Bad Romance

Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Break in at Gringotts

"I actually know a very good lawyer if you'd like to pursue a case against Miss Skeeter," Albus told Bellatrix. "For my part, I certainly shall. She wrote that book on me over twenty years ago, but I think my being dead for that long can excuse my not having done so earlier." The twinkle in his blue eyes as he laughed off his fake death nearly made him look a little younger...nearly but not quite. "Now that I am in the public eye again, I have a few things to attend to, and this is one of them," the old Headmaster concluded.

"I would appreciate the name of your lawyer, and thank you," Bellatrix said. She would most likely sue Skeeter, but eventually she was going to kill the woman and make it look like she did it to herself for all the vicious things she'd written over the years. Yes indeed, before very long Miss Skeeter would be quite unable to live with herself.

"Albus is here today to work on adding extra wards to the Ministry at Gellert's request," Kereston said. "I'd like you three to watch what he's doing and help. If you're able to learn anything to use for Azkaban, that'd be great. I understand it's extremely warded now, but more is never too much when dealing with someone like Delphini. We still don't comprehend how she's able to manage most of what she has been doing. So, I think it's a safe bet to go for excessive when it comes to wards and protections because we never know what she can somehow manage to break through."

The three Lestranges nodded nearly as one. Considering what they'd already gone through with the Dark Lord, they weren't about to argue with that.

"I asked him to place the wards which lean most heavily on transfiguration to keep them from being broken," Gellert said. Bellatrix turned to see him standing in the doorway of the Minister's office with Zabini at his side. "Right now we're using everyone's strengths, so that is what I, as Head of Defense, will be utilizing."

"Good, so that means we'll be engaging in a lot of killing and torturing," Bellatrix said, not bothering to hide the fact that she found this pleasing and deeply satisfying.

"You all have many other far more admirable talents and abilities," Dumbledore pronounced gravely, ruining the moment. Bellatrix opened her mouth to retort something about how he'd been rather open to her getting rid of Skeeter when a goblin wearing official Ministry robes came barreling up, shouting as he ran.

"Mr. Grindelwald! She's attacking Gringotts! Griphook said she's using something explosive!"

"Could that be Muggle tech?" Kereston wondered, gray-blue eyes flying to Grindelwald in open worry. No one had needed to ask the elf who SHE was because it was rather obvious.

"Perhaps," Gellert replied grimly. "But there are magical methods that could accomplish a similar effect as well. As we don't know what we're fighting, we will combat her from a distance this time," he decided. "It will be far safer, and I won't waste good lives going directly up against unknown odds."

Turning quickly to the goblin he asked, "Can you get us into a lower level of Gringotts?" The goblin quickly nodded. Grindelwald told him to wait, then sent several copies of his Patronus, a giant red and black spider, to summon Aurors to Kereston's office. "Of course the Minister must remain here, but the rest of you can come with us," Grindelwald said, taking in Dumbledore and the three Lestranges at a glance.

"Please be careful," Kereston said and Gellert nodded. The personal way their eyes met told Bellatrix that Kereston's concern was at least in part due to watching someone she cared for going into danger. That caring did not seem romantic, but rather, a brother and sister relationship. That was good, because Grindelwald and his boyfriend were practically joined at the soul from what Bellatrix had heard.