Chapter 201: The Lestrange Family's Vault

Chapter 201: The Lestrange Family's Vault

Ragnok looked at the man before him, knowing from his appearance that he was one of the most formidable male wizards. Despite this, he insisted:

"The Lestrange Family's vault is very special. One of the oldest families, you need more than just a key to access it. You must prove your identity to us."

Sherlock, disguised as a brooding wizard, had been prepared for this. However, the cold expression on his face only grew more irritated.

He pulled out a small, badge-shaped metal box from his pocket and rudely tossed it to Ragnok.

Ragnok caught the box and, instead of examining it himself, walked to the counter and found a goblin wearing wire-rimmed glasses.

"Family crest, Lestrange Family."

The elderly goblin, who looked extremely aged, took the crest from Ragnok. He removed his glasses and put on a monocle to carefully inspect the box.

After a short while, the old goblin returned the box to Ragnok.

"It's genuine, though the design is rather old. I remember that before the Lestranges were all sent to Azkaban, they had a new batch of crests made."

Ragnok turned to look at Sherlock, who was standing three meters away, impatiently examining the ceiling of Gringotts. He then deliberately lowered his voice and asked:

"Could this person be one of the Lestranges who remained outside? Does he meet the requirements?"

The old goblin put his wire-rimmed glasses back on and gave Sherlock a subtle glance.

"Who cares if he meets the requirements? The family's spokesperson is in Azkaban, and before they were locked up, no one told us what to do with their vault. Just follow the rules. As long as we confirm he's a Lestrange, any mishaps won't be our problem."

Ragnok nodded, took the box, and was about to turn back to Sherlock when the old goblin whispered another warning:

"Be cautious when you take him there. The condition that it's not our problem is based on confirming his identity."

Ragnok paused, then calmly returned to Sherlock, handed him the box, and put on a professional smile.

"Ah, I apologize for the wait, sir. Your crest is verified. I'm Ragnok. May I have your name?"

"John Lestrange."

Sherlock took the box from Ragnok, held his head high, and gave a cold snort, as if looking down on him.

"Mr. Lestrange, I will take you to your family vault."

Ragnok smiled, not minding the arrogance.

Wizards from prominent families, especially pure-bloods, were often like this, and the goblins found it amusing.

Prominent families were also their biggest clients.

Families like the Weasleys, who were more approachable, might be friendly, but the goblins wouldn't show them any special favor.

Even if you flipped their vault upside down, you wouldn't find a single gold piece. How could friendliness put food on the table?

Ragnok led Sherlock toward a door at the side of the hall.

He pushed open the large double doors, revealing an underground tunnel that resembled a mine shaft.

The walls were uneven and rough. As Sherlock and Ragnok entered, the door closed behind them, and torches on the walls lit up one by one, illuminating the tunnel.

Ragnok whistled into the tunnel, and a rumbling sound grew louder as a small cart emerged from the depths.

Sherlock and Ragnok got on the cart, which started abruptly and sped downward.

Ragnok didn't try to make conversation with Sherlock. The only sounds around them were the rushing wind.

The underground tunnels of Gringotts were complex, and they had passed at least twenty forks without stopping.

Sherlock maintained his cold expression but began to mutter to himself.

How deep had these goblins dug? If they kept going down, who knew if they would dig through the Earth's crust?

Just as he was pondering, a sound of rushing water came from ahead. He squinted and saw a waterfall blocking the tunnel, cascading from above.

The Thief-Repelling Waterfall!

One of the most crucial defenses in the depths of Gringotts, the vaults behind this waterfall had been treasure troves since the bank's founding.

As the gate to these extremely important vaults, the water of the Thief-Repelling Waterfall was certainly not ordinary.

Any Wizard who wishes to enter the deepest vaults must be "washed" by this waterfall.

It cleanses all magical effects and disguises from the visitor, and if it detects any issues, it will fling the intruder off the track, immediately alerting Gringotts to the unauthorized entry.

The thief-deterrent waterfall acts like a constantly active, large-scale counter-curse.

According to legend, it can even neutralize some of the effects of the Unforgivable Curses (Harry's Imperius Curse on the goblin was lifted after passing through this waterfall).

As they approached the waterfall, the small cart continued at full speed. Ragnok, sitting at the front, turned around and fixed his gaze on Sherlock.

Sherlock remained calm, showing no signs of tension at the sight of the waterfall.

The cart swiftly passed through the thief-deterrent waterfall, and the slightly cool water doused both Sherlock and Ragnok. The cart stayed on track, and Sherlock showed no changes.

Ragnok's gaze on Sherlock gradually relaxed, and his tense fingers eased.

Annoyed, Sherlock drew his wand and cast a spell to dry his damp robes.

"Is this how Gringotts treats its customers?"

"It is a necessary precaution, sir", Ragnok replied evenly. "To protect your treasures, we must be extra cautious."

"But Gringotts has been broken into before", Sherlock said with a sneer.

He was referring to the incident in Harry's first year when Quirrell infiltrated Gringotts.

Ragnok did not offer much in defense, only shouting, "But he took nothing! An empty-handed thief is still a thief!"

Sherlock merely sneered, saying nothing.

Hagrid had taken the Philosopher's Stone away on Dumbledore's orders, or it would be uncertain whether Quirrell had left empty-handed.

Having passed the thief-deterrent waterfall, Sherlock's true identity was now largely confirmed. Ragnok's suspicions had significantly diminished.

The method to deceive the waterfall was actually quite simple.

Sherlock had not used any magical disguises. The face he was currently wearing was not the result of any spell or potion.

It was just a human skin mask obtained from a Muggle.

The thief-deterrent waterfall could cleanse magic, but Sherlock had used no magical means.

Since he didn't need to impersonate a specific person, any face other than his own would suffice, so the disguise requirements were low.

Before planning his visit to Gringotts, Sherlock had meticulously asked Dumbledore about all the details of Gringotts' internal defenses, especially confirming that the waterfall was ineffective against Muggle items.

After all, these proud goblins might not even look favorably upon Wizards, let alone Muggles.

After passing through the waterfall, Ragnok pulled out a small, worn bag and took out a metal device, handing it to Sherlock.

"A chime, shake it, and you'll know when to use it."

As he spoke, a deafening roar echoed through the tunnel.

In front of the deepest four or five vaults, a massive creature blocked their path.

It was a dragon!

Due to its long confinement underground, the dragon's scales had become pale and loose, its eyes a murky pink, and heavy chains bound its hind legs to massive stakes embedded in the stone floor.

Its spiky wings were folded against its body, but if spread, they would fill the entire chamber.

The dragon turned its ugly head toward them, letting out a roar that shook the very stones, and opened its mouth to breathe a jet of fire at Ragnok and Sherlock.

Ragnok demonstrated by shaking the metal device called a "chime."

A sound like a small hammer striking an anvil rang out, and Sherlock followed suit, shaking his own device.

The sound was like a deadly poison to the dragon, which roared and retreated, clearing the way through the tunnel.

As they drew closer, Sherlock noticed the scars on the old dragon's face.

It was clearly forcibly tamed by the goblins, and the "chime" was a warning of impending punishment. Its aged appearance suggested it had been imprisoned here for a very long time.

Sherlock was not Hagrid and did not feel much sympathy for these large creatures. After a brief moment of staring at the old dragon, he refocused his attention on the task at hand.

They had arrived at the entrance to the Lestrange Family's vault.

"Please give me the key, sir", Ragnok said.

Sherlock took the brass key from a pocket and handed it to Ragnok.

The vault's door had no keyhole, making the key seem superfluous.

However, Ragnok had no intention of inserting the key into any hidden slot. Instead, he extended the hand holding the key and gently touched the door.

Instantly, the vault's door vanished, revealing a chamber filled from floor to ceiling with gold coins and goblets, silver armor, the pelts of various strange creatures with spines or wings, potions in ornate bottles, and even a skull still wearing a crown.

Sherlock, who had tensed up as soon as Ragnok took the key, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The key he held had belonged to Rabastan, who had died seventeen years ago. He had no idea if the Lestrange Family had noticed the disappearance of the family crest and the vault key from Rabastan's possession.

Thus, the most dangerous gamble of this trip to Gringotts was just now.

Sherlock had bet that Bella and Rodolphus didn't know where Rabastan had hidden the key and hadn't changed the method of accessing the vault.

And now, it was clear he had won that bet.

It was also his good fortune, for in the original story, after Voldemort's return and his control over the Ministry of Magic, Bella had indeed changed the method of accessing the vault, discarding the family key.

Gazing at the opulent treasure room, Sherlock pushed aside his thoughts and stepped inside.

Ragnok bowed to the side, respecting the client's privacy and not intending to follow Sherlock.

The Lestrange Family's vault was enormous, at least five times the size of Sherlock's own Gringotts vault, large enough to host a football match.

Everywhere he looked, the vault was resplendent. The ceiling was fitted with spotlights, and the priceless treasures reflected a dazzling light that made one's head spin.

This was the accumulation of one of the oldest pure-blood families!

The wealth stored in this vault could easily buy half of Diagon Alley!

But Sherlock was not blinded by the vast fortune. He stopped a meter away from the pile of treasure that could be called a mountain of gold.

As he approached, he could distinctly feel a searing heat.

These treasures were also protected!

Anyone who was not a true member of the Lestrange Family and touched any of these items would trigger the duplication and fire curses placed upon them.

The fire curse needed no explanation, but the duplication curse would instantly create countless worthless replicas identical to the original, overwhelming the thief.

These replicas would also carry the effects of the duplication and fire curses, turning the priceless treasures into scorching "brands" that would repeatedly cast the spell, burning the thief to death!

Gringotts, of course, would never disclose such information, and the vault owners would never reveal the protective measures they had in place.

But Sherlock, coming from an old wizarding family, well-versed and knowledgeable like Albus Dumbledore, was fully aware of the various protections. Before coming, he had done his homework with Dumbledore's help.

Gringotts boasted that nothing could be stolen from within.

In the end, this was just a grand claim. Ordinary wizards indeed could not achieve it, but for someone like Dumbledore or Riddle, sneaking into Gringotts to steal was no more difficult than drinking water or eating a meal.

Even when Voldemort had lost all his power and was possessing Quirrell, he could still move about freely here.

This was why Sherlock had to be honest with Dumbledore about the discovery of the Horcrux. On his own, without prior knowledge of the internal measures, having the vault key would not have been enough to get this far.

Gathering his thoughts, Sherlock's gaze did not linger on the treasures. He quickly scanned the several golden mountains.

He still did not know what the Horcrux hidden in this vault was, but he was not worried about finding it.

Before long, he spotted a golden cup on a shelf near the ceiling, reflecting light in the spotlight!

The small golden cup had two handles, and the body was intricately carved with a lively badger looking back from a patch of grass.

The moment his eyes met the golden cup, he felt a slight burning sensation in his left arm!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end