I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 579 Shell House

Without saying a word, everyone immediately turned and left.

Time was of the essence, and they couldn't worry about the loss of the fairies.

Getting from the Fairy Kingdom to Diagon Alley is relatively easy.

Because Hermione, Theseus Scamander, and others all carried Portkeys with them.

This allowed them to get back to Britain as quickly as possible.

1996 12 Month 26 Day.

The temperature in Diagon Alley was chilly and biting in the early morning.

London was shrouded in dark clouds.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

The streets were quiet except for the sound of the wind blowing through the corridors.

There wasn't a single light on.

It's as if this place is some kind of dead city.

The huge, crooked marble building in the distance is very conspicuous.

That is the economic lifeline of the wizarding world: Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

At this moment, the bank doors were tightly shut.

Four or five wizards dressed in black robes stood like iron towers on the street.

They were warning bystanders not to approach.

In the darkness, a bloody smell wafted on the wind.

Like a demon that devours living beings, it looks down upon all living beings on earth from the heavens above.

"Whoosh—" Suddenly, a spell flew toward the Gringotts gate.

With a loud "boom".

The two gleaming bronze doors that had stood for countless years were blown to pieces.

The crashing sound caused the crystal chandelier in the hall to fall to the ground.

The gate was blasted open.

Its true form was revealed.

The ground was covered in blood and the corpses of fairies.

Hundreds of fairies sitting at a long counter were torn to pieces by some terrible force.

The place was a complete mess.

"Who is it?"

The black wizard guarding the gate immediately threw a curse in the direction from which the spell had just been cast.

A sudden burst of light appeared, and someone had withstood the curses.

"We almost missed it." Two people suddenly emerged from the shadows of the street.

One male and one female.

They are all very young.

"Bill, take care of them. Stop wasting time talking."

Countless beams of light descended from the sky, and then Moody, Kingsley, and other members of the Order of the Phoenix emerged from the light.

"Hurry up. The mysterious man might be deep inside Gringotts."

Moody's said.

He raised his wand and swung it fiercely. A spell was unleashed, striking one of the guards squarely.

"Check if there are any survivors. We'll leave immediately if we find anyone."

Kingsley frowned.

He disagreed with such a high-profile fight with the Death Eaters, especially here in Diagon Alley.

This place now belongs to the Death Eaters.

They are likely to be surrounded by the enemy.

Besides, no one is sure if Voldemort is here.

"He won't be here." Theseus Scamander also stepped out of the ball of light.

If Voldemort has already obtained the Blade of Prometheus, where should he be hiding right now, studying this terrifying artifact?

The treasures in Gringotts held no appeal for him.

His attack on Gringotts was simply to kill the goblins and conceal his true intentions.

Why would he personally carry out such a trivial matter?

Of course, they have to be careful and quick.

The situation would be completely different if the Death Eaters were given time to summon Voldemort.

The four guards in black robes were not particularly powerful.

However, because it was also transformed by Voldemort into a monster that was neither human nor ghost, it was very difficult to kill.

They managed to resist the group's attacks for a few moves.

But after a few moves, he was overwhelmed by the overwhelming curse.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Theseus Scamander said in a deep voice.

The group then quickly ascended the stairs, intending to enter Gringotts.

But just then, several shouts suddenly came from the deserted street.

"Wait—what's that sound?" Sirius, who had also arrived at the location, stopped the group.

"It sounds like the roar of a dragon." Lupin frowned. "But how could there be a dragon here, and the sound seems to be coming from beneath our feet."

"The soles of the feet?" Theseus Scamander was taken aback.

Immediately, I felt a slight vibration under my feet.

The tremors grew stronger and stronger.

The entire Gringotts was shaking!

"Get out!" Theseus Scamander said decisively.

The others didn't linger for a moment and all retreated from the Gringotts steps.

Then, to their astonishment...

A giant dragon, a silver fire dragon, was baring its fangs and claws as it broke through the ground and climbed up the pillars in the hall.

Finally, it broke through the glass dome at the top of Gringotts.

The fire dragon raised its head and roared as it spewed flames.

Then it flapped its wings, but didn't quite manage to take off.

Like a bomber, it roared over the rooftops of Diagon Alley, trampling and destroying countless buildings before finally taking flight.

"There are several fairies on the dragon's back," Moody said solemnly, his magic eyes rapidly expanding and contracting to focus, clearly seeing everything on the dragon's back.

"They must be survivors who escaped," Theseus Scamander said.

"I never imagined that the goblins would be raising a giant dragon in the Gringotts underground," Lupin remarked.

"That's the fairies' usual tactic," Sirius explained. "They'll have dragons or sphinxes guarding the most secure vaults."

As a male member of the Black family, Sirius naturally knew this secret about the fairies.

After all, the Black family's vault is at the highest level of security.

"Chase after them," Theseus Scamander said, then Apparated away from where he stood.

The others also used their Apparition ability to follow.

A few breaths later.

Dozens of plumes of black smoke rose from the ruins of Gringotts.

Those were Death Eaters, who came to hunt down the goblins who had escaped by relying on the dragon.

Theseus Scamander spotted the group immediately.

"Splitting into two teams," he said. "Kingsley and Moody, you two lead the team to hold off the Death Eaters. Weasley kid, you and your girlfriend go with him and move the goblins to a safe place."

"clear--"

"That's what we'll do!"

"I've wanted to do this for a long time, I've been holding back for days," Sirius said with a sneer.

Then he stopped and, together with the other wizards responsible for intercepting him, raised his wands and cast spells at the dark shadow in the sky.

On the other side, Bill and Fleur quickly caught up with the dragon.

The poor giant beast was severely injured, its belly, tail, and back covered in wounds. Some of the wounds had already turned black and purple, and a putrid stench emanated from them, clearly indicating that it had been cursed.

It's a miracle that it can keep flying for so long.

In mid-air, the swaying figure finally gave way and plunged headfirst into the Thames River bank.

"I am Bill, Bill Weasley!"

Bill Apparated to the riverbank and shouted loudly to the goblins.

Several fairies weakly raised their heads, their round eyes staring at Bill.

A moment later, an old voice rang out.

"I remember you, you're that kid from the Egyptian excavation team."

"Yes, it's me." Bill and Fleur quickly stepped forward.

"Don't struggle now. You've been cursed and are losing a lot of blood. I will take you to a safe place."

Upon hearing this, the fairies remained silent, which was taken as agreement.

After all, they no longer had the strength to refuse.

Bill and Fleur each took hold of some fairies.

Then Apparition left the place.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

the other side.

On a cliff.

Hermione was standing on the windowsill of a small house, gazing at the dark sea in the distance.

This is a lonely yet beautiful place.

The little house she was in was Bill and Fleur's Shell House, named for the shell-shaped walls.

Theseus Scamander, of course, would not allow the young wizard to go to Diagon Alley.

The Fairy Kingdom is now history, but danger is brewing in Gringotts.

So Hermione, Harry, and the other young wizards waited there for a while.

"I wonder how she is?" Hermione was filled with worry.

The vast, empty sea in the distance, the cold, salty sea breeze caressing her face, calming the restlessness deep within her heart.

"Hermione—Bill and the others are back!" Harry shouted from inside the room.

Then everyone rushed out of the house to greet them.

Hermione followed closely behind, watching helplessly as Bill and Fleur brought back several severely injured goblins.

"How are they?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Severe injuries, and some curses too. I don't know if they'll survive," Bill replied quickly, then led the fairies into the room.

Hermione followed, feeling she could be of help.

Bill was well aware of Hermione's capabilities.

However, he knew that some of these fairies would definitely not be able to hold on.

To break the curse, bandage the wound, and restore blood.

After treating the demons, a red sun rose from the sea.

Bill's guess was correct; of the five fairies he brought back, only three survived the treatment.

The other two died during treatment due to excessive blood loss and the curse.

"Hermione, go and rest," Fleur said wearily. "Whatever you want to ask, you'll have to wait until these goblins wake up."

"I know," Hermione nodded.

Then they returned to the alchemy workshop in Hogsmeade Village.

Four hours later, she reappeared at the shell house.

"Oh, Hermione?" It was Roy Sylph who spoke.

"Drink this," she said, looking at Hermione's tired face. "It will do you good."

Hermione took the potion from Roy's hand and drank it down.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of heat flow into her lower abdomen, which then spread throughout her body, making Hermione feel instantly relaxed.

"Aunt Roy, what brings you here?"

"There's no one else here," Roy said. "Sirius heard that the fairy was badly injured, so he sent me to check on her."

"Oh—" Hermione then remembered that her Aunt Roy was an alchemist who had studied under Grandma Wenda, and her healing skills were in no way inferior to those of the healers at Rocher's Hospital for the Magical Injuries.

"Your healing magic is very skillful," Roy praised. "You responded very quickly. There wasn't much I could do. I reckon they'll wake up in a little while."

As he spoke, Roy patted the empty seat on the sofa next to him.

"Would you like to take a nap a little longer? I'll wake you when the fairy wakes up."

"Thank you," the little witch said without refusing.

She sat down next to Roy, leaning against her.

However, instead of sleeping, he took out the stone tablet he had obtained from the underground ruins of the fairy kingdom and began to study it.

Seeing this, Roy simply smiled.

No disturbance.

About an hour later, the sun gradually rose higher.

As noon approached, the pitiful winter sunlight could not completely dispel the heaviness in the air caused by the unknown.

Theseus Scamander arrived at the Shell House.

Sirius Black and Lupin were also present.

"Any new news?" Sirius asked impatiently almost the instant he rushed in, his voice filled with barely concealed anxiety and urgency.

Hearing this, Roy turned to look at him, shook his head, and his expression was equally grave. "No, the injured fairies are still in critical condition. Most of them are still struggling unconscious and cannot provide us with any clues."

"Damn it!" Sirius cursed under his breath, his fists clenching involuntarily. "I wonder if these goblins we rescued will even be of any use."

Lupin gently patted Sirius on the shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Don't say that. We saved some innocent lives."

"I don't care about the lives of fairies at all," Sirius shouted. "I shouldn't have gotten involved when the fairy kingdom rebelled."

"Alright. Let's get down to business." Theseus Scamander interrupted their conversation.

The old man looked worried.

"The Gringotts affair has become the talk of the town."

"After all, the scale is too large; the Ministry of Magic can't possibly keep it a secret."

"So the Ministry of Magic pinned the blame on us," Sirius Black said indignantly. "The Daily Prophet spouted a bunch of nonsense first thing this morning, claiming that we were the ones who slaughtered the goblins in order to loot Gringotts' treasures and amass funds to try and overthrow the wizarding world. Damn it—this is the most shameless and despicable smear campaign I've ever seen."

"The situation is clear now," Roy said. "Most people in the wizarding world know that the Mystic controls the Ministry of Magic, and they won't believe the lies in the Daily Prophet. They're just afraid to speak out because of power."

"We captured a Death Eater during the chaos this morning," Theseus Scamander said coldly.

"After a morning of interrogation, we got some information."

"What news?" Roy looked at him.

Hermione, also curious, put away her manuscript about the stone tablet and peeked out to look at Theseus Scamander.

"The mysterious figure has ordered the Death Eaters to send more men to Hogwarts within the next week."

"Hogwarts?" Roy frowned. Hogwarts was now in Voldemort's hands, so what was the point of sending more people?

Hermione's heart jumped into her throat.

Could it be that Voldemort discovered his plan to organize young wizards to rebel against the Death Eaters at the school?

That's impossible. Not only is their own operation extremely secretive, but all members who join DA have signed contracts. These contracts contain a curse: if anyone betrays them, the word "Informant" will appear on the informant's face.

Even if Voldemort did know her plan, there was no need to send more people to handle it; Snape could simply deal with the young wizards.

There's something odd about this whole thing.

"Perhaps this has something to do with the information we're about to get from the goblins," Theseus Scamander said, puzzled. "I have a feeling that the Mystic must have learned something from the goblins, which is why he arranged for the Death Eaters to send more men into Hogwarts."

"Now, we need to consider taking back Hogwarts."

"Take back Hogwarts?" The others' eyelids twitched.

Because they know very well what this means.

"Is the final battle about to begin?"

(End of this chapter)