Little Snake - A Black Legacy

Chapter Five - Survive

I am now putting hour after hour into this story and would like to thank everyone who reads it. I would also be very happy about comments so if you had a moment and tell me how you like the story would motivate me very much <3 Love You all!

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The hall had definitely been built into a mountain. The floor was decorated by various colored stones and patterns, gold decorated pillars and forged iron railings were everywhere. And in front of them a wooden desk, with a book and a sleeping goblin on it. Slowly, Hazel walked up to it. "H-Hello?" she asked hesitantly, trying to wake the Goblin. Fig instructed Hazel to stand back and took the lead here. He cleared his throat audibly and distracted, the goblin gradually woke up, grasping the book with his claw-like hands to pull himself up a bit on it so he could see the visitors.

Goblins were strange creatures, Hazel thought. Big pointed ears, long pointed noses, claw-like hands and of small stature, the eyes without white in them, just dark without being able to read them properly.

" Unbelievable," the goblin was amazed, seeming not to be able to believe his eyes. He raised a finger and then climbed down the podium, towards them, muttering to himself. He bowed. "Welcome to Gringotts Wizarding Bank," he said politely. "Dungeon twelve I presume?" he asked and Hazel and Fig exchanged a perplexed look, but Fig thought faster than she did, "That's right" he said, a bit hesitantly, and handed the key to the goblin in his outstretched hand. Hazel could see that Fig was not comfortable letting the key out of his hand. It was, after all, the last remnant of his deceased wife. "This way" the goblin directed them towards a rail system on which stood a strange cart. "Stay with me" Fig reminded Hazel of his previous words and she nodded silently as they joined the goblin on the cart. Hazel was not comfortable with this. It seemed to go down immeasurably below them and they sat on the side of the wagon, only handholds for their hands and narrow running boards for their feet. Not enough grip for twisty rides, Hazel decided, clinging to her grip. "Leave your hands and feet in the cart if you want to keep them" chuckled the goblin as he adjusted his position. Yeah... that didn't help Hazel's comfort but she couldn't afford to be weak now. It was raging inside her and if she allowed herself a moment of weakness now she would uncork the viole in which everything was locked. While Hazel struggled with her inner self and the goblin drove off, Fig chatted with him. She could hardly concentrate on the conversation, but tried. When it was quiet, however, she threw a question into the room. "How many of these vaults are there in Gringotts?" her voice trembled a bit and Fig gave her a look she couldn't read.

"Hundreds. We'll see a few, some are even deeper. Right now we are under the main foyer, these are the newest. The elders belong to the oldest families in the wizarding world for centuries" the goblin talked lightly. "We have countless security precautions for them. From Thief's Downfalls that remove any magical enchantments, to a dragon Deep in Gringotts." Hazel was grateful that this goblin was so chatty. It distracted her attention from the mere speed and depth of a possible fall. They were still talking about such private entrances as the one they came through, which only very rich people could afford, and meanwhile they passed such a Thief's Downfall without warning. The water was cold, but it dried as quickly as it came. Nevertheless, Hazel had to cough, she had swallowed in fright and wiped a few remaining drops from her face while the goblin suppressed a laugh. Hazel huffed in embarrassment, hoping that this horror ride would be over soon. "Your vault - number 12 - was put into service shortly after Gringotts was founded four hundred years ago. It is located in the deepest part of the bank" the goblin then chattered cheerfully on without anyone asking him. Hazel tried to concentrate on the track and was amazed at how safe this vehicle was on the rails. From hundreds of curves, from so many ups and downs, she would hardly have been able to remember the way ever in her life. But she hardly felt a jolt in the vehicle itself. Hope rose in her that this ride was finally over, when she noticed that they were slowing down. Instead, they stopped briefly at a sort of checkpoint, where a goblin in uniform was standing. Basically, he was no different from the other goblin, except that he looked more fierce. As he raised an arm to greet the goblin, Hazel spotted something that caught her attention. It was a shimmering reddish bracelet the goblin wore over his uniform. " Vault number?" the guard said simply while Hazel's gaze lingered on the bracelet. "It's a big day. Vault Twelve is finally visited" replied the banker. The guard only grumbled for them to continue before he turned away. "Professor?" whispered Hazel to Fig. "Yes? What is it?" he replied, looking at her curiously. "The guard... he's wearing a bracelet made of the same material as the collar the dragon was wearing," she whispered. Fig raised an eyebrow. The dragon had been wearing a collar? He hadn't noticed that, just as he hadn't noticed the bracelet on the goblins arm. Hazel had a good sense of perception, which would help her a lot, he thought. He nodded to signal that he understood.