Harry and Amelia Potter

7.27

The Hall trembles, fissures appear and the dragon erupts through the floor. Pillars spill, goblins dive for cover. The grand facade of Gringotts disintegrates as the dragon penetrates, wheels upward and beats toward the sky.

The dragon soars over London, shedding scales and debris as the dust-ridden trio hunker low, the cool breeze bathing their blistered skin.

Ron bellows in delight. "That was brilliant! Brilliant!" Ron looks down, realizes he's on a dragon, several hundred feet in the air. Goes a bit green. "Bloody hell."

A few hours later, the sun has dropped. Below, the dragon's giant shadow passes over patches of brown and green.

The four of us shiver as we cling to the dragon. Harry slides a few inches. He peers up, past the beast's head. "We're dropping!"

The dragon circles, lower and lower. A lake shimmers.

"I say we jump!" Ron suggests.

"When?" Hermione questions.

"Now!" I yell. We let go and drop like stones into the water.

I spear through, feet first, and my eyes close. As soon as touch the water, Im brought back to Malfoy Manor.

Voldemort, in a rage, wand slashing the air, as he murders goblins and guards, their bodies falling as Nagini slithers through the falling bodies, smearing the tiled floor with red as the aged goblin coughs blood and blood runs into the eyes of the guard who had stalked Ron at Gringotts. Lucius, Narcissa and Draco survey the carnage in stunned silence, while Bellatrix, lips parted, eyes narrowed, watches a widening pool of blood encircle his boot. Voldemort, Elder Wand clutched in his bony hand, speaks in Parseltongue to Nagini, "The boy and girl have discovered our secret, Nagini. We must find out just how much they know. We must return to our hiding places and see if the others are safe."

A rapid succession of images flash: Dumbledores desk drawer sliding open, revealing Tom Riddle's Diary and a ring with a black stone; the underground lake; an old woman in a parlor, her teeth black with age, opening a box to reveal Helga Hufflepuff's Cup; Hogwarts Castle; the face of a beautiful, sad-eyed woman standing with her equally beautiful mother; the Lestranges vault at Gringotts; a tarnished tiara, a filigreed Ravenclaw eagle among the crowns detail; my brother and myself, staring straight ahead, our eyes dark, the surface of our skin trembling like water; Nagini, fangs flashing.

"And you, my friend, must stay close..." Voldemort speaks. As the great snake wends its way around, I see a bloody hand gripping the Sword of Gryffindor. It is Griphook, eyes blank, body still. Then the sword slowly vanished.

My body twists as I kick to the surface. Breaking through, I gasp for air as I cough up water. I glance over and see Harry.

"You too?" He asks me. I nod, attempting to tread water.

His face ashen, shivers as he watches the dragon, fifty feet up, swoop down, slurp some water and fly on.

Seconds later, Ron and Hermione break the surface. We crash through the water to the shore.

"He knows." Harry tells Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione, both dripping wet, eyes Harry and I. Our chests heave from the swim to shore. Hermione begins to dig through her bag and pulls out dry pants and shirts, along with coats.

"You-Know-Who." I try to catch my breath. "He knows we broke into Gringotts. He knows what we took. He knows we're hunting Horcruxes."

"How is it you both-" before Hermione can finish her question, Harry cuts her off.