Ternion || Oliver Wood

Chapter 134

The Breaking in at Gringotts

The next day, we went to Gringotts as planned. Hermione was now disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange using strands of her jet black hair that we got from the clothes that Hermione and I were wearing that day on the Malfoy Manor. I also modified Ron's appearance, giving him a beard and changing his hair color.

We managed to get to Gringotts Bank as planned, although we encountered some difficulties and distractions along the way, including Travers who was a Death Eater.

Harry and Griphook were under the Invisibility Cloak while I was using my Invisibility spell that was now stronger. I couldn't see them, but I could see what Harry was doing through the use of Legilimency.

The long counter was manned by goblins sitting on high stools, serving the first customers of the day. Hermione and Ron headed towards an old goblin who was examining a thick gold coin through an eyeglass. Hermione allowed Travers to step ahead of her on the pretext of explaining features of the hall to Ron.

The goblin tossed the coin he was holding aside, said to nobody in particular, "Leprechaun," and then greeted Travers, who passed over a tiny golden key, which was examined and given back to him.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Madam Lestrange!" said the goblin, evidently startled. "Dear me! How — how may I help you today?"

"I wish to enter my vault," uttered Hermione as she was disguised as my aunt Bellatrix.

The old goblin seemed to recoil a little. Harry glanced around. Not only was Travers hanging back, watching, but several other goblins had looked up from their work to stare at Hermione.

"You have...identification?" asked the goblin.

"Identification? I — I have never been asked for identification before!" said Hermione, impersonating the aura of my aunt.

"They know!" I heard Griphook whisper in Harry's ear. "They must have been warned there might be an impostor!"

"Your wand will go, madam," said the goblin. He held out a slightly trembling hand, and in a dreadful blast of realization I knew that the goblins of Gringotts were aware that Bellatrix's wand had been stolen.

"Act now, act now," whispered Griphook, "the Imperius Curse!"

My eyes widened at what the goblin had said. Harry raised the hawthorn wand beneath the cloak, pointed it at the old goblin.

I tried to communicate through his head but he wasn't hearing me out for he was focused on the old goblin in front of him.

He's not really doing it right? Or is he....

"Imperio!"

I gasped in awe, he really did it.

The goblin took Bellatrix's wand, examined it closely, and then said, "Ah, you have had a new wand made, Madam Lestrange!"

"What?" said Hermione. "No, no, that's mine —"

"A new wand?" said Travers, approaching the counter again; still the goblins all around were watching. "But how could you have done that, which wandmaker did you use?"

Harry once again raised his wand, pointing it at Travers, he muttered, "Imperio!" once more.

"Oh yes, I see," said Travers, looking down at Bellatrix's wand, "yes, very handsome. And is it working well? I always think wands require a little breaking in, don't you?"