Destiny

Four

After a long pause, with Harry still peacefully sleeping, the two goblins and Sirius finally regain their composure. Sirius is the first to break the silence.

"Sirius - So this means that Lyra is not the girl who lived, but Harry is, and not only that, he is the most powerful wizard to be born in centuries," he says, smiling gleefully at the thought of certain headmasters and Potters' reactions when they learn the truth.

However, the goblins are more concerned about Harry's health due to the blocks Dumbledore placed on him, not to mention the Horcrux.

C - "Mr. Black, I know it's amusing to think about their reaction to this news, but for now, we have more pressing matters at hand."

D - "Yes, Mr. Black. Dumbledore has placed blocks on Mr. Potter, which is not good for him. Also, there is the matter of the Horcrux."

Hearing both of them, Sirius comes out of his imagination, holds Harry closer to him, and asks, "Is there any way to remove both the blocks as well as the Horcrux from his body?"

D - "Yes, there is. Fortunately, the Horcrux is new to his body, so we will be able to remove that from Mr. Potter and transfer it to another object. Additionally, the blocks can be removed."

Then he asks one of the guards at the door to summon someone named Mayamba. After a few minutes, a lady goblin enters the cabin and greets everyone. Seeing her, Dragontooth hands her a parchment on which he has written something in the meantime. She reads the parchment and looks shocked for a few seconds but quickly recovers, saying, "What item should be the container for the Horcrux?"

The goblins look at Sirius, who replies, "I think I have some antique vases in my vault. Take one for the task."

D - "Very well, Mr. Black. You can continue then, Mayamba."

M - "Sure. Mr. Black, you have to come with me."

Nodding his head, Sirius follows her out. They walk in silence, but Sirius's mind is swirling with many questions that he wants to ask but doesn't know how to. Sensing this, Mayamba asks him, "Do you want to ask something, Mr. Black?"

Sirius, a bit startled, says, "Yes, actually. I was just wondering if it pains Harry. The process, I mean. Will it be painful for him?"

M - "Don't worry, Mr. Black. Mr. Potter will be given a potion that will make him go into a deep sleep so that he won't feel anything happening to him. But you have to take extra care of him afterward as he will feel somebody's pain after the process, which will make him cranky."

Sirius only nods his head and looks at Harry once. Soon, they appear in front of a big door which Mayamba opens with goblin magic and leads Sirius inside. Harry has woken up by then and looks around him curiously. Mayamba leads him to the chairs kept there and asks him to sit. She goes to a room inside that big room and soon returns with white thin robes and a potion vial. She hands both items to Sirius one by one and says, "Mr. Black, make him drink this potion. After that, remove his clothes and make him wear this robe. I will be back in a minute."

Sirius nods in her direction and makes Harry drink the potion with difficulty as the potion is bitter and Harry doesn't want to drink it. But somehow Sirius manages to make him drink it and then changes him into the robe while apologizing to the grumpy Harry, promising him sweets he would give later. As Sirius finishes getting Harry into the robe, Mayamba comes with two other goblins and says, "Good that you are finished. Now, put Mr. Potter on that platform."

Sirius does as told. The goblins who accompanied Mayamba place an old-looking vase near the drowsing Harry, on whom the potion is beginning to take effect. Soon, Harry is in a potion-induced deep sleep, and Sirius is asked to sit on the chair. The goblins present all start to work, and soon a shield forms around the platform. Sirius looks bewildered at that, but as he is about to say something, Mayamba just shows him her hand, asking him to have patience and just observe. The ceremony they perform takes nearly 2 hours, but they manage to remove the Horcrux from Harry's body and store it in the vase. All the while, as Mayamba said, Harry is asleep. Then comes the blocks, which also take more than 1 hour to remove.

Throughout the process, Sirius observes everything and looks for any movement from Harry indicating he is in pain. It's not that Sirius doesn't trust goblins. Of course, he does, but now he feels that parental protectiveness toward Harry. After every process is completed, the shield around the platform shimmers once and then disappears. Sirius quickly gets up from his seat and waits for Mayamba to bring Harry to him. The goblins first move the vase from Harry's side and put it on the table for Mayamba to take to Dragontooth and Cidariun. After that, one of the goblins picks up Harry and comes toward Sirius. He is an old-looking goblin and says to Sirius, "Mr. Black, I'm happy to inform you that we can remove that Horcrux piece from young Mr. Potter. And we have also removed all the blocks on him. Now you just have to take very much care of him for a week as it will pain him for sure. Mayamba will give you some pain potions for Mr. Potter."

Sirius takes Harry from that old goblin and says, "Thank you so much for your help, and I will take care of Harry as you said." The goblin nods at Sirius's words, and Sirius bows at him as they thank each other. Sirius looks at Harry and notes that while still sleeping, Harry seems quite pale. He cradles Harry in his arms and follows Mayamba as she gestures to Sirius to do so. Soon they are back at the cabin where both Dragontooth and Cidariun are still present, waiting for them. Mayamba comes first after knocking and getting permission to enter. Sirius soon follows her. She puts the vase on the table and says that her work is done. She also puts some potion vials on the table and says to Sirius, "Mr. Black, these are pain potions for Mr. Potter. Give him half every morning and half at night. Follow this for a week, and Mr. Potter will soon feel better."

Sirius thanks her and then watches as she leaves. Dragontooth gestures to Sirius to take a seat as they have many more matters to discuss. The goblin has said that Harry will be asleep for the remainder of the day as his body needs rest, so Sirius, after asking the goblin's permission, conjures a small crib for Harry and puts him in it. Now that he doesn't have his hands full, he returns his attention to the goblins and proceeds to tell them the next part of the plan.