𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑━︎━︎H. Granger ︎✓︎

❝︎CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE❞︎

▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐎𝐧𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 the order's safe house that Bill and Fleur were residing in, Juniper was standing by herself, staring out the window with her arms crossed. She turned her head when Harry walked inside, heading straight for Bill and coming to a stop beside Luna.

     "I need to talk to the goblin." Harry claimed. Bill nodded, leading him to where the goblin was. Hermione, Ron, and Juniper followed after them. Bill left the room, closing the door behind him. Harry stared at the goblin for a moment before asking, "How are you?"

     "Alive," the goblin answered.

     "You probably don't remember that you―︎"

     "That I showed you to your vault the first time you came to Gringotts?" The goblin finished. "Even amongst goblins you're famous, Harry Potter." The goblin watched him for a moment. "You buried the elf."

     Harry nodded. "Yes."

     "And brought me here." Again, Harry nodded. "You are a. . . very unusual wizard." The goblin took a breath, interlacing his fingers before nodding to the Sword of Gryffindor. "How did you come by this sword?"

     Harry looked at the sword that was leaning against the wall beside him before looking back at the goblin. "It's complicated. Why did Bellatrix Lestrange think it should be in her vault at Gringotts?"

     "It's complicated," he responded.

     "The sword presented itself to us in a moment of need. We didn't steal it."

     The goblin nodded. "There is a sword in Madam Lestrange's vault identical to this one, but it is a fake. It was placed there this past summer."

     "And she never suspected it was a fake?"

     "The replica is very convincing. Only a goblin would recognize that this is the true Sword of Gryffindor."

     Hermione spoke up from her spot beside Juniper. "Who is the acquaintance?"

     "A Hogwarts professor. As I understand it, he's now headmaster."

     "Snape?" Ron asked. "He put a fake sword in Bellatrix's vault? Why?"

     "There are more than a few curious things in the vaults at Gringotts."

     "And in Madam Lestrange's vault, as well?" Harry asked.

     The goblin leaned back in his seat. "Perhaps."

     "I need to get into Gringotts. . . into one of the vaults."

     "This is impossible."

     "Alone, yes," Harry agreed. "But with you, no."

     The goblin stared at him for a moment. "Why should I help you?"