Chapter 1507: The Final Horcrux
Chapter 1507: The Final Horcrux
"Harry, you can't be serious..."
Hermione guessed what Harry was planning to do to the massive dragon blocking their path.
"We have no choice. We don't know how to subdue a fire-breathing dragon, and the only way to safely reach the Lestrange vault is to take it out."
Ron, now fully caught up with the effects of the Felix Felicis, was finally on the same page as the other two.
"Setting it free is still better than leaving it trapped here. If it were me, I'd rather die than be stuck in this place."
"Speaking of which, it should be thanking us for putting it out of its misery."
The conversation among the trio left Dobby shocked, as if the menacing dragon before them was nothing more than a pesky bug that could be easily squashed.
Before Dobby could fully process what was happening, Harry had already raised his wand and stepped out from the corner, sending a seemingly ordinary jet of Fiendfyre toward the dragon across from them.
Having experimented with Fiendfyre countless times over the past few months, Harry was well aware of its terrifying power. When the jet of Fiendfyre collided with the dragon's fiery breath, it began to infect and devour the dragon's flames, even turning them back on the dragon, engulfing it completely.
A piercing, agonized scream reverberated through the room, leaving Dobby, who had witnessed the scene, with a particularly pale face. He had guessed how Harry and his friends planned to get into the Lestrange vault.
"That's... Fiendfyre!" Dobby's voice trembled.
It was undeniable that the Malfoy Manor incident, where Fiendfyre had run rampant, was just too famous, and almost everyone recognized this sinister form of Dark Magic.
"Don't worry, we can control it."
As Harry unleashed the Fiendfyre, Hermione and Ron had also raised their wands to help contain it, preventing it from spreading uncontrollably.
This fire was indeed dangerous.
Even the dragon's scales and hide, which could resist most curses, were no match for the devouring power of Fiendfyre.
The massive dragon was making its last desperate struggles, even breaking free from the thick chains that had been burned through, but it still couldn't extinguish the Fiendfyre that clung to its body.
The dragon's roars gradually weakened until they ceased altogether.
They all knew that the dragon was dead, burned to a crisp by the Fiendfyre.
However, Harry still didn't leave the corner, choosing to wait another minute to ensure the dragon was truly dead before he, Hermione, and Ron worked together to clean up the mess and extinguish the Fiendfyre in the room.
"You... killed it?"
Dobby stared at the dragon's still-smoking corpse, his eyes wide with disbelief.
The proud guardian of the Goblins had been so easily slain by Harry.
"If it were Albert, he probably would have found a way to subdue it completely, but I don't have that ability. The most I can do is kill it to ensure our safety." Harry's tone was calm, devoid of any hint of apology, but he was speaking the truth. After all, he had already spotted the location of the vault.
At the end of the passage was a circular room with no other exits. There were several inward-leading passages along the walls, and just a few steps down one of them would bring them to the door of the vault.
Without taking out the dragon, they wouldn't have had a chance to get close to the vault. And even if they had gotten close, without a way to control the dragon, it wouldn't have been safe.
If they had failed to open the vault door quickly, they would have risked being engulfed by the dragon's fire, with nowhere to hide.
"Let's go. The commotion we've caused will surely have attracted Gringotts' guards." Hermione urged them on.
The three of them were in perfect sync, all aware that now was not the time to stand around marveling at their success in slaying a dragon.
"Which vault belongs to the Lestranges?" Ron had been keeping an eye on Dobby to make sure he didn't do anything foolish.
"Hermione, give Dobby Godric Gryffindor's sword."
Harry wasn't worried that Dobby would dare to break their agreement, not unless he wanted to drop dead immediately.
"You plan to destroy the vault door directly? But I thought you wanted to retrieve that... goblet?"
Dobby didn't reach for the sword, as he had already guessed what Harry Potter was about to do.
"The Hufflepuff Cup," Hermione added.
"Which vault?" Harry asked.
"That one."
Dobby pointed to one of the passages.
"If you use Fiendfyre, you can certainly destroy the vault door, but whether the contents inside will survive is another matter."
"Even if we accidentally destroy the goblet in the process, it will still count as both parties fulfilling the agreement." Harry looked into Dobby's eyes to make sure the creature wasn't deceiving him, then raised his wand once more.
"Don't try to touch it with your hands, or you'll be sucked right in, and that'll be the end of you." Dobby quickly reminded them upon seeing this.
"Can you?" Ron asked curiously.
"Of course. Only a handful of privileged goblins are allowed to, and anyone else daring to touch it would be asking for trouble." Dobby added, "Also, most of the items in the ancient wizarding families' vaults are enchanted with Fire-Making and Duplicating Charms. Don't touch them with your bare hands, or you might end up crushed under a pile of gold!"
"That would be a fitting end for thieves, but we're not here to steal." Harry raised his wand, pointing it at the metal door in front of him, and cast the Fiendfyre curse once more.
This time, he needed to carefully manipulate the flames to burn through the vault door, and it might take some time. Fortunately, Ron was moving the dragon's body to block the passage they came through, intending to buy them time by holding off Gringotts' guards and preventing them from interfering.
Things were going even more smoothly than they had anticipated. The Fiendfyre easily burned through the vault door, turning the intricate metal door into a pile of molten scrap.
As the trio stepped into the vault, illuminating it with their wands, they were immediately dazzled by the countless piles of gold coins and treasures within.
"You'd better hurry, I can already hear the guards coming."
"It won't be easy to find Hufflepuff's cup here among the Hephzibah's treasures!" Ron marveled at the wealth inside, a fortune the Weasley family could never amass in several lifetimes.
"Let's get out of here."
Harry turned and left without hesitation. "It's too difficult to find Hufflepuff's cup in such a short time."
"Are you really going to do that, Harry?" Ron still didn't agree with Harry's plan to destroy everything.
"We have no other choice."
"Are you mad?" Dobby guessed what Harry Potter was planning. "If you destroy everything in the vault..."
"The Lestrange family is extinct, and I doubt anyone will come to inherit their wealth or cause me trouble."
Harry turned to Hermione and said, "Give Dobby the Sword of Gryffindor. He has fulfilled his promise."
"That means your Unbreakable Vow with him is complete." Hermione handed the Sword of Gryffindor to Dobby.
If Dobby had lied to them or led them to another vault, the Unbreakable Vow would have taken his life.
Trembling, Dobby took the Sword of Gryffindor and followed the trio back into the room. Harry then waved his wand, causing the Fiendfyre to surge through the torn opening and engulf the treasures within the vault.
He should have done that from the start.
"You intended to destroy the cup from the beginning, instead of obtaining it." Dobby gripped the Sword of Gryffindor tightly, afraid it would slip from his grasp.
Even with the Unbreakable Vow in place, he still suspected there might be loopholes.
"Yes, we wanted to destroy it, and now we have succeeded." Harry smiled maliciously.
Because it was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, but Harry obviously had no intention of telling Dobby. As long as Voldemort's Horcrux was completely destroyed, their mission would be accomplished.
"It's all thanks to the Felix Felicis."
"We didn't even encounter any major obstacles along the way."
They owed their smooth journey to Albert's help; otherwise, the uncontrolled Fiendfyre would have killed them countless times over.
As they spoke, Harry suddenly covered his forehead, faintly hearing a weak, distant, and agonized scream.
Immediately afterward, the Fiendfyre burning in the Lestrange vault seemed to lose control, forming a hideous visage of Voldemort that lunged out from the flames.
"We did it!"
Harry gripped his wand tightly, took a deep breath, and touched the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.
"Are you alright, Harry?"
Ron quickly supported Harry, while Hermione helped contain the Fiendfyre to prevent it from raging out of control.
"He knows, and he's furious!" Harry said softly.
"What?"
"I can sense Voldemort's anger and fear. He knows someone is after his Horcruxes... his precious objects. He's as good as finished."
"Harry, the Gringotts guards are here!" Ron looked toward the entrance and urged, "We must leave, now!"
"I know."
Harry took out a vial, broke the wax seal, and drank the Energizing Potion to rejuvenate himself. Then he helped Hermione extinguish the Fiendfyre in the vault before summoning Dobby to leave with them.
(End of Chapter)
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