Death is but the Next Great Adventure

Breaking Into Gringotts & Other Terrible Ideas

In the last chapter: Harry spends a laid-back and cozy Halloween with Remus for the first Hogsmead visit and Snape fills in for Remus for the full moon and acts like a huge wanker. The twins give Harry the Marauder's Map as an early Christmas gift and Harry gives them a 'special spell' in return. Harry meets with the Dementors and gains their favor.

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The second Hogsmead trip of the term took place a week before school let out for break. This meant that the biting, vicious cold of winter had swept through the area without relent, stinging the flushed cheeks and capping exposed ears in frozen scarlet as the procession of giddy students made the trek to the small wizarding village. It also meant that students were in a hurry to escape the harsh weather and ducking their heads to protect their eyes from both the wind and the painful glare off the too-white snow. With everyone's attention averted the moment they stepped out into the deceptively sunny tundra, Harry knew that slipping away from the group would be far easier than he'd thought.

Remus, as one of the chaperones on the trip, had wanted to accompany Harry during the visit, but Harry made quick work of his prepared excuse to convince his guardian not to. Actually, it was the same excuse he used with his friends when they reached the village and everyone began to disentangle from the herd of students and moving into the shops. Harry just simply told them he hadn't been able to owl-order anyone's gifts because Hedwig was being stubborn in light of the especially cold winter that year and refused to make any trips that weren't absolutely necessary, so he needed to buy them at Hogsmead and didn't want any of them to know what he got them. It was believable enough since it was mostly true and most of the other students needed to do the same.

The benefit to waiting until the Hogsmead trip right before break was that everyone was trying so hard to sneak around those who they were buying gifts for, that no one would notice his lengthy absence. They would just think that he's very good at avoiding them. When Harry slipped away from his small group as they headed for Honeydukes, Only Anthony and Hermione acknowledged him, and even then, it was only for a moment to nod and hurry inside the crowded sweets shop.

Harry made his way purposefully towards a used bookshop on the other end of the shopping area. The shop didn't have much business considering there was another book shop in Hogsmead that sold all the latest material. Harry had heard rumors of the shop going out of business and the owner eager to sell it after it had been passed down through his father or something. Apparently, the new owner had his own career and wanted nothing to do with the sale of used books.

Testament to what he'd heard, when Harry entered the shop, it was completely void of people, even the owner was nowhere in sight. There was no bell above the door to announce his presence and he could faintly hear a radio on in a back room, going by the faint reedy notes seeping out through the cracks in the drafty shop, whoever was on staff then was preoccupied. It was perfect!

Harry made sure to peer out of the few small windows facing the street to guarantee that he wouldn't be seen. As such, few students ventured that far down the lane anyways, so the streets outside were empty.

From there, Harry quickly pulled on his invisibility cloak and apparated to Diagon Alley. Once again, Harry was fortunate with his timing, as those few who braved the cold did not linger in the streets and his invisible journey to Gringotts was a smooth one.

The Horcrux that he was going after this time was yet another founder's item; Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. Ironically—or perhaps unfortunately—the cup had been entrusted with Bellatrix Lestrange, the very same witch out for his head. According to his companion, the cup was in the main Lestrange vault at Gringotts and he had to break in to steal it.