( May '98 )
It was now May and the four young Gryffindors were going to Gringotts. Hermione had held a piece of Bellatrix's hair out in front of her. They had spent the night devising a plan on how to carry the heist out.
"You sure that's hers?" Ron asked.
"Positive." Hermione answered.
Harry, Ron and Cassandra stepped outside while Hermione changed into Bellatrix's clothes. The wind was howling as Hermione stepped out and next to Griphook. Hermione looked perfectly like Bellatrix, so after all, it was Bellatrix's hair.
"Well?" Hermione asked. "How do I look?"
"Hideous." Ron answered.
He looked much like Rodolphus Lestrange and he didn't even use the polyjuice potion.
"You can give the sword to Hermione to hold." Cassandra told Griphook. "Alright?"
Hermione took the sword from a reluctant Griphook and held her friends' hands, waiting for the goblin.
"We're relying on you Griphook." Cassandra said. "If you get us past the guards, into the vault, the sword is all yours."
Griphook grabbed their hands as they apparated away. They landed in Knockturn alley. A wizard stopped and looked at Hermione, suspiciously.
"Madame Lestrange." The wizard said.
"Good morning." Hermione said, trying to sound like Bellatrix.
Cassandra mentally face palmed at Hermione's antics and the wizard walked away.
"Good morning?" Griphook asked. "Good morning? You're Bellatrix Lestrange, not a schoolgirl. If she gives us away we might as well use that sword to slit our own throats. Understand?"
"He's right." Hermione said. "I was being stupid."
"Okay, let's do it." Harry said, leaning down.
Griphook got on Harry's back and Cassandra hid underneath the invisibility cloak with them. They walked into Gringotts with Hermione and Ron in the front and the rest behind them. Hermione was wobbly and looked like she was severely drunk. She clearly wasn't used to heels. Ron looked very scared next to her and was looking down the entire walk to the head goblin. Once they made it to the head goblin, Cassandra felt her heart pound in her chest.
Hermione cleared her throat to get the goblin's attention. The goblin did not look up at Hermione and continued doing whatever it was that he was doing.
"I wish to enter my vault." Hermione said.
"Identification?" The goblin asked.
"I hardly think that will be necessary." Hermione said, making the goblin look up.
"Madame Lestrange." The goblin said.
"I don't like to be kept waiting." Hermione said.
"They know." Griphook whispered. "They know she's an imposter. They've been warned."
"Harry?" Ron asked. "What do we do Harry?"
"Madame Lestrange, would you mind presenting your wand?" The goblin asked.
"And why should I do that?" Hermione asked.
"It's the bank's policy." The goblin said. "I'm sure you understand."
"No, I certainly do not understand." Hermione said.
"I'm afraid that I must insist." The goblin said. "Very well Madame Lestrange, if you'll follow me."
They tied up the goblin before hopping on the cart. Griphook was steering the cart and they twisted and turned through the dark tunnel. A waterfall was up ahead, washing away all the enchantments that were put in place. The cart had slowed to a stop and kicked them out but before they hit the ground, Hermione used a spell to stop them from hitting the ground. After passing the dragon up, they made their way into the Lestrange vault.
"Lumos." Cassandra whispered.
She was met with an abundance of gold and silver. Bellatrix Lestrange's vault was filled to the brim with money.
"Blimey." Ron whispered as he soaked in the sight.
"Accio Horcrux." Hermione said but nothing happened.
"Hermione, remember that the horcruxes are embedded in dark magic." Cassandra said. "You can't just use the summoning spell."
"Right." Hermione whispered.
"That kind of magic wouldn't work here." Griphook said.
"Is it in here?" Ron asked. "Could you feel anything?"
"I hear something." Cassandra said. "It sounds like parseltongue."
Hermione dropped something causing it to multiply.
"That's it!" Harry exclaimed. "It's up there!"
"That is the Gemino curse." Griphook said. "Everything you touch will multiply."
"Give me the sword." Cassandra said.
Hermione tossed the sword to Cassandra and she caught it by the blade. It sliced her hand open a little bit which stung but she pushed past the pain.
"Wait!" Cassandra yelled. "Harry, don't move. I've always wanted to try this."
Cassandra stuck out her hand and it was glowing red. Red magic started floating around the cup and the cup floated towards Cassandra. She held the cup in her hand feeling accomplished. Harry and Cassandra started running down the little hill they made out of cups and plates. Harry had the sword in his hands and was about to give it to Griphook when the goblin stole the cup out of Cassandra's hands.
"We had a deal, Griphook." Harry angrily said.
"The cup for the sword." Griphook said. Harry tossed Griphook the sword and Griphook tossed the cup which Hermione caught. "I said that I'd get you in. I never said anything about getting you out."
Griphook opened up the door. The cups and plates flooded the hallway and the four young Gryffindors crawled out.
"That foul git." Ron said. "At least we still got Bogrod."
Just as Ron finished his sentence, Bogrod was burnt to a crisp by the dragon.
"That's unfortunate." Ron said.
The guards shot spells at them as they ducked behind the pillar.
"We can't just stand here." Cassandra said.
"Haven't you got an idea?" Hermione asked Ron.
"You two are the brilliant ones." Ron yelled over the sound of spells hitting the walls.
"I've got something but it's mad." Hermione said. "Reducto."
The ledge fell to the ground. Hermione ran onto the dragon's back with Cassandra close behind.
"Well, come on then!" Cassandra yelled as Hermione helped Cassandra move her leg onto the other side of the dragon's spikes.
Harry and Ron jumped on and Cassandra pointed her wand at the chains that were holding the dragon down.
"Relashio." Cassandra said.
The dragon spit fire at the guards and goblins down below. The dragon slowly started to ascend. The dragon knocked down the track for the cart, causing the cart to fall and unfortunately kill some people. The dragon burst through the metal grates and into the main hall of Gringotts. There was screaming, fire being spit, and Cassandra gripped on tighter to the dragon.
"Now what?" Ron asked.
"Reducto." Hermione pointed at the chain that was around the dragon's neck.
The chain broke and the dragon let out a growl. The dragon began to push up to fly away. Soon they were flying over a lake and tiny little houses.
"That was brilliant." Ron said. "Absolutely brilliant."
"Jump on three." Hermione instructed. "One. Two. Three."
They jumped and landed in the lake water. Cassandra struggled to stay afloat because she was having another vision. This vision was different, it was of Voldemort and not like the vision she had about Malfoy Manor. Voldemort knew they were hunting the horcruxes. Images of the ring, cup, locket, something to do with Ravenclaw, and the diary all flashed through Cassandra's mind.
She swam to the rocks that were nearby after she managed to get to the surface.
"He knows." Cassandra said.
"You know who." Harry said. "He knows we broke into Gringotts, he knows what we took and he knows that we're hunting the horcruxes."
"How is it that you know?" Hermione asked, her tone laced with anger.
"I saw him." Cassandra answered.
"You let him in!" Hermione scolded. "You can't do that."
"We can't always help it, Hermione." Cassandra said.
"Well maybe we can, I don't know." Harry said.
"Never mind that." Ron said. "What happened?"
"Well, he's angry and scared too." Harry said. "He knows if we find and destroy all the horcruxes, we'll be able to kill him. I reckon he'll stop at nothing to make sure we don't find the rest."
"Oh, there's more." Cassandra said. "One of them is at Hogwarts."
"What?" Hermione asked. "You saw it?"
"I saw the castle." Harry said. "I know you did too, Cassie. Rowena Ravenclaw; it must have something to do with her.
"We have to go there now." Cassandra said.
"What?" Hermione said. "We can't do that. We've got to plan. We've got to figure it out."
"Hermione, when have any of our plans actually worked?" Harry asked. "We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose."
"He's right." Ron said. "One problem, Snape's headmaster now. We can't just walk through the front door."
"Well, we'll go to Hogsmeade." Harry said. "Honeydukes, take the secret passage in the cellar. There's something wrong with him. It's like you know in the past, we've always been able to follow his thoughts and now everything just feels disconnected. I know you feel it too Cassie."
"Maybe it's the horcruxes?" Ron asked. "Maybe he's growing weaker? Maybe he's dying?"
"No." Cassandra said, all the pieces clicking together in her head. "It's more like he's wounded. If anything else, he feels more dangerous."
Cassandra was not about to share what she figured out. She didn't need that to be looming over their heads for the next couple hours.