Chapter 1502: Crystal Clear
Chapter 1502: Crystal Clear
“We don’t need to worry about the goblins,” said Harry, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Hermione, of course, understood the underlying meaning behind Harry’s words, but instead of focusing on the goblin issue, her concern shifted to Harry’s attitude towards their impending Gringotts infiltration.
Harry should have been more confident in their meticulously crafted plan. After all, the three of them would be consuming Felix Felicis, ensuring good fortune and a smooth execution. Even if, by some unlucky chance, their scheme failed, they had backup methods to ensure their safe escape.
Hermione trusted that Albert had contingencies in place, just as Ron suggested. However, neither she nor Harry wanted to resort to those last-ditch measures, as it would signify their utter failure.
Moreover, even with a backup plan, success was not guaranteed.
“No, I think we should be wary of the goblins,” Ron muttered, his brow furrowed. “They’re notoriously untrustworthy, and Bill has dealt with them for years—he knows how they operate better than we do. To be honest, I suspect they never expected us to make good on our promise from the start. If I were in their shoes, I’d take any opportunity to pull a fast one on you. No one likes being coerced or made a fool.” “We don’t have a choice,” Harry stated flatly.
He exchanged a glance with Hermione, and it was clear that they had considered this possibility as well. However, the fact that Albert hadn’t mentioned it earlier suggested that it probably wasn’t an issue.
Harry even suspected that Albert might have covertly used the Imperius Curse on the two goblin leaders to ensure their cooperation. It was just like Albert to take such a cautious approach.
“No, I mean, maybe we should suggest that he uses the Imperius Curse on them to guarantee the success of our plan,” Hermione said, surprising both Harry and Ron.
Their acquiescence to such a suggestion startled Ron, as he realized that their attitudes had shifted since the Wizarding War. They were now more amenable to using the Imperius Curse to achieve their goals.
“How do you know he hasn’t already?” Hermione asked, noticing the astonished expressions on their faces. “You still don’t know Albert well enough. He won’t let this plan to steal and destroy the Hufflepuff Cup fail, and Harry, you shouldn’t be so surprised.” “I’m just surprised to hear you say something like that,” Harry said, oblivious to the dismay and frustration that were now etched on Ron’s face.
“Don’t worry, we’ll definitely succeed,” Hermione reassured Ron, who seemed to be feeling a bit down for reasons unknown to her. “At most, we might encounter some bumps along the way.” Sensing Ron’s low spirits, Harry offered, “Maybe we should have someone on standby outside to keep an eye on Gringotts and create a distraction if necessary.”
“I don’t think we need anyone on the outside, and we’ve always worked together as a team. Don’t try to ditch me,” Ron said, his cheeks reddening. He knew Harry was giving him an out, but that only served to irritate him further, as it made him feel like he was being portrayed as a coward in front of his best mates.
This was something Ron simply couldn’t tolerate.
“Someone has to keep Voldemort occupied,” Harry said, leaving Ron even more bewildered.
“There’s no way the Dark Lord won’t react to such a ruckus,” Hermione added, making Ron feel even more out of the loop.
Seeing the confused and lost expression on Ron’s face, Harry explained, “Only Albert has the ability to ensure the plan proceeds smoothly at critical moments.” “And I suspect he’s already seen the outcome in a prophecy,” Hermione continued, “otherwise, he wouldn’t leave such an important matter unattended.”
Of course, these words were meant to comfort Ron, and neither of them knew for sure if Albert had made a prophecy. However, destroying Horcruxes took top priority, and the fact that Albert had entrusted this task to them indicated his confidence in their ability to succeed and destroy the Horcrux during this operation.
Ron opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately closed it without uttering a word. He was thoroughly bewildered by Harry and Hermione’s line of reasoning.
After offering some reassurance to Ron, Harry turned back to Hermione to discuss the finer details of their plan. They decided to first consult with Albert to understand the situation, then proceed to meet the goblin leaders, armed with the Gryffindor sword. Bill had already done some reconnaissance on Gringotts, but Harry felt it necessary to scope out the place beforehand. Lastly, they discussed what to do if their infiltration was discovered—could they use alternative means to force their way into Gringotts?
For instance, they could use house-elves.
House-elf Disapparition was more flexible and convenient than wizard Apparition.
Hermione even suspected that Albert’s backup plan involved using house-elves to Apparate directly in front of the Lestrange vault, setting it ablaze and turning everything inside to ashes.
At the very least, in Harry and Hermione’s discussion of contingency plans, if the goblins failed to open the Gringotts vault or locate the Hufflepuff Cup in time, they would resort to using Fiendfyre to burn the vault and its contents, including the Cup.
This was the primary reason Albert had insisted that they master the Fiendfyre curse—not only for destroying Voldemort’s Horcruxes but also for its potential utility in critical situations.
“Harry, we really shouldn’t use Fiendfyre in the Gringotts vaults. It could cause all sorts of trouble,” Ron said, his lips trembling as he hoped to dissuade Harry from that reckless idea.
In fact, this was one of the main sources of his resentment towards Albert—he had dumped this hot potato into their laps.
To be frank, Ron even doubted that they could successfully retrieve the Hufflepuff Cup from the vault, and he suspected that they would eventually have to resort to Fiendfyre. Otherwise, why would Albert have taught them the curse? He must have foreseen something in a prophecy, which was why he insisted that Harry learn it.
“If it comes to that, I’ll do it,” Harry said resolutely, his confidence bolstered by the anticipated effects of Felix Felicis.
“But Harry, you don’t understand the consequences of such an action,” Ron said, his eyes widening as he looked at the unusually calm Harry. “Maybe the Lestrange family is dead and gone, but there are bound to be other branches of the family. If you do that…” “Don’t worry, Ron. If it really comes to that, I’ll take full responsibility for my actions. Besides, this is for the greater good—to defeat the Dark Lord,” Harry said nonchalantly, knowing that he would be long dead by the time anyone could seek retribution.
As for the child growing inside Ginny, Harry had no doubts that Albert, as the child’s godfather, would ensure its well-being. Albert had always been a reliable person.
“Harry, you…” Ron was left speechless by Harry’s declaration.
“We need to focus on defeating the Dark Lord first, and we can sort out the rest later,” Hermione said, her eyes flicking to Harry with a hint of unease. “We will definitely beat him, and we’ll survive this war together. You should trust Albert—his predictions are usually spot on.” (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
