In Perpetuum

Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Bullis fuerunt

If it were even possible, Hermione left Gringotts with even more fear in her heart than when she had arrived.

Innumerable questions filled her head so much so that she barely remembered the journey back to Hogwarts.

Hermione lifted the Imperius curse on the goblin just as she and Dumbledore were exiting the doors of the bank. It allowed them to leave without causing too much of a fuss. As they had not been detected by any of the protective enchantments, there had been no  kerfuffle to clean up.

For the second time in her life, Hermione had broken into Gringotts. Not only had she broken in twice, she had done so successfully and without consequence.

However, in her own mind, Hermione had achieved very little. Hufflepuff’s cup was still out there as a horcrux. She would not feel safe in her bed at night until it was destroyed, once and for all.

When the pair had apparated back to the Headmaster’s study in Hogwarts, Hermione did not retreat to her dormitory. Without waiting to be invited, she dropped herself down into the nearest chair, brooding on her thoughts.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Dumbledore did the same. It was a long time before either of them spoke.

After what felt like a million years, Hermione could not suppress her questions any longer, and she spewed forth a great deal of her dread and apprehension.

Why is the Cup not there?

What if we can’t find it?

Where are all the places that it could be?

Has it been created yet?

Has it been destroyed yet?

If Harry were here, would he be able to feel it and then find it?

“WHAT IF WE CAN’T FIND IT?” she finally yelled out at the end.

“Miss Potter, we will find it. Do you know of any places that the Cup or Tim Riddle could be connected to? Any place at all?”

He spoke with such vehemence that Hermione prompted her mind to move into areas of her memory that she did not even know existed before today. She thought for several minutes, in silence, running a list of potential places in her head.

“The Gringotts vault of Hepzibah Smith, she owned the Cup before Tom Riddle did. But she is already dead, so we know that the Cup is definitely a horcrux.”

Dumbledore made a mental note of the list as she progressed.

“The Black family vaults at Gringotts. If Bellatrix is or was in the possession of the Cup, it could still be with her family’s possessions.”

With a jolt Hermione remembered something that Harry had once told her. It would be a long shot, and difficult to track, but it was a possibility

“Borgin and Burke, from Knockturn Alley. They were willing to buy the Cup before Tom Riddle got to Hepzibah Smith....those are all the places that I can think of.”

Dumbledore nodded, and once mores slumped back into his chair, appearing as though he was thoroughly depleted of energy.

Hermione wondered what she looked like. It could not be good after the madness of today – the waterfall, the charms and the Gringotts carts.

It also struck her at that moment that she was very hungry. It had been quite an amount of time since she had last eaten.

Hermione had not needed to deal with real hunger for some time, courtesy of Hogwarts kitchens and Ma P, however, she could acutely remember what it felt like to be cold, ravenously hungry and alone. She remembered how helpless and exposed she felt when she could not even ensure the basic necessities for life. If everything went to plan, Harry and Ron and all her friends would be born in just a few more years, and she would make sure that they would never want for anything.