Chapter 1329: A Transaction with Hidden Motives
Chapter 1329: A Transaction with Hidden Motives
"That should just about do it!"
Albert lowered his wand, glanced down at the Dark Wizard he had just stunned, and then checked his Marauder's Map to ensure no one else was nearby. With that done, he made his way up the stairs and out of the building, heading towards the safe house a hundred meters away.
Albert rarely visited the safe houses.
If he could help it, he wouldn't bother coming to these places and dealing with the cowards who hid there. It was pointless, and he despised listening to their complaints and ingratitude.
However, in order to destroy the last Horcrux, Albert had no choice but to pay a visit and meet with the two goblins who had once worked for Gringotts, now hiding in this safe house.
After Bellatrix was thrown into St. Mungo's, he wasn't sure if Voldemort would transfer the Hufflepuff Cup from the Lestranges' vault in Gringotts.
Although the possibility was low, he had to be cautious.
Especially now that the last of the Lestrange line had died out, would their inheritance pass on to another branch of the family?
There were indeed other branches of the Lestrange family, but they didn't bear the Lestrange name.
Albert wasn't sure if they had inheritance rights, but to prevent the Hufflepuff Cup from disappearing right under his nose, he felt he should take some precautions to avoid any last-minute surprises.
It wasn't that Albert didn't trust Harry Potter, the protagonist, but Voldemort's death was crucial to the peace of the British wizarding world, and it also affected his interests and future plans.
If they failed to destroy all the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort once and for all, things would become very troublesome.
After all, he wasn't alone anymore.
The thought of an enemy lurking in the shadows was terrifying, and it would make Albert restless. So, he would not allow any deviations in the plan to kill Voldemort.
All the Horcruxes must be destroyed, and Voldemort must die.
And to destroy the Horcruxes, he needed to break into the Lestranges' vault to find the Hufflepuff Cup. The location of their vault was best known by the goblins who worked for Gringotts.
He needed the goblins' help, or at least a meeting with them.
Of course, Albert wasn't foolish enough to walk into the safe house openly, as that would be too conspicuous and might alert any Death Eater spies within.
Albert wasn't sure if there were any Death Eater informants in this particular safe house, but considering that he had placed spies around Voldemort, he believed the Death Eaters would try to do the same.
It wouldn't be difficult to plant a spy in this chaotic safe house, such as by using the Imperius Curse on some unfortunate Muggle-born wizard.
As he approached the safe house, a dilapidated high-rise building appeared out of thin air.
As soon as Albert stepped into the lobby, a mix of strange and putrid odors assaulted his senses, causing him to lift his hand to cover his nose and mouth.
The conditions in the safe house were indeed terrible.
To be honest, this wasn't too surprising.
With Dark Wizards guarding the entrance, these refugees had no choice but to eat, sleep, and do everything else in this decrepit place. It would have been a miracle if the environment had been decent.
Albert merely sighed inwardly and chose not to dwell on it any further, as it wasn't his place to deal with it.
In fact, even if he wanted to help, he couldn't. Otherwise, the Order of the Phoenix would have united them by now, just like they had done with the students in another safe house.
Hannah and her companions had managed that safe house efficiently, and most students, except for a handful of stubborn ones, had joined Dumbledore's Army.
As for this place?
While the Order of the Phoenix had indeed united a small number of wizards, they merely paid lip service to supporting Harry. In truth, they only wanted to find a safe place to hide until the war was over.
Albert didn't know who had spread the "rumor" that the Second Wizarding War wouldn't last long and that Harry Potter would undoubtedly win, but for Muggle-born wizards trying to escape reality, it was something they were willing to believe because they had no other choice.
Weaving through the noisy floors, tuning out the complaints and curses, Albert made his way up to the eleventh floor of the building.
As he walked down the corridor, several wizards playing Wizard's Chess to pass the time glanced at him with curious eyes.
Albert paid them no mind and headed straight for the room at the end of the hallway, where the two goblins were temporarily staying.
As he neared the room, Albert felt his ears fill with an indistinct buzzing sound, indicating that someone was using the Muffliato spell to prevent eavesdropping.
It wasn't hard to guess who might be using such a spell in this place.
Albert tapped his ear lightly with his hand to dispel the annoying buzzing sound, then drew his wand and cast a spell on the surrounding corridor to ensure no one would come close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Some things were better kept from too many ears.
Albert reached the room with the missing door and knocked lightly on the wall a few times as a courtesy.
However, the occupants of the room seemed to have already sensed his presence and turned to look at him.
"Good afternoon, Harry," Albert said, his eyes scanning the room's occupants—a human and two goblins. His gaze fell on Harry, who was disguised as Lupin, and he added with a calm tone, "Your getup is certainly... unique."
"Who are you?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with shock at the stranger before him.
"Who do you think I am?" A smile played at the corners of Albert's mouth as he asked, "Albert?"
If Harry could disguise himself as Lupin, then surely others could do the same.
"It seems we have the same goal in mind," Albert nodded at Harry, then turned his attention to the goblin who was warily scrutinizing him and communicating with his companion in the harsh, grating language of goblins. Albert offered them a smile to indicate he meant no harm.
"How did you recognize me?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"The Muffliato spell gave away Lupin's disguise, and your identity wasn't exactly difficult to guess, was it?" Albert explained casually. "Just as you saw through my disguise without difficulty."
"Well, the only person who could recognize me at a glance is probably you." Harry muttered.
"So, did you convince them?"
Albert waved his wand, conjuring a small stool, and sat down opposite the two goblins.
"We remain neutral in this matter. This is a wizard's war," the older goblin stated to Albert.
"Yes, it is a wizard's war," Albert replied noncommittally, "but aren't you already entangled in this conflict with no easy way out? Otherwise, you wouldn't be hiding here under my protection."
"Your protection?"
The older goblin with the gruff voice looked at Albert with a mix of surprise and confusion, seemingly unable to understand what he meant.
"This place is relatively safe, isn't it?"
Albert raised his hand to silence Harry, then continued, "I believe you wouldn't mind providing some insignificant help in exchange for my protection. Mutual benefit is the key to maintaining our relationship."
"What do you want from us?" The younger goblin asked eagerly.
"I want to know about the Lestrange vault," Albert stated his intention directly.
"So, you're all planning to rob the Lestrange vault?"
The goblins exchanged glances, unsure why the Lestrange vault had attracted their interest.
"Yes."
"You won't be able to take away any wealth that doesn't rightfully belong to you from our underground vaults." Gonuk said angrily.
"We're not planning to rob the vault. We just want to retrieve an item that doesn't belong to the Lestranges," Harry tried to explain to the goblins.
"That's still robbery."
The goblins found Harry's reasoning ridiculous.
"The control of Gringotts no longer solely rests with the goblins, doesn't it?" Albert reminded them amicably, "If you're unwilling to side with the Dark Lord and surrender control of Gringotts, your situation won't be much better than these Muggle-born wizards here. Your current predicament speaks for itself, doesn't it?"
"He's right, Gonuk. I will never acknowledge a wizard as my master." The other goblin looked at Albert and said, "Although I want to help you, I haven't been to that particular Lestrange vault. Fortunately, Gonuk has been there before."
"Is there..."
"Shut up, Potter. Knowing too much won't benefit them." Albert glared at Harry, warning him, "You should know the consequences."
Rihun and Gonuk looked at each other and fell into a brief silence.
"You've wanted to retrieve that sword all along, haven't you?" Albert suddenly said.
"The Sword of Gryffindor belongs to the goblins," Rihun admitted.
"So, I believe you won't refuse to offer some insignificant help." Albert stared into Rihun's eyes and said softly, "Harry's reward should be satisfactory, isn't it?"
"It seems you know us well." Gonuk also realized they didn't have a better choice if they wanted to reclaim the sword.
"The Lestrange vault is located deep within Gringotts, in one of the most secure areas," Gonuk hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I don't know what you plan to take from there, but your chances of infiltrating Gringotts successfully are slim, let alone taking anything from the vault."
"You will help us, won't you?" Harry said.
"There's a semi-tamed Ukrainian Ironbelly guarding the depths of Gringotts. Any unauthorized person approaching the nearby vaults will be attacked," Gonuk ignored Harry's question and continued to brief them about the Lestrange vault.
"The items within the Lestrange vault are enchanted with Fire Spells and Duplication Charms. Any thief who touches the valuables will be burned, and a pile of worthless duplicates will appear to stop them from stealing anything. They might even be buried and crushed under the duplicates."
"What about the method to open the vault?" Albert suddenly asked.
"I can't possibly tell you everything," Gonuk shook his head, "Once you hand over the Sword of Gryffindor to us, we will continue to provide assistance."
"Just revealing this information isn't enough." Harry said to the goblins, "I hope that you'll lend us your aid when the time comes."
"We will assist you. It's a fair trade."
"When do we start?" Rihun asked suddenly.
"The timing hasn't been determined yet, but I believe that day won't be too far away." Harry looked at Albert, as if seeking some hint from him.
"One last question."
Ignoring Harry's gaze, Albert continued, "If the main lineage of the Lestrange family were to perish, who would inherit their wealth?"
"Usually, the recognition of the Ministry of Magic is required for someone to be allowed to inherit the wealth, but such a situation is rare." Rihun replied.
"Are all the Lestranges dead, then?" Harry asked.
"The last mistress of the Lestrange family, Bellatrix, has been missing for some time." Albert averted his gaze, stood up from the chair, and waved his wand to make the stool disappear, pretending to be ready to leave.
This trip had been fruitful.
Just a few minutes ago, Albert had successfully obtained the necessary intelligence from Rihun's mind.
The key to opening the Lestrange vault lay with an old goblin named Bogrod, and Albert had also confirmed where Bogrod resided.
In a few days, he would pay Bogrod a visit and seek his assistance.
(End of Chapter)
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