228- You Really Didn’t Hear Anything?

"Well? Well? Did you find out where the Horcrux is?" Gemini couldn't wait any longer. The moment he saw Taurus and Pisces walking toward him, he eagerly rushed up, hoping to get an answer.

"We got it. Let's move." Taurus was in a great mood after completing the mission. He was ready to lead his companions to Gringotts in London and retrieve the Horcrux Bellatrix had hidden in her family's vault.

"So where exactly did she hide it?"

Taurus, Pisces, Aries: "…"

Realizing that he had just asked a very stupid question, Gemini wisely shut his mouth and silently moved behind Taurus.

Taurus observed him for a moment, ensuring he wasn't deliberately trying to get himself killed, before finally giving the order to depart.

The small boat drifted away from Azkaban. Other than the Dementors on the island, no one knew they had ever been there.

Before long, the four monks of the Secret Order arrived at Diagon Alley in London.

What was a bustling street during the day was now completely deserted, with only a few Christmas decorations swaying in the cold wind.

The four had a clear goal and headed straight for Gringotts, located in the heart of Diagon Alley.

Compared to the daytime, the defenses at Gringotts seemed noticeably more relaxed at night. The four of them rushed up the empty white stone steps and stopped in front of the tightly shut bronze doors.

Aries stepped forward first, drawing her wand and pressing it against the doors. A few seconds later, she shook her head. Her expression, however, showed no surprise—it would be strange if these doors weren't enchanted against unlocking spells.

But that wasn't a big problem—after all, their goal was simply to get through.

Aries drew a circle on the door with her wand, and in the next second, a hole large enough for a person to step through appeared. Through the opening, they could now see the silver door behind the bronze one.

"Bronze door, silver door... Is there going to be a gold door next?" Gemini muttered, earning laughs from his three companions.

"Impossible. Goblins aren't that extravagant." Aries glanced at the door's specifications and quickly estimated its approximate volume. If it were made of solid gold, it would require hundreds of tons of the precious metal.

As they spoke, the four of them stepped through the first door and used the same method to pass through the second.

"The goblins didn't use pure silver for this door." As they passed through the silver door, Gemini noticed something—the middle of this door was made of the same bronze as the first one; only the outermost few inches were actually silver.

"That fits my stereotype of goblins perfectly." Even the usually quiet Pisces couldn't help but comment. "Did you know? Even Galleons aren't made of pure gold. They're mixed with other metals."

"The value of a gram of gold increases once it's minted into coins—that's the secret to profiting from currency production."

Mocking the goblins' greed as they went, the group infiltrated Gringotts.

As a bank, Gringotts still had staff on duty at night. The moment Aries stepped into the main hall, she was immediately spotted by a goblin security guard.

"Who goes there—" The goblin shot up from his seat, knocking over a coffee pot in the process.

But before his hand could even reach the alarm button under the table, his head exploded— bursting like a smashed watermelon.

"The famous Gringotts, and this is their level of security? Relying on an alarm triggered by a bell? Ridiculous." Aries frowned. "I thought the alarm would have gone off the moment we broke through the door."

"They've grown complacent."

"Someone successfully infiltrated Gringotts just last year."

"That works in our favor." Taurus sidestepped the blood on the floor and walked to the center of the hall. But when he looked at the countless doors surrounding them, he was faced with a dilemma—which one led to the Lestrange vault?

He hesitated for two seconds before giving up on thinking. Instead, he simply picked the closest door and gave it a push.

The moment his hand touched the door panel, the alarm blared.

"Looks like only goblins can open these doors." Taurus smiled as if he'd just solved a math problem.

Seconds later, a commotion erupted outside the hall, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Several doors swung open, but the monks of the Order were ready—whichever door made a sound, they fired spells at it.

"Remember to leave a few alive!"

Seeing his companions striking with deadly precision, Taurus grew a little uneasy. He quickly reminded them not to forget the true purpose of this mission. At the same time, he personally selected an elderly, white-haired goblin who had just rushed out from behind a door.

Their eyes met. The goblin's gaze instantly turned dazed. Then, without hesitation, he raised the longsword in his hand and, with a backward slash, beheaded a younger goblin behind him.

Taurus's smile widened in satisfaction. He pointed toward the counter, gesturing for the old goblin to hide.

Obediently, the elderly goblin clutched the bloodstained sword and shrank beneath the counter.

With meticulous planning against unprepared foes—and given that all four were elite members of the Secret Order—the goblins on duty were swiftly eliminated. The entire marble floor of the hall was stained red with goblin blood.

A few goblins, trembling in fear, had been herded near the counter.

With a gentle smile, Taurus told them he wanted access to the Lestrange family's underground vault.

The goblins flinched, their trembling growing more violent, yet not a single one dared to speak.

Taurus's patience was wearing thin. He picked up a longsword from the floor, then grabbed the goblin furthest to the left, lifting him off the ground.

"Can you take me to the Lestrange vault?"

The goblin shut his eyes tight.

Without hesitation, Taurus slashed his head off and tossed the corpse aside. Then, he grabbed the next goblin.

"Take me to the Lestrange family's underground vault."

This time, the captured goblin gave in—but he claimed he did not have the authority to open the vault.

"What about him?" Taurus yanked out the elderly goblin who had hidden earlier.

"He does."

"Excellent." Taurus's smile finally showed genuine satisfaction.

The four monks of the Secret Order forced the two goblins—one old, one young—down into the underground vaults. The remaining prisoners? White Aries had casually disposed of them.

Seeing the wizards execute their captives so effortlessly, the young goblin turned deathly pale. He whistled to summon a small mine cart, then nervously admitted that it might not have enough space for all four wizards plus two goblins.

"We need him to open the vault—" The moment he said it, fear struck him that the wizards might consider him useless, so he quickly added, "I have to operate the cart!"

Taurus understood the goblin's cautious thinking. As usual, he ordered Gemini and Aries to stay behind, while he and Pisces ventured deeper into the vaults.

Until he had Voldemort's Horcrux in hand, he wouldn't harm this guide—he couldn't risk it. Who knew if the older goblin would cooperate? If he killed their current guide only to find that the elder refused to help, that would be a disaster.

Under the young goblin's control, the cart shot forward and picked up speed. With a deafening roar, they raced through a labyrinth of twisting tunnels, the path so complex it was impossible for a human mind to memorize.

As they descended further and further, Taurus had the eerie feeling they were heading toward the Earth's core.

Then—suddenly, around a bend, a waterfall appeared directly in their path.

"Thief's Downfall!" The goblin barely had time to shout its name before the cart plunged straight into it.

Icy water poured from above, drenching them to the bone. Water flooded into Taurus's eyes, mouth, nose—blinding him, choking him.

Worse yet— under the effect of the Thief's Downfall, the cart lurched, skidded, and overturned, sending Taurus, Pisces, and both goblins flying out.

The high-speed cart flew off the rails, crashing into the tunnel wall and shattering into pieces. With his eyes closed, Taurus instinctively cast Cushioning Charms on everyone, allowing them to drift down like feathers onto the stone floor—completely unharmed.

The young goblin scrambled to his feet as fast as he could, as if trying to make up for something, and immediately began explaining Thief's Downfall to Taurus.

"That waterfall strips away all enchantments and magical disguises. The moment the alarm sounded, someone must have activated the security defenses as well."

"Oh?" Upon hearing that all spells would be washed away, Taurus's gaze snapped to the elder goblin he had under his control.

Sure enough, the old goblin staggered to his feet, eyes filled with confusion.

Without hesitation, Taurus recast the controlling spell, seizing hold of him once more. After that, he casually dried everyone's soaked clothing with a spell.

Then his eyes landed on the young goblin.

With the cart completely destroyed, its fragments scattered who-knew-where, they would have to continue on foot.

Did this goblin know the way?

The news of their break-in had likely spread by now, and reinforcements from the bank could arrive at any moment. He had to move quickly.

"No problem, we're already near the bottom. We can walk from here—the vault isn't far."

The young goblin took the initiative, leading the way deeper into the tunnels.

But the moment they turned a corner, his expression completely changed.

There, outside one of Gringotts' deepest vaults, a massive dragon was chained to the ground.

Its eyes were a murky pink, and its scales were dull, pale, and peeling. The dragon's condition was visibly terrible—clearly, the goblins of Gringotts weren't as kind as Hagrid when it came to dragon care.

Even in its weakened state, the massive dragon still made the goblins and wizards standing before it feel suffocated.

If it unfurled its spiked wings, they would fill the entire chamber.

If it roared, the entire cavern would tremble.

If it breathed fire, every living creature in the tunnel would be reduced to ashes.

"We're doomed! We didn't bring the Clankers…" The young goblin turned pale as a sheet, his body trembling. It was unclear whether he feared dying in the dragon's maw or being punished by the wizards for his incompetence.

Taurus didn't know exactly what Clankers were, but he could guess they were used to control the dragon.

"Leave it to me. I'm an expert in emotional regulation."

Shoving the terrified goblin behind him, Taurus pulled out a crystal orb filled with emotions. As he spoke, a thin wisp of mist drifted toward the dragon's nostrils—this time, carrying the emotions of "calm" and "serenity."

He wouldn't dare make a half-mad dragon "happy" in a confined space—Merlin knew what would happen if he did.

As the dragon inhaled the carefully blended emotions, its movements gradually slowed.

It lowered itself to the ground, sinking into a deep slumber, with only occasional wisps of smoke and embers escaping its nostrils.

"Move."

At Taurus's command, they rushed to the Lestrange family vault.

Pressing the elder goblin's hand against the door, the weathered wooden entrance vanished, revealing an opening.

Inside, from floor to ceiling, the vault was packed with treasures—piles of gold coins, gilded goblets, gem-encrusted armor, exotic furs and skeletal remains, and sealed jars filled with potions.

"As expected of the Lestranges!"

Taurus and Pisces let out a simultaneous sigh of admiration.

"Most of the treasures here are enchanted with the Gemino and Flagrante curses," the young goblin warned them.

"Anything you touch will multiply and become searing hot. The copies will also be cursed."

Taurus glanced at him, then grinned widely.

"Thanks!"

Taurus and Aries began searching for Voldemort's Horcrux based on the description Bellatrix had provided.

Finally, Taurus spotted a golden cup resting on the topmost shelf, near the vault's ceiling.

Without hesitation, Taurus let Pisces climb onto his back, then used the long sword still clutched in the elder goblin's hand to knock the cup down into his grasp.

"So, how do we get back?" Pisces asked once the Horcrux was secured.

"Do we just walk along the tracks?" He frowned.

"This place is definitely enchanted against Apparition."

"Isn't it obvious?" Taurus smirked.

His gaze shifted to the dragon nearby.

With a casual flick of his wand, he disposed of the two remaining goblins.

Then, with a swift slash of his blade, he severed the chains binding the dragon's hind legs and awakened the beast from its slumber.

The cavern shook as the dragon let out a deafening roar.

And in the midst of that earth-shattering bellow,

the two wizards leaped onto its back—soaring toward the surface, Taurus's triumphant laughter echoing through the tunnels.

They had done it.

The Dark Lord's return was inevitable.

Hogwarts. Dumbledore.

We'll be seeing you soon.

Taurus tightened his grip on the golden cup, making a silent vow.

...

Meanwhile, at the Greengrass Estate…

As the mystics rampaged through Gringotts on dragon-back,

the annual Christmas banquet was reaching its peak.

Music filled the grand hall, one melody after another, as long tables overflowed with an abundance of lavish dishes.

Guests were free to dance in the ballroom or indulge in the extravagant feast.

Yet, many had no interest in either—instead, they used this festive gathering as an opportunity to strike up conversations with potential romantic partners.

Rhys belonged to the "eat first, talk later" faction.

After carefully selecting his favorite delicacies, he retreated to a quiet corner of the banquet hall, where he could enjoy his meal in peace.

Rhys noticed that Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was currently engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with Mr. Greengrass.

Standing beside them, Lucius Malfoy held a glass of champagne, appearing to be looking for an opportunity to join the discussion.

Meanwhile, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass were surrounded by a group of elegantly dressed witches, including Narcissa Malfoy.

It was obvious from Daphne's stiff smile that she was already growing weary of the conversation.

"I should've covered my scar."

A slightly tired voice spoke near Rhys's ear.

He turned to see Harry Potter settling down beside him, balancing a plate of roast beef in one hand.

"The Boy Who Lived," Rhys teased, smirking.

Harry let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head before digging into the lavish Greengrass feast alongside Rhys.

As they ate, both growing more comfortable in the festive atmosphere, Harry suddenly broke the silence.

"Rhys… that night… you really didn't hear anything?"

________

Read 12 Chapters ahead:

Patreon: HornyFBI