Gringotts.
"Did you hear from him? He's back, that Lanlock."
The goblins chattered idly, tallying accounts.
"I know, I saw him myself. Truly unbelievable, that madman!"
One goblin slammed a fist on the table, visibly shaken. "He actually wanted us to follow him, to overthrow the wizards?!"
"Ha! What a joke. While some of his points weren't entirely wrong, who does he think he is? Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, or Tom Riddle/Voldemort?"
"He wouldn't stand a chance! With the magic he had back then, I could have swatted him twice!" (An exaggeration, of course; Lanlock was quite powerful among goblins.)
An older goblin set down his quill, scoffing. "What? You believe his nonsense?"
The other goblins fell silent.
Regardless of their words, deep down they shared Lanlock's desire to overthrow the wizards and seize control!
But unlike the goblins openly clamoring to follow Lanlock, they were rational enough to realize it would be digging their own graves.
Even those tempted by the idea of "overthrowing wizarding rule" kept quiet.
"What a joke?!"
"How could we believe that guy's nonsense?! He's a traitor to the goblins!"
"That's right! We goblins are perfectly law-abiding citizens!"
Afraid their true motives would be discovered, the goblins spouted irrelevant nonsense, each fully aware of the reality.
Fortunately, a senior goblin swiftly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, the bank manager's been acting rather strange lately."
"I wonder what's gotten into him."
A younger goblin blurted out, "He's openly supporting Lanlock?!"
"Hey! Watch your mouth, kid!"
His colleague quickly covered his mouth. "You want to end up sleeping with a dragon, too?!"
The deepest vault in Gringotts was guarded by a Ukrainian Ironbelly, a massive adult dragon!
A goblin who offended the bank manager had previously been transferred to work alongside the Ukrainian Ironbelly, never to be seen again.
Perhaps he adjusted, perhaps he resigned, or perhaps, at the bank manager's behest, the dragon ate him?
Such matters were beyond their concern, and they preferred it that way.
Whatever the case, never offend your boss—a universal truth in both the wizarding and Muggle worlds.
As the goblins chattered, the doors of Gringotts swung open.
A pleasant humming and light footsteps reached the goblins' ears.
They looked up to see a woman in a long black dress with flowing black curly hair, entering as if in a rapturous dream.
But the goblins noticed something far more concerning...
Bellatrix Lestrange?!
They recognized her instantly—a staunch ally of Voldemort, a senior Death Eater!
What was she doing here?
For money?
Or had the Death Eaters finally breached Gringotts?!
Potions!!! My Galleons!
Do the Death Eaters accept surrender?
They never said goblins couldn't join the Death Eaters, right?
...
The goblins' minds raced, none considering resistance. They were greedy, yes, but not stupid, and far more afraid of death.
If they weren't afraid of death, they would have joined Lanlock without hesitation.
"Ahem…"
Fortunately, a more seasoned goblin quickly regained composure. "Welcome, Miss Lestrange. Do you wish to access your vault? Gringotts is honored to serve you."
"…"
Bellatrix's smile vanished, replaced by disgust. "Disgusting, ugly creature."
"…"
Hiss... well, you're the boss.
Goblins were naturally shameless. "Then, please inform me of your needs?"
The elderly goblin not only endured the insult but did so expressionlessly.
"The vault! Enough stalling! Don't waste Tom's time!"
For a fanatic like Bellatrix, creatures fell into two categories: Tom Riddle and everyone else.
Her personality was utterly vile when dealing with anyone else.
"If Tom Riddle waits any longer," Bellatrix's wand appeared almost imperceptibly, "I'll burn Gringotts to the ground."
"…"
A thug!
That was the consensus among the goblins.
These greedy creatures valued their lives, fearing nothing more than those who did not, or those who were willing to die.
"No problem, madam!"
The elderly goblin's speech quickened. "We'll arrange for someone to escort you to your vault immediately."
"No! I don't want to waste time waiting for you to find someone! Take me there!"
Bellatrix raised her wand, pointing it at the elderly goblin. "Now! Immediately!"
"Okay! No problem!"
The elderly goblin raised his hands, trembling slightly. "Madam, please calm yourself."
"…"
Bellatrix remained silent, wand trained on the goblin, watching as he climbed down from his overly tall chair.
"Please follow me. We'll take a minecart to your vault."
The elderly goblin led the way, afraid to look back lest he meet a flash of green light.
"Hurry!"
Seeing the goblin shuffling ahead, his short legs moving as fast as they could, Bellatrix impatiently kicked him.
The elderly goblin shuddered, then broke into a run.
This significantly shortened the journey to the vault.
They arrived, deep underground, in a specially made minecart.
"Hurry!"
Seeing the goblin's trembling hand barely able to hold the key, Bellatrix snatched it. "Never mind! I'll do it myself!"
Bellatrix inserted the key into the vault door.
With a resounding boom, the vault door opened, revealing a mountain of Galleons!
But Bellatrix ignored the gold; her gaze locked onto a golden cup beside the treasure!
It was a trophy-like cup of pure gold, intricately crafted with handles on each side and a hexagonal base, its design both exquisite and classic.
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