Infiltration and Illusion pt. 2 - Harry's POV
Harry swallowed hard, exchanging a tense look with Hermione and Ron. This was it. The moment of truth.
"Stay close," Bill whispered as they stepped inside.
The vault was massive, its walls lined with piles of glittering treasure—gold, jewels, and artifacts of every kind. But in the center, sitting atop a small, ornately carved pedestal, was the cup of Helga Hufflepuff.
"There," Harry breathed, pointing. "That's it."
They moved forward cautiously, eyes darting around for any sign of traps or hidden defenses. But as they approached the cup, something shifted. The walls seemed to ripple, the air growing thick and oppressive.
"Harry, wait—" Hermione began, but it was too late.
The moment Harry's fingers brushed the cup's surface, the entire vault erupted into chaos. The piles of treasure began to swell and multiply, the gold melting into rivers that surged toward them like living creatures.
"It's a Gemino Curse!" Bill shouted, grabbing Hermione's arm. "We have to get out—now!"
"Grab it, Harry!" Ron yelled, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the multiplying treasure.
Harry's hand closed around the cup, and a searing pain shot up his arm. He gritted his teeth, yanking it free just as the river of molten gold surged up to engulf them.
"Go!" Bill bellowed, pushing them toward the door.
They ran, the ground beneath them trembling as the entire vault seemed to collapse in on itself. The goblin at the door shrieked in fury, drawing his wand, but Hermione was faster. She flicked her wand, sending a stunning spell that knocked him out cold.
"Move, move!" she cried, hauling Harry to his feet.
With the cup clutched tightly in Harry's hand, they burst out of the vault and sprinted back the way they had come, the roar of collapsing treasure and alarms ringing in their ears.
And then, just as they reached the final corridor, the world exploded into blinding light and deafening sound.
"Stupefy!" a voice roared, and everything went black.
—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—
The world swam back into focus slowly, a throbbing pain pounding behind Harry's eyes. His limbs felt heavy, weighed down by some unseen force, and as he tried to move, he realized his wrists were bound, rough rope digging into his skin. Panic flared in his chest. Where was he? Where were Ron and Hermione?
Blinking against the harsh light, Harry forced his eyes open. He was in a small, dark room, lit only by a flickering lantern hanging from the ceiling. Stone walls, damp and cold, closed in around him, and there was the low murmur of voices somewhere beyond the door.
He strained against the bonds, turning his head to the side. There—Ron was slumped beside him, unconscious but seemingly unharmed. And Hermione—
"Hermione!" he whispered urgently.
Her eyes fluttered open, clouded with pain, and she groaned softly. "Harry… what—where are we?"
"I don't know," he muttered, his mind racing. They had been in Gringotts, fleeing the vault—then a flash of light, and—
The door to the small cell swung open suddenly, and Harry's heart lurched. A figure stepped inside, tall and lean, his features half-hidden in the shadows. But Harry knew that face anywhere.
"Fenrir Greyback," he spat, his voice filled with loathing.
The werewolf grinned, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth. "Oh, look at this. Potter and his little friends, all tied up and ready for delivery."
Ron stirred, blinking groggily as he tried to sit up. "What… what's going on?" he slurred, his voice thick with confusion.
"Welcome back, Weasel," Greyback sneered. He turned, snapping his fingers, and two more figures stepped into the cell—Death Eaters, their faces hidden behind sinister black masks. One of them moved forward, a wand drawn, and the other held a heavy set of iron chains.
"You've made quite the mess," Greyback continued, his gaze shifting to Harry. "Breaking into Gringotts… do you know how many alarms you set off? Voldemort's been looking for you, Potter. You've caused him a lot of trouble."
"Good," Harry shot back, even as fear coiled tightly in his gut. "Where are we? What do you want?"
"Where are we?" Greyback mimicked mockingly, his grin widening. "This is the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. You should be honored—the Dark Lord himself will want to greet you soon enough. But first…" He gestured sharply, and the two Death Eaters stepped forward.
Harry tried to struggle, but it was no use. They roughly hauled him to his feet, the chains clinking ominously as they secured them around his wrists.
Ron was on his feet now too, eyes blazing with anger as he fought against his captors. "Let us go, you filthy—"
"Shut it, Weasley," Greyback growled, backhanding him hard across the face. Ron staggered, blood dripping from a split lip, but he glared defiantly at the werewolf, refusing to back down.
"Touch him again, and I'll—" Hermione started, but Greyback turned on her, his grin twisting into something darker, more dangerous.
"And you, Mudblood. You should be careful what you say. There are so many things I could do to you before your precious Potter and Weasel get a chance to blink." He leaned closer, his breath hot and rancid on her face. "Maybe I'll make you scream."
"Back off!" Harry shouted, yanking futilely at his chains. "Leave her alone!"
Greyback laughed, a low, rumbling sound. "Brave words, Potter. But you're not in a position to make demands."
The stone walls seemed to press in closer with every step, the air growing colder and heavier. Harry's heart hammered wildly in his chest as they were marched up a flight of stairs and into a grand, shadowed hall.
greyback gestured to the silvery, shimmering object sitting on the table beside him—a gleaming cup, adorned with the symbol of Hufflepuff.
"The Horcrux," Hermione breathed, eyes wide.
the Death Eater next to Greyback raised his wand, and Harry felt the cold, searing pain of the Cruciatus Curse tear through him. Agony exploded behind his eyes, his body convulsing violently as he bit back a scream. Dimly, he heard Hermione and Ron shouting, struggling against their captors, but he couldn't focus, couldn't think—
And then, just as suddenly, the pain was gone. Harry gasped, collapsing forward, his entire body trembling.
"Lock them up. I want them alive when I tell the dark lord who and what i found. i cant wait for my gratitude from him. perhaps i will ask for the mudblood" he said
The Death Eaters yanked them to their feet again, shoving them roughly toward a side door. But even through the haze of pain and fear, Harry's mind was racing.
the three if them were placed in a dark cell,
—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—•••—
They were alive. That meant there was still a chance. If they could just get free, if they could find a way out—
"Keep fighting," he whispered hoarsely to Ron and Hermione as they were dragged away. "No matter what—don't give up."
Hermione's eyes met his, fierce and determined despite the fear lurking beneath. "Never," she whispered back.
"If he's keeping us alive, then we have time. We have time to escape, to regroup—and to get that Horcrux."
Harry nodded, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Right. The cup… It's here, somewhere. If we can just figure out where they've hidden it—"
"Brilliant," Ron muttered sarcastically. "So, we're sneaking around a Death Eater stronghold, searching for an evil artifact, and we don't even have our wands."
"We'll get them back," Harry said firmly, though he had no idea how. "We have to."
But then, a low voice, barely more than a whisper, drifted through the heavy wood.
"Theo?" Hermione whispered incredulously.
There was a long pause, then a soft click as the lock on the cell door began to turn. Slowly, cautiously, the heavy door creaked open, revealing Theodore Nott dressed in a hooded cloak, not one at all like the death eaters, something that was made to be worn with the intention of not being seen. His face was drawn and tense, his eyes flickering nervously between them.
"Nott what?" Harry started, but Theo shook his head sharply, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting someone to appear behind him at any moment.
"Shut up and listen," he whispered urgently. "I don't have long. I—I'm getting you out of here."
Ron shot to his feet, his face twisting in disbelief. "What? Are you mad?"
"Quiet! they haven't figured out where I've been hiding nor have they taken me yet. The fact that this is the second time that I'm risking my own neck for you lot, you should count yourself lucky!" Theo snapped, his expression tight with fear. "Do you want the guards to hear? do y ok want them to kill all of us
Ron fell silent, but the suspicion in his eyes didn't fade. Hermione, however, was watching Theo closely, her gaze intense.
"you came back?" she said softly. "when you were at Grimmauld and back in Godric's hollow you said you weren't planning on coming back"
"well Granger its nearly impossible to be impartial during an all out war." he responded
"I'm tired of standing by knowing my friends are torturing innocent people," he muttered, almost too quietly to hear. "I want to play a greater role in this"
"Look, you can trust me or not," he muttered, glancing nervously down the hallway. "But if we don't gonow, you're not going to get another chance."
"Fine," Harry said finally, his voice low.
"I'm not lying Potter," Theo cut in sharply. "Just—just follow me."
He stepped back, holding the cell door open wide. With a wary glance at each other, Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved forward, stepping out of the cell and into the narrow corridor beyond.
"Where are our wands?" Hermione whispered urgently as they moved cautiously down the passage.
Theo passed them each their wands that he had in his pocket. He turned, guiding them through the darkened corridors of the manor. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as they crept along, every creak of the floorboards and flicker of shadow making his nerves sing with tension. If they were caught now—But they weren't. Somehow, miraculously, they managed to avoid detection, slipping through the winding hallways and up a narrow staircase into what must have been a snatchers hideout location
Finally, they reached a heavy wooden door near the end of the hallway. Theo paused, glancing back at them with a mixture of fear and determination.
"This is it," he whispered. "this is where the object you were caught with is".
"Going somewhere, Potter?"
Harry whirled around, wand raised—only to find himself face-to-face with Bellatrix Lestrange.
She stood in the doorway, a twisted smile on her lips, her dark eyes gleaming with manic glee. And behind her, shadows shifted as more Death Eaters crowded into the room, their wands drawn and ready.
"Well, well," Bellatrix purred, her gaze flicking to Theo. "Nott, I was hoping to see y out again, after that act you pulled in the maze."
Harry's blood ran cold.
"Now," Bellatrix whispered, stepping closer, her wand aimed directly at his heart. "Let's see if you're as brave as you pretend to be."
Time seemed to freeze as Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood in the center of the hallway, their newly reclaimed wands clutched tightly in their hands. The Death Eaters fanned out behind Bellatrix, their faces twisted with glee and anticipation. Theo stood motionless beside them, his eyes wide with panic. This wasn't just any ambush—this was a calculated snare meant to break them once and for all.
"Bellatrix," Harry said slowly, forcing himself to keep his voice steady. "Let us go. You don't have to do this."
Bellatrix's laugh was high and cold, like the screech of nails against glass. "Oh, but I do, Potter.The Dark Lordwill be so pleased when I bring him your mangled, broken bodies."
Behind her, the Death Eaters chuckled darkly. Fenrir Greyback, his ragged form half-hidden in the shadows, bared his teeth in a twisted grin. Beside him, the hulking form of Crabbe Sr. glowered, his wand pointed steadily at Ron.
"You're not going to win, Lestrange," Harry said, lifting his chin. "We're getting out of here."
Bellatrix's smile widened, her eyes flashing with cruel delight. "Oh, I think not. You see, Potter… I don't think you realize who's in control here."
Before Harry could react, she flicked her wand, sending a jet of green light streaking toward Theo. he barely had time to flinch before it struck him, sending him sprawling to the floor with a strangled cry.
"THEO!" Hermione screamed, starting forward.
Bellatrix only laughed again, her expression exultant. "oh Nott, Did you think you could betray us and walk away unscathed? You were always such a coward. It's about time you learned where your true loyalties lie."
Theo groaned, clutching his side where the curse had struck. His was twisted in pain, but somehow, he managed to drag himself to his knees, glaring up at Bellatrix with a mixture of hatred and defiance.
"I'm not afraid of you," he spat, his voice hoarse.
"Brave words, little traitor," Bellatrix cooed mockingly. "But words won't save you."
Harry's mind raced. They were outnumbered, surrounded, and cornered in a room that had no other exits. But Theodore Nott had risked everything to bring them this far. He couldn't let it be for nothing.
"Now!" he shouted.
Without warning, he spun on his heel, aiming his wand at the nearest Death Eater. "Stupefy!"
A flash of red light erupted from his wand, striking the Death Eater squarely in the chest and sending him crashing into a bookshelf. The room exploded into chaos as spells flew in every direction. Hermione and Ron leapt into action beside him, their wands blazing as they fought to hold off the onslaught.
"Protego!" Hermione cried, conjuring a shimmering shield just in time to deflect a barrage of curses from Fenrir Greyback. The werewolf snarled, his eyes glowing with bloodlust as he lunged forward.
"Get back!" Ron roared, firing a Blasting Curse that sent Greyback skidding backward, his snarl morphing into a pained growl.
But for every Death Eater they knocked back, two more seemed to appear. The library was a blur of flashing lights and shouting voices, the air thick with the acrid scent of burning wood and magic. And through it all, Bellatrix stood at the center of the chaos, her laughter echoing above the din.
"Crucio!" she shrieked, sending a bolt of red light searing toward Harry.
He barely dodged, the curse grazing his shoulder and sending a shock of pain through his arm. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving, keep fighting. If they could just get to the door—
"Hermione, go!" he shouted, pointing toward the entrance.
"But—!"
"Go!"