Sapphire (Lazuli Book #3) - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter Eighteen

"That's it," Harry shouted, pointing at the cup as if he were oblivious to what was going on. "Up there!"

Ron shuffled to move away from the rapidly duplicating bangle and in doing so he knocked a silver plate off of the table and onto the floor. He too shouted in pain as his thigh was burned, and then staggered away as the plate also began to multiply.

"They've added the Gemino curse," Griphook repeated with a snarl, "everything you touch will multiply!"

Harry looked around at us frantically and for the first time seemed to realise that Ron, Hermione and I were stood in a sea of rapidly growing objects. "Give me the sword," he barked at Hermione, who reached into her beaded bag and drew out Godric Gryffindor's sword, which shone like a beacon of light in the darkness and gloom of the vault. She tossed it at Harry, who caught it by the hilt, and then staggered forward through the golden pile towards the cup. I tried to keep moving, determined that I wasn't going to die by being suffocated by a silver flagon, but this seemed to only make it worse.

"Stop moving," Hermione shouted as Ron and I struggled. We did as she said, staying as still as possible, and then the multiplication seemed to slow, and then stop, except at when Harry was riding the top of the monstrous pile, stretching as far as he could with Gryffindor's sword to snatch the horcrux. Then, he was lost from our sight, and even that pile stopped growing as Harry stopped moving.

"Harry?" I shouted, turning my head to frantically look at Ron and Hermione. What if Harry was dead? We'd never find the horcrux in the pile of identical cups and jewels before we were killed ourselves. "Harry!" I screamed again.

Then, the mountain of malevolent jewels seemed to erupt as Harry burst out, brandishing Gryffindor's sword like a medieval knight and with the golden horcrux clasped tightly in his other hand along with his wand. I gasped as a tidal wave of jewellery and precious metals came tumbling towards us, Harry tripping on something invisible and throwing the cup as he fell.

Griphook, who had been pushed up against the door with Bogrod, grabbed the cup and held out of Harry's reach. "We had a deal, Griphook," Harry snarled. The goblin curled his lip and sneered at Harry. "The cup for the sword," he snarled, gesturing towards Gryffindor's sword. "Harry we need the sword to destroy it!" I shouted, buried up to my neck in the metal. If it were me, I would have run the goblin through with the damned sword right there, and then snatched the goblet and made my escape. But I didn't have the sword, and Harry was a thousand times more honourable than me, so he reluctantly held the sword out to the goblin. Griphook snatched it and then tossed the cup, which was quickly caught by Hermione, who then tucked it into her beaded bag, safe.

Griphook cradled the precious sword his chest and then scowled at Harry, an evil grin appearing on his face. "I said I'd get you in," the goblin hissed, "I didn't say anything about getting you out." Griphook grabbed Bogrod's hand and ran it over the door, which rumbled open and freed the goblins.

"Ron!" I shouted for my brother, my face almost buried. He couldn't move to help me, and yet I found I was able to stretch my hand out beneath the objects and my fingertips brushed against his. "Hold on Li," he shouted over the din of the multiplying metal, "we're going to get out of here!"

I shut my eyes and squeezed his hand, the metal heavy and weighing down on my lungs, making it harder and harder for me to breathe. Then, just as it was all about to become too much and I was about to slip into unconsciousness, another hand enclosed around mine, and Hermione dragged me free and Ron along with me, enough of the metal having escaped through the open door to allow her to move. Harry had already chased after Griphook, but Hermione hauled me free of the metal and the moment I was out, my strength returned and I helped her with Ron. Then we clambered over the advancing sea of metal, out of the vault and after Harry.