~one cannot be brave who has no fear~
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Sometimes, Talea wanted nothing more but to be invisible. She could simply disappear from a scene and could hide herself under a fuzzy warm blanket without being found.
That's exactly what she wanted to do as her feet hit the hard ground of Diagon Alley. After Lily went back to Eloise, they had planned on how to destroy Hufflepuff's cup. And after hours and hours of bickering and discussions, they had finally figured out something.
It wasn't a safe plan, neither did they know if they would be able to get at least halfway through it but when was trying to destroy the most powerful dark wizard a safe thing?
Currently, everything seemed out of place. Talea was searched by death eaters as if she was a mass murderer they had to catch and as she looked around, nothing in Diagon Alley seemed to remember her of the old Alley she once knew.
There was no laughter, no joy echoing through the streets, you didn't need to push your way through the masses. Everything was just dark and cold. Not unusual for a winter day but the cold wasn't just physically, it was something that settled in your heart.
People with personalities that mirrored the darkness itself were lurking in the shadows. Only every then and now you were able to make out a person, by the crunching of their shoes as they walked over the shards of glass of the destroyed shops. Silence lay over the alley like blanket, giving Talea the feeling that she was suffocating under it.
Sirius broke her out of her trance "Over here, come on" he whispered and Talea followed the sound of his footsteps.
She could barely see anything under the hood that covered her head, so James took her arm and pulled her with him safely.
They arrived in front of the huge building. Gringotts was an imposing snow-white multistoried marble building that towered over the crumbling alley. It was the most famous place where witches and wizards stored their money and other valuables, in heavily-guarded vaults miles below ground.
And they needed to break into one of the most secured one.
When Remus asked how they could get in, there was a short silence. They couldn't just walk through the door into the big entrance hall where everyone's eyes would immediately turn towards them and ask if the could get them into LeStrange vault.
Talea had suggested that they could made a polijuice potion and turn her into Bellatrix but other death eaters around would notice this, Bellatrix had never left Voldemort's side and he wouldn't just turn up in Diagon Alley to do his grocery shopping.
It was Sirius and Regulus who told them about another entrance. Apparently some members of the scared twenty-eight thought that it was disgusting to use the same entrance as all the half-bloods, muggleborns, squibs or just anyone that wasn't in their ranks.
Seemingly, the Black family thought this and that's where they had entered Gringotts most of the time. If they would walk in there, they wouldn't cause that much attention.
After a few discussions, Regulus had collected a strand of Bellatrix hair in his crow form and they were able to steal a polijuice potion from a potioneer.
Talea noticed a smaller door that would lead them into the building. It wasn't as big as the main doors, so it wouldn't cause much attention to people that didn't knew of it. But that didn't mean that it wasn't pompous, after all it was the high society of purebloods that build the door.
Peter, Remus, James, Regulus and Sirius couldn't all fit under the cloak, so Peter turned into a rat, Regulus into a crow and slipped under Talea's hood.
The other three still struggled to fit, she bet the last time they had tried to fit under there together, they were back in Hogwarts and not build like that. It wasn't for a long time anyways.
Talea gulped down the potion and suppressed the need to gag at the repugnant taste. She shuddered, it was as if slugs had invaded her body and then a burning sensation spread from the tip of her stomach to her fingertips.
Her heart was beating rapidly and it wasn't just her nerves, it was because of the situation was in.
Have you ever felt like you're eaten up by fear? As if every cell, every nerve in your body was consumed by fear and it is slowly munching away everything good on your mind, only leaving crumbs of what is left of you.
That was exactly what Talea felt in this moment.
It is horrible to face what you fear but it is another level when you are your greatest fear.
Talea took a shaky breath, she didn't even wanted to look at herself right now, she didn't even dared to look at her own hands- or rather Bellatrix hands, as she turned the nob of the door and pushed it open, holding it open long enough for the others to slip in.
The ceilings hung high above their head and the sound of her steps echoed through the small hallway. She held her head high as she approached another set of doors. A shiver ran down her spine while her eyes flickered over the engravings on the bronze door.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
She couldn't back away now anyways, so she pushed the doors open. She stepped into a room that was only sparsely lit by high-placed windows. She held her head high as she walked under the diamond chandeliers to the only desk in the room where a goblin sat.
Talea cleared her throat, causing the goblin to look up. She felt like the real Bellatrix would have reacted differently.
"What can I do for you, Miss-"
"LeStrange" her voice bounced off the walls "Bellatrix LeStrange." She raised a brow and send a disgusted look at the goblin, she felt like Bellatrix wouldn't be pleased with the sight in front of her eyes.
The creature drawled in a bored tone "Your wand?"
Talea held in for a second. Wasn't he supposed to ask for the key to her vault? But she pulled out the wand that was made from a walnut tree and handed it over. It was pure luck that she got to steal it from her as they broke out of the Malfoy Manor.
The goblin examined it for a moment before handing it back to her with a nod. He turned around and opened another door, motioning for her to follow him. Talea strutted over and made sure that the door was open long enough for the others to slip in.
She knew that LeStrange's vault, just like any other vault of the scared twenty- eight, lay deepest under the surface and were the most well protected. The goblin stepped into a cart that sped along miniature train tracks, after lightening a torch.
Talea had forgotten how small the carts were but she certainly wouldn't ever again as she squeezed herself into it, trying to leave enough space for the other three.
She was quick to cast a silencing spell on them after James let out a grunt. The goblins head snapped towards her "What was that?"
She raised her hand towards her mouth and coughed "I coughed, do you have a problem with that or should I'll get you fired for treating your customers disrespectfully."
The goblin sneered at her and turned around again. Talea let out a breath, that goblin definitely knew that something was wrong. But she couldn't care less right now, by now she was ready to push that goblin off and drive that cart by herself if that meant that they would be done with all of this soon before any of them died.
Talea could feel her stomach drop at the speed of the cart and all of the up's and down's. Her hand gripped the sides as she tried to steady herself, so she wouldn't fall into the boys.
She assumed that they had to be there soon as she passed vault 998 and she was correct when her eyes found the huge doors of the LeStrange vault further down.
She didn't see the slope coming and only noticed it when they were racing down the tracks at full speed. Within a second she realized that they were doomed as she saw water falling down from the top of the stone walls.
The thief's downfall
It was used to reveal any charms that were placed on a person, she should have known that this was going to happen. She wiped the water out of her eyes as it came clashing down on her and looked to the side, relieved to see that the invisibility cloak was still working. The goblin was still looking straight ahead, so he couldn't see that the polijuice potion has worn off and that she had pulled her hood over her head.
They stopped so abrupt that Talea fell forwards and had to stop herself from falling out of the cart. She was glad that she had put a silencing spell on the other three, even though she knew that it would get caotic as soon as the goblin turns around.
And he then he did.
His features turned into a sneer and he was just raising his hand to alarm others when a spell hit him right in the chest. Talea whirled around and was surprised to see that Regulus was standing there in his human form, his wand raised at the goblin.
It seemed like she had failed to notice that he had slipped out of her cloak and turned into his true form. She looked back to the goblin but he was only smiling slightly, his eyes staring into nothing.
"What did you do?" her voice was higher than usual.
"Imperius curse, we need him for the security system."
Sirius pulled the cloak off, revealing the three of them with their hair standing up in every direction and their mouths opening and closing furiously.
Talea took the silencing spell of them, just as Peter changed back into his human form.
"I am never doing this again-"
"Your foot was in my face for the whole ride!"
"Who allowed you to use unforgivable curses Regulus?!"
"Well, your foot was pushing into my stomach the whole ride, I nearly threw up my breakfast!"
"You could go to Azkaban now Regulus! I don't need another family member in there!"
"Shut up James, your hand-"
"Be quiet!" hissed Talea, silencing their bickering. "Remus, James no one cares where your hands were placed, Sirius no one has to know, Regulus don't scare me like that but Sirius kind of has a point and Peter-" she let out a sigh "Thank you for being the only person that I don't want to strangle right now."
"You're welcome?"
Remus and James were still glaring at each other when she motioned them to follow Regulus as he was probably the person who has been to high security vaults the most.
They walked up to the enormous doors and the goblin pulled out a key and pushed them open.
To Talea's horror it revealed a white dragon, covered in chains. The cave like room around was partly burned and every then and now you would find enormous claw marks on the stone walls.
"Holy shit!" James stepped back in shock.
The dragon turned towards the voice and started step towards them and let out a roar. Talea looked frantically around the room and spotted another door, betting that this was the entrance to the vault.
"Take this!" yelled Remus and pressed something into her hand. Goblin clankers. Remus started shaking them and at the sound, the dragon backed away as if he was afraid of them.
They rushed towards the other end and when Regulus made the Goblin place the hand on the door, it vanished away, only to reveal a cave-like opening that was filled from floor to ceiling with golden coins and goblets, silver Armour, the skins of strange creatures and anything else that was shiny and gold.
"Okay... anyone in here with financial problems because I might have found a way to solve them" whispered Peter in awe as he looked around the room.
"Not now Peter" muttered Talea and then leaned towards him"But you can search for an ancient golden cup to steal."
"Seems good enough."
Talea stepped into the room, it was hard to find anything between the piles of gold. "I think it might be better if we don't touch anything that-"
She turned around when she heard a hiss. James was clutching his hand as if it got burned and suddenly the golden coins started to double out of nowhere and whatever they touched when they fell to the ground was doing the same.
"What did you do?!" yelled Talea.
"It burned me! That fucking coin burned me!" James had to yell over the clanking sound of gold smashing against each other.
"That was a security measure! Seems like the Gemino Curse and Flagrante-"
Regulus was interrupted by Sirius "Stop showing off your knowledge and start searching for that godamn cup before we have a goblin crew attacking us you dimwitt!"
"No need to be so rude-"
"Now!"
It was getting hard to move, Galleons and anything precious were starting to bury them under their weight, Talea could barely lift her feet. And that wasn't even the worst, the Flagrante charm was burning their legs that were buried in coins, everything they'd touch caused a burning sensation on their skin. They had to get out of there as soon as they could.
"Over there!" Remus yelled and started to get over wherever he was pointing.
He was right, on top of a pile of gold and jewellery stood a small and gold cup with a badger engraved on it, two handles on both sides. That must be it.
"How are we supposed to get there? Every time we touch something we'll get burned and everything doubles!" exclaimed Regulus.
"Just-" Talea looked around as if she could find anything to help them "Stay there, look pretty and don't die."
"What?"
"Oh, and be prepared to catch it!" She pulled her legs up and started to climb towards the cup. Her body was burning everywhere and she could already feel blisters forming on her hands.
She reached the pile and started to climb up, reaching her hand out for the cup but suddenly her feet slipped and she fell onto her knees. Talea let out a hiss as her knees scratched on the sharp edge of something and at the harsh impact, mixed with more burns.
"Be more careful Talea!" yelled Sirius or Remus, maybe both. She couldn't make it out in that moment.
But she pulled herself up again and climbed back to the point where she slipped, her fingertips nearly touching the Horcrux.
She could feel the dark magic radiating from it. She didn't wanted to touch and yet, her fingers eagerly grabbed it. It was a feeling she couldn't describe, her mind and body acting like they didn't belong to each other.
Her burning fingers closed around the handles, the feeling was so overwhelming that she didn't noticed that she had made her way back to the others it was only-
"Talea, Talea!" her eyes snapped towards Sirius "Goddamn it I've been calling you're name for about a minute! We have to get out of here, now!"
She whirled around to see that Regulus and Remus were standing in the door, their wands raised, pointing at something or someone? She pushed her boyfriend aside and walked up to them.
She felt like this was not a good sign.
Not good at all.
Talea looked over there shoulders, her body tensed as she saw why they had raised their wands. It seemed like the goblin army Sirius had predicted was true and not only that, they had brought some acquaintances called death eaters and their leader himself- Voldemort.
"Oh come on" she let out annoyed. Why was it that she couldn't seem to get rid of them? By now she was beyond stressed and pissed off at the same time, this day felt like it couldn't get worse.
"Talea" she nearly wanted to strangle the man as Voldemort's cold voice echoes through the place, mixing with the sound of the goblin's clankers that were supposed to keep the dragon away from them.
"I am surprised to see my supposed to be dead follower with you but I guess I should have known that he wasn't loyal." His eyes stayed on Regulus for a second " I never thought that you would find this Horcrux but it seems like I have underestimated you-"
"You have been doing that for a while now. Maybe it is time to learn from your mistakes, we get it you want to kill me and I want to kill you. Well, it is just a suggestion but maybe you should finally do it and stop making my life more miserable by having to look at your face or the one of your crazy followers!" her voice raised with every word and she felt so utterly overwhelmed by the whole situation that she had to stop herself from laughing out loud.
There was a stunned silence, Remus tensed next to her as she heard James cough, what she assumed was actually a laugh he had tried to hide.
She didn't knew if she should be more worried by the fact that Voldemort was glaring at her or that Bellatrix had pulled out her knife.
"How dare you say that you little m-" Bellatrix stopped when Voldemort motioned er to be quiet.
"I don't know whether you are brave or just stupid for saying that but I can gladly make your death wish come true."
"How fun" she raised a brow "But you see... I have other plans." With this, the dragon's tail lashed out and struck down a large part of the goblins. Then, Peter had finally broken the chains and swung himself onto the dragon.
The others used the chaos to follow Peter and jumped onto the dragon, Talea still holding the cup in her hand.
Spells were shot in their direction but they were able to block them, Peter hit the tail of the dragon with a spell and it shot up in anger. It seemed as if the dragon let out a cry of joy when it realized that it was free of the chains.
The dragon flew higher and higher and Peter somehow managed to lead it into the direction of the side door they had been coming from and when it was in sight, Talea shielded her head as the dragon broke the doors, flying into Diagon Alley and then over its roofs.
She was still shaken up from the whole situation, it was ridiculous that the first thing to get more time was yelling at Voldemort.
But what was she supposed to do when she saw that Peter had sneaked to the dragon and tried to get his chains off?
She let out a relieved laugh as they flew over the streets, higher and higher into the sky. "Merlin Peter that was the best thing you've ever done."
Remus clawed his hands into the dragon scales, his eyes wide "You mean beside yelling at Professor McGonnagal for transforming his muffin into a rock?"
"Beside that."
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Thank you for 26K, that is insane!!
That is probably the longest chaper I have ever written and you don't know how many mental breakdowns I had while writing but never mind... here's the chapter and sorry for not posting so much like I usually did but school started again <3