Twenty minutes.
The long wait made half of the Death Eaters in the vault uneasy.
Too long.
"It still needs that much time?" A Death Eater stood up, restless, and kicked a gold-plated artifact bearing the Lestrange family crest.
Bellatrix didn't react at all. She was fixated on Hufflepuff's Cup, her expression tense.
Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange glared at the Death Eater in displeasure—these were their family treasures. But their glares had no effect. The Death Eater, even more annoyed, kicked another piece of "treasure."
The Lestrange family's status among the Death Eaters depended entirely on Bellatrix.
And it was clear that woman never cared for the family name.
She didn't care about these objects—only about her beloved Master.
As long as he was safe, nothing else mattered.
A wizard raised his wand and activated a spell that had been set outside Gringotts earlier. "It's Harry Potter."
"And Kingsley Shacklebolt."
"Just the two of them—Dumbledore isn't here."
That revelation brought some relief.
"Only Potter came? Are they seriously trying to—" A Death Eater sneered, shaking his head. The fear that had been mounting inside him vanished the moment he laughed.
Rodolphus cut him off. "Don't forget what Barty said. Potter is not a simple wizard."
"He's powerful. Maybe not strong enough to defeat our Master… but for us, we should consider him on Dumbledore's level."
The other Death Eater scoffed. "Can we really trust Barty's words? He was locked up by his father for years. Who knows if his head is still on straight?"
Rabastan's gaze turned cold. "If Barty were here, would you still dare to say that?"
They were about to argue—
"Enough!" Bellatrix leapt to her feet, brandishing her wand wildly. "Our Master's resurrection cannot be interrupted! We follow Barty's plan—stop Potter!"
"Of course… if we can capture him, even better."
"We'll present him as a gift to our Master."
"Move!"
They scrambled into action, setting up magical traps, barriers, and even preparing to unleash the ancient dragon deep inside Gringotts.
"Damn it! The defensive spells on the main gate didn't work! Potter is already past the first checkpoint!"
"The dragon—"
"The dragon was useless too."
"That thing was too old—two strikes. Potter took it down with just two sword strikes!"
Inside the Mine Tunnels.
The goblin carts roared down the tracks.
Harry waved his wand, dismantling traps and deflecting curses from the Death Eaters who appeared along the way.
These Azkaban escapees weren't weak—their magic was dangerous, and their spells lethal.
They were slowing Harry down.
And he had to protect Kingsley as well.
It was a rough journey.
The Death Eaters were secretly relieved—being one of the oldest pureblood families, the Lestranges had chosen to store their vault deep within Gringotts, rather than keeping it near the surface like ordinary wizarding families.
The longer the path, the more time they could buy.
Inside the Vault.
A sharp, wailing shriek filled the air.
A ghostly, translucent figure emerged—an ethereal soul, flickering like mist.
A handsome man in a deep violet robe.
His features bore subtle traces of magical modifications, not as grotesque as in later years, but rather adding an unusual, eerie charm.
"Oh… so you're reviving me."
Lazily, he extended a hand—bloodlines from the corpses on the floor connected to his fingertips.
"Did something happen to my true body?"
Bellatrix nodded eagerly. "Yes, my great Master."
"Your true body has perished."
"Perished."
He raised his hand, gazing at the deep red bloodlines, shimmering like rubies.
"Such a dreadful word. Hard to imagine it happening to me."
"Was it Dumbledore?"
Bellatrix shook her head. "No, my dear Master. It was Harry Potter."
"He is the reason you perished."
The man frowned, finally lowering his gaze to his devoted followers.
"Harry Potter?"
"I don't recall that name. A member of the Potter family?"
"He is not from your era, Master," Bellatrix crawled forward, kissing his feet.
"He is just a boy."
"A boy?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "How young?"
"He is only fifteen this year."
"Still at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, a fifth-year student."
The man laughed.
He beckoned to another Death Eater, motioning for them to approach. "A fifth-year student? And you're telling me that a child—killed the greatest Dark Lord?"
"A wizard even I couldn't defeat?"
The summoned Death Eater approached respectfully, presenting a wand with both hands.
The man took it.
"Oak. Dragon heartstring."
"A loyal wand."
Without hesitation, he turned his wand on Bellatrix—
"CRUCIO!"
The woman convulsed, screaming in agony as she collapsed.
"Tell me the truth. Is this real?"
Bellatrix endured the pain, nodding desperately. "Of course, Master! It is real! I would never deceive you!"
"The prophecy!"
"A prophecy about you and Potter—it led to your death twice."
The man stopped the curse, lowering his wand.
"A prophecy?"
The Death Eaters in the vault stiffened.
Most of them had never heard about this before.
"You never told me the details, Master," Bellatrix gasped, struggling to kneel before him again.
"But that prophecy made you willing to eliminate two infants in their cradles."
"And it still failed."
The man twirled his wand between his fingers.
"I despise the word failure."
"So tell me—did that Potter child possess great power from birth? Did he defeat me in battle?"
Bellatrix answered softly, "It was a trick. Your most beloved godson, Barty, told us—Potter is talented, but he was not born with immense power."
"If it were true combat, Potter would never be your match."
The man smiled.
"Even someone as brilliant as I… was tricked?"
"How fascinating."
"So… where is this Mr. Potter now? At Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's protection?"
The moment his words fell—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shattered the air.
The vault door was blasted open.
All the enchantments protecting it had been dismantled.
Bellatrix turned to the entrance, grinning wildly.
"No, Master."
"Potter is right outside."
She welcomed the explosion—laying the groundwork for Harry Potter's grand entrance.
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates