𝑈𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 ☾ 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦

Into the Fire ☾ 7-14

As we stepped into Gringotts and the click of Hermione's shoes echoed across the walls, I felt all eyes turn to us. I saw more than a few questioning looks at Bellatrix being accompanied by a house elf, and I looked up to her, knowing she noticed the same thing. She looked down at me, faking distain before giving me a sharp kick, sending me across the floor. I exaggerated the distance a bit, using magic to propel me further than her gentle kick would have allowed. Her eyes widened a bit but I sent her a wink as I knelt on the floor.

"Don't make eye contact with me, beastly cretin." She hissed. I bowed sheepishly and pressed my hands together.

"Yes, Mistress, apologies. Please forgive Beesy." I said, using a house-elf voice and picking a random name. She scowled at me and stepped up to the goblin's podium. Everyone knew that any of Voldemort's followers had no taste for any beasts or beings other than wizards. The goblin working was scrawling quickly with his quill, and hadn't looked up.

"I wish to enter my vault." Hermione snapped, doing her best Bellatrix impression.

"Identification?" The goblin said slowly, without looking up.

"I hardly think that'll be necessary." She replied. The goblin glanced up and his eyes widened at the sight of Bellatrix.

"Madam Lestrange." He said by way of greeting.

"I don't like to be kept waiting." Hermione snapped.

"They know. They know she's an imposter." Griphook whispered from under the cloak as the goblin stepped down from the podium. "They've been warned." I glanced nervously around the room at the other goblins as they stared at us. It wouldn't be out of character for the house-elf I was posing as, but my anxiety was very real. The guard from the front began to step down the long hallway toward us. Oh no.

"What do we do, Harry?" Ron whispered nervously. Another goblin stepped up the podium.

"Madam Lestrange, would you mind presenting your wand?" He asked politely. The glasses on his large nose were almost sliding off the end.

"And why should I do that?" She asked.

"It's the bank's policy." The goblin argued. "I'm sure you understand, given the current climate." House-elf's ears are quite large, and useful, I gathered, as I could hear Harry step around the side of the podium.

"No, I most certainly do not understand." Hermione replied.

"I'm afraid I must insist." Just in time, I heard Harry whisper an incantation into the goblin's ear. "Very well, Madam Lestrange. If you will follow me." He smiled dreamily and stepped down, suddenly eager to assist. We followed him to the railway, and he ushered us inside the cart as it whisked down deep into the cavernous basement of Gringotts. Griphook's face was stone-set as he drove us expertly to Bellatrix's vault.

"What is that, Griphook?" Harry called, looking over a waterfall below us. Griphook started to pull the brakes, but at this point, they wouldn't budge. "Griphook!"

The sound of the waterfall deep in the cavern grew louder and louder until it quickly passed over us. I felt the magic being stripped away, even from me. We were all soaked, and the cart screeched to a stop. A lamp extended itself from the front of the cart and started blaring a loud alarm.

Before I could get a handle on anything, the seats fell from beneath us and we tumbled down into the ravine. I suppose their security system was fairly foolproof. My stomach lodged itself in my throat as we careened toward the cavern floor. It loomed beneath us, and Hermione whipped out her wand just in time.

"Arresto Momentum!" She yelled, causing us to hover over the ground for a second before slamming down. I let out a groan before I realized we were back to our normal selves. Ron and Draco's disguise jinx had faded, as did Hermione's polyjuice. I felt sick, which told me that waterfall was powerful enough to even strip the metamorphmagus disguise from me.