Previously...
The vault was already open slightly but it was a trap
Little did the golden trio know that security was already their
There was security waiting on the other aide with their wands ready to cast spells
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POV:
A faint groan vibrated through the air as Harry placed his hand firmly against the heavy vault door, ancient wood etched with runes pulsating dimly beneath his fingers. Hermione crouched beside him, wand poised, eyes scanning every inch of the dimly lit corridor behind them. Ron's breath came in measured bursts, his shoulder pressed against the cold stone wall, the weight of expectation thick between their silent breaths.
With a slow, deliberate push, the crack widened just enough for a sliver of shadow to seep through. Suddenly, a streak of emerald light snapped from within, searing toward them with serpentine grace. "Protego!" Harry barked, and a shimmering shield blossomed before him, deflecting the green bolt into the damp walls.
From the darkness inside the vault, whispers surged-a cascade of distorted voices threading through incantations older than memory. Figures emerged briefly: flashes of dark robes and eyes glinting with malice. Hermione reacted instantly, conjuring a blinding flare of white light that fractured their outline, forcing a hasty retreat into the obscurity as curling trails of magic wove fast and erratic.
Ron brandished his wand with unexpected steadiness, sending a jinx that tangled their attackers' movements. Several figures staggered, their forms flickering like dying embers. "They're teleporting!" Ron called out, eyes darting to the spots where attackers vanished mid-assault. It wasn't just a defense, but a test-each strike was a calculated challenge pushing them to their limits.
Harry inhaled sharply, the gravity of the vault's magic settling over him like a suffocating cloak. "We can't let them wear us down before we even step inside," he said, determination sharpening his voice. "Ready yourselves. Every second counts."
Hermione nodded, voice steady despite the pounding drum of tension. "On my mark," she whispered. "We breach together. No room for hesitation." The door creaked further, the gap wide enough now to glimpse a faint glimmer of gold beyond, but the threat lurking in the shadows was far from over.
The crack in the vault's door widened incrementally, revealing more of the chamber's interior-a cavernous hollow where the air shimmered with latent power. Pale motes drifted like restless spirits in the gloom, caught in unseen currents. Hermione's eyes fixed on the far ledge, where a golden cup glinted, its surface studded with red and blue diamonds that pulsed faintly, as though breathing. It looked almost out of place, perched on what appeared to be a window frame without glass or view, an island of shining treasure amid the shadows.
Harry moved cautiously forward, his wand raised, every muscle taut with alertness. "Keep your guard up," he murmured, voice low but edged with command. The echoes of their footsteps were swallowed quickly by the thick silence that followed, a silence so absolute it pressed into their eardrums. From the corners of the vault came just a hint of movement-silent, deliberate. They were still being watched, and likely surrounded.
Hermione's gaze shifted to the walls that bore old sigils, some curling like serpents, others etched with angular precision. "These runes aren't just protective-they're active," she whispered. "They respond to magic, any magic, adjusting defenses when threatened." She exchanged a quick look with Ron, whose face had tightened, the youthful spark replaced by a wary maturity. "So that means if we cast spells recklessly..." Ron swallowed hard. "...we could trigger more traps."
Before they could talk further, a sudden ripple coursed across the floor-a subtle shift that sent a ripple of danger rushing up their spines. Harry's eyes snapped to the source, wand twitching. The impression came of something watching, something waiting. And then it struck again, a flicker of unseen magic attempting to ensnare them in spectral chains. Quick as thought, Hermione responded, weaving a counterspell that shimmered and snapped into place, the invisible bonds fraying under her touch.
Breathing heavily, Harry took a tentative step closer to the cup, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I don't think it's just a trophy," he said, the weight of his words hanging between them. "This artifact-there's something more. Something dangerous."
A low hum settled into the chamber, the very air thick with latent power that seemed to pulse in rhythm with their racing hearts. Harry's eyes darted around, searching for movement, for any sign that the unseen defenders might emerge once more. The vault was no mere repository of artifacts-it was alive, watching them weigh each step, each breath, as if gauging their worth and weakness in equal measure.
Hermione crouched beside a glyph embedded in the floor, tracing its intricate spirals with a trembling finger. "These symbols-they're more than guards. They're part of the vault's consciousness, intertwined with the magic here. Disturb one, and the whole place reacts." Her voice held a note of warning, but beneath it flickered undeniable fascination. "We need to tread carefully. One wrong move and this place might seal itself shut-or worse."
Ron tugged at his collar, his usual bravado tempered by the pressing realization of their vulnerability. "We're like prey in a hunter's maze," he muttered, casting a wary glance toward the shadowed corners. "And the hunters don't want us to touch the prize."
Harry swallowed the bitter taste of uncertainty, feeling the weight of leadership settled heavier across his shoulders. He adjusted his grip on his wand, steeling himself against the invisible pressure pressing in from all sides. "No going back now," he whispered. "We move together. Eyes sharp, spells ready."
The heavy vault door creaked further, yielding more space and spilling shades of golden light that danced erratically across the chamber's vast interior. Dust motes churned in slow eddies, disturbed finally from their long dormancy. The air, thick with enchantments older than any they'd encountered, felt dense-charged with the weight of unseen wards and the silent scrutiny of arcane sentinels. Harry stepped forward cautiously, his eyes locked on the sprawling den of relics arrayed before them.
Shelves carved into the stone walls held artifacts that whispered tales in their silence: rusted swords engraved with forgotten runes, ancient grimoires with cracked spines, and crystalline orbs pulsing faintly with internal light. But none commanded attention like the golden cup resting at the room's far end. It was perched on a slender ledge, set within what appeared to be a window frame-an architectural anomaly in a chamber with no actual window to speak of.
Hermione's gaze drifted immediately to the cup, her brow knitting in concentrated scrutiny. "That placement-it's deliberate," she murmured, voice low and speculative. "No room for it to be a mere display. It's... isolated, almost suspended, and that frame could serve some hidden function." She stepped closer, eyes tracing the cup's surface where red and blue diamonds caught the flickering light with impossible brilliance, as if breathing with their own secret rhythms.
Ron shuffled uneasily, casting nervous glances around the vault's shadowed corners. "Feels wrong, doesn't it?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Like it's bait, or maybe a trap. I don't like the way it stands there, all bright and soft, while the rest of this place is so cold and harsh." His fingers tightened around his wand as he studied the artifacts with a mix of awe and suspicion.
Harry's thoughts churned on the implications. The cup's unnatural setting suggested more than mere treasure-it suggested a challenge, a puzzle interlaced with wards yet unseen. "If this vault is testing us," he said quietly, "then that cup is its ultimate prize. We need to figure out exactly what we're dealing with before we do anything." The tension in his voice underscored a sharpened awareness-the dangers lay not just in what was visible, but in what lurked beneath the surface.
Hermione nodded in agreement, her eyes never leaving the cup. "Every artifact here might be a piece of a larger enchantment. The window frame-it could act as a trigger or a shield, altering the magic around the cup. Approaching it without understanding might awaken defenses we can't predict." She inhaled slowly, steeling herself against the surge of adrenaline that threatened to dissolve her careful restraint. "We must be methodical. This isn't just about seizing a treasure-it's about surviving whatever this place throws at us next."
Harry's gaze flickered over the artifacts before him, noting the subtle hum of enchantments licking the edges of his senses. Each relic seemed to pulse with a latent energy-histories folded into their very essence, waiting for the right touch to awaken them. Yet none was more arresting than the cup, its golden surface glistening with an almost sentient glow. The arrangement on the ledge, so unnatural and exposed, spoke of deliberate intent rather than careless placement.
Hermione crouched lower, tracing invisible lines with her wand over the runes etched faintly into the ledge surrounding the cup. "I suspect the frame acts as a conduit," she murmured, barely above the soft echo that filled the chamber. "A focus point for the enchantments bound to the cup. It could amplify any magic cast nearby or create a barrier that's invisible to us." Her voice held a blend of admiration and unease, as if marveling at a complex chessboard laid before them-each move weighted with consequence.
Ron edged closer, his eyes darting between the cup and the shadows hugging the walls. "Feels like this isn't just about getting close. The minute we make a grab, something's going to react. Maybe it's not just wards but a living defense tied to the cup itself." He gripped his wand tighter, voice low but steady. There was a vulnerability beneath his bravado-unspoken fears gnawing at the edges of his confidence.
Harry nodded, the leader's weight settling on his shoulders. "We're dealing with layered enchantments. Defensive spells woven over centuries. I want to try some reconnaissance magic before we make any moves to grab it." He glanced toward Hermione, seeking confirmation that his caution was prudent. "Something subtle, to gauge the vault's response without triggering a trap."
Hermione's eyes, sharp and calculating, met his. "Agreed. A probing charm, nothing aggressive," she said, already formulating the necessary incantation in her mind. Her fingers twitched with anticipation beneath her cloak, the air around her thickening with the cold thrill of challenge. "We need to understand the boundaries before we test the waters."
Hermione stepped closer to the ledge, her eyes narrowing as she studied the intricate craftsmanship of the cup. The red and blue diamonds pulsed faintly, their glow synchronized like a heartbeat with the subtle thrum that filled the vault. "This isn't merely decoration," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "The way the stones shimmer-they're almost... alive. The enchantments binding them must be ancient and deeply intertwined with the vault itself."
Ron shifted, the uneasy tension in his shoulders evident. "Feels like those diamonds are watching us," he said, a shiver threading through his words. "Like they're waiting for something." He glanced back over his shoulder at the encroaching shadows, fingers tightening around his wand's handle. "Do we even know what we're reaching for? Or what might reach back?"
Harry's gaze remained fixed on the cup, his mind racing. "Every piece here is a puzzle, layered with magic older than we can fathom. That cup could hold power far beyond what we imagined-maybe even the kind we're not ready to face." He inhaled deeply, the chill air pressing against his skin like a whispered warning. "We have to be smart. Any misstep could trigger defenses we can't predict."
Hermione's eyes flickered toward the surrounding relics, then back to the glowing cup. "If the window frame functions as a magical anchor, removing the cup without understanding its role could unravel whatever balance holds this vault intact." She raised her wand, tracing delicate patterns above the ledge. "One it could lock on us in forever or worse."
Ron's usual light-hearted banter was absent as his voice dropped low. "No glory in that. We survive by figuring out the rules, not by breaking them blindly." His gaze caught Harry's, steady and resolute. "What's the plan? We can't just stand here."
Harry offered a grim nod, the weight of leadership folding over him like a heavy cloak. "We proceed carefully. Gather what we can learn about the cup first. There's more to this than meets the eye, and I'm not willing to gamble on everything on instinct alone."
Hermione's eyes never left the cup, her gaze sharpening as she gestured toward the window-like ledge it rested upon. "This placement isn't just decorative," she said quietly, voice threaded with unease. "It's impossible to ignore that this frame serves some magical function-almost like a silent barrier or focal point. The cup's light seems tethered to that space, and I suspect removing it will ripple through the vault's enchantments." Her fingers hovered above the ledge, tracing invisible contours, as if searching for a hidden key.
Ron shifted anxiously, his eyes darting between the glowing cup and the shadowed corners beyond. "So, it's not just about reaching and grabbing," he muttered, voice low but edged with skepticism. "Feels like the moment we touch that thing, the vault's going to snap shut or spit out more of those nasties we've been fighting. We've barely scratched the surface, and already I'm itching to just get it over with - but this?" He shook his head. "It's like we're bait in a trap."
Harry remained still, weighing their options carefully. His gaze flicked back to the cup, contemplating the intricacies he could sense but not yet decipher. "We could try the summoning charm," he said cautiously. "If we're lucky, it'll bring the cup across the room without triggering those defenses. But it's a gamble. Hermione, what's your read on that risk?"
Hermione pursed her lips, her mind racing through layers of magical theory and ancient warding. "The vault's spells are alive, reactive," she explained. "Using the summoning charm might provoke an aggressive response from the vault itself. The cup could be bound tightly to its frame, magically fortified to resist even that kind of magic. The risk is high-there could be consequences we can't even anticipate."
"Well, what are our choices then?" Ron asked, frustration tinged with fear. "Sending Harry to grab it by hand? Or trying to go slow, dismantling every protective enchantment like some kind of walking miracle? We don't have time to babysit the vault's magical tantrums."
Harry's expression darkened, the weight of command clear in his eyes. "We have to balance speed against safety," he said firmly. "No reckless moves-not when we still don't know the full scope of the vault's defenses. Hermione, we'll proceed with your careful approach first. But if time runs out, we'll have to consider the summoning charm as a last resort. Until then, we stay alert and ready to adapt. This cup isn't just a prize-it's a challenge, and we can't afford to underestimate it."
They took the chance anyways and then summoned the chalice cup to Harry's hand.
The chalice cup multiples into 4 different cups that looks extremely identical to the original
"Hand me the sword!" Says harry
"Here" says hermione
Hermione takes the sword from Ron's hand and gives it Harry
Harry takes the sword and swings it the 4 chalice cups
All the 4 chalice cups break in half in one blow from the sword
The evil disappeared from the chalice cup that's now broken
They run for it out the vault they spot a chained up dragon and now more pops in using their magic to cast at Harry and Hermione also Ron but they also fling spells right back while approaching the dragon that uses fire breath on the guards and slightly against the ground.
It was chaos!
But Harry and Ron then Hermione found an opening when the flames died down around the dragon as they get on the dragon with Hermione unlocking the chains
The dragon sees this as it starts flying up
"Hold on tight!" Says Hermione
The dragon roars flying more up towards the exist as guards cast spells but Hermione and Ron then Harry cast protection around the creature
The dragon bursts the floor of Gringotts bank then smashing through the glass as the dragon flies to the sky with the golden trio on its back.
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Cliffhanger
TBC