Emma Potter; Going to War

116: Gringotts [Pt.2]

"Identification? I — I have never been asked for identification before!" said Hermione. 

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

 "Your wand will do, 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 in Harry's ear, "the Imperius Curse!"

Harry raised my wand beneath the cloak, pointed it at the old goblin, and whispered, for the first time in his life, "Imperio!" 

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, which wandmaker did you use?"

 I acted without thinking: Pointing my wand at Travers, I muttered, "Imperio!" 

 "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?"

 Hermione looked utterly bewildered, but to my enormous relief, she accepted the bizarre turn of events without comment. The old goblin behind the counter clapped his hands and a younger goblin approached. 

 "I shall need the Clankers," he told the goblin, who dashed away and returned a moment later with a leather bag that seemed to be full of jangling metal, which he handed to his senior. 

"Good, good! So, if you will follow me, Madam Lestrange," said the old goblin, hopping down off his stool and vanishing from sight, "I shall take you to your vault."

 He appeared around the end of the counter, jogging happily toward them, the contents of the leather bag still jingling. Travers was now standing quite still with his mouth hanging wide open. Ron was drawing attention to this odd phenomenon by regarding Travers with confusion. 

 "Wait for — Bogrod!" Another goblin came scurrying around the counter. "We have instructions," he said with a bow to Hermione. "Forgive me, Madam, but there have been special orders regarding the vault of Lestrange." He whispered urgently in Bogrod's ear, but the Imperiused goblin shook him off.

 "I am aware of the instructions. Madam Lestrange wishes to visit her vault. . . . Very old family . . . old clients . . . This way, please . . ."

 And, still clanking, he hurried toward one of the many doors leading off the hall. I looked back at Travers, who was still rooted to the spot looking abnormally vacant, and made my decision: With a flick of my wand I made Travers come with them, walking meekly in our wake as they reached the door and passed into the rough stone passageway beyond, which was lit with flaming torches. 

 "We're in trouble; they suspect," said Harry as the door slammed behind us and I pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. Griphook jumped down from Harry's shoulders; neither Travers nor Bogard showed the slightest surprise at the sudden appearance of Harry and Emma  Potter in their midst. 

"They're Imperiused," he added, in response to Hermione and Ron's confused queries about Travers and Bogrod, who were both now standing there looking blank. "I don't think I did it strongly enough, I don't know. . . ."

 And another memory darted through my mind, of the real Bellatrix Lestrange shrieking at him when I had first tried to use an Unforgivable Curse: "You need to mean them, Potter!"