Russo's face shifted subtly as the question hung in the air. His hands instinctively gripped the parchment a little tighter, and the bitterness that crept across his expression was hard to mask.
The Lestrange vault, one of the most prestigious and heavily guarded within Gringotts, had been robbed. This was another scandal that painted the already tarnished reputation of Gringotts in even darker hues. The fact that Hufflepuff's golden cup, a priceless artifact said to have been crafted by goblins themselves, was inside that vault made the situation even worse.
At first, the goblins had no idea that the cup had been taken. It wasn't until the thief had revealed the treasure's worth that the true depth of the robbery came to light.
The scandal had rocked the very foundation of Gringotts.
The goblins were furious, especially Elder Harmon, whose rage had nearly torn through the entire institution. The backlash was severe, and many goblins—Russo included—were forced to take responsibility, some even enduring prison sentences.
"Ms. Bellatrix, don't worry," Russo said, trying to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. "The treasures that start in Gringotts are certainly the safest. Even if something goes wrong, Gringotts ensures proper compensation."
He paused, carefully watching Bellatrix's face as she seemed to suppress an emotion boiling just beneath the surface. The Lestrange vault had always been hers. It contained the master's treasures, treasures that had been compromised.
Her eyes were hard, her lips thin as she fought to keep her rage in check.
The goblins had failed.
Russo could feel the cold weight of that anger, and he knew there was nothing more dangerous than a dark wizard's wrath. Bellatrix's heart was a furnace of fury, and yet, for now, she remained quiet.
The seconds stretched painfully, until she broke the silence with a simple command.
"Take me to the vault."
Her voice was calm, but there was a dark undercurrent to it that sent a shiver down Russo's spine. He nodded quickly, his respect for her now mixed with a deep-seated fear.
"Of course, Ms. Bellatrix," he replied with exaggerated politeness. He turned to a goblin at his side. "Please assist with this special customer, make sure everything goes smoothly."
While normal customers were handled with casual professionalism, this was a big customer. The kind of customer whose wealth was unmatched, and whose favor could turn the tides for any goblin in Gringotts. Russo could already see the potential rewards he might receive if he handled this right.
He had no intention of letting the opportunity slip by.
Soon, he was leading Bellatrix through the twisting corridors of the vault section, the air growing cooler as they descended deeper into the heart of the bank.
"Ms. Bellatrix," Russo continued, trying to engage in conversation despite the palpable tension in the air. "Gringotts also collaborates with Hogwarts. As you know, the Forbidden Forest is rich in magical resources."
"We also work with the Centaur from the Forbidden Forest. Their divination skills are unlike any other."
Bellatrix, however, was not interested in his idle chatter. She walked silently, her movements purposeful, and her mind far from the conversation that Russo was trying to maintain. Every word he said was met with a cold indifference. The only sound in the corridor was the faint clack of their shoes against the marble floors.
Russo's nervousness increased. The silence was deafening. He glanced sideways at her, trying to gauge her mood, but her expression remained stone-faced, her gaze fixed forward, her mind clearly far from the mundane chatter about resources and divination.
The further they descended, the more the weight of the atmosphere seemed to press down on them. Bellatrix's robes, black as night, fluttered slightly in the strong wind that swirled through the vault tunnels. Russo couldn't help but notice how her robes seemed to absorb the wind, as if rejecting it altogether. The sheer power of her presence made even the most powerful charms feel irrelevant.
Finally, the two arrived at the famed Anti-thief Falls, a large waterfall that marked the boundary between the regular vaults and the secure vaults at the deepest levels. The waterfall sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow, though the beauty was only superficial. It was a magical defense, designed to prevent even the most skilled thief from entering without proper clearance. The raindrops from the falls shimmered with an otherworldly energy, falling in slow motion before evaporating just before touching the ground.
Russo stole a glance at Bellatrix's face. Despite her usual impassive demeanor, her eyes flickered slightly. He was aware of how many dark wizards revered the Anti-thief Falls, and it seemed that even Bellatrix was momentarily impressed.
"Quite the spectacle, isn't it?" Russo ventured, trying once again to break the silence. But Bellatrix simply nodded without a word, her attention on the falls before them.
The cart they were riding in came to a sudden stop, the brakes screeching sharply as it arrived at the edge of the waterfall. Russo quickly jumped out and gestured for Bellatrix to follow. He led her to the goblin who was stationed at the vault's entrance.
They exchanged a few words, and Russo quickly grabbed a bundle of keys, handing them to Bellatrix with a flourish.
"Ms. Bellatrix, your vault number is 777, one of our most secure and spacious locations. I thought it might suit your needs very well."
Russo had a flair for flattery, speaking in an almost reverent tone. He smiled broadly as he handed her the keys, but Bellatrix's gaze was cold and distant, as if she were evaluating him like one might evaluate an object of little consequence.
"Lead the way." Bellatrix's voice was like ice, and Russo did not need to be told twice. He nodded quickly, walking in front of her to the entrance of the vault.
With a click and a whirr, the heavy door slowly began to open, revealing the vast, empty vault within.
Russo was certain that the vault was large enough to accommodate an entire fortune—just the right size to allow for massive transactions to take place without raising suspicion. As he led Bellatrix inside, his eyes flickered nervously around, hoping she would be pleased with the space.
He hoped that Bellatrix would be inclined to make a large deposit—after all, the larger the deposit, the more Gringotts earned, and the more Russo would stand to gain.
As Bellatrix stepped into the vault, Russo stood by, his hands clasped behind his back, watching her with a nervous smile. She surveyed the space briefly before raising her wand, the tip of it glowing faintly.
Just then, Russo felt a strange shift in the air.
Bellatrix, in an instant, turned, her wand now trained on him.
"Imperio."
The words came like a whisper, but their impact was like a thunderclap.
Before Russo could even react, a sickly green light flashed from her wand, sinking into his chest like a dagger of darkness.
A wave of cold washed over him, and his limbs locked in place, paralyzed by the Imperius Curse.
His eyes widened as his body was no longer his own. He could feel everything, yet he couldn't control a single movement.
Bellatrix's cold voice echoed in his mind. "You will now listen to me, and do as I say."
Russo, now a puppet to her will, could only stand still as she turned her attention to her suitcase on the ground. Bellatrix's wand flicked again, and the suitcase began to change.
With a series of clicking sounds, the black suitcase transformed before his eyes, steel pillars extending from it like an ancient relic, reshaping into something far darker.
A door emerged, shimmering with cyan ripples, like the veil of death itself. Bellatrix's smile was wicked, knowing what would come next.
She raised her wand high, the final words falling from her lips, "Welcome to the master!"
...
==============================================
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================