Bad Romance

Chapter 22

When the hall outside the Minister's office was jammed with Aurors, Gellert divulged his plan. "We are going into a lower level of Gringotts where she won't see us arrive. We are using projection charms to fight from a distance. I have a Monocle of Farseeing for combat, and I will use it to see outside the bank or on the top level, wherever she happens to be. Once we are ready, I will cast a projection charm on everyone's wand that will allow your spells to fly fifty times further than they would without this charm. Unfortunately, it won't make the spells stronger, but distance dueling is our main goal at this point. While more strength would be nice, that must be a project for another day. The inconsiderate girl has given us extremely short notice," he complained, and Bellatrix felt her lips twitch.

In truth, she was looking forward to this battle eagerly and already riding the early stages of an adrenaline battle high. Gellert excused himself to retrieve the Monocle he'd mentioned, then Apparated away.

"Did the two of you make this Farseeing Monocle," Kereston asked Blaise, and he nodded.

"I suppose soon we shall be making more. It appears we now have a need," the lanky wizard said drily.

"Blaise and Gellert are always making such brilliant enchanted items," Kereston said to the room at large. "I just wish they'd make something that could swallow Delphini up."

"That makes two of us," Romeo Valdez said fervently as Gellert Apparated back in, Monocle in hand. At once he got to work placing the charm of projection onto everyone's wands. This took less than two minutes, and when it was done, they took the Floo Network from Kereston's office into the office of the President of Gringotts. This was located midlevel in the bank and from there they were led downward by the Ministry goblin who had said he could take them. Though Bellatrix doubted he could do much in this battle, Rhadamanthus had come along, staying close to Rodolphus's side.

As they ran, one of the goblins who worked at the bank accompanied them, filling them in on what was happening. Delphini was outside, still attempting to batter down their defenses and slowly succeeding. She had suggested that they simply surrender all of the gold to remain unharmed, but no goblin was going to do that. A fact for which Bellatrix was exceedingly grateful considering all of the Lestrange and Black wealth was in Gringotts vaults.

When they were three levels from the very deepest crevice of the bank, Gellert indicated that he was satisfied with their location. There was a short wall made of solid gold in the middle of the corridor, and carnivorous plants lined the top of it in golden pots. They were obviously part of the bank's defense, and Bellatrix rather liked the aesthetic. The gold wall screamed obscene wealth, and the carnivorous plants were just soothing.

"Levitate yourselves and come down on the other side of that wall," Gellert instructed everyone decisively. "And mind the plants."

At once, everyone did as they were told, the group moving like an efficient machine. Bellatrix had to hand it to Grindelwald, he had the Aurors working well together and actually appearing competent. "Crouch down behind the wall so that it is blocking and shielding you," Gellert said, and everyone complied. Bellatrix crouched between the two Lestrange men, Rhadamanthus at their backs. Dumbledore flanked them on one side, Romeo on the other.

As everyone watched, Gellert held the Monocle to his eye, frowning in concentration as he searched for Delphini. "She was attempting to break in through the back, but that has apparently proven too difficult so she's headed back to the front again," he reported at last. "Let's strike her before she can make another attempt at the main door." He used a magnification spell on the Monocle so that the rest of them could see what he saw, Delphini's progress toward the front of Gringotts. She had others with her, faces deeply cowled in dark red robes.