HP - Shadow Monarch! [BOOK 1]

Chapter 137 - The Sword.

[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]

Third Person POV

London.

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Severus entered Gringotts Bank at that moment. Today was a holiday, and it seemed that wizards followed the Muggle custom as well. He noticed not only the bank was nearly empty, but even Diagon Alley had only a few people strolling here and there, with none of the shops open.

Inside the bank, he saw only a common wizard arguing about something with a goblin in a corner. The goblin listened to the wizard's complaints but looked at the man as if he were an idiot.

Another goblin sat on the grand elevated chair, as always, analyzing his ledger with a tedious expression. His gaze eventually landed on Snape. Recognizing him, the goblin quickly stood up and pressed a button to summon a manager.

"Mr. Snape, welcome to Gringotts. We are pleased to finally see you. The manager will attend to you shortly," the goblin said.

Snape nodded and waited. It was then that a door opened, revealing the goblin in a suit, none other than the manager, approaching him with a somewhat cautious demeanor, more so than usual. Snape had received a letter a few days ago informing him that the sword was being crafted, so he came to see it.

"Mr. Snape, it's an honor to have you here again. You've arrived just in time to discuss our endeavor. Please, follow me. I'll take you to it," the manager said.

Snape nodded once more and followed him. However, instead of being led to the room where he usually had meetings with the manager, he was guided through a corridor leading to the tunnels beneath Gringotts. Their pace was calm, with the manager trying to match Severus's stride.

"As you can see, we will be heading to the deeper areas of the bank. I hope that doesn't trouble you. After all, we want to show you our progress," the manager explained.

"That's fine. Let's proceed," Snape replied.

They arrived at a cart waiting for them on the tracks. Snape stepped in and sat on one of the benches, observing as the manager also settled in.

"We've been working hard to reclaim our ancient skills. A few weeks ago, we reached a satisfactory level, and since then, we've been producing goblin metal successfully," the manager commented.

Snape nodded, maintaining his serious demeanor. "I appreciate the effort. I'm curious to see how things are progressing," he said.

The next moment, the belts were fastened, and the cart began to move. The mechanism was peculiar, descending through the tunnels while keeping the platform balanced. The axis, however, twisted in various ways, with the tracks curving and even looping. Despite the non-linear movements, both Snape and the manager remained steady and composed.

Snape showed no emotion during the ride; it was trivial to him. The manager, on the other hand, seemed accustomed to it. The journey was smooth, passing through paths and stops indicating vaults, but the cart didn't slow down until they finally reached a point where red lights gleamed as if entering a volcano. The heat began to rise, and the cart eventually stopped at Gringotts' deepest point, where even lava was visible—this was the bank's final depth.

"We've arrived. Please follow me, Mr. Snape," the manager requested.

Severus nodded and stepped out of the cart, following down the corridor. Goblins were positioned along the path, mostly guards, who greeted the manager. However, many cast cautious glances at Snape.