Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 105 - Gringotts

A few days later all our plans were finalized and we were ready to leave for Gringotts the following day. Hermione had plucked a single black hair, which we knew belonged to Bellatrix, from the sweater she had been wearing at the Malfoy's so that she could transform herself into her.

"And you'll be using her actual wand," Harry said as he handed her the walnut wand, "so I reckon you'll be pretty convincing."

Hermione reluctantly picked it up. "I hate this thing," she said in a low voice. "I really hate it. It feels all wrong, it doesn't work properly for me. . . . It's like a bit of her."

"It'll probably help you get in character, though," Ron said."Think what that wand's done!"

"But that's my point!" she said. "This is the wand that tortured Neville's mum and dad, and who knows how many other people? This is the wand that killed Sirius!"

I felt Harry stir uncomfortably beside me and caressed his arm gently.

We had told the others not to come and say goodbye, for they could not see Hermione as Bellatrix. Though I would greatly miss their company, as well as all the comforts we had enjoyed during our stay, I was eager to leave. The sooner we left, the sooner we could end all of this.

The following morning Harry, Ron and I waited for Hermione to come out of the cottage. When the door creaked open I could not help but shiver from the sight of Bellatrix, even though I knew it was really Hermione.

"She tasted disgusting, worse than Gurdyroots!" Hermione said through Bellatrix's voice. "Okay, Ron, come here so I can do you. . . ."

Ron was to be given a completely new identity to get into Gringotts while Harry, Griphook and I would hide under the Invisibility Cloak.

"There," Hermione said after a moment. "How does he look?"

Ron's hair was now wavy and long and he had a thick brown beard and mustache. He looked unrecognizable.

"Well, he's not my type, but he'll do," Harry said and I chuckled. "Shall we go, then?"

We walked away from the cottage to the point where the Fidelius Charm stopped working and we would be able to Disapparate.

"I should climb up now, Harry Potter, I think?" Griphook said.

Harry bent down to let Griphhok climb on his back. I then pulled out the cloak from my bag and threw it over the three of us.

"Perfect," Hermione said as she bent down to check our feet. "I can't see a thing. Let's go."

Harry grabbed my hand tightly and we turned on the spot. Seconds later my feet hit the hard pavement and my eyes opened on Charing Cross Road. We followed Ron and Hermione into the Leaky Cauldron, which was deserted but for Tom, the landlord.

"Madam Lestrange," he whispered as his eyes caught Hermione's.

"Good morning," she said and I grimaced.

"Good morning?" I whispered as we walked out of the inn. "Are you kidding?"

"Sorry, sorry," she said.

She drew out Bellatrix's wand and tapped a brick in the wall in front of us, which moved to form an archway to Diagon Alley.

It was eerily quiet, and there were barely any people in sight. Most shops were closed and boarded up, and Harry's face was plastered everywhere, always captioned with the words undesirable number one.

People seemed to melt away before Hermione as we walked toward Gringotts.

"Madam Lestrange!" the Goblin at the end of the hall said once we reached him. "Dear me! How — how may I help you today?"