Leonard waved his hand, signaling Midgard to stop her pointless overthinking.
"What we need now is a meticulous plan—one that ensures we reach the Gringotts vault safely."
"How do you plan to do that?" asked the inexperienced Midgard.
"By getting the goblins to take us in themselves." Leonard tapped the image of Gringotts. "Greedy goblins won't turn down Galleons delivered right to their hands."
Midgard stared at him in confusion.
"Why would they willingly take us inside?" she asked. "Unless they've gone mad."
"Think more flexibly, Midgard. You can't plot to rob Gringotts while acting like a simple brute trying to rob Gringotts." Leonard shook his head. "And in any case, we can't bring too many people. The more people involved, the more suspicious we'll look."
He spread out a map—a layout of Diagon Alley. At its center stood their target: Gringotts.
"Your people have been watching Quirrell, right? Do you know which route he plans to take?" Leonard asked.
"He should be going this way." Midgard pointed to the rear entrance of Gringotts. "The goblin under his control uses this passage when going to and from work. It's an internal route."
Leonard studied the map for a while before smiling knowingly.
"A very standard approach."
He pointed to the front entrance. "You and I—just the two of us—will wait there. As for the rear, don't gather too many. Just one reliable person… Marcus. He'll stage a loud distraction at the back entrance, making it look like a large-scale invasion."
"A distraction?"
"Yes, just an illusion. He doesn't need to go inside, only make the guards believe someone broke in through the back."
Leonard's tone grew serious. "It has to be loud. Leave behind obvious signs of intrusion, then get out quickly without being spotted. All that matters is that the guards believe someone entered from the rear."
"That would throw Gringotts into chaos. They'd seal down the whole place, and we wouldn't be able to escape," Midgard argued.
"Why would we need to escape? We'll just be guests there to open a vault."
Leonard smiled faintly. "You have containers enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm, don't you?"
"Yes… but are you planning to smuggle Galleons out in them? That won't work. They always check before letting people leave."
"No, no. Like I said, we'll be ordinary customers. We won't fear inspections." Leonard wagged a finger. "What we need is simply a window of chaos inside Gringotts, a moment when no one has the energy to pay attention to us."
"I don't understand," Midgard admitted honestly. Her mind felt like it couldn't keep up with his thinking.
"You don't need to. Just follow my instructions when the time comes," Leonard said. "And make sure the container isn't too big. Ideally, use one that can't be entered."
"That's it?" Midgard asked skeptically.
"That's it." Leonard nodded.
...
Many people prefer to commit misdeeds at night, as if the cover of darkness could shield them from sight. But in truth, the black of night sharpens vigilance to its peak—every rustle, every whisper of wind can rouse suspicion.
The time when people are least alert is at the end of a long day, just before they leave for home.
At dusk, Quirrell, cloaked in a long robe, crept silently toward the back entrance of Gringotts.
Gringotts was surrounded by highly sensitive magical detection wards. Anyone attempting to approach under a Disillusionment Charm would trigger alarms immediately. So Quirrell didn't use Disillusionment. Instead, he slipped inside while the guard was momentarily distracted.
Not far away, the goblin stationed at the back entrance sat half-drowsing, squinting at the surroundings. Suddenly, his long ears twitched—he thought he'd heard something unusual.
"Hm?" The guard stood up sharply, eyes narrowed to inspect the area. Just then, the door creaked open.
The rear door of Gringotts swung outward, and a goblin in formal attire poked his head out, glancing left and right.
"Don't slack off," he called to the guard.
"All right, I know, I won't slack off," the guard replied lazily. Seeing it was just a colleague, and finding no suspicious movement, he sank back into his seat, inwardly mocking himself for being too jumpy.
This was Gringotts, after all. Who in their right mind would dare attempt a break-in here? Beyond the goblin guards, at least twenty Aurors were on standby nearby. If he pulled the alarm, those Aurors would swarm the place instantly, surrounding Gringotts so tightly no intruder could escape, and deliver them a brutal lesson.
"Gringotts truly is the safest bank in the world," the goblin guard murmured with a sigh.
But even as he praised its security, the back door shut again. The goblin who had opened it lowered his head and bowed to Quirrell.
"Master, everything is ready. You may proceed to the vault whenever you wish," the goblin in formal wear said.
His eyes were vacant, his movements puppet-like. Opening the door had merely been part of letting Quirrell in. In truth, he was no more than a puppet—enslaved under Quirrell's Imperius Curse.
The Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, could bend a victim's mind entirely to the caster's will. Its most terrifying quality was that the victim believed they were acting on their own, their behavior and personality unchanged, making it nearly impossible to detect the control.
Quirrell looked straight into the goblin's eyes.
"Take me to Dumbledore's vault—or to the one registered under Hogwarts' name."
At the command, light returned to the goblin's gaze. His voice was firm now, no longer vacant.
"As you wish, Master."
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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