94 Diagon Alley

He felt the airy sense of control flowing from his brain to his wand again. Bogrod complied again, his bewildered expression turning into a polite indifference, and Ron hurriedly picked up the small leather bag containing the metal tools.

"Harry, I think I heard someone coming!" said Hermione, raising Bellatrix's wand at the waterfall and shouting, "Armor!" Fly along the corridor and intercept the magic waterfall.

"Think well," said Harry, "lead the way, Griphook!"

They hurriedly followed the goblin into the darkness, and Bogrod followed behind panting like an old dog. "How do we get out later?" Ron asked.

"Worry then," said Harry, trying to listen, as if something clanged around nearby. "Griphook, how far is it?"

"Not far, Harry Potter, not far..."

They turned a corner and saw the guy Harry was ready to deal with, but it stopped everyone abruptly.

A huge fire dragon was chained to the ground ahead, preventing access to the four or five deepest vaults there. The dragon's scales have become pale and loose due to being confinement underground for so long, its eyes are cloudy pink, and its hind legs are heavily shackled with thick chains that drive deep into the stone. giant pile of ground. Its spiky wings tucked into its sides would fill the basement if unfolded. The dragon turned its ugly head toward them, let out a roar that made the stones tremble, and spewed out a blaze of fire from its mouth, forcing them to run back down the aisle.

"It's eyes are dead," panted Griphook, "but that makes it more brutal. But we have a way to control it. It's already conditioned on jingle. Bring it to me. Bar."

Ron handed the small bag to Griphook, and the goblin took out some small metal utensils, which made a loud and crisp jingling sound when shaken, like a small hammer hitting the iron on the anvil. Griphook sent them to everyone, and Bogrod meekly took them.

"You know what to do," Griphook told Harry, Ron and Hermione, "As soon as he hears the sound, he thinks of pain, he retreats, and then Bogrod must Put your palm on the vault door."

They shook the jingle and turned the corner again, the noise echoed between the stone walls, amplified many times, and Harry's brain seemed to vibrate. The dragon let out another hoarse roar and stepped back. Harry could see it trembling, and as he got closer, he saw horrible scars on its face, guessing it had been trained to dread a fiery sword at the sound of a jingle.

"Let it put its handle on the door!" Griphook urged Harry, who pointed his wand at Bogrod again. The older goblin complied, pressing her palm to the wood, and the door to the vault disappeared, revealing a hole. The cave was stuffed from floor to ceiling with gold coins and goblet, silver armor, hides of various exotic animals with spines or drooping wings, potions in vases, and one still wearing a crown. skull.

"Look!" said Harry, and they stormed into the vault together.

He described Hufflepuff's golden cup to Ron and Hermione, but if it was another Horcrux hidden in this vault, he didn't know what it looked like. He barely had time to look around when there was a dull metal crash behind him: the door reappeared, sealing them all in the vault, and it was pitch black. Ron shouted in surprise.

"It's okay, Bogrod can get us out!" said Griphook, "Light your wands, okay? Come on, we only have a little time!"

"Flicker!"

Harry used his lit wand to shine around the vault: the fluorescent light shone on the glittering jewels, and he saw the fake Gryffindor sword lying among the chains on the high shelf. Ron and Hermione also lit their wands and were examining the piles of objects around them.

"Harry, isn't that—? Ah!"

After a second, with a series of crackling sounds, the floor was filled with the same wine glasses, and it was impossible to tell which one was the original one.

"It burned me!" Hermione said, sucking on her blistered fingers.

"They've added Fire and Replica!" said Griphook, "Anything you touch will burn and replicate, but replicas are worthless—if you keep touching wealth, eventually Will be crushed to death by gold!"

"Okay, don't touch anything!" Harry said desperately, but just as he reminded him, Ron's foot accidentally touched a falling wine glass, causing him to jump up, A piece of the shoe was burned by the hot metal, and more than 20 wine glasses burst out in place.

"Stop, don't move!" said Hermione, grabbing Ron.

"Only with the eyes!" said Harry, "remember, the cup is small, gold, with a badger engraved on it, with two handles—or the Ravenclaw emblem ,eagle-"

They turned their wands in place with extreme care, pointing their wands at every nook and cranny, but it was impossible not to touch anything. Harry had made a whole bunch of fake Garonne falls on the ground, mixed with the wine glasses, and now there was almost nowhere to stay. The hot gold exudes heat, and the entire vault feels like a furnace. The beam of Harry's wand moved past the shield and the helmet made of goblins, and the shelves reached to the ceiling. He raised his wand higher and higher, and suddenly it hit an object. His heart jumped and his hands shook. stand up.

"There, over there!"

Ron and Hermione pointed their wands at it, too, and the little golden cup gleamed in three spotlights: it once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, and it passed to Hepzibah. Smith's hand, and then stolen by Tom Riddle.

"How the **** do you get there without hitting anything?" Ron asked.

"Golden Cup!" Hermione shouted, apparently forgetting Griphook's reminder of the plan in desperation.

"No use, no use!" Griphook growled.

"So what?" said Harry, glaring at the goblin. "If you want that sword, Griphook, you have to help us not just—wait! I can touch things with a sword. eh? Hermione, bring it here!"

Hermione took out the beaded bag from her robe, rummaged for a few seconds, and took out the shining sword. Harry grabbed the ruby-encrusted hilt and touched a nearby silver jug ​​with the tip of the sword, which was not duplicated.

"If I only put my sword through the handle of the cup - but how can I get there?"

None of them can reach the shelf for the gold cup, not even the tallest Ron. The enchanted treasure was roaring with heat, and Harry struggled to figure out how to hold the cup, sweat running down his cheeks and back. At this moment, he heard the roar of the giant dragon outside the vault door, and the ding was getting louder and louder.

They are really trapped now: the door is the only way out, but there seems to be a group of goblins approaching outside the door. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and saw panic in their faces.

"Hermione," said Harry, the ding outside louder, "I have to go up, we have to destroy it—"

Hermione raised her wand, pointed at Harry, and said, "Fuchsia."

Harry was lifted into the air by his ankles, bumped into a pair of armor, and the replica burst out, filling the small space like a white-hot body. Ron, Hermione, and the two goblins were squeezed against other objects, screaming in pain, and the objects they touched began to replicate. Almost half of them were buried in the tidal stream of fiery treasure. They struggled and cried. Harry was busy plunging his sword into the hilt of the Hufflepuff's golden cup and picking it up on the blade.

"Fire and water!" Hermione screamed, trying to protect herself, Ron and the goblins from being burned by the hot metal.

Suddenly the most terrifying scream came, and Harry looked down: Ron and Hermione were standing among the waist-deep treasures, trying to hold Bogrod from his whole body. sunk in, but the Grip was so submerged that only the tips of his fingers were exposed.

Harry grabbed Griphook's finger and pulled it out, the goblin covered in blisters gradually emerged, howling.

"The golden bell has fallen!" Harry shouted, and he and Griphook fell on top of the expanding treasure, and the sword flew out of his hand.

"Grab it!" Harry yelled as the hot metal touched his skin, and Griphook climbed onto his back again, dodging the rising hot object , "Where is the sword? There is a golden cup on it!"

The ding outside the door became deafening—too late—

"There!" It was Griphook who saw it, and Griphook rushed forward suddenly. For a split second Harry realized that the goblin had never expected them to keep their word. The goblin gripped a lock of Harry's hair with one hand, making sure she didn't fall into the sea of ​​hot gold, and with the other grabbed the hilt of the sword, holding it high out of Harry's reach.

The little golden cup on the sword was thrown into the air, but the goblin was still riding on Harry. Harry swooped down and grabbed the gold cup, though he felt his flesh scald from it, and despite the countless Hufflepuff cups bursting out of his hand and raining down on him, he didn't let go. Just then, the door to the vault opened, and Harry found himself sliding uncontrollably over the fiery torrent of gold and silver, being chased along with Ron and Hermione.