Chapter 14
For several days, Harry waited at the Shell House, anxious and tormented. Unanswered questions swirled in his mind, the most important of which was this: How could being (technically) the Master of the Deathly Hallows help him survive? But other questions were also popping into her head that did not help her find peace: Did Dumbledore know about the Horcrux inside him? Had he planned its death in his grand plans "for the Greater Good"? Harry doubted that a wizard as intelligent as Albus Dumbledore would not have guessed the nature of his connection to Voldemort. And after reading Rita Skeeter's book chapter, a positive answer to the last two questions didn't seem so unlikely... The last question that plagued him was whether he would be able to take the plunge in the end...
So, the young wizard was moping alone in his corner, visiting Dobby's grave or sitting at the edge of the cliff to contemplate the sea or the beauty of the landscape around him. He was sinking into guilt despite the desperate efforts of Edward, Ron and Hermione. Luna was also trying to comfort him, for which Harry was very grateful, as he suspected that the young Ravenclaw had her own grief to deal with. And yet, she managed, in spite of all the misfortune which had fallen on her, to whisper words to him, sometimes without rhyme or reason, but which made him leave temporarily its marasmus.
It was in these moments that Harry understood how Edward and Neville could find their friend so sensational that they fell in love with her: she knew how to speak of death with great delicacy, not as an enemy to be fought, but as a friend or, in the manner of Dumbledore, as an adventure into the unknown. And for Neville and Edward, who had experienced their share of loss, it must have been comforting to feel so understood.
Finally, three days after their arrival at the Shellfish Shack, Fleur came to tell the group that Gripsec had (finally) agreed to talk to them again. Harry and his three friends went upstairs to the smallest room and found themselves in the room with the blood-red light. The Goblin was sitting on the bed and his glowing black eyes focused on the beaded bag around Hermione's neck, as if he knew something precious was hidden in it, which would not have surprised the four friends.
Hermione and Ron had agreed to let Harry and Edward handle the negotiations, the former because he was the leader of the small group and the latter because he certainly knew the most about Goblins from his extensive research over the past years. Gripsec spoke first, saying that he would help them get into Gringotts to steal the cup (much to Harry's delight) but added that it would be in exchange for payment. There, he pointed his long finger at the bag of Pearls and said he wanted the real Sword of Gryffindor, which he said was in their possession. Ron asked him how he knew this and Gripsec replied:
"The sword that Bellatrix Lestrange forced me to authenticate was a copy, of course, but a copy so successful that I'm certain you had to have the original in front of you to create it."
"Thank you, I'm flattered," said Edward as he bowed slightly to the Goblin who wore a toothy grin as Harry reluctantly pulled the Gryffindor sword from the bag. The goblin's eyes shone hungrily as he gazed at the masterpiece of Goblin smithing and goldsmithing.
"But that's impossible," Ron exclaimed, "this sword belonged to Gryffindor and so it belongs to Gryffindor House, or at least Hogwarts."
"And did you know who it belonged to before your almighty Gryffindor stole it? To Ragnuk I, one of the first Goblin Kings! It is a lost treasure, a masterpiece of our race! The sword will be the price of my help, take it or leave it!"
"We'll discuss your proposal between us!" Edward exclaimed before the discussion could escalate.
Once in the other room, everyone looked to Hermione and Ed for an explanation. The young witch replied that she had not read anywhere that the sword had been stolen. She added with great honesty that history was often written by the victors and that it was quite possible that wizards had rewritten history in their own way, to make themselves look good. Edward, on the other hand, looked pensive and it took Ron's smack to bring him back to the present situation. Hermione asked him with a very interested look what he had been thinking for the last few minutes. In her opinion (and her two friends readily admitted it as well), when their friend opened his mouth after concentrating so hard, you could be pretty sure that they were going to learn something interesting. Edward then spoke up:
"Excuse me. All of this just reminded me of the time of the colonies and especially when Egypt came under French and then English rule. Many treasures of antiquity were looted in the name of studying history and yet archaeologists felt perfectly within their rights to do this. There are sometimes tensions between countries looted in the name of science and former colonial powers on the subject," Edward paused, setting a hand to his chin, "Also, there is an aspect of property law here in Britain that says that the 'owner' is not so much the person who lives there even if they paid for the house as the person who would own the house. It's quite complicated and it's a very obscure aspect of property rights so I couldn't tell you more but I believe that the Goblins consider anything made by them and monetized by a wizard to be a form of life annuity and not a final purchase."
"But when we've paid for an item, it belongs to us now!" Hermione exclaimed, a little shocked.
"Not according to the Goblins. Bill's been talking to me a bit about this over the last few days and he said that for the Goblins, the item belongs first to the one who created it, not to the one who paid for it. The wizard is only renting the object and it should be returned to the Goblins. He also told me that those in Gringotts are among the most extreme about this belief," Ron explained, much to the surprise of his friends.
"What? When did you learn all this?!" Asked Harry, followed by Hermione, unaccustomed to seeing their friend do his research on his own.
"When I heard we were going to do business with the Goblins, I quietly asked Bill about it. He told me all about them. Besides, I didn't want the negotiations to fail because of my ignorance..." He mumbled, lowering his head
"You're amazing Ron," Hermione stated as she hugged him.
"So, the goblins of Gringotts believe that the sword rightfully belongs to them. The problem is that they need it to destroy the Horcruxes. Besides, the sword is enchanted to the Sorting Hat to come to the aid of any Gryffindor who needs help in a critical moment..." Harry muttered, adding:
"With any luck, we might convince Gripsec to let us use it while we destroy the cup and other Horcruxes... After all, he must hate You-Know-Who as much as we do..."
"That might work. But what about the second phenomenon, about the sword in the Sorting Hat? If it turns up in there, the Goblins will accuse us of tricking them, and not without reason! And it would be despicable to betray it, and the trust between wizards and Goblins would be further eroded. After the war, trust me, you don't want another Goblin insurrection to top it all off." Hermione declared in a sour tone.
"I may have an idea, but it will take a lot of time, effort, and changing of minds. A lot will depend on you, Harry, to get what I am going to propose accepted. First, the wizards will have to agree to let the goblins have access to wands. It's not exactly fair that only wizards should have access to an instrument that allows them to better channel their magic while they do not.
"But that wouldn't be fair..." Ron began before being interrupted by Edward.
"But in order to have that right, the Goblins will also have to make concessions, especially regarding their property rights and their trade secrets. This could lead to a collaboration between wizards and goblins that has never been seen before and perhaps bridge the gap between the two species," Edward stated in a firm tone.
"But it may take years before such a project comes to fruition." Hermione retorted before adding, "And the House Elves will have to be included in this pact as well."
"I know. That's why I say it's going to be a long-term job based on the very long term. It will probably take many years before we reach a level of trust based on mutual respect. It may take your whole life. But in doing so, you will build a better and fairer society. Not one that just aims to give Muggle-borns more rights like Dumbledore did, but one that also takes into account the other beings and creatures of this magical world by respecting them. Hermione, didn't you take the first step by creating the House Elf Protective Society? And you, Harry, by considering a House Elf as an equal? And you, Ron, by learning about Goblin customs? When the war is won, you will all carry great weight in wizarding society, perhaps enough to change it. I believe you are all capable of creating a more just society," Edward declared with a passionate air.
"That's all well and good, but what if Gripsec denies us the ability to use the sword to destroy the Horcrux?" Ron asked, a little bemused.
"First of all, we don't lie to him. Goblins are able to sense when someone is perjuring themselves. It's part of their internal magic. If we can't reason with him, we'll have to go back to Hogwarts and get some of the Basilisk venom we have stored in the Chamber of Secrets. Anyway, I'm sure that You-Know-Who has hidden the last Horcrux there. Maybe that famous Slytherin tiara that Luna's father told us about..."
"That would be fantastic... Your idea, I mean, about the future... It would be nice if we finally got to know the Goblins in a way other than Binns' bloody lectures on Goblin revolts and wars," said the redhead, massaging his scalp.
"I think you're right, Edward, about this way of reconnecting with the Goblins. It will probably be difficult to implement, many will try to oppose it, but I think this cause is just. But it remains to be seen if we can convince Gripsec of this. I hope he will agree to become our spokesman later... Well, let's go find him to give him our answer..." Said Harry as he stood up.
"No need, I heard you." Declared a dry voice. The voice of Gripsec who had been spying on their conversation from the beginning to make sure no one cheated him during their deal. The goblin stared at Harry and Edward with inquisitive eyes, as if trying to probe their souls. Then he asked in an almost gentle voice:
"Is what you just said true, Mr. Potter? Do you really intend to seek to mend the bonds of our two species by allowing my people the use of a wand so that we can have easier access to the great Universal Cycle?"
"Look, unlike Edward, I don't know exactly what you mean by Universal Cycle, but I do intend to advocate for a change in the laws regarding the carrying of a wand to magical beings like House Elves and Goblins. I remember the day a House Elf was wrongfully bullied by a Ministry man simply for picking up my wand."
"With You-Know-Who chasing you, your chances of getting that wish are still very slim," Gripsec remarked, staring Harry straight in the eye despite his small size.
"It's possible," Harry said with a light tone, hoping he could fool Ron and Hermione, "but I know that if I die, my friends know my wishes and they will take over to make sure my vision of the future comes true. A future where instead of working against each other or just for each other, we could work together to build that future. So, yes, I can tell you that I believe in it. The cooperation can begin now: we can go to Gringotts, find that cup that is vital to You-Know-Who's survival and destroy it with the Gryffindor sword, which we will then return to you. Do you agree?"
"I agree, Harry Potter," Said the Goblin as he shook Harry's hand. He looked thoughtful and as Ron and Hermione went downstairs to help Fleur with dinner, Gripsec looked up at Harry with thoughtful, almost sympathetic eyes and whispered:
"You don't expect to survive this war, am I wrong, Mr. Potter?"
"No," Harry replied simply, "however, I can swear to you that my friends will grant my request."
"Perhaps you should make out a will then, Mr. Potter, if you think that this time you will not survive," Gripsec remarked in a tone that was both wise and calculating.
"Maybe I will. But I don't exactly know how to make a will..." Harry muttered, looking down.
This didn't exactly prove to be a problem for Gripsec, as among the many tasks of a Gringotts employee, he had to know how to make a will. As for Edward, he had already attended the reading of the Flamel's last will and testament. Finally, Harry decided that he would divide his fortune into three parts: the first part, which would be 20% of his already colossal fortune from the Potters and the Blacks, would go to the remaining six members of the Circle and be divided equally among them. The second part, also 20%, would be given to the future little Aletheia for her future education and all her future needs with Ginny in charge of the account until her daughter came of age.
The remaining 60% would be a common fund from which, again, only the members of the Circle (who would then become members of the board of directors) could draw for the purpose of creating a Foundation for the Equality of Wizards, Beings and Creatures. The purpose would be to enable the reforms that had just been approved by Harry to be implemented. Each of the institutions would address a recurring aspect or problem in wizarding society and attempt to fix it through press campaigns, public statements, and hard work to change attitudes. Of course, if Harry did manage to survive, he would still spend most of his fortune on building the Foundation. Harry, after all, already owned 12 Grimmaurd Square, which had become a comfortable home, and he had never been a big spender...
Harry had every confidence in his friends' abilities to organize such a structure. After all, last year his friends had become Animagus, Occlumens, and some of them had even become confirmed Legilimens, they had learned to use magic without words and without wands, and they had become excellent students in the Hogwarts curriculum while in the No Life mode. No, he had no doubt that his friends were determined to fulfill his last wishes and succeed in this project that was close to his heart.
His friends would have everything to succeed once Voldemort was defeated: Neville could become a brilliant teacher who would not play favorites and would educate the next generation of young wizards and witches, Luna would undoubtedly take over the Quibbler and spread the truth throughout Great Britain. Hermione would probably work at the Ministry on the laws and manage to change them little by little. Ron and Ginny would use their popularity, one as an Auror and Ginny as a famous Quidditch player, to get their opinions across and the public would take notice.
As for Edward, oddly enough, Harry couldn't fit him into the scene of a perfect future he was creating for himself to comfort himself. Was it because Ed was also under the knife of a prophecy that could very well kill him? Or was it because he had a hunch somewhere that Edward had come from somewhere else and would have to return there one day? Harry was not thrilled with either prospect, but he knew that in the end, the decision would be his friend's. Besides, somewhere, his friend would always leave a trace of himself through his many writings...even if it would never replace his presence. Harry finally got out of his slump: he had a bank robbery to plan.
The next few weeks were spent preparing the plan to infiltrate Gringotts. Gripsec had drawn plans of the bank's basement and the whole group studied them intensively. The Goblin had pointed out the possible traps, although he reserved the right to guide them, in order to keep his part of the bargain. The former Gringotts employee sometimes had a not-so-friendly attitude: he seemed to have a great thirst for revenge against wizards, even if he restrained himself out of respect for Edward and Harry, who had entered his good books thanks to his knowledge of Goblins for the former and his honesty for the latter.
Gripsec was not without faults, far from it, he could sometimes be obnoxious to his guests while Fleur made efforts to conform to his diet or sleeping habits. As a result, Harry felt obliged to apologize to Fleur while she cut the steaks for Gripsec, Bill and Edward, who ate them very rare, especially since the latter two had met Greyback. The conversation drifted to Fleur's demands that they stay home safely instead of wandering around again.
In any case, Harry doubted they would have time to roam for very long after their break-in. If they were lucky, their break-in would go undetected by Death Eaters and Goblins, but given the circumstances, they had little chance of entering Gringotts, opening Bellatrix Lestrange's safe, getting the cup out and leaving the bank undetected.
Moreover, their plan was not foolproof. They would almost certainly have to improvise at some point, which would make them all the more noticeable. This meant that Voldemort would know that Harry was hunting for his Horcruxes and therefore would try to make them safer. The young wizard, who had intended to turn himself in immediately after their Hogsmeade robbery, hoped with all his heart that he wasn't wrong and that the Horcrux was indeed at Hogwarts... But even if he was right, it would be a titanic task to search the castle for the Horcrux.
While he was deep in thought, Harry suddenly heard a knock at the door. Although he suspected it could only be a member of the Order, since the Death Eaters wouldn't bother knocking on the door, everyone in the room was already waving their wands and pointing them at the door, just in case. Bill asked the ritual recognition question and Remus Lupin's voice answered him, giving all the necessary information, then he entered and gave the most essential news: he was a father! Tonks had given birth that night to a baby boy named Teddy.
Everyone was thrilled to hear the news, and Remus had never looked younger than he did today. The first thing he asked Harry was to ask him to be his son's godfather. Even though he knew he probably didn't have long to live, Harry agreed so as not to hurt Remus' feelings by refusing. Soon, everyone was seated around the table, toasting with a glass of Elvish wine in hand in honor of Teddy Remus Lupin, a future great wizard. The future great wizard in question seemed to have inherited his mother's shapeshifting talents, for his hair, though sparse, was already changing color.
The next toast was in honor of Harry's future daughter: apparently all the members of the Order knew about this, which made Harry blush. Molly Weasley said that little Alethéia was due in a week and Bill trusted his mother to deliver her: in all seven of her pregnancies, she had never once made a mistake. So it was decided (in consultation with the others) to postpone the departure until after Harry's daughter was born. Lupin soon left to join his wife and the wait began for Harry.
On the night of the birth, Harry tossed and turned in his room like a lion in a cage until his friends burst into the room with a big smile on their faces and told him the news relayed by Bill and Fleur: Alethéia was born. The little one had lungs and was doing well, as was the mother, Bill reassured him. Harry looked at the picture of his daughter with a teary smile for a long time before putting it in his bag given to him by Hagrid, in which he kept the Golden Snitch and his wand pieces. Then, the first thing he did was to ask Ron and Hermione to be respectively the godfather and the godmother of Alethéia . They solemnly accepted the honor and each of them made a silent toast, hoping with all their hearts that the child would grow up in a peaceful and truthful world, as they all wished.
The next day, with a resolute look on his face, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak, Harry silently opened the door of the Shell House and he and his friends left at dawn after Hermione had swallowed the last dose of Polynectar and Ron had made himself unrecognizable. The young witch was now Bellatrix Lestrange and Ron, Harry and Edward kept whispering advice to her (treat non-Death Eaters like Veracrasses, talk to Death Eaters as equals without forgetting that she was superior to them, don't use the dreadful witch's wand since everyone knew it was stolen, etc.). Gripsec, Edward and Harry were hidden under the Invisibility Cloak and did their best not to let any limbs stick out. It was at times like this that Harry would (mentally) congratulate himself on Edward's short stature, though he would never dare say it out loud.
After teleporting, they entered the Cauldron, Hermione and Ron, in their disguises, looking disdainful and more than a little contemptuous. She insulted poor Tom, crossed the wall leading to the Crossroads, and once there, began to walk towards the Bank, Ron at her side, all passers-by mysteriously disappearing in her path. All except one, a Death Eater named Travers, who began to question her. Apparently, Bellatrix had been in disgrace since the fiasco at Malfoy Manor and was not to leave.
But Hermione, fortunately, was able to answer arrogantly, saying that the Dark Lord forgave those who had served him faithfully in the past. He also asked her about her wand and the young witch on polynectar showed him her own wand and said that a worthy witch like her never stayed without her wand for very long. Then Travers unfortunately insisted on escorting the one he thought was a Death Eater to Gringotts.
Outside the bank, they faced their first obstacle: two wizards armed with Sincere Probes in their hands. Edward and Harry, under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak, cast three confusion spells on the guards and on Travers for good measure. The second obstacle presented itself once they entered Gringotts. The goblin in charge of the chests asked Hermione for proof of her identity: her wand. The girl could not present Bellatrix's real wand without being detected. This was the first weakness in their plan. The solution had been given by Gripsec in the previous days: use the Imperium. Harry and Edward threw it at both the old goblin named Bogrod and at Travers. The old cashier began by asking for the Tintamars (which Gripsec said were necessary to get past the dragon) and then began to escort them to the vault. But it was not going well: many Goblins were looking at them inquisitively and now Harry was sure they were suspicious.
It was not looking good, but there was no way they could turn back now after so much effort. If they turned back and tried again, chances were that either the controls would be tightened or Voldemort would have moved his Horcrux in the worst case scenario. So they all (except for Travers) got on the wagon and started hurtling down the tracks between the stalactites and stalagmites. Unfortunately, after a hairpin turn, a waterfall suddenly fell on them and their wagon was thrown off course. If it weren't for Hermione's Cushioning spell, everyone would have become mush, but luckily the young witch was fast enough.
As they came to their senses, they realized that the aptly named Cascade of Thieves had lifted all the magical enchantments and camouflages in place. Gripsec, looking very tense, was talking to Bogrod, apparently to negotiate passage. The latter seemed to refuse although the two Goblins were arguing harder and harder. Finally, realizing that they were wasting precious time, Gripsec resigned himself to letting Harry cast the Imperium spell on his compatriot. The young wizard was not thrilled either; Death Eaters might enjoy the feeling of power over others, but he did not.
After casting several defensive spells to slow their pursuers, the apprentice thieves rushed into a cave where a huge dragon, blinded by the darkness of the cave, was waiting for them. Harry couldn't help but think that the treatment of the poor beast was cruel and that Hagrid would have tears in his eyes when he saw the many wounds on the creature's snout. The Tintamars allowed the group to pass without being burned, and soon Harry forced Bogrod to press his hand against the Lestrange chest.
Soon, they were all inside the trunk and the door of the trunk closed on them. They then lit up with their wands. But when Hermione accidentally came into contact with a pile of Gallions, they multiplied and she screamed in pain, her hand covered with second degree burns. Gripsec then explained to them that Gemino and Flagrance curses must have been added that would make the objects touched burn and multiply, causing the thief to die, crushed under the weight of glowing treasure- a fitting punishment for thieves, Harry mused, in a morbid way.
Trying not to touch anything, the young wizards shone the light on the objects in the chest one after the other, trying not to touch anything. Finally, it was Ron who spotted the cup at the other end of the vault, but Hermione stopped him just in time to rush to it. For the moment, they couldn't go through the vault, which was filled to the brim with gold coins and treasures of all kinds, or else they'd become an ocean of molten gold in which they would all drown. Harry then had the idea of the century to take the sword and to test his hypothesis by managing to seize a silver ewer thanks to the blade without that one multiplying. They could thus seize the cup by the interposed sword.
With their backs against the door of the vault, Harry and Hermione had paired up to levitate an anxious Edward holding the Gryffindor sword over a pile of gold that could literally kill him by burning him. Harry was managing the power of the spell and Hermione was trying to direct the young boy without him touching anything while Ron was lighting them up with his wand, his face tense. The choice had been made quickly: Ed was the smallest... er... the lightest of the group and therefore the most likely to reach the cup.
Soon, Edward was in sight of the cup and, with the help of the sword he passed through a handle, managed to grab it successfully. He then began to be dragged back by his friends until the sound of the Tintamars sounded just outside the door of the chest, causing Hermione and Harry to lose control of the spell. Edward took a short free fall into the pile of gold. Immediately, the pile began to multiply as Harry, Ron and Hermione watched helplessly and heard Edward's cries of pain. A second later, sparks flew and a pillar of steel shot out of the huge pile of gold that now threatened to engulf the group, their backs still pressed against the door of the vault.
Edward was clutching the pillar with one hand, and in the other, he held the sword with the Hufflepuff Cup handle still attached. Which was a miracle in itself. With a great leap, Edward reached the suffocating group and had time to yell at Harry to order Bogrod to open the door to the safe. Almost simultaneously, the vault door disappeared, not because Bogrod had obeyed Harry's order, but because of the Goblins who were besieging the vault. The group surged in an avalanche of glowing gold under the sharp spears of the Gringotts Goblins. Despite their suffering, the group managed to get up, but they still had to find an exit that would preferably not hurt any Goblins. Glancing at the dragon next to them, which was cowering from the noise of the Tintamars, Harry had a crazy idea that he quickly communicated to Edward. Edward considered it for a moment and then nodded- after all, it was the kind of plan he often used: create a new exit...
The young boy rushed to the rocky peaks to which the irons that held the dragon were attached and broke them down with the help of alchemy. There was no time for subtlety, and the Goblins retreated as the freed dragon began to advance. Harry helped Edward and Gripsec climb onto the back of the monstrous beast while Ron did the same for Hermione. The two boys then barely had time to grab onto the metal scales of the huge beast before it flew off, not noticing the extra weight on its back.
Edward had given his friends a better grip by transmuting old scales into harnesses and chains that had held the dragon, much to the surprise of Gripsec, who looked on in utter disbelief and awe at the kind of magic (but was it really magic?) Ed had just displayed. The goblin whispered that the prophets of Gringotts had foreseen the arrival of someone capable of manipulating the Universal Cycle without a wand, a catalyst that would turn the magical world upside down... but that he never thought it would happen in his lifetime.
But they all had better things to do than listen to the Goblin's words: Hermione was collapsing the vault above them to allow the dragon to escape, which he did, taking his stowaways with him. The young witch screamed in terror as she felt the dragon fly high above the city of London, much to the fright of the wizards, witches and Muggles who witnessed this unusual and unprecedented phenomenon. Ron was shouting the best swear words in his repertoire, Gripsec too, but in his native language. Harry, on the other hand, was trying his best to cling to the dragon's scales and Ed's metal harness. Edward, on the other hand, had closed his eyes and seemed to be praying to Merlin knew what to get out of this alive: the young boy really hated flying and wizarding transport in general, so when you combine the two... There was obviously no point in arguing at the moment, as everyone feared for their lives.
For many hours, the dragon flew over the London suburbs before flying over countryside, forests, fields... When it finally spotted a lake, it swooped down, taking away a few years of life expectancy from the group before diving, forcing its passengers to dive into the lake as well.