess is that drawer closed on the ear, leaving a part of it exposed. The detective saw it, likely recognized it, when to check, and you know what happened next."
"It's a good thing you reacted in time. I really freaked out for a moment." he said, giving her a kiss on the head.
"So did I, to be honest." she said. She turned to him with a small grin. "Now, why don't we go back to where we left off?" Hermione asked, removing her dressing gown. Harry's eyes immediately lowered to her breasts.
"Yes... anything the future Mrs. Potter want." he whispered.
Hermione leaned forward and kissed him.
Later that day, Harry and Hermione invited Dean and Sally-Anne to their house to celebrate the engagement. Right now, they were sitting in the parlour together, discussing their future. But, Harry had been unusually quiet. Until now.
"I believe it is time for us to go after Gringotts."
Harry's words weren't surprising to Hermione or Dean and Sally-Anne. "You think we're ready for Gringotts?" his girlfriend asked him.
"It's not a question of whether we're ready or not, but if we have time to wait." he said. At the other's confusion, he explained. "The police came visit us recently, you already know that. We managed to convince them I was innocent, but I'm afraid they could stumble upon another piece of evidence incriminating one of us. We need to make our power play on the magical world before that happens, so we can be protected by the Ministry of Magic."
"And there are still hundred of muggle-borns suffering." Sally-Anne said quietly. "The more we wait, the longer they suffer." She spoke louder. "I agree with Harry. I think we should start our conquest of the magical world, starting by stealing the elite's wealth."
Hermione and Dean glanced at each other before turning to their significant other. "If you think we're ready, then let's do this." Dean said. "As much fun as it is, the last robbery scared me. I really don't want to be shot. Let's end this while we're on top."
"Alright. It's time for Gringotts."
Dean found himself walking down Diagon Alley for the first time since the end of the war. Depressingly, not much changed in a year. There was still a gloomy atmosphere in the air and shops were still boarded up. The pureblood's dream world, Dean thought with a sneer. Where pureboods were the elite with vaults full of gold, while everyone they considered below them lived in poverty and fear of being prosecuted just for being themselves.
Dean adjusted his hood to hide his face more. Having been disconnected from the magical world since the war ended, none of them knew exactly how a muggle-born like Dean would be welcomed if recognized. While it was possible he would be ignored, there also was the possibility someone would try to arrest or attack him. They couldn't have that.
Thankfully, he did not attract anyone's attention, and arrived at the bank without issues. He took note of the guard at the entrance, who wore light armours and looked like they weren't fully paying attention to everything. They held spears in their hands.
Inside the building, Dean moved to one of the counters. There weren't many customers that day, a likely result of the economy. His ears caught the sound of an argument between a goblin and a man.
"But I need access to my money! It's my vault!"
"Not anymore. The Malfoy family put a claim on the vault, claiming the money was stolen from them." the goblin said.
"WHAT?! How does that make sense! I never even met them!"
"Doesn't matter. They paid the fee required to make the claim."
"So you're just letting them steal from me because you get money out of it?!"
"Among other things."
Dean barely restrained himself from scoffing. He couldn't believe it. He knew the goblins of Gringotts wouldn't hesitate to screw you over for a bit of coin – Harry's experiences reflected that – but he didn't know it was to the point where they were actively stealing from their own customers.
It was ironic, really. The goblins cried they experienced racism and bigotry at the hands of the wizards. A fair complain. And yet, they actively worked against the people who would treat them fairly with the people who actually discriminate them. And all for some money. It was infuriating.
God, he hated Gringotts so much. Rubystones was so much better. Dean hoped they could open a bank on the island in the future and topple down their rivals.
Dean decided not to think about it further, in fear he would get too mad. Instead, he approached a teller. "Hi. I want to open a new vault." he said, going straight to the point.
The teller looked up from his ledger. "There will be a fee."
"I can pay it." he said.
The teller frowned. "At what name will the vault be registered?"
"John Lennon." Dean said, saying the first muggle name that came to his mind.
The goblin hummed. "Then come with me, Mr. Lennon."
Dean followed the teller as he lead them to an office. On the way there, he took a good look at the layout of the lobby and where everything was located. On the left of the entrance was the beginning of the tracks leading up to the vaults. Six guards stood in the lobby, four in the corners and two on the sides facing the centre of the room. The path taken to the office allowed him to see under the desks of a few tellers, and saw that they too had weapons. They were swords, placed in a way that would make it very easy for a teller to grab and use against a client if necessary.
Dean didn't see interesting stuff in the office hallways. In the teller's office, Dean filled up most of the paperwork required. But, once it was time for him to seal the deal with a blood quill, he stopped.
"Problem, wizard?" the goblin growled.
"Yes." Dean said. It was time to get some information. "How safe is my money going to be here?"
"You doubt our security?" the teller asked threateningly.
"I do." Dean said in a straight-forward way. "Wasn't there a robbery here at the end of the war? How do I know some wizards or witches can't just come wands blazing and make their way to the vaults?"
The teller growled again. "It would be impossible for them to do so."
"Isn't that what Potter, Granger and Weasley did?" Dean asked. "The Daily Prophet reported they held one of the employees of the bank under the Imperius Curse. How can I be sure it won't happen again?"
The goblin looked ready to throttle Dean. "It cannot happen again, we have installed a ward on the building itself. The ward stop anyone from casting magic, no matter their species. It is activated when someone cast a restricted or illegal spell or when a teller chose to in the defence of the bank."
"So someone can't do that. Good to know." Dean said. The teller relaxed somewhat at his words. "But, you said it was cast around the building. Does that mean the vault aren't given the same level of protection?"
The goblin growled again, and Dean could tell he did not want to answer his question. He wondered if it was because the vaults and the cart tracks weren't warded and he did not want to admit it.
He decided it was best not to push the subject, if only not to rise suspicion. Turning to the paperwork, he knew he could not sign the paperwork to open the vault. It would give the goblins his blood, and he could not let it happen. It would hinder their plans if the goblins used it against him, especially if they managed to match the magic in his blood to him when he stormed the bank later on. That would not do.
He needed a way to leave without looking suspicious. Thankfully, the interaction he witnessed earlier gave him the perfect opportunity.
"One last thing, before I sign," Dean said. He practically heard a groan come out of the teller. "Before I approached you, I overheard a conversation between one of your clients and tellers."
The goblin pursed his lips. "Ah, yes... that." he said, hinting he knew exactly what conversation Dean was talking about.
"Then let me ask you this: why would I put my money in a Gringotts vault if you're just going to steal it from me?" he asked sternly.
"We do not steal from our customers!" the goblin growled.
"No, instead you just accept bribes to allow others to steal from your customers."
The goblin slammed his hands on his desk. "Enough!" he barked. "Get out!"
Dean stood silently. "You don't need to show me out." he told him before leaving the office.
With his information in hand, Dean returned to the lobby and left the bank. He walked up to the apparition point in Diagon Alley and left for the Potters'.
"So, how was it? What did you learn?" asked Harry once Dean returned.
Dean sat down. "They installed a ward on the outside building that stop anyone from casting magic, whatever their species. Also, they allow rich purebloods to 'claim' less fortunate people's vaults in exchange of a bribe." he said. Everyone scowled at that.
"I spoke with the director of Rubystones to tell them about the Gringotts heist." Hermione said. "The director told me that a second successful robbery should destroy Gringotts' reputation and standing and allow their clan to petition the leaders of their nation to take over the goblin bank in England. Gringotts is already in hot water after our first robbery, not only because we successfully escaped, but because we revealed they were using a dragon to guard some of their vaults. That's very illegal, both in their nation and in ours."
"So Gringotts is already on the edge of losing everything. We just need to push them off?" Sally-Anne asked. Hermione nodded.
"Fantastic." Harry grinned. "Well, let's get on to it then."
"Patience, Harry." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Dean. "Dean, was there something else? Do the wards extend to the vaults?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think they do. I tried to ask the goblin under the guise of wanting to make sure my money would be protected, but he didn't answer me. He was angry I asked, actually."
"I see." Sally-Anne said, rubbing her chin in thought. "He probably doesn't want to admit a flaw in their security. I find it hard to believe they would keep such a ward secret. If anything, revealing it would just show how secure vaults at Gringotts are, and get them more customers."
"That's a good point." Hermione agreed. "But, I think we should assume the worst. Let's keep magic as a last resort."
"Speaking of plans, how are we going to go back to the surface? We agreed to take a cart down earlier, but I doubt we will be able to go back that way." Dean said.
"He's right." Harry spoke up. "We'll need to find another way out. I doubt very much there will be a dragon waiting for us again."
Sally-Anne stood up. "Well then, I guess it's my turn to scout the bank." she said.
"How?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"My father opened a vault for me back in our first year. I still have my key so I can go and take out some money. It will allow me to see how everything is built and if there are alternative paths – like emergency or maintenance tunnels. Something or other."
"Are you sure your vault wasn't claimed?" Dean asked. She shrugged.
"One way to find out."
"Alright." Harry nodded. "Go then. Come back once you have the information." Sally-Anne nodded and left.
She returned fifty minutes later. "Well, the good news is that my vault was never claimed!" she said cheerfully.
"Probably because nobody remembered you or even knew you had a vault they could claim." Harry said. Sally-Anne nodded.
"However, the bad news – in regard to my vault, I should say – is that only three galleons remained. I know very well there were about fifty when I left for France.
"At this point, Gringotts customers should just write 'I'm getting completely screwed' on their foreheads." he said, rolling his eyes.
"Gold stealing goblins aside, what did you learn, Sally-Anne?" Hermione asked.
"I was right about my suspicion. There are tunnels that go back to the surface." she revealed. They pass behind the vaults, and there are opening to allow people to step on the platforms where you step off to access the vaults."
"Good." Hermione said. While Sally-Anne was gone to Gringotts, she brought a white board to their planning room and began listing what they knew. She added to her list the information about the tunnels. "It's going to be a long walk up to the surface, but it's the way we will take. Everyone agrees?" she asked. She got three 'yes'. "Alright, I think I have everything we need. Let's make our plan."
If there was one thing the Pendragon Robbers were known for, it was for their ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere and immediately take you hostage before you even had a chance to understand what was going on. Switching their focus onto the wizarding world didn't change a thing.
When the clients arrived at Gringotts that day, they expected that all they would do is handle some business, take out some galleons and go on their merry way. What they didn't expect was for their day to be completely ruined when men and women wearing house-elves masks barged in with muggle weapons.
"NOBODY MOVE! THIS IS A ROBBERY!" Harry yelled. He, Hermione, Dean and Ginny pointed their rifles at everyone in the lobby. Green lights immediately lit up on the walls like an alarm. The guards outside ran inside and pointed their spears in their backs.
Of course, the robbers knew they wouldn't immediately be taken seriously by the sheltered purebloods. But, while there were a few customers who looked terrified, most looked very confused.
And the goblins? They burst out laughing.
"BWAHAHAHA! What do you think you can do to us, human?" laughed one of them.
Another laughing one said "See these lights, it mean you can't do magic no more here!"
"We have weapons!" Harry yelled at them. If anything, it just made them laugh harder.
"You think that can hurt us? You would only be able to fire once before we cut all of your heads! Your muggle weapons fire way too slowly to be effective against us!"
Harry blinked. He realized right then and there that the goblins were under the assumption that their weapons were muskets! He could understand why they thought it was funny, as a musket could take up to thirty seconds to reload, more if the hands handling it were inexperienced. And a goblin could be very fast when it came time to fight. Four men and women with muskets would get killed before they had time to shoot more than one bullet each.
But Harry and his crew didn't have muskets. They had modern rifles. Rifles that could fire more than one bullet a second. Rifles enchanted to never need reloading.
He turned to look at Hermione, and saw through the eyes of her mask that she had the same realization. This would be even easier than they thought.
"Fire." he spoke coldly to his friends. Harry pointed his rifle at a goblin and pressed the trigger.
And all hell broke loose.
Goblins after goblins fell to muggle bullets, unable to react in time to defend themselves. Those who did not get hit immediately grabbed their swords and jumped over their desk only to be shot before they could reach the robbers. The guards that stood behind them were quickly felled by Hermione, who turned around and shot them both in the chest.
Goblins and wizards alike who underestimated the weapons now understood its dangerous and destructive potential as the tellers and guards were massacred by the robbers. They all threw themselves to the ground and prayed they wouldn't get shot as well. In less than a minute, all the goblins inside the lobby were dead. Only the wizards remained alive.
"EVERYBODY OUT! NOW!" Hermione yelled, firing at the ceiling. They did not need any more encouragement. The customers all stood up and ran out of Gringotts, screaming for their lives. They decided not to take anyone hostage in this heist. It wouldn't bring anything good to the table.
"Alright, we don't have long before a second wave of guards arrive." Harry spoke. "Let's go get the cart now!"
The group ran to the entrance of the passageways down the mines. There, they were surprised to find a goblin lying on the ground in tears. Sally-Anne immediately grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. The goblin looked younger than all the other goblins they met so far. Harry wouldn't be surprised if he was younger than them (at least in goblin age).
"Why aren't you fighting with the others?" Sally-Anne asked him.
Sobbing, the goblin said "I'm scared! I don't like violence! My papa wanted me to become a warrior, but I hate combat!"
"So you became and employee at the bank?" Hermione asked. The goblin nodded.
"My papa said it would be a safe job for a coward like me."
Hermione and Harry looked at each other. "What is your name?" Harry asked.
"Goldengem." the young goblin answered.
"Well, Goldengem, we need someone to open the vaults for us. Cooperate and we will let you go free and unharmed." Harry said.
Goldengem shook his head. "I can't! If I do, I will be executed for treason!"
There was a pause as they thought. "Do you like Gringotts? Answer truthfully." Hermione asked, her voice a lot more kind.
"N-No, Ma'am." he answered. "But I have nowhere else to go if I leave!"
"You could always join another clan."
"But who would take me?"
"Rubystones." Dean spoke for the first time. "We've had... some business dealings with them in the past, and they gave us the impression that they were a lot more accepting and friendly than Gringotts. If you want, we take you away when we leave, and we send you of to Switzerland."
Goldengem looked like he was seriously considering it. "I-"
He was interrupted when they all heard the sound of a half hundred pairs of boots run in their direction from further down the lobby. "Well, think about it while we're on our way to the vaults!"
The robbers ran to the cart and dropped Goldengem in it before sitting down, Sally-Anne in the control seat. "There!" came the voice of a goblin warrior. Harry, Hermione and Dean raised their weapons and fired in the group of warriors that entered the tunnel. The front of the group collapsed when they were hit by the bullets, splashing blood on those behind them.
"Guinevere? What's taking so long?!" Dean demanded as he continued shooting.
"I can't figure it out!" she said, looking at the controls around her.
"The lever!" squeaked Goldengem, hiding his face with his hands.
Sally-Anne looked around and found the lever. "Oh." she said. She was surprised Goldengem helped her. Maybe he did want to leave with them after all. "Thanks, Goldie!" she said.
Sally-Anne grabbed the lever and pushed it forward. The cart shot forward with a jerk, leaving the lobby and the thirty living guards behind.
"Jesus! That was close!" Harry exclaimed, turning to look forward. The cart twisted and turned in the labyrinthine passages that was the underground of Gringotts.
"It was, but we're not out of the woods yet!" Hermione yelled over the rattling of the cart.
The cart dived deeper into the earth, and Harry felt something drop under his navel at the change of momentum. "Goldengem! How far away are the furthest vaults?" Harry asked loudly. He had to stretch his ear to understand the goblin over the sounds of the moving cart.
"It takes fifteen minutes to reach the bottom of the path in a cart!" Goldengem answered.
And fifteen minutes were a long time when you believed you could be attacked by a new horde of goblins at any time. It did not help that neither Hermione nor Dean felt particularly comfortable riding what was essentially a roller-coaster for a quarter of an hour without stopping once.
As they dug deeper and deeper into the cliffs and caves of Gringotts, they observed the gap between each vault door increase and increase. By the ten minute mark, they began seeing small monsters of all kind guarding the doors, the kind that was studied at Hogwarts, and that anyone who took Care of Magical Creatures would know how to handle.
Fifteen minutes after they began their ride, Sally-Anne finally spotted the end of the path. She grabbed the lever and pulled it, triggering the brakes. Everyone jerked forward when the cart abruptly stopped.
"A little warning next time!" Dean grumbled.
"Oh well I'm sorry, honey. Next time, I'll just let the cart jump into the abyss." Sally-Anne said sarcastically.
"Hey, stop it with the lover's spat, you two." Hermione said. "It's not the time. We need to find the vaults"
Harry, who already stepped off the cart, looked around at where they were. "I don't think that's going to be a problem." he said.
As it turned out, the vaults at the very end of the track were none other than those they visited on the Horcrux Hunt a year ago. Harry recognized the place where the blind dragon used to stand, with the doors of numerous vaults lying behind. But, with the escape of the dragon, the beast guarding the vaults had changed to that of a sphinx.
The sphinx – a female – didn't look like she was living the great life. The sphinx was abnormally thin. Spots of her fur were missing, and the skin underneath was burned. The hair of the sphinx's more human head was completely shaved. She was laying on the ground, looking miserable.
When the four humans and the lone goblin cautiously stepped on the platform, the sphinx rose her head to look at them. "Interesting..." she said.
"What is interesting?" Sally-Anne asked. The four robbers were slowly walking forward, their weapons lowered but gripped firmly and ready to use to defend themselves. Goldengem was hiding behind Hermione's legs like a scared child would behind their mother.
"When Gringotts captured me and send me here in this pit of hell to guard their treasures, I never expected I would stumble upon someone who would actually dare to challenge me. I find it interesting that I am now offered an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Harry asked.
"Yes." the sphinx said. "On one hand, I could defend the vault as I was tasked to do, attacking you until one of us die. Or, I could let you go, allow you to grab the treasure."
"We would very much like to go, Ma'am." Dean said. "We do not want to fight you."
"Evidently not. I find myself not wanting to fight you either. One thing the goblins here do not seem to understand is that I cannot fight at the best of my ability when they treat me like this." she said, raising a paw and showing the lack of fur and the scars on her skin. "However, if I do nothing, I will be severely punished, and I do not wish to be in even more pain. Not only that, but sphinx honour dictate that I cannot allow one to grab a treasure entrusted to me without giving them a challenge."
Harry gripped his gun harder. "Then it seems we are at an impasse." he said.
The sphinx turned to stare at him. "Perhaps not." she said, confusing the others.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked.
"I cannot let you access the vaults without a challenge. But, nothing dictate that the challenge must be a physical fight. Thus, I offer you to answer a riddle each to gain access to the vaults. In exchange, I ask that you free me from my chains. I do not want to continue working for my captors."
The robbers glanced at each other. The decision was easy. "We accept." Hermione said.
"Good." the sphinx smiled. "Who shall be challenged first?"
Hermione decided to step forward. She was the brightest of them, and the least likely to fail. Her challenge would give them an idea of the difficulty of the riddle. "I will."
"Then answer me this: you measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy.'"
Hermione pondered on the question. "What has a life span of a few hours and then die? What expire by serving us? I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy. What consider the wind its enemy? What can be stopped by the wind?" There was a moment of silence. "Something tiny could be pushed by the wind, or extinguished like a flame. A flame! That's it! Okay, what has a small flame that serve someone by expiring? By expiring, that mean it is burning off. Wood, maybe? No, wind doesn't extinguish a fire – not unless it was very small like it was just lit by a match. A match! It's close, but it doesn't last for hours! What does? Wait, I'm stupid, it's so obvious! It's a candle!"
"Is that your answer?" the sphinx asked.
"You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I'm quick when I'm thin and slow when I'm fat. The wind is my enemy. Yes, it match perfectly! My answer is a candle!" Hermione said.
"That is correct." the sphinx said. Harry, Sally-Anne and Dean let out a sigh of relief. Hermione let out a chuckle of relief and passed by the sphinx. She spotted the chains and began working on freeing her.
While she did this, the sphinx offered her challenge to the other robbers. Dean went second. "What is seen in the middle of March and April that can't be seen at the beginning or end of either month?"
Unlike Hermione, Dean did not speak his line of thought. Harry and Sally-Anne watched him in silence as he thought. It took a minute before the answer came. "The letter 'R'."
"That is correct." the sphinx said. Two down, three more to go.
It was Sally-Anne's turn. "A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner."
Harry was completely baffled by this one. He was even more surprised when Sally-Anne spoke. "Oh, that's easy!" she said with a voice of relief. "The wife is shooting her husband with a camera! She's taking a picture of him, then exposes his picture before enjoying dinner with him!"
"That is correct." the sphinx said, looking surprised at how quick the answer came.
"Wait, hold on, how did you figure that out?" Harry asked. Sally-Anne turned to him.
"My mother was a photographer. She loved giving that riddle to her friends." she said before walking by the sphinx.
"Oh, wow. That's convenient." Harry said. He would have to ask Sally-Anne where her mother was burried so he could put flowers on her grave. He wanted to thank her for having a profession that allowed her daughter to answer an impossible riddle years later. She shook the idea away. "Well, I guess it's my turn." Harry said, stepping forward.
The sphinx looked at him. "What gets wet while drying?" she asked.
Harry frowned. "Is that the entire riddle?" he asked. The sphinx nodded. "Oh great..." he muttered.
He thought about it. It made no sense for something to get wet while it was drying. It suggested then that it was a trick question. The thing drying was not the same thing that was getting wet. But then, what dries something and get wet doing so?
Harry's mind went back to that morning when he and Hermione had a very intense and nerve-relaxing session of sex in the shower. When they exited, they rubbed themselves dry with towels, which were left humid afterwards. Well, the answer was there.
"A towel." he answered. The sphinx smiled.
"That is correct. You may pass."
Harry let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward. Hermione, who was waiting behind the sphinx, shot forward and hugged him. "That was great, Ha- I mean Merlin! I heard it once before, and it really stumped me for hours! How did you figure it out so fast?"
"I was just thinking about this morning..." Harry said, grinning under his mask. Harry knew he made Hermione blush underneath hers.
"Guys, please..." Dean groaned. He didn't want to know!
The sphinx was amused by the conversation happening behind her but soon ignored it. There was one last challenge to give. "Are you ready for your challenge, little goblin?"
Her words reminded the others of Goldengem, who they practically forgot in their quest to answer riddles. They all walked to the side of the sphinx to watch what was going to happen.
Goldengem looked especially small in front of the sphinx. But, he held himself with a straight back. "You can give me my riddle, great sphinx. I might not like combat and fighting, but I always loved a good riddle."
"Then answer me this: What are the next tree letters in this combination? O. T. T. F. F. S. S."
Harry was even more stumped by this question. Watching people face a sphinx did no good to his ego. He felt particularly stupid for not understanding the question.
"I don't get it." muttered Sally-Anne. Dean nodded in agreement.
"Me neither." Hermione admitted, frowning under her mask.
"That makes me feel better for not understanding, then." Harry whispered.
Goldengem didn't seem as stumped as they felt. He was pacing in front of the sphinx, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was mouthing words as he thought in silence. Then, he stopped.
"E. N. T."
"That is correct." the sphinx said, looking surprised.
"What?!" Dean exclaimed. "How does that even make sense!."
Hermione seemed to find the answer funny, as she began laughing. "Oh, I get it now!"
"Really?" Sally-Anne asked. Hermione nodded.
"'O. T. T. F. F. S. S.' are the first letters of one, two, three, four, five, six and seven. So the next three letters of the combination are 'E. N. and T.' for eight, nine and ten!"
"Crikey, that mental gymnastics!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.
"That's the riddle for you!" Hermione chuckled.
The sphinx spoke again. "Have you freed me?" she asked.
"Yes." the brunette (who was a redhead today) answered. "You are now free to go."
"But wait!" Harry said, suddenly realizing something. "Where are you going to go? There is no place onboard a cart and the maintenance tunnels are too small to let you through!"
The sphinx smiled sadly. "I never said I was going to leave."
"But where-" Hermione started. And then she stopped in realization. "No..."
"I was always meant to be a temporary measure until Gringotts could find a new dragon to replace the one that escaped. My time is limited, and I have accepted this a long time ago."
"But you can't!" she cried.
"That is how I want to go out. Escape is impossible for me. I am too weak. But, I can slow them down, help you in your quest. And, in turn, take revenge on those who captured me."
They watched as she looked up and stretched her ear. "I can hear them come. Hundreds of pairs of footsteps walking down the maintenance tunnels. Their trek down the caves is nearly over. Go, now!"
"Before we go, can we ask you your name?" Harry asked. The sphinx smiled.
"My name is Akila." she answered.
"Then thank you, and godspeed, Akila." Harry said. He turned around and signed to the others to go to the vault. He practically had to push Hermione away from the sphinx to ensure she did not sacrifice herself along with Akila.
"This is so sad!" Hermione moaned when they arrived to the vaults.
"Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to save her. We accounted for some mindless being guarding the vaults, but not an intelligent and sentient sphinx. We have nothing to help her and, you heard her. That's how she want to go." Not leaving time to Hermione to say something, he turned to Goldengem and asked "Can you open the vaults?"
"Uh – yes, sir." the goblin nodded. He walked forward to one of the vault doors and unlocked it. "The Malfoy vault, sir, ma'am."
"Malfoy?" Sally-Anne perked up. She grinned. "Oh, that's going to be fun!"
Harry, Dean and Sally-Anne entered the vault and completely emptied it. With magic, it only took a few minutes to empty all of its content and transfer it to their bags. Hermione and Goldengem waited outside, the first guarding the others in case some goblins showed up before they were done.
"Alright, this one's empty! Next vault, please!" Dean said.
The next vault belonged to the Greengrass family, and was also emptied in a few minutes, this time by Hermione, Dean and Harry. The next one was the Lestrange vault and it's contents were also transferred to their bags, though only after making sure they removed the protective enchantments. Then followed the vaults of the Crouch, Flint, Nott, Parkinson, Peverell (to Harry's surprise, who hadn't known it existed), Avery, Prince, Selwyn, and Yaxley families.
By their fifth vault, they heard a fight begin between Akila and the goblin warriors. The longer it lasted, the better it was as it told them that not only was Akila still living, but that she was delaying the warriors even more. But, as they reached the final vault (that of Yaxley), they heard Akila cry in pain, followed by a loud thump on the ground.
"Akila!" Hermione exclaimed in horror. Harry once again had to intervene to make sure his girlfriend didn't jump to the sphinx's aid.
"Morgana, stop!" Harry said, grabbing her by the waist. "It's too late. Don't ruin her sacrifice by getting yourself killed."
Hermione, silently sobbing, nodded. He let go of her. The Yaxley vault was emptied without a word.
When they exited, Hermione was the first running toward the sphinx. When they arrived, it was to stumble upon a carnage. Hundred of bodies of goblin warriors on the ground, dead. In the middle stood Alika, who was lying in her own pool of blood. Her breathing was shallow.
"Akila!" Hermione exclaimed, running toward her. She stopped in front of the sphinx's face and slowly lifted her mask, exposing her face, reddening eyes and teary cheeks.
"N-No..." Akila whispered. "G-Go. B-Before they r-return."
"I-I'm so s-sorry." Hermione sobbed, taking a step back. Harry grabbed her in a hug.
"I... I apologize for the way you will pass, great sphinx." Goldengem suddenly spoke, surprising them. "My compatriots should not have treated you this way. It is inhuman." He looked genuinely heartbroken.
The sphinx gave him a small smile. "D-Do w-what you t-think is r-right, little g-goblin." she gasped. "D-Don't l-let o-others w-walk all o-over you." she said as the light left her eyes. She was dead.
"Thank you for your wisdom, great sphinx." Goldengem whispered. Hermione was crying heavily, and had to be dragged away by Harry and Sally-Anne from the sphinx's corpse.
"Morgana, please." Sally-Anne said, knowing the other witch wanted to stay with Akila's body. But there was no doubt a whole lot of goblin warriors were on their way, and they needed to gain as much ground as they could before it was too late.
"Hermione," Harry whispered when Hermione still refused to pull away, using her real name. He didn't need to say more, the tone was clear in his voice. They would mourn her later, but now they needed to go before it was too late.
"Don't worry," Dean added quietly. "We will give her a ceremony."
Hermione whipped her cheeks and lowered her mask. "You're right." she said. "We have time to mourn her later. Let's go."
Harry nodded. He turned to Goldengem, who also looked like he wanted to stay and mourn Akila. "Goldengem, stay behind us and hide when we're fighting." he said. Goldengem nodded.
With no time to loose, the group ran toward the maintenance tunnels. They jumped off the stairs, slowly climbing up to the surface, wanting to get as close to the surface as they could before the next wave of warriors arrived.
However, they were interrupted on the way up when a panting Goldengem said "Here! A vault full of money!" He was pointing at a door opening on a small platform. Glancing at each other, they decided to rob that one too and walked on the platform. Harry found it very similar to the platform where his vault was located. However, they were much deeper than where his former vault was located.
"Which one, Goldie?" Sally-Anne asked. Goldengem pointed at one with the number '117'. "Alright, get it open." she said. Goldengem got it unlocked and Dean and Sally-Anne entered. Harry was about to follow after them when Hermione yelled "Warriors!"
"Shit! Okay, it's you and me, Morgana!" he said, raising his gun toward the entrance of the platform. Hermione did the same. Goldengem hid behind a pillar.
They waited, hearing numerous footsteps until a group of armoured goblins entered the platform. "There they are!" one of them yelled.
Harry and Hermione opened fire.
Goblins fell to their bullets. Some rushed forward and managed to get very close to them before being shot down. This wave seemed never ending, with unrelenting goblins throwing themselves in their line of fire wave after wave. It was a disgusting slaughter, and only the knowledge they would end up dead stopped them from halting their attack to barf their breakfast.
And then, as if it couldn't be any worse, Goldengem suddenly yelled "Cart inbound!" Thankfully, the arrival of a cart full of goblins warriors ready to flank them happened at the same time as Sally-Anne and Dean finished emptying the vault. Seeing the cart, they fired their rifles on them first, killing everyone aboard and stopping them from ambushing Harry and Hermione from behind. They then joined in on the effort, killing more and more warriors trying to enter the platform.
Eventually, the goblins realized they were bottle-necking themselves and stopped their assault. They weren't all dead, and Harry knew some were hiding in the maintenance tunnels, but he doubted very much there was more than a handful remaining. "Let's go, time to move!" Harry yelled to them.
Harry, Hermione, Dean, Sally-Anne and an abnormally green-looking Goldengem exited the vault, the latter holding on Dean's back rather than walking in the blood of his clan.
In the corridor, they faced ten warriors, all of which were shot on the spot by the robbers. With the way clear, they ran up the stairs again, getting closer and closer to the surface.
Another three times, Goldengem stopped them. Twice to point them to a vault filled with gold, and once to warn them of an incoming wave of goblin warriors. They once encountered a wave in the middle of the maintenance tunnels, leaving them to fight awkwardly. But, in a cramped space, rifles won over swords and spears, and the goblins were quickly shot down. It was also the first fight they noticed led to goblins retreating. It was either a very good sign – the goblins realizing they couldn't challenge them and decided to save themselves – or they had something much more dangerous stored in mind.
After that wave, no other reached them. It was quite possible they killed nearly every goblin in Gringotts on their way up. It would sure make it easy for Rubystones to take over the bank afterwards.
Finally, after forty-five minutes of climbing up stairs (and alternatively robbing another seven vaults), the group finally reached the lobby of the bank. They were all panting heavily at the end, and Harry knew they were in for a few long days spent in bed and in bath.
In the lobby, they encountered the last surviving goblins – the same ones who retreated earlier. Their armours were covered in the blood of their compatriots. They were no fit to fight, that much was obvious, so they silently agreed to let them live.
One of the goblins spotted Goldengem standing among them. He growled. "Goldengem!" he yelled. "You traitor! You would side with bigoted humans against us!"
"No," Goldengem spoke up, stepping in front of the robbers. The little goblin remembered Akila's last words. "That's what you are doing! You work with the very people who would enslave us if they had the opportunity, and steal from the less fortunate people who treat us fairly! You are the ones betraying the goblins, not me!"
"You're a goblin of Gringotts, and worked with humans to empty our vaults." the goblin growled.
"No longer. I intend to become a goblin of Rubystones!"
"You want to join these softies!" the goblin exclaimed. Goldengem smiled.
"Softies? Isn't that what you called me for years, Barchoke? Maybe it is the clan I belong to."
This was too much for the goblin named Barchoke. With a yell of rage, he ran forward with a sword to kill Goldengem. But, to everyone's surprise, Goldengem raised his own sword ('Where did he get a sword?' Harry thought.) and stabbed Barchoke in the stomach. Barchoke let out a whine before dropping to the floor, dead.
Goldengem let go of the sword. He turned to the robbers. "Let's go." he said simply, walking toward the exit. The robbers looked at each other in surprise. Dean shrugged and followed after the goblin. The others, after clearing their minds of their confusion, also did the same.
If they thought the fight was finally over, they were in for a surprise when they found a squad of Aurors waiting for them in a deserted Diagon Alley. "D.M.L.E.!" yelled the voice of Draco Malfoy – of all people. "You're under arrest, mudbloods!"
"Wow, they really made Malfoy an Auror? Unbelievable." Dean commented quietly.
"Not just him. Look at everyone around him. They're all former Death Eaters or Death Eaters collaborators."
"Well then, you know what to do." Harry told them.
They raised their weapons, and fired.
Like in Gringotts, the Aurors fell very fast. Being all purebloods, none of them understood the inherent danger of firearms until it was too late. Some managed to cast a shield to protect themselves. The others, who tried to go on the offensive, did not manage to cast in time before getting shot. Unwilling to defend a goblin bank, the surviving Aurors decided to run away until they joined their colleagues in the grave. Diagon Alley was soon empty again.
"Well, that was the easiest fight we had to far. Fucking cowards." Dean spat.
"Be thankful for that. I just want to go home and take a long and relaxing bath with my fiance." Hermione said.
"So do I! Just Malfoy's death is cause for celebration enough!" Harry said, earning him cheers from his friends. "But first, we need to send our new friend to Rubystones where he can join his new clan!"
"Then let's go! I also want a long bath with my fiance." Sally-Anne said, earning her some chuckles.
They managed to make their way unopposed to the apparition point of Diagon Alley. There was no surprise there, as the wizard populace was known to never defend itself when confronted with danger. Though, in this case, Harry did not blame them.
Together, they apparated away.