Chapter 235 A Dragon Deep Underground
Although Evan had been to Gringotts Magic Bank many times before, he had never ventured into the underground vaults, merely collecting his Galleons back then.
Hermione, much like him, had never delved into the depths of the ancient vault.
Only Harry, because of his inheritance from his parents, had to visit his vault every year to take some golden Galleons as tuition before school started.
Whether they had been to Gringotts' underground or not, they were all very intrigued by the Black family vault.
Although, according to Sirius, there was nothing to see, it was just full of boring gold.
But enough gold to fill a room was sufficient to astonish those who pondered upon it.
It was the first day after Christmas. Much like the Muggle street outside, Diagon Alley was cold and clear, covered in white snow everywhere.
On the street, besides them, there were no other people, and many shops had not opened yet.
Everyone was worried, fearing that Gringotts might not be open.
But when they reached the imposing snow-white edifice in the central square of Diagon Alley, the thick snow on the ground had been cleared, and the shining bronze door was open. A goblin in scarlet and gold uniform was standing there.
"Goblins are dedicated to their work. They do not rest throughout the year. During the Christmas holidays, only Gringotts will open as usual," Lupin whispered.
"Don't mislead the children, Remus! We all know why goblins don't rest, it's not because they are dedicated, but because they are so greedy. To me, these goblins do not care about Christmas," Sirius said disdainfully. "For them, gold is more important than festivities."
Sirius did not lower his voice. The goblin in front of the bronze door apparently heard the comment, and looked at them with even less friendly eyes than usual.
Still, he bowed to them all, but his movements were stiff.
Evan noticed that the goblin seemed to be of his height, with a cunning dark face and a sharp beard. His fingers and toes were particularly long.
"Gentlemen, this way, please!" He led them towards Gringotts.
Behind the bronze door was a second silver door.
When Evan first came to Gringotts, he simply felt that the door was beautifully crafted.
Later, upon reading related literature, he learned that the door was the same door of Gringotts when it was established a thousand years ago. It was made of pure silver by the goblins, and the greatest alchemist of that time applied much magic to it.
Such ancient magic may no longer function, but the door itself held historical value.
A row of words was engraved on the two doors. It was a warning sign left by the goblins. It resembled a curse. It stated in verse that a thief would suffer terribly.
In Gringotts, behind the long counters, goblins sat on tall stools, attending to the first customers of the day, and the goblin who guided them led them to a very old goblin in the center.
"Sirius Black!" Upon seeing Sirius, the goblin was evidently very surprised. "What a rare visit, how can I assist you today?"
The goblin trembled; perhaps, thinking of Sirius's dark past in Azkaban and the rumors of him being a terrifying Death Eater.
"I want to go to the vault, not my own vault, but the Black family vault," Sirius added emphasizing the Black family.
"The Black family vault?!" The old goblin shuddered and then leaned over the counter. "Do you have the key?"
"I have it!" Sirius produced a rusty key and tossed it onto the counter.
Evan noticed that the key was long and engraved with the emblem of the Black family.
"It's alright, no problem," muttered the goblin with a furrowed brow and continued. "We can let you in, but you know, your family's ancient vault is in a special area, surrounded by strong protective measures, and it would be better if you were alone..."
"We should go down together. I don't care about this special area!" impetuously exclaimed Sirius, "Let's not waste time, there are still many things I must do."
The two exchanged a glance before the goblin stepped back.
Lupin stayed above, waiting for them, while Sirius descended with Evan, Harry, and Hermione. Despite the goblin agreeing to Black's proposal, he still viewed the three as children who were not attentive enough.
Seeing the caution of the goblin, Evan grew more intrigued about the Black family vault in the special area, trying to imagine what could be there.
"Griphook, lead the four to the underground vault," instructed the old goblin, addressing the goblin who had brought them inside.
Griphook seemed to be anticipating this, his eyes shining with malice.
Behind the counter was a narrow side door that he quickly opened for them.
As Evan entered, he did not see the same architectural style as in the grand marble hall outside; instead, he found himself facing a narrow stone corridor, illuminated by a burning torch, akin to an ancient cave.
The stone corridor sloped sharply down leading to a small railway below.
Griphook whistled, and a small cart swiftly approached on the tracks.
Harry was the first to skillfully hop onto the cart. Evan and Hermione followed suit, as Harry explained what they should watch out for.
"This cart will run very fast for a while, so it's best to hold on tight," cautioned Harry. "The path inside is twisted and tortuous like a labyrinth."
Upon hearing Harry's words, both Evan and Hermione mentally prepared themselves.
However, the speed of the cart far exceeded their imagination, and just as Sirius was approaching, Griphook pulled the lever.
The cart began to move abruptly, accelerating more and more without apparent limits.
They twisted their way through a crevice in the wall, turning and progressing through labyrinthine passages, always descending.
The dark, cold air deep underground hit their faces.
Evan couldn't hear anything over the rattling of the cart on the tracks. All he knew was that they continued to weave among the stalactites, delving further underground.
Beside Evan, the hair of Sirius, Harry, and Hermione fluttered backward. The three did not look well and nervously scanned their surroundings.
Only the goblin, Griphook, seemed particularly pleased. He would turn his head and gaze at them with a mocking joy.
Griphook would occasionally wave his fingers, and the cart's speed would increase after each jolt.
In response to what Sirius had just said, he was getting back at them.
Besides being greedy, the goblins were undoubtedly the most vengeful creatures in the world, seeking revenge for the slightest offense.
If you accidentally offended a goblin, it could remember it for a lifetime.
Even amidst their predicament, Griphook persisted in trying to scare them to death.
Evan gritted his teeth. In about twenty minutes, the four had already advanced to a deeper underground location.
They passed by an underground lake with enormous stalactites and stalagmites hanging to the ground.
"I've never been this deep before!" shouted Harry, "I barely passed by those rocks, and it looked like I saw something coming out..."
His shout suddenly stopped as they swiftly turned a sharp curve, and the cart came to a slow halt.
"We all need to get off, please! We need to change carts. We must use one that goes deeper to reach the Black family vault," said Griphook, taking the lead and jumping off. "Please follow me. We need to walk for a while."
But no one else moved, everyone gazed fixedly ahead.
Before them, Evan saw what Harry had just glimpsed: a colossal dragon tethered to the ground not far away, blocking access to the deepest vaults.
The dragon's scales had turned pale and scaly during its long confinement underground, and its eyes were a milky pink, both hind legs wearing heavy shackles from which chains led to huge stakes driven deep into the rocky ground.
Its large, spiky wings, pressed against its body, would fill the chamber if unfurled. Sensing someone approaching, the Dragon turned its grotesque head towards them and roared with a thunder that made the rock tremble. It opened its mouth and spewed forth a stream of fire with an astonishing wave of heat.