When two worlds collide.

The Vault.

Third person p.o.v*

Fred appears first, trailed by Alex and George, and finds Bogrod standing placidly by himself. As George and Alex hang back, Fred moves forward slowly, squinting. Something massive shifts heavily. Chains clink. They look at a giant green dragon tethered to the ground, bars access to a deep vault. Its scales are pale and flaky, its eyes milky.

"Bloody hell..That's a green welsh.." Fred's eyes widen.

"It looks like it's been down here forever.." Alex mumbles.

Hinges squeal loudly and they jump, watching Griphook in the shadows take something from a wooden box on the wall. An odd looking metal instrument. As he steps into the light, he tosses it to Alex. She glances from it to Griphook, sees him eyeing her with a strange intensity.

"Go on!" Griphook groans. 

She looks unsure. Then gives it a shake. A shrill ringing echoes off the rocky passage, eerie and unpleasant. The dragon rears back instantly, howling in fear, then, as the ringing subsides, settles. Fred nods knowingly.

"It's been trained to expect pain when it hears the noise.." Fred sighs.

Alex's eyes flash to Fred, then to the scars on the dragon's face and neck.

"That's barbaric." George mutters.

Alex hands the instrument back, horrified. Griphook takes it, unmoved. "We'll only have a few seconds. In other words... they'll be no doovers. Understood?"

The trio eye the dragon then nod.

"Ready, Bogrod? Hm?" Griphook looks at Bogrod.

"Oh...Yes. Of course!" Bogrod holds up his hand and waggles it. Griphook nods as he eyes the dragon. Its eyes glimmer angrily. Griphook raises the instrument...and shakes it. The cacophony is murderous. Fred, Alex and George grimace. The dragon roars hoarsely, then slowly retreats. Bogrod strides forth, blissfully ignoring the dragon's bobbing head and presses his hand to the vault's door as it melts.

All rush inside. In the ensuing silence, the dragon spits fire... just as the vault re-seals itself and all goes dark.

"Lumos!" A trio of wandtips bloom and illuminate a huge vault swimming in glittering treasure and eerie artifacts.

"Blimey..." Fred inhales sharply.

"Look!" George crosses to what appears to be the Sword of Gryffindor. "No wonder Bellatrix thought it was real.."

Alex pays no attention, having drifted away from the others, playing his wand light over the glittering walls. The others notice and go silent, watching. Griphook eyes Alex with particular curiosity. Finally, Fred speaks:

"Is it here, Alex? Can you feel anything?"

Alex doesn't respond, her wand light continuing to travel over the small treasures above. Gradually, a hum rises in her ears and she closes her eyes. As George watches, transfixed, his arm which dangles nary a quarter inch from the lip of a silver bowl perched on the edge of the table beside him. The hum in Alex's ears grows louder and her wand hand begins to twitch. The beam of light trembles over the objects nestled nearest the ceiling, then settles on an ancient cup, bearing the hufflepuff crest. Alex's scar contracts. She opens her eyes. The skin of Georges wrist brushes the lip of the bowl. Alex stares at the ancient cup above, glimmering dully in the light of her wand when George yelps. As the others turn, they see him retract his hand, as if stung, sending the silver bowl tumbling to the floor. He holds up his wrist which displays a red welt.

"It's hot!" He groans.

All eyes turn to the bowl, wobbling madly on the floor, when... it splits apart and begins to multiply.

"They've added Gemino and Flagrante Curses! Everything you touch will burn and multiply!" Griphook exclaims.

The multiplying bowls skitter across the floor and flip into the air. As one caroms off Fred shoes, it bursts into twenty more.

"Fred your foot! It's smoking!" George snaps.

As Fred stamps the ground, Alex pivots, tipping a towering stack of galleons to the floor where they multiply like cockroaches. Instantly, the room is a riot of multiplying white-hot metal.

"We'll be crushed! Hurry!" Griphook states.

Alex points her wand once again at the small cup near the ceiling.

"Up there! That's it!" Alex yells.

"How're we going to reach it?" Fred questions.

"Give me the sword! The real one!" Alex looks at him.

George takes it form Griphook and tosses it to Alex, who catches it by the hilt. Griphook's eyes glitter greedily at the sight of it. Instantly, Alex begins to scale the multiplying mountain of objects, climbing towards the cup. As the sizzling surface shifts beneath her feet she moves upward, beads of sweat trailing over her forehead. Suddenly, halfway up, she slips and instinctively, to keep from falling, she reaches out and plants the flesh of her palm against the shifting slope. Instantly, objects explode forth, multiplying crazily and cascading down onto George, Fred and Griphook in a small avalanche.

"Keep going!" Fred yells.

Alex climbs faster, the sound deafening as objects clang off one another, until, finally, she stops just shy of the ceiling. Reaching out, she extends her arm, further, then further still...and slips the sword's tip through the cup's handle. As it shimmies down the blade, a scream arises.

Alex looks down, sees a terrified Bogrod pinned against the door, watching as Griphook sinks beneath the rising tide. George dashes forward and grabs Griphook's fingers as he's about to go under and yanks the blistered Goblin free.

"ALEX! Behind you!" Fred's eyes widen.

Alex turns and sees the swelling mountain has reached the ceiling and with nowhere else to go is about to spill itself down upon her. Turning back, Alex leaps. She plummets, feet first, soaring through the air, then crashes down on the swelling treasure. The sword and the cup fly free.

"The cup!" George exclaims.

Alex dives into the scalding treasure, hand outstretched, and catches it. Instantly, dozens of Hufflepuff Cups burst from her fist, but she holds tight to the original, grimacing in pain.

"Pass it here!" George holds his hands out.

Alex throws it to George as she gets up. As they turn for the door, they stop. Griphook holds the sword, the real sword, in his hands, turning the blade in the light.

"We have a deal, Griphook!" Alex growls, looking directly at him.

Griphook looks up. A kind of madness burns in his eyes. "I said I'd get you in. I never said anything about getting you out!" He grins.

Pivoting swiftly, he slams bogard's hand to the door and as it melts, Fred, George and Alex ride an avalanche of silver and gold into the outer chamber.

"That freak!" Alex groans.

. . .