Chapter XXIX {Breaking Through the Floorboard}

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as we find our feet the dragon roars and spits fire, illuminating the tunnel. shadows approach, stretching over the tunnel walls: Gringotts Goblins and Guards

"Griphook! Griphook!" Harry yells

but Griphook merely looks back, grins madly and, sword in hand, rushes to join the approaching throng. 

"thieves! help! thieves!" Griphook shouts

"foul little git. least we've got Bogrod." Ron says

the dragon spits again, reducing Bogrod to dust.

"that's unfortunate." Ron says

"we can't just stand here! who's got an idea?" i shout

"Hermione?" Ron asks

"i've got something. but its mad!" Hermione says

i eye the approaching throng and turn back to Hermione with looks of mild panic. steeling herself, she raises her wand.

"relashio" Hermione says

the iron cuffs on the dragon snap free.

"that's your idea?" i yell

"come on!" Hermione yells back

Harry fires stunning spells toward the goblins as he pelts toward the dragon and flings himself on his neck. Hermione, Ron and i jump on behind. the dragon doesnt move.

"it doesnt realize its free!" i say

"Leviosa! Aivatus! Ex Cappa!" Hermione yells trying out spells

nothing. Ron and i look at each other and then--as if reading each other's mind--raise our wands high, and as one, jab the dragon with the tip of our wands. it roars, rears, and soars into the air. as it caroms of the sides of the tunnel and scrapes the ceiling, we duck, watching the goblins scatter like skittles and dust and debris rain down. i look back, and see the dragon's spiked tail thrashing, the tunnel caving.

the little ball of light at the very top of the tunnel begins growing bigger...lots bigger. 

"what do we do?" i yell, wind bustling through my hair

"hold on tight!" Harry yells just as we burst through the ball of light

the ball of light ended up behind the Hall of Gringotts. pillars spill, goblins dive for cover. 

the grand facade of Gringotts disintegrates as the dragon penetrates, wheels upward and beats toward the sky.

the dragon soars over London, shedding scales and debris as the cool breeze bathed our blistered skin. 

"that was brilliant! brilliant!" Ron bellows with delight

Ron looks down and realizes he's on a dragon, several hundred feet in the air. he goes a bit green. "bloody hell."


the sun has dropped. below, the dragon's giant shadow passes over patches of brown and green.

i shiver as i cling to the dragon. Harry slides a few inches. he peers up past the dragon's head.

"we're dropping!" Harry yells

the dragon circles lower and lower. a lake shimmers.

"i say we jump!" Ron says

"when?" i ask

"now!" Harry yells

i let my hands slip from the rough skin of the dragon and i fall. it felt like i was falling for miles. we drop like stones into the clear black water. 

i bob to the surface and watch the dragon, fifty feet up, swoop down, slurp up some water and fly on. seconds later Ron, Harry, and Hermione break the surface.


we crash through the water to the shore.

"he knows." Harry says out of breath

the three of us, dripping wet, stare at him. his chest heaves from the swim to shore. 

"you-know-who. he knows we broke into Gringotts. he knows what we took. he knows we're hunting Horcrux's." Harry says vastly

"how did you-" i begin

"i saw him." Harry interrupts

"you let him in! Harry, you can't-" Hermione begins

"i can't always help it, Hermione!" Harry says frowning. "maybe i can. i don't know." 

"never mind! what did you see?" Ron asks

"he's angry. but he's scared too. he's going to make sure the other Horcruxes are safe." Harry says

"what happens when he finds out four are gone?" i ask

"i reckon he'll do anything to stop us from finding the rest. there's more...one of them's at Hogwarts." Harry says

"what?" Hermione, Ron and i say simultaneously

"you saw it?" Hermione asks again

"i saw the castle. and Rowena Ravenclaw. i think it must have something to with her. we have to go there, now." Harry says

"tonight?" i ask

before Harry can answer Hermione butts in, "but we have to plan. we have to figure out what-"

"-honestly, Hermione, when have any of our plans actually worked? we plan, we get there and all hell breaks loose." Harry says

"'fraid he's right." Ron says "one problem: Snape's headmaster now. we can't just walk in the front door." 

"we'll go to Hogsmeade. to Honeydukes. take the secret passage in the cellar." Harry looks off then, over the lake, in the direction the dragon flew. "there's something wrong with him. in the past, i could always follow his thoughts. now everything feels disconnected."

"maybe its because of the Horcruxes." i suggest "maybe he's growing weaker. maybe he's dying."

"no. its more like he's wounded. if anything, he feels more dangerous." Harry says


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